From Adversity Comes Resilience

 

“The strongest steel is forged by the hottest fires. It is pounded and struck repeatedly… The fire gives it power and flexibility, and the blows give it strength. Those two things make it able to withstand every battle…”

-Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

Growing up in a home with little stability and much disfunction, I had no idea who I really was, the innate power I had at my command. Although I sensed the extent of my gifts as a highly sensitive empath, my childhood experiences convinced me they were more of a burden I had to bear, a stigma that isolated me from others who seemed never to understand. Thus they acted like I was their burden, the “too much to handle” best swept under the rug.

 

Far too young, I witnessed suicide and addiction. Shame and suffering were common themes surrounding me, like a curse I was there to break. The words spoken to me felt empty; the truth behind them is what I heard. 

 

I learned to dissociate early on; my emotions of abandonment and loneliness blurred into utter confusion. An extremely intuitive soul, I traversed internal realms beyond imagination. My keen abilities, however, were labelled as defects in my mental health that defied “fixing”, and all the futile “cures”, group homes, and facilities only reinforced the conviction that everything was wrong with me. Eventually, I became lost in addictive tendencies myself as a temporary reprieve, numbing my sense of suffering.

 

 “Although the thought of living felt like the greatest of punishments, I battled to stay alive.” - Alicia Clark

 

And ultimately, I triumphed in such an exquisitely beautiful way. Life may have initiated me through suffering and adversity, but the depths of this human experience have fortified me. 

 

I longed for a world filled with love, with the light I knew lay hidden in all the darkness, and the inner knowing that I had the power to create this for myself spurred me on. As an empath, I had always assimilated others’ suffering as my own. To fit in and be accepted frequently meant wearing masks. Finally, my soul broke free, and I no longer could.

 

Like the proverbial phoenix, I rose from the ashes and awakened to my shamanic mastery at weaving through the seen and unseen realms in service to humanity. I was shown my destiny, using my innate wisdom and empowering radiance to help others find their own. I was meant to be a healing force in the world. Now, all the years of torment and silent suffering  had meaning to me as a time of training that had honed my rich capacity to see the beauty in the darkness and hold space for those on their own sacred journey of reclamation.

 

 I now stand on the shoulders of my ancestors, knowing we can only hold others as deeply as we’ve gone ourselves. As your enlightened guide shepherding you through your shadows, I create that sacred space of safety where all aspects of your being can feel united, loved, and embraced. Through unconditional love and acceptance, we can heal and discover the hidden truths and treasures buried deep within our souls.

 

This is my purpose, the reason for my journey.

 I invite you to walk with me. I’ll show you the way.