TRIGGER WARNING: I mention S.I in this episode. If you're sensitive to this or struggling with this right now, maybe it's not the best time to listen-please call 911 &/or seek professional help or call/tell a loved one. You matter. I am just sharing parts of my own trauma healing journey in this & the difficult & worthwhile choices I made to address my core wounds & start being honest with myself (& my family & friends). Thank you to everyone who's been through this with me, including my family & everyone who continues to stay with me as I grow! & thank you to a most special person that I would not be here without! If you see this or hear this, you know who you are and I'm glad we met last summer! I also wanna thank an old friend who always saw the authentic me even before I fully realized it for myself. He's been an anchor & a blessing (gift from the past!) If you see this, I hope you're well, wherever you are! Go be your best self! The picture on the cover is from a book that's been so useful in understanding myself & other people & our patterns, on a level beyond basic psychology. I plan talking more about it in future episodes but if you liked this episode & are curious about the book, it's called Awakening The Heroes Within (Twelve Archetypes To Help Us Find Ourselves And Transform Our World) by Carol S. Pearson. I am grateful to my college professor & faculty advisor, Mark Thurston, & his wife & co-founder of the Personal Transformation & Courage Institute, Mary Elizabeth Lynch, for sharing all of their healing wisdom with me, & being the ones that introduced me to archetypes & personal development on a deeper level than I found even in therapy, although therapy has been just as useful. This book & the concepts I learned in PTCI & Mark's classes carry me throughout the years! If you're interested in exploring more of what they might have to offer, their website is- https://www.transformationandcourage.org/ I mention the archetype of The Seeker several times in this episode. Its been a prominent archetype throughout my life. I've only begun to understand it & myself better through this book & the wisdom from being a part of the PTCI community. It seems I still have more exploring to do, though I feel closer towards inner balance with the events in the last year & what they've taught me, & am hoping that this next year of my life will help bring me some equanimity as I really tune in on the things I love (moving into The Lover archetype) to balance out my constant seeking for a deeper truth. We shall see! Eager to share about my journey on the next episode!