Why We Need To Say How We Feel

Written By Leland Lewis

Honesty and being true to yourself are important qualities to have since they help us align with who we really are. Being able to express this can seem challenging at times since we might be concerned about how others view us. Our emotions are a reflection of how things can affect our well-being and recognizing that can make a world of difference. Today we want to talk about why it's so important to say how we feel.

Embrace Honesty

Speaking the truth as you've experienced it is one of the most important life lessons when it comes to honesty. Understanding that our perspective is valid because we've lived through it is crucial. Too often we find ourselves doubting our feelings because we might have doubts about what happened. The better way to handle things is to embrace what happened and be honest with how you felt about it. Sometimes coming face to face with our feelings can be hard. We may need to talk to people about things that they may not always want to hear. We ideally want to engage in a dialogue with others and sometimes that requires us to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable can be challenging but it's ultimately worth the effort since it helps us convey how we truly feel.

“Speaking the truth as you've experienced it is one of the most important life lessons when it comes to honesty.”

Your Thoughts Need To Align With Your Actions

If we want to be effective in saying how we feel, our thoughts need to align with our actions. This concept is known as cognitive consonance and it is the harmony between thought and action. Getting to this point can take an active effort since we may feel conditioned to not speak up at times. Breaking this habit takes time but it's worth working on since it teaches us to look past judgment and focus on being authentic. A good example of this is speaking up when something feels unfair. Chances are that there are others who feel the same way too. Making a habit of saying how you feel can help you promote fairness not just for yourself, but for those around you.

“If we want to be effective in saying how we feel, our thoughts need to align with our actions.”

Focus On Expression

To effectively say how we feel we need to focus on how we're expressing ourselves. How you say something can more often than not matter more than what you say. Presenting our message in a manner that makes others more receptive is key to this since we need to respect their time and feelings as well. We want to be honest with our feelings while also being respectful and diplomatic. This combination effectively allows us to say how we feel while still being mindful that we need to consider others as well. Saying how we feel is one of the best things we can do for ourselves since it can help us work towards positive action. Encouraging those around us to do the same can create an environment where everyone feels heard which can in turn lead to a greater sense of happiness.

Leland Lewis
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