Why be ashamed of being sad?
It doesn’t mean you’re imperfect.
It means you are human.
Sadness is a release of pressure,
like steam from hot water.
It’s the sensation you feel
as surplus emotion flows out of you
so that you can get back to equilibrium.
Without sadness, how could we survive
in this world that makes so many demands on us
and is so full of suffering and injustice?
Sadness is cleansing and healing –
it flushes out stress and bitterness
that would poison our souls if it stayed inside.
So don’t be tempted to close yourself down
and build inner barriers that are so strong and impregnable
that nothing can escape
and then convince yourself that you’re perfect
and have transcended every human emotion.
if you suppress your humanness
your inner space will turn dark and oppressive
and eventually you will explode.