The Inner Wall Around Us

The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy.”

― Jim Rohn

The above quote really speaks to the double edged sword when one shuts out the world. I have seen all too often the further sadness that takes place as the wall is built and strengthened over time. You may feel like the wall will protect you from further pain. However, I firmly agree with the second part that deals with potential joy. The times we experience darkness and despair are typically right before joy is poised to come our way. The walls we put up prevent the joy from coming thru and turning the situation around in our favor. No one likes the feeling of sadness. It is the one emotion that if we could vote off of the island, would receive overwhelming support. However, since we cannot, there are a few things we can do to prevent the wall from ever going up.

1. Sadness will remain with us whether there is a wall or not. The wall will not prevent or protect us from the feeling that we experience. The key is to recognize this is temporary. Emotions come and go. Our challenge is to accept the season we are in, grow thru the season, and become better as a result.

2. The wall will not allow our spirit to grow. We may feel some anxiety towards not wanting to go thru what we are currently experiencing. That is understood. The key is to process what happened and take steps to better handle what may occur in the future. Sadness teaches us what we do not want to experience. It will also serve as a guide towards making certain decisions and choices to potentially prevent the sadness from spreading.

3. You have a choice: The people you surround yourself with can either bring you sadness or joy. It is your choice to determine who gets your time and attention. Too many times, we remain around those who bring us down or who inflict their sadness towards us. I would rather be around someone who is a light of inspiration and joy.

It is normal to want to protect ourselves from further pain. However, we have to make the decision as to how we want to feel. Yes, things are going to happen that make us feel sadness. Learn from the experience and recognize that you deserve to be happy. It comes down to choices you have to make to experience the shift. So, do not let the wall get built around you. Allow the moment to be a building block towards a better outcome in your life and within your emotions.