How to Transform Your Trauma

Trauma, we all have it, we all wish we didn't.

But at what point will we stop carrying our pain into our daily lives, sabotaging our chances at happiness? What if there is a way to use our trauma as a tool?

You've probably heard the phrase "hurt people hurt people" when someone has directly or indirectly hurt us or someone we know. While this is true, it's also a sad excuse to treat others poorly because of our own unresolved traumas. The truth is, we are all hurting. We have all had painful experiences. Some of us let those negative experiences influence how we live our lives, feeling victimized, worthless, and as if the universe owes us something. We think life is unfair and that it will always be that way, or that other people who appear to have it better are simply "lucky."

What if there was a way to use your trauma as a superpower?

Hear me out...

No one is asking you to suddenly ignore your trauma and pretend it doesn't exist. This is for those who are battling their demons and want to experience a better story. If someone had told me at the start of my healing journey that I would one day use it to my benefit, I’d have done anything to jump ahead to that timeline.

So, let me explain.

If you have experienced trauma and you’re still here, congratulations. Seriously... it’s not fun. In fact, it’s awful and can makes life miserable. However, if you are here, it means you are headed in the right direction. Some traumas and side effects from trauma are harder to spot than others. If you have some awareness around yours, think about what you have gone through, how you were when you were going through it, and how you got through it.

Consider these examples of using trauma as a superpower:

- Helping Others: If you have experienced homelessness, do you feel driven to make a difference in the homeless population through donating, volunteering, or building affordable housing?

- Fighting Hunger: If you have experienced starvation, does that experience spark a flame to end world hunger, or help an individual in need?

- Therapeutic Careers: If you have struggled with a mental health disorder, eating disorder, or anything of the sort, would you consider therapy as a career path to help others work through these same struggles?

- Sharing Your Story: If you had toxic, emotionally immature parents growing up, would you consider writing a book about your experience to help others?

These are all examples of how your traumas can be your superpower. They can help save the world for other people who have had similar troubles and bring you peace, closure, freedom, or even an income, rather than carrying the harsh past into your present and making yourself and others miserable.

By the way, I am by no means saying that if you have experienced something unpleasant, you’re miserable or making others feel bad - this is simply coming from the general understanding that pain can cause more pain in some form or another.

We all know those encounters at the supermarket or somewhere in public - someone pushing past you, cutting you off, making a rude comment, or giving a nasty glance. While it’s easy to think, "What the hell is wrong with them?!" the fact of the matter is that they are hurting. The other fact of the matter is that you are probably also hurting. We all are. Wouldn’t it be nice to have fewer of these encounters?

Let’s fight against misery and choose to heal. Healing our traumas is the cure to the negativity plague we’ve all encountered. By transforming our pain into purpose, we not only improve our own lives but also contribute to a more compassionate and understanding world.

“You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” -unknown

As a certified trauma-informed coach, I am here to help you on this journey. I offer personalized coaching to help you transform your trauma into a source of strength and empowerment. If you're ready to start your healing journey and discover how to use your trauma as a superpower, visit my work with me page to learn more about how I can support you. Let's work together to create a brighter future.