When Spite becomes Self-Destructive

You might be older, wiser, and a bit more mature than this, but you can probably recognize it as the battle cry of the teenager:“You cannot tell me what to do, and more you try, the harder I will fight to do what I want, and if you push I’ll do the opposite just to spite you!”I might not have been aware of it at the time, but my teenage self certainly sang that song a time or twenty. And “the opposite” was not always in my best interests. OK, maybe it was never in my best interest. And the mistakes that followed became the fodder for many of the healing sessions I’ve needed as I got older.No one wants to feel controlled or dominated. We all need autonomy. But we also need to understand our needs and our strengths so that the rebellion against what feels like a controlling authority actually honors our true needs and does not lead us into potentially harmful situations.As parents, when our children make choices that frighten us, we end up blaming ourselves and questioning what we did wrong to create this situation. Yet, this is a part of the dance of the souls, as painful as it may be.Whether you are in the parent role, or you are or once were in the young adult role, this dance leaves scars that need love, understanding, and forgiveness to heal.This is the topic of this week’s Meditation & Healing Circle. Listen to this episode for a heart-centered healing experience. You're invited to join us LIVE for The Meditation & Healing Circle - every Sunday at 10am US ET / 7am US PT. When you join live, you can stay on after the recorded meditation for Q&A, support and discussion. http://CommunityforConsciousLiving.com