This is Chella Diaz and she is RESILIENT.
CONTENT WARNING: The I Am Resilient Project provides an open space for people to share their personal experiences. Some content in this post and on this website will include topics that you may find difficult.
Describe the situation where you had to be resilient:
When my relationship ended. I thought I was going to be with my husband for the rest of my life.
Chella’s Story:
Life after divorce.
After my 17-year relationship ended, I started asking who I was before I was a housewife and mom. I wondered what the next chapter was going to look like. That’s when my spiritual journey began. The first certification I received was as a Kundalini teacher. Then I became a Reiki teacher and Reiki master. I have worked with many amazing coaches and mentors, and I learned my purpose. I know I am here to help other women find their purpose and bring back joy into their life. I help them shine their light and live authentically.
It was interesting to see some of the things that happened after the divorce. As a couple, we used to attend a lot of live music events. There were a lot of people we got to know, and there were several couples we used to spend time with. I continued to attend music events. The couples began to avoid me–like getting a divorce was a disease and they were going to catch it.
Being single I faced two challenges: going to the movies and having dinner by myself. I remember the first movie I went to alone. I walked in a bit late so I could hide in the dark. I sat toward the front and left a bit early so people would not see me. For my first solo dinner experience, I went for an early dinner when the restaurant was slow, and I ordered enough food for two people. The restaurant was in Santa Monica, California. I remember thinking people are going to judge me. Thinking back, nobody cared that I was eating alone. It was the monkey chatter stepping in. Those two activities took me out of my comfort zone, and I began to gain my confidence back and I started putting together dinner parties. It was great having people around to laugh and I enjoy cooking.
When I was married, I had a very active social life. But I attached my social life with the security that I was married. When the marriage was gone, there was shame and guilt. I did not tell my family about my divorce for several months. I had some friends who helped me move into my new place over Memorial Day weekend, so I had the long weekend to put things in place. I took a few dishes and chairs. I remember not having any knives. It is interesting the things you remember. I shared my divorce with three of my girlfriends, and they were so supportive.
Please learn from my journey, and if you are in a similar situation, ask yourself what actions could you take right now to speed up the learning curve to find the identity of the person you want to become. What story could you create to help you along the way? Is it time to seek professional help or an accountability group that will guide you and help you stay on track?
Wishing you blessing!!!
How did you practice resilience when faced with this challenge?
I surrounded myself with high energy people and practiced meditation.
Please share one piece of advice for people who are going through a similar challenge:
Take a class and learn something new, go for long walks/hikes. Make new friends. Treat yourself for a self-care day.
Are you ready to share your story of RESILIENCE? You can do that HERE.
???? Orange, California, USA