There’s an old saying that says, “Time heals all wounds.” While time certainly plays a crucial role in our journey, it will not heal all wounds. We cannot experience a traumatic event, circumstances, or surroundings and sweep it under the rug, hoping for it to disappear. Returning to those feelings, we often find emotions as fresh and raw as the day we left them.
In last week’s exercise, community members created a timeline detailing the events and circumstances that helped shape them into who they are today. This exercise was about revisiting the past and gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and our journey. The time looking back can be a real challenge for many, but it can also serve as a source of hope and motivation.
After completing the exercise, the natural response is, “Now what?”
This week, we picked up from this exercise with this specific question in mind. Now that we have done the hard work, what can we do with it? We began by considering our childhood self and the experiences we had growing up. We asked, “What was your childhood self-thinking, feeling, and experiencing?”
The idea here is to allow our childhood selves to be present in our past experiences. Many of us never had the opportunity to feel the emotions from these past events. This exercise allows us to spend a little time revisiting these events, being sure to note our thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
This exercise allowed me to see a few themes I would have never seen otherwise.
While this does not completely change my life, it gives me something to work with. I can take this to my counselor, and we can work through these themes together. It’s tough, but I know these small wins will add up over time!
What about you? I would love to hear what you learned through this.
