Day 19_This Is Me

Hello there! You're so close! This is Day 19 of your 21-day journey toward Your Triumph.

You can start today by jumping up to the video icon to watch a clip from "Downton Abby".

This may not be an easy one to watch. Please hang in there as best you can.

You'll see something very important take place.

A man has discovered that his wife has been assaulted. He gently confronts her in order to help her, and the discussion helps remove the shame, guilt and anguish that she'd been feeling and had tried to keep to herself.

Let us know how her message landed with you when you've finished watching it.

As you saw in the clip above, Anna thought she'd lost the best part of herself after the violence she suffered.

It was understandable how she would feel that way, and yet she was wrong.

It took people who loved her to help her find her way back. Eventually she realized that her husband saw her as more pure and holy because of what she had endured.

His love and respect for her grew deeper because he saw how much she was suffering. Of course, if you know the series, you know she withheld some important information, but she eventually got there.

Without going into details, what's the best part of you that may have suffered as a result of something difficult that has happened in your life?

How much are you willing to fight to get back the best part of you?

This fight is not going to be won alone.

It's very difficult to heal and get beyond the shame or guilt people often feel if they try to do it alone. We were never meant to go through suffering alone.

Sharing it helps you understand that no one, absolutely no one, is immune from situations that cause great pain. Expressing as much of the event as you're comfortable can bring you into the greater fellowship of mankind.

We've all suffered. A few learned how to move on. It began by telling their story. When they did, they realized it no longer had a hold over them.

Suddenly the anger, shame and guilt started melting away. The more they told the story, the more they were able to reclaim what was rightfully theirs all along.

It was never lost, only buried for a while. But it can and will come back.

Do you have a trusted friend, mentor, instructor or relative you can talk to about this? It's probably best to share with someone who is at least 10 years older than you and who may have a better perspective about what you're going through.

So...do you have that person in your life, or can you find such an individual?

Would you be willing to reach out and talk to someone?

If you can't think of anyone, post to us in the last open space at the bottom of the page, the publisher's space. That's us. We're here, and we can relate a lot more than you may realize, and we're happy to talk with you.

How willing are you to reach out to someone or to ask us for help?

It's helpful to know that it's not always possible to get rid of all the bad feelings overnight. This journey takes some time, but you'll know you made it when can you tell your story and it doesn't carry the sting it used to.

For now, give yourself a break. Do something nice for yourself when you exit this navitent, something to help shake off any negativity. Something like going for a long walk, shooting hoops, talking to a neighbor, treating yourself to an iced coffee or shave ice!

Keep this in mind as you're treating yourself well. Savor the journey. Each stage is a victory in and of itself. Each step shows you more about yourself that you couldn't have known otherwise. And that's a good thing.

What do you think about that?

See you tomorrow.