Healing Pathways

08/15/2023

Dear Life,

Grant me the courage
To change what I am capable of changing
And the grace
To accept what is beyond my control
And choose my battles wisely.

Please help me fix what has fallen apart and is broken in my life
That would benefit from being mended
And accept what would not
And move on accordingly.

Grant me the strength
To fully seize each day
And make the most of each moment
Savouring the ones that provide me with joy, meaning and fulfilment

And remind me to treasure time spent with those I love
And pursue my passions and what uplifts and energises me
And focus on all that lies ahead of me
Rather than all that lies behind me.

Please help me to embody love
And radiate it to all whom I encounter
Regardless of whether they remain in my life
Or are no longer with me.

Please help me to remain calm and at peace
During the chaos and shifting seasons of life
And flow with it
Understanding that everything is fleeting and temporary
But that the true nature of who I am is eternal
And more than this limited body
And transitory physical experience

Please show me how to let go of fear, pain and resentment
So I can feel light, unburdened and free
And prioritise what is important
While disregarding what is not.

Please comfort me in my grief
And reassure me with the knowledge
That I will one day be reunited with those I love who have left this reality
But remain in spirit with me

And in the times when I am hurt
May you show me how to heal and move forward

In the times when I feel small and fragile
May you remind me of my inner strength

In the times when I feel weak
May you remind me of my inner power

In the times when I feel lost
May you help me rediscover purpose and meaning

In the times when I feel lonely and isolated
May you remind me that everything is interconnected

And in the times when I have lost confidence and trust in myself
May you help me remember who I am.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

(Inspired by the Serenity Prayer by Dr Reinhold Niebuhr)

Artwork by Claudia Tremblay

07/27/2023

There is a song in you
That is waiting to be sung

There is a battle in you
That is waiting to be won

There is a message in you
That is waiting to be shared

There is a story in you
That is waiting to be written

There is a wish in you
That is waiting to be fulfilled

There is a passion in you
That is waiting to be expressed

There is a dream in you
That is waiting to be pursued

There is a path in you
That is waiting to be followed

There is a mountain in you
That is waiting to be climbed

There is love in you
That is waiting to be fully felt and shared

There is a warrior in you
That is waiting to fight

There is an artist in you
That is waiting to create

And there is a caged bird in you
That is waiting for permission to fly
And I hope that you will choose
To set it free
And allow it to soar.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Claudia Tremblay

07/24/2023

“The seeker said to Life,
"How do I overcome feeling disappointed by my life
and discouraged by how my path has unfolded?

And Life replied,
"Is there a single person who looks back on their life and says
'Everything went perfectly to plan as I hoped?'
Is there a single traveller who embarked on a journey and found
Every path smooth, without a single obstacle?
Is there a single artist who created a masterpiece and found
Every stroke and colour blended seamlessly on their first attempt?
Is there a single gardener who planted seeds and found
Every bloom perfectly grown?
Is there a single captain who sailed the seas and found
Every voyage peaceful, with no storm that surrounded them?
Is there a single dreamer who pursued their dreams and found
Every aspiration fulfilled free from any challenge or struggle?
Is there a single love story that unfolded meticulously and found
Every moment perfect and free from heartbreak?
Is there a single student who sought knowledge and found
Every lesson completely effortless, free from any confusion?
And is there a single soul who lived their life and found
Every moment to be flawless,
with no desire to rewrite or relive any past experience?

There is no such person to be found,
For life rarely goes to plan,
from the perspective of your human self,
That is incapable of seeing the full, complete picture of existence
And how all paths intersect and all threads intertwine in the grand tapestry of life.

And your story is not defined by what happened to you, or by your worst moments and so-called mistakes, but how you healed from them and who it shaped you into becoming. For all that you take away from this brief existence is love.”

— Tahlia Hunter

[ Art • “For Love” by Cho Gi-Seok ]

07/23/2023

Sometimes we love
And our hearts are broken

We dream
And our hopes are shattered

We wish
And our desires are unfulfilled

We give freely
And are left empty-handed

And we care for others
And aren’t loved in return

And those who we once most admired and valued
Do not reciprocate our affection.

Sometimes we undergo a process of loss and heartbreak
And are left feeling broken
And lacking hope
As we fail to realise
That we are not destined to remain stuck in this cycle indefinitely

And that in life
Whoever lets go of us
Leads us home

Whoever rejects us
Empowers us to embrace ourselves fully

And someone’s lack of love for us
Is ultimately a reflection of them rather than us.

And we feel most hurt
Not when we are rejected
But when we reject ourselves

We feel most sad
Not when others upset us
But when we seek happiness in sources that are unable to provide it and are left feeling let down

And we feel most alone
When we are strangers to ourselves

And so in order to find peace in our surroundings
We must first find peace within

In order to find joy outside of ourselves
We must first experience joy internally

In order to feel fully accepted
We must first learn to fully accept ourselves

And not every race is worth running
Not every battle is worth fighting
Not every adventure is worth embarking upon
And not every relationship is worth pursuing

And rejection is simply redirection
Allowing us to become more in touch with ourselves
And more awakened to our own self-acceptance and self-love.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Lucy Campbell

07/23/2023

An open letter to myself:

I always wanted to say sorry to you because, most of the time, I fail to love and appreciate you. I always tend to forget that you are special too. I don't value you sometimes, and I even think that you are worthless. I want to say sorry to you for all the times that I've never been kind to you. I should've been more gentle with you. I should've reminded you every day that you were worthy. I should've made you believe that you were enough. I'm sorry— you didn't deserve all the pain that I've caused you.

I want you to know right now that you deserve to love yourself more each day. Speak kind words in front of the mirror and remind yourself that you are a beautiful soul. I want you to know that you should stop settling for less than what you deserve and start finding your worth. You are enough. You are worthy. And most importantly, your existence matters every day.

07/21/2023