A Starting Point for Wholeness

by mnobleza

I have never been a fan of being “anti-” anything. For example, being “anti-war” is not helpful because for such a situation to exist, “war” as a concept must exist for which “anti-” can be a response. This is why proponents of peace, like Thich Nhat Hanh and Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith, prefer the idea of being “pro-peace.”

In a similar regard, I recently had a realization around my addiction. I saw that I was investing so much time and energy worrying about and being vigilant against my addiction that such worry actually creates the conditions for my addiction to be triggered. I realized that, rather than being “anti-addiction,” I need to be “pro-self-compassion” and “pro-nurturing.”

The best way to end the war with oneself is to start from the space where compassion and nurturing are the only possibilities for being whole.

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