Reader (and one of my inspirations) Oriah pointed out recently in a comment that she believes that emotions ebb and flow on their own and that we can’t change how we feel. Her comment was thought-provoking.

Despite my post about “yesterday’s feelings” earlier this week, I can’t say that I disagree. Nor do I see that position as inconsistent with what I wrote.

Let me explain.

There are some feelings we really struggle with. For example, I’ve struggled with forgiveness. I can pray about it, think about it, obsess about it, but it comes in its own time, no matter what I do. In fact, most recently, it snuck up on me when I wasn’t paying attention. One day I was struggling with it and the next day? I was there. Or so it seemed.

Still, whether it comes or not, it don’t make no never mind, as my Southern mother-in-law used to say. It’s just a tiny corner of my life that doesn’t affect my ability to live the rest of it in a positive way.

But other negative feelings can be real showstoppers. They’re the kind that we hold on to and use as a shield against a functional life.

I’m a believer in pushing past those kinds of feelings and on to at least some semblance of an emotionally healthy life. Sure, we might still have the feelings. But we can set them aside and still move ahead in positive ways.