- Kat
2023: The Year for Feeling your Feelings
I would like to start this off with a tremendous THANK YOU, for those who have been following my journey and creative endeavors surrounding my mental health for the past 2 years. Whether you have hopped along here recently or been a long-time follower, I am so grateful for you and hope that my words serve you in whatever way they may resonate. <3
I feel that those who read this blog have a growth mindset and are motivated towards their healing. It is those dedicated and brave enough to do the inner work towards authenticity, honesty, and integrity. Everything I write stems from following my own heart and listening to my mind. Oftentimes, we forget to feel our feelings. But when we truly hear what our emotions are voicing to us, that is when we begin to move towards clarity.
It is difficult to truly listen to the voices of our emotions, when they are easy to dismiss as sounds of distraction. In reality, emotions are energy in motion. Emotions are not just trivial parts of us; they are critical in discovering ourselves and who we are as people. When we attune to our internal energy, we become better aware of where to invest our energy into serving ourselves and those around us.
Modern coping mechanisms for inner turmoil involve far too much repression or denial, when real results begin to show when you actually feel your feelings. It is a mistake to perceive crying as weakness, expressing emotion as fragility, and your vulnerability as a liability. The bravest and strongest people I personally know are those who are genuine and honest with how they feel, regardless of any outcomes or setbacks from revealing their rawness and humanity.
If there is anything new to start for this year of 2023, it is to begin feeling your feelings.
You will encounter many unprecedented, uncomfortable sensations that will entail numerous rough patches, but I promise that this path is worth it. By following this path towards your inner peace, you transform everything that is bitter into better. And a better you makes everything around you better.
It all starts with you, by following your intuition.
I did it, and I want to share a bit of my story here.
As I was organizing my childhood bedroom while I was back home for the holidays, I stumbled upon one of the most valuable pieces of advice I have ever been given:
Intuition is your connection to your inner self. Dreams are the fuel to carry you through life.
This advice was from someone who dearly impacted me throughout my developmental years, but is now no longer here. He was my biggest loss I have ever faced. But it was only then did I begin to recreate and find myself. My growth sprouted through my losses.
Throughout the past 3 years of college, I needed to honestly ask myself the question:
Without your return, how can I return back to myself?
I kept on challenging myself through introspection: I asked how my past self impacted my current self, and what my current self can do to better impact my future self.
I listened to my feelings.
I got the help I needed.
I journaled and wrote and let every emotion in me to let it pass through.
In doing so, I became aware of what was going on inside of me, so that I can cause the least harm to whatever was outside of me.
I have reflected so much on my journey of change and loss, and these are messages I have now integrated:
It is incredibly ironic that the person who established my current values, thirst for intellectual stimulation, and psychological knowledge is also the one who simultaneously destroyed the connection to my inner self. The one who nourished my mental health also destroyed it. But I have learned that no person is ever black or white. Universally, there is so much gray area in every individual that affects the misalignment of our words and actions.
We have all messed up. But, there is strength in learning to be okay with being misunderstood. You have nothing to prove when you already know your worth. Our mistakes tell us that we have kept on trying. Therefore, our mistakes are an embodiment of our humanity. So embrace them.
No matter how much I have messed up, this journey of self-discovery has helped me understand that I am my own best asset. Because genuine closure does not come from anyone else, except yourself.
Because I am now thankfully at a point of stability, I want to use this painful experience as a way to illustrate:
Life is not about what happens to you; it is about how you respond to what happens to you.
Your past is filled with actions you have regretted, laughed at, been angered with, cried from, or smiled from. Every action you took and will take is rooted with the knowledge, awareness, and energy that you have in that current time.
This year, are you going to react or respond with what happens to you? You must use your past responses of your experiences to move forward with honest intention. Forgive yourself for what you did not know, accept yourself for what you now know, and look forward to what you have yet to know.
Your thoughts do not master you; you are the master of your thoughts. Along with following your heart, these 2 coexisting tools are your compasses to guide yourself throughout the world around you.
If I can heal, then so can you. Because dreams are the fuel to carry me through this life, you help me fulfill them if you carry on your own dreams. This year, follow the pursuits of what makes your heart feel big, what sets your soul on fire, and what makes you ALIVE.
2022 was the year for being authentically you. 2023 is your year to feel your feelings and to keep on being alive. The world needs your energy and presence and gifts more than ever.
Thank you so much for reading, and as always, sending much love and light to all! Happy belated new year :)
- Kat