Take responsibility for your feelings

I didn’t make you feel this way. We choose how we feel when something happens in our lives. When we go through an experience, it’s up to us to decide how we want to feel about it.

In the past, I used to say things like, "You made me feel bad" or "You made me feel unworthy." But as I got older, I realized that no one makes us feel anything. We choose our feelings. Sometimes, we play the victim to attract sympathy, wanting others to feel sorry for us.

Our choices in life shape how we feel whether it’s good or bad. We must take responsibility for our emotions, observe them, and engage in self-reflection to understand why we feel a certain way. If something needs fixing, we have the power to address it.

The first step is accepting our feelings and acknowledging them. Only then can we begin to identify the source of our emotions and work through them.

What I’m trying to say here is that we must stop blaming others for how they made us feel. Our feelings come from a complex mix of upbringing, experiences, and self-perception. So many factors influence how we react.

If you want to wallow in self-pity and live in the victim role, do so for as long as you need—but remember, time spent in that space is time lost. Life won’t wait for you.

If someone has caused you discomfort or pain, allow yourself to grieve, work on letting go, and move on. Life continues, and you should too. Sometimes, I feel like shaking people and saying, “Wake up! You did this to yourself. You chose your path; no one else did it for you.”

Take back control and move forward. It’s weak to say someone made you feel a certain way. Are you powerless? Do you need someone to manage your emotions for you? Of course, not—you’re capable of so much more.

All it takes is honesty with yourself and some reflection to uncover the real issues. Admit they exist and set the intention to work on them.

Have a great day, everyone.