This beautiful illustration by A Peace of Work resonates so strongly with me. Compassion and story are key to my work as a Counsellor and Psychotherapist. Much of my practise is focussed upon narrative therapy. I explore with individuals the stories they hold about their lives and relationships and also the context in which these stories were formed and written. I believe that the stories we hold about ourselves are key to decisions we make about our lives.
I sometimes view life as a river you travel along, collecting stories along the way. Over time, you may look at the stories you’ve collected and wonder whether you wish to keep hold of some of them. You may decide to leave certain stories safely on the riverbank before continuing on with your journey. There may be others stories you realise you regret leaving behind, stories you’ve struggled to listen to before or perhaps even believe. Retrieving these stories may become your focus before you continue your onward journey. The river of life allows for all these possibilities, they’re your stories, you get to choose how you write them and what you do with them. But, very quickly, you’ll notice how writing your stories with ‘Compassion tinted ink’ makes the journey along your river so much more comfortable.
I wonder if you hold any stories you would have written differently with ‘Compassion tinted ink’?