Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Healing needs courage

Healing needs courage

by MITA MISTRY 

IF IN 2020 most of us collectively grieved in some way, then 2021 can become the year for healing. It can be the year to overcome losses, take better care of our mental and physical health, reshape our thoughts, live more and make meaningful changes in the world. But what does it really mean to heal?


True healing takes time and is entirely possible. It is embracing yourself as whole in health, relationships and the world around you, without blame.

But what if you feel you have the right to blame the past, family, friends, your partner, the government or whoever wronged you for what happened?

You might be right, but it really doesn’t matter or serve you because blame is poisonous to hold on to. And the longer you hold on to it, the weaker you feel and the harder it is to be true to yourself. The moment you place blame, you undermine your ability to create change, both internally and externally. Put simply, you cannot move forward until you release some of the blame, anger and sorrow that have accumulated over time.

Truly healing also requires having open, honest and empathetic conversations, which hold others and ourselves accountable for actions. Holding people accountable takes a lot more courage and self-awareness than blaming and fault-finding.

When we place too much importance on our thoughts or the opinions of others, it’s easy to magnify differences and take things personally. It’s ok to have diverse outlooks – open mindedness and acceptance are strengths that push you forward on your journey, creating more unity over hate, more understanding and less arguing.

And after all, getting your relationships with people smoother is the foundation for a happier life. But it takes courage to forgive those who hurt you, to admit a mistake or know when to walk away.

Although stepping into it can feel scary, courage is essential to healing many aspects of our lives. Courage is owning your story, actions and responsibilities. Courage means taking an honest look at ourselves even when we don’t like what we see. Courage is talking about what you are afraid to say. Courage is sitting with discomfort and coming out the other side of it stronger or still broken but trusting you will be ok.

Interestingly, courage originates from coeur, the French word for heart. So, it is an inner strength, guided by love, which seeks truth. When you have the courage to be true to yourself, you start to let your guard down, which makes it easier for others to do the same.

Living from this heart space encourages more self-love and respect for others. You will find more joy in simple things and relating to people better as your compassion shines through instead of judging.

As we walk into 2021 with an opportunity for a fresh new beginning, I hope you find courage to open your heart a little bit more to push you forward. And I hope you know this will give comfort to all who cross your path. I hope we all blame a lot less, love a lot more and take compassionate and courageous responsibility for our lives. Keep remembering, no matter how bad things get, you can heal. Everyone can heal. I wish you a happier, healthy 2021.

www.mitamistry.co.uk

More For You

One year on, Starmer still has no story — but plenty of regrets

Sir Keir Starmer

Getty Images

One year on, Starmer still has no story — but plenty of regrets

Do not expect any parties in Downing Street to celebrate the government’s first birthday on Friday (4). After a rocky year, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer had more than a few regrets when giving interviews about his first year in office.

He explained that he chose the wrong chief of staff. That his opening economic narrative was too gloomy. That choosing the winter fuel allowance as a symbol of fiscal responsibility backfired. Starmer ‘deeply regretted’ the speech he gave to launch his immigration white paper, from which only the phrase ‘island of strangers’ cut through. Can any previous political leader have been quite so self-critical of their own record in real time?

Keep ReadingShow less
starmer-bangladesh-migration
Sir Keir Starmer
Getty Images

Comment: Can Starmer turn Windrush promises into policy?

Anniversaries can catalyse action. The government appointed the first Windrush Commissioner last week, shortly before Windrush Day, this year marking the 77th anniversary of the ship’s arrival in Britain.

The Windrush generation came to Britain believing what the law said – that they were British subjects, with equal rights in the mother country. But they were to discover a different reality – not just in the 1950s, but in this century too. It is five years since Wendy Williams proposed this external oversight in her review of the lessons of the Windrush scandal. The delay has damaged confidence in the compensation scheme. Williams’ proposal had been for a broader Migrants Commissioner role, since the change needed in Home Office culture went beyond the treatment of the Windrush generation itself.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh

Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh’s ‘Sapphire’ collaboration misses the mark

The song everyone is talking about this month is Sapphire – Ed Sheeran’s collaboration with Arijit Singh. But instead of a true duet, Arijit takes more of a backing role to the British pop superstar, which is a shame, considering he is the most followed artist on Spotify. The Indian superstar deserved a stronger presence on the otherwise catchy track. On the positive side, Sapphire may inspire more international artists to incorporate Indian elements into their music. But going forward, any major Indian names involved in global collaborations should insist on equal billing, rather than letting western stars ride on their popularity.

  Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh

Keep ReadingShow less
If ayatollahs fall, who will run Teheran next?

Portraits of Iranian military generals and nuclear scientists, killed in Israel’s last Friday (13) attack, are seen above a road, as heavy smoke rises from an oil refinery in southern Teheran hit in an overnight Israeli strike last Sunday (15)

If ayatollahs fall, who will run Teheran next?

THERE is one question to which none of us has the answer: if the ayatollahs are toppled, who will take over in Teheran?

I am surprised that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, has lasted as long as he has. He is 86, and would achieve immortality as a “martyr” in the eyes of regime supporters if the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, succeeded in assassinating him. This was apparently Netanyahu’s plan, though he was apparently dissuaded by US president Donald Trump from going ahead with the killing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Comment: Talking about race isn’t racist – ignoring it helped grooming gangs thrive

A woman poses with a sign as members of the public queue to enter a council meeting during a protest calling for justice for victims of sexual abuse and grooming gangs, outside the council offices at City Centre on January 20, 2025 in Oldham, England

Getty Images

Comment: Talking about race isn’t racist – ignoring it helped grooming gangs thrive

WAS a national inquiry needed into so-called grooming gangs? Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer did not think so in January, but now accepts Dame Louise Casey’s recommendation to commission one.

The previous Conservative government – having held a seven-year national inquiry into child sexual abuse – started loudly championing a new national inquiry once it lost the power to call one. Casey explains why she changed her mind too after her four-month, rapid audit into actions taken and missed on group-based exploitation and abuse. A headline Casey theme is the ‘shying away’ from race.

Keep ReadingShow less