What Is the Meaning Of This Pain?

"Given the state of the world today-given the fear and destruction all around us-depression among any of us is understandable. Life on earth can indeed be heartbreaking. But deep sadness, even intense emotional suffering, need not break us. It is part of the human experience, part of our spiritual journey. Even the happiest life can have deeply sad days. Once we accept this fact, making space for it in our consciousness, we stop seeing every bout of depression as an intruder that has to be shooed out of the house immediately.

The face that we can be heartbroken is part of our seep humanity; it is not a weakness in our character. A weakness, if anything, is our fear of looking at our suffering more authentically and our resistance to dealing with it more wisely.

The wisest question when we are deeply sad is not, "How can I end or numb this pain immediately?" The wisest question is, "What is the meaning of this pain?" or, "What does it reveal to me? What is it calling me to understand?" "
~Marianne Williamson

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