Trauma is a Thief

But Gratitude Changes the Attitude

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Trauma is a thief.
It steals so much from us—our innocence, our sense of safety, our trust in the world.

For me, it stole my childhood, shattered my mental health throughout my teenage years, and led me down a path of missteps and painful decisions.

But finally, after years of stuffing down painful memories, I found a solution: gratitude.

Gratitude shifts your attitude. It softens the sharp edges of the past and gently cracks open the door to forgiveness.
And while you may never forget what happened, if you can begin to forgive—yourself, the circumstances, the people—you can finally begin to move forward.
You can release yourself from a place you were never meant to stay stuck in.

As Charlamagne tha God once said,
"Why punish yourself now for something you didn’t know then?"

That line hit me like a bolt of lightning.
It was an epiphany:
I had spent so many years punishing myself, when all along, I should have been embracing my younger self—for everything she survived, for all the battles she fought without even knowing she was in a war.

Looking back now, I can see it more clearly:
Maybe the universe wasn’t trying to break me—it was training me.
Training me like a Navy SEAL or a special ops warrior.
This was my gauntlet to survive and endure.
It was preparing me, hardening my spirit, and sharpening my mind so that I could face even the worst circumstances—and find a way not just to endure them, but to turn them around.

And though I've learned many lessons the hard way, I can now say with certainty:
It’s why I can pull myself out of almost anything today.

When I was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, it felt like being dropped into the bottom of a deep, dark well—with no ladder, no light.
The gravity of my life’s traumas pinned me down. I could barely breathe under it.

But even there, at rock bottom, a small truth flickered:
This diagnosis wasn’t just devastation.
It was also a message.
A reminder.

I am a warrior.
I am capable of changing my mindset.
And that mindset—gratitude, hope, resilience—becomes the light that cuts through the darkness.

It doesn’t erase the hard parts, nor does it make the pain disappear.
But it shows you a way forward.
Or sometimes, simply, a way through.

It takes practice and persistence. And yes, some days, I still get it wrong. But every day, I get a little bit closer.

I am thankful for the ability to see that I have control over my mindset—
And it’s only through these hard life lessons that I could come to know that.

Now, I begin each day and end each night with a moment of gratitude.
It helps me see possibilities and opportunities, rather than a bleak diagnosis.

Gratitude is healing me from the inside out.
It is dissolving years of negative thoughts, dissipating the heaviness I once carried.

Gratitude is the way I am reclaiming my freedom—
And rebuilding my life, one hopeful step at a time.

Gratitude isn’t just changing my attitude—

it has helped me find the courage to light a match in the darkness.
And in doing so, it is changing my life.

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