What Do You Feel?

Whether you realize that you are feeling something or not, you are feeling.  We all feel.  Yes, all the time.  Sometimes we grow callous of our feelings. And sometimes we just bury our emotions with all the other things that we have to do. When we don’t feel well, it is easier to hide our feelings than to understand why we feel the way we do and fix what is wrong.

Sometimes trying to understand feelings is just overwhelming. I remember one day when my coach gave me a paper with pictures of 30 different feelings on it. She asked me how I felt. I couldn’t choose, I could not pick anything. I was overwhelmed. There were just too many choices, and I could not figure out how I should feel. And that was my big mistake.

When it comes to feeling, there is no right or wrong. There is only what is. And yes, it is vital for you to understand how you feel. If you feel good, knowing why helps you to repeat the experience. If you feel bad, knowing how and why is a starting point so you can work on helping yourself to feel better.

No one else, not spouses, counselors, coaches, doctors, kids, or the family can make you feel better. It comes from you, from the inside. All the others can help, but it boils down to you. And yes, we are all overwhelmed today. There are just too many outside stimuli. So if you have problems with this, find a quiet, comfortable place where you can spend some time each day and work on better understanding yourself.

Although you are the only one who can genuinely help you, coaches and counselors and mentors can help. It is a sign of strength to realize this and asked for assistance. Asking means you recognize the need to move from where you are, to where you want to be. And when you ask, skilled helpers will often be there to assist.

Indeed, nobody can do this for you, yet where you are others have been. I have learned this myself through intense trial and error. It was not easy. It was much better than staying where I had been.

Everyone feels. And everyone feels the entire range of emotion at one point or another. It is better to understand why you feel and what you want to do about it.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof