Honoring sadness and making room for joy

Hi friends, 

With everything going on in the world I know that a lot of people are feeling sad and struggling this week. I've been thinking of one of my favorite Rumi quotes that talks about honoring the breadth and depth of our emotions in order to heal:

"Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place."

So often we turn away from challenging feelings instead of learning from them and giving them space. In reality, acknowledging sadness and grief as basic human emotions is an act of bravery and an opportunity to get to know ourselves on a deeper level. 

Today, I’d encourage you to take the time to honor and feel your feelings without pushing them down. Just as sorrow prepares you for joy, so often a breakdown brings a breakthrough. Sometimes that looks like having a big cry. Sometimes that leads us on a journey towards meaningful work.

I’m here to support and hold space for you no matter what big feelings you’re working through.

How are you how are you honoring sadness and making room for joy? Hit reply to respond and I’ll see you back here next week.