Finding the Source: The Energy Behind Our Emotions

It is incredibly important to understand the source energy behind the good feelings we experience in life — love, happiness, joy. These emotions feel expansive, warm, and effortless. They often come from connection, presence, and safety. When we can identify where these emotions are born, we can create more of those moments intentionally. Maybe love shows up when you’re with someone who sees you deeply. Maybe joy finds you when you’re in creative flow or laughter with friends. These emotions often flow freely, and they rarely ask for much explanation — we welcome them with open arms.

But when it comes to our negative emotions — fear, anxiety, sadness, anger — the story gets a little more complicated. These feelings tend to be less obvious in their origins. They can be layered, hidden, tangled up in our past, and often disguised by our daily interactions. We might feel irritated by a text left on read or hurt by a friend’s tone — but what we’re really reacting to is something deeper, older, more tender.

The truth is, we often hide the source of our worries and fears — sometimes even from ourselves. Sadness, for example, doesn’t always announce itself with grand moments of heartbreak or trauma. More often, it’s tucked behind the small disappointments — a conversation that didn’t go the way we hoped, a subtle rejection, a moment of feeling unseen. And because we don't like to sit and dwell on our most painful experiences, our minds find clever ways to redirect and repress. That’s why we get triggered — those little emotional flare-ups in moments that don’t seem significant on the surface, but they poke at an old wound. We end up reacting to the situation in front of us, while the root emotion lies buried somewhere deeper.

Let me give you a personal example. For years, I had a deep fear of flying on planes. Still to this day, I can’t stand roller coasters. It wasn’t until therapy that I uncovered a deeper layer beneath that fear — it wasn’t just about the height or turbulence. What I discovered was a profound need to protect myself. Control made me feel safe. And when I didn't have control — like in an airplane or roller coaster — fear took over. That protectiveness, that need for control, was really just a symptom of something more: I hadn’t felt truly protected at different points in my life. And that realization opened a door.

What confused me at first — and maybe you’ve asked yourself this too — was: If I grew up in a home where my needs were met, where I was taken care of, why wouldn’t I feel protected? That’s the part that gets tricky. We start to question our reality, to rationalize or explain away our emotional responses: “Other people had it worse,” “I shouldn’t feel this way,” or “My parents did their best.” But in doing that, we unintentionally disassociate from our own life experiences. We detach from the emotional truths of our past, and that keeps us from understanding the roots of our reactions.

So — why is it important to find the source?

Because your life experiences shape who you are, in your spirit and your energy. The energy you bring into every room, every relationship, every challenge — it all traces back to moments that made you. And when you find the source of your emotions, especially the ones that challenge you, you begin to reclaim power over your reactions. You begin to understand your own wiring. You soften toward yourself.

Finding the source allows for growth. It lets you stop the cycle of misdirected anger, unexplained sadness, or spiraling fear. It helps you become aware of what your inner child still needs, what parts of you are still waiting to be seen, held, and healed.

It doesn’t mean you have to relive every hard moment. But it does mean being willing to sit with what arises — and instead of turning away from it, asking with compassion, Where is this coming from? What part of me is speaking right now?

Because once you know the source, you can meet yourself there. And healing — real, deep healing — begins in that meeting.

Start With Curiosity, Not Judgment

If you’re just beginning the journey of finding your emotional source, start with curiosity — not judgment. You don’t need to have all the answers right away. You don’t need to fix or explain everything. Just start by noticing what you feel and when. Ask yourself why something moves you, triggers you, or shuts you down — without trying to immediately justify or dismiss it.

Be gentle with yourself. You are not broken. You are layered, like all of us — shaped by moments you may not even remember but that your nervous system never forgot. Your reactions, your fears, your habits — they all have roots. And the more you understand those roots, the more choice you have in how you live, love, and show up in the world.

So take your time. Sit with what comes up. Let the questions guide you, not scare you. Because on the other side of that exploration is a deeper peace, a more grounded joy, and a love for yourself that no external validation could ever replace.

You deserve to know the source of your own story. And even more than that — you deserve to feel safe in it.

Love+Light - Eucalyptsis