“I don't know what I feel,” “I can't put it into words,” “I feel so many things at once that I couldn't name them.” Chances are, in times of change or uncertainty, we've all experienced a feeling of not knowing exactly what we're feeling. When we go through these moments of confusion, it's common to turn to all kinds of distractions to take away that uncomfortable feeling we can't name. We're all familiar with these outlets: shopping, overworking, addictive behaviors, judgment, gossip, social media, and more. They distract our pain.

Clearly, these aren't healthy outlets because they make us ignore the call to heal. When an uncomfortable, nameless emotion boils inside us, it craves our attention and sooner or later will nestle somewhere in the body to be somatized. It may manifest as body heat, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, an upset stomach, or a tight feeling in our throat.

I'll ask you a question: How do you feel, dear reader, when someone honors, listens to, or acknowledges you? You feel happy and grateful, right? The same thing happens with emotions. There's no worse failure than our heart hardening or closing under the weight of all that's left unspoken.

That's why it's essential to work on naming the sensations we experience; this brings us closer to them and gives us tools to release them and prevent them from taking root inside us.

 Healing is not escaping

 Healing requires finding a moment of silence and approaching the fire that burns within us to open its door, observe it honestly, and ask ourselves: Is what I feel anger, rage, disappointment, invisibility, emptiness, fear? Only then can we extinguish it or channel it. We were born as beings of love, and ultimately we will return to that love; what happens in between is our choice.

It requires accepting that we are vulnerable, humbly admitting that sometimes we cannot do it alone. Struggling or suffering through something will be a constant in our lives. This is why nature, friends, therapists, or even prayer reach out to us. Once this emotion is released by being acknowledged, named, and accepted, we will find that there is much more space within our hearts to give and receive love. The philosopher Seneca said that "through the rough places one reaches the stars"; while we can take the phrase as a metaphor, it can also designate a portal to our inner selves.

The mission in difficult times is not to lead to despair, but to inspire us to become more human.

Pain, discomfort, and loss always come and go in our lives, only to retreat—even if we don't see it at the moment—leaving more space and transforming us into wiser, more empathetic, and more appreciative beings.

When uncomfortable emotions appear, let's not reject them. Instead, let's take advantage of their arrival to use them to our advantage, serving as a powerful call to open the doors of our soul, our conscience, and our heart.

I invite you not to fear or reject the moments de reto o adversidad;They are great teachers who show us how to bring out the best in ourselves and project it into all areas of life.

While this is happening, let us have the courage to remain still and name what we feel so that we can transform it into compost that nourishes our lives and opens us to joy, abundance, and healing.