Caterina’s Story, Part 3: No Timeline for Healing

Last year when I was sexually assaulted by my partner, after months and months of abuse, I felt completely worthless.

I stopped working on my biz, with the exception of a few loose ends I had to tie up, and just hid for nearly 6 months.

#Trauma will do that to you. And not just physically violent trauma. All kinds of trauma, new and old, complex and simple.

See, sometimes when we go through hard and/or terrible things we mistakenly believe that we no longer have value.

We think that we are 'damaged' and that we are a burden to the people who love us. That society doesn't want us. That our suffering negates our magic and genius.

We abandon our goals because just getting through the hour feels monumental, so we can't imagine that success or being of service will ever again be possible.

And then even as we heal, as we do #thework there is a little voice inside us that whispers, again and again, "not yet".

I know this because I have lived it. I wish I had known that when I finally dragged myself back up to the surface and started working on my biz again, I'd find it profoundly healing and alive with more creativity and innovation than I ever thought possible. I know you can see it in my content because I'm speaking to you in a way I never have before.

The power of trauma is that it convinces us that we no longer have value. That we are NEVER ready to succeed and thrive. That the goals and dreams we once chased are no longer viable.

But the OPPOSITE is true!

When you choose to do the #healingwork necessary to recover from your trauma, you grow stronger, NOT weaker.

Your self-awareness reaches new levels, and you become more insightful and attuned to your intuition (aka your inner compass that is FELT in your body).

You become more vulnerable and honest and relatable, and you begin to GET people on a level you never did before and they GET you too.

EVEN AS YOU ARE STILL HEALING.

You do NOT need to be 'perfectly' or completely healed to go out into the world and do big things and make a difference. Yes, you need to be aware of projection and know when your shit is blinding you, but that happens WAY before you've completely healed.

If in your adversity you are brave enough to embark on a journey of deep healing, you are a GIFT to the world, NOT a burden.

Do not measure your worth or your readiness by anyone else's standards and do not for one second think that because you have not 'completed' your healing journey, you cannot do great things.

Have you ever felt like this? Like you're not worthy of chasing a dream because you're still somewhat unhealed?