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Those Who Trigger You The Most, Are Your Greatest Teachers
Sometimes We Cannot Escape Ourselves
“You can experience the magic of turning toward yourself when you get triggered and listening to what is being revealed, giving your reactions the accepting attention they need to transform.” — Mary O’Malley
Take a moment to think of someone that triggers negative emotions within you. I realise it may be unpleasant, but notice the emotions that arise when you think of this person.
Whilst it is difficult to understand, this person is pointing you towards your healing. They are a messenger to help you identify emotional wounds that require healing. I too have such people in my life and whilst I continue to work through my emotional pain, I can see the gift this experience brings to my life.
Healing takes place in layers and often requires revisiting something we thought we had transformed.
People often ask me: “How will I know when I have healed my emotional wounds?” When the person no longer inflames the emotions, they once triggered.
As I write this article, I have an image in my mind of a Band-Aid being removed where healing has taken place. The reason this person provokes you, is you associate them with your wounds. For example, if the person triggers anger in you, you likely believe: “This person makes me angry.”
But they are not the source of your anger, they are the trigger for the anger already present within you.
Does this make sense? Can you see how they are not responsible for your anger because the anger was there in the first place? I’m not suggesting it is your fault because we all carry emotional wounds. Those who heal their wounds instead of allowing them to grow and fester, find peace and harmony.
Sometimes, we cannot escape our own healing because we have no other choice than to deal with it.
We may run away from the negative emotions or avoid the people that trigger our wounds, but eventually another person will show up who activates the same hurt. We must experience the healing to…
