Question your emotions

I am learning not to categorize my emotions as good or bad, positive or negative. Instead, when I speak of them, I simply name what is here. I am feeling sad. Rather than jumping to “I would rather feel joyful or happy.”

My dominant emotions tend toward anger and sadness, and I would prefer to feel happy and joyful.

For a long time, that preference led me to push the harder emotions away. Now I am learning to ask compassionate questions about them instead.

When a hard emotion shows up before something important — a meeting, a class, a hard conversation — what would change if your first response was a question instead of a fix?

For example: I am more anxious than excited about teaching today.

In the past, I would make every effort to move past these emotions through healthy techniques. But today, I am starting with the question.

I don’t have an answer. But I do have the question — and that is a good place to start.