Walk...Don't run..!

"Walk in the pain of your own footsteps..for a while"!! were the words I heard within, at a very difficult and painful time in my life! I had once again pushed my body to the limit and was flat on my back. This had become a pattern in my life. Denial was less hurtful than acknowledgement. So.. Sad to say, I chose to ignore these words. No way was I going to walk in pain.. I ran! Years went by before I began to realize the Wisdom of these words and the gift they offered me. Yes.. I said gift.. I had come to understand that denying, pushing down and ignoring pain was not the way of healing or release. If I truly wanted healing and release I had to "walk in the pain of my footsteps..! Walk .. not run..acknowledge not deny.. feel..not ignore..let the tears flow. Only then could I know true freedom and true joy. Like the Caterpillar in its cocoon..I had to walk into the darkness and take the time to see and feel what I had chosen to ignore for so long. My fear was that the process would be endless. I found, however, that taking the time to reflect on a regular basis brought to mind the issues that needed to be addressed. Writing my thoughts and feelings in a journal gave me focus, clarity and understanding. Walking in the pain of my footsteps for a while..truly was/and is a time of transformation. I understand myself better, am more honest with myself about myself, and honor my needs publicly and privately. I could finally leave the "Victim mentality" behind and move step by step in the direction of becoming the fullness of who I Am. I give thanks for the gift of cocoon stages in my life, because I now know that, like the Caterpillar, the times of seeming darkness, can truly lead to freedom and new life.