Читать книгу THRIVE! 7 Strategies for Extraordinary Living - Felicia T. Scott - Страница 11

A friend of mine used to complain that she didn’t feel part of her own family. Though she knew they loved her and that she loved them, she felt that they did not understand her. Upon getting to know my friend and her family more closely, I quickly realized that the problem wasn’t her family but her refusal to deal with her past. A victim of sexual abuse as child, she was angry at the loss of her innocence and believed her parents had failed to do everything they could to protect her. As the oldest child, she resented her younger sisters and brothers. Her anger at the abuse and the abuser was transferred to them. She resented any interest her parents showed in her siblings, and viewed it as favoritism. While she had diagnosed her family as being the problem, her bitterness over her childhood was the real issue. Her negativity distanced her from her siblings as they sensed her resentfulness, and they shied away from developing an intimate relationship with her. Without knowing it, she was abusive and critical towards those she loved most. Until she was ready to deal with the “real” problem, she was unable to enjoy healthy relationships. Only the truth could restore her life. The truth you know and acknowledge is the key to your liberation and emotional freedom.

H.E.A.L.I.N.G.^TM can’t come until you acknowledge your present condition and locate the source of your emotions. True personal change begins when we become ruthless in digging up the truth about ourselves. It transcends your personal experience, when you are able to share your lessons openly with others without fear.

Life is limited when you allow negative experiences to permanently alter your perception of life’s possibilities. Wisdom dictates that our experiences are commas in the sentence of life — meaning more can come after them. The story can take on a new direction. You have stunted yourself when you let your negative experience become a period — you’ve closed the door on something new.