September 2022 - Page 2 of 2

The Hidden Stories of Trauma: A Guide to Overcoming Trauma

NGMKTG on September 6, 2022

Ah, life. It can be a tad dramatic, can’t it? Sometimes, like the love child of a soap opera and an action film, life throws the unexpected our way. And that’s when the resilience of the human spirit shines. But today, let’s dive deep into a less-discussed side of the human experience: overcoming trauma. Not just the event itself, but its lingering effects.

The Silent Battles of Trauma’s Aftermath

The real tragedy of trauma isn’t the moment it occurs, but the silent battles we fight in its aftermath. It’s like that song you can’t get out of your head, constantly reminding you of its presence, often at the most inconvenient times. You see, I survived the Boston bombing. And for the longest time, I thought I was just a bystander, a mere spectator to the horrific event. But the truth? My mind and body told a different story. It was as if my psyche had taken a raincheck during the event, only to send reminders in the form of mental and physical tolls over the years.

The Undertow of Unresolved Emotions

And, of course, I’m not the only one. Some incredibly strong women who were part of that day still grapple with its memories. We often talk about not letting the villains of that day ‘win’. But here’s the catch: while saying it, their emotions tell a different tale. Tears held back. Voices choked up. A tumultuous wave of emotions trapped, waiting to manifest. Imagine it this way: the unresolved emotions are like an undertow, an unexpected force that drags you in a direction you never intended to go. It lingers beneath, occasionally pulling you down, reminding you of its presence.

Facing the Past to Embrace the Future

So, what’s the antidote? Well, it’s not as simple as one might hope. Dealing with trauma is like going through your attic and discovering an old, dusty photo album. As much as you might want to just close it and forget about it, you have to face those memories to understand the person you’ve become. Many a time, people tell me, “I don’t want to revisit it.” And you know what? I get it. Why would anyone willingly step back into a dark chapter of their life? But here’s the zinger: it’s not the traumatic event that’s the real enemy; it’s the fear of facing it. The shadow it casts over the present. You see, we’ve already lived through the trauma. But the unresolved feelings? They’re the real troublemakers.

To heal, sometimes we’ve got to rip off the bandage, look the wound in the eye, and acknowledge it. Yes, it’s going to hurt. Yes, it might bring a flood of memories. But only by confronting it can we truly move forward.

Because, my friends, we’re not just survivors of our stories; we’re the heroes of them. And every hero deserves a chance to find peace, reclaim power, and pen a brighter chapter. 🌟

Trust Yourself Enough to Know… Lessons From Harry Potter

NGMKTG on September 1, 2022

I don’t see the difference between intuition and imagination. Essentially, they are one thing. Here’s why:

Our minds are incredibly creative. They are also fantastic resources and tools that are constantly processing and upgrading, looking to utilize the information they have. What often happens, though, when we have a thought we don’t like, or when a song goes on repeat, or when someone asks us a question and our mind brings something up, the first thing we say is “Oh that’s ridiculous. There’s no way that could be true.” We shove it off to the side and dismiss it.

This comes up a lot, especially in self-work. I’ll ask people to get curious about things so we’re always asking questions to open awareness. I might ask them, “When was the first time you thought you couldn’t trust yourself?” Most often,they’ll sit there and think about it. That’s the first problem, thinking about what the answer is when they’ve already gotten it. Something has already popped up in their minds – a baby in a crib, a three year old walking around with a lollipop, a child playing on a jungle gym – and they’ll think it’s ridiculous. They think, “I don’t remember when I was a baby. There’s no way that could have happened.” When they dismiss it, however, they don’t allow their mind to bring the truth, the awareness, forward. They’ve missed exactly what we are trying to find.

When I provide the question and the clear space and let the mind do the rest, it can show up in a number of different ways. It can show up as a song that repeats in your head. When that happens, you might think, “Of course it’s going to show up. I just listened to it three times.” But the verse that’s repeating in your head is trying to tell you something. That verse is actually key to opening the door to a healing that needs to occur.

Your mind is constantly showing you the way to healing, but when we discount it and say it’s ridiculous, we slowly erode our ability to trust ourselves. When that happens, the thoughts we need to recognize to heal don’t come through, and those intuitive hits or creative sparks we long for, they are clogged as well.

Now for the Harry Potter part:

I don’t want to spoil it for anybody, but after Harry dies, and he’s crossed over, he has this big, profound conversation with Professor Dumbledore about what has happened, where he’s at, and what he can decide to do, As the professor turns to walk away Harry asks one final question. “Professor, is any of this real or is it just happening inside my head?” Dumbledore responds in his infinite wisdom “Of course it’s happening inside your head Harry. Why should that mean that it’s not real.” Now, if Harry had decided to shove that aside, to think it ridiculous, he would have completely missed the choice he had the opportunity to make and the wizarding world may not have been saved.

For me, every thought, every awareness that comes to mind is begging a question. It’s asking to be addressed in some way. I don’t believe in randomness. Every thought is meant to reveal something to you. The goal for everybody is to be open and aware, because If we don’t trust what comes to mind, we are not going to trust our intuition either.