This is in response to an article entitled Trust the Process.
Many of us were taught to view emotions from a negative perspective due to our elders’ belief that certain emotions indicated weakness. This upbringing, to some extent, helped to develop resilience and perseverance in many of us, but it also taught us to suppress and or repress the rest of our emotions. The downside to this is that we develop a plethora of complexities, one example of this is living life in “survival mode,” where we are constantly oscillating between fight or flight responses that leads to so many disappointments, heartaches and pain which eventually wears us down in time.
These two defense mechanisms, suppression and repression, involve avoiding engagement with specific thoughts, emotions, memories, etc. While suppression is a conscious choice to acknowledge and refrain, repression involves denying existence and subconsciously storing it. Neglecting emotions can lead to their eventual resurfacing and destructive consequences. Emotional intelligence is crucial for understanding and addressing emotions to prevent the development of a false sense of self and future adverse outcomes.
Within our community, many individuals live in silence, feeling ashamed of their emotions due to the ingrained belief that they are a sign of weakness and are still widely stigmatized. Consequently, people refrain from seeking counseling, which hinders their ability to initiate their healing process and achieve wholeness, as expressing emotions is viewed as unacceptable and a sign of vulnerability. We must foster resilience and emotional intelligence among our people by teaching them to recognize, process, and validate all their emotions, thus creating a stronger and more emotionally agile community.
From a spiritual standpoint, the notion that ‘strength lies in weakness’ aligns with the biblical passage (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) where Paul explains that his weaknesses allow for Christ’s power to reside in him. Paul finds joy in his hardships and persecutions for the sake of Christ and boasts about his weaknesses to magnify Christ’s power. This perspective suggests that stigmatizing certain emotions as weaknesses may be excessive, as emotions serve a purpose and should be embraced. .
Don’t wait to prioritize your healing. Embrace your emotions and allow yourself to be vulnerable – it’s okay to cry, hug, laugh and show affection. You have the potential to create positive change in your life. Accepting the entire spectrum of our emotions only strengthens us rather than weaken us. Local Behavioral Health Clinics offer a safe space to explore your emotions and seek guidance from professionals.