Make It Today

Published On: April 8, 2026By Tags: , , , , , , , ,

On Sorrow, Joy & the Speed of Being Human

Sorrow is part of being human. There’s no getting around that. What’s often overlooked, though, is that the ability to move through it is just as natural — and usually much quicker than we allow.

Some cultures understand this far better than we do. In Día de los Muertos, death is met with warmth, story, and remembrance. In New Orleans Jazz Funeral traditions, grief begins in stillness and ends in music. Not because the loss doesn’t matter, but because life still does.

That’s the point. Joy and sorrow aren’t opposites. They sit alongside each other, and if you allow it, one can lead you into the other.

You see this most clearly in children. A child can be in tears one moment and laughing the next. They don’t analyse what they’re feeling or hold onto it. They move through it. Adults tend to do the opposite. We replay, we add meaning, we hold on — and in doing so, we extend something that might otherwise have passed.

That pattern isn’t fixed. It’s learned, which means it can be changed.

The shift doesn’t come from trying harder. It comes from interrupting what’s already happening.

Start with your focus. Your attention directs your state, whether you realise it or not. If you deliberately look for something to appreciate — something small and immediate — you begin to change how you feel.

Then use your body. Change your posture, move, breathe differently. Physiology and emotion are linked. You don’t need to think your way out of a low state if you can shift it physically.

Perspective matters too. Ask yourself whether what you’re feeling right now will still matter in a week, or a year. Most things lose their intensity when you step back from them.

And then there’s the simplest shift of all — take the focus off yourself.

Ask better questions.

What brings me joy? What am I grateful for? Who can I help right now?

Even a small act — a message, a smile, a kind word — can change your state almost immediately. We’re wired for connection, and contribution pulls us out of our own head faster than anything else.

You don’t need to eliminate sorrow to feel better. You just need to stop treating it as something that has to stay.

We’ve all said it: one day we’ll look back on this and laugh.

Why not make it today?

Main – Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

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About the Author: Steve Consalvez

Steve Consalvez is a highly qualified and experienced wellbeing practitioner with a focus on transformative therapies. He is a Certified Master Trainer in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), having trained directly with Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the founders of the field. Steve also holds a Certified Psychotherapist qualification, granting him deep understanding of group dynamics and therapeutic approaches. His expertise extends to Certified Clinical Hypnotherapy, enabling him to guide clients through profound personal transformation and overcome limiting beliefs. Adding to this, Steve is a globally respected Certifying Master Firewalk Instructor Trainer and owner of one of the world's largest firewalking organisations. Through this, he helps individuals and corporates with positive focus therapy using firewalking and many other skills. With a wealth of experience gained from working with global companies like TACK Sales Training and Regus Plc, Steve is adept at applying his therapeutic skills to enhance employee engagement, communication and performance. He integrates his expertise in NLP, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and firewalking to create tailor-made programmes that empower individuals and teams to achieve their full potential. Contact Details Website Instagram Facebook

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