06/06/2024
Happy Attitudinal Healing Facilitator Training Start Day! Let me take you back to when I was a kid, totally obsessed with The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Did anyone else read about those scrappy orphans who turned an old, discarded train car into the coziest, most magical home? Yeah, that was my jam! Growing up labeled as an orphan in Korea and then getting adopted into my nightmare of a situation in the U.S., I constantly dreamed of running away and creating my own little world from scraps and cast-offs.
Books like The Boxcar Children weren't just stories to me—they were lifelines. They pulled me through some of the darkest times, even if I didn't realize it back then. It's wild how art and stories can do that, right? They sneak into your subconscious and shape your entire worldview. These tales taught me to see potential and beauty in what others might call trash. Eventually, I recognized that so many systems in our world are giant trash bins, and if we want to create a sanctuary to live in, we will all have to learn how to effectively dumpster dive! I giggle at how effectively I am cosplaying my Boxcar Child fantasy. I notice my strong pull to thrift my clothes and my home—turning someone else's junk into my treasure is practically my obsession.
Life can lead each of us down a multitude of paths, every one as unique as we are. For me, two paths stand out clearly: trauma could have easily pushed me towards becoming a hoarder, accumulating pain, grievances, and… stuff. Imagine hoarding everything—pain memories, lost hope, trinkets, tchotchkes, tables—all other people's junk—letting it pile up until it literally, figuratively, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually suffocates you. I know people living this life right now. This path feels heavy, restricting, and causes neck pain from all the rearview focusing. The grievance carriers, the junk haulers, the “listen to me I have pain but don’t know how to express it” silent screamers. I’ve lived there.
Today (meaning: the past ten years), I’ve been exploring a different route. I’ve leaned into what truly makes my heart sing, embracing decisiveness, creativity, and following my passions. I’m an environmentalist, but not in the traditional sense. It's woven into most choices I make, from being vegan because I see eating meat as violence and an environmental disaster, to the way I live my day-to-day life. I call it being a conscientious survivor of this modern hellscape. I attempt to make choices that support love and growth instead of giving in to the pain and destruction I see all around me.
Becoming aware of these influences—recognizing how my trauma and passions intertwine—has been a game-changer. Suddenly seeing the strings of a puppet show and realizing I can pull them myself was the key to my freedom. I’m not just collecting stories others hand to me anymore; I’m curating them, choosing the ones that add beauty and meaning to my life and rejecting the rest.
Think about hiking up to a mountaintop. From afar, it looks so majestic, pure, and clean. But as you climb, you see falling rocks, wild and ragged edges, the mountain goat p**p, the remnants of those who’ve climbed before you. Healing is like that—it’s beautiful and rugged, filled with other people’s messes. Up close, the journey feels different—treacherous and difficult at times—but it doesn't negate the majesty of the summit or the beauty of the climb.
This awareness lets me transform past pain into something powerful and inspiring. It’s about letting go of the stories that weigh me down and allowing them to blossom into meaningful relationships, finding joy and goodness in the present moment. I’m curating my life like the boxcar home, creating beauty from simplicity, and intentionally choosing what brings me joy.
Here I am, one example of how you can take the scraps life hands you and transmute them into something that feels extraordinary. The more I practice, the more I see the beauty in the broken, the potential in the discarded, and this helps drive me towards a life filled with purpose and intentionality.
This journey of transforming pain into beauty and resilience is at the heart of attitudinal healing. As we kick off our attitudinal healing facilitator training today, I'm reminded of the importance of finding the tools and communities that resonate most with us. It's about embracing the rugged, messy path to healing and discovering the strength and joy that come from it.
I encourage you to seek out what helps you hold on to hope and work towards joy and peace in your life. Whether it’s through our training or another path that speaks to you, the key is to find what empowers you. The door is always open here, and if you feel like practicing with us, you're welcome to reach out. But most importantly, take the steps that are right for you. Do your own work, find your own best answer, and transform your journey into something beautifully your own.
