
The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves

Hiding your hurt only intensifies it. Problems grow in the dark and become bigger and bigger, but when exposed to the light of truth, they shrink. You are only as sick as your secrets. So take off your mask, stop pretending you’re perfect, and walk into freedom.
Rick Warren • The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?
Awareness of yourself and your relationship with God are intricately related. In fact, the challenge to shed our “old false” self in order to live authentically in our “new true” self strikes at the very core of authentic spirituality.
Peter Scazzero • Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature
Samskara — an “undigested emotion” that affects us through life. This reminds me Grof’s COEX’s. There might be moments of shame, or embarrassment, or cowardice. Why did that happen? What’s the source of that? By following down our negative virtues, you can get to the root, and then invert it into a positive virtue that address the core tension.
If we do act when we feel shame, whatever we do usually makes things worse, not better. In contrast, guilt is motivating. When we feel guilt, we are more likely to make positive changes in our behavior and to engage in interpersonal problem solving.