And the question is: “Do you feel like yourself right now?”
I say set of
thoughts because a domino effect always prevails. After this question comes “Do
you feel happy?” And this knocks on the door of the adjacent house – “What is
stopping you from feeling amazing today?”
Every one of these questions has a concept in common: to feel. To feel good is the pinnacle of
if not every, then most adverts, sensationalised media conquests and product
placements that we experience daily. But it seems that most people are
suffering from some form of low mood, depression, anxiety or chronic
unhappiness. Where is this contradiction and societal juxtaposition originating
from?
We’ve internalised most messages that we’ve been fed. We’ve
gobbled them up, with a side of capitalism and washed them down with a glass of
patriarchy, then spat out the `disclaimer` bones. We’ve been taught that
feeling good will be found in that shampoo we buy, in that car we invest in,
and in that makeup brand that will finally match our skin tone. Where are the
messages about finding inner happiness? In a world where no one reads the fine
print, and efficiency is the leading
quality employers are after, are we really surprised that quality and happiness
have become somewhat of an afterthought?
It takes an independent mind and a form of healthy
`overthinking` to separate the useful from the junk. To realise that in the
end, there is only one thing that will be powerful enough to support the weight
of society’s looming manipulative control. That is to be in touch with your
emotions.
A few years ago, I began practising something that changed
my life, more or less. I didn’t plan it, it was more of an instinct that grew
in me as a result of being so passionate and determined to be unapologetically
happy. Every morning when I woke up, I would look at the sun streaming in
through my curtains and embrace the feeling. Then I would spend a few minutes
in bed just exploring how I felt upon waking up. Was I anxious or worried? Did
I wake up feeling negative? Did I have energy or was I unbothered? Any negative
feelings, I took a note of in my mind and asked myself why I felt that way. I
would pin-point exactly what was causing the negativity. Maybe it was a
situation I was in. Maybe a dental appointment I was nervous about. When I
identified it, I vowed to resolve it by the end of the day. I imagined how I would
feel if it was resolved. If I felt happy, I knew what I had to do. Then I would
be ready to get out of bed and seize the day.
It is this self-critique and analysis every morning that has
such a powerful impact on your day. Letting things fester over a period of
time, and ignoring their existence doesn’t resolve them or dissolve them as
time goes by. It just allows emotions and baggage to pile up behind a closed
door, that when finally opened, bombards you, and knocks over your entire
being. Including your happiness.
Sustaining a constant state of emotional stability is a
journey of self. It involves attention to detail, and knowing when your spirit
is not in tune with what you are doing. If over time, you feel as though you’ve
lost the ability to determine what your gut is telling you, you haven’t! You
just need to dig deeper to uncover it. It may be buried underneath a system
you’re trapped in, or a job you’re stuck in, but it is there. Only you know
exactly what touches your soul and drives you. Therefore it is never something
you can lose.
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