We’re all on a healing journey. Healing from past traumas, healing from unresolved pain, healing from the wounds inflicted upon us and the scars of fear they left behind in our psyche. There are destructive and creative forces at work within each of us—and more proactively engaging with those creative energies is ultimately what will propel you forward in your healing journey.
The constructive power of destructive forces
But we can’t do one without the other. Facing our shadows is an integral part of our journey, and maybe the destructive forces are there for a reason: to tear down and dissolve that which is no longer needed in the present moment. To let the cycle continue so that new can emerge out of the old, and so that we don’t perpetuate the patterns of our past, which keep us stuck in a vicious cycle of pain and suffering.
As you heal your traumas and pain, you allow space for something entirely new to emerge out of the wreckage: a new way of being, new ways of being in the world—new ways of loving and living and loving others.
Losing your way on the healing journey
The healing process can feel like a labyrinth with no map and no end in sight. Sometimes, our survival instincts kick in and we go into autopilot mode.
Nowadays, mental health no longer is a taboo—people can talk openly about it without being stigmatized. If anything, most of us stigmatize ourselves more than others do, and then we project our own stigmatization onto others.
We then try to become what we believe the world expects us to be, when what the world really asks of us is to have the courage to truly be ourselves, to embrace ourselves just the way we are. It’s at that point where we lose our way, and where we most need to remind ourselves:
Self-acceptance is the challenge
You are enough as you are right now. There is no need to change who you are to fit in with others’ expectations or what you think they want you to be. Your struggles and pain are part of your beauty; they are what makes you unique and special; they are part of what makes you lovable—because we learn to love others for who they are and for what they are, not for what they aren’t or for who we wish they were.
You don’t need to become a different person in order to love yourself better ; you need to learn to love yourself exactly as you are right now. This is what it means to really love yourself: knowing that you are enough just the way you are, without conditions or limitations or rules or limits. Your worth is not based on anything external; your worth comes from within—from who you really are deep inside your heart and in your mind.
Know yourself
And once you get in touch with this deep truth, you can’t un-know it; you can’t unlearn it; it’s there to stay. This inner knowledge is your compass on the journey of self-transformation and healing; it is your anchor, your guide; it is your North Star. It is the light within you that gives you direction in times of darkness, when you are lost at sea in a sea of uncertainty and self-doubt. This light shines brighter than any other light in this world, and it will guide you home again to your true self—to the place where peace resides deep within your heart.
Self-compassion
Be kind to yourself! You have nothing to prove to anyone; you don’t need to be perfect; you don’t need to be anyone other than yourself. So be gentle with yourself. Treat yourself with compassion, as you would treat a beloved child; treat yourself like you would treat a dear friend; treat yourself as you would like to be treated.
When you treat yourself with love and kindness, you will naturally shine brighter from within—and you will be filled with so much love that you can’t contain it inside you anymore. You will want to give this love away to others—to your loved ones, your friends, strangers on the street—because love is infectious, and giving love away is the best way to receive more love in return. You are here on this earth to love and be loved; you were put here for a purpose.
Greater inner freedom
As you get closer and closer to your true self, you will become more and more aware of the energetic patterns and imprints that are holding you back from fully embodying and living out who you really are. Some people call this energy “baggage”, some call it “shadow”, some call it “karma”, some call it “dis-ease”, and some simply refer to it as “the past”. Whatever name you give it, this energy is simply what remains after you’ve let go of everything that no longer serves you—what remains once you’ve been able to forgive yourself and others, to let go of the past and all the pain and hurt that it continues to cause you in the present moment. Releasing these energetic patterns is what will allow you to move forward in your healing process and surrender to your life transitions; releasing these energetic patterns is what will free you up so that you can reconnect with your inner compass and start traveling down a fresh path on your healing journey—a path that leads you to a deeper connection with yourself and your true creative purpose in life.
When we hold on to resentments and anger toward someone we feel has wronged us in the past, we project these feelings onto them. And we refuse to take responsibility for our own part in this and block our creative energies. The only way for us to move forward in our healing process is to release all the anger and resentment we hold toward these people so that we can reclaim our power—our own power—and be fully present in the moment once again. Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and then waiting for the other person to die. The best way to heal from this pain is to forgive that person for what they’ve done to you and to take responsibility for your own part in what happened. To let go of things that are holding you back.
Step into your own power
Realize that you have the power within you to decide how you feel and how you’re going to react to any given situation. You are the only one who can decide what road you want to take in life. By giving other people the power to make you feel bad, you are actually giving them power over your life—over your thoughts, your feelings, your actions, your reactions, and ultimately, over your future.
Take back control over your life by reclaiming your own power—by focusing on what you can control. As you continue to release and heal the wounds of the past, you will gradually feel more connected to your heart’s desire—your true purpose in this life—which will then guide you toward the right relationships and the right creative career for you. You will follow the path of least resistance because this path will be in alignment with your purpose in this life.
Healthcare is the foundation
The healing journey is very much about your inner world, but your emotional and mental well-being is deeply intertwined with your physical body. If you really are serious about your own healing, then good self-care is a must. Proper sleep, a healthy diet, exercise—too many people are so focused on the psychological aspects of their journey that they neglect the basics. Don’t commit this mistake.
The life-changing power of living your truth
Your journey of healing slows down the further you stray from your own truth, and accelerates the more you live your own truth. This is easier said than done. We all want to live truly authentic lives. But we get caught up in fear, low self-esteem, old thought patterns, doubt, worry, etc., that we lose sight of who we are and what we truly want in life.
That’s why art is so powerful: It allows us to express ourselves creatively, and through that, have a more playful approach to trying different things. We get an instinctive sense of what resonates with us, and what resonates with us reveals a lot about ourselves. When we’re creating art, we don’t have to be perfect—we don’t have to get it right the first time—we just have to experiment and play. That willingness to play takes us back to our childlike state of innocence and pure creativity, and helps us bypass the conscious thought patterns that keep us attached to our ego.
Courage – the great catalyst
Ultimately, so much of our healing journey is about facing our fears. Shining a light on what we’re afraid of illuminating, and truly seeing it for what it is. Taking the risk of vulnerability and sharing with the world what’s truly making our hearts beat with greater vigor.