Happy New Year beautiful travelers! If you are reading this, that means our Infinite Creator has blessed you to continue your journey of purpose, perseverance through persistence. However, we don’t travel through this world alone. Our relationships can be the catalyst that keep us going or they can shut our hopes and dreams down cold. One of the ironies of instant advanced technology is the fact that people are finding themselves more distant and insulated than ever before.

That notwithstanding, esteemed Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu puts it this way, “my humanity is caught up, and is inextricably bound up, in yours”. An African principle called Ubantu. Ummm…let that walk around the room for a minute. Yet, social media has millions of views and comments from various factions, i.e. of adult children “cutting off” their parents, (and vice-versa) vengeance, retribution and legal disputes because of real and perceived injustices. It’s insane how divided our world has become!

Yet we know that conflict, chaos and confusion is the oldest thing known to man. Adam blamed Eve for giving him the apple, and down the rabbit hole we go. All relationships will have some misunderstandings that cause us stress. In the medical world, it is called “the silent killer”.  But here’s the thing, we are still inextricably bound up, to that person, that child, or situation whether we deal with them in a healthy way or not. If unresolved, we get to imprison the stress within which, in turn impacts our own functioning. If things are resolved, we get to de-stress, and be free.

When we are stressed, our brain goes through physiological shifts. These shifts can impair our reasoning and memory. Unresolved issues can lead to stress that highjacks our amygdala (fear center), reduce hippocampus size (learning/memory), cause inflammation, disrupt neurotransmitter balance, and hinder new brain cell growth. These internal disruptions result in aging, brain fog, irritability, anxiety, depression, increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases and more.

So, while thinking about dealing with your internal or external conflict head on may seem daunting, would you rather the alternative? The good news is, there are healthier choices to consider, because “my humanity is caught up, and is inextricably bound up, in yours”. You are never alone in your struggles. Life is difficult. 

Lets be bound up together, and just maybe, set some hostages free. Ubantu.

Start the year right…Contact us today!