Everyone has been posting their pictures of themselves from 10 years ago to now.
I had been searching for old photos of myself so that I could participate too, but I couldn’t find any on my phone or in my saved photos on Facebook. Then it hit me that my healing journey began around the same time! I had no idea that my life was about to change, but looking back I can see it so clearly.
In my searching, I came across a 2019 text message that just so happened to contain this very “throwback” 10 year old photo of me. As I stared at the image for a moment, so many emotions came to the surface. I saw the pain in my eyes and the discomfort in my body language. I was cute, but as I was reflecting, I saw through that carefully manicured façade. I was 35 years old and THAT was the year I decided to try therapy. It started with couples therapy, but as our conversations grew deeper, I realized that maybe I should be doing this therapy thing on my own. So I did.
Hard truth moment: I wasn’t ready to do the work.
I stopped going to my individual sessions, but continued in couples therapy. Doing both the
one-on-one sessions and trying to work through my relationship at the same time was too much. It was too painful.
Ready for another hard truth?
Sometimes, the change that hurts the most is the change that’s most needed.
Over the course of this healing journey, (because at ten years, I still feel like I’m at the start), there were so many things that happened that left me repeatedly asking “Why?!”
Why did this situation play out this way? Why did I lose this relationship?
Why did I feel like there was supposed to be so much more to my life than I can see right now?
It was during this time that God began to separate me from places, people, and perspectives that no longer served His purpose for my life. While I didn’t have language to explain the season I was in then, receiving this picture caused a chain reaction that suddenly opened my understanding. Suddenly, it all made sense.
God was taking me through a process. There are so many instances I can recall God confirming that HE had His hand on me all along. I can admit that I wasn’t alway obedient and I didn’t always follow instructions. (Judge ya mama). I fell off track more than a few times – but rare is the transformational journey that progresses without a mountain or a valley, without a detour, diversion, or distraction or two. The key is to keep going!
In March of 2019, I made a new commitment to dedicate my life to being everything God created me to be, and though I still experience rough patches, I refuse to turn back or quit. I’m ALL IN! So much growth has taken place since then! I’m not even the same person that I was when I received this picture and I’m proud of who I have become in 10 years!
To celebrate, I want to share 10 WINS I’ve experienced in the last 10 years:
- I’ve maintained a business through a divorce and pandemic
- My relationship with the Lord has grown leaps and bounds
- I completed an accelerated MBA certificate program
- I became an educator with the product line that I use in my business, made some amazing friends and connections
- I invested in myself with all types of personal and professional development
- I’ve done an extensive amount of inner healing work
- I am enrolled in a program to become a certified trichologist
- I am enrolled in a business coaching and consulting program to help me launch other business endeavors that God has given me
- God has aligned me with some amazing people all over the United States and I’ve been blessed to be able to meet some of them in
- I am healthy, healed and in my right mind
What about YOU? How have you grown in the last 10 years? What’s changed on the inside?
