Stories of Resilience: Valerie

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn


“Have you ever thought to yourself, “What if I could talk to the younger version of me? What if I could say, ‘you’re going to be ok!”

It’s always been hard for me to tell my story. Perhaps because I didn’t want to be judged or victimized. Maybe if I said it out loud it would become real? I was eleven years old when my life became chaotic. I remember lying in bed with a knife with my brother, who was eight at the time, telling me “je vais te proteger, moi (I’ll protect you)”. 

It was New Year’s Eve and someone close to me, who was very intoxicated, tried to strangle me. I remember crying and apologizing, not knowing what I was apologizing for. I never saw this person ever again but my chaos didn’t end there.

I went on to become a pretty rebellious teenager, relying on substances to make me feel something, anything. I went through many phases in my life and my 20’s, as a woman, were rough. I had a lot of dark thoughts. I was ashamed and developed panic attack disorder while I was completing my degree in University. 

Despite having a dark past, I had the most loving and caring mother who did everything she could to ensure the best possible future for me. Still, those years were rough because, as a woman, you’re constantly questioning whether you are good enough. Most days, I was definitely not good enough and my anxiety was very real to me. 

To get through it, I quit smoking, quit drinking, lost a bunch of weight, quit my job and started my own business. In just over a year I have built a successful 6 figure business doing what I love. Maybe it was luck? Maybe I’m the exception? The one thing that I do know is that everything will change the day you start loving yourself, no matter what. 

Resiliency is my word, I think it describes me perfectly. I don’t let anything phase me in the long run because I eventually realized that I was good enough, and I hung on to that. So love yourself, no matter what. Live and grow each day, life is short so don’t focus on the negative.

Are you ready to share your story of RESILIENCE? You can do that HERE.

The 5 Secrets to Strengthening Your Resilience Muscle ​

Enjoy the gift of a free workbook from The Global Resilience Project.