This book gave me so much to think about that it’s taken me a while to share about it. Louis Busch is so transparent and open in his writing that you can’t help but admire him. Carry Your Heart: Indigenous Helping Wisdom and the Science of Psychological Flexibility is a challenging read in more than one way, but I’m very glad I stuck with it.
The first challenge for me was that I was unfamiliar with both the indigenous ways of thinking and the Western psychological framework that form the background for the teachings that Busch shares. I learned a great deal about both and came out of the book with some great perspectives on coping with life’s challenges.
Another challenge for me was that the book rambled a bit and changed focus suddenly from Busch and the people he interviews helping the reader to all of us hoping Busch can get the help he needs when his brother dies partway through the book. I was so concerned for Busch that I forgot all about trying to learn for myself. Of course, that probably taught me a lot about letting people deal with their own traumatic experiences in their own way (which I have needed to practice a lot lately, so it’s a very useful skill).
Nonetheless, I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn about resilience from the elders Busch talks to, mostly from western Canada, but also from all over Turtle Island, as I’m getting accustomed to calling our part of the world. I had to think a lot about how these Native Americans view pain, suffering, and sadness. The idea of carrying your heart, not hiding it but treating it gently, opened my eyes to a different way of coping.
I learned the important lesson that pain and sorrow can be your teachers that don’t necessarily leave you. They help you move on and gain wisdom that you can share with others you encounter. This really made me look at how I’ve lived my life differently. I’ve spent so much effort to bury my pain, not show my hurt, and “feel good,” that I’ve missed out on some potential lessons and the chance to act more authentically.
Honestly, some of my ideas about mental health and resilience have been shifted so much that I need to continue to dwell on what I’ve found in this book. I may need to re-read parts. I’m not going to usurp any Native American practices, though I found many of them fascinating. That feels like appropriating other people’s cultures. I think I can find equivalents of being in ceremony, offering tobacco, or doing a sweat lodge within my own spiritual heritage. That feels appropriate to me.
I may not have made much sense here, and this is the best I can do after a few days of introspection. If you are interested in different perspectives on life’s struggles and willing to put in the effort to take in new ideas that aren’t spoon fed (you have to work!), this book can help you learn to carry your heart toward wisdom and compassion.
