If we want to know true peace and happiness,
We have to start embracing all of our emotions,
This whole spectrum from happiness to sadness.
Yet,
Understandably,
We so often just push all of the uncomfortable emotions away,
The anger,
The shame,
The fear,
The sadness.
And it makes sense because they don't feel good.
So we tend to run towards things that will cover them up.
We tend to run to temporary pleasures like the liquor cabinet or the pint of ice cream or scrolling on our phones.
There's millions of ways that we distract ourselves and push away this whole half of our experience.
Yet,
The more that we can turn to it with gentleness and compassion,
We can start to integrate all those emotions.
We can start to meet reality and we can start to live in a state of greater peace and presence in every moment.