The Gift of Our Compulsions

I am struck by the force with which Mary O'Malley's book, The Gift of our Compulsions, has hit me. It speaks so clearly to me, directly to my heart. Thanks, Toni, for suggesting this book, as I feel so relieved to have found it. Here's a quote that resonates for me: Thank God that controlling my compulsion didn't work for me. Stripped of any illusion that I was powerful enough to be in charge of these deep forces that would come roaring through me, I began to hear, as if over a very fuzzy phone line, a deep knowing inside me. This knowing said that lasting healing comes from being curious rather than controlling, that it comes from mercy rather than manipulation, from responding rather than reacting. It is about opening what has been closed, reclaiming what has been hidden, and remembering what has been forgotten.

The bottomline of this book is that when we eat (or do anything else) compulsively, it's merely a way of communicating with ourselves. She says, "When we overeat, overspend, or overwork, what we are truly craving is ourselves." Wow. Lightbulb moment for me.

I'm feeling such peace as I read this book, finding my work of so many years falling into place for myself. It's a wonderful gift to me. I hope it's a similar gift to you. Her web site has some articles, classes, and other information: http://http://www.maryomalley.com/index.htm