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Hope Forward: Surviving and Thriving through Emotional Pain: The Door to Things Unknown

Monday, March 10, 2014

The Door to Things Unknown

There are things known, and things unknown, and in between are the doors ~ Jim Morrison ( of course, but with a few other earlier influences)


It is sometimes difficult to decide to open the door and walk around in your mind and your past and to get curious about your character, and to take a look at what motivates you, lights you up or holds you back.

And really, its not always necessary.  Sometimes we are functioning and feeling well, or just fine, or even just well enough to do our day and to take care of our responsibilities.  Not everyone is, or has to be, interested in opening the door to things unknown.

Emotional pain, trauma, relationship difficulties, life changes, job issues, these tend to push people to open the door, even reluctantly.  But otherwise, looking around in the undercurrents of the psyche does not seem so imperative.

But opening the door can make us better partners, people, parents and citizens.  And there are lots of ways to open the door, not just therapy, but a good book, film, prayer, meditation, book clubs, charitable work, anything that facilitates thought and reflection, ideas and dialogue.  Any kind of time out from the electronics and busyness of everyday life.

Sometimes we are afraid to open the door.  We think if we know more then we will have to make changes, or be accountable, or we will find something that will shame us, or hurt us, or incite us to self criticism or self attack.  Or that we will be disloyal to someone we love.  So we don't want to look. 

But we don't have too move fast, or look furiously.  And we can be brave.  Looking gently most likely brings gentle but useable information. Our fears are usually manageable, and what comes to us is usually relieving.

Somehow just being open to the idea that there are always ways to grow, there is more to know, can help bring relief when it's needed.  There are many paths to knowing things that are unknown, but just the feeling that you are looking, doing one next right thing toward expansion and knowledge, emotional knowledge, self knowledge, can move you into better feelings, hope and resiliency.





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