Shame is a corrosive motherf*cker. It can be the great motivator, making us work more than we should, or less that we should. Shame makes us eat more than we should or less that we should. It makes us blame ourselves or others. It makes us hide. We try and prove the shaming voice wrong or try to prove it right. If shame could be harnessed as an energy source it could easily replace fossil fuels.
There is another effect though, one seldom discussed. Shame keeps us from honestly and realistically looking at our own sh*t. It keeps us from admitting our mistakes in a genuine way and allowing grace to intercede. We all carry the human propensity to fuck things up, but how in the wellness community might we use compassion for one another, and a nonjudgmental spirit to invite the truth - good and bad about what we have done and who we are? What might we learn form the transformation of the human heart we see happening in 12-step programs? Can we believe in the divine love that connects us all enough to admit the times we don't have what it takes and must rely on a power that is greater than us? Class time devoted to lecture: 21-30 minutes
