Do you feel vulnerable? Ever notice how some people put on the hard shell or carry an image that says I'm tough I'm mean, I don't like you, or I don't care. Others exuberate indifference, or emanate from a vibe that says you are not good enough for me. I'm better than you or what are you looking at? Many people have been hurt because they chose to be nice, kind, thoughtful, or allowed someone to come close or to get in. At one point in the past, maybe it was a relationship, a friendship or a relative, and the result was abuse, neglect, being misunderstood, cheated on, or attacked, so they retracted their feelings and any display of emotion. The person or people who treated you this way was wrong and have a problem which will confront them one day, one that will eventually cause them great shame and much pain. I assure you it will be a lesson they wish they could have avoided. But what about you? You, have become a victim who has pulled their head and heart back into a shell like a turtle, or put them in a hole in the ground like an ostrich to protect them, and as a result, hidden yourself from life's most rewarding gift, the gift of love, companionship, rewarding relationships, a healthy social life and true emotional exchange.
Please listen, you cannot live your life as a result of what others have done to you, not and enjoy it. I know. I've tried it and it only caused me more suffering. What was so bad about it is that I didn't know the cause of my suffering, which was in a word the loss of joy in my life, a secret loneliness? I took the little things for granted that came into my life. Things that were sweet and nice, or a gift to me in some small way that I couldn't fully appreciate. I only knew to keep moving straight ahead, to play it safe, keep myself hidden, to avoid embracing anything or anyone. I refused to trust life but for myself and often not even myself. I was always checking the parameters, going over decisions I made or my thinking towards a decision. As a result of this kind of over protective behavior acquaintances with others was shallow and unfulfilling. I became a closet loner, popular when among friends, but solitary otherwise. I believed this was the best way to be, that it kept my life protected. Well, it was not healthy, and living this way cultivated loneliness, a judgmental attitude and an emptiness in my life which went unfulfilled.
You are not living life to the fullest if you are not opening up your heart and letting it make some choices and decisions. I know it is risky, but when you stop and think about it, everything in your life is a risk, especially those things which can bring you the most joy. You cannot shut one part of your heart down without the whole heart shutting down. If you close one door in your heart and think you've done yourself a favor and protected the area where pain got in, it will actually shut out joy from the rest of your heart. You cannot segment one part of your heart without adversely affecting your whole heart. Joy is living and loving life, God, and the people around you with ALL your heart. Go back to being you, regardless of any bad experiences you've had from thoughtless people. This is how life's most valuable rewards are found and kept. Try it and watch how beautiful people become attracted to you and you to them. Start changing your life and those around you with this powerful truth now.
