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RISE AND RECLAIM what belongs to you Words REBECCA TEREU
Photo by Asierromero/Freepik
Life. It can really suck sometimes, am I right? Let’s be real. It’s not all fluffy kittens and sweet smelling roses. We all face stuff, and sometimes that stuff can send us spinning wildly in a million different directions. You might be quietly minding your own business, then WHAM! – out of the blue you get smacked between the eyes with something difficult, challenging or even tragic. Yes, all of a sudden everything changes and you’re left wondering how on earth you’re going to get any semblance of your old life back. Will it ever go away? Will you ever get better? Will your heart ever heal? Will your bank account ever recover? Will you have the future you’ve been planning for all this time, or will the world stop spinning on its axis in response to your pain? That four letter word happens to all of us right? (life, that is). I personally don’t know anyone who hasn’t been through a trial or two in their life, but this article is for the women out there who feel like they’ve fallen too far and can’t crawl back out of that deep dark pit. You may not have admitted this to
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anyone yet, but deep down you know what I’m talking about. It’s that feeling that tries to convince you that you’ve missed that crucial boat in life, or sunk to the bottom of the ocean along with it. That feeling is more common than you may think – and know you are not alone in your leaky boat. I once knew a woman who lost everything in life, became severely depressed and suicidal, then on top of that became a victim of a massive business scam that killed what little remaining hope she had left. After a time of deep healing, she re-emerged and ended up running several companies, not-for-profit organisations and being a respected business consultant in her industry. I once knew a woman who was so burned out and stressed out for various heart-breaking reasons, that her physical health started to deteriorate in a terrible way. After two years fighting a big battle with breast cancer, the fear of losing brain cells and rendering her ‘professionally useless’ was all-consuming. She really believed it was all over for her. Today, just two years later, this woman is more successful than she’s ever been! I knew a woman who had every excuse
to curl up in a ball and fade away after years and years of physical, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse that devastated her life. Today she helps other women with their own difficult journeys by showing and encouraging them that their past does not have to define them, and there is hope and life on the other side of that healing process. I knew a woman who gave up her career and plans, to ensure her son (who was on the spectrum) had the best chance at starting and succeeding in school. With no skills, knowledge or financial security to pad the challenge, today her son is doing better than anyone expected and the woman’s career is not only back on track, but again, doing even better than before. Those women all have something in common. They are me. I lived through all those things and so much more, and guess what? I’m still undeniably here, alive and straining at the gate to help you do the same. I don’t share all this to make you feel sorry for me, or to claim the first place podium in pain and heartbreak. I understand all too deeply that the woman next to me has probably been through worse. My experiences are minuscule compared to others, but they are mine and boy have I learnt a thing or two going through them. Here’s the beauty of what seems like a depressing illustration: Not only have I survived all these things, but I am thriving despite all these things. I’m still chasing down my dreams, walking every opportunity out, creating new realities and vanquishing any new enemy that threatens to parade on my future. Was it easy? Um … NO! But is it possible? YES – I’m living proof! How? Well there are a few things I give