May 20: Day 140

STONE SEVEN CONTINUED
 
Feel: I allow myself to feel. My emotions are part of my being. By allowing myself to feel, I heal and grow.

Instruction: Feel sorrow.

Another emotion that some people believe we should dismiss as soon as possible, or not even hold at all, is sorrow. This is often a result of the culture we live in. In some cultures, sorrow is allowed more freely than in others, and feeling sorrowful is not a sign of weakness but of strength. Some societies might see us as weak individuals if we cry, blubber, or weep, but for us to believe that sorrow is a bad emotion is to dismiss one of the best healing, cleansing, and restoring emotions given to us. To dismiss sorrow before fully experiencing it not only allows blocked emotions to be stored instead of released, but it also dishonors those who are deserving of our sorrow. When we lose a loved one due to death or from other circumstances, our natural response is to grieve. Those who were raised in an unemotional environment, an environment that showed little emotion, or where only certain emotions were acceptable often struggle with sorrow. They might believe that grieving should be done in private, done quickly, and then forgotten and ignored as soon as possible. Trying to forget or ignore won’t allow us to release the emotion. Release comes in its own time.

All of our emotions serve a purpose, and without them, we are not experiencing what it means to be human. We haven’t said much about laughter, and part of the reason is because it is so important that it is covered in Stone Eleven. Laughter is an emotion that is important because of its healing qualities, but so are all the other emotions. Pain, grief, sorrow, joy, ecstasy, and all of the rest of our emotions have healing characteristics that aid the body, mind, and soul in overcoming the trials of life and our experiences of abuse, betrayal, and feelings of abandonment from the world and from The Divine. By healing through our emotions, we reconnect with the feelings of joy, belonging, and love.

Today’s Assignment is to look at your past and determine if there were any emotions you considered useless, unwanted, or unneeded? If so, you might want to take some time to reconsider those beliefs. Have you also put a time limit on some emotions? You might want to consider if this belief has been beneficial or harmful. You might not want to wallow in some emotions, but at the same time you don’t want to overlook the benefits of all of your emotions. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, and if you feel you are wallowing, then try to strike a balance. In Stone Eight we will consider ways to release our emotions once they have served their purpose.