From Plume to Bloom

Growing Through Your torMENTOR

We all encounter moments that can either define or redefine us. These moments, much like a plume of smoke arising from trauma, mark the impact point - a visible, sometimes overwhelming manifestation of the challenges and adversities we face.

The Plume

Imagine a dense, rising column of smoke. It's visible, tangible, and intimidating. This plume is much like the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event. The confusion, pain, and overwhelming emotion can cloud our vision and hinder our judgment. It's an undeniable sign that something significant has happened, and it demands our attention and response.

The Bloom

In contrast, envision a bloom - a powerfully gentle unfolding of petals, revealing its beauty and resilience. The bloom represents the growth, healing, and resilience that emerges from the ashes of our traumas. It's the newfound strengths, the lessons learned, and the positive changes that occur as we navigate through our healing process.

If you feel ashamed because your trauma isn't "as bad" as other people's, remember, trauma isn't based on the event; it's the result of the impact. Whether you have an anvil dropped on your head or a splinter that becomes infected, both will kill you if left untreated.

Trauma isn't about what happened TO you; trauma is about the impact INSIDE of you.?

If you've ever felt weak because the impact of your trauma is disproportionate to the event that created the trauma, give yourself a little grace. Instead of trying to put a measuring tape on the event, focus on healing the impact point.?

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger…. IF you do the work to heal it.?

You don't have to walk through the smoke and rubble alone. Support systems, whether friends, family, or a good therapist, are vital. Ideally, it will be a mix of all three.?

Prioritize your well-being. Healing is as much about nurturing your body and mind as addressing emotional wounds.

Our greatest mentors are the ones that broaden our horizons and help us grow.?

What's more important than growing through our disappointment, pain, and trauma??

Reflect on your experience and seek to understand the 'why.'

Let's see our torMENTORS as a valuable (and necessary) part of our evolution.?

There are no such things as good people and bad people. There are only content people and miserable people. Think back to the things in your life you regret. Why did you do them? My guess is you were hurting and miserable for some reason. When we're miserable, we're most likely to step outside our integrity and torment ourselves and others.?

Think back to when someone hurt you. If you could pause time and replace yourself with anyone else, that event would still have happened. Why? Because the person who hurt you did what they did because of who they were in that moment. It had nothing to do with you.??

Two words make up responsibility, response, and ability. A healthy perspective is to ask, "What is my ability to respond to this situation?" It may not be your fault, but it is your responsibility to take action and heal your wound.?

Next, Let's take a look at a beautiful metaphor from Buddhist philosophy:

The Lotus flower thrives in muddy water, rising above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. The lotus doesn't just survive the mud; it requires it to grow above it.?

We get to choose whether to stay under the mud or grow a Lotus through it.

Posttraumatic growth is a deliberate decision toward positive psychological change. It's not about denying the pain or the struggle; it's about growing through it. It's an evolution through revolution. You're not just getting back to your old self; you're becoming a new, more resilient you.

As you transition from the plume to the bloom, you'll notice a transformation within. This resilience isn't just about bouncing back; it's about growing forward and becoming more robust, adaptable, and compassionate to yourself and others.

We all inevitably face plumes that threaten to obscure our vision and dampen our spirits. Remember, within these plumes, the seeds of resilience are sown, waiting to bloom into a beautiful testament to our strength and perseverance.

Let's not just navigate through the plumes; let's nurture the blooms that follow.?

Resilience is not a choice. It's a result of consciously growing from plume to bloom.?

Let's Grow! ?

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