Anything I've ever said, I certainly was feeling at the time.

The words of Eminem, “Anything I’ve ever said, I certainly was feeling at the time,” shine like a torch into the heart of artistic expression. In them we hear a confession, raw and unguarded: that every lyric, every outburst, every controversial phrase was not merely crafted for effect, but born from an authentic moment of feeling. This quote declares that true art springs not from calculation alone, but from the furnace of lived emotion. It is the honesty of a man who has known chaos, anger, despair, and love, and who poured them without filter into his words.

The origin of this teaching lies in Eminem’s career itself. From his early battles on Detroit stages to his rise as one of the most influential voices in hip-hop, his work has always been marked by brutal honesty. His lyrics often shocked, wounded, or divided audiences, but they also resonated because they carried the undeniable weight of sincerity. By saying these words, Eminem reminded the world that his art was not a mask, but a mirror: reflecting exactly what burned within him at a given time, even if those flames later cooled.

The ancients understood this principle. The poet Sappho spoke of love with such fire that her words still echo centuries later. The prophet Jeremiah declared that his message was “a fire shut up in his bones,” unable to be contained. Their words were not carefully polished stones placed for beauty’s sake; they were molten, flowing directly from the heat of the heart. Eminem, in his own way, stands in this lineage: one who speaks because silence would betray the truth of his emotions.

Consider the story of Vincent van Gogh, whose letters and paintings reveal the same truth. His brushstrokes were not calm calculations, but storms of yellow, blue, and red—records of his anguish and ecstasy. He painted not because he wished to be understood in the moment, but because he could not deny the feeling that seized him. Eminem’s quote echoes this same conviction: that even if misunderstood, the words spoken in truth of feeling still hold sacred value, for they capture the soul in its rawest state.

The meaning of this teaching is that words, when tethered to authentic feeling, carry power greater than polish. They may offend, they may shock, they may even wound—but they are alive. And living words, though messy, are always stronger than hollow ones. To deny one’s true feelings in expression is to deliver a husk, a lifeless echo. But to speak from the core of one’s being is to strike chords that resonate through the hearts of others, for all humans recognize sincerity when they hear it.

The lesson is this: do not fear to speak what you truly feel, but also do not be surprised if those feelings later evolve. Authenticity in the moment is not the same as eternal truth. A man who speaks from anger today may speak from peace tomorrow, yet both utterances are valid reflections of his journey. The soul is not stone, but river, and each word spoken in sincerity is a droplet in its course. What matters is not perfection of speech, but honesty of expression.

Practical action follows naturally. In your own life, speak truth in the moment, without adornment. Do not waste your days silencing yourself out of fear of future judgment. At the same time, grant yourself grace to change, to evolve, to look back and say, “I no longer feel this way, but at that time, it was my truth.” Keep journals, create art, write songs, speak boldly. Let your words be alive with the pulse of your heart, for it is better to stumble in honesty than to shine in falsehood.

Thus, in the voice of the ancients, we proclaim: Blessed are those who speak from the fire of their hearts, for their words will endure. Blessed are those who allow their feelings to breathe into expression, for they walk in truth, even when that truth shifts with time. And let us remember the wisdom of Eminem: words spoken from genuine feeling may not be perfect, but they are real—and reality, in art and in life, is the seed of all that is lasting.