"I challenge the notion that constant thankfulness is always healthy and instead examine how the pressure to be grateful can suppress valid emotions like anger and dissatisfaction."
Mic drop! 🎤
How have you navigated the balance between gratitude and the full spectrum of your emotions?
Keith ~ Another great article! I love it - you've went about practicing what has taken me years to understand within myself and then even longer to figure out how to help my patiets effecrively do what you are talking about. Allow the full specrum of emotions to have a seat at the table - The Good, Bad and the Ugly!
One of my favorite techniquest I write about in my book The Wellbeing Equation on this note is what I call The Pivot.
You can work The Pivot in both directions - and pivot back and forth at different points on the continuum - but for a healthier sense of "process" at the end of a long day - I, personally, like to spend a little bit of time in the emotional arena with difficult emotions - particularly the one's where I am critical of myself or others - sit with them - pause breathe - call them into question and have a conversation with them to learn what they have to tell me about myself - and what I have to learn how to contend with within myself that I don't really want to per se - I often need a therapist to help me do this at points - until I can get better at it solo.
Then comes The Pivot - once I've "practices the dark arts" within myself- then I live to pivot to the more positive side of the equation and allow myself the gratitude practices and to give thanks for what I have leaned about myself - and what I do ineed like about myself - and what I'm good at so to speak.
I can use the pivot in a way that I call The Reverse Pivot - which is start in tath happy place within me - have the conversation and then pivot to the harder more difficult places withing me. I'll be honest, I have a harder time with The Revese Pivot for reasons that I don't love leaving myself with more uncomfortable feelings at the end of a practice. But most people don't.
At any rate, I love this article Keith as I mentioned - and your tips/advice/go-to's are spot on! Thanks for sharing :)
Thank you so much for your insightful comments on my latest article and adding so much 'food for thought' to think about 🤔
When I first discovered the dark side of gratitude, it was a 360 degree flip in the way I thought about it, how I had been stifling all that pent up emotional baggage I was carrying because all I had ever been told was the advice... BE GRATEFUL for everything 😩
Little did I know how much I had been suppressing my true feelings and how I wanted to respond and go against the way others responded. Yes, it took a toll on my mental health, that's for sure.
I love your pivot ideas, and think they compliment my thoughts and actions in other ways that could be explored more.
Once again, thanks for your input and advice. It is very much appreciated. Also thanks heaps for the repost! 👊
I'm enjoying our interactions and exploration of these deep topics together.
After all that's how we 'Lead, Learn, and Grow' 🌱 here on SubStack, right?
"I challenge the notion that constant thankfulness is always healthy and instead examine how the pressure to be grateful can suppress valid emotions like anger and dissatisfaction."
Mic drop! 🎤
How have you navigated the balance between gratitude and the full spectrum of your emotions?
Keith ~ Another great article! I love it - you've went about practicing what has taken me years to understand within myself and then even longer to figure out how to help my patiets effecrively do what you are talking about. Allow the full specrum of emotions to have a seat at the table - The Good, Bad and the Ugly!
One of my favorite techniquest I write about in my book The Wellbeing Equation on this note is what I call The Pivot.
You can work The Pivot in both directions - and pivot back and forth at different points on the continuum - but for a healthier sense of "process" at the end of a long day - I, personally, like to spend a little bit of time in the emotional arena with difficult emotions - particularly the one's where I am critical of myself or others - sit with them - pause breathe - call them into question and have a conversation with them to learn what they have to tell me about myself - and what I have to learn how to contend with within myself that I don't really want to per se - I often need a therapist to help me do this at points - until I can get better at it solo.
Then comes The Pivot - once I've "practices the dark arts" within myself- then I live to pivot to the more positive side of the equation and allow myself the gratitude practices and to give thanks for what I have leaned about myself - and what I do ineed like about myself - and what I'm good at so to speak.
I can use the pivot in a way that I call The Reverse Pivot - which is start in tath happy place within me - have the conversation and then pivot to the harder more difficult places withing me. I'll be honest, I have a harder time with The Revese Pivot for reasons that I don't love leaving myself with more uncomfortable feelings at the end of a practice. But most people don't.
At any rate, I love this article Keith as I mentioned - and your tips/advice/go-to's are spot on! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi Bronce 🌱
Thank you so much for your insightful comments on my latest article and adding so much 'food for thought' to think about 🤔
When I first discovered the dark side of gratitude, it was a 360 degree flip in the way I thought about it, how I had been stifling all that pent up emotional baggage I was carrying because all I had ever been told was the advice... BE GRATEFUL for everything 😩
Little did I know how much I had been suppressing my true feelings and how I wanted to respond and go against the way others responded. Yes, it took a toll on my mental health, that's for sure.
I love your pivot ideas, and think they compliment my thoughts and actions in other ways that could be explored more.
Once again, thanks for your input and advice. It is very much appreciated. Also thanks heaps for the repost! 👊
I'm enjoying our interactions and exploration of these deep topics together.
After all that's how we 'Lead, Learn, and Grow' 🌱 here on SubStack, right?
Cheers
Keith