Hi friends,

 

It is unbelievable that another week has passed while tragedy is still going in full force.

 

We will keep speaking and demanding the world to wake up. And in between, we need to keep fulfilling our life’s duties. You heard a lot about it: Keep watching, don’t watch, take breaks, don’t take breaks. It’s not my business to tell you what works best for you to function and support the cause. Instead, today I want to remind you that understanding emotions matters more than ever and labeling them is vital to keep going.

 

In her latest book, Atlas Of The Heart, Brené Brown, created a dictionary of emotions and I am quoting the below definitions to help you figure out which emotion(s) you are experiencing:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our work, we find that what we regret most are our failures of courage, whether it’s the courage to be kinder, to show up, to say how we feel, to set boundaries, to be good to ourselves, to say yes to something scary. Regret has taught me that living outside my values is not tenable for me." 

 

Which of the above emotions are you experiencing now?

 

While all emotions are okay, not all of them lead to action. Action that we desperately need to keep taking.

 

Name your emotion and ask yourself: How helpful is this emotion for the cause? You can clearly see here that anger, for example, is more useful than resignation or disappointment. 

 

You can also see how regret about the actions you don't take will be more significant than the actions you take, so if you have not spoken up or supported Palestine yet, now is the time.

 

Every one of us can help in some way or another. I don't know what is going on with you, but please don't sit still.

 

When the news drags you down, don't let yourselves feel resigned; perhaps, listen to a new perspective and pray. Disconnect to come back stronger, more vocal, and persistent.

 

Brené Brown says:

 

“As a former union organizer and lifelong activist, I think anger is often the most compassionate response to experiencing or witnessing injustice. It can be a powerful catalyst for change that doesn’t need to be explained or justified. And I still think that behind the anger is a tempest of pain, grief, betrayal, disappointment, and other emotions.

 

Use your anger to act." 

 

 

Friends, 

 

Stay Angry … until we change the world…until we are seen as humans.

 

Let us use our anger to act. 

 

Here is your weekly dose of The Sunday Spark ⚡️ a newsletter listing 3 sparks that I thought were worth starting your week with: 

1. 💗 Eighty-seven emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human from Atlas of the Heart.

 

2. 😒 From my desk: What Resentment Is Saying. I reflected on this emotion a month ago, and while it may not be a dominant emotion during these challenging times, reading this may help your relationships.

 

3. 💭 From Atlas of the Heart:

 

"One of the most valuable gifts in my life was from my mom. She taught us to never look away from pain. The lesson was simple and clear:

 

 

We need to know we’re not alone—especially when we’re hurting.”  

―Brené Brown*

 

(Thank you Readwise for helping me find this quote from a book I read)

🙏 Don’t forget that we can donate to support Palestine 🇵🇸. Jordan friends please donate to Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization. 

* Note: I deleted two planned sparks after checking the social media content of their creators. To the best of my ability, I am trying to share content by authors who have not disappointed me, and they are hard to come by! Brene Brown has been off social media since February 2023, so she has not shared anything about this topic. Her work is important and I think we need to hear it today.

 

 

 

See you next Sunday First name / my dear friend!