Collecting The Pieces of Myself...

Every minute of my days was spent waiting on him to tell me I had value. As if, without him I was nothing. As if, he held the key to my happiness. As if, I had never known happiness before and as if I would never know it again.

Seeing that I was the one that had much to offer took time. It didn’t happen overnight. I had to work as hard as I did to love him to understand and acknowledge my own value.

Chipping away at all that I knew. The stories that I had told myself and the narrative that he built around me to keep his world safe and my world small.

Over time I could see the pieces of myself I had given away. Over time I gained the courage to pick them back up and over time I made peace with myself. As if like magic, it was then, that the pieces of me came back together to make me whole again. Stronger, more vibrant, more passionate and more clear.

Bit by bit I reconnected with my true potential and stepped away from what had been put on me without my consent.

The new picture of who I am and what I’ve become is one that I treasure. It’s honest and real and colorful and deeply connected to something bigger than me.

I would never wish what happened to me on someone else – let alone him – and I’m grateful I came back to myself in a way I can be of service to other women that don’t see their own value and give up their power to another human.

I know now my story is etched into my essence and I know now that this adds to my value as a human.
A human that is here to support each and every other human to be their best and to know that they too, matter.

~Toni Short