
8 Lessons for Survivors from the Film Mi Familia
I first saw this film back when walking down the aisles of Blockbuster on Friday nights was hot.
I picked up the case, saw a lot of my favorite actors, and rented it for the weekend. I never forgot this story. Amazing. Â
Some [...]
Survivor Affirmations Inspired by The Joy Luck Club (with audio book)
There’s something sacred about The Joy Luck Club.Not just the story—but the witnessing. The layering. The quiet truths that refuse to stay buried.
Let’s honor that energy with affirmations that carry the same depth, dignity, an [...]

Lessons from The Wedding: The Kind of Love That Looks Good—and Still Costs You
Another televised Oprah production. She doesn't appear in this film, but if you are a fan of the wonderful series Greenleaf, you will definitely note her "presence."
This story, based on the work of author Dorothy West, isn’t j [...]
Hajia Gambo Sawaba: She Did Not Wait to Be Allowed
(You should see how elated I am! This series is going to give me those laugh lines we are supposed to hate.)
There are women who were toldto stay small, stay quiet, stay inside the lines drawn for them.
And then there are wome [...]
Congolese Women, Sacred Knowledge, and Spiritual Leadership: A Gentle Introduction
There is a quiet truth that has always existed, even when it wasn’t written down.
Across the lands now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, women have long held roles of spiritual insight, healing, and guidance. Not [...]
Sheila Johnson: When the Path Changes, I Do Not Shrink—I Reimagine
I am not limited by what did not work.I am expanded by what I now know.I dream again—and this time, I dream with power.
There are women who succeed.
And then there are women who change the structure of success itself—so other [...]
Võ Thị Sáu: 🌿She Was Young. And Still… She Stood.
“I was never too young to see clearly—and I honor the strength that rose in me anyway.”
Võ Thị Sáu was a girl.
Not grown.Not protected.Not given time to slowly become.
A girl.
And still…
She stood.
She lived in [...]

Denise Ho: 🌿Once You See It, You Can’t Go Back
“The greatest gift in this life is always more of me—and I am not going back to less.”
Denise Ho was a singer.
A successful one.
She had:
access
visibility
opportunity
a path that was already wor [...]

Selena Quintanilla: 🌿 She Brought Joy to the World. And We Will Not Ignore What Took Her.
Selena Quintanilla carried something extremely rare.
Joy that felt real.Warmth that reached people across language, culture, and place.A presence that made people feel seen.
She was building something beautiful.
Not just a ca [...]
🌺 Frida Kahlo: She Lived in a Body That Hurt—and Still Created Beauty
 For a long time I celebrated Frida's art and had no idea she lived in pain. I was truly spellbound by the art. As a young person, I thought the art was representing a different type of pain.....
Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico. [...]

🌿Josephine Baker: She Refused the Limits Placed on Her Body
Joséphine Baker was born in the United States.She knew segregation.She knew what it meant to be looked at and not seen.
So she left.
And in Paris… she found something different.
Not perfect.But different enough to breathe.
[...]

🌿 Josephine Baker: She Found a Place Where She Could Breathe
Joséphine Baker did not just “move to France.”
She left a place that constrained her…and stepped into a place that, for a time, allowed her to expand.
That distinction matters.
In the United States, she faced what so ma [...]
🌺 Marielle Franco: She Spoke. Even When It Was Dangerous to Speak.
Marielle Franco was a Black woman from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
She knew violence.Not from headlines.From proximity.
From lived experience.
From watching what happens when communities are over-policed, under-protected, [...]
🌿 Halimah Yacob: She Was Not Handed Ease. She Built Something Anyway.
Halimah Yacob did not begin life surrounded by comfort.
She lost her father young.Her family struggled.There were real limitations. Not imagined ones.
And still… she kept going.
Not loudly.Not for applause.But steadily.
That [...]
12 Reasons Lauryn Hill Deserves More Respect for Her Impact on Music (w/affirmations)
The only reason that men question Lauryn Hill's
accomplishments
is because they can't find a way
to take credit for them.
Lauryn Hill was never just an artist.
She was a creative center of gravity.
She wrote.
She produ [...]

Affirming Television Moments: When the Women Tore Down the Wall
First, giving gratitude to Oprah because this type of programming was very uncommon back in 1989. When you wanted to see television films like this, you waited for Oprah to make them.Â
It was sad, but she kept us fed.Â
There a [...]

Living in Truth in a Loud World: The Courage to Stand Tall
There was a time when a singer could stand on a stage, look out at the world, and sing a line that would echo for generations:
“I did it my way.”
The song My Way, made famous by Frank Sinatra, has become a cultural symbol of l [...]

Inspired by Survivor Viola Davis: You Don’t Need Perfect Weather to Bloom
Some flowers wait for sunshine.Others learn how to grow toward the light
even while clouds remain overhead.
Gratitude to a shining star....Viola Davis
A woman who never waited for perfect weather to bloom.
You grew thro [...]

She Quit Dancing for Britney Spears and Janet Jackson to Design Luxury Shoes Janet Wears
This entrepreneur quit dancing for Britney Spears and Janet Jackson to follow her passion for designing luxury shoes - Face2Face Africa
Giving yourself a chance is the first act of believing in the life you are [...]
Survivor Affirmations for the Sharp Pain of Betrayal
Affirmations
✨ I release the pain of betrayal and reclaim my peace.
✨ What broke me open is now making me stronger.
✨ I trust my wisdom more than I fear another wound.
✨ Betrayal did not diminish my worth [...]
AFFIRMATIONS AND SELF LOVE
Your Gifts Were Never Up for Debate
There is a hard truth that many people resist, especially when it threatens their comfort:
Life is not fair.And giftedness is not [...]
HEALING JOURNEY
How to Really Let Go of Past Mistakes and Move Ahead (audio)
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Navigating Flashbacks with Grace and Power (podcast/audio)
Navigating Flashbacks with Grace and Power
Flashbacks can feel overwhelming, pulling us into memories of the past that may still hurt. In this [...]
đź’” When They Still Protect the Person Who Hurt You
There’s a heartbreak that goes beyond the original harm.
It’s the silence.The excuses.The polite smiles at family gatherings.The messages from mutual [...]
Let Them Cheer for the Wrong Side. I’m Still Here. I’m Still Whole.
SurvivorAffirmations.com | Inspired by WeSurviveAbuse.com
They clapped for the one who caused the harm.They stood beside him, took photos, posted q [...]
🖤 Survivor Affirmations: “I Am the First Safe Place I’ve Ever Known”
These affirmations are for the Survivor who has had to become her own safety, her own sanctuary, her own rescue.
These words are not about pret [...]
đź’¬ 10 Ways Coaching Helps Survivors Reclaim Their Power
A guide for those who’ve survived abuse and are ready to grow, rebuild, and move forward—with support.
Surviving abuse is not the end of yo [...]
CONFIDENCE/POWER/RESILIENCE
✨ “You’re Not Broken”: Affirmations for Survivors Living with PTSD
My mind is not broken—it is doing what it had to do to survive the unspeakable.
I honor the parts of me that feel chaotic, confused, or [...]
HEALTHING JOURNEY
Survivor Spotlight: Barbara J Hansen
Survivor Spotlight: Barbara J Hansen [...]
Võ Thị Sáu: 🌿She Was Young. And Still… She Stood.
“I was never too young to see clearly—and I honor the strength that rose in me anyway.”
Võ Thị Sáu was a girl.
Not grown.Not protected.Not given tim [...]
Sometimes Integrity Gets You Removed: And That Doesn’t Mean You Were Wrong
🎤 Dusty Springfield was a British singer known for her soulful voice and hit songs in the 1960s. Wikipedia
đź“… Â 1964: During a tour of South Africa, sh [...]
Why Insomnia Is a Silent Epidemic in the Black Diaspora
Sleep is supposed to be a place of peace. Yet for many across the Black diaspora, rest feels distant, interrupted, or impossible. Insomnia isn’t just [...]
Keep on Movin: Quotes on Perseverance from Black Women
♥ Someone was hurt before you, wronged before you, hungry before you, frightened before you, beaten before you, humiliated before you, raped b [...]
Sitting Up In My Room (audiobooks, films, docus, playlists...)
🌤️ Clarity After Chaos, Grief, and Rain
There comes a moment — after the thunder, after the tears — when the air feels different.
It’s quieter.
Cleaner.
You can finally see what was [...]
Artist Jossie Harris Thacker: Building On Where You Come From — Without Going To War With It
Some of us were taught that “healing” means disowning everything that shaped us.
The accent.The neighborhood.The elders.The songs.The faith.The grit. [...]
Soul Train Dancer Tamechi Toney Briggs Influenced A Generation & Created Infamous MC Hammer Pants
I've been screaming! No one was going to tell me?Â
Now all those years watching Soul Train and I did not make this connection when MC Hammer, who I a [...]
Playing by Heart: Alberta Hunter and the Power of Soul Wisdom
Alberta Hunter’s life was a testament to the power of the "unpolished" authentic soul. She was a woman who conquered the world's stages, walked away t [...]
Affirming Television Moments: When the Women Tore Down the Wall
First, giving gratitude to Oprah because this type of programming was very uncommon back in 1989. When you wanted to see television films like this, y [...]
Vivica A. Fox: A master class in showing up and showing out from her days on Soul Train
Soul Train dancers were not “just dancers.”
They were artists.
People sometimes talk about Soul Train like it was simply a place to party.
But look [...]
8 Lessons for Survivors from the Film Mi Familia
I first saw this film back when walking down the aisles of Blockbuster on Friday nights was hot.
I picked up the case, saw a lot of my favorite acto [...]
PBS Newshour: A Brief But Spectacular take on appreciating what we have
“Joy multiplies when I choose to love.” 💫
“I find joy not just in myself, but in celebrating others.”
“Love is the soil—joy is the [...]
Lessons from The Wedding: The Kind of Love That Looks Good—and Still Costs You
Another televised Oprah production. She doesn't appear in this film, but if you are a fan of the wonderful series Greenleaf, you will definitely note [...]
ART HEALS
9 Quotes from Maya Angelou to Nourish the Survivor’s Soul (Part 2)
Updated for 2025
🌟 Resilience & Strength
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced [...]
Black Culture is SO Beautiful
Black culture is truly a wonderful vibe. Being Black is a beautiful blessing I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world!
Dear God, thank You for th [...]
Surviving Abuse Daily: I Can’t Do This Without Laughing
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9 Quotes from Maya Angelou to Nourish the Survivor’s Soul (Part 1)
Updated for 2025
🌿 For the Survivor’s Journey
1. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
2. “You alone are eno [...]


















