We all want to heal from past pain, trauma, or patterns. We want to be able to move forward with new opportunities and new beginnings without dragging the past along with us. We want to be able to create new possibilities without reliving the past. But are we willing to do the work necessary to propel us forward?
Some people stop themselves from healing because they think it's going to hurt worse than the pain the are already in. Some people stop themselves because it means they would need to confront all aspects of their own behavior. Whatever your reason is that paralysis you to "do the work", understand that you are making a clear choice to stay exactly where you currently are. Nobody can want you to succeed or change more than you want it for yourself. No therapist, family member or friend can will it to happen. The only way your life changes is when you decide to finally be an active participate and get brutally honest with yourself.
There is an incredible healing power when you choose to get real, when you choose to finally speak your truth in all areas of your life, even the ones that are painful and ugly. That old saying, the truth will set you free, well it's not a cliche. By owning your story, without judgment, you start to free the ties that bind you to the past. By acknowledging why you do the things you do, by owning your actions and behavior, by forgiving yourself, well then you break open the door not just to healing but to true transformation.
Grace
Too often we are so hard on ourselves. We don't give ourselves a lot of room for error. At the end of the day we feel like we haven't accomplished much and tend to lay our heads down on our pillows going through all of the things we did wrong or just didn't get to at all. We are so hard on ourselves at times but to what end? Would you berate someone you love daily? Would you chastise them for all the things they didn't do or would you say, you were doing the best you could today and that's good enough? You would give them grace, so why don't you give that to yourself? Why are you constantly berating yourself instead of realizing that waking up in the morning and going forward with the day is an accomplishment. Showing up for people is an accomplishment. Doing your job, being there for your kids, family, friends, is an accomplishment. So what if you didn't get to that load of laundry or get to vacuum up all the dog hair on the stairs, you made someone smile today. You made someone feel seen and heard. Maybe you even made yourself belly laugh. That is accomplishment. It's time to give yourself the grace you give to others. Be gentle with yourself. You only have one vessel, treat it with the respect, love and grace it deserves (you deserve).
