We’ve dug into ‘WHAT’ is going on around us: things like: thoughts we have, feeling disconnected from ourselves, noticing the rules we’ve adopted. So today I want to dig even deeper, and start to unpack the ‘WHY’ – – so today’s episode is a bit different. We’re talking about Trauma.

Trauma is derived from the Greek word for “wound,”. And unfortunately almost all of us have experienced some kind of wounding event: Something that hurt your feelings, made you feel minimized, or unsafe. And as you’d probably guess without learning healthy coping skills as children, we often carry these wounds with us into adulthood. They show up as things like anxiety, depression, addictions, perfectionism, eating disorders, OCD, alcoholism etc. All of course in varying degrees – think of it like a spectrum.

From my experience there is always a ROOT [a deeper reason] why we do the things we do. Weather we know it or not  – – underneath the beliefs & behaviors: we’re all just trying to feel a sense of belonging✨✨, acceptance, enoughness, okayness, safety, and security. We know this. We all have an innate desire to be seen, heard, valued, appreciated, and liked by others. I mean, it’s kinda what makes us human????????.

So we do things like:

• Avoid having an opinion or speaking up (because we want to be liked & please everyone)
• Buy things we can’t afford (because we want belong & fit-in)
• Apply a full face of make-up before we leave the house (because it makes us feel more acceptable in public)
• Constantly check the number of followers we have or how many likes we get (so we can know that we are enough)

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Today’s guest – Stacy Brookman – shares her story of survival. In 2010, she was in one of the lowest points of her life: in the middle of a several-year-long divorce with a sociopath. She understands first-hand how unthinkable recovery & freedom can feel when you hit rock-bottom. The process of reconnecting back with your intuition. And learning to trust your inner wisdom. This is a story of resilience. And even if you can’t directly relate to Stacy’s story, I believe her journey is universal. Stacy is living proof that even from the darkest moments of our life – freedom to be your most authentic self is possible. Stacy has since made it her mission to help people discover and write their life stories. Because she believes that writing about your life is transformative. If you’re curious & want to hear more of Stacy, be sure to check out her podcast: Real Life Resilience.

And just a Friendly Disclaimer: some of the topics we discuss in this episode might be triggering to you. If this happens please feel free to skip this episode and as always do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself.

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IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

• The power of storytelling and writing
• There is so much more to life than trying to buckle down and slog through your days
• She shares her story of being married to a sociopath and ultimately how she got out
• The freedom that come with being able to naming/labeling something
• Characteristics of certified Narcissists & Sociopaths
• Gas-lighting and how this causes you to question yourself, and ultimately creates an internal disconnect to your intuition
• How writing allows you to achieve CLARITY about what’s going on in your life
• Traumatic memories are stored in a different area, that we are not necessarily as conscious of, as you would be to “normal memories” – and how writing allows us to access these traumatic memories
• The 2-Minute Miracle: she cites a research study that free writing for two minutes a day has been shown to boost your immune system, may reduce physical pain,
• She challenges the idea that “time heals all wounds”

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CONNECT WITH STACY:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/stacy_brookman/

Stacy’s Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/real-life-resilience/id1052653532?mt=2 

Stacy’s Website: https://www.stacybrookman.com/ 

For more information and full show notes visit: https://livengproof.com/

Liveng Proof Pod Squad

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