By the way, that really has nothing to do with my main subject today. Just wanted to give a shout-out to my favorite hoodie.
What I DO want to write about is how I've been reminded of the importance of treating every single person you meet with love and patience. Everyone is a wounded soldier. Either you are facing a battle right now, or you are still healing from the last one(s). ... Or both. Usually it's both.
Do you have to wear your super hero cape all the time and pretend like everything's fine? Nope. It's braver to be Clark Kent than to be Superman. You CAN be scared, vulnerable, and not put-together at times, and the world won't end.
I love Glennon Doyle Melton and her book, CARRY ON WARRIOR. She introduced me to the idea of wounded soldiers, and it completely changed my way of thinking. She encourages people to acknowledge and listen to your feelings rather than cover them up and try to move on. She talks about how feelings (even the bad ones) can be guides. When you feel lonely or depressed, you can use those feelings as a catalyst to reach out to others. When you are anxious or overwhelmed, you can take the hint that you need to simplify your life and ask for help.
It's easy to become engulfed in our feelings and not use them as guides. Oftentimes with my anxiety, I either ignore it and try to push on (usually doesn't work), or I become engrossed in a downward spiral where I let anxiety win. I sometimes prefer not to share my feelings with others since it could "compromise" me, but thanks to Glennon's reminder and example, I realize how selfish and unproductive it is to be to reclusive when I'm hurting. Sure, I need my alone time to think and cope, but only for a time. Then it's my turn to reach out and share. Share my hurt feelings, share the lessons I learned, and help other wounded soldiers heal.
I don't want you to think I'm pessimistic and make life sound like it's horrible, but I don't want to ignore the fact that life isn't a cake walk every day. Don't you think that if we all put our facades down and recognized the pain and hurt within each other that we could build up a sense of understanding and comradery? If you've got 17 minutes, watch Glennon's TED talk. It does a much better job explaining the concept. If you don't have 17 minutes, watch it anyway.
