Tag Archives: #abuse

#inspiration, #spirituality

Damage Done

I grew up in a home filled with constant tension. If I accidentally spilled a glass of water I would be told “you’re not worth a damn. You’ll never amount to anything.” My home could become violent, too. I never knew what might set my father off. I felt alone.

The brain is an incredibly efficient marvel. It created coping mechanisms which allowed me to function through the chaos. But coping mechanisms are short-term solutions. They aren’t meant to sustain us indefinitely.

I took a lot of insecurities into adulthood. At the time I didn’t see them as such, but as my life evolved I knew something was amiss. I began working on myself. The work paid off.

I still work on myself. Practicing gratitude led to me forgiving my parents long after they were dead. But forgiveness came at the right time.

The damage was done early in my life, but I found the repair center. Find yours…

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#inspiration

Story Time

All of us have stories. Some of them aren’t pretty, but those ugly parts are just a piece of the bigger picture. The dark parts of our lives don’t define us unless we allow them to.

Our stories connect us. They let us know we aren’t alone in the pain and struggle of life. We help others by willingly sharing our stories. Who can better understand what it’s like to lose a child than someone who had the same experience.

Why are we reticent to talk about our lives? This might be where shame enters the picture. I know someone who was sexually abused at 14 by a trusted family friend. She still feels shame but it wasn’t her fault. She was taken advantage of by a creep.

Shame can have power over us. If you are struggling with shame from your past, I encourage you to find a psychotherapist and work through it. You can and will heal, but it takes time. Please try, and don’t give up…

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#inspiration

Cycles

Families carry generational traditions. Keeping up with family history is part of our identity. We want to know where we are from.

Generational maladies are alive and thriving, too. Abuse, addictions and poverty are cycles that, when repeated, further ingrain the evil into our DNA. These cycles can be broken. If you were abused by your family, you know the pain it inflicted on you. Why anyone would want to carry the abuse into the next generation is beyond my comprehension.

The hard, yet simple truth is, these unhealthy cycles can be stopped. You must be willing to think differently. Seek help if necessary. Be the agent of change…

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#inspiration

Family

Families can be difficult. We don’t get to choose the family we are born into. Nor are we offered the opportunity for a new selection once we are born.

Our name is the first foundation of our identity. If we do something that we get notoriety for, we either bring honor or shame to our family’s name and reputation. These “honors” can go on for generations.

Abuse is a familial malady that lasts until someone puts a stop to it. That, too, can last for generations.

No matter the family we are born into, our sole obligation is to be the best person we can possibly be. We have a choice…

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#inspiration

The Determined People Podcast My Interview With Stephanie Schechter

Stephanie Schechter is a remarkable young woman. She’s a self-aware, creative entrepreneur. Stephanie uses her gift of intuitive intelligence to help others heal from trauma. In Stephanie’s story, you will learn about her hidden trauma from childhood, and how she has fully healed from it. Watch until the end to learn the special code to save 15% off her product, Steph’s Best.

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#inspiration

Wounds

In my book, “Killing My Father Then Finding Him” I wrote a chapter titled “Wounds.” In the chapter, I shared some details of my past trauma. I left quite a bit out, but the reader understood my life was hell in my childhood home.

Our minds are incredible. The trauma of the past surfaces, but the brain knows when to allow it to resurface. Pain returns, but only when we are ready to face it and heal from it.

If you have a painful past, pay attention when memories appear. It means you are ready…

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#inspiration

My Interview With Staci Austin

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women will experience domestic violence during their lifetime. My guest, Staci Austin is one of those women.

In 2006, she had it all: a successful career in real estate, a new home, new car, some savings and no debt. Then her abuser entered her life. Today, Staci has rebuilt her life, but she still has some lingering effects from her time with the abuser. In today’s podcast, Staci intimately shares her story of how she survived. Her hope is that someone will hear her story and find the inner strength and courage to escape an abusive relationship or avoid one altogether by recognizing the warning signs.

Get ready. This is a powerful story of survival, and hope…

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#inspiration

Broken…

When a car breaks down, we get it repaired. Why don’t we fix ourselves?

All of us are broken in some way. Our lives might look good, even perfect on social media, but we hide our true selves. All of us have past hurts, pain, unresolved issues and great memories. This makes us who we are.

We can fix our emotional brokenness through self-work. People avoid this kind of work because it’s hard to really look at yourself, your flaws and patterns which don’t serve you well. But doing the hard work on yourself is so worthwhile. Take the first brave step to freedom. And keep going…

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#inspiration

From The Inside…

If you believe everything you see on social media, you might think that everyone’s life is perfect. It’s not. We show people the outside, not the pain, the hurts, struggles and worries of life. Remember this when interacting with others. We don’t know what’s going on inside…

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