hyper-critical resistance and the want to assign blame.
Similar to how yelling at the sky during a storm won’t change its direction, trying to find out what you “did wrong” when experiencing a flare-up of a chronic ailment won’t alleviate the agony you’re now experiencing.
When severe discomfort strikes, you may never be able to break the habit of thinking about what went wrong and how you are to blame. After years of practicing mindfulness, self-compassion, and acceptance, you come to terms with the fact that it’s OK.
Those kinds of ideas are quite normal, and how you react to them is the key to controlling them. If you want to make it through life with a chronic condition more easily, you don’t have to get rid of it entirely.
The most important thing is to make it a habit to practice self-compassion regularly.
The important thing is to be able to sense the storm raging within you, to be aware of the mental and emotional winds that are attempting to throw you off balance, and to make an effort to calm down consciously despite the physical manifestations of the storm.
Breathing Through It
Know that at every moment, you have a fresh opportunity to notice that despite every weather system or obstacle of my life, the inhales and exhales you take are working steadily to draw you through to calmer circumstances. This is something that you should keep in mind at all times.
While the storm is passing through the territory, it is your responsibility to keep in mind to connect with that ever-present anchor as often as you can. It is to serve as a gentle reminder that with each breath you take, you have the opportunity to receive compassion, and with each breath you take, you have the opportunity to choose to let go of even the least bit of resistance.