Let Yourself Feel the Feels

This is one of my favorite pictures of Colton and Caden because the photographer captured a real moment. They were laughing about something she said, and I’m certain the laughter was at her expense, but boys will be boys, I guess.

I remember in college going through a rough patch. Nothing monumental had happened, I was just kinda down about life in general. My brother, being the supportive person that he is, bought me a book called “Real Moments” by Dr Barbara DeAngelis. What I gleaned from her writing was that what I was lacking, or failing to do, was to be present in the “real moments” of my life. I was so worried about the future and my next steps that I wasn’t living in the here and now.

It’s important that we stop sometimes to just bask in the present and enjoy what’s happening in the moment in order to experience true joy.

By contrast, it’s also important that we deal with the pains and sadness in life too. Repression is one of the most common and unproductive defense mechanisms. By not dealing with your pain, you inadvertently make the people around you deal with it through pent up residual feelings that can manifest as anger later. Repressed emotions will eventually come out, but in other unintended areas of your life.

You gotta let yourself #FeelTheFeels people, joy or sadness, to be a mentally healthy person.