Your Emotions Are Data, Not Facts
Your emotions are data, not facts.
Say what?!
I know ...crazy, right?
Because if you feel it… it must be true ...right ;)?
Not exactly...
That’s sarcasm at its finest and also one of the biggest emotional intelligence truths there is.
Your emotions are data — not facts.
They’re signals meant to inform you, not define you.
Think of them like the dashboard lights in your car. When one turns on, it doesn’t mean the car is broken, it means something needs your attention. Anger might be alerting you that a boundary’s been crossed. Sadness might be signaling loss or disappointment. Fear might simply be pointing to something that deeply matters to you.
When I left my corporate career over a decade ago, I was flooded with emotions ... fear, insecurity, even shame. I felt like everyone was talking about me, questioning my decision and maybe even my sanity for walking away from a successful career. I told myself stories that people were judging me, when in reality, most of that judgment lived in my own mind.
Sure, maybe a few people had opinions ...they're out there. We ALL know the opiniony people (yes I made up that word) ...but the truth was, I was just in a new space, rebuilding my confidence and redefining what success meant to me. I knew deep down the decision was right, but big decisions often require big courage and courage rarely shows up without a side of fear, doubt, or discomfort.
Here’s the thing: studies show that over 80% of our daily thoughts are negative, biased, and repetitive. That means our brains are wired to assume the worst, replay the past, and question the future.
When we don’t check the facts behind our emotions, we risk believing stories that simply aren’t true.
That’s emotional intelligence in action - noticing the emotion, naming it, and asking, “What’s this trying to tell me?”
In my case, those feelings weren’t proof I’d made a mistake - they were data showing that I was growing, stretching, and stepping into who I came to be.
When you treat emotions as facts, you give them control.
When you treat them as data, you take control.
So next time a strong emotion rises up - don’t silence it, and don’t let it steer.
Listen to it.
Learn from it.
And let it guide you toward a thoughtful, authentic response.
Because your emotions aren’t the truth - they’re simply showing you where to look for it.
And if you ever doubt that emotions are just data, not facts - think about happy tears. How can we cry and be overjoyed at the same time?
It’s your brain’s way of saying, “This moment matters.”
Proof that emotions aren’t the truth ...they’re just showing us how deeply we feel it.
Keep Shining - The World Needs You To Be who you came to be.
