Awareness of emotion and thought

Thursday/Friday- Awareness of your emotions and thoughts
***I tied these two together b/c for me they are one in the same. In the sense that my thoughts usually create my emotions (i.e. how I perceive a situation will effect how I feel about it)

I do have to say I am pretty invested in my emotions. I tend to try to use them as a tool to grow, instead of simply just feel. I know that sometimes you need to just feel, without question, and this is an area I need to grow in. There is just something amazing in questioning yourself (with balance so as to not lose yourself), and questioning “why” you feel something. I think people think if they question themselves, they aren’t allowing their thoughts/feelings to be validated. But to me it’s the exact opposite. It is important to express what you feel, but afterwards think and truly become aware of those feelings/thoughts. Once you get used to this then I think it becomes easier to do it in the moment. What I take from suspending yourself, is allowing yourself to a) realize/be aware of what you think/feel and b) from that awareness develop an understanding that you can extend those thoughts/feelings by listening to others possibilities. Also develop your own alternate possibilities.
It’s hard to balance validating your emotions and realizing that you control/create them, as the majority of emotions are learned from past experiences. The actual emotion is not learned, but “when” those emotions arise, is learned

For me anger is the emotion I get tangled up in, b/c this is, for me, the most intense emotion I can feel and NOT be able to release in the moment (societal constraints on just yelling out loud). Sadness to me is intense as well, but I can release it by crying b/c it is a socially acceptable response (at least for women, but has become more acceptable for men. I personally never cared) But anger is not as socially acceptable to be released. At least the release, I have learned to express my anger and feel a release from, (i.e. yelling) is not socially acceptable. I do know that there are other ways to release anger, but for some reason, physical exertion feels the most raw and real. That’s a whole other topic…
I truly believe that “anger is love disappointed” (A corny lyric in a corny song I know), so sadness is probably the true emotion you are feeling, but anger is real and innate, so one has to release it in some way that is just as NATURAL and true as crying (and not just going to the gym and running, which I feel doesn’t really allow you to released in the moment, although it may work for some)

Back to how emotions relate to dialogue:
I feel an awareness of your emotions is needed to truly engage in generative dialogue. When one is not aware of their emotions, they will more then likely engage in talking tough. They may feel a surge of emotion, not be able to express it, and lead themselves into dialogue that allows for them to have some sort of control (something they lost in their inability in understand and express their emotion). This leads to people spitting out facts and downloading things they have control over b/c they know them to be true.

If can become more aware of our thoughts and how they affect our emotions…If we can realize we have more control over our emotions and thoughts and not allow ourselves to become victims of them…..We can think about and try to listen to ourselves more, shift and/or grow from how we feel, except possibilities, and not feel the need to be validated by others.