I learned how to be ME,  manage life, and live without pouring from an empty cup—to put the mask on me first before I could help others:

   •   I learned to make problems fun—glasses, wigs, ponytails, wallpaper—I learned to Karenize life because one size doesn’t fit all.

   •   I learned boundaries after losing all of mine

. Boundaries like a motherf***er.

   •   I learned self-awareness, pattern recognition, emotional regulation, therapy, tools, communication, meditation, hormone balance, embracing my feminine energy; tapping into intermittent fasting, exercise, beauty and my own style. I learned to honor my mind, body, and soul.

   •   I learned to cry again. I sit in my feelings. I don’t numb or run from them, recognizing growth comes from discomfort. Being human means falling—and getting back up. Life happens but we don’t have to go back to the darkness…where the trauma lived—we start from where we are now.

   •   I learned that pain doesn’t disappear when you avoid it. Running only delays the healing. Alcohol became my coping mechanism to escape. 

   •   I learned people can only give what they have. Not everyone is me. Kindness doesn’t require self-betrayal. Love without boundaries isn’t healthy love—it’s self-destructive.

   •   I learned to let go of control without self-destruction. My energy and peace are my responsibility.

   •   I learned to say no. I learned to protect my peace. I learned vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s strength.

   •   I learned this truth the hard way: no one is coming to save you. But it’s okay to ask for help.

   •   I learned reality: life is messy. People aren’t always kind. The world isn’t always fair. Numbing and availing the pain only prolongs it.

I learned pain comes in waves.

Some will knock you down , others will make you lose your footing.

The wave of pain is intense put it will pass…until the next one hits.