Favorite Inspiring Quotes
Healing
Commentary by Peter Shepherd

“Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you - all of the expectations, all of the beliefs - and becoming who you are.” ~ Rachel Naomi Remen
Whatever you resist, persists. The healing route is the opposite of resistance, it is acceptance. The way out is the way through: to open up, release our feelings, accept and let them go. To face reality as it is, which is much easier with love in our hearts rather than negative interpretations and self-defeating beliefs. As Buddha stated, “Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” Fortunately love is our true nature and is unlimited in supply.
“Wounding and healing are not opposites. They're part of the same thing. It is our wounds that enable us to be compassionate with the wounds of others. It is our limitations that make us kind to the limitations of other people. It is our loneliness that helps us to find other people.” ~ Rachel Naomi Remen
Like the philosopher said, to "know yourself" is the greatest lesson. By learning compassion for ourselves we are then prepared to offer it to others.
“The reality is you will grieve forever. You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same, nor should you want to be.” ~ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
And the other side of the coin: "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has," said Epictetus. Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.
“Healing takes courage. And we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” ~ Tori Ames
As Mary Anne Radmacher says, "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow'."
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens. But often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.” ~ Helen Keller
And as Joseph Campbell said, "When you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else."
“Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?” ~ Mary Manin Morrissey
In releasing we learn to accept emotions, to experience them (in place of suppressing) and to realize they are our creation. Then when it is appropriate, we can let them go. This is quite different from identifying with emotions and embracing them, feeling "I am angry" integral with the ego. There's no mindfulness in that and it is far from awareness of our true self, that is always loving.
Here’s some further reading on this theme...
Ten Tips to Find Inner Peace ~ by Pete Bissonette
It goes without saying that life can be hectic. Perhaps you fall into this ‘harried’ group, and perhaps you have noticed those few among us who seem completely unfazed by traffic jams, schedules and daily life in general. How can these people feel relaxed, stress-free and happy - even in the midst of all of this chaos? Two words: Inner peace. Continues...