Without accurate language, we struggle to get the help we need, [and] we don’t… manage our emotions and experiences in a way that allows us to move through them productively.
Brené Brown
Words matter in all aspects of life because they help us see the connections between our emotions and our thoughts and behavior.
In her most recent book, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, Brené Brown gives us a reference book to navigate our relationships. The book is a helpful encyclopedia, dictionary, or thesaurus of emotions.
Emotion words matter in all aspects of life
At the office or home and in our communities, words matter because they help us communicate how we are feeling with one another. But it equally important is to use labels for feelings wisely because superficial use can have the opposite effect. More specifically:
“Rather than building trust by acknowledging, affirming, and believing, we shut people down when we experience discomfort or disinterest, or when we take over the narrative and make it about us or our perception of what happened.”
Knitting notes
I’m still working on my collared vest. I started it in February 2021. Hope to finish it so I can wear it when the weather gets colder!
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