One of the most beautiful aspects of youth is envisioning the future with undaunted optimism, but even the most strategic plan for life can go off the rails. Whether we carry the weight of unprocessed trauma and never quite reach our potential or zoom into the fast lane of success only to be brought down by sudden change, pain is part of every person’s story. The quest for healing and finding our whole self beneath the rubble becomes a new objective that can be the most arduous but the most significant.

We might accomplish monumental feats, transforming our trauma or going into physical remission from disease. We might even feel a calling to guide others along the path we have come to know so well, but it is important to remember that the deep healing process is a spiral. Our linear brains may be startled when our most gut-wrenching, seemingly resolved issues loop back around, and we are plunged even deeper into the crucible. During these times, it is easy to forget that we are multidimensional beings. A physical injury or illness involves much more than flesh or organ systems, and agonies of the spirit can greatly impact the physical body.

We heal layer by layer—sometimes even layers within layers—and despite our full commitment and steady growth, the task of peeling the onion is never quite finished. One of our greatest challenges is overcoming the illusion that we are failing miserably when we fall out of resonance; evolution is not a course that we can flunk. With each descent, our pain can provide an opportunity to lessen the chasm between mind and body and to acknowledge parts of our being that might need tending. For as long as we inhabit a human vehicle, we will always be in the process of healing something, and that is okay. We can rest assured that our process, like all spirals, will lead us safely back outward to continue our journey.

Marlaina Donato is an author, artist and musician. Connect at BluefireStudio.art.

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