Joy Based Living

Healing from emotional trauma can be difficult but it’s definitely easier when you know what you’re aiming for.

I received this insight (in the image) in a conversation about healing after narcissistic abuse but I think it can be applied to all sorts of inner healing.

“Facing the void of emptiness is the one thing a narcissist will NOT do. When we heal, and we face our own void, it’s scary and dark and sad… putting it mildly.

Unconditional love is the “nectar” we all need to thrive.
Narcissistic people steal it. That sounds insane because unconditional love can’t, by definition, be stolen. All manipulation tactics are designed to “get some.”

Healing from such agenda-driven relationships, we learn to meet our own darkness and generate unconditional love for ourselves. One way to learn this skill of receptivity is to receive love from others who are willing to share it with us (relatedness without agenda).

If we receive love to fill our void, that can be really good and life-giving. But if we can receive with an awareness that the offerer is recognizing our magnificence, our wholeness, our unique radiance… that’s a bonus gift (an essential luxury, maybe) that can teach us to recognize these core qualities within ourselves.

Healing means creating a space inside of ourselves where love can land. Thriving means that space is LUSH.”

❤️ 🙏 ❤️ 🙏

To experience Joy-Based Living . . .

• Dip your toe in with SELF STUDY: Visit the JBL homepage and get the E-Books. Read them and integrate the Practices and the Planner into your daily life. Invite others to discuss the JBL E-books together.
• Go full steam ahead with a JBL GUIDE: Join one of our online groups, currently led by Debbie Happy Cohen:
  Self-Care Art for Your Heart and Soul – this is free and open for everyone; interaction is limited.
  Wholehearted Networking – this is a weekly group conversation (for women only). It feels like a turkish bath in the middle of an oasis. You can let your hair down.