Redirect this emotional tension into productive, profitable outlets

Do you ever feel guilty about being happy?

Particularly during a time in the world when things are so sad for so many?

This is a normal reaction to trauma. When events are out of control, and others are suffering, it’s normal to feel guilty for thriving. This is one of the ways human beings adapt to abrupt changes.

In fact, guilt is an evolutionarily advantageous emotion. It’s an inhibitory reaction that keeps our sadness and fear from disconnecting us from the tribe.

For example, imagine the economy tanks and we feel guilty for coming in late to work, slacking off at work, or for not working at all. What our emotion is trying to do in that moment is override our selfishness. Our guilt is keeping us positively connected to others so we can collaborate with them for the greater good, rather than solely satisfying our own needs.

And so, in light of this emotional inevitability, we all need to understand our relationship to guilt and how to respond to it in a healthy, life giving way. Because feeling bad every time we feel good is a drain. Living in a constant state of guilt over the original sin of joy isn’t satisfying or sustainable.

Strayed wrote a wonderful letter about this subject in her popular advice column. She told her reader how guilt, especially guilt that we place on ourselves from events that are out of our control, keeps us in a state that limits us. When we’re trapped in a prison cell of privilege, suddenly immersed in a milieu that reflects our privilege back to us, that’s an invitation to share our resources and use our abundance to empower those who lack it.

Having gone through that exact experience recently, here’s the question that was most helpful for me. Maybe you’ll find it useful:

How could you redirect emotion tension into productive, profitable outlets?

After all, guilt, despite being this complicated, difficult feeling, still represents motivational energy. Which means it can be channeled in whichever way we choose.

During times of global suffering, isn’t building something to make the world a better place a more useful way to respond to guilt, that flagellating ourselves to atone for it?

Look, if you’re blessed with the luxury of happiness right now, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it. No need to put up a defense against the light just because millions are still in the dark.

Just know guilt is a very normal emotion, and that it has useful properties that can be leveraged for good.

Remember, even negative energy is still energy. May as well use it to power something meaningful.

Does your misplaced sense of responsibility insists on feeling sad for being happy?