Shot Through the Heart: My Journey Through Devastating Loss

Three years ago, my world shattered. I lost all my money and had my heart broken in an online dating scam. It felt like I'd been shot through the heart.

This devastating experience is what truly inspired the Wheel of Healing and Vitality. Not theory - raw, desperate need for a way forward.

I want to share how I worked with loving kindness energy to heal, not because I have it all figured out (I'm still healing), but because maybe it can help you too - whether you're going through something immense right now or preparing for the inevitable challenges life brings us all.

In the eye of the storm: My first instinct was to feel it all - the shame, the pain, the heartbreak - without trying to alter or change it. To accept that this was going to hurt and I needed to be present with that hurt while holding as much love for myself as I could. Like giving myself a hug, curling up in a fetal position, whatever I could do to hold space for myself internally.

Reaching outward: The outer ring of the wheel - community and nature - became lifelines. Having trusted people (family, close friends) I could talk to, even though it was hard to tell them. I realized I'm so much stronger when I can share and lean on others. And getting into nature daily - taking walks where I could feel that pain in a healing environment.

The honest truth about distraction: Sometimes the pain is too intense to face directly. And that's when you might need to truly distract yourself - binge watching, comfort foods, whatever takes your attention off it temporarily. I get it.

But here's what I've learned: burying it, pushing it down, avoiding the pain is like setting a time bomb. We've all been there - reacting intensely to something small because it triggered something unhealed from our past.

The practice of loving kindness is finding that beautiful blend - meeting yourself where you're at with grace and skill, even when (especially when) the shit hits the fan.

If you're not going through something intense right now, practicing loving kindness as daily energy prepares you. It builds your capacity to meet yourself with compassion when life inevitably tests you.

Today's vitality check-in: How can you hold more love for yourself today, exactly as you are? 💕

Sending you love wherever you're at on your journey.

By the way, there's so much I’ll keep sharing about how this wheel works in daily life - including the physical aspects. Because while we're processing intense emotions and trauma, the ways we care for our bodies, move them, nurture and strengthen them become incredibly grounding and a catapult for growth and healing. When everything else feels out of control, tending to your physical self is something that remains beautifully within your power.