Sitting With Our Shadow

 The last thing most of us want to hear or think about when we are dealing with profound feelings of sadness is that deep learning can be found in this place. In the midst of our pain, we often feel picked on by life, or overwhelmed by the enormity of loss, or simply too exhausted to try and examine the situation. We may feel far too disappointed and angry to look for anything resembling a bright side to our suffering. Still, somewhere in our hearts, we know that we will eventually emerge from the depths into the light of greater awareness. Remembering this truth, no matter how elusive it seems, can help.

The other thing we often would rather not hear when we are dealing with intense sadness is that the only way out is through it. Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and have the faith that we will come out the other side. With courage, we can allow ourselves to cycle through the grieving process with full inner permission to experience it. This is a powerful teaching that sadness has to offer us — the ability to surrender and the acceptance of change go hand in hand.

Through sadness, we also gain compassion for others who are in pain. It is only in feeling our own pain that we can truly understand and allow for someone else’s. Sadness is something we all go through, and we all grow from it and are deepened by its presence in our lives. While our own individual experiences of sadness carry unique lessons, the implications of what we learn are universal. The wisdom we receive from going through the process of feeling loss, heartbreak, or deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity....<<<Read More>>>...