Loving our Tiny Cuts

A reminder to pause when we hurt

The universe is like a mirror, showing us different angles of ourselves. I believe that we unconsciously attract experiences that show us what we need to see in that mirror. It is through this reflection that we learn in order to understand ourselves and come into better alignment.

I am writing this while lying down on my back, having just cut myself with a kitchen knife. Although a small cut, it’s on the inside of the end of my index finger and is forcing me to stop what I was doing.

I've noticed that I only hurt myself when I'm pushing too hard. It’s the chaotic harvest season and this is a time I get easily overwhelmed in the midst of my perpetual homesteading efforts. As I prepared for this task, I took a moment to consciously decide if I needed more rest before tackling another major kitchen project. Though I felt like I could use a 20-minute break for silence, the day was already getting late. So, I decided to compromise and take two-minutes before starting on my big job. But as fate would have it, only five minutes into my project, I nicked my finger, causing it to bleed, forcing that 20 minute break and a chance to heed the message to slow down and be more conscious of my finger and my Self. 

I have come to understand that the human body has its own innate capability to heal itself and I put this into practice in all of my activity. This knowledge has changed my approach to minor cuts, as I no longer reach for Band-Aids or try to clean cuts with various substances or even water. Instead, I grab a clean rag and lay down until I am done bleeding. I've learned to trust the natural process of bleeding, which serves as a cleansing mechanism for the wound. As the blood clots over about 20 minutes, it forms a natural "liquid Band-Aid" that is far more effective than any store-bought product. By allowing this process to happen, I've noticed that cuts heal much faster and I’m usually able to resume activity without bleeding within 30 minutes. Alternatively, the conventional way of treating a cut would have me nursing a painful swollen cut and soggy Band-Aid for over a week. By taking the time for myself and letting nature do its thing, the healing time reduces significantly, there is minimal pain and the cut often disappears within a couple days without any visible scar.

This is a reminder to pause when we hurt ourselves, allow nature to assist us and honor the message that is being sent through our current scenario. This isn't just a habit of mine when I have a small cut; it's something that I do in a much larger sense. I pay attention to when I'm hurting and take the time to observe my thoughts and actions, as well as the messages being sent back to me by my environment. Then, I focus on what is needed to adjust myself to better align with time, space, reality, and myself in the present moment. So may this be a little manifesto for loving our tiny cuts.