FREE DOWNLOAD: Click here to access the Who’s at Your Control Panel? Emotion Chart.

Yes, I was there on opening night for Disney/Pixar’s movie Inside Out!

As a child counselor and parent guide, Inside Out for me could be likened to your child’s love for Minecraft or Taylor Swift. A movie that teaches kids about their emotions, memory and the inner workings of the brain… I’m in!

The movie centers on 11-year-old Riley who moves with her family from Minnesota to San Francisco. We get to follow along as her emotions, Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust work at her brain’s control panel to keep her safe and healthy as she navigates all the challenging changes in her life.

One of the movie’s core messages is that ALL of our emotions are important and necessary. One emotion cannot exist to the exclusion of the others and differing emotions often co-exist within one life experience.

Our emotional system is designed to protect us and send us messages about the world around us. It indicates how things are going in our life.

While, I agree some emotions are more comfortable to feel, there are no good emotions or bad emotions. There is simply learning to hear their messages.

What Are Our Emotions Saying?