Many of you know what it means to experience emotional paralysis.

Paralyze as defined by Dictionary.com is: “to bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act:”

Over the past few years, I have encountered painful truths that I never envisioned I’d face in my prayer-infused, faith-based bubble. Traumatized, describes my soul when I came face to face with the unfathomable duplicity that existed in my home.
Throughout my emotional recovery, I have gained incredible tools. I trust I can offer fresh ideas for your journey as well.
Many people acknowledge that the way to enter a new normal happens by taking the journey “one day at a time.” If we must face the rest of our lives without our addiction, codependency or our shelter of denial, life can seem insurmountable. While a strong faith provides a solid foundation, it does not protect even the strongest believer from human feelings.
If we can make it, just for today as opposed to the rest of our life, the immense perception of our future lessens. We grow in strength and travel further from the suffering.

A similar principle applies to dealing with pain, physical or emotional. If we break the whole up into parts, we find huge things to be manageable.

In my meditation class, we were presented with an example of breaking pain into pieces. Imagine being smacked on the back with a baseball bat. Picture the throbbing pain. When you catch your breath, however, and begin to connect with your body mindfully, you will be strengthened to find parts that don’t hurt. Your hands, for instance, they don’t hurt, neither do your feet. Your legs, arms and other parts of your back are still pain-free. So rather than letting the immense concept of the blow consume you, identifying the non-painful parts, and allowing them to come to the surface can strengthen you.
The same concept applies to our emotions. Let’s say we find out our spouse, child, parent, coworker or other loved one has betrayed our trust. Meanwhile, we have been dismissing evidence, in hopes that our life will not take the turn towards destruction. So, finally acknowledging the truth, might feel like a baseball bat to the back of our emotional self. We may feel paralyzed. Often people in that type of pain relate to ‘barely being able to breathe.’
After a mammoth blow, we need to be deliberate about breathing. As we are in a still space focusing on our breath, we get in touch with our soul. We can discover that the new truth doesn’t hurt every part of us, just like the bat to the back doesn’t hurt our entire body.
Let’s think of some parts of us that don’t feel the pain from betrayal.
Perhaps we did not know the truth for a long time and can be thankful for the positive times we experienced, even though we were in someone else’s lie. Perhaps we can find gratitude for our choice to move to emotional safety and with the right tools, we can move on with our lives. Part of us is strong and courageous and ready to administer healing to the angry and bitter parts. Some part of us is resilient enough to lead us out of the lie.
In my case, I found strength acknowledging that part of my soul was intuitive and faithful to trust God despite the advisement of pastors, counselors and Christian leaders. The strength to follow my truth, during widespread deception shows the great inner strength that I was ultimately able to acknowledge and celebrate.
I feel gratitude that I survived the trauma and the violation that was done to me. When triggers arise and rest assured they do, I am inclined to disintegrate emotionally; until I break my emotions down and find powerful parts of my soul to nourish the wounded parts.

Taking time to care for me is a huge part of the healing process.

How about you? Have you developed some tools for healing that you can share with others in the comment section? It’s always encouraging to me, and others hear from you.
Please remember to take advantage of my offer for a FREE 30-Minute Coaching Session and free downloadable Soul Work Journal.
Meet me on Facebook at 10 AM, Fridays for a live broadcast of Soul Connections at Charlotte’s Soul Facebook page. I hope you’ll benefit, as I have from breaking big things into manageable pieces. I’ll be right here next week with another blog to support your soul.