"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. These are the
patterns that we know so well but 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,"
that we are often anxious. So it is that when we are most in need of support and
understanding in a painful moment, we are more likely instead to kick ourselves
for our perceived shortcomings or for not being able to figure our predicaments
out.
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 in our painful judgments of
ourselves.
So many people honestly don't know how to be
compassionate with themselves. They may easily do so for others yet when it
comes to themselves find that they are painfully excluded from their own hearts.
Similar issues arise for us as a couple or in other
relationships. In our hurt or anger we may strike out or give that cold shoulder
to try and make our case but still end up feeling unheard and not cared about.
Again what is called for is to create that safe and compassionate place for each
other in which to share our stories. This is an idea easy to understand but much
harder to live out.
These painful places in which we may find ourselves
reflect our own internal wounds and scars. To have our own peace of mind we must
first find our own inner peace. This is more the work of our hearts than that of
our minds. It is our hearts that provide the gateway to our
healing
and to our peace of mind."
-F. Michael Montgomery
In this website you will find many poems, quotes, and stories that deal with
hope, courage, and inspiration. To assist you on your journey to inner
healing, please feel free to explore the links to the left and above.
Please feel free to share with me your thoughts, ideas, or even your own
stories of inspiration.
Send me an email
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