Without The Within

We all have weaknesses and short-comings. There are things we have done, thought or are planning that we keep to ourselves.

Aspects of our personality are kept hidden for fear of judgment or embarrassment. We prefer not to discuss our darker side. That’s human nature. That’s something we all have in common.

But then there’s a far more sinister side to that aspect of self-administered control and concealment. There are some things we may keep hidden from ourselves…fears and concerns that we pack into the grief case that we carry every day.

The struggle to avoid admission blocks understanding and closes the door to change and recovery. The result is damage to both our mental health and our joy of life.

It may be difficult to look into the mirror and see behind the reflection. It may be painful to open that grief case and examine its contents. But it is the only way to fulfilment and contentment.

Thinking and feeling involve being in touch with our head and our heart. Both can be done with relative ease. Soul-searching goes much deeper and takes much more effort. It’s becoming connected to that part of us that only we can know. Our public self is on display. Our private self is kept hidden.

The difficulty is that our private self affects our public self. That’s a relationship we are generally unable to explain to those around us. Often we are unable to explain it to ourselves.

Mental wellbeing is about more than survival. It’s about mental health.

Many answers can be found within. We must make the effort to look.