Thriving not Surviving

From Broken to Becoming

My life has been shaped by challenges I never asked for illness, trauma, heartbreak, survival. For a long time, I saw those things as proof that I was broken. Each setback felt like confirmation that I wasn’t enough, that life was something that happened to me instead of through me.

But somewhere along the way, I began to see things differently. Healing has a quiet way of sneaking in not through the big milestones or perfect moments, but in the simple act of showing up for yourself when it would be easier to give up. It’s in getting out of bed on the hard days, in choosing to believe that your story doesn’t end in the pain that tried to destroy you.

Illness taught me patience. Trauma taught me boundaries. Heartbreak taught me self-worth. And survival that taught me the strength of my spirit. I started to realise that every difficult season was shaping me, carving away what wasn’t mine to carry, and revealing the woman I was always meant to become.

These experiences softened my heart, not in weakness, but in compassion. I learned to sit with my pain instead of running from it, to hold space for my emotions without shame. I began to see beauty in the small, ordinary things the warmth of sunlight on my skin, a deep breath after tears, the quiet comfort of knowing I’m still here.

For years, I carried the belief that being “broken” made me less worthy. Now I understand that my cracks are where the light got in. The healing didn’t erase my past it transformed my relationship with it.

I am not defined by what I went through.

I am defined by what I’ve built from it.

Every scar tells a story of survival, and every time I choose to rise, I rewrite what it means to be whole.

Reflection Prompt

What parts of your story once made you feel broken — and how are those same parts shaping your strength today?

Mantra

"I am not broken. I am becoming."