The Feelings I Was Taught to Hide
What emotions was I told were wrong to feel?
What This Might Be
A flicker of envy you bury.
A surge of anger you smooth over.
Grief that’s still holding its breath inside your chest.
You weren’t born ashamed of your emotions.
You were trained.
Trained to smile.
To say “I’m fine.”
To stay quiet when something hurt.
But every feeling you silenced still remembers its name.
And calling it back isn’t dangerous —
it’s an act of reclamation.
Graceful Reflection
Many of us inherited emotional rules:
Anger is destructive.
Sadness is weakness.
Envy is shameful.
Fear is embarrassing.
But these rules were rarely rooted in truth —
they were about control, comfort, and appearances.
What happens when we break them?
This isn’t about acting out.
It’s about letting yourself feel,
even if that feeling once got you in trouble.
Soft Places to Land
What emotions was I taught to avoid, hide, or judge?
How did my family, culture, or environment reward emotional control?
What feeling deserves to return — if only to be heard?
Gentle Grounding
Permission Breath
Place one hand over your heart.
Say aloud (or in your mind):
“It’s okay to feel what I feel.”
“No emotion makes me bad.”
“All parts of me are welcome here.”
Take three deep breaths.
Notice if anything shifts — even slightly.
Closing Whisper
You are not too much.
You are not broken.
And no emotion makes you unworthy.
The ones you were told to bury
are the ones most longing
to bring you home.
