Sadness and Grief in the Ally/Superpower Zone

Brickset | Flickr

Our culture’s obsession with unbridled positivity and the need to be happy all the time has disconnected us from the power that can be found by sitting with sadness. By honoring sadness, the beginnings of strength, inner peace, and rebirth bloom.

How to honor sadness and turn it into an ally:

• When sadness comes on, ask yourself, how do you react? How is this reaction different from how you react to other emotions (depression, anger, despair, etc.)?
• Are there particular rituals you have when you are sitting with your sadness? Write about them. If you don’t have any, write down ideas you have for rituals — it might be as simple as lighting a candle, or going for a walk in your favorite park.
• Who can you reach out to when you are in this phase who will let you sit with your sadness while still providing support?

What sadness sounds like as an ally:

• “Emotional experiences lead to sadness.”
• “Emotions are more complex than I thought.”
• “I would rather be sad than depressed.”
• “Something feels out of my control, what is it?”
• “It is a relief to be here, in a place of deeper observance, as well as sad”

Sadness remains a vital and enduring part of the journey, a quiet and mournful resting place along a difficult road. Up next: What the Metamorphosis Zone of Grief and Sadness looks like.