I love this. So many of us were taught how to suppress emotions but never how to process them. The paradox is that avoiding sadness often limits our capacity for joy too.
Can totally relate to this....Didn't cry for like 20 years myself. Then, in 2023 the floodgates opened up. I found that stream of conscious journaling about past experience allowed me to tap into the emotions buried underneath. And, just like you said on the other side of the tears was the joy and more positive emotion. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻
I had something very similar with my parents! I have pictures of me upset as a little kid and dad next to me mimicking me and making fun. And later on, I always remember myself crying alone in my room, nobody ever came to comfort me… No wonder I gradually became very cold and stopped showing emotions at all. Gladly after awakening, I started to acknowledge all of this but it definitely hasn’t been easy. I think I still haven’t been fully able to allow anyone be so close that I could express myself fully around them…
the thing that doesn't get said enough about this: emotional suppression travels. a leader who's learned to stay flat, who's practiced not-feeling through enough hard years, builds teams that mirror it. people figure out quickly what register you operate in and match it.
the feedback that doesn't surface, the conflict that stays underground, the bad news that sits too long ..that's usually downstream of a leader who never learned it was safe to feel things out loud. so the work you're describing isn't just personal repair. it's an operating decision. the capacity you build shows up in what your team can hold.
I love this. So many of us were taught how to suppress emotions but never how to process them. The paradox is that avoiding sadness often limits our capacity for joy too.
This is such a beautiful and raw share!
Can totally relate to this....Didn't cry for like 20 years myself. Then, in 2023 the floodgates opened up. I found that stream of conscious journaling about past experience allowed me to tap into the emotions buried underneath. And, just like you said on the other side of the tears was the joy and more positive emotion. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻
This inspires me a lot to learn how to cry again
I had something very similar with my parents! I have pictures of me upset as a little kid and dad next to me mimicking me and making fun. And later on, I always remember myself crying alone in my room, nobody ever came to comfort me… No wonder I gradually became very cold and stopped showing emotions at all. Gladly after awakening, I started to acknowledge all of this but it definitely hasn’t been easy. I think I still haven’t been fully able to allow anyone be so close that I could express myself fully around them…
the thing that doesn't get said enough about this: emotional suppression travels. a leader who's learned to stay flat, who's practiced not-feeling through enough hard years, builds teams that mirror it. people figure out quickly what register you operate in and match it.
the feedback that doesn't surface, the conflict that stays underground, the bad news that sits too long ..that's usually downstream of a leader who never learned it was safe to feel things out loud. so the work you're describing isn't just personal repair. it's an operating decision. the capacity you build shows up in what your team can hold.
We finally get to see the photo
❤️