I’ve spent most of my life desperately trying to fend off and avoid difficult feelings. These days, I’m making a deliberate effort to spend time with these uncomfortable sensations, observing how they move in my body as I trace them back to my past where they belong. This frees me to occupy the present and respond more accurately to what’s actually happening right now.
It’s an ongoing process to uncouple my childhood defenses from my current feelings. A process that allows me to scramble less to avoid the whole matter, as drawn below.
