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The journey to recover from past abuse is not an easy one, and there can be a lot of challenging, complicated experiences along the way. Although there are a lot of aspects of the healing journey that can require significant time and effort, seemingly-small actions also can go a long way toward supporting you in your healing journey. One relatively simple step you can take to encourage your progress along the healing journey is to put visible reminders and inspiring messages or quotes in places you look every day. As one example, you could post an inspirational message or affirmation on your bathroom mirror or the refrigerator in your kitchen. Digital reminders can work great as well! That's why, today in the Pathway for Survivors Blog, we're sharing these three free examples of Smartphone Wallpaper with messages that may resonate with you along throughout your healing process. You can download a free, high-resolution version of each of the images below, and then save one or more of them to your phone. If none of these messages resonate with you, try a Google search for "inspirational smartphone wallpaper" and see if you can find something that is a better fit for you! We hope you love and are inspired by these Smartphone Wallpapers! Let us know if there are other quotes you'd like to see for the next batch we make and share through The Source for Survivors! 
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 Today, we’re introducing our new Source for Survivors Spotify Playlist! You can find the playlist at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pHPV3OJDwyxaFBhysCsOz?si=841e15b0c6974f8b.
Here are a couple things to keep in mind about this playlist:
We hope you’ll give it a listen, hopefully enjoy and be encouraged by it, and let us know what you think!  By Christine Murray
As a mental health professional, I believe strongly in traditional approaches and services like professional counseling in the value they can offer to survivors along the journey of healing from past abuse. However, based on both my personal and professional experiences, I also know that it’s helpful to fill our healing toolkits with as many tools and strategies as we can find that are meaningful to us. I think creative approaches can hold special value in the healing journeys for many survivors. In fact, through our See the Triumph campaign, we developed a guide for Healing Arts Workshops that has been a popular resource requested by many people since it was released years ago. It’s still available as a free pdf download through the See the Triumph website if you’re interested in checking it out! Writing, expressive arts, and creative play are some examples of creative approaches that survivors could use within their healing journeys. However, this week at The Source for Survivors, we’re focusing on the potential healing power of music, and specifically the idea of having a theme song (or two, or many) that resonates with you at this phase of your healing journey. On Thursday of this week, we’ll be sharing a special playlist we developed through The Source for Survivors with songs that *might* be meaningful for survivors. Of course, everyone has different musical preferences, so if that playlist doesn’t resonate with you, perhaps it can offer inspiration for you to create your own with songs that inspire and connect with you. Why a Theme Song? To me, a theme song (or a playlist of songs) for a particular phase of life means having a song that inspires you, makes you feel seen and validated, connects with your emotions and/or offers you the reminder you need now that you’re on the right path. I’ve had many different theme songs over the years along my own personal healing journey. Different songs have had different meaning for me throughout this time. For me personally, as a person of faith, a lot of my theme songs have had deep spiritual meaning for me, but I’ve also found many relevant theme songs that aren’t directly related to my spiritual beliefs. I’ll share an example of one of my personal theme songs, and it’s the song that I consider my theme song at this particular phase of my life and healing journey. For me, it’s kind of a random one, as I’ve never been a real Parrot Head (i.e., a Jimmy Buffet Super-fan). However, when I first heard the song, Bubbles Up, which was released shortly after Jimmy Buffet’s death earlier this year, I felt like the song was written just for me and what I’m focusing on right now. Currently, in my life and healing journey, my main focus is on cultivating internal and external peace in all aspects of my life. This includes a focus on healthy boundaries, and I’d already had the metaphor of a bubble in mind before hearing Bubbles Up for the first time. The song’s peaceful tune resonated with my focus on peace, and its message that we can experience joy even during times of challenges and uncertainty is one that I appreciate a lot right now. Some Tips for Finding and Using Your Theme Song Perhaps you already have one or more theme songs for this phase of your healing journey. However, if you like the idea but don’t have one, consider whether finding one (or more) for this stage of your life would be helpful. If so, a few suggestions for finding options for your theme song include reflecting on songs that you’ve found meaningful in the past, searching online and/or in your favorite music app (e.g., YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, or Pandora) for songs and playlists that are inspiring, and also check out our Source for Survivors playlist when we share it on Thursday of this week! Once you pick your theme song(s), there are many possible ways you can use it to offer support and inspiration along your healing journey, including the following:
Conclusion I’d love to hear your thoughts about theme songs in the comments below or through our Contact Form. Share your personal theme song or let us know how you've integrated it into different aspects of your healing journey. Your insights can inspire and offer new ideas to us all. And don't forget to stay tuned and revisit this Pathway for Survivors blog on Thursday of this week when we’ll share the link to our new Source for Survivors Playlist! If you haven't already, consider connecting to us on Facebook or Instagram to receive updates on future posts, playlists, and resources to support you on your healing journey.  The official launch day for The Source for Survivors is now scheduled for Thursday, February 1st, 2024!
As we're counting down to the launch, we've got an exciting giveaway planned. We're giving away two Source for Survivors Launch Giveaway Gift Packs! Each gift pack includes the following:
Here are the details on who is eligible and how to enter:
 By Christine Murray Did you know that over one-third of the people who set a New Year’s Resolution will have already given up on it by the end of January? It’s natural to start the year with high hopes for making positive changes in our lives, but it can be difficult to stick with changes after reality and the busy-ness of life set in. If you’re a survivor on the journey of recovering from past abuse, you may be starting 2024 with some intentions of making positive changes in your life to continue your healing and overcome the lingering effects of the abuse you experienced. There’s nothing wrong with making New Year’s Resolutions as a way to set goals related to these changes. I’ll confess that I personally love setting New Year’s Resolutions and have a few I’m excited about this year. However, as this new year begins, I invite you to consider making commitments in addition to (or instead of) resolutions for 2024. In fact, you can make commitments at any point in the year, not just as we ring in the new year. Through The Source for Survivors, we intentionally use the term commitments in our Pathways for Supporting Survivors Model, and there are six commitments each in both the Pathway for Survivors and the Pathway for Community Supports. These are: (1) being intentional, (2) prioritizing safety, (3) taking a long-range view, (4) making steps forward, (5) reflecting, and (6) paying it forward, although this last commitment is always optional for survivors. Our Source for Survivors model focuses on commitments instead of other terms like steps or phases, because these six commitments are typically ongoing and don’t happen in a rigid, prescribed order. Also, although there are similarities in the meanings of the terms commitment and resolution, the Cambridge Dictionary offers a glimpse into the nuanced differences between these terms:
Making a commitment doesn’t have to cost a lot of (or any) money, and in fact the Commitments in the Pathways Model could all, in theory, be made without any direct financial costs. (Of course, financial resources can increase options and availability for some resources, services, and supports, such as purchasing relevant books or journals, paying for services like counseling or financial advising, or buying self-care experiences.) As we step into the possibilities of 2024, let's not only reflect on the changes we wish to make, but also embrace the commitments that align with our personal journey of healing. Take a moment to explore the Commitments in the Pathway for Survivors and consider whether any or all of the six Commitments resonate with you right now. Your healing journey is unique and ongoing, and these Commitments offer a framework for considering your next phases of growth. Whether it's January 1st or any other day of the year, every moment is an opportunity for new levels of commitment to your well-being and healing. Remember that your unique healing journey is your own, so you always can make the best decisions for yourself every step of the way. Here's to a new year filled with intentional commitments, continued healing, and an unwavering belief in your ability to shape your unique path! |
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