Principle 2 Emotion

How can I make room for what I feel and take care in how I respond?

Right — To feel fully and freely.

Responsibility — To meet our emotions with awareness and mature through what they reveal.

In practice: You have the right to feel what you feel. Joy, grief, anger, fear or feelings you cannot yet name deserve room before they are explained or judged. If you want to share them, being listened to with care matters. We can ask what support is welcome and allow silence. As there is room, reflection helps us understand an experience and consider our response. Feelings do not have to disappear before we can act responsibly, and a feeling need not settle every interpretation of what happened.

For example, when someone says they feel hurt, we can ask what they want us to understand and listen before offering an explanation. We can return to different accounts of what happened when there is room.

A question to sit with (optional): What am I feeling, what would I like to be heard about, and what response or support is needed now?