Joy Jot #24: Feeling your humanness.

Do you sometimes just feel your humanness—the reality of being in a human body, sensitive to pain, aging, and a kaleidoscope of emotions?

Last week, I was in my car driving home and thinking, “I really feel my humanness right now.” I was feeling a mixture of sadness, fatigue, discouragement, and even a little physical hurt. I was feeling all the feelings alongside my human body’s frailty.

Later that day, I was on a walk with a friend and we were talking about how funny it is that some days we feel down, and other days we feel up—even though nothing in our circumstances has changed. What an odd thing that is.

In pondering this concept, I concluded that my thoughts and behaviors impact how I feel. Sometimes we just want to feel the way we feel—anger, discouragement, sadness, anxiety —whatever it is; That’s healthy. Emotions teach us what is important to us.

Feeling all the feelings also gives us an opportunity to accept what is happening and then make choices. The day I was feeling my humanness, I realized that I had the power to think a few different thoughts and disrupt my behavior. I purposely went on a walk with my friend. I checked one thing off my to-do list. I cleaned my bathroom. I said no to something. By the end of the day, things were looking brighter.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is often the top-recommended therapy for mental disorders. It is well researched and concrete. While preparing a lesson on mental health for teens, I found this short video that explains the cognitive triangle aimed at teaching children: https://youtu.be/5sS89MbOjjw?si=CX584AFpAjmjoxxz.

While simple, the underlying principle—the power of choice—shines through.

What thought or behavior can you choose today that might lift you?

With love,

Amy