Elizabeth
Elizabeth nodded her head, glad to hear that Maea hadn't necessarily isolated herself and her emotions. She was already ahead of other people in that regard, even if her expression was more haunted than others. "Talking is good, but sometimes you need to listen - maybe not to others, but certainly to yourself." Some people didn't like to hear that they had to look inward to find the answers. It sometimes required time and effort that wasn't comfortable, dredging up thoughts and emotions. However, Maea's question told her that the Ancient might have the perfect mindset to do so, recognizing that there was a 'good' and 'bad' way to self-analyze.
She took a sip of her tea to consider the best way to respond, finally settling on an analogy. "'Ruminating' is like picking a scab, itching at it over and over until the scar deepens along with the pain. It often involves blame and recurring negativity that strengthens with each instance." Elizabeth didn't mention that this sometimes appeared in poor coping mechanisms that failed to dampen the guilt or self-pity. Tilting her head, she focused on the 'right' way to think. "'Reflection,' on the other hand, is like rinsing the wound with cool water, softening the scab and allowing the injury to slowly begin to heal without debris or interruption. To 'reflect,' we have to set aside the blame or negativity, looking at the facts and allowing the emotions to breathe. We don't identify sadness and get frustrated, feeling it unjustified or wrong; we try to understand why there's sadness, then validate it as something that just is. Not something that needs to be changed or fixed, but something that exists, and is allowed to exist." Because emotions were not the enemy. People often thought they were 'supposed' to feel a specific way, or that they didn't have a 'right' to that emotion; but feelings weren't something to fight, they were something to be nurtured and embraced. If treated correctly, they would allow further growth and understanding.
Smiling softly, Elizabeth said as much to Maea. "With time, we may come to understand ourselves better. Sometimes, the wound will have shown us what it needed in order to heal, or simply healed on its own with that time."
She took a sip of her tea to consider the best way to respond, finally settling on an analogy. "'Ruminating' is like picking a scab, itching at it over and over until the scar deepens along with the pain. It often involves blame and recurring negativity that strengthens with each instance." Elizabeth didn't mention that this sometimes appeared in poor coping mechanisms that failed to dampen the guilt or self-pity. Tilting her head, she focused on the 'right' way to think. "'Reflection,' on the other hand, is like rinsing the wound with cool water, softening the scab and allowing the injury to slowly begin to heal without debris or interruption. To 'reflect,' we have to set aside the blame or negativity, looking at the facts and allowing the emotions to breathe. We don't identify sadness and get frustrated, feeling it unjustified or wrong; we try to understand why there's sadness, then validate it as something that just is. Not something that needs to be changed or fixed, but something that exists, and is allowed to exist." Because emotions were not the enemy. People often thought they were 'supposed' to feel a specific way, or that they didn't have a 'right' to that emotion; but feelings weren't something to fight, they were something to be nurtured and embraced. If treated correctly, they would allow further growth and understanding.
Smiling softly, Elizabeth said as much to Maea. "With time, we may come to understand ourselves better. Sometimes, the wound will have shown us what it needed in order to heal, or simply healed on its own with that time."
Dive into the sea of thought,
and find there pearls beyond price.
and find there pearls beyond price.
