Russell discusses the importance of self-reflection in healing and having a healthy relationship with trauma. He emphasizes that self-reflection should not be abusive and critical in a negative way. It is a practice that takes time to develop and is important for those who have experienced abuse. Strong self-reflective ability is one of the most important tools in healing and the journey to recovery. Russell encourages everyone to be mindful of the importance of self-reflection in their healing journey.
"I think that one of the most meaningful and powerful tools in my arsenal of um, healing and um, my journey to having that healthy relationship with my trauma was the ability to be self-reflective. But to be self-reflective and not in a brutal sort of way where I'm beating myself up for what I see, but looking at myself in as objective way as possible, you know, and in a critical but again, like I say, not an abusive way. I mean, we've already been through enough abuse in our lives, we don't need to be the ones abusing ourselves.
And so I think, um, the practice, and I say practice consciously because it is a practice, it's not something that comes inherently or easy, it takes practice to be self-reflective and to be self-critical, um, in a way, like I say, that's not abusive. It's far too easy for us to be critical in an abusive way, especially for those of us who've spent many years being abused, um, because that abusive space is a natural place to be.
And um, so I think that at the end of the day, strong self-reflective ability is one of the most important tools in our arsenal of um, healing and in that journey. And so I just want to really encourage everyone, um, who sees this to be mindful of how important self-reflection can be. And uh, yeah, I think, uh, I think that was the key to a lot of my healing and my journey."
