The Nature of Healing and the Healing of Nature

I got another piece of insight last night after misreading 'entirety' as 'eternity'.
In order to see your path in its entirety, you must first see your soul in its eternity. This does not mean we all have to remember our past lives, but we do need to eventually reach a place where we can acknowledge our eternal nature. Once we see ourselves as eternal beings, the massive hardships in our lives will be easier to see as temporary and less important. We often mistake greater impact for greater importance, but just because the trauma you experienced was significant in its effect on you, does not mean that it is or was ever the most important part of your life.
With that said, here is today's free-write.

I accept healing from the sun.
I accept healing from the breeze.
I accept healing from the earth.
I accept healing from the trees.

I close my eyes and stand face-to-face with the sun.
I allow its light to lift the darkness from my mind.
As I stand in the sunlight, I feel a cool spring breeze
dance lightly across my skin.
The movement of air brushes the shadows away,
allowing the suns warming rays
to permeate my being and illuminate my soul.

I choose a tall, ancient looking tree
to lean against, and we stand back-to-back.
The tree pulls the heavy grief
from the back of my heart
to transmute it and transform it.
And the earth beneath my feet
grounds me and roots me
in its abiding love and unwavering serenity.

I accept healing from the sun.
I accept healing from the breeze.
I accept healing from the earth.
I accept healing from the trees.

The Pillars of My Heart

    I've been blessed with the knowledge that the pillars of my community are also the pillars of my heart. The love they share with me strengthens my heart and fortifies my courage. (Yes, I used 'courage' here because of the etymology of courage: the Latin root 'cor' meaning 'heart', & 'coeur' is French for heart.) As I embark on the next leg of my journey, knowing that I have them behind me, supporting me, is the only thing allowing me to press ever onward. In the next few months, I will have to face my past fully and completely and find a way to let it go. My hope is that when the memories are recovered, I will be surrounded by so much light, that they will not overwhelm my heart and mind. Even without the memories, my heart often breaks for my childhood self. I have learned so much about what happened that day, and in the days that followed, that I am less than eager to recover these memories. But apparently the only way for me to let the past go is to be given a chance to process the trauma that was never processed. Having been far too young and having very little competent support, it was impossible.

Thank You, God, for aligning my path with this community.
Thank You, God, for opening my heart to their love for me.
Thank You, God, for granting me exactly what I need for this part of my journey.
Thank You, God, for these people who have become the pillars of my heart.
I know I could not face this part of my path alone,
so I thank You, God, for all the people who have chosen to lift me up in their light.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

How to Move Through the Mire

Sometimes allowing looks like crying.
Sometimes allowing looks like raging.
When you've buried your feelings for years,
expect to express your grief
before moving forward.

Move through the emotions,
but don't cling to them,
and don't let them cling to you.
They may return
when it is time to release another layer,
but do not judge the process.

If you find yourself engulfed in despair,
remind yourself that God's grace is still there.
If you find yourself trapped in the dark,
remind yourself that God's light is still there.
If you find yourself lost in a labyrinth,
remind yourself that God's guidance is there.

In this way
you will move through the mire
with greater ease.
In this way
you will return to the peace of God
more readily
after each of your detours.

Be Mindful of the Current

Allow life to unfold.
Do not add a forcing current
by trying to control every outcome.

You will reach your desired destination
at the appropriate time
when you stop striving and searching outwardly for it.

Live in your desired destination...
by this I mean live the happiness you want to feel now.
By this I mean live the peace you want to feel now.
By this I mean remind yourself that God is with you and within you now.

You are in control of your inner world.
And when you practice controlling your inner state of mind,
more things in your life will begin to align.

Focus on your own well-being,
allow your life to unfold,
be mindful of the current...
and ride it, don't fight it.

How To Find Power in the Broken Places

I'm going to start this post with a couple excerpts from prior posts so you can see the progression that led to the nugget of wisdom that came to me last night.

"If my deep wounds are what enable me to heal others more deeply, then it is a privilege to carry these wounds."
"In truth, the light that emanates from a fractured soul is a light that's cast in all directions."
"Be patient as you journey to find power in the broken places."
Last night's insight: "All the ways in which you've been broken can become ways in which you can serve."

    By all of this, I mean that whatever caused you to break can enable you to share your light with others who were broken in the same way. 'Serve' here doesn't have to mean an outward action. It can just be holding space for someone else's grief, granting a shoulder for them to cry on. So last night's insight really brought home all of these ideas and it answered the question of how we can find power in the broken places. We may deem the damage of trauma as irreparable, but if we do enough intentional healing for ourselves, we can begin to be the rock for others. And as we help others through their storms, we will be furthering our own healing as well. Although we must learn to accept that healing never ends, we must also see the value in the journey. And actually, I'm getting the notion that this healing journey is even more valuable because it doesn't have a so called "finish-line". I'm not sure why that is yet, but I will sit with it a while.

Be patient as you journey to find light in the darkness.
Do not be overwhelmed by hopelessness,
for you carry the light you need within you.

Be patient as you journey to find calm within the chaos.
Do not be overwhelmed by the storm,
for you carry the peace you desire within you.

Be patient as you journey to find beauty in a dangerous world.
Do not be afraid of this perilous journey,
for you carry the strength and wisdom of God within you.

Be patient as you journey to find power in the broken places.
Do not be afraid of your broken places,
for you carry the power you need to transform them.

Remember,
all the ways in which you have been broken
can become ways in which you can serve.
You have all that you need within you,
all you have to do is seek your inner light,
your inner peace,
your inner strength and wisdom;
all you have to do is seek your inner power,
and this will all be unleashed.

To Find Power in the Broken Places

You are so much more
than you ever imagined yourself to be.
The light you bring forth matters.
The light you share with those around you matters.
Your tender, loving, gentle presence
is a soothing balm for the wounds of the world.

Do not doubt the power of your soul's light.
Do not doubt the essential role you play.
You are not here just to waste away.
You have embarked on a journey
to heal yourself and others,
and you have not been led astray.

Tune out the ego's constant dissonance,
and tune into the whispered wisdom of your soul.
Tune out the painful lies that lead to depression,
and tune into the truths that would lead you to freedom.
You were never deserving of the torments you went through
and you were never meant to identify with your wounds.

You were never the body which suffered,
but the soul bearing witness.
The wounds you endured
were meant to bring about a rebirth.
Be gentle with your soul as you rebuild yourself,
as you re-discover yourself.
Be patient as you journey to find power in the broken places.

The First Step

So today I went fishing for inspirational quotes to see if they might spark something within me...we shall see.

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself." --Mark Caine

"Do your work with your whole heart and you will succeed- there is so little competition."
-- Elbert Hubbard

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God." --Leo Buscaglia

"What you get from achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." -- Zig Ziglar

"Always continue the climb. It is possible to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it."
--Ella Wheeler Wilcox

    Life is all about remembering and becoming who we were meant to be. A lot of us have experienced a life that tore us down, that left us bruised and battered. But we can choose to become diamonds in the rough. Humans have the potential to overcome anything and everything...as long as we have the necessary support. None of us can make it through the storm alone. Believing we are alone is what causes us to feel trapped. Believing we are alone is what causes us to consider suicide. Believing we are alone is what causes us to doubt our impact. This belief keeps us blind to the possibility that there is a way out.
    It is always possible to get out, but we must be willing to climb, we must not fear the climb. And with our family and friends by our side, we can begin to give ourselves permission to enjoy the journey. We can choose to stop for a breather every now and again. We can choose to stop and smell the roses on this climb of ours. Every step you take on this journey shows you that you have always been strong. Because you could have chosen to stop. You could have chosen to give it all up. You could have chosen to let the grief swallow you whole. The fact that you didn't shows just how powerful and courageous you are.
    Don't just heal for your sake, choose to heal yourself for the sake of the world. Become the best version of you for the sake of humanity. This does not mean you must get rid of your flaws and imperfections...it means you must embrace your flaws and imperfections. As a quote I discovered on Facebook goes, "You can't hate yourself into a version of you that you love." So start with loving who you are and start with loving where you find yourself. I know for me, that's a tall order, but I am working on embracing all of myself. Growth cannot happen until you accept all that you are and all that played a part in forming the 'you' you are in this moment. Put your whole heart into this process and you will see progress.