Emotions have always been a mystery to men.
The messages we get tell us that emotions are weak, irrational and misguided. We are told to ignore them. We are belittled for feeling deeply, for expressing anger or deeper emotions like sadness, insecurity, grief or vulnerability. No matter what, we are screwed. Therefore, men do what they can to get through life; which isn’t much when you disregard one of the most important aspects of being human.
Myth #1 Women are More Emotional than Men
Just trust me on this one, m
en are equally as emotional. Men express emotions differently and they feel incredibly deep emotions often. Our culture allows women more freedom to express emotion. So it seems women are more emotional.
Myth #2 Emotions are Irrational
Our emotions actually make perfect sense. They actually don’t have much substance in themselves, but understood for what their purpose is, they fulfill an important role in life. When you understand the role of emotions, they will begin to make sense to you.
Myth #3 Emotions Will Mislead You
Emotions exist for the purpose of discovering your wants and needs at any given moment. Emotions are indicators of your sense of being and allow you to see how your heart is doing. When used as a map, your emotions can guide you to important realities in your heart. They will guide you well. They actually are more accurate than your cognitive processes when it comes to real time assessments of present realities.
Becoming proficient at experiencing self-awareness and emotions may feel counter-intuitive or selfish because most of us have not been given permission to be fully ourselves or actually taught how to respect our emotions and internal realities. As well, our culture and families communicate external expectations which keep us “in line” and in control to external motivators. What is being spoken of here is designed to set you free to be you, to be the man you know you want to be. Your emotions or feelings are the door to discovering deep realities inside of you. Chip Dodd said, “Emotions are the voice of the heart”. How can we learn to listen?
Stop, Drop and Roll will help you hear the voice of your heart.