A few months ago, I experienced something that completely shifted the way I process emotions. It was raw, painful, and deeply human—one of those moments where life forces you to sit with your feelings, no matter how uncomfortable they are.

The Incident That Shook Me

I take care of about seven community dogs, each with their own personality and quirks. One of them, an older dog, often struggled during feeding time as the younger, stronger dogs would overpower him. Since managing all of them was already overwhelming and this was my first time dealing with dogs, I asked the watchman to feed him separately.

At the time, it felt like the best I could do.

Days turned into weeks. Life kept moving. Then one day, I saw him again.

His condition had worsened.

He was frail, weak, barely holding on. A wave of guilt hit me. I immediately called an NGO for help, hoping to do something, anything, to save him.

But by the time I returned to check on him, he had already passed.

And I broke.

Right there, in the middle of everything, I sobbed uncontrollably. Guilt. Regret. Grief. They consumed me. But then, something remarkable happened.

People started showing up. My friends, my family, and even people from the community who had seen me care for these dogs appeared. My other dogs gathered around me, refusing to leave my side.

That’s when I realized something powerful:

Because I had fully allowed myself to feel my emotions, without suppressing them, the universe had given me exactly what I needed—support, love, and connection.

My heart was open, and by owning my vulnerability, I received the comfort I didn’t even know I needed.

Shifting My Perspective

As I sat with these emotions, I asked myself a necessary question.

“Did I truly have the capacity to care for him the way I wanted to?”

The answer was no.

I was already stretched thin, doing more than I could handle. Recognizing this brought a sense of relief. I had done my best with the resources I had at the time.

And then, life unfolded in the most unexpected way.

Trusting the Flow

This happened at 1 PM, and I had a session scheduled at 2 PM. My intention for conducting sessions is always clear. I want to be fully present and centred. Instead of forcing myself to push through, I let the universe guide me.

“If I’m meant to cancel, let that be.”

Before making a decision, I took a few moments to ground myself, breathing deeply, anchoring into my body, and trusting that clarity would follow.

And then, just as I finished, my client messaged me. She wanted to cancel. I took it as a sign and let it be. But by the time I responded, I had already found my centre and she immediately responded, “I’m on my way.”

I did a quick self-check-in.

“How much of this experience have I processed?”

The answer: 70%.

I made a conscious choice to park the remaining 30% for later that night. I continued with my day, knowing I had given myself space to process in real time without rushing.

Honoring My Energy & Healing at My Own Pace

Later that night, I checked in with myself again.

“Do I have the energy to dive into this now?”

The answer was no.

I was emotionally exhausted, so I allowed myself more time. Over the next few days, I revisited and processed the incident in small, manageable ways.

And how did I know I had fully processed it?

Because when I thought about it again, I felt neutral. No guilt, no emotional heaviness. Just awareness.

With That Awareness Came Wisdom

I learned something invaluable that day:

Always look after the weaker ones first because if something happens to them, I know guilt will come knocking.

Now, I make a conscious effort to prioritize them.

More importantly, I learned that processing emotions doesn’t have to be long and exhausting.

Simply allowing emotions to surface without labelling or judging them helps me create space for self-compassion and healing.

Allowing, Accepting, & Integrating

Processing emotions isn’t about fixing them. It’s about allowing yourself to fully feel, accepting where you are, and integrating the lessons that come with it.

If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s this.

You don’t have to rush your healing.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.

You just have to show up for yourself, one breath, one feeling, and one moment at a time.

And that is more than enough.