Feb. 24, 2011 Thursday: Bring secrets into light
Bringing Our Secrets into the Light
We all have our secrets: thoughts, memories, feelings that
we keep to ourselves. Often we think, "If people knew what I
feel or think, they would not love me." These carefully kept
secrets can do us much harm. They can make us feel guilty or
ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and
even suicidal thoughts and actions.
One of the most important things we can do with our secrets
is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. When
we have a good way to bring our secrets into the light and
can look at them with others, we will quickly discover that
we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting
friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than
before. Bringing our secrets into the light creates
community and inner healing. As a result of sharing secrets,
not only will others love us better but we will love
ourselves more fully.
-Henri Nouwen
we keep to ourselves. Often we think, "If people knew what I
feel or think, they would not love me." These carefully kept
secrets can do us much harm. They can make us feel guilty or
ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and
even suicidal thoughts and actions.
One of the most important things we can do with our secrets
is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. When
we have a good way to bring our secrets into the light and
can look at them with others, we will quickly discover that
we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting
friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than
before. Bringing our secrets into the light creates
community and inner healing. As a result of sharing secrets,
not only will others love us better but we will love
ourselves more fully.
-Henri Nouwen
