There is one thing every woman needs: a father’s wisdom. Whatever your situation may be, the Letters to My Daughter book will echo a father’s love for his little girl.
I wrote these letters every day for my daughter during her freshman year at college. Not only did my letters touch her heart but the hearts of her friends as well. With my daughter’s permission, I am sharing with you my heart as her father. I pray God uses these to bless you, cause you to think, make wise decisions and help you raise your daughter to become the awesome woman of God He created her to be!
My Daughter,
You’re amazing just the way you are and who you are! Nothing on earth can ever erode your amazingness. Never forget that! You were made by an amazing God who gave you His amazing spirit, so you can be amazing. Amazing is not what you do or don’t do. Amazing is who and what you are for all eternity!
Feelings are part of your amazing creation. However, feelings are tricky. They only tell you what you are experiencing on the inside. It’s important to know what you are experiencing, whether it is hope, courage or concern.
Here is the tricky part. Just because you’re experiencing a feeling that is based solely on an interpretation of an event or a relationship doesn’t mean the feeling is accurate. You can interpret that you feel fat but weigh the same (maybe jeans shrunk). You can feel rejected inside when simply the other person was just tired or forgetful. How you interpret can and will influence your feelings. If you switch the interpretation of the event, often you will have different feelings (they weren’t your jeans; your friend had bad news, that’s why they forgot).
The temptation is to conclude that your interpretation is right. You can decide to put off an interpretation which can save you some wear and tear. Also, don’t make decisions based on a feeling: He may be cute, but does he have character, and will he protect you? Only facts are to be used in decisions.
As a communicator, and we all are, you can expand both your range and intensity of feelings. When I was in high school drama, they had us do some exercises that I ended up morphing and expanding the range and intensity of feelings for my clients.
What you can do is pick a feeling and do a mime of that feeling. Put your body in that position, for example, calm (sit comfortably, feeling calm) excited (stand hands in victory position) for 15 seconds.
To expand your range, get a list and mime many feelings. You’ll increase your range and your depth of feeling. People are attracted to and listen more intently to passionate communicators. Your emotional range is a muscle you can strengthen.
You are both passionate and communicate exceptionally. This tool can help you expand your current range of feelings into a couple hundred of them. It will increase the depth at which you allow yourself to feel, and it will help you be able to control rather than be controlled by feelings as well.
Love you much,
Dad
Doug Weiss, Ph.D., is a nationally known author, speaker and licensed psychologist. He is the executive director of Heart to Heart Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the author of several books including, Letters to my Daughter. You may contact Dr. Weiss via his website, drdougweiss.com or on his Facebook, by phone at 719-278-3708 or through email at [email protected].
