New Beginnings

It has been a while since I wrote my last post. I had found myself challenged so much, especially in recent years, which had caused me to learn so much. For people who are not familiar with my story, I came from an emotionally abusive relationship. That experience left me scarred and disconnected from myself.

But through faith, and the support of my friends, I was able to overcome it. After which, I have been actively promoting for women to believe in themselves and to speak up. I have been passionate about helping women discover their sense of identity that will help them to propel forward.

Recently, I found myself stuck in another similar situation. It was crazy as it took me a long time before I started to recognize the signs. This time it was different because the other party involved was a well-loved family member. I had tolerated the toxic environment and insults for the past years until I became immune to it. My sense of logic suggested that I should give in instead of standing up for myself. I felt the same fear that was threatening to keep me chained up once again. I felt stifled and, that frightened me.

When I caught hold of the situation, I realized I needed to free myself. I had to establish clear boundaries and step away from that relationship for my sanity. Last month I decided to talk with the said party. It was the hardest thing for me to do. But, this helps prepare us to have tough conversations with the people we love.

Human relationships can be tricky. Everyone goes through their challenges and insecurities, causing them to react differently to the people around them. They might not even know their mistake, so we can only feel sorry for them. After that incident, I decided to take a break to clear my head and rethink why some people can easily get sucked into the toxic environments they got themselves free from in the first place.

If you are facing a similar situation, you need to stand up for yourself.

Don't let people manipulate or control you in the name of concern or love. Even if the culprit is a family member! I believe many women out there are facing the same challenge and feel afraid to establish boundaries. But take a step of faith! Have no fear about pushing back. You will be liberated and free when you start taking action.

Shivon Gunalan

I am a new author, speaker and, host of "The Living Room" on Youtube. My two books, A Divine Connection and A Scandal of Grace, are based on Bible stories. 

A visionary by nature, I love coming up with new and innovative ideas for people to collaborate. Empowering women leaders is my passion. It is all about nurturing other women and helping them to achieve their full potential.

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