We can sometimes imagine that we are not only feeling one emotion at a time, but that we are that emotion at that time. I am sad. I am afraid. We may even begin to believe that we are that emotional most or all of the time. And we may feel that there is something unsettling, stuck, or problematic about our emotional identities. At the same time, it might be as accurate, or more so, to say, I have fear and I have anger together right now. Or, sadness, joy, and fear are all here in my body at the same time today. We may not believe ourselves at first when we begin to talk about our emotions this way, and we may sense that we are not believed or understood in this complexity. Some will not get it right away, or may never get it. Others, perhaps many others, will see and understand and relate. What feelings are you celebrating as co-occurring in your emotional system today?
[image description: A hearts stands on block letters forming the word REJOICE. The word REJOICE has four other words in cursive inside the block letters: Anger, Joy, Fear, Sadness. The heart is looking down at the word REJOICE and the words inside, smiling. Text above reads, "We do not feel emotions one at a time."]
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