The Emotion of Melancholy…the desire for change.
The emotion of melancholy is the desire for change and is ignited by a feeling of sadness.
All of life changes, transforms and evolves.
It’s not unusual for most people to resist change even though there’s a desire for something to be different.
When you recognize you’re feeling sad, pause and ask yourself:
- What is it that I want to be different?
- What’s the change that this inner longer is calls to?
- What change can I make?
- What change do I have the power to make?
Taking a pause to ask these questions will bring the beginning of clarity and true change.
Keep in mind, non-attachment and acceptance are important when you are experiencing melancholy.
Attachment to wanting something to be different than it is currently, causes suffering. It prevents clarity and gets in the way with working with the Universe to gain the power from the experience.
Non-acceptance of “what is” drains a great deal of personal power. Moving with change becomes very difficult. It binds the energy and creates stagnation.
Here’s a simple and light, example:
You have dinner plans with a friend and you’ve been looking forward to seeing her for some time. Your friend calls and cancels the dinner the day before. You’re disappointed and feel sad.
First, allow yourself to be sad and disappointed. Next, release the internal dialogue of taking the cancellation personally.
You know the kind, things like:
“I should have known she’d cancel. She wouldn’t cancel if it were someone else.”
And, “this always happen to me.”
Instead, pause a moment.
Accept you’re disappointed.
Then ask yourself what is it that you want to be different.
Your first response is likely to be that you want your friend to meet you for dinner. Since that is not in our control,
accept that she did cancel.
Then release any attachment to the evening being as you had planned.
Once you have released it, as the Toltec Wisdom teachings say, allow your spirit to flow free.
Then ask your higher self again, what change can I make, what can I learn?
Set your intention to see the opportunity in the change of plans.
Open adoor to many other possibilities.
You can flow with the Universe instead of trying to struggle against it. You’ll be trusting the process of life and co-creating with the Universe.
Having a different view of this experience will shift things quickly. You’ll feel the disappointment and sadness, without being overwhelmed by it.
Melancholy also illuminates how deeply you love and care. Because if there is no caring, there would be no conflict.
Allow the emotion of melancholy to guide to the power of your heart.
Someone once said: “Change the internal dialogue of the ego into the eternal dialogue of the soul.”
It’s a really lovely way to navigate through melancholy and bring more meaning and purpose to your life.