“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” Tori Amos
How do you feel today? Are you celebrating the change of power or mourning it? How are you feeling about your own power?
Today is supposed to be a day of peace and hope – a day when we begin to heal our broken democracy. We may accomplish some movement forward by learning to talk with those who do not share our beliefs, but real healing will take place only when we heal within us the pain that causes us to feel we have to push others away or turn to violence.
Healing Often Requires Change
Years ago, I had pain in my legs and back that wouldn’t go away, and drugs only dulled it for a limited time. After visiting an integrative doctor who suggested that acupuncture might help, I recoiled.
The idea of letting someone stick needles in my body was jarring – create more pain? Not a solution I wanted. But I decided to trust this doctor because he had begun to heal aspects of my illness when other doctors had no clue about their cause. So I needed to experience the discomfort required to relieve the pain and heal the inflammation beneath it.
As I result of my courage I was able to heal many physical problems. Over time, I found that the pain of the needles was minor compared to the persistence of pain. I didn’t like the moment that the needle was inserted, but I loved the peaceful feeling that came as the pain diminished.
I wish it were that simple to heal the inflammation in this country. At the moment, many of us hope that the new president and his administration will erase all the problems that Trump ignored or created. Biden has announced that he will offer workable solutions.
Why Change Frightens Us
Regardless of what the new administration does, together we still have to face the divisions and challenges before us. Some of the solutions are frightening or uncomfortable. How willing are we to find the courage to do what it takes to heal?
We often fear that sharing our true feelings with a family member or friend will destroy the tenuous relationship we have. I have had those feelings, and in some instances talking about the problem improved how we related. In other situations it created a distance that couldn’t be bridged. It’s the risk we must take.
Looking Within Helps Us To Heal
Often, the reasons for our divisions are mysterious. Those are the most challenging to fix, for they may be so deeply hidden that we cannot see the source of our discomfort even in ourselves. It may take therapy or a spiritual practice for us to truly understand why we feel like we do and why we sometimes act against our own self-interest.
Anytime we feel the need to hurt another person, physically or verbally, it is often because we feel powerless and are letting fear, not love, control our actions. At that moment, we need to release the fear and try to understand why we feel so powerless that we want to dominate another person.
As President Biden and Vice President Harris find ways to heal the conflicts and divisions in this country, it is a good time for us to address what needs to be healed in our own lives. Let’s all find the courage to dig a little deeper in search of the unity and peace we all need.
© 2021 Georganne Spruce
Related Articles:
AWAKENING TO THE HEALING DANCE
Awakening to the Dance 
georganne, excellent info to share. thankxxxxx, sherry
Thank you for this today.