Page 60 - Kindness - No Forward

In Your Own Space, Whatever You Feel is OK

Volumes have been written regarding assertiveness versus passive or
aggressive behavior, but the bottom line always comes out the same: as
long as we stay in our own space, it is okay to be ourselves and feel
whatever we want to feel.

It is okay to feel things like “I don’t want to go to work today” “I wish I lived
on the beach” “I hate this food” “I don’t think my spouse is funny” or “I
wish my daughter weren’t getting married.”

In fact, any feeling you might be having is okay. It’s really okay.

What might not be okay (or appropriate, or polite, or even legal in some
cases) is to express or act out your feelings. Its okay to feel like punching
out the guy in third row, but doing it might land you in jail!

In other words, we should spend far less time feeling guilty for what we
feel, and more time getting on touch with WHY we feel what we feel and if
we want to change our feelings.