Today marked one of the first times I can recall…
Where I felt irritable and anxious…
And told myself…
I’m going to need to double my meditation time today.
This, I’d say, is an excellent marker of progress for my own mental health awareness.
One day we’ll just be memories.
Scattered amongst the brains of the world.
Act today the way you want to be remembered in those brains.
For when it comes down to it, that’s how your whole life will be summarized.
Within the confines of just a few memories.
From just a few brains who contain the most potent ones.
And today could be the day that you leave the gift of a potent memory (or two) behind.
It certainly couldn’t hurt to act like it anyway.
It never ceases to amaze me how much we can creatively express when we simply give ourselves the space and time to do so.
I had the pleasure of hearing Aminatta Forna (7x Author) speak at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, NY on Thursday, October 14th, 2021.
One of my favorite questions from the night was: “How do you know when a piece is done?”
Her reply: “It’s never done. But, when you can’t stand looking at it anymore, then it’s time.”
Try adding the 3 “C’s” to your day:
Healing doesn’t come from passing on pain.
At first glance, the idea of taking pain, packaging it up, and giving it away sounds sensible.
In the same way that taking garbage that’s overflowing, packaging it up, and sending it out to the curb might relieve your nose of the pain it’s stench thrusts upon you when you near it.
But, pain isn’t garbage that you can just dump off at the curb for another person to carry.
In fact, pain isn’t something that’s removable at all.
Pain is the crack in your house’s foundation. It’s the constant flooding of your basement. It’s the leaky roof, the broken plumbing, or the rotting wood.
It’s structural.
And there’s no moving out of this house. This body, this mind, this spirit—is the only real house you’ll ever have.
The only way this house heals, is if you do what’s required to get it fixed.
The information for healing is out there—for houses and for humans. It has never been more accessible.
It’s the solving—the doing of the work—that’s hard. And if you’re not up to the task of fixing something structural with your house alone—just admit it!
…And then get someone who can help.
Ideally, someone who knows how to fix structural problems and is a professional in their field.
You wouldn’t hire “just anybody” to fix a crack in your house’s foundation, right? So, why would you ever consider doing that for your most sacred home?
Ignoring structural problems and spewing the pain of it all on others—is no solution at all.
And only adds more wear to the houses of those in your own neighborhood.
This post became the introduction for: 28 Poetic Quotes from Inward by Yung Pueblo on Healing, Pain, and Love
This includes your greatest joys (embrace them).
And your greatest pains (keep attending to them).
Remember this as you gracefully move forward throughout your day and into your new year.