Running Without Music

Maybe the people who seem so happy are actually the ones who aren’t.
I’ve been letting myself feel the sadness for the past few days now, and wow –
I’ve felt actually better.
I’ve felt more at peace.
I slow down more, notice what’s going on, and make better choices.
I end up doing what will actually make me feel better.
What is up with that?
When I actually acknowledge I’m in pain or feeling uncomfortable,
I always feel better.
I tell myself, “Ok, you’re in pain. You don’t want to do this right now. It hurts. It’s uncomfortable.”
Something about just simply validating my experience without trying to fix it feels so good.
Sitting in the pain always seems to be less painful than trying to get away from it.
Maybe that means that sadness is the cure for itself.
Like running without music,
eating without TV,
mornings without the phone,
questions with no fear,
or authenticity with no shame.
There is sadness all around us.
Even though our brains really want us to fix our problems, to get out of the pain we’re in, to be mean to ourselves in order to “get better,”
what if we just look sadness in the eye?
Rather than living in the mind in fear of touching it,
maybe sadness just wants us to hold its hand.