You have to Remember This
“There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — A.A. Mine
We all suffer traumas in and throughout our life. Some bigger than others, some smaller, but all traumas. Hurtful, painful, scarring, and damaging.
When we suffer trauma, we suffer a loss. Whether it’s a loss of innocence, of trust, of love, a sense of our own freedom, or sometimes — all of those at once…
Either way, we lose a part of ourselves. Or at least that’s what it feels like. When that part of us is so deeply attached to our identity, to who we believe we are and what we believe defines us, that’s when we feel like we’ve lost our whole self, completely.
And that is by far the most painful trauma of all.
But when you’re able to remember who you really are, despite that loss and even because of it, you begin to recognize all the other parts of you that truly make you, you.
You start to realize your own strength, resiliency, brilliance, and worth. You begin to slowly reclaim your autonomy, your agency, your power, and your freedom of choice under any and all circumstances and in the face of anyone or anything. And then, you come back home to yourself.
It turns out that trauma is the ultimate litmus test to show us what we’re made of- strength, resilience, determination, compassion, forgiveness, and love.
“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” — Bob Marley
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
The moment you awaken to the part of you that no one, and no trauma, can ever take away from you, that is the moment you understand that the real you can never, ever be truly lost. It was always there, and it will always be there. For you. It’s your home.
As painful as it is, trauma is often the ultimate catalyst for discovering and understanding that universal truth. But when you do, you take with you that post-traumatic growth upwards, rather than letting the post-traumatic stress tear you further down.
The choice, as always, is yours.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” — Viktor E. Frankl
As always, and now more than ever:
Do more of what you LOVE!
Be more of who you LOVE!
Seize Your Passion!
Stay safe, healthy, strong, and positive!
