Reaching a breaking point isn’t always a bad thing.
Growing up, a family member sometimes said hurtful things about my weight. They may have made these comments out of love, but it affected my self-esteem and left me feeling judged and ashamed.
Years later when I was in my 30s, that family member came for a weekend and greeted me at the door with another hurtful comment about my body. I had been looking forward to the visit, and their words drained every bit of joy out of the occasion. In that moment, I reached my breaking point.
In the past, I held back from responding because I had bought into the notion (a limiting agreement) that their words were love. I realized anything that felt so energetically traumatic and soul-crushing was not an expression of love.
And there in the moment, through my tears, I spoke back to them for the first time: “Do you think I don’t realize I’m overweight? Your comments don’t help. They are hurtful, and they cause my heart to ache. You do NOT have my permission to say anything like that ever again.”
I had reached my breaking point and was no longer willing to be verbally abused. I set a healthy boundary. In that moment, my soul’s need for peace, acceptance, and respect was greater than the fear of standing in my power and speaking my truth.
Reaching a breaking point can (spiritually speaking) be a good thing on our healing journey. When we’re tired of struggling with the old ways of being and when the benefits of growth outweigh the fear of change, the wisdom of our soul can guide us forward in greater balance.
Sometimes we have to reach our breaking point in order to let the dysfunctional patterns and limiting agreements of the past fall away. When we get triggered in one of those old familiar situations, our discomfort can provide clarity, determination and momentum to help us break free of our usual ways of reacting to the world.
My story had a happy ending. The verbal abuse stopped and our relationship evolved and became more loving. I learned an important lesson about healthy boundaries, and this experience made it easier to access the wisdom of my soul and speak my truth from a compassionate, centered place in future situations.
When we reach our breaking point, all we need to do is step into that moment of grace and let our soul lead.
This work is real, and it matters.
July 21, 2021