Seek love.
Something happened recently that invited me to relive an old wound. I’m typically pretty grounded but this was a big one. It threw me for a loop. Pardon my vagueness but it’s a story that is not just mine; therefore, it’s not mine to tell. So this post amounts to the sharing of my observations.
Re: this experience:
I lived it. I observed it. I felt my own pain and witnessed the pain of others. Possibly more deeply than I’ve ever experienced before.
One thing I can say for sure: we humans are resilient beings.
It’s wild what we humans can survive.
It’s wild what we humans can heal.
Those who’ve known me for a while know that I’ve been vocal about my healing journey. For like, 10+ years. I have learned ever-deepening ways to be present with my heart AND the enormous shadow that tags along and pushes my buttons, wherever I go.
If you’d asked me even a month ago what advice I’d give to someone who wanted to heal, I’d have given you a lengthy list of tricks, tools, methodologies, and mantras.
After this experience, I can sum up the advice I’d give in just two words:
Seek love.
That’s it. That’s the secret sauce.
Seek love.
Love of self. Love of others.
Learn to deeply love yourself. Love yourself so deeply that you get rid of all the BS that prevents you from loving yourself. The physical stuff, the emotional stuff. The stuff that blocks you from the life you want to live.
This love of self will help you learn to deeply love others. The more we’re able to greet our own pain, the more we’re able to recognize: like me, every human has pain.
If you’re blessed enough to have people in your life who love you, let them. Let them love you how they can, remembering that it may not be a perfect attempt. Love’s highest expression can show up masked as a flawed person.
If no such people exist in your life, commit to loving yourself and be open to the humans and experiences that show up once you decide.
Keep seeking the love, friends! It truly makes all the difference.
Love,
Your often absent scribe ;)
p.s., A quick note for those who deeply feel the pain of others: you need to have boundaries. Those boundaries may not be easy to set, they may not come naturally to you, but they 100% will allow you to be the person you need to be in a time of great need. Like our flight attendants always say, in the event of the cabin losing pressure, make sure your oxygen mask is on first before assisting others.
