Sometimes I become so preoccupied with a particular problem or set of problems that I forget how it feels to be at peace. Anxiety, anger, confusion, sadness and fear take over and become my "new normal." When I identify with these emotions, my true self gets lost in the noise. Each time I recognize that this has happened--which may take years or weeks or days or hours--I immediately take steps to find myself again.
When peace is lost, so is perspective. My journey back to wholeness always begins with a shift in perspective. When I'm suffering, everything feels personal. My problems weigh me down and solutions are nowhere to be found. It feels like I'm facing the impossible, and if there's any option for victory it either needs to come through a miracle or be won an inch at a time at great personal cost.
When I step out of my problems for a moment and look at myself and my situation the way I would look at a friend who is experiencing something similar, I can see more clearly. Other people's problems sometimes seem easier to face than my own, because I don't feel their shame. It's easy for me to be encouraging and supportive to those I love, but I often do the exact opposite to myself. I am judgmental and afraid, disappointed and punitive.
With perspective comes answers. Without the crushing weight of negative emotion, I can see that my problems aren't quite as big as I thought. I can reconnect with my inner strength, and I can begin to use the cognitive abilities that were previously mired in an endless loop of confusion, self-condemnation, fear and blame. I can face my problems with confidence. I can focus, and I can heal.
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