Express, Express

The ability to express yourself and make yourself understood is a skill. More than that, it is fundamental to your emotional health.

Sadly, many people leave this life without ever having the courage to express their feelings.

It is one of the 5 Regrets of the Dying, as recorded by Bonnie Ware, a palliative nurse who spent years caring for people during the last days of their life.

Yet, it can be difficult to open up, to tell your story and to admit how you feel, even to yourself. You may not have a clue where to begin. Thankfully, author and life coach Martha Beck has some suggestions*:

Let your body talk.

Some gestures, movements and facial expressions are shared by all people. Use these expressions to let your body convey the messages from your deep self to your conscious, verbal mind.

Fumble for words.

If you’re intimidated by the thought of saying the Wrong Thing, try deliberately playing fast and loose with words. Most of us censor and edit ourselves when the words that pop into our minds aren’t sensible. Just say it. Make up words and use them in any way that gets your deep self to have its say.

Use artists’ creations to describe how you feel.

Great paintings, music, drawings, books, movies and quotes have the ability to touch us deeply. Use this to build a bridge across the void that separates our hearts from each other. If it stirs something deep in you, share it. I remember one time being deeply touched by a passage in a book. Fortunately, my friend was right there with me. ‘Look!’ I exclaimed. ‘Read this! That’s exactly how I feel!’ then proceeded to sob my heart out. It was such a relief to recognise and own, even through someone else’s words, exactly how I felt. The relief and release was immense.

Ask Powerful Questions

We owe it to ourselves to learn to interpret our own feelings, find our voice and speak freely so others can hear us and we can hear ourselves. The whispers of our own hearts.

What is my heart whispering that I am not hearing?
Am I living a small life because I am afraid of speaking up?
How much pain is that causing me?
How much longer am I prepared to carry that burden?

Just ponder. Be in the question. Let the answers come to you and trust yourself that you will know what to do next.

Remember, you don’t have to do this work on your own. You can choose to be courageous and find someone to help you untangle the knots that are keeping you stuck. Get in touch HERE.