Issue of shame

I used to be notoriously famous in some pubs for throwing up all over the place. Yes, these were my regular haunts where I never fail to go overboard with my drinking. In one particular pub, the bartenders know me so well that every time I walk in, they hand me a plastic bag and ask me to hang it around my ears, just in case.

I know that many of the people I used to know such as the bartenders can never believe that I am a different person now. It is funny how decisions we make in life affect us on so many levels.

In all of these years, I have counseled so many people from all walks of life. The key challenge for many who have made mistakes in the past and would like to start anew is the issue of shame.

Shame holds people back, and puts them in a position of fear and guilt which can also lead to self punishment.

Remarks by others to hang a plastic bag around my ears can be humiliating from a negative perspective. And if I gave it the power to hold me back, I would still be hiding behind the bottle.

If shame is what is holding you back, stand tall and allow the words of others to slide off you, and continue to walk with dignity for the past has no hold over you, unless you allow it to. Instead, walk towards the creation of a better and more powerful tomorrow.

@ 2008 Shamala Tan

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