What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?

Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we carry—and the ways we learn to move through it—can define who we become. We asked community members from a broad array of industries to reflect on their defining wounds and have shared the responses below.

Cecilia Berkley

There was a time when I felt everything within me was breaking—my body, my mind, my spirit. I was exhausted from holding it all together, trying to be strong when life was asking me to surrender. Nothing seemed to work. I felt I was losing myself. But in that stillness, when everything fell apart, I began to listen. Read more>>

Shawna Eischens

Fortunately, I’ve committed to my own healing and reached a place where I can look at past “wounds” with gratitude, as they have led me to a life with more compassion, acceptance, and love. When my dad left our family in the middle of the night when I was young, I didn’t realize the impact it would have on me later. Read more>>

Courtney Babilya

The defining wound of my life formed when I left gymnastics at 17. After dedicating my entire life to the sport, the mental, physical, and emotional toll was too great. I walked away for my health, but the echos of what could have been have haunted me ever since. Read more>>