If we are willing to get past the personal embarrassment – and if we have a safe, encouraging environment to heal in – we can transform areas of our lives where we experience deep shame or any other poverty or lack.

Often we don’t take steps to help ourselves because that would mean admitting some deficiency – which the older or more aware we become, the more painfully embarrassing and harder it is to accept.

Two things we should keep in mind that will make this acceptance much easier and help us see how worthwhile it is to tackle our fears and anxieties:

First, you are not the only one in this position. Everyone has some personality defect or character flaw they’ve put off dealing with, which thwarts them and makes life unnecessarily miserable.

Second, once you can fully acknowledge the problem with a view to resolving it, a huge release of energy takes place. Not only will you be liberated, but you also will have the opportunity to bring your own originality or point of view to the solution.

There are as many ways to approach universal flaws of personality as there are people. True liberation comes when we – working with the guidance of the Holy Spirit who animates all souls – apply an authentic solution, something that no doctor, therapist, pastoral counselor or friend can do for us.

The end result? Not only will you no longer be blocked or imprisoned, but you now bring a whole new thing – a blessing – into the world. Namely, you.