Emotions can bring out our human side
- Kyle Snyder: Live on Purpose
- June 10, 2024
- 398
“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”
—Pablo Picasso
I just got done reading a great book titled “Untangle Your Emotions” by Jennin Allen. I have a love/hate relationship with that book. I have always been an emotional kind of guy; I still have to turn the channel when a feed the children commercial comes on. The need is too great, and I am just one person.
I remember talking to my mom for hours about what I can do to help people in need. Nowadays, I try to put a little bit of money in jars set out to help people pay medical bills or buy things to replace what people lost in a fire. I often think about McDonald’s when we eat there and they ask us if we would like to round up for the Ronald McDonald House. If a million people give a dime a week across the country, that would be $100,000 a week or $5,200,000 a year. It all begins with a dime.
In a way I feel bad because I wrote about emotion a few months back, but for some reason, I feel like I need to revisit the topic. Emotions are gifts from God. Yes, you read that right; they are a gift. I will be the first to admit I don’t always like my emotions. I can feel bad for people when they need me to be strong. I can cry when I just need to embrace change. I think people hate emotions due to their unpredictable nature. I mean if a wedding is a happy occasion, then why do people cry at them?
To feel emotion is to be human. Our feelings allow us to connect with other people on a deeper level. I think most of us know people who just want the facts. We need to have all the facts, but we must realize there are people behind the facts. Too many people don’t want to deal with the human factor; they only want to see the black and white. I would rather have things be black and white, but it isn’t the most compassionate attitude. I need to at least make an attempt at knowing where people are coming from.
If someone comes to us crying, we need to just listen to them. One of the hardest things I have to wrestle with is not trying to fix others. I don’t like sitting with people in their hurt, but people just need to know they are not alone. Give them a hug, put your arm around them and just listen to them. If we act like we know all the answers, that could come across as not caring. People sometimes don’t want to be fixed right away; they need time to feel and process the feelings. If they want our advice on fixing the situation later on, then we can give it to them.
We may want to paraphrase what we hear they are saying. This has two purposes: It tells the person we are listening, and it gives them the chance to correct us if we heard something wrong. People want to feel connected to another human being. If we can show them they are not alone, then we did a great service for our fellow man.