Many of us have been taught that the emotions we experience – particularly those that are considered negative, such as anger, fear, and sadness – are less valuable and socially acceptable than our rational thoughts. As a result, we often repress and avoid our emotions rather than paying attention to what they may be trying to tell us. 

Karla McLaren, our guest in Episode 152 of The MINDSet Game® podcast, believes that our emotions are special gifts that can offer us important information about our lives and relationships. As a social science researcher and empathy innovator, Karla is the CEO of Emotion Dynamics Incorporated, developer of Dynamic Emotional Integration, and the creator of the Empathy Academy. She is also the award-winning author of several books, including Embracing Anxiety, The Dynamic Emotional Integration Workbook, The Art of Empathy, The Power of Emotions at Work, and her latest book, the updated, revised version of The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You. In today’s episode, Karla discusses the following:

- The concept of the language of emotions, or the process of learning how to identify and work with your emotions in order to develop a greater understanding of yourself, others, and the world around you  - The specific skills and insights that different emotions – including anger, sadness, fear, and shame – can offer when you become more conscious of them, as well as questions to ask yourself in order to access those gifts - Why it’s important for teams within organizations to develop a shared emotional vocabulary, rather than trying to eradicate emotions at work  - Steps that leaders can take in order to start embracing emotions and an emotional vocabulary in the workplace

To learn more about Karla, visit https://karlamclaren.com. To access her courses and other resources, visit https://empathyacademy.org. 

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