In this episode, I’m joined by Mary Lovely of Say It, Survivor. Mary joins me to share her story of how she went from thinking she was destined for unhappiness to becoming resilient from her past experiences and living a life she loves today.
Click the play button below to check it out!
The Details
Traumatic experience:
Mary was sexually molested and abused by her grandfather from the age of seven until puberty. She was also bullied in middle school and again in college.
Effects of the traumatic experience:
The abuse and a lack of family action contributed to her low self-worth and shattered her self-esteem. After being bullied not only in middle school, but again in college, she became fearful and felt she had to be perfect in order to be loved and accepted. This led to her struggles with anorexia, bulimia and perfectionism. Mary used her perfectionism to become very successful in her career, but her personal life and relationships with men weren’t healthy.
Overcoming the traumatic experience:
When Mary met her second husband, she found someone who accepted and loved her which helped bolster her self-esteem. Reconnecting with her cousin, Laura, on Facebook in 2014, Mary was able to reconcile her memories with her reality which proved to be the validation she needed.
What Mary does today: Mary is a co-founder of Say It, Survivor and an interior designer.
Final Question:
Given what you know now, if you could go back to when you were going through the tough times and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Mary's Answer: Trust yourself – believe in who you are.
Links Mentioned:
SayItSurvivor.org - Laura and Mary's site for survivors
MaryMorphosis.com - Mary's blog
LivingLovelier.com - Mary's interior design business
Mary.SayItSurvivor@gmail.com - Mary's email address if you'd like to reach out
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