Dear readers,
It’s been a while since I took the time to sit down and write to you. The idea for this post came to me after a much-needed period of reflection.
I had this desire to share with you this lesson on life I’ve learned recently: to give yourself time to heal. Accepting that you’ll go through some difficult times, and feeling some emotions that are sometimes negative in order to bounce back better.
It’s a process that’s hard to accept, in a world today where the image of “ultra positivism” is omnipresent. It is normal and human to go through these phases and to learn more about ourselves and our social interactions.
Not burying the negative aspects of your life is a way of respecting your body and your emotions.
I recently put my own advice into practice—namely, slowing down last summer and taking the time to heal. A hectic pace of life led me to a state of deep fatigue that masked the early warning signs of burnout. Now that I’m more attuned to my body, I’ve made a conscious effort to slow down, which has proven to be very beneficial. This time to recharge gave me the opportunity to awaken and bring to light emotions I had buried, and to learn to respect and understand them.
Meditation, mindful breathing, but also taking the time to appreciate the present moment are some tools that have really helped me throughout the entire process . I highly recommend it to everyone who is going through a difficult period. Try to keep in mind that you are going through this phase for a reason, and that the universe will send you signs to help heal. Believe that you are right at the right time and in the right place.
An exercise that also helps a lot: gratitude. Every morning, place your hand on your heart and close your eyes. In your mind or out loud aloud, say what you are grateful for. Something or someone in your life, who makes you feel happy.
Feel this sense of well-being and be grateful for it receiving it.
This exercise will help you avoid feeling stuck in a state of waiting and frustration, because when you’re in a state of gratitude, you don’t expect anything in return. You’re simply grateful for what you receive.
Thanks to this process of self-reflection, I was able to bounce back and start fresh on a healthier footing when school began in September. In fact, some exciting projects are currently in the works. I can’t wait to share them with you!
Let’s wrap up on a note of optimism :), with this sublime poem that I discovered just recently
« For a New Beginning », par John O’Donohue
In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,Noticing how you willed yourself on,Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safetyAnd the gray promises that sameness whispered,Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,And out you stepped onto new ground,Your eyes young again with energy and dream,A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clearYou can trust the promise of this opening;Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginningThat is at one with your life’s desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
