RECLAIMING JOY: A JOURNEY BACK TO WHOLENESS
As I sit and look at a picture hanging on my wall—a little girl walking on the beach—I’m instantly reminded of my childhood. I remember a time when I felt free, uninhibited, dreamy, and so deeply connected to the earth. Her feet are bare, her dress flows gently in the breeze, and she wears a sunhat, looking down at her feet. She reminds me of the little girl I once was—present, joyful, and completely at ease with nature.
This image resonates so deeply with me because it represents who I was before my life was upended. Before my parents divorced when I was 8 years old. Before I was sent across the country to live with my father and one of my two sisters. That moment severed every attachment I had to my inner and outer world. Suddenly, I was in a new town, attending a new school, living not just with my father and sister, but also with a complete stranger and her daughter. It was a moment of fate that set my life on a different trajectory, one that left me feeling unmoored and disconnected.
Living in the Wound
Looking back, it’s no wonder I spent so many years living in my wounds. Eventually, I became a therapist—go figure. But even that path led me to burn out more times than I care to admit. I found myself entrenched in a world shaped by trauma and a social narrative that romanticizes the wound over joy. For a long time, I felt stuck, longing for the little girl in that wall hanging—the one who was so present, so connected to joy and the beauty of life.
"Society conditions us to fixate on our brokenness, yet our wholeness has always been quietly waiting to be reclaimed."
This societal conditioning—the glorification of struggle—kept me tethered to a cycle of over-identifying with my trauma. Like so many women, I became the sum of my wounds. Healing, while vital, had become my entire identity. And in that process, I lost touch with the parts of myself that were still vibrant, whole, and joy-filled.
Reconnecting with the Soul
As a therapist, a woman, and a soul who craved more than just healing, I struggled. It wasn’t until I reconnected with my soul and began bringing that into my career that my life truly started to expand in ways I hadn’t imagined.
The soul was where I rediscovered play, creativity, connection to the mystery of life, and my Source of Unconditional Love. After all, isn’t that what “soul” stands for? Self-love, self-acceptance, self-trust, self-responsibility, and self-accountability. These are the elements that return us to sovereignty—our true selves—outside of the societal, cultural, and familial conditioning that keeps us fear-based, striving, and perpetually working on ourselves.
"When we make our pain our identity, we forget the limitless joy and potential that exists beyond the wounds."
Is it any wonder my body kept screaming, BURN OUT!? It wasn’t just burn out—it was my soul shouting that I was looking in all the wrong places for vitality and wholeness.
Shifting from Healing to Joy
When I finally began to embrace the parts of me that I had tucked away—the “woo-woo” or soul-inspired aspects—everything changed. My world opened up. And when I brought these parts of myself into spaces with the women I worked with, their worlds opened up too. Suddenly, expansion, magic, joy, and love started to creep in. Healing wasn’t the main focus anymore—joy-seeking was.
"Healing is not about becoming your trauma; it’s about integrating it and remembering the vibrant, multifaceted person you are."
The more we engaged as a community in this magic, the more we claimed ourselves. Healing took a back seat to something even more profound: Living. Sovereignty over our own birthright, our unique soul imprint, deserves our attention. Reclaiming joy, magic, and authenticity is not just a gift—it’s our natural state.
Journaling Exercise: Reclaiming Your Wholeness
To help you reconnect with your wholeness, I’ve created a simple journaling exercise to guide you:
Set the Scene:
Find a quiet, comfortable space. Take a few deep breaths and repeat this affirmation:
"I am whole, just as I am. My story includes joy, strength, and healing."Reflect and Write:
Answer the following prompts to explore your relationship with trauma and reconnect with joy:What parts of my story have I been focusing on the most lately? Why?
How has focusing on these parts served me? How might it be limiting me?
Who am I beyond my pain? What qualities, strengths, or passions define me?
What brings me joy or fulfillment, even in small ways?
Affirm and Commit:
Write a personal affirmation based on your reflections, such as:
"I am more than my wounds. I am a mosaic of strength, love, and joy."
Then, choose one joyful action you can take today to honor your wholeness.
An Invitation to Come Home to Yourself
That little girl on the wall reminds me every day to come back home to myself. To remember the freedom, connection, and magic that are still a part of me.
If you’re ready to reclaim your wholeness and rediscover your joy, I invite you to join The Empowered Soul Collective. In this space, we embrace sovereignty and self-love, creating a supportive community where healing is balanced with joy, play, and soulful expansion.
Come as you are. Reclaim your joy. Live fully.
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