Over time, I’ve come to recognize two mistakes that have deeply influenced my life.

Mistake #1

I’ve tried too hard to please you—to make you comfortable, to get a good response from you, to put you at ease, to make sure you feel important.

(“You” meaning everyone outside my family.)

Mistake #2

I’ve escaped myself—running, distracting, avoiding, numbing. I didn’t want to know me. I buried the younger, struggling version of myself— the part I labeled “bad.” I never wanted to face that part.

The Result-

I don’t really know myself. My sadness has gone unexplored. My grief stayed buried. Old wounds sat untouched. And without realizing it, I turned against myself—with criticism, negativity, even quiet distain.

I never learned how to simply be with myself… or enjoy who I am.

My New Direction-

No more living to please everyone else. No more running from myself.

It’s time to:

• Pray for wisdom
• Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit
• Explore the battle within my soul
• Face what I buried long ago…because the symptoms keep surfacing

Prayer

God, give me eyes to see what I’ve avoided. Lead me. I want Holy Spirit healing on the inside. Thank you. Amen

Scripture

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10  ESV