Treating sadness and pain as an unwanted lurker rather than an honored guest is one of the ways we deny ourselves the space to become more comfortable with emotions’ ebb and flow.
Ignoring a situation, changing the subject, cracking a joke are all easier than sitting with the foreign, in-the-moment discomfort of sadness or pain (our own or other people’s).
If we are interested in developing better relationships, one of the best first steps is to notice the dozens of moments we (and other people) brush off hurt or sadness.
It’s hard to comfort ourselves or others when we just keep pushing through. But if we are serious about the business of honoring guests, then our play is to develop deeper connection with any emotion that is passing through.