Emotional Warriorship: The Courage to Keep Your Heart Open
Episode 2 of ENHEARTENED is here w/ Pat Divilly
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend and peer that I consider to be a brother in mission Pat Divilly. And something he said stayed with me.
We were talking about what it’s like to return home after you’ve changed. How it feels to stand in front of the people who once knew an old version of you and offer them the truth of who you are now.
Pat described sitting on stage, in front of a room full of people from his hometown, while he was talking about his new book on shadow work.
People who knew him as the boy who didn’t quite fit in.
People who saw him long before he became a teacher of shadow work, breathwork, or emotional healing.
And there he was, speaking about shame, vulnerability, and his inner child, in front of the same people he once tried to hide those things from.
“I was carrying a lot,” he said. “As open as I think I am, it was something else to be up there, talking about the inner critic, shame, and all these parts of myself, with people who knew me before.”
I felt that.
What he demonstrated in that moment was a unique form of emotional warriorship.
He demonstrated the courage to express his light and vulnerability in the places where it once needed to be concealed.
He demonstrated his willingness to keep his heart open in the places where he once needed to shut it down.
To me, that is self liberation at its finest.
It is the type of freedom that becomes available when you engage in authentic shadow integration.
The Fight That No Longer Serves Us
Pat spent years fighting in cages. Literally. He was a cage fighter in his teens. But what struck me most was his honesty about why he fought.
“It wasn’t love for the sport,” he said. “It was self-harm in a way. I was struggling with my mental health and I thought, physical pain makes more sense to me than this anxiety I can’t control.”
Maybe you’ve never stepped into a cage. But you’ve probably fought in other ways.
Fought to be seen. Fought to be good enough. Fought to prove you belonged in rooms where you questioned your worth. Fought to be approved of by other people.
And if you’re like me (or like Pat) you eventually realize… You can win those fights and still feel like you’ve lost. Because the real battle isn’t out there. It’s within.
Emotional warriorship, how to tackle shame and transform pain into power, is what I discuss with Pat Divilly in the second episode of ENHEARTENED.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
Why our culture’s definition of strength keeps us fragmented
The loneliness and shame many men carry (and how to heal it)
How to build trust with your own heart so you no longer abandon yourself in relationships
How men are being called to redefine masculinity and power
Why shadow work isn’t about fixing yourself, but becoming whole
Practical insights on individuation, emotional resilience, and breathwork as a healing tool.
And if you’ve ever struggled with the fear:
“If they really see me, they’ll leave…”
We talk about that, too.
Episode 2 of ENHEARTENED with Pat Divilly Is Live
🎥 Watch on YouTube.
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In gratitude and reverence,
— Xavier
Thank you Xavier.
Your post has inspired me.
It is time for us all to show our True Self and gifts and overcome any fear of reaction. Much love and gratitude
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so excited to listen 😍