The Inner Practice
Honest reflections on fear, inadequacy, truth, and freedom — for entrepreneurs and business owners who know something deeper is running them.
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Written by Anna Scott.
What Emotions Are.
I have been fascinated with emotions for most of my life.
Not because I understood them—but because I wasn’t allowed to feel them.
When my father died, we were told we could not be sad. We were told to move on, to be strong, to shut it down. And what I came to understand, much later, is that you cannot shut down one emotion without shutting down all of them.
So I did.
And then I became interested.
The Quicksand of Our Thinking
This morning, I set out for an early hike with a friend. We planned to meet at 7:30, but by 7:15, I realized I was running behind. I texted her that I’d meet her at the trailhead.
When I arrived, she wasn’t there. By 7:45, there was still no reply to my texts and no sign of her.
I assumed she had forgotten and sent one last message: “Sending love—let me know you’re okay.” Then I started my walk alone.
As I walked, I noticed a familiar swirl of thoughts.
I tried to be on time. Why didn’t she respond?
Then came the self-judgment:
Why am I annoyed? I should be more patient… more understanding.
There I was—in the quicksand of thinking.