Many people assume “the work” is talking about their childhood and relationship trauma ad nauseam. Being aware of how our past informs our present is important, but if we stay there for too long, we could get lost.

While the scars we bear affect how we react to new experiences and relationships, the goal is to build emotional tolerance to our wounds rather than remain victim to them. Otherwise, no matter how promising a new experience, healthy relationship, or career opportunity may be, we will find a way to self-sabotage, react, or avoid.

The intention behind this work is to uncover our inherent potential for healing, debunk old stories, and create meaning out of our suffering. We are not the lies we told ourselves we were. There are no mistakes, only lessons. There is purpose in our pain and meaning in the madness.

We might not understand why things happen the way they do. Some things won’t ever make sense. But the meaning we create in even the most devastating of circumstances can shine light in dark corners.

After death comes rebirth. This is not the end, it’s the beginning.