Healing Affirmations ~ Season 2

0:00 Hecate

Hello and thank you so much for joining me. I’m Hecate and this is Finding OK, a healing podcast for survivors of sexual assault and abuse. Welcome to Season 2! Today we’ll be starting things off by revisiting the Healing Affirmations that were a part of the first demo episode that started the podcast and got it off the ground a year ago.

0:24 *Intro music by Ramshackle Glory* 0:00

*Drums, and then uplifting folk/punk chords on guitar* Dalia never showed me nothing but kindness. She would say: “I know how sad you get". And some days, I still get that way, But it gets better, it gets better, it gets better. Sweetie, it gets better, I promise you. And she'd tell me...[Chorus] Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist. Keep on loving, keep on fighting. And hold on, and hold on. Hold on for your life…*fade out as guitar chords play*

1:20 Hecate

It is my hope to make these affirmations available to you, so that you can take what serves you and revisit them over the course of your own personal healing. Some of them may resonate, some of them may not. That’s ok. A lot of these are intended to challenge insidious, internalized messages that crop up for survivors, some of them are focused on acceptance, and some of them are focused on self-worth. I’m going to say them, and I really suggest making space for yourself when you listen to this so that you can repeat after me and say them out loud. Using your voice helps you to absorb and process the message. 

2:03 Hecate

Let’s start with a deep breath. Inhale *Inhales* *exhales* Ok. Repeat after me:

2:19 Hecate

I am not worthless.

2:23 Hecate

I am not broken.

2:28 Hecate

I am not dirty or tainted.

2:34 Hecate

I do not owe them anything.

2:40 Hecate

There is no “right” way to heal.

2:45 Hecate                                          

I am not less than I was before.

2:50 Hecate

It will get better.

2:55 Hecate

I will not always feel this way.

3:02 Hecate

I did not deserve it.

3:07 Hecate

It wasn’t my fault.

3:13 Hecate

The people who love and support me may not understand what I am going through.

3:25 Hecate

I have nothing to feel ashamed of.

3:32 Hecate

It is my choice who I share this with.

3:38 Hecate

If there are people in my life that believe I am lying they do not deserve me or my time.

3:53 Hecate

If my experience or existence makes others uncomfortable that is their problem.

4:06 Hecate

I cannot take responsibility for the decisions or actions of others.

4:18 Hecate

I’m going to be ok.

4:22 Hecate

I’m not ok, And that’s ok.

4:30 Hecate

No one else can tell me what I should be feeling.

4:38 Hecate

I am not alone.

4:43 Hecate

I am powerful.

4:47 Hecate

My pain does not make me weak.

4:52 Hecate

There is no deadline for recovery. There is no timeline for healing.

5:05 Hecate

What happened matters.

5:10 Hecate

I am not defined by my trauma.

5:16 Hecate

I am not what happened to me.

5:21 Hecate

My anger is not wrong.

5:27 Hecate

No one else can tell me when I should stop feeling angry.

5:37 Hecate

Anyone who tells me I should “let it go”, or “just get over it”, has no idea what they’re talking about.

5:55 Hecate

Many people will not know how to act around me, and that is not my fault, or my problem.

6:11 Hecate

It is my choice whether or not to take any kind of action. 

6:20 Hecate

Not taking legal action does not mean it didn’t happen. It does not mean that it doesn’t matter. It does not mean that it was ok.

6:45 Hecate

Nothing that I, or anyone else does, can change what happened or erase it.

7:00 Hecate

I cannot rely on them being held accountable for their actions. 

7:10 Hecate

Not understanding or accepting what they did does not absolve them from their actions, and it does not erase the consequences.

7:32 Hecate

My forgiveness is mine to give.

7:40 Hecate

It is my choice whether or not I ever forgive them.

7:49 Hecate

Feeling anger does not make me an angry person.

8:00 Hecate

If forgiveness is something that I seek, I need to accept that it takes time.

8:13 Hecate

Just because someone cares does not mean they understand.

8:22 Hecate

Just because someone wants to help does not mean they know how.

8:32 Hecate

I will never be the person I was before this happened. I need to accept that. The people who love me need to accept that.

8:54 Hecate

It is not what happened that makes me who I am, it is how I respond to it as a person.

9:08 Hecate

The only people who understand the experience of sexual assault, are the people who have experienced sexual assault.

9:28 Hecate

Healing is not linear.

9:32 Hecate

I am not a victim. I am a survivor.

9:42 Hecate

What happened does not make me weak.

9:49 Hecate

I will not always feel the same way about my experience.

9:59 Hecate

Thoughts of revenge or violence do not make me a bad person.

10:10 Hecate

This will always be a part of me in some way. 

10:17 Hecate

My trust is mine to give as I see fit.

10:26 Hecate

I deserve respect.

10:32 Hecate

No one deserves what was done to me.

10:39 Hecate

My abuser’s trauma does not excuse their actions.

10:48 Hecate

I have a right to feel what I am feeling.

10:56 Hecate

No one can tell me about my experience.

11:04 Hecate

I am capable of forming and maintaining a healthy and loving relationship.

11:18 Hecate

It wasn’t about sex, it was about power.

11:25 Hecate

I will be kind to myself because I deserve kindness.

11:36 Hecate

How I responded to my trauma when it was occurring is nothing to feel ashamed of. I did what I thought I had to do, and I survived. 

12:01 Hecate

I deserve to feel safe.

12:07 Hecate

The room of my mind is mine.

12:15 Hecate

I am valid. My trauma is valid.

12:24 Hecate

My healing matters.

12:30 Hecate

Self-care is courageous. I am courageous.

12:41 Hecate

Who I become is a choice. I have agency in my own creation and transformation. 

12:57 Hecate

I deserve patience, both from myself and from others.

13:10 Hecate

When I heal myself I help heal the world.

13:18 Hecate

The negative beliefs I hold about myself were given to me by others. I do not need to hold onto them anymore. They do not serve me.

13:43 Hecate

I deserve good things in life.

13:49 Hecate

I am worthwhile. I am worthwhile.

13:57 Hecate

Ok, and now let’s take three deep breaths together. *three deep breaths*

14:27 Hecate

Thank you so much for joining me in those, I hope you enjoyed the new additions. Thank you so much for supporting the podcast this year it’s been an incredible journey and it’s only just beginning. New episodes drop every other Wednesday at 8am EST. I’m especially excited about the next episode. It’s titled “Catharsis” and I speak with a brand-new guest, Serra, about some super intense and unusual work we did together in art school some *mumble* years ago. I hope you’ll join us.

15:06 Hecate

Please write in with feedback, episode requests, and questions to podcast.findingok@gmail.com. Let me know if you’re interested in joining me on the show, I’d love to have you. Finding OK is entirely crowd funded. This started with an idea and a Go Fund Me and y’all showed up and helped me make it happen. Thank you. Covid has been a huge challenge for all of us and I’ve been funding it out of pocket and unemployed for most of this crisis. If you have been listening and you’d like to help, even a dollar helps me keep this going. A huge shout out to Teresa for you recent donation. Thank you, it made a huge difference. If you can’t afford to donate there are other ways to help. Word of mouth goes a long way. So does sharing on social media.

16:00 Hecate

Please like and follow the Finding OK Facebook page for updates and sneak peaks of new and upcoming episodes. Feel free to friend me. Hecate F. Okay. *spells name* I share relevant articles, art, memes, and resources daily. I’ve also created a private Finding OK Facebook group where survivors can connect and share. You are welcome there. You can also find me on Instagram.

16:32 Hecate

Thank you so much for listening, it means the world to me. Welcome to all the new listeners, I see more of you arriving everyday since the podcast has been made available on all the various platforms. I am so grateful to you. To everyone who has been here since day one a year ago – I am blown away by your faith and your support. You helped me make this happen. Thank you. I am so honored to be here holding this space with you. I’ve learned so much and I’m really looking forward to making Season 2 better faster stronger. I fucking love you guys.

17:19 Hecate

Please like, share, subscribe, and donate if you can. This has been Finding OK. Black lives matter. Take care of yourself.

17:30 *Outro music by Ramshackle Glory* 

*fade in to folk/punk chords of guitar* Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist. Keep on loving. Keep on fighting. And hold on, and hold on, hold on for your life *echoes into brief silence*…(Chorus and full band) Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist. Keep on loving. Keep on fighting. And hold on, and hold on, hold on for your life. *triumphant and uplifting music plays till end*