Laura DraneI recently read a book called ‘The Sirens of Baghdad’ by Yasmina Khadra, and in the book the protagonist used the sentence ‘…making me a stranger to myself…’ when describing how he could no longer recognise himself from his own behaviour.
This got me thinking; I remembered how I have felt, at times, looking in the mirror and wondering what has happened to me and my life. Realising that my life no longer belonged to me, and feeling like a stranger to myself.
I guess we all have an idea when we are young, of how our lives will turn out. I remember thinking that, by my 30s I would:
- be ancient!
- be married with 2 children
- have turned into my mum
So, for me to to look in the mirror in my early 30s and see what I saw, was truly heartbreaking.
Wind the clock forward to today however and it is a different story. Sure, I still have times when I struggle to recognise myself, but these days it’s usually because I feel so blessed for what is reflected back at me.
Just for today I see myself as:
- in tune with my values and beliefs
- content with what I have
- at peace with my appearance
- proud of my achievements
- surrounded by the people I love
It has been a long journey to get to this place, but so worth it. And I am forever open to more development, more growth, more pain and more love.
So, if you’re in a place where you are struggling to recognise yourself and your life, why not give therapy a go? It has been an essential ingredient of my journey and development so far, and I hope it always will be.