You are not alone. Everyone has
problems. So, stop obsessing over your problems and start living.
Our
daughter has enrolled for a Creative Dance Movement Therapy Program. She intends
to make a career out of practicing dance movement therapy. We asked her how her
Program was coming along. Over some soup and pasta, she explained to us how the
Program’s instructor insisted that they employ the therapy techniques on
themselves first. She said: “It was a therapeutic, healing experience. As each
of my class fellows shared their Life stories, I realized that we are not the
only ones facing problems. Everyone is. And the only way to heal yourself is to
be open, to share what you feel and to not worry about being vulnerable.”
I am
delighted our daughter at 20-something has understood the futility of keeping
things bottled up. I learnt this only when I was 35. Sadly, many people still
don’t get it.
All our
suffering comes from wanting our lives to be different from what it is now. And
because it is not always possible to change what is, we spend our lives pretending
that everything’s normal. For instance, people carry on with broken marriages
because they worry about social approval, people live beyond their means
because they want to maintain a public profile, people don’t speak their mind because
they want to be nice to their oppressors and people are refusing to forgive
themselves for what they have said and done only because they are still
clinging on to anger and guilt. Here’s the nub: As long as we live, we will
face problems. Some of the problems will cripple us physically, some will drain
us emotionally. In either context, we must be willing to let go of past
experiences, hurts, insults and opinions, and, in many cases, even people – we must
simply move on. Anything and anyone that makes us unhappy must be avoided –
like plague, even if it is our own thoughts, or even if it is someone with whom
we have a biological connect! The past serves only one purpose: it teaches us
lessons from what we have been through. Beyond the lesson, we have must have no
attachment to a past event, person or experience.
If you
are clinging on to someone or something and are suffering, then open up and
share. When you share, you may be vulnerable. But you will also heal. You fear
being vulnerable only because you think people will take advantage of you. If
they do, that’s a learning too – that you can’t count on such people. Believe
me, I have been wearing my Life on my sleeve for over 15 years now. And so far,
none has exploited my vulnerability. Because, contrary to
what we all think, this is a wonderful world, with beautiful, compassionate
people!
Such an honest and true to life post ! Thanks AVIS :-)
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