Handling Your Own Sadness And The Sadness Of Others
by Wayne Dyer
 

There is a powerful quote from A Course In Miracles that addresses the issue of sadness or negative emotions such as despair, darkness, hatred, injury and doubt, which have been the subject matter of my book, There’s A Spiritual Solution To Every Problem.

Nothing real can be threatened
Nothing unreal exists,
Herein lies the peace of God.

Yes, you will feel sad at various times in your life. No, you should not deny those feelings and pretend to be joyful. Yes, it is healthy to express these feelings, to honor them and not to feel guilty when you do experience them. But go back to this idea: if it is not of God it is not real, and everything is of God and all that is of God is good. We can all agree that sadness, despair, disease and hatred are not good. It cannot exist if it is not real, yet you do feel the existence of the sadness. But it is only a thought created by a mind that feels separate from God, therefore it is an illusion.

When you understand the nature of your sadness, you can acknowledge it, accept it, honor it and do anything else with it that you choose, including paying homage to it and building a shrine to it. But in the end, when you want to dissolve it, bring in the faster/higher energy of joy and you can give it a big, wet kiss goodbye as it floats out of your life. Sadness simply cannot survive simultaneously with the energy of joy. Why? Because it is unreal and therefore cannot exist except in your ego-mind’s eye. God’s love is real. Joy is God’s love. And joy can never be threatened.

When you understand this fundamental truth about sadness – that it is unreal and an illusory product of your mind – you will no longer feel such a strong need to defend your right to be sad. You’ll realize that when you argue for your right to be sad and depressed, the only thing you’ll get for your effort is more sadness. Begin to opt for the higher spiritual energy of joy. Ultimately this energy will be your natural state. When you study the lives of sages and saints, you discover that they are joyful, free and feel a profound love for every living creature. Sadness is not a part of their repertoire.

Nisargadatta Maharaj responded with this stunning response to an inquiry about his not feeling sad in the face of circumstances that drive most people to despair, such as war, poverty and the like. “In my world, nothing ever goes wrong.” He was saying that he lived in the world of spirit and the rest is illusion. Get outside your body and all its concerns and possessions and view everything as an observer. From that perspective, sadness is impossible. Those whom we call realized beings are most often in a state of cheerful, joyful bliss. You may not see yourself as a realized being just yet, but my guess is that you are an aspirant if you read magazines such as this. If so, then aspire to send joy in the face of sadness; it is a great way to be.

Excerpted from There’s A Spiritual Solution To Every Problem

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer is the renowned bestselling author of 15 books of nonfiction and three textbooks and has a doctorate in counseling psychology. He lectures across the country and appears regularly on radio and television.
http://www.drwaynedyer.com/home/