UNTIE THE STRONG WOMAN, Clarissa Pinkola Estes

"The older I become, the more I sense,

the less I speak, and the more I pray -

in ever so many ways."

"Our Lady, Shirt of Arrows

UNTIE THE STRONG WOMAN

Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Professionally, I have always been a strong woman and great advocate for those facing challenges.  My education and hands on experience prepared me for a satisfying career, but it took many years to develop equal strength in my personal life.  One would think being strong would seep over into all parts of life, but it just doesn't work that way.

Confidence and the ability to see into the motivations of others, prompted me to understand a woman, delve into her life, and come up with satisfactory guide lines for recovery.  This was not necessarily true for my self.  The dividing line between these two areas of my life has been self-worth.  I have a readiness to see value in others, but lack this ability, personally.   

As the years pass, I am no longer driven to save others.  Along the way, I learned that people need to tell their story, to have someone witness their peril, and to find their way.  Giving someone a resolution is less powerful than letting that person personally discover it with encouragement and support.

No longer do I dominate conversations unless I am caught up in passion.  It has become ever so apparent to me that listening to others is far more entertaining.  I already know my views inside and out, and if I am to grow in knowledge, I must be quietly prepared to embrace new.

The resilience of others is very amazing.  To share in their experience brings hope into my personal arena and the light begins to crack the darkness into pieces more easily to be handled.  As I conserve my words, my sense of others becomes vibrantly alive. At the end of the day, through meditation, energy work or prayer, my newly gathered insights are churned into wisdom and I no longer despair.