Dear Quality Human:
Sometimes it can be hard, those moments when past trauma creeps in and we react a certain way or say something we wish we could take back. What’s even harder is when we don’t even know it’s past trauma doing that to us… we’re just reacting… because sometimes life hurts and defenses are needed.
But as a high-quality individual, you’re working toward a leisurely life of freedom from reactive thoughts and actions. So you know you’re going to have to deal with it. You’re going to be the one to work through it. The way through the pain, is through the pain, as they say.
What happened to you, whatever it was, wasn’t your fault. But unfortunately, it is your responsibility to heal from it. That’s what being a quality human is about. It’s realizing that people who are hurting, tend to be the ones perpetuating the hurt. It’s choosing to be the end of the line for that little trauma train. You’re not going to pass on the hurt and sadness any longer.
Congratulations, friend.
You have chosen the hard way, but the infinitely more rewarding way.
You are cultivating emotional intelligence, looking your hurt straight in the eye. Unflinching, you stare down the face of your demons, determined never to let them hurt anyone again. A brave one, you are. We need more like you.
The cowardly route is to kick the dog, become an internet troll, tailgate other drivers, or be rude to your customers. There are myriad ways that trauma can rear its ugly head in our lives because there are myriad ways in which a person can experience trauma. But a wise person knows… can see the patterns… the nagging unhappiness, the emotional distance. A wise person can see the effects of trauma when it’s being handed to them in the form of poor customer service, or the errant tailgater. And an even wiser person can see it in themselves. They can see themselves perpetuating the hurt, and stop it.
The one who has truly come to master themselves, command their trauma to stand down, and allow unconditional love to rule… that’s someone worth getting close to. Someone who values the peace and love of everyone around them, above their own tendency toward trauma-driven engagements with the world.
We’ve all been hurt in life, and it’s not the kind of thing you can necessarily put on a spectrum. “This trauma is worse than that.” Because we all process life differently, the best we can do is be aware of this. Be kind; everyone is fighting some kind of battle. And that includes you, quality human. The one who can recognize that you too have experienced trauma and that you react in certain ways because of it; you’re the one who will find healing and grace in life. You’re the one who has begun to take responsibility for your presence, for the reflection offered from your heart to the rest of the world.
Thank you for being gentle with you, as you work through the blocks in your life. Thank you for being gentle with others, knowing they too have blocks that cause pain… for themselves and others. This kind of work is not for the faint of heart, and that’s precisely why you’re up for it. Way to be.
Yours sincerely,
The Infinite Universe
