What do you think might happen if the next time a person got angry at us & we asked,
- What am I doing that is making you so sad?
- What have I done to disappoint you?
- What have I done to make you feel unimportant or unconsidered?
- What have I done to communicate to you that you don’t matter to me?
- What is your sadness about?
- What are you sad about waaaay underneath all that rage?
Because sadness is pretty much at the root of anger. And jealousy. And insecurity. And, and, and…
So much of the world lives on the edge between sadness and happiness. Our material possessions, financial status, our relationships don’t bring the happiness expected. Instead, sadness settles deep inside, Because we won’t – or aren’t able – to admit the sadness at the center of our supposed ‘search for happiness,’ we pretend the sadness isn’t there. We get angry at the people, situations, we ‘think’ are keeping us from the happiness we deserve.
When we acknowledge & allow ourselves to feel the sadness without needing to editorialize, but just sit with it, it eventually leads to a place where we can make peace with it.
For in those moments of moving through sadness, we give ourselves a chance to heal.
