Opinion

If you feel as though you have lost touch with your feelings, where do you suppose they went? You may have a profound sadness inside of yourself, but the emotion may not earn your conscious attention, because you were taught to always be grateful and never to complain.

What have you settled for in your life? If you sign away your inner freedom by settling, you have paid an enormously high price. When a painful internal matter comes into view, do you deal with and handle it?

Is your anxiety all-consuming at times? Do troubled thoughts squat in the middle of your mind and refuse to let positive, calming thoughts through? One thing is for certain. Those dark, negative ruminations do not like to be challenged, analyzed, or even questioned.

Do you know how to solve problems? Can you even define what problem-solving is? Start by identifying your hurdles. Gently try to figure out what caused these predicaments. Now you can try to make good on possible solutions.

Do you consider yourself emotionally mature? You know, it’s been said: Old age is always 15 years older than I am. Then again, it’s also been said: Age is not how old you are but how many years of fun you’ve had.

You hear the fire alarm going off, but there is no fire. How much time do you spend worrying? Does it sometimes take you over to the point that you simply can’t calm down? It’s okay. Allow yourself to feel your emotions. Don’t bury the hurt. Permit yourself to be anxious. Simply expressing your feelings may help decrease them. Now allow them to pass. Sure, your thoughts have now conjured up the worst-case scenarios. Can you challenge your thoughts into a more hopeful way of thinking? Do you even try?