It's not about curing the disease, but healing the life; then the physical benefits come.
Bernie SiegelRead
Part of my evolution has been to learn how painful most people's childhoods are. They grow up not liking themselves, not loving themselves. Ask people if they were lovable the minute they were born, and watch them sit back and have to think about it. One lady said, 'I suppose so.' That's painful.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the emotional scars carried from childhood that affect self-love and self-acceptance in adulthood.
Bernie Siegel's quote highlights the often unrecognized impact of childhood experiences on individuals' self-perception and emotional well-being. It underscores the pain of growing up in an environment where self-love is absent, prompting individuals to question their inherent worth from the moment they enter the world. This painful reflection can reveal deep-seated issues related to acceptance and self-esteem that persist into adulthood, emphasizing the need for nurturing and supportive childhood experiences.
Themes
ChildhoodSelf-LoveSelf-AcceptancePainEmotional Wounds
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational talk about overcoming childhood trauma and building self-acceptance.
More from Bernie Siegel
All quotes →Diseases can be our spiritual flat tires - disruptions in our lives that seem to be disasters at the time but end by redirecting our lives in a meaningful way.
Bernie SiegelRead
It is astounding how much the immune system is strengthened by reducing daily mental stress levels with either visualization or meditation. The other great tonic for the immune system is love—loving ourselves as well as others.
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I truly feel the best doctors are ones who are criticized by nurses, patients and family. They do not make excuses and learn from their mistakes.
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Being a survivor doesn't mean being strong - it's telling people when you need a meal or a ride, company, whatever. It's paying attention to heart wisdom, feelings, not living a role, but having a unique, authentic life, having something to contribute, finding time to love and laugh. All these things are qualities of survivors.
Bernie SiegelRead
Getting well is not the only goal. Even more important is learning to live without fear, to be at peace with life and ultimately death.
Bernie SiegelRead
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