There’s a difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is when you regret or feel bad about something you’ve done; Shame is when you think YOU ARE bad. And most of my life, I had the perspective of, “I’m bad, I’m rotten.” Once I was abused, it was such an embarrassing and humiliating thing. I literally felt worthless…like, why would anyone want anything to do with me? And I lived in deep shame.
My friend and clinical psychologist Dr. Don Woods said that if you understood the Atmospheric Conditions™ of somebody’s life, it would all make sense why they do what they do. And the thing I now realize is we can change the atmospheric conditions™ of our life. If it’s a horror story, or a drama, we can write a comedy or a love story. I didn’t realize I had any of those abilities—and it took years for me. But now I look at changing the atmospheric conditions™ and realize I’m not all the stuff that has happened to me.
I still grapple with this of course, and I look at what’s going on in the world right now, and it’s very complex and confusing. And I also know that part of the journey here is to TRANSCEND SUFFERING. When you see suffering in other people, the reality is you’re not going to make every single person’s life better and some people won’t be fully recovered because of how painful their lives are. BUT, oftentimes, you can sit with them…
When someone is dying, that’s what you can do. You can sit with them. If you’ve ever been with someone on their deathbed, you’re not saving their life. They are going to die. Maybe you’ve sat with a parent or a loved one while they are dying or held their hand while they died. When you’re in those sorts of situations, being present – while it’s painful and it hurts – is an incredible form of love. And it’s that place where if you can tap into that, it makes a difference.
My goal is to keep expanding my consciousness. I’m okay with being a little messed up–or a lot messed up—in some areas, and there are some parts of life where I’m never going to have it together. But if I can encourage myself and encourage others, I’ve done the best I know how to do. Sitting with each other as we share the struggles and suffering we’re going through is one of the best ways to help us go through the struggles and suffering.
by Joe Polish
Founder of Genius Network
P.S. I've created a resource page as a central guide with access to valuable resources available to you right now. Check it out at www.GeniusNetwork.com/Vision-Insight. Bookmark this page. This is where I will post every new update.
P.P.S. Whenever you're ready... here are 3 more ways I can help you make YOUR business and life more E.L.F. (Easy, Lucrative, and Fun!):
- Discover the 10x Multipliers to grow your business exponentially… Amplify your opportunities and reveal the untapped potential in your business: www.10XTalk.com/Vision
- Trigger these 8 Profit Activators in your business right now: www.ILoveMarketing.com/Vision
- I'm often asked what books I recommend. So, I've put together a collection of books and products in 9 specific categories. These are resources we've shared in Genius Network to help improve life and business... To check them out visit www.JoePolish.com/Books-Vision
P.P.P.S. If You Or Someone You Know Is Struggling With Addiction, visit www.GeniusRecovery.org/Vision-Letter
Also, check these out 🙂
www.JoePolish.com/Vision-FreeBook
www.ILoveMarketing.com/MarketingVision
www.GeniusRecovery.org/RecoveryVision
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