Yo habito un mundo que me habita

I’ve spent much of my life resisting my true feelings. Anger made me feel wrong. Sadness made me feel weak. Needy made me feel “girly.” Love made me feel scared. I became an expert at hiding when I was feeling any of the above. Some people numb their feelings with alcohol, drugs, shopping, or sex. I numb with control. Being in control. Exerting control. Maintaining iron-will control over my every emotion. Don’t think I have anyone fooled. Besides, this only works for so long before the emotions leak out and erupt like a dormant volcano. One of the most famous quotes of every 12-Step program is: “You gotta feel it to heal it.”  As someone who absolutely hates feeling anything that makes me vulnerable, this is the best advice I’ve ever received. Because I’ve felt no greater pain and sadness than I have the past two years of my life. Yet it’s been the catalyst for my greatest transformation. Every crazy, unhealthy, “not like us at all” thing we do in life has a cataly...

Erin McMorrow para elephantjournal I came across this book sometime in the middle of my dissertation—knee-deep in that place where I couldn’t turn back, but I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn’t a gift. I found it referenced in some other respected work. It’s a short read, but a doozy—165 pages of punch-me-in-the-gut life-changing awesomeness. Once I knew it, I couldn’t un-know it. It’s  “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles ,” written by Steven Pressfield. I’ve purchased it several times because I keep giving copies away when I think it may change someone’s life. And I pick it up and refer to it often. One of my favorite passages is “The Unlived Life:” “Most of us have two lives. The life we live and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance. Have you ever brought home a treadmill and let it gather dust in the attic? Ever quit a diet, a course of yoga, a meditation prac...

Vía @elephantjournal Empaths are  highly sensitive people  who often have special challenges in intimate relationships. Intimacy can stretch our hearts like nothing else. It challenges us to become braver, more confident and giving people. The right love relationship empowers us. When both partners are emotionally available and committed to each other, the empath feels secure knowing that someone’s “got their back.” Being valued and adored makes us stronger. However, for empaths like myself, togetherness can be difficult. At times it can feel overwhelming and make us want to bolt. Why? As sensitive people we often take on our partner’s stress in an intimate relationship and can fear being suffocated if we don’t know how to set boundaries with the person. Here’s our struggle: We want companionship, but, paradoxically, it may not feel safe. Becoming calloused, numb, or pretending we’re not frightened isn’t the answer; learning how to navigate and ...