Episode 32: What Makes Healing So Hard
Beautiful Wounded Human,
Do you ever feel hijacked by your emotions, triggered unexpectedly by someone’s words or behavior, and ready to swing back? Or maybe you decide they’re unsafe and that cutting them out of your life is the best way to prevent further injury. Yeah, it happens to me, too. I’ve been both the triggerer and the triggered. I expect we all have.
In today’s episode of the Accidental Muralist Podcast, we explore those wounded part of ourselves, unhealed places that are painful when poked at. The good news — and the reason they’re worth exploring — is that our wounds are full of information, if we are brave enough to examine them. With curiosity and self-compassion, we can move through the pain, find the gifts hidden there, and step into healthier, more resilient ways of being.
Have a listen and I’ll show you what I mean.
Episode Notes
I recommend the books and podcasts of Michael Meade. In his podcast, “Living Myth”, Meade draws from ancient stories and wisdom traditions, songs, drumming, and modern psychology, to help us understand ourselves, each other, and the world we live in.
Clarissa Pinkola-Estés is another elder with much to teach about wounds and healing. Women Who Run with the Wolves is her best-known book. Like Meade, she uses myths and folklore from around the world, paired with Jungian psychology, to unlock mysteries of human behavior and support personal growth.
You might also be interested to hear an early episode of my podcast — a conversation with my long-time friend, cancer survivor, and wounded healer Patti Carey, called “Cured vs Healed.” In it we discuss the difference between the two words, and share practices that help move us toward the latter.
About that Transitions Group…
I’ve pulled back from the idea of facilitating a women’s group on the topic of transitions, and will be focusing instead, over the next few months, on writing a book/workbook about the topic. This podcast episode touches on some themes I will be addressing in the book. If you’re interested in being a “beta reader” as I begin this writing project (i.e. volunteering to receive, read, and respond to small chunks of my writing every other week for a few months), let me know.
Until next time...…
… be kind to yourself,
remember that everyone around you also carries wounds,
and understand that (this is hard to accept) the exact things that cause us harm can be sources of healing for other people.
Our wounds are specific.
So is our path to wholeness.
Take good care,
-Pam