Emotions are unique and don’t combine with other emotions because of their uniqueness. My mood is the sum of all my emotions. This is how I understood that it is possible to experience multiple emotions simultaneously.
“I was sad, but I acted in an angry way.” Has this ever happened to you, or has anyone ever told you this happened to them? I wasn’t sure if I was mad or sad, it seemed like both. The open letter I’ve written, is a mix of sad, disgusted, angry, fearful, bad, and surprised.
When given the opportunity to make a connection with others, do you embrace the situation and let the conversation grow organically, or do you have a few things in mind to talk about when you meet someone for the first time?
I am inspired to take a deep breath and express new thoughts by creating art and writing that inspires others. Thanks to our new friend Joshua, for sharing your amazing art, thoughtful approach, and for being an inspiration to us!
We all do sometimes, even storybook bunnies. There is an easy explanation for this over-reactivity. Your brain was simply not prepared for the threat it perceived in that moment. And feelings easily overtake logic in a moment we think we’re in danger. We loved when Dr. Jacob Ham suggested that we may want to learn from “the Hulk” when that happens.
by Keith RuffnerNovember 07, 20223 min read1 Comment
Do you think about words, the definition, the etymology, and the meaning to the local people using them? We can write our own story, making us the adventurous hero, an astronaut, a race car driver, a fashion designer, or anything we can dream. Writing words can give us power by helping us to understand ourselves, our feelings, and what we would like to do with our lives.
by Keith RuffnerOctober 31, 20223 min read3 Comments
We are on our way to realizing our dream of helping people understand and learn how to better communicate their feelings. Our first children's book created for this goal is almost ready! We are accepting pre-orders starting today and anticipate shipping books starting December 12.
I'm still early in the recovery and investigation phase of my suffering. It's a much slower process than I'd like. I underestimated how hard it would be on me and those around me. While I haven't resolved everything, I am making substantial progress.
I am still early in the investigation stage of my chronic emotional pain. While remaining gentle toward myself, I have identified some maladaptive coping mechanisms that I used to deal with my depression and anxiety. I now have hope and a path forward to a life of happiness and ease.
My previous blog on Acknowledging Pain was intentionally vague regarding whether my suffering is from physical or emotional pain. My chronic pain is emotional. So what's next in treating my chronic emotional pain?
by Keith RuffnerNovember 11, 20213 min read1 Comment
I suffer from chronic pain but can't remember when it first started or when it progressed from an occasional painful moment to a chronic, continual pain with only brief periods of relief.
Is the idea of “no one cares” part of our cultural history of ignoring and suppressing feelings?Is the idea of “work harder” part of our country’s history of Rugged Individualism?From wherever “no one cares – work harder” comes, it’s certainly not something I want to embrace. And, more importantly, it’s something I want to speak out against now that I know better.