Learning to Heal
Your pain is not evident by the scars on your body.
Lately I’ve been thinking about the ways in which people are hurt, and hurt others. The emotional and physical scars we bear from traversing an ever-changing world stick to us like tar, many times never getting an opportunity to be rinsed off or erased. The problem with tar is that it is quite sticky. No life comes from it, no joy, no peace, no healing, hope, or love. To allow ourselves to be bogged down by emotional tar limits the potential for growth that we all have inside.
My birthday is at the end of the month. I find that I always become a bit more introverted and reflective around this time of year. While actively thinking about my own “emotional tar,” I’ve realized that though it may have helped build parts of who I am, there is no reason to hold on to it forever. The only way I see that happening, is by acknowledging the pain I have endured, and committing to working through it.
For some that may mean seeking professional help in the form of a licensed therapist. For others that may mean venting to a few good friends. As for me? I find that doing yoga, reading, and cooking all help. The point is to reconcile who I am, what I’ve done, and what’s been done to me, and then? … Hopefully I can move on.
Now let’s make something very clear, this necessary self-work is difficult. If it were easy everyone would’ve done it by now. Self-exploration, like the universe, is infinite in its possibilities. We will meet parts of ourselves that we do not like. However, what is also quite likely is that we may meet beloved parts of ourselves that have been forgotten. Self-work gives way to self-love, and with that, the possibilities are truly unlimited.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression Oct. 11 is National Depression Screening Day, so get checked out. Visit MentalHealthScreening.org for more information.
If you have suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline immediately, at 800-273-TALK.
Be healthy, be well, and learn to heal.
