How are you?
I hope all is well with you! I am doing well, myself. I have a question for you? Do you write in a journal? I highly recommend it. Journaling played a significant role in my healing process. My journal became my trusted friend. We can be honest when we write down our thoughts, feelings, and dreams because, most likely, we are the only ones that will see what we have disclosed.
Over the last ten years, I wrote down every dark memory that I could remember as a way to help me process the trauma that I had endured. I also documented my conversations with my therapist and the ups and downs of healing. My journals were raw and gut-wrenching, but I always felt a sense of relief once I took everything from my mind and splattered it all over the blank pages of my journal.
I recall a time when I literally wrote for 5 hours, yes, 5 hours. After my therapy session, I had a lot of emotions that I needed to process. It was a freeing experience because I connected with myself on a deeper level. I allowed myself to hear my voice, and that was rewarding; I did not realize I was showing myself compassion.
Since we are still under the stay at home order due to COVID-19, I decided to brainstorm about how I could freshen up my journaling experience. I decided to create a positivity journal! I thought about my past experiences, but I did not focus on the pain and sadness. Instead, I thought about the positive things I learned about myself. I was amazed at how much this exercise changed my view of myself. Some times we get stuck in seeing ourselves as a victim, but we are bold, brave, and we made a decision to get back up after life knocked us down.
I’ll share a few of my journal entries and what I learned about myself!
| I have an incredible will and desire to live. |
| I am resilient; I can bounce back from anything. |
| I am a woman of faith, and God was with me every step of the way. I learned how to be honest with God about my feeling and emotions. |
| I realized that I loved myself enough to invest time and money in my mental health and healing. I was determined to take my like back. |
| I don’t need the approval of others to live my life. I am good enough. |
My last point is, I am grateful for the time I spent in a support group for sexual assault survivors. I know that may sound strange, but hear me out. There is a special bond that we had; we encouraged one another, and we wanted to see one another overcome the pain. We helped one another and provided a tremendous amount of support. I don’t know about you, but I did not learn essential life skills as a child, such as boundaries, self-respect, and red flags to be aware of when a person is displaying early signs of abuse or control. During our group sessions, we had the privilege to learn those skills, and that created confidence in me that I may not have developed if I was not a part of that group.
Hopefully, this will encourage you to see what positives you can take from your experiences. I know it may be difficult, but we all have something to be grateful for. Even if the one positive in your life is the fact that you are still alive! That is something worth celebrating because your life has value and meaning!
Be blessed. God loves you!