Why the Wound is the Way

Looking back at the way my life has unfolded, I've been proud of the fact that I'm someone who consistently pushes beyond her comfort zone. I backpacked through foreign lands and languages for over four months. I moved to a new country, a new continent. I taught English in Hong Kong just after SARS, and have said yes to adventure and expansion again and again.

But I've also come to see where I wasn't stretching - where I was bypassing, avoiding, shrinking instead. The part of me that loves an adventure, a change of scenery or pace, has always been willing to take the risk. But there are other parts of me that are far less brave.

Today's reflection turns you toward the things you don't find hard - not because they're easy, but because you've simply chosen not to address them. These are the untrodden parts of you: the paths less walked, the corners with little light. They're the least familiar, and in many ways, the most consequential. They may not shout dramatically, but the whispers you're avoiding within them are just as detrimental as anything louder.

Whatever we avoid is what will endure. Whatever we try to hide will burn through eventually. Whatever we push against will find its way back to us. Life is not made in the avoiding, it is made in the facing, and in the understanding.

The Stoic Marcus Aurelius wrote, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." I return to this quote often. Part of me resists it - I'd rather be running off toward my next adventure. But then I remember that within us lies mystery, unanswered questions, and space enough to stretch the mind in ways no outer journey can match.

So instead of turning only outward, toward what's bright and shiny, there must also be time to turn within - to turn darkness into light, avoidance into knowing.

Over the coming days, I invite you to sit with the following, shining a light inward:

• Which aspects of myself am I avoiding because they might be painful to confront?
• Which wounds have I mistaken for personality, when they are really a trauma response?
• Which perceived weaknesses am I afraid to examine?
• What am I afraid will happen when I witness myself as whole?

Next week, we move from summer into the autumn harvest. The nights will lengthen, and we will naturally begin to turn within. I encourage you to begin your preparations now, at least in intention, so that you can meet yourself with greater clarity and grace.

Sending blessings for courage, optimism, and abiding hope.

- Jennifer

P.S. Of course, we will be covering these themes this Autumn. You can learn more about our 7 weeks together HERE