It’s no surprise to me that Mr. Rogers nostalgia is coming full force with that Tom Hanks/Mr. Rogers movie coming out this holiday season.
Literally every single person I work with, from crystals to coaching, are all yearning for a different response than what we experience in our Collective Consciousness: racism, chaotic, violent, sexism, anger, misogyny…
How do we process all this noise? We can find answers in our friend, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers came to popularity in a similar era of uncertainty and chaos, and he was speaking to the youngest people, children.
I grew up with Mr. Rogers, and there’s a soothing, welcoming, comfort about his presence. His message was always clear: you are loved just how you are, always. And the gift he gives are tools to understand how you feel so you don’t forget that you are. How often do you remember to love yourself?
I see this frequently, there’s discord and drama and resistance in our own lives because we forget to love ourselves and feel our feelings.
What I love about Fred Rogers’ method is that he always approached each emotion casually, as if what you’re feeling doesn’t have to be intimidating or “too much.” He gave practical and calm examples of how to deal with that emotion. It wasn’t political to be emotional or sensitive, it was a part of being human— every emotion is trying to communicate with you if you slow down and listen. Once you can identify that feeling, it helps to talk about it. That’s the basis for sane and mindful mental health.
The lyrics to: “What Do You Do with the Mad You Feel?”
”What do you do with the mad that you feel
When you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong...
And nothing you do seems very right?What do you do? Do you punch a bag?
Do you pound some clay or some dough?
Do you round up friends for a game of tag?
Or see how fast you go?It's great to be able to stop
When you've planned a thing that's wrong,
And be able to do something else instead
And think this song:I can stop when I want to
Can stop when I wish
I can stop, stop, stop any time.
And what a good feeling to feel like this
And know that the feeling is really mine.
Know that there's something deep inside
That helps us become what we can.
For a girl can be someday a woman
And a boy can be someday a man.”
“It’s great to be able to stop when you’ve planned a thing that’s wrong, and be able to do something else instead…” This is some HIGH LEVEL understanding, higher consciousness about this. It’s brilliant because every “bad” emotion wants a reaction from you, and YOU GET TO CHOOSE how you deal with it and still acknowledge how you’re feeling.
Every time I’ve made harmful decisions for myself: binging and purging, in depression, in a fight with a loved one, comes from a time where I knew what I was feeling and wasn’t able to do something else instead because I was so enmeshed in what I was feeling rather than identifying, owning, and making a different choice that honors the person who is loved, by Mr. Rogers and myself.
“When we people can understand our feelings and talk about them, we’re free to be the person we like being,” he said. I certainly don’t like the irate, hot/cold, rage yelling Tiffany I can be and have been in the past. I like being the loving, sweet, caring, calm Tiffany who listens and understands. This Tiffany communicates that she’s frustrated when she’s frustrated, and communicates why. When I feel sad, I can explain what made me feel sad so that I can process it. Mr. Rogers gave us a whole road map of guidance on how to be the person you want and like to be. If you can put into practice learning and talking about how you feel, you can save yourself.
