Saving ourselves on our own

There is no specialist who can save me with his or her analyses or remedies. “Salvation” is the art of living, and this art is learned by living. No one can live for me or take my place. There is no professional or counselor who can instill the necessary courage into a disciple and enable that person to dash off down the slope of salvation. It is the disciple who must draw from his or her ancestral depths the basic energy in order to dare to face the mystery of life with all its challenges, demands and threats.

You are the one who can and must save yourself in order to acquire peace of mind and joy of living. For this, you must, first of all, believe in yourself and be aware that every human being is endowed with enormous possibilities that are usually dormant in one’s inner recesses. But once these talents are awakened and brought to light, one can do much more than he or she had ever imagined. Besides, you have at your disposal the wonder of your mind, filled with positive forces to which you can give free rein.

To save oneself means to release the energies which have built up inside, and give them free rein in the service of others. In a word, it means to arrive at total security and absence of fear to move ahead, slowly but surely, from slavery to freedom.

And this sacred task no one will do for me or instead of me, I have to be the "savior" of myself.

Extracted from de book “From Suffering to Peace” by Fr. Ignacio Larrañaga.