The world breaks everyone sooner or later. That is its agenda. Forget the puppies and kittens approach to life. It doesn’t work when the stuff hits the fan. You have to break so far open and fall so far down that no one can reach you. It feels like hell. All hope is lost.

My teacher could produce that state in his students just by walking into the room. He used to say, “You feel it but you don’t KNOW it!” Because only feeling it does you no good. You have to know you are feeling it.

His secretary wasn’t much help either. After I was dangerously ill some years ago I got up the courage to call and ask her for help. She said, “This work is not about the body. Know that you are lying on the bed and crying. Say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.’”

That was not what I wanted to hear but it was what I needed. Face to face with my actual condition. Not sugar-coating it, not bargaining with God, not asking a loved one to take the burden off. Just being with your actual state. And if you can do that, your life will be changed. Not all at once, but over time.

You will wake up and smell the coffee. Being broken has freed you from certain things. You realize that you don’t owe anyone anything but your own inner healing. Never have, never will. Your duty is to self-awakening. First things first.

I get seriously turned off by people who advocate for the “love and light” approach to truth. If it is not undergirded with strength and toughness toward darkness, it isn’t helpful. Beware of people pushing their own agendas of “just loving everybody.” As my teacher said, “What a dangerous doctrine that is!”

I am here online to serve what I can and forget the rest. True compassion, as Vernon Howard said, is to be tough on the uncompassionate. Self-love never needs explaining to another human being. Your explaining days are over. Shine on.

Vicki Woodyard