There was a time in my life when I was ashamed, embarrassed, and kept quiet about the traumatic experiences in my life. Pretty much because I didn’t want to upset my family. You see, I was brought up in a family where it was forbidden to talk about what went on behind closed doors. In addition to that, the elders in my family made it clear that children were better seen and not heard.
So, at the tender age of nine, when I was sexually abused by my mother’s boyfriend, I kept quiet. For many years I kept the secret. I felt dirty, isolated, and invisible. Even when I did tell my mother about the abuse, she didn’t believe me and called me a liar. She even accused me of being jealous of her. Can you imagine that?
The hurt and anger I felt were deep down to my soul and as time wore on, I turned those negative feelings inward, resulting in self-destructive behavior. Maybe it was my way of seeking attention, validation, and love. All I know is that the pain was real. Through counseling and coaching, I came to realize that the abuse was not my fault.
We have a tendency to stuff our true feelings at the expense of our own well-being. We wear a mask publicly to hide the pain but privately we suffer. We numb our feelings through drug and alcohol addiction. We numb ourselves by over-eating. We numb ourselves with sex and by over-spending. We act in ways that don’t serve our best selves. We carry guilt, shame, and blame ourselves for the bad behavior and abuse from others, when in fact we need to let our voice be heard. We must find a way to release the weight of our past so that we can step boldly and confidently into the gift of today, “the present.” There is power in the present moment “NOW.”
Have you ever found yourself silencing your own voice when you know your voice needs to be heard? Have you wanted to release the pain from the past? The time is NOW! You are worth setting yourself free to experience the fullness of a life on every level. You deserve love, peace, joy, and every blessing life has to offer. Everything you need is within you right now. Sending you love and declaring your victory through your voice.
Let your voice be heard!
Here’s to your success!
Jackie