How did I get here?
As I move through a new stage and evolution of life, this thought has been on my mind. How did I get here?
I started by starting. I took it one day at a time and I prioritized the hard internal work that most others avoid because it's painful and it's difficult.
Now, I will never throw transparency out the window and say that my life has been perfect every step of the way. It hasn't been. There have been times in my life where I have quite literally been on the ground- crying, confused, and wondering why life was so hard on me.
I'm a good person. I work hard. Why me?
Through that internal work, I finally realized that what really counts is when you choose to recognize your pain and trauma and to tackle it head on. The baggage you carry will be there regardless of your acknowledgement of it. Choosing to ignore it is no less painful or traumatic than choosing to dive deep and address it head on.
The truth is that your pain and trauma doesn't require you to admit that it exists. You wear it around regardless of acknowledging it or not, and when you do, it wears you down. The more trauma and pain you layer on, the heavier and heavier it becomes. It's like layering heavy chains on your neck, never bothering to stop and take them off, and continually adding to the layers.
Even though it's hard to step back and acknowledge those layers, it's imperative to do so. If you don't, they'll keep holding you back, weighing you down and making you tired and weary. They'll keep you from all that you are truly meant to be, and prohibit you from doing that you're truly meant to do.
If you do decide to start - by starting - your journey will be a personal one. There's no perfect blueprint to how you decide to start. It could look like:
Talking to a Friend
Journaling
Hiring a Therapist
Attending Group Therapy
Starting Yoga
The healing process is yours and yours alone. There's no requirement to make your journey look like anyone else's.
By healing you will gain incredible strength and peace.
The greatest gift and source of love and light I have found is that which comes through healing. By addressing the baggage, you then get to use that reworked strength and understanding to inspire and help others!
Your journey will look much the same. Whether it's directly or indirectly, others will see your light and wonder what you've done in order for it to shine so brightly.
You will begin to see all the blessings and opportunities around you that were on the other side of pain and trauma; that before healing, you never knew existed. Those blessings could come to you in the form of a new job, a new relationship, or newfound confidence and love for yourself and others around you.
You will be able to trust yourself because you're healing. Through that, you'll listen to yourself and your intuition. Your intuition is strong within you and she's never lead you down the wrong path. Trust your intuition.
You will feel alive and free!
All of these opportunities and blessings are available to you, but they're waiting for you to shed your chains. Whether yours show up in the form of depression, anxiety, PTSD - they're not you and you're no longer required to carry them.
Just like I said in the beginning of this blog, I won't throw transparency away and say that this journey will be easy. However, I will tell you that it'll be worth it - beyond your wildest dreams - and that the true form of who you are will appear as you heal.
Take the leap. Start healing so you can truly find yourself.
Until next time,
B