In the midst of turmoil
She rises
In the midst of sorrow
She laughs
In the midst of uncertainty
She connects
In the midst of outrage
She rises
©Ashley Castle Barnes
I think a lot about our capacity to hold multiple emotions at once.
We can be both sad and happy. Mad and calm. Uncertain and determined.
All at the same time.
Because emotions are not WHO we are, they are an experience – a moment in time.
Yet we often forget (or maybe have never been taught) that we are separate from our emotions.
We become immersed in the feeling of them as if they are tangible and concrete and we take up residence there.
But that becomes dangerous territory, right?
Even with “good” emotions, like happiness, if we attempt to reside there, we end up with a feeling that isn’t truly authentic.
And we set ourselves up for a major crash when a less “good” feeling inevitably comes along.
So there is a middle ground, if we choose to explore it.
A place from which we observe our emotions, rather than become them.
So that we experience all that being alive has to offer. And so that we have the tools to rise up when we need to.
Not just the tools, but the knowledge that it’s possible. The belief in ourselves that we have it within us to rise.
How are you holding space for all your emotions today?