When We Survive by Leaving Ourselves Behind

-

 

When We Survive by Leaving Ourselves Behind

(And how healing gently brings us back.)

There is something the human mind does beautifully when life becomes too painful:

It protects us.

When trauma happens, many of us don’t fall apart dramatically. We do something far quieter.

We say:
 “It’s nothing.”
 “Forget it.”
 “Move on.”
 “Be strong.”

We place the pain in a small mental box, label it “handled,” and tuck it away somewhere deep inside.

This is called dissociation.

It’s not weakness.
It’s wisdom.
It’s how we survived.

But survival and healing are not the same thing.

The Box We Forgot We Buried

Life goes on. We grow up. We work. We love. We build families. We try to be “normal.”

But that box… it doesn’t disappear.

It stays in the body.
In the nervous system.
In the energy field.
In the quiet beliefs we start living from.

And years later, something strange happens.

We begin to notice:

  • the same patterns repeating

  • the same type of relationships hurting us

  • unexplained anxiety

  • chronic pain

  • fatigue

  • autoimmune symptoms

  • a feeling of being blocked, small, stuck, or unsafe

Not because we are broken…

…but because that old emotional frequency is still running quietly in the background, like a forgotten program.

The body remembers what the mind tried to forget.

The Stories We Start Living By

In healing work, we don’t begin with symptoms.

We begin with stories.

The beliefs we adopted the moment we packed our pain away.

And so often, I hear these:

“I’m not allowed to take my own decisions.”
 “I must work very hard just to survive.”
 “It’s always my fault.”
 “I’m stuck.”
 “I’m blocked.”
 “I’m not talented.”
 “I don’t have what others have.”
 “I don’t deserve more than my parents.”
 “I’ll never amount to anything.”
 “I’ve compromised my life.”
 “I must not speak my truth.”
 “I must submit to people who know more than me.”

And my heart gently asks every time:

What events forced you to pick up these beliefs and why?

Because children do not arrive believing these things.

They learn them.

A Simple Question That Changes Everything

Let me ask you something:

If your best friend came to you and said,
 “I don’t deserve a happy life… I’m not worthy,”

What would you say?

You wouldn’t agree.
You wouldn’t nod.
You wouldn’t validate that story.

You would remind them of their light.

So why do we say these things to ourselves?

Why do we scare ourselves with stories we would never tell someone we love?

Why Healing Sometimes Feels Like Anger

Here’s something people don’t talk about enough:

Healing doesn’t always feel peaceful at first.

Sometimes it feels like anger.

Because when you finally see the lies you lived by…
when you realise how much of your life was shaped by protection instead of truth…

something inside grieves.

Not with tears.
But with fire.

You grieve the version of you that didn’t get to choose freely.
You grieve the years spent shrinking.
You grieve the life that could have been softer.

And that anger is not wrong.

It is grief wearing armor.

A Gentle Truth

So today, I want to say this to you:

Don’t blame yourself for not knowing what only time could have taught you.

You did the best you could with the awareness you had.

You survived first.
Now you get to heal.

And healing is not about fixing yourself.

It is about coming back to yourself.

Opening the box slowly.
With compassion.
With safety.
With support.

Replacing survival stories with truthful ones.

If This Touched Something in You

If you felt seen while reading this…
If something softened… or tightened… or stirred…

You’re not broken.

You’re remembering.

And if you’d like support gently unpacking what your body and heart have been carrying, I’m here.

🌿 Book a free 15-minute clarity call.
 We’ll listen to your story, not to judge it, but to understand it and bring light to it.

Because you were never meant to live your whole life in survival mode.

You were meant to live in truth.
In safety.
In wholeness.

And it’s never too late to come home.

www.meetpuja.com









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Lonely, Just Aligned - A Healer’s Take on Solitude, Relationships, and the Sacred Space In Between

-
Image
You know that woman who dines alone at her favorite restaurant, sipping her tea like she owns the place? Or that guy who doesn’t say much in groups but somehow radiates calm like a forest you want to get lost in? People often whisper, “Aww, they seem so alone…” Meanwhile, they’re thinking, “Finally. No drama. No small talk. No ‘we should catch up soon’ texts we both know we’ll ignore.” Let’s get this out of the way early: solitude is not a curse. It’s not a failure. And it’s not something to pity.  Sometimes, it’s just alignment and yes, it might come with a side of awkward silences, herbal tea, and deep emotional excavation. (Ask me how I know.) Healing often looks like you are the odd one out. As an energy medicine practitioner — and just a human who’s been thoroughly initiated through life — I’ve come to see solitude not as a red flag, but as a rite of passage. There was a time when I would say yes to every invitation, reply to every message with a “haha sure!” and bend my...
Read more

Symptoms: What Is Your Body Trying To Tell You?

-
Symptoms:  What Is Your Body  Trying to Tell You? Have you ever noticed how certain symptoms seem to flare up when you’re around specific people or in certain situations? Maybe it’s the pounding headache that strikes after every family gathering or the dizziness that creeps in every Monday morning before work. Or perhaps you’ve observed an odd pattern—symptoms that show up like clockwork, the same time every year. Why does this happen? Could your body be holding on to more than just aches and pains? The Connection Between Trauma and Symptoms Your body remembers everything, even when you don’t. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, in his groundbreaking book The Body Keeps the Score , revealed how unprocessed trauma can become stored in the body, manifesting as physical symptoms. It’s not just in your head—it’s in your cells, your nervous system, and even the timing of your flare-ups. Take, for example, a client I worked with who had persistent skin issues every April. Through muscle testin...
Read more

Understanding Autoimmunity: Why Your Immune System Is Not the Enemy

-
Image
Understanding Autoimmunity: Why Your Immune System Is Not the Enemy  Your immune system is designed to protect you. It works tirelessly from day one, defending your body from harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses while learning to tolerate friendly microbes and harmless substances like food. From birth, this complex system is shaped by genetics and external factors such as how you were born, whether you were breastfed, and the overall health of the mother. Early on, much of your immune defense depends on the antibodies that mother transfers to baby until the body is strong enough to develop its own robust immune responses. But what happens when this defense system turns inward, mistakenly attacking your tissues, organs, and cells? This phenomenon is called autoimmunity. While it can be frightening to receive an autoimmune diagnosis, there’s hope. Understanding why your body is reacting this way is the key to restoring balance and reclaiming your health. The Body’s Wisdom: Auto...
Read more