Ups and downs are just a part of life.  The ups are awesome and the downs can be pretty rough.  But most people will do anything to avoid, stuff down and ignore feeling down. 

Why? 

We do this because we are taught to endure, endure, endure.  But just as in everything in life, there is a contrast to this.  The contrast is to accept and validate all of our feelings (including the negative ones) and to accept our current emotional state.  If you don’t allow this you aren’t being true to yourself.  You are actually disconnecting from being authentic.  You abandon yourself.  You are actually resisting your reality. I’ve come to terms with accepting certain emotions like pain, anger and resentment.  And we must include the feelings of hurt, loneliness and fear.  It’s ok to feel these things.  It’s ok to be in this place. 

Don’t ever be ashamed.  Only when you acknowledge how you really feel is when you can then move forward.  Because whatever you resist will persist.  It’s so important to simply acknowledge what is really happening in your life and how these issues make you feel.  Our feelings, both positive and negative, deserve our attention.  As such we aren’t honestly acknowledging the present moment or the “as is”.  Awareness is the key ingredient to change.  One should simply be honest with oneself.  

It’s that simple.  You must show feelings respect.  Trust yourself.  You are feeling something because you are right to feel…PERIOD.  They are valid feelings.  It’s perfect feedback.  It’s trying to tell you something.  Otherwise you will never be able to take the right action for you or the people around you.  Please stop dismissing your emotions, you have to stop disapproving your emotions and stop expecting yourself to feel differently.  Otherwise, people will just do the same to you.  Do you let other people tell you how you should feel?  If you don’t choose yourself or honor yourself, then why would others choose or honor you?  So don’t deny your true expression or let others trespass on your reality. 

But here’s the real hidden gem in all of this - When you start accepting all of our emotions is also when things can actually start to change for the better.  Since everything is energy, it will start to move this energy up and out just like a bubble in the ocean.  The ocean deep below the surface is quite calm.  That means you can then release it and be free of it.  It’s just that simple. 

Give it a try.  You have nothing to lose except maybe a negative feeling that is holding you back.