Man Up To Your Emotions
I have recently been on facebook and have seen this campaign and really loved the concept so I thought I would talk about it today. The Man Up Campaign is working to get men of all ages to talk about their emotions. For far too long, boys and men have been encouraged to keep their emotions down, to not allow them to be seen. For many the idea of having a good cry or a hug was seen to be less than masculine.
Having come from a background where this was encouraged, I can say from personal experience that the need to express emotion is as necessary as food and drink for good health. Men can still be strong and emotional at the same time. The recognition that we have feelings which express genuine emotions is important to recognise.
All too often, men are recognised for negative and aggressive emotions. These too are genuine, but, in my view these come from not being able to express any other emotions. Because of this suppression, men become more distant and less present in emotional situations.
I would like to say that there is nothing more manly than knowing your feelings and then being able to act on them in a constructive way. It’s not about being in touch with your feminine side, it’s about being in touch with your human side.
