For All The Women Broken By An Emotionally Abusive Relationship

This is for you, the one whose soul is weary, whose heart is battered, whose wounds may be invisible but just as devastating. The one who is tired of the endless, nonsensical arguments. The one is exhausted from trying to salvage something that is slowly killing her day in and day out. I want you to remember your worth and purpose in this world. I want you reawaken to your power.

I want you to know that it is okay to leave the people who are harming you. It is okay to not be okay for a while. It’s okay to take the time to be alone and rebuild the life you seek.

I want you to savor the beauty of your solitude, no matter what your relationship status. I want you to be a fighter in a world that teaches women they are only valuable if they are chosen by a man. I want you to inspire those around you by speaking so gently and lovingly to yourself that the cruelty and judgment of others melts away into the distance. I want all your naysayers to be overshadowed by the wildness of your strength. I want you to be the warrior woman they never saw coming.

I hope you learn to be enthralled by the sound of your own heartbeat. The one that reminds you that you are alive, that your life is meaningful, that you were divinely guided into this existence to change this world, to change yourself, to change the lives of those struggling like you.

I hope you learn to fall in love with the sound of your feet walking away from the things not meant for you. I hope you learn to fly rather than clinging to the people only interested in clipping your wings.

I hope you get to create the life of your dreams, because you deserve it. Within you is a light that is brighter than the belittling words of those who are afraid of your potential. Within you is an entire universe, just waiting to be built.

The one they said you weren’t capable of creating. The one they tried to fan the flames of before it even had a chance to ignite a spark.

I hope you channel all of your adversity into your catharsis. I hope this crucifixion becomes a platform for your resurrection. I hope you rise above your doubts and your fears to remember how infinite you really are.

When you’re feeling persecuted, lonely or ashamed, I hope you get to look at the life you’ve created for yourself and beam with pride, because you deserve it as much as anyone else, if not more.

You were not put on this planet to be mistreated or to feel ashamed about shining brightly. You deserve to be visible in owning all of your gifts. You deserve to be loved so deeply, cherished so unequivocally. I hope you know that you’re a masterpiece in human form and you never deserved to be molded by those who wanted to butcher the art of your divinity.

And I hope that no matter what, you find the will to also give that love to yourself.

Maybe you’re afraid of the power you truly have, brimming inside of you, telling you to face your fears and take the next step into the unknown. But inside of you is a courage and a fortitude they couldn’t take away even if they tried.

You have the scars to show that you have survived all the wars that life has thrown at you. And within you is a resilience that surpasses the dark energy of those who can only find power in tearing others down.

I hope you fill the cracks between your scars with gold, for there is magic even in the women who are brought to their knees. In your brokenness there is the ability to create new worlds and a new life. In your brokenness, new things can grow.

In your darkest moments, I hope you remember your own perfection. You were created with purpose, with fervor, with intention. You were beautifully made.

I hope you take the leap to freedom – and I hope that you find the glory of who you truly are and all that you were meant to be on the other side. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

Shahida is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University. She is a published researcher and author of Power: Surviving and Thriving After Narcissistic Abuse. Her books have been translated into 16+ languages all over the world. For more inspiration and insight on manipulation and red flags, follow her on Instagram here.

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