A measure of growth is the ability to express how far we have journeyed and know there’s always MORE beyond the horizon.
Recovery is defined as a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. Another definition is the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost.
When we define who we are by clinical definitions, we miss out on the beautiful embodiment of awareness. Definitions can be as restricting as the chains of trauma.
Offering a bit of context, I’ve been thinking about the term “Trauma Recovery.” What exactly is recovery? Am I STILL recovering, or am I growing beyond the limits of the past? How long have I been in recovery and does it end? These are the same questions that I’ve heard asked of me then I always answer, recovery is a process.
But does it get any better? Is that all there is after trauma is we recover and survive?
Whether you see yourself as victim or survivor, we can become unintentionally immersed in our own stories of victimization and subsequent survival. This is especially true if our focus is our purpose (coaching, therapist, etc.).
Back to the definitions, who’s to say what a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength looks like? Normal is subjective, and unfortunately, we can’t reclaim our innocence.
We CAN reclaim what is ours by freeing the self from negative beliefs and feelings, but if we focus ourselves on only survival, we may unconsciously, or inadvertently, slide into tunnel vision. When we live with tunnel vision we miss out living in the bigger picture.
But, if we choose to see our recovery paths from an overview perspective, or widening the lens on the spotlight to see we’re not “just survivors”, we quickly determine there is more to us than our self-imposed limits of recovery. Recovery now becomes unbinding.
Unbinding is to set free from, loosen and release from bonds or restraints according to the common use of the term. Knowing there’s always more to anything “Unbound” for me means I am capable and confident of growing beyond the limits of my story of survival.
My name, “Sher Unbound”, was given to me during my studies in The Way of Impeccability, created by Syl Sabastian. I didn’t have to accept the name given to me. I CHOSE to accept and adopted the name for specific reasons THEN.
Today, I quietly re-learned and took full ownership of my name when I recognized his feedback about tunnel vision was true for me.
• I have recovered from the traumatic past events.
• I have learned what was needed to satisfy the questions I held surrounding my existence.
• I have been UNBOUND for some time, but stuck somewhere between recovery/survival mode and thriving.
What I want isn’t in books, videos, or something that can be taught. It must be EXPERIENCED. What I want is to widen my lens of awareness, from a focus on recovery to a focus on living truly UNBOUND.
I honestly don’t know what that looks like, but I’m excited to explore and experience everything living with an unbound embodiment of awareness means to me.
We must blend our recovery process with living. Life still goes on whether we’re in an abusive situation or on a path of recovery. This is the point of awareness — to unlock the world for ourselves; followed by acknowledgment, acceptance, and application.
They say recovery is a process and we will always be recovering. That may be, but I have no desire to define who I am with a single word.
So if you notice a bit of a shift in writing, please, don’t be alarmed. I am still your coach, I’m still your friend, I remain loyal to my passions of sharing; only now with a deliberate focus on what it looks like to THRIVE as “Deliberately” Sher Unbound.
🤍 Sher