Wounds of Wisdom

You've heard of words of wisdom, I am here to talk about wounds of wisdom. We have all been wounded somehow. There are children who suffered abusive childhoods, women who have suffered awful marriages, and people who suffer at the hands of others. A few get out of this life unscathed; however, we all have suffered some wounds for the most part. Though pain is hard to forget, we need to remember that pain is part of nature’s wisdom that teaches us strength. 

I think people believe that the wounds pain gives are evil and should not happen to people; however, pain is inevitable and happens to people often. Pain is there to wake us up. You gain strength and experience from pain. Some people allow pain to define them. They become emotionally crippled because they cannot step into their power and allow pain to make them wise and strong.

Pain needs to be attended to. Unattended pain is like leaving an open wound to get infected. If you have a physical wound, you tend to it. You clean it, bandage it, and try to keep the infection out. We tend to care for our physical pain promptly by seeing a doctor or getting some medication. With emotional pain, we tend to ignore it and allow the scares to get deeper and deeper. We forget it needs to be tended to as well.

A harsh word can cut like a knife but can heal. Some people will take a harsh word and allow it to crush them for a lifetime. Rather than putting that kind of energy into feeling wounded, why not take that energy and move it forward? We should dance in the wisdom the wounds offer us rather than allow the wounds to crush us, and we should hold onto them as if our very lives depended on them. 

When emotional wounds do not heal, we may fear the wisdom they hold. How can we gain wisdom from an experience that we feel is permanent and inescapable? Well, the answer is to be willing to learn that wounds have wisdom, enough strength, and the desire to move through memory and experience peace.

Wounds produce wisdom only if you are willing to allow the past to catapult you into healing and focus your energy on the knowledge and wisdom you have gained. Practice gratitude and positivity while participating in forgiveness, and soon, you will see the wounds of wisdom.

Stay Out of Your Head

I get asked this all the time; “How do I stay out of my head?” Cultivating a way to get beyond what your head is telling you and trying to find a more peaceful path can be trying. I think it is because the solution is so simple. Be Mindful, stay in the now! When we begin to enter our heads with anxiety, stress, and worry, chances are we dwelling on the past, or we may be worried about the future. Keep in mind this keeps us from enjoying the moment and walking in peace. 

Staying out of your head means trying to come to terms with what the past has happened. No matter what you do, no matter what you don't do, you cannot change the past, and the future has not happened, so take a deep breath and practice patience and willingness. If you stay in the moment there is a big chance that you will not be able to dwell on negative thoughts. 

I know it is easier said than done. You can work through it by trying to focus on what is right in front of you. Look around you and notice how you feel. Listen to the sounds around you. Is it quiet or are there loud noises? Listen to your breathing. Are you breathing in deeply and exhaling? Be in your body at this very moment. You will be amazed at how focused you are on what is surrounding you rather than what is going on in your head. 

Now, try to surrender the clutter, that unwanted junk, and those thoughts going on in your head. You may have a “loop” of a painful memory or something that made you angry. Simply tell yourself you surrender these thoughts and attempt to bring yourself back into the now. You can stop that broken record by tapping on yourself. This is so easy, and we never think of doing it. Tapping on a body part like your leg, your arm, the side of your head, all these things bring you back to the now, the current. I look at tapping as a reset button. Here is the trick. You need to tap yourself in the same place every time because it becomes automatic, and this reset tells you to stay in the now.

I think the easiest way to stay focused on the now is by breathing. Just breathe! Your breath does not hold onto the past and does not take you into the future. In fact, if you pay attention, your breath will keep you focused on the very second. Focus on breathing in and out and how each breath moves you into the now and calms you. When all else fails, just breathe in the now, breathe out the past, and relax. Dwelling in our heads serves no purpose; it is a habit we create. Just remember you only have to be in the present now. Do what is right in front of you, focus on the here and now, and watch how easy it is to step outside your head and stay focused.

Courage: Acting Regardless of Fear

I was thinking about some of the fears that I have that stop me from moving forward or letting go. In my meditation I was trying to figure out why certain things in my life create fear. Then it came to me that my fears were not there to scare me, they were there to teach me courage. My fears are not my enemy, they are something to master. From that moment on, fear became my teacher of courage.

Courage is the ability to act regardless of feelings of fear. It is about following your natural instincts when the facts are against it. Courage is an accumulation of many small steps, and each day we speak the truth with integrity and own our responsibilities, we are walking in courage. When you build up your courage, you expand your mind; thus, creating new opportunities for growth. You are more likely to take risks that will guide you to an important positive future, where you may not have ordinarily challenged yourself to go. Fear will fall away when you build up your courage level.

When my cousin died, I was afraid. I had fear as he was my best friend and I was unsure if I would be playful and happy like I used to be. It was a fear that I played with. People kept telling me that I had strength and courage and to move forward. What they did not understand, was at times, courage was about moving ahead even though I did not have the strength. I learned during that time that courage was discovering new ways to find joy, even though my joy was out of sight.

So be courageous and commit to change and raise your consciousness. You can do this by acknowledging your fears and be ready to face them. Do what you fear! If you feel afraid of something try to just do it. Experience will soon teach you. Catch a glimpse of your own greatness and surrender to the outcome. Courage is about action. Not results. If you have the courage to act, you’ve succeeded. Courage is an action regardless of fear.