It took me years to understand that many of us are more afraid of happiness than misery. Because misery and martyrdom have an inherent safety about them -- one is never particularly vulnerable, nor at risk of disappointment. Unhappiness becomes a security blanket, a way to armor ourselves against deep feeling. On the other hand, happiness has an intrinsically risky quality. When we open our hearts to life, we are always vulnerable to loss, to shattering, to having it all fall away. But it can also expand and deepen, joyfully permeating every element of life. I can often sense when someone has made unhappiness their shield, their perpetual life stance. Locking ourselves into a negative way of being is a self-fulfilling prophecy: misery begets misery. Only through risking something can we arrive at a new perspective. And most significantly, because the rhythms and tides of one's life can truly shift in the blink of an eye. All it takes is one good day and whole damn thing can come back to light...
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