Beyond Unthinkable Tragedy to Magnifying a Message with Cheryl Hunter
Did you know it’s not possible to simply choose happiness after extreme trauma? In the latest Flow Over Fear podcast, Cheryl Hunter shares why recovery is actually a gradual climb, not a single leap.
After surviving a horrific kidnapping and rape, Cheryl found healing through small steps like tolerating difficult emotions for just moments longer each time. Discover her insights on the incremental process of overcoming the deepest darkness.
Cheryl also shares her harrowing yet hopeful story of abduction, recovery, and her mission to give voice to those overcoming adversity. Be inspired by her journey from victim to victor, made possible through embracing and sharing her experience.
Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:
- How she got abducted and tortured as a teenager
- The captivity of the mind and the dangerous downward spiral of “why me?”
- Simply choosing happy doesn’t work after trauma
- Healing from trauma requires baby steps, not a single leap
- Be the author of your experience
- The power of sharing your story
- Own your fears and share them beautifully
Episode Highlights:
[04:26] Cheryl’s terrifying teenage abduction in France
As a teenager, Cheryl was abducted after arriving in France seeking to become a model, and was tortured by her kidnappers before managing to escape for her life.
[14:16] Overcoming Cheryl’s captivity of the mind
Cheryl describes how after escaping her physical captivity, she felt captive to her own thoughts of being “ruined” if anyone discovered what happened, as well as thoughts of revenge against her kidnappers.
[18:53] The dangerous downward spiral of “why me?”
Cheryl’s mother had taught her that the question – “why me?” – leads down a slippery slope into an even darker mental space.
[20:00] Simply choosing happy doesn’t work after trauma
Cheryl explains that when in the depths of hell after extreme trauma, it’s too dense a transition to just choose happiness. Instead, take incremental baby steps.
[25:32] Healing from trauma requires baby steps, not a single leap
Cheryl explains that overcoming trauma is an incremental process of climbing rungs of a ladder, not an impossible leap from hell to happiness.
[30:41] Be the author of your experience
Cheryl reflects that embracing adversity allows seeing potential gifts by authoring the experience as something chosen despite all, involving speculation on possible upsides.
[35:36] The power of sharing your story
Cheryl realized not sharing her own trauma story was partly why it took so long to get her overcoming adversity message out, and had to learn to share it in a way that left people feeling triumphant, not concerned.
[44:02] Own your fears and share them beautifully
Fear is just another hurdle we can own as part of ourselves and share about beautifully
Resources Mentioned:
Cheryl’s TEDx Talk: Wabi Sabi: The Magnificence of Imperfection
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