When I first wrote this article, it was meant to help one to come to terms with complex emotions, usually recurring, that have been consciously or subconsciously suppressed or denied. Running away from these feelings only serves to limit our potential as human beings as we’re also avoiding the messages behind those emotions that we need to deal with in life. In short, this article can be summarized into 5 simple words: “Be honest with your feelings”.

And to do so requires us to be truthful to the way we feel on a day-to-day basis. By that, I don’t mean we become inconsiderate to the feelings of others, or insisting on nothing but our way because that-is-how-I-feel-about-it.

It also doesn’t mean being a crying baby, a nervous wreck or expressing whatever you’re feeling inside indiscriminately.

What we want to do, instead, is to honor our feelings without getting overwhelmed or sucked into them, so that we gain deeper insight into ‘Why am I feeling this way?”.

Is it an overemphasis on loss and gain? Is it an irrational fear of failure? Is it a symptom of my chronic worrying trait? Or is it because I’m just not well-prepared enough for this presentation? Only by owning up to yourself about the way you feel, will you be on the path to knowing yourself better.

Being present with our feelings also connects us to the present moment instead of reliving past mistakes or fabricating an imaginary future, giving us the wisdom to do what is required of us at the moment.

This bring us back to your question. How do we apply this approach in the presence of other people? My answer is, with or without the presence of others, it doesn’t matter. It all depends on how honest you want to be with yourself.

When you choose to honor and be present with your emotions, you will act in a way that’s congruent to your principle, even if that means exposing your vulnerabilities.