Our Scars: Healing from the Inside Out

“Everyone has their own way of coping and dealing with the world. If something is painful, if you’re sensitive or uncomfortable, if you feel like you’re different, your choices are to examine this and figure it out, or to numb yourself and ignore it. Most people tend to numb themselves and ignore their problems to avoid how they feel. Most people just look for ways to kill the pain. We live in a kill-the-pain society. Somehow I got into tuning into how I feel and trying to understand it.”

Rick Rubin

Scars are often said to remind us of tribulations we’ve faced and conquered. Scars are often indicative of memories, risks taken, and lessons learned, but that’s not where this blog post is going.

Scientifically, in order for all wounds to heal properly, they must heal from the inside out. Meaning that when you have a cut, the healing begins from below the surface and then works its way outward, as opposed to first covering the external layer and then working to heal the inside. I think we can all agree that wounds are trauma to the body and I’m sure you’re probably wondering “okay sis, where are you going with this…” well here it is- what about healing from emotional and mental trauma? How are we doing that? Are we healing from within or are we sweeping it under the rug and hoping the things we’ve been through go away? Are we ignoring what we’ve been through and how it affects us daily? Probably so, and we absolutely have to change that behavior to truly heal.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase “fake it until you make it” and that’s probably one of the most ridiculous mantras to live by. “Fake it until you make it” like…. what? It sounds good but why would anybody do that? I mean…. I know why, I get it. I’ve done it but it’s truly unhealthy behavior. Healing is hard, exhausting, draining work but it has to be done to recover properly. A lot of people today are faking that they’re okay, faking that they’re healed, and faking that there is not a burden of emotional trauma resting on their shoulders.

Have you ever heard of the Shakespearean quote “to thine own self be true”? Now that is a phrase to live by. That is a phrase to help us heal. We are all hurting or have been hurt in some way. Why not take a lesson from how our body heals itself and consider that maybe to heal ourselves, to find the freedom we are longing for, we must first start within. Do not fake it until you make it.

I know I’m guilty of it. Unabashed and proud to admit that because the first step to change is recognition. I smile a lot, I act like everything is great (for the most part I’m a generally happy person) and I like to think I’m just that way because I feel blessed 24/7 and I don’t think I have room to complain. But, feeling blessed should not be confused with having healed from traumatic things we’ve experienced and been through. When your body suffers a wound what is the first thing we do? We acknowledge the trauma, we likely try and clean it off, throw a band-aid on, and let our body do its thing. Unfortunately, dealing with emotional trauma isn’t as easy; it’s harder, we have to actively do the work ourselves, and we have to choose to face something that once caused us pain. Everyone heals differently, in their own way, and on their own time. It takes patience, courage, and commitment, but it will always be worth it.

I’m writing this post to encourage you to face your traumas, speak on them, work through them layer by layer, and try to understand how what you experienced is still weighing you down. Uncover your trauma, recognize it, and begin healing from the inside out. I promise you’ll be on a path to recovery that will bring you out stronger. God, family, and friends make the journey a lot easier, walk with them, and receive the support and help (I know we hate asking for help) that they will provide. To your surprise, you may realize that we are never as alone as we think we are. We can learn a lot from our scars.

Let the Healing Begin!

Love and Blessings,