As we embark on a new year, it's an opportune moment for self-reflection.
Where should I focus my attention more diligently?
Am I dedicating sufficient time and resources to enhance my well-being?
How am I contributing to the circumstances I claim to dislike?
What barriers hinder me from prioritising self-care?
Are there beliefs about myself or those around me that obstruct this process?
I trust that these introspective questions will be of help in resetting and instigating positive changes.
Please continue reading for additional reflections on the significance of healing both conscious and subconscious pains for your overall well-being.
Imagine I went out for a cycle ride. It was rainy. The road was slippery. In a moment of distraction, I fell and got a nasty cut on my left arm.
Scenario 1
I patched up the wound, cycled to the nearest emergency room and had them attend to the wound. It was a deep cut, so after cleaning and disinfecting it, I got some nice stitching.
A few years later… I can look at the clean scar, remember that day when I fell, and rejoice that the wound fully healed.
Scenario 2
I looked at the wound, splashed it with some fresh water from my drinking bottle, and cycled on, not thinking about the wound for another second.
Having neglected the wound, a few days later I noticed that it became infected and inflamed, so I went to the hospital. There, they did their best to make the necessary repairs, but I had indeed left it a little too late.
A few years later… rainy days painfully remind me of that day when I fell, and when I look at the rough scar, I remember the importance to promptly address our wounds.
Clients frequently inquire about the possibility of liberating themselves from the trauma of past events. They wonder whether it is even possible.
The above analogy is my introduction to my clients, to illustrate that not only it is possible to heal from traumatic events, but that in a way the healing has nothing to do with the originating event at all.
The two scenarios earlier both start from the same traumatic event, a fall that resulted in a serious cut.
What makes a big difference is whether and how the event was dealt with and processed at the time.
The traumatic pain we experience today at the hand of events from yesterday, is often because there was no one at the time who could help us process the traumatic event.
The good news is that it can also be processed today to release that pain. At the end of this healing journey, we would, like in scenario 1, arrive at a place where we can recall the memory of the fall, but no longer feel any pain associated with it.
The energy we free from releasing traumatic pain can then be redirected towards nurturing our peach tree (another story I often use with my clients and in my retreats to highlight the importance of being true to ourself).
If you have experienced past traumas and the pain it created still reverberates in your life today, know that there are ways to heal and rediscover a peaceful, healthy way of living.