What caught my eye this week..

“Joy is the matriarch of a family of emotions and she won’t come into your house if her children are not welcome.”

This is a quote from Joe Hudson, a US executive coach, who counts Silicon Valley CEOs amongst his clients. After pausing to take this in, I understood that he was pointing to the value of embracing all of your emotions, including those often perceived as undesirable, such as anger, fear, sadness or despair. I believe all emotions are useful information, pointing us towards our needs, so that we can live a more satisfying life. If we choose not to acknowledge “difficult” emotions, we risk limiting our ability to experience a wide range of feelings, including happiness and joy. I often meet clients who are initially reluctant to be with their anger or sadness, sometimes out of fear of getting stuck there or losing control. In my experience, the opposite is usually true: by really feeling these emotions, including noticing where they are in your body, you allow them to move through you, so you can let them go, leaving you feeling lighter.

You can learn more about Joe Hudson’s work at www.artofaccomplishment.com