Gratitude is Good. Acceptance and Empathy are Better.

Gratitude shouldn’t come at the expense of other emotions, and we should work to understand other people’s feelings and perspectives

 
When I was a kid, my annual tradition before the first day of school was confiding to my dad that I wasn’t sure I was smart enough for the next grade. My dad’s primary method of reassurance was reminding me, in his endearing, self-deprecating way, that even he had passed that grade once upon a time. As I got older, I tried to suppress or eliminate fear. I’d sort of pretend it wasn’t there. That was my coping mechanism—to ignore it or pretend it wasn’t there. I’d do the same thing with sadness or other emotions.

Looking back, I do not think these were the smartest ways to deal with my emotions. I’ve learned that it’s better to sit with them and understand them, to interrogate them and try to use them to my benefit. All emotions are essentially biochemical reactions in our bodies. If we can develop the ability to observe them in a detached manner, the better we can determine what causes it, how we can manage it, and how we can use it to become more at peace with ourselves. The capacity to identify feelings and emotions and contemplate them before they influence actions is a worthwhile goal.

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Πηγή: ragazzo.substack.com