We’ve normalized addiction, it’s time to normalize recovery. These before and afters were created and presented at the Zoe Freedom center’s year end Image Bearer’s Gala fundraiser. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the following for making this possible:
– The amazing Jeet of Glam by Jeet for the stunning hair and makeup
– The staff at Stevenson Ridge for hosting and serving an amazing dinner
– The staff & volunteers at Zoe who covered every detail imaginable.
– The Girls who were so brave to share their stories and photographs.
– Jeanne Allert of The Samaritan Women for the Keynote.
– The over 100 attendees who came in support of this amazing cause.
– Mark & Dana Brown at Zoe Freedom Center for making all of this possible.
– The amazing sponsors that came on board!
Click HERE for photos of the gala.
I built an entire business out of changing people’s perspective – turns out, it was my perspective that needed to change.
Don’t get me wrong – I love what I do and I will continue to do it and am so proud of the work I create and the people I get to work with. As one of my clients says “for some women, they need to be able to see themselves differently on paper in order to really, get it.” But I think that’s just the beginning.
For many of us, our entire lives we’ve been fighting what we’ve been told or what we’ve told ourselves about ourselves. Then you hire me – and a team of professionals come in and show you the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Well…now what?
The fashion industry gave me everything I need to help you start to see yourself differently on the outside. Life beyond the industry has given me what I need to help you see yourself differently from the inside.
As the survivor of domestic violence and someone madly in love with the idea of being able to save “my addict,” I have had to change my perspective – it become life or death if I didn’t. And it is painful and hard and recovery is not linear. But one thing I’ve discovered from the work I do, is that real beauty shows up in those rare moments of vulnerability. And I can’t ask you to be vulnerable if I’m not willing to do the same.
So this blog is now dedicated to sharing the lessons I’ve learned or am learning in order to walk through trauma with grace. Its a place where I will openly share my experience, strength and hope with you so that you can take what applies to you and know you are not walking alone.
Even if you don’t feel that trauma specifically applies to you, keep coming back. Learning to change your perspective, discovering the person you’re intended to be and continuing to grow is possibly one of the most beautiful things you can do for yourself and for those you love – and you’re worth it.
Thanks for letting me share,
Shannon
P.S. Here are a few posts to get you started…
“How I became a co-dependent.”
“5 Ways to Gaslight Yourself.”
“Time as an Ingredient.”
| In an instant—the way I looked at myself changed. So I was listening to a podcast recently [I love me a good podcast] and artist Ben Von Wong was talking about time. Ok, so he really started off talking about bread. He said something to the effect of: “When you make bread, you have flour, salt, water, yeast etc…, but you also have time. If you poke it too early or don’t let it rise, it falls. So, what if time is an actual ingredient?” Then I thought – what if time is an actual ingredient to healing, to growth, to what God [Higher Power, Universe] wants to do in our lives? What if time is an ingredient in who we are becoming? I like that; because I can very quickly feel like a failure for not being farther in life then I thought I would be, for not recovering [bouncing back] from trauma as quickly as I would like, for not being able to “fix” things right away. But if time is an actual ingredient, I can remove them as perceived failures and better accept that dreaded statement I hate so much – “time takes time.” If it’s an actual ingredient, I can trust that the “bread” WILL get made and that I’m not failing because it’s taking more time than I wanted. Who knows, maybe the more I try to fix/control [aka poke at the bread], the worse it gets. *Probably why I don’t make bread either…LOL. I know this is isn’t necessarily photo related but it does help me change my perspective about how I look at myself. So, I thought you might enjoy it too 🙂 |
He curled up in my lap with his face in his hands and just wept. He is after all, just three years old. See my son had just bumped his head (not his first time and certainly not his last) and he was in a lot of pain so he cried as I held him.
Just another day in the life of a boy mom if you ask me but this was no ordinary day and what happened next sent me on a spiral of self-discovery.
As I held my son in my arms, I thought to myself “aww, I’m going to cherish these moments when I’m able to be the one who takes away his pain.” And it’s as if the second I said that, I heard the voice of God say “Really? Really Shannon? You’re taking away his pain? Tell me, what exactly are you doing to physically remove the pain?” [The God of my understanding speaks my language sometimes – sarcasm]. And I instantly realized…nothing. I’m doing nothing to take away his pain. I’m simply supporting him while he processes his own pain.
LIGHTBULB!!!
Isn’t that what I should have been doing all along; in all my relationships? And then (because I over-analyze) I kept thinking about what that all meant. Because if, as a small child myself, I cried to my Mom and expected her (the one who was to love and protect me) to take away my pain, wouldn’t that make sense as to why I tried to take away the pain of my addict? And why I felt so defeated when I couldn’t? And why I expected him in return, to be the one to take away my pain?
And then it hit me that this is what Rusell Brand is talking about when he says “You don’t choose between working a program and not working a program. You’re either working a program or you’re being worked by an unconscious program.”
This is my ‘unconscious programming.’ The one that says if you love me, you’ll take away my pain. And the one that says if I love you, I’ll take away your pain.
Hashtag co-dependency!! I can see now, it was never about me taking away your pain. It’s about offering support, love, and encouragement as you process your own pain.
And you know what’s cool about seeing it this way, I can have a deeper understanding and compassion for myself and for others. My mother is certainly not to blame for comforting me when I’m hurt. And it’s not a 3-year-olds fault that he/she would think that their mother is taking away their pain. But it does give me a change in perspective and I can now see how my thinking got a little distorted in that area. I can see where the problem started and I can make the choice to change. I can also have more compassion for others and honor their journey to discovering the same as well.
Ever look at your photo and just can’t put your finger on what’s wrong with it? I mean, you thought you had it, you thought it would look a certain way. You even made a few different attempts but something is still…well…off. In 5 minuts or less, I’m going to show you exactly what it is that’s standing out as just not right. I’m going to show you how to fix your photos. On today’s episode, we chat about what kind of photos to send to a modeling agency.
Watch the episode below and if you would like to submit a photo, simply email info@shannon-michelle.com and use the subject line – Fix My Photo. Don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel for more videos like this.
Ever look at your photo and just can’t put your finger on what’s wrong with it? I mean, you thought you had it, you thought it would look a certain way. You even made a few different attempts but something is still…well…off. In 5 minuts or less, I’m going to show you exactly what it is that’s standing out as just not right. I’m going to show you how to fix your photos. On today’s episode, Amy learns how to pose her hands so that they look more natural.
Watch the episode below and if you would like to submit a photo, simply email info@shannon-michelle.com and use the subject line – Fix My Photo. Don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel for more videos like this.
Ever look at your photo and just can’t put your finger on what’s wrong with it? I mean, you thought you had it, you thought it would look a certain way. You even made a few different attempts but something is still…well…off. In 5 minuts or less, I’m going to show you exactly what it is that’s standing out as just not right. I’m going to show you how to fix your photos. On today’s episode, Katie learns how to pose so that she can feature her tattoo without it being distracting.
Watch the episode below and if you would like to submit a photo, simply email info@shannon-michelle.com and use the subject line – Fix My Photo. Don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel for more videos like this.
Ever practice in the mirror just to blank when it’s time to strike a pose? Next time, go ahead & get the pose you like (in the mirror) then stop for a minute – close your eyes – and remember what it feels like. Because you won’t have the mirror when it’s time to take a photo, it will be much easier to remember the pose when you know how it’s supposed to feel.
Want more tricks like this?
Join the VIP group.
Want to look relaxed in your photos? Take a deep breath, blow out of your mouth and take the photo at the end of the breath. Know why? Because your muscles are physically the most relaxed at the end of the breath. Try it!
Want more tricks like these?
Join the VIP list.
I loved doing this interview for the Women on Purpose show and here it is! You can listen to it by clicking the photo below. We chat fashion, beauty, the industry, personal stories etc. Enjoy!!
