Hey there! So, I recently had some interesting conversations with a few of my clients, and it got me thinking about a common theme that kept popping up. It seems that a lot of people tend to downplay their thoughts and feelings, believing that they're silly or not important. But here's the thing: they're not silly at all!
Let me give you a couple of examples. One of my clients recently got engaged and was feeling overwhelmed and stressed about all the wedding preparations. She even felt frustrated with her fiancé for some things that had happened. But when we talked about it, she kept saying, "I know it's silly." And that got me thinking about why our brains tend to diminish our feelings like that.
I also had a conversation with another client who was working at a ropes course and had a really tough day dealing with energetic five-year-olds. He felt overwhelmed and exhausted, but he brushed it off as being silly and said he should just be grateful for his job. But I assured him that his feelings were totally valid and not silly at all!
Another client of mine was reflecting on his experience with his mission president during his time as a missionary. Now that he's back home, he's realizing that some of the ways he was treated and spoken to weren't ideal. He felt resentful and frustrated, but he kept saying, "That's just silly and dumb." But I made sure to let him know that his feelings were completely valid and not silly in the least.
What I've noticed is that people often make excuses for why they shouldn't feel a certain way or try to reason with themselves to dismiss their own emotions. But the truth is, it's important to acknowledge and honor our thoughts and feelings, no matter what they are.
Let me share an analogy that might help you understand this better. Imagine our thoughts and beliefs are like sand at the bottom of a lake. During our conversations, we bring up certain thoughts and feelings, like scooping up sand from the lakebed. We examine them, explore them, and learn from them. But when we dismiss them as silly or unimportant, it's like opening our hands and letting the sand slip away, sinking back to the bottom of the lake.
By believing that something is silly, we lose access to it completely. And when we don't have access to those thoughts and feelings, we can't fully understand how they're influencing our beliefs and actions. It's like having a hidden piece of the puzzle.
Now, I'm not saying that we have to dig up every single past experience and analyze it. That's not necessary. What I'm talking about is being open to exploring our thoughts and feelings in the present moment, allowing us to fully understand and validate our own experiences.
So, my goal with this podcast is to help all of us stop labeling our thoughts and feelings as silly or dumb. We shouldn't make excuses for ourselves or try to diminish our own emotions. Instead, let's embrace them, explore them, and learn from them. Because every thought and feeling we have is valuable and worthy of our attention.
Stay tuned for more episodes where we'll dive deeper into why we do the things we do. But for now, let's remember that nothing we think or feel is silly. It's all part of our unique journey!
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