Saturday 19 January 2013

What we do to protect us, wrecks us

So I was talking with a friend over my Christmas break about my relationship with my brother and father.

My friend had made the comment that with one of his sister he does not have to worry as much about reaching out to her because she is more independent and will let him  know when she needs something, she is a bit more vocal. But the other sister he has to reach out because she is not as vocal and will not voice when she needs something. He had made this comment because he thought that maybe my brother and father had seen me as he sees the first sister mentioned. That they do not think that I need certain things from them because I am an independent woman and come across as I do not need anyone, I got it.

I realized after talking with my friend that I have created this persona. I have made sure to give off the impression that I do not need help or anyone. I have created this persona to protect myself from being hurt by my father. I had been let down too much, it hurt too much. So I made him think that I was fine and didn't need him or his attention or his help. But really that is all I desire.

I have created this aura that I don't need anyone, but really that is all I want. But no one is going to give me what I want because I have created this persona. Wow talk about a catch 22. So then I am still hurting because I did not get what I desire, but that person has no idea because I act like a stone.

I thought I was protecting myself from being hurt, but really I am still hurt. The only difference is no one knows about it.

We do this all of the time we start to distance ourselves from people if we feel as though there is any possibility of us getting hurt, we but up barriers so that people do not know the real us because we do not want to be hurt. But in the end we are still hurt, the only difference is we created the hurt for ourselves, instead of maybe being hurt by someone else. And we think in some twisted way that it is better. That it is better if we hurt ourselves rather than someone else doing, but really we are still hurt. Hurt is hurt no matter who creates it. We are still feeling horrible I guess the only thing that is different is we are angry at ourselves rather than someone else. Which we also think is better. But then it perpetuates this self-loathing and ruins our self-concept.

If we were simply open with people about what we expect of/from them, right or wrong, we could then be angry at them for knowing and not doing. We could be grateful that we are able to make someone happy because we now know what they want from us. Or we could have discussions about proper and improper expectations. None of which we are doing alone. None of which we are left hating ourselves. We simply need to be comfortable with analyzing our expectations and with voicing what we expect.

This is something that I have been learning to do in the last few years. I have been working on trying to understand why I do what I do. Why I continue to feel a certain way about a certain thing and trying to with grace, humility and the unconditional love of God change these aspects about myself that continue to hurt me. Try to voice what I expect and stop being a push over in some of my oldest relationships. Not allow people to treat me horribly and understand that I do deserve love and I do deserve to be thought of and appreciated. Even if some people, the only people I truly desire it from, are the last to give me those things.

Well that was a long tangent, but necessary. Wow a window into my mind and heart.

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