I feel the need to explain my statement above by adding a very personal report. Here it is:

I have been a seeker. And I am still looking for help and relief in order to feel better, which might mean that I am still in need for support in what I would call a healing process.

In the last years I made progress, and now I feel a lot better than before. And I want to share not only my downs, setbacks, flaws and myseries, but also my small successes, improvements, step-aheads and ups.

The most important insight I had during this phase of recovery (or healing, although this is not completed and may never be) is this:

Spiritual support was one of the sources on the helpful side. I consciously avoided anything that was or could have been mentally disturbing or harmful. Instead I tried to preoccupy myself mostly with strengthening and encouraging things.

But going for good influences and avoiding bad influences and environments is only one step, a good first step I would say.

More important and finally most effective (to me) was what I would stress out as the decisive second step: To let the healthy part within oneself grow.

Spirituality given from others, coming in from outside, only helped me when I "responded". To me, the search for balance, peace and harmony in the teachings and scriptures of others, finally proved nothing else than a search for a way to my own inner sources and resources.

I thought I was looking for guidance. What I found instead was that there is no guidance necessary, because all I need is already there, and always has been, like a kind of a inner sanctum or a inner core that never was hurt or spoiled.

To all those who seek I want to say just this: don't forget to look deeply into yourself. That what resonates within might be what you are looking for.

I knew that my search was successful when I could stop desperately looking for external wisdom. So there is no more need to follow other voices. I admit, this has always been my aim, because I appreciate my personal freedom very much. Seeking is not the whole thing and not the only point. Finding is very important, too. That's all.

That is what I wanted to point out in order to make my point of view given in my posting above a bit more understandable. And maybe this is a little help for all those who are still in phase one (search), on the way to phase two (having found).

Best wishes,
bluenarciss