When we do not take time to identify, process and heal emotional injuries, sooner or later they will inconvenience us psychologically and/or physically. In the hubbub of our busy lives, many of us are only vaguely aware of an undercurrent of emotional pain that sometimes even becomes part of our identity—part of the fabric of who we believe we are. And yet, it is important to realize it is not truly who we are, even though the hurt may have been with us from birth.
An emotional injury or pain is something that needs to be acknowledged, identified and healed. The longer we let it operate from behind the scenes, the harder it is to unravel. Over time, it is likely that we will come face to face with it, as it makes itself known to us in ways that impact us negatively. Rather than waiting for this to happen and finding ourselves in an environment seemingly beyond our control, we can empower ourselves by identifying the pain and resolving to take action to heal it. If our status quo in life is important to us, the very thought of coming face to face with an old (and sometimes deeply buried) injury, may bring up feelings of fear and resistance. However, allowing the hurt feeling to fester inside may scar us and sooner or later inconvenience us physically, emotionally or mentally.
Many paths lead to healing, and we have to find and choose a way that fully resonates with us. The first step is always identification: How do we experience this particular injury or pain? What are its unique qualities? Only then can we proceed to transform this deep feeling of hurtfulness into happiness, well-being, peace and equilibrium. Working with a healer, a healing circle or other such modalities are some options to begin the transformation.
Over the years I have come across one particularly common theme for inner pain:
“Not feeling good enough about oneself.” It may stem from abandonment, being misunderstood and unappreciated or any number of other root causes. Such experiences create a belief of not being worthy and lead us to overcompensate by striving to be better than others, competing for the seemingly limited resources that are at our disposal or exhibiting other behaviors that do not serve us.
When should we undertake a healing journey?
The present moment is always the most powerful. Now is the perfect time to begin the healing process.