I told myself yesterday that I wanted to start writing more, so that’s just what I’m going to do. I don’t have an agenda for these “Weekend Thoughts” other than vulnerability, curiosity, reflection, and hopefully… growth. 

We live in a world where taking time to *pause* and *think* seems like an ancient relic that belongs in a museum. We hear stories about emotionally healthy people who routinely take time to think/reflect/meditate and we say to ourselves ‘those people are awesome, good for them’ but avoid it completely in our own lives. We will find anything to occupy our time before, god forbid, we slow down and entertain our own inner voice. 

We also live in a world where empathy is a lost art. We have a hard time thinking outside of ourselves and understanding different perspectives. We are NOT good listeners. We feel threatened by people who do not agree with us. We have somehow convinced ourselves that we have all the answers. We sow division wherever we go. 

What if our lack of empathy stems from the fact that we don’t know how to deal with our own emotions? And how could we deal with our own emotions when we never leave ourselves any space to process? When we let disappointment and frustration go unchecked, they turn to resentment. When we let sadness pool up inside, it turns to depression. When we let fear run rampant, it manifests as anger. With so much chaos and turmoil within us, are we really surprised at all the chaos and turmoil that surrounds us? 

In order for healing to happen in our world, we all need to be brave enough to wrestle with our own chaos and turmoil inside. We need to identify our fears and name them. We need to dig up any old resentments and seek forgiveness. We need to lean into our sadness and ask for help. We need to humble ourselves and admit that we don’t have all the answers and that we are all still a work in progress. Let’s commit to looking inward more often, and to be kind to ourselves when we do. 

– DJS