Have you ever wondered why certain things bother you so deeply, even when they don't seem to affect other people the same way?

Maybe someone doesn't return your call, and you immediately wonder if you've done something wrong. Maybe a little criticism leaves you questioning yourself for the rest of the day. Or maybe you've become so accustomed to being the strong one, the dependable one, the one everybody can count on, that you don't even recognize how much it's costing you.

In this episode, we're talking about core wounds. Those emotional injuries that often begin early in life and shape what we believe about ourselves, other people, and even God. Sometimes these wounds come from what happened to us. Other times, they come from what we needed that never happened.

And because we haven't recognized or addressed them, we've learned to cover them up with achievement, productivity, independence, and all the other ways we try to protect ourselves from being hurt again.

But just because you've buried a wound doesn't mean it has healed.

I want to invite you to begin paying attention to what you've been carrying, what you've been believing, and what your pain may be trying to communicate. We're going to spend the next few episodes unpacking these wounds, because I believe there's freedom on the other side of facing what we've been taught to hide.

Life Work

This week, I want you to start paying attention to the things you tell yourself when something hurts, disappoints, or upsets you.

Do you find yourself saying things like, "Nobody ever shows up for me," "I always have to do everything myself," or "I can never count on anybody"?

Notice those always and never statements. Write them down if you can.

Don't judge yourself or rush to change them. Just get curious about what you've been believing and where those beliefs may have come from.

Because sometimes what hurts today is touching a wound you've been carrying for years.