Healing trauma is definitely a journey.

In my experience, healing the body is much easier than healing the mind. What I have learned from my experience of having burned 75% of my body is this. I just had to listen to the doctors, nurses and physical therapists to heal my body. After that, my body did what it needed to do and healed. Sometimes it took longer than expected, but I eventually recovered. 

My mind is much different. I didn't do the work in my early recovery, and it impacted my mental health and well-being. I struggled with the negative conversation in my head about how I looked and my limitations. I saw myself as broken, destroyed and ugly. I didn't see myself as good enough for a partner in life and even stopped dating for years as I was too fragile to handle the rejections. Finding work was hard because I didn't think anyone would hire me. I saw I was ugly, and my hands were majorly disfigured, and it was hard to do things with my hands. 

It's been 29 years since my injury, and I still have these self-limiting beliefs. The difference today is I don't listen to them. I know it's no longer who I am or how I see myself. I have the strength and ability to stand firm in who I know myself to be, and that is proud, confident and committed. 

Whatever you are struggling with today, I invite you to let go of any self-limiting belief or any negative conversation running in your head. Stand proud of who you know yourself to be. You are not who you were yesterday. You are constantly growing, learning and levelling up in life. Stop comparing yourself to the younger, less experienced and less knowledgeable person you were. You got this! Rise up! Go after your goals and that life that inspires you. You are worth it and definitely deserve it.