Education
It’s okay not to be okay. If I were to be asked, “How are you?” My answer would be “Not OK” but then I might stop and pause before blurting out the words because first I am not even sure if the person asking is really interested to know if I am alright. Possibly he may have asked out of a habit of courtesy and good manners. Second, to say not ok sound so ungrateful. Which is far from my reality because I know that I am far too blessed and i am very grateful for everything that I have and for all the things I lack. Yet, being sad, lonely, frustrated and depressed are emotions we all go through and there should be no shame in admitting that. However, it can be hard because society or even ourselves have placed a stigma on being emotional and we tend to frown upon display of negative emotions in public. As adults we are told that we should have control over our emotions not be the other way around. I agree, that is so true but then somehow with these thoughts in mind it is also worth understanding that acknowledging our frailties and shortcomings, and emotional low points is necessary in order for us to address the root cause of these emotions. Vulnerability is strength. Ironic as it may be. But though try as we might being in control always is a joke. We can never be in control of everything that happens to us. We need each other’s support and in order to get it we must learn to assert and ask. People are social beings, social as in we need to interact with other people in many levels. For this reason that we deprive ourselves of reaching out within and to others resulting to exacerbated feeling of overwhelm. Making us more out-of-touch with our emotions. Making us resort to the useless rantings we were supposed to prevent ourselves from. So next time someone asks you “How are you?”. Be honest. Say what you really feel. Let us be more kind to ourselves and know that it is always OK not to be OK?