I am not ashamed of all I have walked through in my life. Every struggle I have had to overcome, all of the dark days my husband and I forged a path through after the loss of our daughter, and accepting my weaknesses – these are all pieces of my puzzle that I am not ashamed of. The reason I am not ashamed is because these are the details of my life experiences, failures, and victories that have made me who I am. If I walk day to day ashamed of the very destiny that was laid before me to endure and overcome, than I am denying my purpose to help someone else defy the moments of defeat they stumble across. Defeat will only crush you if you are unable to acknowledge it, then blow it out of the water. When you can say, yes I have struggled, yes this awful thing happened to me, and yes it is destructive, but I’m choosing to do what I need to so that I may overcome it – that takes courage.

I look back, years ago to when my mom left my dad – I didn’t want to tell anyone. My world had been shattered, the one factor of stability in my life – my family, had broken into pieces. It was all gone, and as details of lies and betrayal unraveled – I felt nothing but shame. It took time for me to face the reality of that situation in my life, partially because I was young and it was the first substantial earth shaking event in my life. As time went on, I learned it was ok to talk about all of my pain and disappointment – that there was nothing to be ashamed of because I wasn’t the only person on the planet experiencing those emotions. Not only that, but working through those emotions would eventually help me help others work through similar feelings and experiences.

Our struggles in life can become powerful propellers of change and encouragement for ourselves and others when we admit them, work through them, and shake off the shame so often associated to them. It is not an easy course, it takes courage, perseverance and humility to admit to the not-so-pretty parts of our lives. When we can step out of shame, freedom can be embraced. I am not ashamed of all I have endured in my journey – it has carried me to where I am today. I hope that you can say the same, if not, know that you do not have to be ashamed of your journey. There is help out there for anyone looking, no matter what type of struggle you find yourself in. The biggest step to take is opening the door to your heart and allowing someone to help. You can have freedom and live life not ashamed!

∼live your journey true∼