I Feel is a pocket book of emotional vocabulary for men that I am in the process of completing.



Why would I want to name and define my emotions? How will that help me?

Many boys and men have been discouraged from connecting with their feelings;
Through subtle and often not so subtle cues, we have understood that the expression and communication of emotion
belong to the realm of women. That they are a sign of vulnerability, irrationality or weakness and cause for shame.

We have most often learned how to contain and manage emotion by denial and suppression.
We have few examples of what it is to be a confidently expressive man or personal encouragement and practice from men we admire.
This has left many of us disconnected from our deeper nature and unable to name and express our feelings with ease.

Suppressed emotions don’t just vanish.
They drop into the shadows of the unconscious and one unprocessed emotion gets layered on top of another.
That feeling part of us then expresses itself in other ways, such as surprising flashes of anger, tension in the body,
bad posture, repeating difficult situations with the same kinds of people,
low energy levels, accidents, addictions or behaviours that keep us distracted.
It can also lead us into compulsive activity, because when we slow down
we begin to feel the uncomfortable backlog of unexpressed emotion rising up inside us.
So we keep moving into distraction.

When you are ready, you may want to turn your attention inward and focus on the sensations inside your body.
This is the interface between your conscious mind, your feelings and emotions.
This is where you can begin a caring communication and collaboration with your deeper nature and heart,
on a journey towards Self - the untroubled centre of your being. The one you were before you were hurt.

Emotional literacy is a large and essential part of that reunion.
Recognising and naming your feelings has everything to do with your nature and health,
your psychological maturation, freedom and personal power.

The primary purpose of this book is to help you connect with your subconscious wants and needs.
It is a tool, a reference, to help you define your feelings and come into a deeper relationship with your Self.
Through the practice of acknowledging and naming your feelings
you have a much greater chance of understanding what really nourishes you as an individual,
of finding your place and direction in the world, of creating what you want, of empathising with others
and of connecting with people who truly understand you.



I am currently searching for a literary agent or publisher.