Going to yourself
Confronting trauma, pain, fears and desires and being more open with others about such things.
Going to yourself
I have a full life. A privileged life. An unendangered life. But sometimes the simple joys escape me. Joy is not always a feeling that is freely bestowed upon us, often it is something we must actively seek. In a way, joy is a decision, an action, even a practised method of being. It is an earned thing brought into focus by what we have lost — at... See more
Maria Popova • Audubon on other minds and the secret knowledge of animals, the paradox of joy with Nick Cave and Lisel Mueller, how Dostoyevsky became a writer
I struggle to let joy overwhelm me, rather than fear and self doubts and despair
More and more often, I find myself thinking about how my life would be generally more positive without the internet’s presence. This hopefulness is always immediately followed by anxiety that I won’t have access to the internet’s wealth of self-optimization knowledge. How could I give up this shrieking mass of ways to improve myself? The
... See moreThe harsh truth is that emotional strength is often a necessity, not a choice. After all who wants to be thrown out into a storm and count “not screaming” as an achievement. Most of us grow up not wanting or imagining to be thrown into a storm in the first place. But when we face life’s toughest realities, emotional strength becomes essential for... See more
Tahira Tahir • Strength is overrated
Reading this reminds me how I’ve very rarely chased chased strength in life. Growing up, strong people reminded me of those masculine figures in my life, family or friends, that made me feel insecure and less than. So becoming as strong as them was never the goal.
Strength is overrated. Emotional strength is often a… | by Tahira Tahir | Medium
Another misconception about strength is it’s permanence. Life, in itself, isn’t constant. Moreover, the circumstances that call for strength are transient too. A person who has been emotionally strong in one situation could be extremely fragile in another situation. Isn’t it unfair on our part to make the assumption that strength is a state of mind... See more
Tahira Tahir • Strength is overrated
Another capture from this blog post, but there’s just a lot here I relate to and I’d love to unpack.
Strength is overrated. Emotional strength is often a… | by Tahira Tahir | Medium
As much as we glorify emotional strength, let’s just all accept that strength is on most times an obligation, not a choice. An obligation created by circumstances.
Tahira Tahir • Strength is overrated
Makes me think about being soft instead and what that means
Strength is overrated. Emotional strength is often a… | by Tahira Tahir | Medium
The requirement to be strong can be damaging to the human spirit. Exerting immense energy to hold back tears while around others isn't much different than hiding concerns about money, security, and prosperity. Hiding our vulnerabilities is neither healthy nor fruitful.
The Need to Be Strong Is Overrated, Pamela Hazelton | Are.na
Instead....as I started to picture the trees in the storm, the answer began to dawn on me. The trees in the storm don't try to stand up straight and tall and erect. They allow themselves to bend and to be blown with the wind. They understand the power of letting go. [...] Those trees and those branches that try too hard to stand up strong and... See more
Julia Butterfly Hill | Are.na
From The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods by Julia Butterfly Hill
What looks like weakness is actually where your strength lies. And what looks like strength is often weakness, an attempt to cover up fear; this is an act or a facade, however convincing it might appear to others or even to yourself.
Jon Kabat-Zinn • Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
Not sure if I agree, but interesting perspective