Yesterday I was talking to a woman-Tina who was telling me about her health and how badly she was feeling.
She was saying “I can’t do it all.” “I’m not strong.” “I am overwhelmed.” “I am sooooo sick!” As I was listening to her, I realized that I hear things like that every day.
My first language was German and I studied Spanish in college. In those languages, when you feel, a certain way, you say ” I feel overwhelmed” or “I feel weak” In our English language, how we feel is basically a statement of our beingness, meaning that our feelings define us in some way. In European languages, our feelings a just feelings, they are not who we are.
I began to wonder if Tina began to talk about her feelings as feelings rather than as a definition of herself, would it help her feel better? I was thinking about how I’ve felt angry in the past and said “I’m so mad!!” or “I’m so Angry!!!” Would it help if I said “I feel so angry!! right now!!”
I’d love your thoughts and feedback, if any of you have experienced this or thought about, send me a comment.
