Saturday, May 30, 2015
Achieving anything of immense significance requires effort. Even the most gifted individuals still must expend some effort to accomplish what they set out to do. While there is no guaranteed formula for success diligent effort, performed over a substantial period of time, is very often necessary to succeed. It is not the only element to success as timing, luck and the aid of resources other may offer often also play a significant role.
Successful and permanent recovery from trauma certainly requires effort. My personal life history, and especially my life the last two years, provide ample evidence of this truth. When standing on the threshold of a journey of healing those who have been repeatedly or deeply wounded may wonder if the healing they desire and need is even possible. Another question that may bedevil those in search of healing relates to the matter of permanence. Even if it is possible to completely heal what will be necessary of us once the healing is done? What regular practices will we need to incorporate into our daily lives such that we can enhance our resilience and thereby minimize our risk of being gravely harmed again in the future? It can be a lot to deal with. I think it is not uncommon for many people to feel overwhelmed shortly after receiving a diagnosis of PTSD. I certainly felt that way for a period of time.
American culture tends to have a certain driven quality that informs the many interactions of our daily lives. I suppose this is the norm due in part to our capitalist society. And this driven quality seems to be even more intense now. Perhaps it is an inevitable development as our society slides in the direction of becoming an increasingly polarized society. Abundant opportunity and upward mobility characterize the lives of fewer and fewer Americans as wealth (and the heightened influence that wealth may bring) has become more and more concentrated in the hands of a small group of people.
So why am I alluding to the broader social and political milieu of the United States in relation to the topic of effort and trauma recovery? I believe our type A national psyche can profoundly influence how we approach many things...including trauma. It can be easy to get caught up in the idea that more effort will produce more results. I have struggled with this issue myself. Certain questions have held a prominent position in the forefront of my mind for the last two years:
Healing, like anything, asks a delicate dance of us. We must learn how to balance making effort as well as sitting back and letting time take its course. We can charge out into the fray. But we also must learn how to relax.
I am still learning how to do this delicate dance.
Achieving anything of immense significance requires effort. Even the most gifted individuals still must expend some effort to accomplish what they set out to do. While there is no guaranteed formula for success diligent effort, performed over a substantial period of time, is very often necessary to succeed. It is not the only element to success as timing, luck and the aid of resources other may offer often also play a significant role.
Successful and permanent recovery from trauma certainly requires effort. My personal life history, and especially my life the last two years, provide ample evidence of this truth. When standing on the threshold of a journey of healing those who have been repeatedly or deeply wounded may wonder if the healing they desire and need is even possible. Another question that may bedevil those in search of healing relates to the matter of permanence. Even if it is possible to completely heal what will be necessary of us once the healing is done? What regular practices will we need to incorporate into our daily lives such that we can enhance our resilience and thereby minimize our risk of being gravely harmed again in the future? It can be a lot to deal with. I think it is not uncommon for many people to feel overwhelmed shortly after receiving a diagnosis of PTSD. I certainly felt that way for a period of time.
American culture tends to have a certain driven quality that informs the many interactions of our daily lives. I suppose this is the norm due in part to our capitalist society. And this driven quality seems to be even more intense now. Perhaps it is an inevitable development as our society slides in the direction of becoming an increasingly polarized society. Abundant opportunity and upward mobility characterize the lives of fewer and fewer Americans as wealth (and the heightened influence that wealth may bring) has become more and more concentrated in the hands of a small group of people.
So why am I alluding to the broader social and political milieu of the United States in relation to the topic of effort and trauma recovery? I believe our type A national psyche can profoundly influence how we approach many things...including trauma. It can be easy to get caught up in the idea that more effort will produce more results. I have struggled with this issue myself. Certain questions have held a prominent position in the forefront of my mind for the last two years:
- How do you create healing?
- What is a realistic timeline to craft in regards to creating consequential and permanent healing?
- What will I need to do throughout my life to minimize risk of harm and maximize my health and resilience?
- What can you produce through your own effort alone?
- How much effort should I expend on a daily basis?
- What should my priorities be?
Healing, like anything, asks a delicate dance of us. We must learn how to balance making effort as well as sitting back and letting time take its course. We can charge out into the fray. But we also must learn how to relax.
I am still learning how to do this delicate dance.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I invite you to accompany me as I document my own journey of healing. My blog is designed to offer inspiration and solace to others. If you find it of value I welcome you to share it with others. Aloha!