How strong do you have to be to deal with the emotions of others? Sometimes really strong, and sometimes, just really humble.
One of the things I've learned along this journey is that I can choose whether or not to let the emotions of others direct how I act and feel.
Sometimes the other person is just plain wrong. That does not give me the right to accuse them of something nefarious, or even to respond at all. I may need to simply let their words rolls off my back without letting them bowl me over. How do I decide which it is? It takes some sorting.
Being emotionally strong means being able to differentiate between your feelings and emotions and the emotions of others. Just because everyone around me is upset by something ( a burnt pizza, a lost football game, the rainy weather) does not mean I need to join in their pity party. But it also means I can choose when and where the situation warrants me doing something.
If a lot of people around me are upset about something unfair, I can choose to be the one to organize the group to make a situation better. I can choose to be the person who speaks up about a problem in the workplace or how a group of teenagers behaves at a volunteer event.
Can you be strong emotionally when you are still working to learn how to process your own emotions? I think the answer is yes. Each step we take towards understanding our own emotions gives us a little push forward towards being able to better handle the next encounter. We will still make mistakes, but we are headed in the right direction.
Be strong, not because someone else empowered you, but because you know your Heavenly Father has granted you all that you need for life and godliness - He has given you Jesus, and that is always enough!
sometimes it's hard to be strong, to take the lead in something. It's still necessary at times.
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