Time For Healing
Time for Healing
Time For Healing is a monthly column, written by Amy Martin, APRN, published and distributed in the shoreline communities of Connecticut and Rhode Island since January 2005, by Shore Publishing.
In the course of her 25 years as a Nurse Practitioner, Amy has come to appreciate the connection between emotional and physical well-being, and supports the understanding of treating the whole person, body, mind and soul. The following articles were written with the intention of reaching anyone in turmoil or emotional isolation. Sometimes just knowing that another person in this world understands, can offer a touch of hope to one who suffers. Simply reading a short piece of writing about the process of transformation may provide the first step needed to begin a personal journey out of darkness.
The Articles
Articles on “Healing of the Heart” can be accessed through this web site and freely shared, with credit to the author. Articles from 2005 can be found on the Past Articles Page.
2008 Articles
- 11/16/08—How We Deal With Loss
On October 23, 2008 my 79 year old father died unexpectedly, after a long battle with cancer. When I say unexpectedly, it was, in that he suddenly developed acute shortness of breath, was found to have spread of the disease into the lung, and died within a few days. That was it, boom, he was gone. Of course it is the natural progression of life, and yes, it is a blessing that he went without long months of suffering, but still, he was my father, and now he’s gone. I am sad. My Dad was a very hands-on, involved, loving parent and grandparent, and his absence will be felt. - 09/28/08—Choosing Your Focus
It seems so easy these days to be focused on all the difficulties in the world, from the financial doomsday news to global warming, to an upcoming election which seems to be polarizing people everywhere. But when you look only at the challenges, it’s like staring in the mirror at the one imperfection on your face, and ignoring the rest. It’s just so easy to focus on the flaws, the negatives…why? - 08/11/08—The Art of Forgiveness
Have you ever thought about the cost of sustained resentment, the heaviness that resides in the chest with the thought of the person or event that has deeply offended you?
Forgiveness is spoken of frequently in both religious and secular writings as the ultimate answer to freedom and happiness. Seventeenth Century Physician, Paul Boese, is quoted as saying, “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” - 06/01/08—Grab Hold of Your Reigns!
Have you ever wondered what the innate difference was between someone who is confident, successful and joyful, and one who drowns in their own pool of self doubt and insecurity? We may often think that it could be upbringing or IQ or past experiences, but two individuals may have the exact same past, and live two opposite lives. So what’s the difference? Imagine a rider on a horse that is out of control, the beast carries him here and there, bucking and trying to throw him off, while the rider hangs on for dear life. It’s not until the rider realizes that he is in charge, that he can use the strength of his will to reach and grab those reigns to bring the horse in control. In our lives, the horse represents our emotions, and the rider is likened to our thoughts. In your life, which one is in charge? - 05/05/08—Start Living Lighter
So what does one do to feel lighter in life, whether physically or emotionally? It seems the first step is to pause to take stock, seeing if you still carry the burden of difficult experiences. If you do have ‘stuff’ to get rid of, now just may be the time. The following stories are of two women who chose to free themselves from the weight they’d been lugging around for years. - 03/30/08—
Know Where You’re Going
As I moved through a busy airport this week, shoulder to shoulder with a mass of humanity, it seemed a perfect study of life. Everyone was either rushing toward something or waiting for something. Some were interacting, (personally or electronically), and others were deep in their own thoughts, just waiting. Most people in an airport know where they’re going, and it would be odd to wander without an itinerary. But how often do we find ourselves going in neutral through our life, and end up someplace far from our original destination? How often do we find ourselves waiting for something to happen so we could get on with our lives? - 02/18/08—It's Up To You
Have you ever thought about how tenuous our ego strength would be, if we labeled ourselves acceptable or unacceptable according to others’ opinions? How do we become wise enough to not take so much stock in other peoples’ estimation of us? - 01/11/08— What’s It Going To Take?
How much emotional pain does one person have to go through before they’re ready to say “enough?” What does it take to feel strong enough to stand up for yourself and know that no matter what happens, you will survive? Is survival an innate aspect of the personality or is it something that can be nurtured and developed?
2007 Articles
- 12/03/2007 — “Sad Santa”, or Feeling the December Blues
Why, when everyone around seems to be hustling and bustling with Holiday happenings, do we find some people who just want to hide in their rooms and not emerge till way past January? I write “Time For Healing” this month for two separate groups of people, for those who enjoy the holidays and find comfort and peace in family and friends, and then for those of you who feel either nothing at all for the season or who dread it. - 11/01/2007 — Setting Down the Heavy Load
Imagine how it would feel if you had fifty pounds of weight strapped to your back right now. At first it might be uncomfortable, but bearable, then after some time, fatigue would set in and you might have to limit yourself in some areas. You would probably start having pain, and may even start whining, but the interesting thing is that you would eventually adapt. This is when the abnormal becomes normal and the unacceptable is accepted. - 09/30/2007 — What Are You Waiting For?
How many times have you told yourself you were going to do something, something significant, but came up with one excuse after another for not doing it, giving yourself all the reasons why you couldn’t do it , and then getting to the point where you lost all enthusiasm for your original inspiration?
Maybe this idea just popped into your head, or it is something you have been thinking about for years. We all catch thoughts that excite us, like changing careers, going back to school, taking a much needed vacation, patenting that invention you thought of, or doing something for someone else, making that call to apologize or make amends, take a month off to volunteer your services overseas, write that book, organize your life. - 08/20/2007 — Emotional Self Regulation
So what do you do when you feel so out of sorts that you lose all sense of balance and coping ability? Do you just go to sleep and hope it will pass? Do you ignore it entirely, thinking it will go away if you get busy doing something else?
The lucky thing is sometimes our moods do just improve with time and sleep, but other times the feelings persist, bringing to our attention whatever pain or challenge we need to face.
During these times, and we all have them, we need a way to bring ourselves back to center, back to a feeling of steadiness and well being. We need tools that will enable us to feel a sense of self control regarding our state of mind. This is what is called “Emotional Self Regulation.” - 07/12/2007 — Finding the Healer Within
Do you sometimes think that the power to heal is only given to a certain elite group of people? The truth is this: anyone could be a healer; it just takes desire and focused intent. You don’t have to be a Nurse or a Doctor, a Therapist or a Medicine Man, all it takes is the recognition of the intuitive gifts within you, and a caring and loving heart. If you care about people, if you desire to lighten the burdens of those around you, if you are willing to move outside of yourself, you can have an impact on the well being of those with whom you share your energy. - 04/05/2007 — Finding the Self Behind the Mask
Have you ever thought about the masks we all wear, the façade we present to the world? What is it you want to appear to be? Is it the happy go lucky one, when underneath you really feel empty? Is it the tough exterior when the real you is just a creampuff? Or maybe you appear to be the caring, loving one, when you really want to spit nails? - 03/04/2007 — All About Hope
Hope is “to cherish a desire with anticipation.” Another dictionary definition is, “the anticipation of something happening, a notion of something expected.” What does it take for us to dare to feel hope? What about the possibility of miracles? What about expecting good outcomes? It seems we fear expecting good things to happen, because we worry that we won’t be able to cope with disappointment, and so deny ourselves the permission to be hopeful. - 01/29/2007 — Soft Eyes of Acceptance
Have you ever looked around and really noticed the people in your life? Those in your intimate circle, (the ones who know your heart), those you have to interact with every day, and even those in your peripheral world? Then what about all the people you just pass on the street, only noticing with half an eye, the salesclerk, the tollbooth attendant, the shelf stocker at the grocery store, or those so far in the background that you never really focus on them at all? What do they really have to do with who we are? - 01/01/07— Getting What You Want in 2007
So what is it you really want this year? Is it something that will be good for you? Is it something you’ve always wanted? What has stopped you from having this in your life before?
These are the questions to be asked before forging ahead to accomplish your goals and fulfilling your desires. The questions are important because if you’re not clear on what it is you want, your vision will become blurred before the end of the week, and certainly by the end of the year you will have forgotten your hope at all.
