The Pain Within

Pain is an intense feeling, one that we try to hide from, try to avoid. Physical pain, in many instances is much easier to face then the pain experienced within. The face of pain changes, mingles with emotions and causes disillusionment, not only in others, but more importantly with oneself.
Many articles will state that in order to deal with the pain, one needs to face it. This is much easier said then done. After all, who really wishes to confront the cause of hurt, the wound which travels deep within? Some wounds run so deep that the original injury remains illusive.
Sometimes there are so many layers of protection we have unconsciously placed over the wound, so many that the wound festers and ultimately increases in size and with each increase in size we tend to add another layer, another band aid, another quick fix.
Yes we do need to heal the wound and in order to achieve ultimate healing, we need to gently take away one layer at a time at a speed which is most comfortable for ourselves. Yes, initially the pain may overwhelm us, it may consume us as each layer is carefully removed and we work closer to the source of our hurt.
Once we finally expose the source, the wound within we can confront the fear, the pain, the frustration and anger and all the other emotions that have festered there within the wound.
Acknowledging that the wound exists dispels denial and overcomes avoidance, to reach this stage signals no going back and the intent of finishing what we set out to achieve. To begin healing within, to truly commence the healing process, most of all we need to forgive ourselves. Forgive ourselves first, we tend to hold grudges against ourself, blame ourselves for allowing circumstances, events and situations to occur and even for being who we are or who we think we are.
To forgive does not mean that the circumstance, event or situation, which has caused our wound, was in any way justified, that the people/person involved was justified, it means we acknowledge that for our own sake that “yes it happened” and “yes I forgive myself” and “yes because I want to heal I also forgive those involved, not for their sakes but for my own.”
Once we can achieve true forgiveness, we can then begin to find love for ourselves, unconditional love. When we have unconditional love for ourselves, the healing process is well and truly underway, the pain will ease, the hurt and disillusionment will slowly dissipate and dissolve.
It is by no means an easy process, it certainly is not a painless one either, but one very necessary to our progress, to moving on, to remove limitations that we have placed on ourselves.

© 2008 J Picken