Sometimes emotions are like a gas. They envelop your whole world. Someone pays for your drink and suddenly the sky is bluer, the sun is warmer and humanity is beautiful. Your car breaks down at a vulnerable moment and within minutes it feels like the wheels are coming off your entire life.
Sometimes the gas is great. You breathe it in. You let the joy permeate all the way to your bones.
Sometimes the gas is poison, convincing you that everything is wrong and will stay wrong forever. When this happens the best thing to do is condense that emotional gas down to liquid with cold facts.
You know not everything is wrong, so what, specifically, is wrong. Even more specific, what is wrong that is your responsibility to deal with? When you make that list it’s usually pretty short – two or three things. Now the fear, frustration or whatever you’re feeling isn’t a world-filling feeling of disaster gas. It’s a cup of liquid that you can get your hands around. You can contain it and deal with it. You can see what you need to do next.
Specific fears and frustrations might require hard work, but they are finite and manageable. Emotional gas though – how are you supposed to manage a whole atmosphere?
Sometimes you need to liquify your emotions.
—Jeff
Sometimes taking a step back and taking a look at the bigger (or smaller) picture is the key to getting that deep breath in that makes it not seem so bad. Always remember, one thing at a time.
Grow slowly
Skyler
Solid vs gas