Dear Reader,

Children know something we forget.

They know how to feel — all of it.

The joy, the excitement, the delight, the disappointment, the tears, the frustration. They do not usually stop and ask themselves, “Is this a convenient time to feel this?” They just feel it.

They laugh with their whole body. They cry with their whole body. They get excited over tiny things — a snack, a puppy, a sticker, a silly song, a puddle, a rock, a new toy. And honestly, I think that is one of the most beautiful things about children.

They still know how to fully feel disappointment. But they also know how to fully feel joy.

Somewhere along the way, a lot of adults stop doing that.

We start downplaying what we feel. We tell ourselves we are being dramatic. We tell ourselves we are too busy. We tell ourselves we need to be strong. So we shove things down — sadness, disappointment, fear, anger.

But here is the problem: when you keep shutting down the painful emotions, you also start shutting down the good ones. The joy. The gratitude. The excitement. The pleasure. The wonder.

Eventually, you do not just feel less pain.

You feel less of everything.

And as I always say, anything you shove down will eventually come back up. It is like lying. Eventually, it comes out. So you might as well deal with it.

Feel the joy.
Feel the pain.
Feel the sorrow.
Feel the gratitude.
Feel the excitement.
Feel the disappointment.

Let it move through your body instead of pretending it is not there.

If you have been with me for a long time, you know I am a true optimist. I really do believe in looking for the good. But that does not mean I avoid hard emotions. When I feel something big, I go all in. Good or bad, I let myself feel it.

Because emotions are not the enemy.

They are information. They show us what matters. They show us where we are hurting. They show us what we love. They show us what we are afraid to lose. And when we stop being afraid of our emotions, we can start learning from them.

Maybe this week, the goal is not to fix every feeling.

Maybe the goal is just to notice.

Notice what brings you joy. Notice what feels heavy. Notice what you have been avoiding. Notice what your body has been trying to tell you.

And maybe, just maybe, let yourself feel it.

All the way through.

Like a child would.

Profitably Yours,

Karen Lake hello@financemakeover.com FinanceMakeOver.com

Helping female founders gain the financial education, clarity, and systems to transform cash-eating businesses into consistent, predictable profit.