To have the healing we yearn for in our lives, we need to be compassionate with ourselves. To have our peace of mind, we need to break free of our old patterns. Our struggles offer us a rich opportunity to bring us to our compassionate healing.
Everyday we are touched by the pushes and pulls of our lives. Relationships and work can be so supportive and fulfilling and yet also be a source of frustration, hurt and anger.
To bring the healing we yearn for into our lives, we need to be compassionate with ourselves. To have the peace of mind we seek, we need to begin with ourselves. These very human experiences that painfully touch our lives can offer us an invaluable opportunity to break free of the old patterns of our lives. We may know our patterns very well but our negative patterns do not take us where we want to be.
All too often, without even realizing it, we respond in a way that is painfully self-critical. We may feel irritated and discouraged that we are not perfect, that we are not strong enough, that we feel “weak,” or that we so often feel anxious. And so it is that when we are most in need of support and understanding in a painful moment, we are all too inclined to kick ourselves for our perceived shortcomings instead.
Yet our healing comes through our being able to meet ourselves in a caring and compassionate way. Hearing this, some may think that this means coddling ourselves or excusing our mistakes! And so we find ourselves once again plagued with our painful judgments of ourselves.
So many people honestly don’t know how to be compassionate with themselves. They may feel this readily for others yet when it comes to themselves find that they are painfully excluded from their own hearts.
Similar issues may arise for us as a couple or in other relationships. In our hurt or anger we may strike out or withdraw but still end up feeling unheard and not cared about. What we are needing is to create that safe and deeply compassionate place for our own self. This does not mean caring for ourself and excluding others. It means finding the balance of selfcare with caring for others. Not living one side of this and ignoring the other. This is an idea easy to understand but much harder to live this balance out.
These painful places in which we may find ourselves reflect our own inner wounds. To have our own peace of mind and heart, we must first find our own inner peace. I have found that this is more the work of our hearts than the work of our minds. It is our hearts that provide the gateway to our healing and to our peace of mind through this compassionate understanding. This is a path that walks us in a rich and lifelong path of healing and peace
Below are stories of real people. Their stories may help illustrate the kinds of issues and struggles that most of us can identify with in ourselves. Reading about the work these people have done can help validate the feelings and experiences that we, too, may share. They also illustrate the kind of healing that can take place when we face our fears and pain with compassion and courage. I have changed the names and circumstances in these stories. want to thank these people for the inspirational work they have done and their willingness to share their stories. May these stories encourage and support us all
Lisa had worked for non-profit charities for years. Serving others had always been a priority and focus for her. After being in therapy for about three months, she finally risked sharing that she was a kleptomaniac. She admitted this with profound
David is a young man in his twenties and grieving his father’s death one and a half years ago. He’d been able to grieve over the death of his father and come to a certain peace with it. But today, in his therapy session,
Cynthia was disillusioned and really down on herself. Here she was in her early thirties, not married and with no children yet she wanted a family. What really brought this to light even more was her growing relationship with
John had wanted to be a sheriff. He easily passed the mandatory intelligence and personality tests but kept failing the physical. His strength was good but he could never pass the running test. He had to run a certain number of laps under
Grief is a natural healing process that takes place as we are affected by all the changes that touch our lives. It is about these changes as well as the losses in our lives. Before I worked for a hospice organization for eleven
Below are several categories which contain some of the quotes that I find to be inspiring. Enjoy!
