In one of the recent workshops, a participant said: "I eat sadness for breakfast, I sadly eat it for lunch and go to bed with it at night."
Sadness is a deep human emotion woven into the fabric of our existence. It is a poignant reminder of our ability to feel pain, longing, vulnerability, empathy, and a deep connection to other human beings. Sadness binds us all on the shared journey of life. It defines our humanity in its subtle authenticity.
Sadness should not scare us or threaten our lives. It is a reminder of people we loved and are no longer in our lives, it reminds us of bad decisions we ‘ve taken or mistakes that cost us dearly. Sometimes sadness surfaces out of nowhere simply by listening to a song that touches our soul and in seconds can make us feel sad even for no tangible reason. And sometimes the thought of how temporary, unpredictable, unfair, and complex life is, can make us sad.
But sadness doesn't affect all people equally.
People who are more resilient than others don't necessarily try to look tough or superhuman, nor do they suppress sadness. But sadness doesn't disrupt their normal life or, worse, shut them down. It does not destroy their hope, optimism and plans for the future. Like light and darkness, black and white, bitter and sweet, plus and minus, positive and negative, they allow sadness to exist because it's real and exists, but it doesn't define them or stop them. On the contrary, when sadness arrives, they allow it to remind them that they are human. Then it turns them even more determined! It motivates them, makes them stronger and full of desire to do. Change. Live.
Sadness can be a significant factor in accepting life as is, without idealization or embellishment. Sadness helps us to perceive reality, for better or for worse, without being our enemy. People with greater resilience see sadness as simply an inseparable part of life. Just like joy.
How do you perceive sadness?
And how does sadness affect your perception of reality and resilience?
R3Model: Resilience Rooted in Reality
Comments