Pain, scars, and setbacks often feel like they disqualify us...but what if they are the very things that qualify us? In Part 3 of our Growing Pains series, we explore the archetype of the Wounded Healer, a universal pattern showing how our struggles can become the ground of compassion, service, and deeper connection.

Drawing from the Greek myth of Chiron, insights from spiritual teachers, and real-life reflections, this talk unpacks how the wounds we carry might actually reveal our strength, deepen our empathy, and open us to healing both ourselves and others.

Quotes:

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  Kahlil Gibran: Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.

  
  


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  Rumi: The wound is the place where the Light enters you.

  
  


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  Stevie Wonder: Shortly after my birth I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it’s allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?

  
  


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  Helen Keller: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.

  
  


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  Henri Nouwen: When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.

  
  


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  Pema Chödrön: Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.