Thursday, February 20, 2020

Daily Reflections, Day Seventy two, Telling secrets is a path to liberation.


Day Seventy two
Telling our secrets is a path to liberation

“The escape from darkness involves two statges: First, the recognition that darkness cannot hide. This step usually entails fear. Second, the recognition that there is nothing you want to hide even if you could. This step brings escape from fear. When you have become willing to hide nothing, you will not only be willing to enter into communion but will also understand peace and joy.” ACIM.T-1.IV.1:1-5

So much of our perceptions and feelings are shame based. We live in great fear that what we believe is our innate defectiveness and inadequacy will be discovered. We learned as children that we must behave properly so that people will approve of us and not punish or reject us.

As we mature, we realize that this false facade, this fake self, takes great effort and stress to maintain. At times anxiety and depression overtake us, and we “break down,” and find ourselves doing things we would not do, and not doing things that we think we should do. Freud called this behavior, “acting out.” Our symptomatic and dysfunctional behavior is generated by unconscious thoughts and feelings that we are not consciously aware of. This leads to confusion and distress.

To look into the unconscious is scary and is often avoided, but when we become curious about what makes us tick and are willing to examine our lives, we begin to realize that there really is nothing we want to hide any longer and we decide to live our lives in more transparent and open hearted ways. It is in exploring the unconscious that we come to realize that there was nothing to fear to begin with and a great peace and joy ascend into our consciousness.

Today, I will identify a few of my secrets and identify someone I can tell them to. This unburdening will provide a liberation and relief that generates peace and joy that the risk of disclosure comes to be seen as very worthwhile. I will come to understand that telling my secrets is the path to liberation.

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