“If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.” – Daniel Goleman
Are you feeling stuck? Not quite able to muster the energy or courage to get things moving.
Have you ever felt bogged down by unresolved issues and situations and unable to find the courage to do what you believe is necessary?
A mentor once told me that guilt was like glue, and shame is like carrying around a weight. These are feelings that steal your power and leave you feeling stagnant, resigned and a victim of your circumstances.
If you are ready for change, join the discussion and discover the language cues linked to the emotions of shame, blame, guilt, worry and judgement. Learn how emotional literacy can allow you to identify your emotional state and reclaim your power.
We’ve all had situations where our emotions got the best of us. As humans, we’re emotional creatures. Our emotions influence the decisions we make. Yes, our feelings have power. There is no doubt that emotions are running high as we continue to face the effects of the pandemic- fear, anxiety, blame, frustration, anger, and so on.
The first step to improving and transforming your situation when challenged is acknowledging it for what it is! Acceptance is your willingness to recognize your present circumstances. To get present to what is. However, to sit in acceptance, you must be willing to face your anger, judgement, shame, blame and guilt. In other words, these emotions can not be the motivator of your actions. Therefore you are required to sit with the emotion, process it and choose an action. You can now choose an action that serves you rather than an action that your feeling is motivating.
The reality is you cannot sit in acceptance until you identify, feel, and work through your emotions. And, how you manage to succeed in dealing with these emotions ultimately depends on your Emotional Literacy. Emotional literacy is essentially being able to recognize, name, understand and regulate your feelings and emotions. To put words to your emotion and identify, understand, and gain insight into the impact.
We get stuck in the energy of the emotions. The key is to use literacy to name what is going on in the story you tell yourself. It is to separate the story from the event and reality check the story. Most often we learn that we are adding our own meaning, opinions and interpretation to the event.
Remember emotions are not bad or negative things; in fact, they are simply a sign that you are out of alignment. I invite you to consider a current challenge or any endeavor where you are feeling stuck. Pay special attention to your self-talk. Is it positive or negative? Look at how your language is a clue to your emotional state. Look at the stories you are telling yourself and are they moving you forward? Rewrite your story, course correct and act.
Join the Mindset Mastery Mastermind to connect with other leaders committed to mastering their emotions in the face of life’s ups and downs.