Are you emotionally thirsty?

What is emotional thirst? Well it is the seeking and grieving to fill up your emotional cup with whatever means appropriate to you. It comes in different levels and shapes. Each one has a got an internal story of how to fill that part.

The issue I observe here is we think we are entitled to satisfy each other’s emotional cup. Some relevant scenarios you might hear are: You didn’t call me. You didn’t text me. You forgot me. You don’t love me anymore. And on and on.

But think about it for a moment. Are you really responsible for other people emotional wellbeing? We all are emotional creatures. But is it the case you need to run the never ending marathon of satisfying other people emotions?

Many stick to this habit for unaware reasons like: The lack of self-worth foundation, the environment set-up around you, the childhood upbringing, unrevisited values and beleifs and lack of emotional education.

Surprisingly we were brought up, completed schools and colleges and started careers and families. But the most important course we missed is the emotional awareness. Are you aware of your emotional internal world? What emotions you experience daily? How you interpret those emotions? What labels you put on them? Are those labels questioned and revised or just kept fixed like a rock? How do you perceive your emotions and other people emotions? What is your understanding of fear, love, nervousness, worry, depression, frustration and sadness? What self-work processing efforts you practice to understand them, know about them and how they trigger you inside?

When you learned to manage your emotions in a certain way, it doesn’t mean it should always be the case. Look at it. Question it. Challenge it. Reflect on it. And see for yourself the truth behind it.

When you seek to fill up your emotional cup, think for yourself: What is my intentions here? If I make the other person satisfied, will that really solve my emotional thirst? Are other people always the way? Or probably I could internally do the work and understand my emotions in a more objective and logic way?

This post is not to blame or judge anyone who is facing this dilemma. We all do this in one way or another. But importantly spreading awareness around it and having conversations about it can help declutter the confusion and clarify the picture for us.

I remember these recites from the Holy Book of Quran when Allah advises the Prophet Mohammed, prayers be upon him, that he is not the controller neither the judge of people. He is only a messenger sent to the humanity to inform about Islam, Allah and the purpose behind our existence in this earth school. That is only one example of how our emotions could trick us sometimes and lead us to inappropriate directions.

At the end, a statement that may bounce back into your mind is: If I take full responsibility towards my emotions, won’t that make them feel bad? Again we are back to the mental cycle. That is ok and normal. Continue reflecting and revisiting until you find the meaningful truth and answer.