Feelings change. Don’t let them define you.

Emotions can be powerful forces. Sometimes they hum in the background, hardly noticeable. Sometimes they crash down on you like a tidal wave.

Whether pleasant or distressing, strong or mild, the one constant when it comes to your feelings is that they aren’t constant.

Take a second to check in with how you feel right now. How would you describe that emotion? Do you feel the same as when you woke up? Or when you went to bed last night? Or how you felt on this date five years ago?

Have you ever felt elated only to have someone rain on your parade and drag you down? Or had a great piece of news turn a bad day into a good one?

I’ve had both those experiences. Last week, I was in the middle of a lovely day when I saw that my brother had called. He never calls, always texts. Immediately, I was anxious. That anxiety turned to grief when I called him back and heard my granddad had died. I’ve had the opposite experience, too. When my husband proposed to me many years ago, at first it sounded like he was breaking up! My emotions were all over the map that evening, but ended in a very happy place. I know you have had similar experiences, and are well aware yourself of the transitory nature of feelings.

Don’t let your feelings determine your actions. Acknowledge emotions. Feel them. Take them into account. But remember that how you feel right now is not going to last forever.

Don’t let something so fleeting affect the course of your life. Don’t let your feelings define you. You are stronger, deeper, and more powerful than any emotion you may feel.

Change your communication, change your life.

I’m Rachel Beohm, a writer, speaker, and coach. Through nonverbal communication, I empower clients to show up as their biggest, boldest selves.

If you’d like tips on how to do that yourself, sign up here for “21 Days to Build a Better Life.” It’s a FREE 3-week email coaching program that I wrote to help you change your communication and your life.