People are terrified of being happy these days. And for the longest time, I was one of them
When Brené Brown said “Joy is the most vulnerable emotion we feel…”
I didn’t understand what she meant by that until I had this fascinating realization about my social anxiety as a teenager
Back then, I never allowed myself to experience and create my own emotions
Why? Because I was terrified of being judged. So, I just fell back to whatever I thought everyone else was feeling.
We talk about freedom of speech and freedom of thought, but no one talks about freedom of emotion.
It sounds so weird to say, but it takes immense courage to experience your own unique emotions. To be a leader in how you feel.
and remember, how you feel influences how you think, and how you think influences how you act.
and if you take it a step further, you’ll realize that this is what leadership is all about. Leadership is when you are courageous enough to not only experience your own emotions but also have the ability to influence other people’s emotions
so yes, joy is the most vulnerable emotion we feel because exercising your Freedom of Emotion is an act of rebellion. It requires you to fight your biological urge to blend in and survive… so that you can finally stand out and thrive.
https://x.com/rami__maalouf/status/2003316908565881075?s=20 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rami-m_i-didnt-let-myself-feel-joy-in-social-settings-activity-7409078379263676416-niYG I didn’t let myself feel joy in social settings for a long time
I thought the problem was my environment, but it was actually me
social anxiety made me suppress my emotions out of fear of what others would think
so I mirrored the energy of the room instead
it’s wild how fear of judgment pushes you to act like all these AI models: hyper-sanitized yes-machines
made me realize that it takes real courage to experience & express your own unique emotions.
to be a leader in how you feel
and this led me to a deeper realization:
true leadership comes from having the courage to not only experience your own emotions but to also have the ability to influence other people’s emotions too
I explore this concept and much more in my recent Substack articles
🔗 in the comments