Èmi kìí ṣe ìmọ̀lára mi (I am not my emotions)

Ní èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì, tí o bá fẹ́ fi ìmọ̀lára ẹ̀ hàn, o máa sọ pé "I am happy", "I am sad", "I am scared".

In English, if you want to express your emotions, you will say I am happy, I am sad, I am scared.

Ṣùgbọ́n ní èdè Yorùbá, o máa sọ pé inú mi dùn (my inside is sweet), inú mi bà jẹ́ (my inside is spoiled), ẹ̀rù ń bá mi (fear is hitting me).

In Yorùbá, you will instead say, my inside is sweet (happiness), my inside is spoiled (sadness), fear is hitting me (scared).

Kí ló dé tí ìyatọ yìí fi ṣe pàtàkì?

Why is this distinction important?

Ní èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì, o lè sọ pé iwọ ni ìmọ̀lára. Ọ̀rọ̀ tí ó lágbára gan-an ni! O ń fun ìmọ̀lára yen lágbára. O sì máa mú duro!

In English, you can say I AM the emotion. These are very powerful words. You are giving that emotion power and you are sustaining it.

Ní ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ìgbà, nínú àṣà Yorùbá, a máa ṣàpèjúwe ìmọ̀lára gẹ́gẹ́ bí ohun kan tó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ sí ara wa. Ìmọ̀lára kìí ṣe àwa.

A lot of times, in Yorùbá culture, we explain emotion as something that's happening to our body. We are not our emotions.

A mọ̀ pé ìmọ̀lára jẹ́ ìrírí tí ó kìí ń pẹ́ títí.

We understand that an emotion is an experience that doesn't last forever.

Ẹ rántí pé ìwọ kìí ṣe ìmọ̀lára ẹ̀.

Remember that you are not your emotions.