I respect and honor your wisdom Muse Miao, thank you for caring and writing, I have been depressed as of late, what you say, “the only way out is through”is exactly what I needed to hear at this moment! I am experienced at putting on a happy face. Geraldine
Yes, the only way out is through. I am not 100% out either. I still feel anxious or sad for no apparent reason from time to time. I just relate to those feelings differently now. They do not congeal. They are not that sticky.
We are all on this journey, and I am glad we found each other.
About putting on a happy face, it does not matter that you do it. Just make sure you give yourself some private time to take it off, to stop performing happiness, and to really feel your feelings as they are. I think that is the way out.
It is like not suppressing vomiting. Vomiting is harsh, but you feel better afterward. Feeling your feelings as they are, no matter how bad, is like allowing yourself to vomit.
If you feel disgusted about the vomit metaphor, sorry:) It's the best metaphor I can think of.
Greetings Sir Miao, vomit is the perfect metaphor, I am not disgusted. I was the sole proprietor of a registered LLC Family Care business and worked 28 years caring for seriously ill elders who wanted to be cared for at home and when I wasn’t caring for them I helped raise 28 infants, toddlers and preschoolers, I am real good at cleaning up bodily fluids, they go with the territory 🤣The covid pandemic shut my business down, the business I worked hard at, went belly up over a weekend, I lost $$$ and I lost my mind and went into a deep depression for four years. It was rough, but I made it through and here I am on Substack, communicating with you and so many wonderful folks, my heart is in constant bloom and sometimes I put on a happy face at 73. Peace, blessings and poetry, Geraldine
Wow, thank you for your story, I’m so moved. You must have an enormous amount of compassion to do this kind of work.
At the very least, we all made it through COVID alive, and I guess that’s something to celebrate in a sense.I’m so glad you pulled through it all. Four years,that’s such a long time. I truly admire the tenacity of the human spirit in you.
And 73? Wow, you must have an incredible wealth of life experiences. Isn’t it amazing? People from all over the world at different ages who seek depth come here to communicate and share. This in itself is a miracle, especially in our age where short attention spans, conflict, bias, and TikTok-fueled dopamine hits prevail.
Loved reading this entire context around the two hour practice you had once told me about- your backstory and how you made your way through. Wonderful writing 👏🏼👏🏼
🙏🙏
I respect and honor your wisdom Muse Miao, thank you for caring and writing, I have been depressed as of late, what you say, “the only way out is through”is exactly what I needed to hear at this moment! I am experienced at putting on a happy face. Geraldine
Glad the article was helpful to you, Geraldine.
Yes, the only way out is through. I am not 100% out either. I still feel anxious or sad for no apparent reason from time to time. I just relate to those feelings differently now. They do not congeal. They are not that sticky.
We are all on this journey, and I am glad we found each other.
About putting on a happy face, it does not matter that you do it. Just make sure you give yourself some private time to take it off, to stop performing happiness, and to really feel your feelings as they are. I think that is the way out.
It is like not suppressing vomiting. Vomiting is harsh, but you feel better afterward. Feeling your feelings as they are, no matter how bad, is like allowing yourself to vomit.
If you feel disgusted about the vomit metaphor, sorry:) It's the best metaphor I can think of.
Greetings Sir Miao, vomit is the perfect metaphor, I am not disgusted. I was the sole proprietor of a registered LLC Family Care business and worked 28 years caring for seriously ill elders who wanted to be cared for at home and when I wasn’t caring for them I helped raise 28 infants, toddlers and preschoolers, I am real good at cleaning up bodily fluids, they go with the territory 🤣The covid pandemic shut my business down, the business I worked hard at, went belly up over a weekend, I lost $$$ and I lost my mind and went into a deep depression for four years. It was rough, but I made it through and here I am on Substack, communicating with you and so many wonderful folks, my heart is in constant bloom and sometimes I put on a happy face at 73. Peace, blessings and poetry, Geraldine
Wow, thank you for your story, I’m so moved. You must have an enormous amount of compassion to do this kind of work.
At the very least, we all made it through COVID alive, and I guess that’s something to celebrate in a sense.I’m so glad you pulled through it all. Four years,that’s such a long time. I truly admire the tenacity of the human spirit in you.
And 73? Wow, you must have an incredible wealth of life experiences. Isn’t it amazing? People from all over the world at different ages who seek depth come here to communicate and share. This in itself is a miracle, especially in our age where short attention spans, conflict, bias, and TikTok-fueled dopamine hits prevail.
Loved reading this entire context around the two hour practice you had once told me about- your backstory and how you made your way through. Wonderful writing 👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks, Pragya. Glad you liked it. It seems stories have more potential to inspire people to practice.
Love this & I agree. Facing my feelings has been harder work than I ever did as a workaholic! Very worth it though 🖤
Thanks voidlight. Sometimes hard working comes from inspiration sometimes from escapism. Knowing the difference is spiritual discernment.