After putting hats on our feelings (if they’ll hold still long enough) and being all badass by feeling them in the moment (when we can), we can take some action. If we want to, that is.

I’m of the opinion that feelings exist for many reasons, one of which is to act as our internal community activists. They can stand up for us. They can help us to become more empowered. They can help us learn to fight for our own rights, on our own behalf, and improve our lives.

Anyone who’s done community organizing knows it’s all about action. We begin by standing up for ourselves in small ways. We start to make favorable changes happen in our world. We then feel more empowered to face bigger obstacles and effect changes that are more critical to our livelihoods.

If we’re living in a community with lack of access to transportation or fresh foods, we might be used to it. We might not think anything of it. But we also might feel emotions. Like anger. Or frustration.

Anger says: “Who does the city council think it is, denying us the transportation we need to get to work?”

Hot bubbles surging from our chest into our throat.

And then anger says: “I’m not gonna stand for this. I’m gonna take action.”

And we do. We form a plan. We speak up. We voice our needs, and we garner as much inner and outer support as we can.

Afterwards, we evaluate the action. We assess how we feel now. We pause a beat, and then we move forward with the next step of the campaign or of our lives. Even if nothing earth-shattering comes of it, we’ve done something to show ourselves that we’re active participants in deciding the course of our existence.

. . .

It’s not always necessary to have a confrontation or make a big change in response to a feeling. Often, feeling the feeling is enough, or even preferable. We’re able to give ourselves what we need without taking a large action. But sometimes, action makes us stronger, helps us dive deeper into our truest self. And at those times, being in touch with the root of our feeling makes it easier for us to take the most appropriate action to meet our need.