The Importance of Self-Responsibility in Healing

It is essential for a healer to gain awareness of his or her own motivations and ego-involvement in the healing process, and to seek self-healing for any distortions in this realm, so that he or she will not "get in the way" of what is truly possible in Healing.

Self-responsibility also describes a much deeper truth in healing. That aspect of our being that is closest to the Divine - Our Highest Self - is, in the deepest sense, responsible for the entire course of our lives. This includes even our choice of parents as well as the tragedies and good fortunes that may befall us. The reason that our Highest Self would make such choices as, for example, allowing us to experience a tragedy, may seem unfathomable or cruel to our lower, or conscious, self. However, such experiences inevitably serve a purpose in our soul's journey toward Wholeness. We might believe that there can be no value or purpose for suffering to befall, say, an innocent child, but all experiences in life are designed by our Highest Self to foster greater spiritual wisdom in our lower, conscious self.

We may resent or hate suffering, but it is through suffering that we often come to develop our deepest wisdom, such as a genuine humility, a deeper compassion for others' plights, or a fuller appreciation and acceptance of the impermanence of life in this world. Suffering also at times leads us to find within ourselves greater strength and resilience than we may believe possible.

If all of the experiences that we encounter in life are the choices of our Highest Self, then there would be little point for us to bemoan such choices. We may resent, for example, a tragedy that occurred to us in our childhood or an unfair boss that we may have in the present, but the more that we blame others or God for these experiences, the more that we distance ourselves from the real author of our life, which is our Highest Self. The Highest Self is always motivated by the highest good for our own self and for others.

Accepting that our Highest Self is responsible for all of our experiences does not mean that we should live life passively. When, for example, we experience disappointments or disasters, the very act of facing them can lead to growth in the wisdom of our conscious self, just as muscles will grow in strength as a result of being repeatedly challenged.

When we truly accept our central role in determining the course of our life, we shed the useless burden of blaming others for our suffering. However, it would be a mistake to simply shift the blame for our misfortunes onto ourselves, because harsh judgements, whether of ourselves or of others, are usually not in harmony with the loving and compassionate spirit of our Highest Self. When we remain stuck in feelings of shame (blaming ourselves) or of victimhood (blaming others), we disempower ourselves. If we dwell in shame, we lose sight of our innate goodness, and if we dwell in victimhood, we lose sight of our ability to choose how we experience each moment. For example, if we encounter a setback to our plans, we do not really help ourselves or anyone else if we keep dwelling on how unjust this unplanned event is, or on how stupid we were to have allowed it to happen. We are far more in alignment with Spirit when we can open to viewing such setbacks as part of the ever-changing flow of life. When we open to this larger horizon, we allow ourselves to experience greater healing and freedom. In accepting true Self-responsibility, we are most in harmony with the Divine and most empowered to grow toward Wholeness.