Were you ever taught that who you were was wrong, evil, sinful or less than?
In today's episode, God hates figs? I’m taking another stroll down memory lane to share some of the messages that I learned around homosexuality as a young boy growing up in a fundamentalist church background.
Maybe you’re not part of queer community, but perhaps you were taught some of these same toxic messages because of the colour of your skin, your gender, the shape of your body or different abilities you may have? If so, you know the pain of what it's like to keep these hurt filled messages inside.
I’ve spent a lifetime playing nice and hiding this ugliness inside of me. I'm learning that trauma can cause us to betray ourselves, deny our own knowing, and give up on our emotional needs. We do this in an attempt to keep the peace or to keep a relationship the way it is, even if it's no longer serving us. Parts of me still want to protect my family, my church, my youth group leaders and my schoolteachers from sharing this truth. As I continue on my healing path I’m growing and honouring other parts that know that I no longer need to hold this toxicity inside. We heal when we come together and share our stories.
What about you from? Are you honouring yourself? Are you making sure that you prioritize your emotional and mental wellbeing?
As we continue forward in this global pandemic it's important that we take the time to go within and spend time to acknowledge and feel all of our feelings. Maybe you've been feeling angry and disconnected with yourself and don't understand why? If that could be you, I'd encourage you to take a look at the relationships in your life and ask "am I free to show up and bring all of myself to this relationship?"
Living in alignment with yourself is one of the pathways to wellbeing and a great way to be in love... with yourself.
James