Two words about Sadness
Wikipedia defines sadness this way: ” Sadness is an emotion contrary to joy and happiness.”
An entire film released a few years ago, Inside Out, was set on the difficult coexistence between the different emotions that inhabit us, and in particular between Joy and Sadness.
Joy and Sadness seem to see life in diametrically opposite ways.
The most common tendency is to identify with Joy, with that part of us that always wants to see the bright side (even if deep down we don’t see it, but it is said that it is better to think positive), with the one that “there is always a solution,” with the one that “come what may, I don’t stop.”
Easy then to see Sadness as an impediment, as something that slows us down, that doesn’t make us feel good, something that puts us in touch with parts of us … that we label as aching, boring, complaining … that we just prefer not to see (not knowing its true value and usefulness).
But Sadness is part, just like Joy, of our emotional world.
It is a full part of it …and it is often the real key to getting out of situations.
If you experience a situation that causes you pain, if you experience something that puts you in touch with your deepest part…. crying will probably calm you down.
Think about it…how liberating a good cry is! When I was a child, I was told that crying “makes the eyes beautiful,” and today I realized that it’s really true … because it helps to clean up, to make space, to go through a pain (big or small) and to open us up to a new way of seeing things.
And then think about it … it’s possible that by showing yourself sad or down you could help those around you understand that you are (without waiting for them to intuit it in the times and ways that you think are right ;-)) and want to be around you.
Laughing about it, pretending nothing is wrong, always showing up in good form even in difficulties, what is the use? who needs it?
Certainly not to you!
Turning a deaf ear to what your heart is communicating to you … Immediately projecting yourself into the things to be done, into tomorrow, will cause that unlived, unreceived, untraversed pain to reoccur at the first opportunity, will cause you not to feel understood or supported in your blue moments, and will fuel more sadness and frustration in your heart.
When things are not going well or when you feel that you are touching parts of your deepest soul that might “feel suffering” (as is often the case when you really open up to LOVE*)
“LET SADNESS WITH A TOUCH OF CARE AND A KIND HEART GO INTO ACTION.”
Allow yourself to Experience Sadness: you will be amazed!
*We will talk about it at the Taking and Leaving Love Issue Worskshop on December 14.
