When the Holiday Season Is Difficult: Secrets and Seasons of the Journey
Holiday Seasons can be difficult. When you hear, “Secrets [...]
Ways to Practice Gratitude
There are many ways to practice gratitude. For instance, [...]
Releasing – Part of Healing Our Woundedness
“We are all wounded in some way. What we [...]
Keeping Grounded During Unstable Times
The first rule of when you get yourself lost during hiking is to stop walking. The next is to take a deep breath so you can slow your mind down from racing. Only then can you begin to formulate an action plan. Finding yourself suddenly in an unstable time is very similar. You might have thought you were doing everything right, for it all to go horribly awry in a matter of moments.
Panic robs us of our abilities to think critically and objectively. It forces us into such heightened states of anxiety that we not only fear, but believe, the worst possible situation could occur. This phenomenon known as catastrophizing amplifies the normal triggers and limited beliefs, we bravely tackle every day. This is particularly true for those of us who have suffered traumatic events in our lives like sexual abuse.
As the world is currently facing panic due to the grips of Covid-19 we all benefit from strengthening our abilities to ground ourselves during precarious times. Please explore one or more of the following exercises to help you rediscover your sense of stability and reclaim your power to enjoy life as a thriver.
Surviving Shame
You might not be aware, but April is Sexual Abuse Awareness Month. To honor all survivors, we want to take a step back to help you look at your journey out of the dark and into wholeness. Here at Survivors to Thrivers, we seek to bring awareness and shine a light onto the shame, silence, and darkness of sexual abuse.
Shame is often one of the hallmarks of facing sexual abuse. A dark feeling of doubt centered around the nagging thought “if only, then…” If only we hadn’t entered that room. If only we hadn’t listened to that manipulation. If only we spoke up. If only we were stronger. The list goes on and drags us deeper into a shame spiral.
Begin by understanding what your limiting beliefs are trying to teach you. Even the harshest critic has insight embedded in the noise. It’s up to you to find the time to create a pause in your life to better hear and understand the engrained script in your head. In the pause, nonjudgmentally observe the themes and narratives, realizing you have the ability to rewrite your narrative if you are kind and patient with yourself. It is unfair to your spirit to blame yourself for being in a particular location or the actions of another person. Instead, focus on the aspects that directly were and are within your control.
You 2.020
New Year’s Day is a wonderful way for us to remember that every new day is another chance for us to be the best possible version of ourselves. This year, in particular, can feel a bit more impactful since 2020 might have felt like such a futuristic year as we were coming of age. Many people might be feeling like they haven’t lived up to the expectation they set out for themselves decades prior. Do you feel like your reality is better or more lacking from what you had envisioned?
The year alone conjures up thoughts of 20/20 vision. The visual acuity that people strive to possess throughout life. You can take this clarity of sight and apply it to your everyday life. No doubt you have been inundated with thoughts or mentions of New Year’s Resolution or how “this year will be better.”
Instead of thinking in terms of absolutes or a need to be better, try thinking in terms of your journey. The month of January is thought to be named for the Roman God Janus who governs transitions, duality, and passages. He was essentially a gatekeeper with the ability to look both forwards and back. We, as people with a history of sexual abuse, understand what it is like to live between two worlds. How life was before our assault, and how the trauma forever changed us. This transition is at the heart of the journey of a victim, to a survivor, to a thriver. It’s this growing process that helps us heal, reclaim our voice and ultimately shine our light of inspiration to the broader community.
New Year – A Time for Possibilities
New Year’s Day is a wonderful way for us [...]
