One Apple A Day #535 - don't resist, embrace
I usually write my daily apple at home, in the quiet stillness of the dawn. Today it was not possible as we had to leave early so, here I am in a lively cafè with the latecomers having their quick espresso before rushing to their offices. We can't always control the situations around us, disruptions happen. But, as Viktor Frankl wrote, "when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." When something is meaningful for us, we adapt and find a way through. And as you know, this writing pause is my daily anchor.
And somehow, this disruption in my routine fits with the thoughts that have been spinning in my mind since yesterday evening. I attended a workshop about emotional intelligence, and I left with the awareness that we can't stop emotions from emerging. The idea that we can leave our emotions behind in some environment, typically work, can lead to a great deal of stress and pressure. There are things you can't stop from happening such us changing, moving, communicating and feeling emotions.
We change, no matter how much we would like to stay the same. We move, no matter how much we try to stay still. As the psychologist and philosopher Paul Watzlawick said, "One cannot not communicate" because "every behaviour is a form of communication". And you can't stop emotions from emerging within you.
Resisting is energy consuming. This is why it is important to embrace, own and take care of your emotions. So you can harness them to create a positive impact within and without you. And the first step, as I learned yesterday evening, is to recognise your emotions and give them a name.