Strong emotions are valuable messages, if we take the time to listen.
I’m just home from our choirs’ farewell concert, complete with all the tears that traditionally accompany its end.
Those sorts of strong emotions help to tell us what we value. Even when we can’t necessarily verbalize our values, our emotions can tell us, if we listen.
What makes you angry? What makes you cry? What brings you joy?
So many young people, especially, want to temper their strong emotions. They want to feel less, not more. But if they’ll really listen to these emotions and what they are saying, they will be much better positioned to choose their path.
It was my own strong emotions around being in choir – and especially jazz – that told me my future wasn’t as a physicist. I’m forever grateful that those emotions were accessible and clear in their message.