Lately, I’ve been giving a lot of consideration to my feelings. I have really thought about my emotions seriously and actually considered the value of them.

In the past, if I ever felt a certain away I never really paid much attention to the feeling, whether it was positive or negative. I just bypassed it and never let the emotion sink in.

On the negative side, I always just tried to ignore the way I felt. If I felt sad, I would ignore it until it went away. If I felt mad, I would hold it in and just hope it would pass. If I felt betrayed, I would convince myself that my feelings were lying to me and that it was all in my head. I never considered the harsh effects this attitude toward my feelings could have on me. No matter how I felt, I would keep these emotions to myself and never share them with the people who could actually help me. If it was too hard to put my emotion into words, I would just forget about it and try really hard to move on.

But, by ignoring my feelings, I recently realized that it caused me to harbor them in my life for way longer than was healthy. By never expressing these emotions and just trying to wish them away, they swelled up in my life and became an even larger problem than they would have originally been. While it can be hard to deal these feelings, it is a necessary step to overcoming the situation and growing as a person.

We must first recognize that the emotion is there. We must trust our feelings. Never convince yourself or let anyone tell you that your feelings are wrong or not true. If you feel a certain way, then you feel that way. We have to be able to acknowledge our feelings in order to move on.

Once you recognize the way that you feel, find a way to get it off your chest. If you need some time for self-reflection or affirmations than make that time, whether that be by thinking to yourself or journaling. If you need to share with someone else in order to move on, then do so. If someone else causes the negative feeling, then formulate your thoughts and confront that individual. Even though that is often difficult, it is usually vital in order for us to move on. Do whatever you can to get the thought off of your mind and stop it from consuming your thoughts.

Next, you have to let it go. Don’t let it consume your life and have power over you. Acknowledge it’s there, work through it, but do not dwell on it. It will only hurt you if you let that happen. You have to be willing to pick up the pieces, learn, and move on. Make the changes that are necessary for your life to avoid from feeling that way again so that you can truly move on and be fully happy once again.

There are also certain ways we need to deal with positive emotions. Positive feelings have the power to help us in so many ways. They energize us. They give us strength. And, most importantly, make us smile. If something in your life produces a positive emotion, acknowledge that it has and dwell on it. Live in that moment of positivity and let it take you over. Write it down, so you can recall and experience that positive feeling over and over again. Put yourself in situations where those positive emotions are usually a guarantee. Positive feelings are so important for us because that is what helps us get through the negative emotions.

So, whatever you are feeling recognize that you feel that way. Trust that your feelings are true and reliable. And, then take whatever steps are necessary for you to feel joy in your life. Be willing to put in the time and effort it takes to get to that place of positivity and don’t let those feelings slip away easily.