When reading the title of this post it appears that I might have left the word “NOT” out of the sentence. That was on purpose. We all have situations or struggles that cause us distress and so we might try to “not think about it.” We know that trying not to think about a green bear will only lead to more green bears dancing around in our brain. We obviously don’t want to seek out misery just for the sake of making ourselves miserable. If we struggle with OCD or other emotional difficulties, we do want to lean into what’s bothering us so we can start to make changes that can lead to a more enjoyable existence. We want to start responding differently. If its OCD, we want to get away from the compulsions and rituals. If it’s a grief situation, again, we want to lean into it and try to respond differently if we are completely avoiding it or making it worse for ourselves. Grief doesn’t have to be this constant kick to the chest. We know that it can often feel this way but there is hope. It can be extremely difficult to seek this stuff out on purpose, however embracing this sadness or struggle can free us from some of this emotional hell that we may experience. Let’s lean into the darkness so that we can have a chance to see more light. Lets also lean into each other for support. Keep pushing forward, one moment at a time.
Jeremy Rudd