Recently I was speaking with a veterinary nurse who told me how relieved she was when declawing was de-popularized. She told me they not only remove the claw, but the first knuckle as well.
Being someone who is sensitive about my own body and grateful for everything it does for me (even though.I don’t pause enough in life to really sit with this gratitude!), I didn’t even consider declawing my kitty when we got her last year. How could I take away an intrinsic part of her existence? Part of what gives her power and self-expression?
Relatedly, last week, I had a conversation with friends about how their kids growing up feel/felt pressured by peers not to do homework or study for tests in middle school cuz it wasn’t cool to do that. I do remember myself feeling uncool that I had to study to do well on tests as opposed to those people who seemed to get effortless As in middle school. Nonetheless, I continued to study.
Never did I consider throwing out a homework assignment I completed out of fear of not fitting in with peers who refused to do homework—as was the case with the child of a friend of mine.
What must it feel like to work hard on a project and then tear it up because of what others think? To throw your heart and soul into something and then discard it.
I don’t know all the answers to this but I do know that going against one’s gut weakens one connection with one’s gut and is emotionally, mentally, and physically unhealthy.
How disempowering it must be!
Surely, this contributes to a lack of trust in oneself.
One that will continue to play out in our lives—as long as we continue to put the opinions and desires of others above our own, and sabotage ourselves and hold ourselves back in the name of fitting in.
Mindful Nuggets 