What are you doing with your pain? from Jewel Diamond Taylor

Each month, as the Self-esteem Dr., I am a featured guest on Wednesday Wellness with Dominque DiPrima on Stevie Wonder's radio station in Los Angeles, 102.3, Front Page program. I take calls about all types of wellness, especially emotional wellness. This morning a woman called about her broken relationship and broken heart from her cheating spouse. She was troubled because her church advised her to just pray and didn't give her any further support. This is a great example of WHY I am passionate about sharing more resources for women to heal and grow. Yes, we need faith and prayer but we also need support, insights and practical steps to overcome isolation, guilt, shame, suicide, anger, depression and repeating old relationship patterns.

The following is an excerpt from my "Stay in the Light Booklet series" ....

"Pain, loss and suffering invites you to learn that you cannot control, explain, fix, change or understand all things and all people.

Call it suppression, depression or repression or whatever... the point is that we have a tendency to avoid pain. Not because we are wimpy. Much of the time we avoid pain as a way to "stay strong". We avoid pain because it feels overwhelmingly huge and heavy. There just doesn't seem to be enough "space" to deal with it. We think that we have to stay strong, for our mate, parents, our children, our job, or our church/public face. Life just keeps moving, and for most of us, at a pretty quick pace. So, what do we do? We stuff and push down our pain with food, shopping, sleep, drink/drugs or staying busy...and survive...until life calls us out to deal with it and heal.

When you are battling with the UNFAIR, UNCERTAIN, UNCOMFORTABLE, UNBELIEVABLE or the INCONVENIENT times in your life ... your faith and emotional strength will be tested. God knows your spiritual and emotional address. God's word says He will never leave us or forsake us. We all experience major and minor "shifts" in our lives. Review this message often. Get equipped so you can't be whipped by the shift, storms and stress life brings.

It is possible to find your voice and stand on your holy ground to proclaim that you will no longer live with condemnation, complicated relationships, abuse, injustice, disappointments that don't heal, silent suffering, feeling insecure, worried, embarrassed and living with secret shame.

No more "cover girls". Take off your masks. Increase your faith. Build up your self-esteem. Know your value and purpose in God. Become spiritual warrior women. Let's grow!!!"

I look forward to seeing you at my monthly evenings of empowerment and