It is exactly two years since my accident. If you have been following me for a while then you will know that it was that accident which changed my life in a split second. My journey since hasn’t been easy and finding acceptance has been one of the hardest challenges I have had to go through in life.
Accepting the unacceptable
Experiencing a loss in life is hard, even overwhelming, and trying to find acceptance can feel like an impossibility. This is why I have found this time of year, the run-up to Christmas, so hard for me since my mum passed away. The first Christmas without her I just wanted to hide, to hibernate or run away. And we did so. But I couldn’t escape reality forever. I had to learn to accept it. But life isn’t always smooth sailing, and just as I was getting to a place where I was able to face reality and enjoy life again, I experienced loss again.
This time it wasn’t the loss of a loved one but my previous, carefree life that I lost so unexpectedly. And after two years of recovery, two years of pain, there are still days that I grieve it. Acceptance doesn’t come easily but, as I have discovered, beating ourselves up doesn’t make it any easier. It actually makes things worse.
Read also ‘Finding Gratitude After a Serious Injury and Healing PTSD Through Writing – MatChat Wellbeing Podcast‘
My story of finding acceptance
Finding acceptance is a personal journey and therefore is likely to be a different process for each of us. But I want to cheer you on as you embark on your journey towards achieving it. And why is finding acceptance so important? Because after the traumatic experience you went through, finding acceptance can be a game changer in terms of your life going forwards. And that’s crucial for those who are grieving the loss of their old life. Hence why I decided to share my story on the Crash Support Network.
Crash Support Network was created by a crash survivor, Dawne McKay, to support other crash survivors. Dawne was left with multiple injuries after an accident caused by a distracted driver. She is not shy about sharing her own experience and the struggles she has had to go through. And this openness has allowed her to transform her pain into a purpose, to create a community where survivors can feel supported, understood and inspired. Given her passion for supporting other crash survivors around the world, accepting the invitation to share my story on her website and quarterly newsletter just seemed like the obvious thing to do. Being a survivor of a road traffic accident myself, I wanted to provide hope and encouragement to others through my words.
Read also ‘Traumaversary: Ways to Deal With a Trauma Anniversary‘
Finding acceptance after a life-changing accident caused by someone else is often so hard. But I hope my words can serve as a plaster on your painful wounds. I didn’t want to paint a picture in the minds of other survivors of a brave woman for whom finding acceptance was an effortless process. Because this wouldn’t be true! And I wanted to be as honest as I could so you know what to expect.
Discover your purpose through acceptance
I have found that honesty is the foundation for finding acceptance. Honesty with ourselves, our emotions and others. It can help us discover the true meaning of acceptance and find the silver lining amongst our dark clouds. And this is important. Finding a purpose in our lives after a traumatic experience, which may have had life-changing consequences, helps us to move our lives forward. I believe that everyone has a purpose in life, it’s just a case of trying to discover it amid all the pain.
Read also ‘Positive Thinking: Can It Cure Your Illness? – RallyUp Magazine Guest Post‘
Therefore I want to invite you to read my post ‘Acceptance and Finding Purpose After a Traumatic Accident‘ on the Crash Support Network and find out how you can turn your pain into purpose.
Because even though the time around my traumaversary still brings up the painful memories from two years ago, it also reminds me that by finding acceptance we can transfer our pain into wisdom and self-development.
Thank you and till the next blog post,
If you like what I do, please support me on Ko-fi
I found that being honest with myself is one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it helps to heal. Thank you for sharing
I love how you talked about being honest with our emotions! I think this is so valuable. It’s a lot harder when we shove emotions down and try not to feel with and sit with them. We can be kinder to ourselves by leaning into and accepting our emotions.
Thank you for sharing your story!
great read
Thank you for sharing your story! I have been working a lot on self acceptance the past few years and it has been one of the hardest parts of my healing journey, but also the most worthwhile,
Thank you for sharing! Being honest with myself during my lupus journey has been a hard pill to swallow. I can relate 1000% to your post.
I appreciate your story and explaining the importance of coming into acceptance after a traumatic event. As a mental health professional, I understand how deeply impactful trauma is and your story is profound.
Thank you for sharing your story, it is the courage to share that helps both you and others to heal.
Acceptance is not easy, but it is a big part of the healing process. Thanks for sharing!
I love and appreciate your authenticity Katy. Acceptance is so important especially in healing. One day at a time even one moment at a time friend. Continued prayers for you and hoping you have a blessed Christmas. 🤗🎁 🎄 🎉
Pastor Natalie (ExamineThisMoment)
Letstakeamoment.com
Thank you for sharing your story! I have been working a lot on self acceptance the past few years and it has been one of the hardest parts of my healing journey, but also the most worthwhile,
Absolutely wonderful tips. Something everyone that goes through grievance should know. Thank you 😊