The Labyrinth : Navigating Trauma

Trauma—the word itself creates some space, gaps, and invisible barriers, let alone experiences. On the occasion of World Mental Health Day today, October 10, 2024, I take a moment to share the publishing of my fifth book, The Labyrinth, on Amazon.

Lightning can strike anywhere anytime. The best you can do is place surge protectors. But what can you do while crossing a path where you aren't protected? The vicissitudes of life offer a plethora of experiences to reflect and evolve as a person where it's a natural human urge to resist.

From having experienced trauma in 1st hand capacity to being a caregiver, I decided to give back my reflections from this crucible to someone else on a similar path. We all talk about creating support systems, but how many of us offer support even from the systems that we are part of? Are we humanizing our systems enough? Can we use the knowledge that each of us have as professionals to improve the quality of life of at least 1 individual around us with a pure giver's mindset expecting no favors in return or exchange? While traumatic situations don't disappear magically overnight, creating different mechanisms of support for people navigating trauma has a phenomenal power in enabling them to catalyze their pain for personal transformation.

Every traumatic situation is a labyrinth with no maps. And nobody even with the best intentions can anyone draw the path for us. We all wander in search of a path. At the same time, we are the cartographers of our lives. We build our maps. We eventually find our path. Each of us is an explorer on our quest. However, for every ship crossing the sea during a storm, there is hope and faith that a lighthouse exists, and it is that hope that keeps the ship sailing.

I cannot thank God enough for holding me through this entire journey so far and also bestowing me with the hope and energy to be of service. I deeply acknowledge the strength of family, friends, mentors and some unforgettable colleagues who have gone way outside their path to support me purely out of goodwill. I know I can never thank them enough.

Feel free to share how your journey through trauma has shaped your life path and how you can use your lived experiences to create a better and more purposeful world—a world where trauma is spoken and addressed without stigma and where people find more support in moments that matter.

Let your trauma mark the beginning of a new journey blessed with stubborn optimism. Wishing you a heart full of serenity and a mind free of clutter.