They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. They also say, “the cow drinks water and turns it into milk; the snake drinks water and turns it into poison.” What you do with what you have is your decision.
Every person is dealt a hand of cards, and some are better than others. But no matter what hand you are dealt, you will experience suffering. You can turn that suffering into something beautiful, or you can turn it into something destructive. That choice ultimate is up to you.
Hurt people hurt people. But hurt people can heal, too. If you don’t focus on your healing, you will burn people who are trying to help you. Last year I wrote a post about how if you don’t heal what hurt you, you will bleed on people who didn’t cut you. You can read it here. If you want to make milk instead of poison, here are five steps to healing your pain, so you don’t spread that pain to others.
Understand You Are Responsible For Your Healing
Friends and therapists can be a great help, but ultimately you are 100% responsible for your own healing. You have to decide to change how you think on a minute-by-minute basis. Every moment you choose healing, it will add up. So don’t feel discouraged if you feel like you aren’t making progress fast enough. The path to healing isn’t linear.
Reflect On How You Avoid Healing
Avoiding healing is a part of the process for everyone. We find ways to distract ourselves, lie to ourselves, and avoid difficult conversations. Some people turn to Netflix, and others talk themselves out of good thoughts. You have to be conscious of how you are stopping the progression of your healing in order to continue the process.
Accept What You Cannot Control
In life, there are things you can control, like your thoughts and emotions, and things you cannot control, like the weather and how other people treat you. Every situation is an opportunity to practice self-control and a positive outlook, no matter how challenging it is. We all have to deal with unwanted circumstances, but the most important part is how we respond to those circumstances.
Focus On Daily Self Care
Every day, no matter how big or small, you need to focus on things that nourish your mind, body, and spirit. Whether that’s showering, going for a walk, running errands, or taking up a meditation practice. Healing requires you to get out of your comfort zone and do things you might not have the energy to do. The good thing is that once you do the things you’ve been putting off, you gain more power to do them again.
Accept Yourself
No one is perfect. We can only do our best while loving and accepting ourselves throughout our growth. Mistakes are going to happen, and they are our greatest teachers.
