Michelle

Shame tells and distorts the story of being flawed at your core. Failing a test translates to I am a failure. Neglect translates to I am not good enough. Or like the personal news I found out three years ago translating to being at the bottom of the barrel.

Shame zooms in.

It helps to zoom out when you feel stuck in a loop. The broken record that distorts reality.

How do you zoom out:

↪️ Tell someone you trust to meet you with compassion and remind you of the truth

↪️ Show yourself compassion for what triggered the blow at your identity

Practical tip: Recall (writing/voice note) what happened and how it made you feel (lonely, scared, isolated, humiliated, abandoned, powerless, violated, out of control, insignificant)

↪️ Acknowledge the courage it took (to create a better life for yourself, to go back to school, to share your heart afraid, to keep going, to face the fear, to remain tender, to be happy)

Explore the possibility that who you are may be different than what you are saying.