Victim

It only takes a moment for something treasured to break.  Once it’s broken the item will never be the same again.  You possess a special gift, choice.  You get to choose what to do with this broken item.  Do you throw it away and replace it, or do you attempt to piece it back together?  If you opt to reassemble the object, do you showcase, use, or hide it?  This is similar to people who face trauma like sexual abuse.  We have made the choice to continuing existing, but are we really able to live in our new skin?  How do you interact with this new you?  Are you showcasing your strength, interacting with the world with various masks on, or are you trying to keep in the background still feeling broken?

 One term associated with the transition from Survivor to Thriver is Resiliency.  Merriam-Webster defines resiliency as the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress.  This speaks to the ability to adjust after trauma.  Continuing the transformation from Victim to Survivor to Thriver one is able to reclaim direction and strength.