Another fear that stops us in our tracks is FEAR OF SORROW.
Sorrow is a spiritual term used for the emptiness that comes after a big experience, after a disappointment, or when it’s time for change. It is a very rich and spiritual space, but most people are afraid of it, so they fill it with feelings of sadness and get stuck there. That’s when it can feel like, or even become, depression.
But it doesn’t have to go that way. The opportunity of sorrow is to strengthen our soul, the vessel of conscious awareness, so that it can hold more faith, new truth, a brighter future, and a bigger Self.
Think of it this way: if you want to plant a tree you must first dig a hole. Same thing with big changes – from difficulties such as losing a loved one (whether through death or divorce) to happy things such as getting a promotion or a new job – they all start and end with a hole inside. That space is known as sorrow.
When planting a tree, it sometimes takes while for it to grow and bear fruit. The bigger the tree, the deeper the hole, and the longer the time to fruit. Too often, people will dig a (inner) hole but not put anything productive in it. Filling the space with sadness will reap heaviness and depression. Filling it with distractions will eventually reap frustration and dissatisfaction. Holding on to (filling it with) the past, keeps you stuck. However… If you fill it with seeds of purpose, possibility and action, you will grow something new.
So, part of the spiritual journey is learning to hold the space of sorrow, plant seeds of new truth, nurture them, and let the experience of growth strengthen us – strengthen faith, confidence, understanding, awareness.