Last month I finished Susannah Conway’s book, This I Know. It was chock-full of awakenings, beautiful imagery, and a-ha moments. I love books like that. I love that feeling when reading something so honest, and having a quiet moment where I just think, “Yes. That’s how I feel, put exactly into words.”
I’ve written about Susannah a couple times before–check out these posts:
Live & Love This Moment / A Letter From My 28-year-old Self
I encourage you to learn more about Susannah and her work–maybe even sign up for one of her classes! She’s using her gifts in the most lovely way, and I look up to her a lot. Here are my ten take-aways, my ten favorite thoughts from This I Know.
— ONE —
Sometimes it seems easier to go through life holding everything in, wrapped up, breath held, eyes forward, but life will always rub against us—that’s how the pearls are formed.
— TWO —
When I sink too far into my head, nature reminds me I’m just worm food, that the leaves will fall no matter what I do, and the tides will never stop churning the ocean; it has always been so.
— THREE —
It has taken time to accept that this damaged little girl is still a part of me, the vulnerable, expectant, sometimes demanding part of myself…. For a long time I thought I had to forgive my father for leaving us, but I discovered I only needed to learn to love the girl he left behind, something I resisted.
— FOUR —
My vulnerability is my strength, just as my apparent strength can sometimes be my vulnerability. It’s our responsibility as adults to look after children, and I believe this also applies to the children inside us.
— FIVE —
No wonder it’s so hard to get paint on canvas or words on the page when we’re judging the work before it even exists.
— SIX —
There are times in our lives when being a tribe of one is a necessity rather than a choice, when family live far away and friends are yet to be found.
— SEVEN —
They say we must eat sensibly, exercise regularly, and take time to de-stress—I’d like to add fall in love with ourselves to that list.
— EIGHT —
Little sisters are annoying until you’re all grown up and realize she’s been your best friend all along.
— NINE —
Cultivate the friendships that make you feel more like yourself, without apology or explanation.
— TEN —
I believe that by being the best and most healed version of ourselves we can truly make a difference in the world. I’m not an activist or politician, and I’m not able to have any direct impact on the areas of the world where help is needed. but what I can do is make a difference in the small pocket of the world I call home. I can live with integrity and be honest about my feelings, even when they hurt. I can put my whole heart into my work and pay forward the generosity that was shown to me when my world fell apart. I can look after myself, knowing that by healing my own hurts I won’t be passing them along to someone else. In a society like ours, filled with so many emotionally wounded people acting out their pain, this is possibly the most important work we could ever do—heal our hurts so we don’t pass them on.
Rave on,
Sarah
(Photo credits: Alicia Bock & Susannah Conway via susannahconway.com)