Sugar coat me not

I was speaking with a friend not long ago who was sharing her feelings about the content of her life she is experiencing right now. I wanted to offer my opinion and encourage her to take steps that I have found very transformational for myself in the past. I stopped myself. Instead, I shared just a few supportive words, conveying that I too had felt similar before and simply suggested trying to find new things to be excited about in her life may help. I have been thinking of this conversation over the past few days. The reason I stopped myself from blurting out my ideas that I was sure would help her, was because I heard my yoga teachers voice. Years ago during my first training she said “never tell someone how to cross the river, only teach them how if they ask you.” Only when someone asks for help are they ready to take another step and only they know when the time has come for themselves to do so. I realized, if my friend asks for my input, I will share with her what I can, if not, I will keep quiet and what really stood out for me was if she were to ask me, I would not sugar coat the truth of how I feel. We help no one when we hold back the truth. Some of us are more sensitive than others and it’s not uncommon that upon hearing someone share their view of our situation that we feel hurt or some other emotion. What I have come to learn repeatedly is that when I feel an emotion from a comment someone has made, they are merely showing me where I have healing to do. Now I can turn towards what I feel and ask “what am I to learn here? what are these feelings about for me?” Only now, can I begin to make some headway, then I can release and let go of this pain and say thank you to my friend for showing me where I can heal. The alternative is what? You turning away, feeling pissed and remaining stuck and repeating this way of being your whole life. Holding emotions inside quietly is a container of energy that will begin to expand and fester every time you come back and remember a situation that upset you, which = DIS-EASE which=illness in the body. Emotions are neither good or bad, they are simply pointers to where we need to heal. Perhaps if we can trust that there is a drop of the source of the Divine in us all, then we can lay our shields down and see that our friend is an extension of love at the core of their Being, we are all on each other’s side, we are all One.