Episode 130: The Story She Stopped Editing: Healing Through the Language of Scars
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
In this episode, Tracey shares the powerful parallels between the physical scars she carries and the emotional ones she spent years learning to understand. At eight years old, Tracey survived life-threatening burns when a candle ignited her homemade costume. She recalls going into survival mode instantly, brushing off her pain, and learning early on to fix problems quickly and minimize her own needs. This became the pattern that shaped much of her life. Tracey later joined the Coast Guard and found herself walking directly into the wounds of trauma through search-and-rescue missions. She...
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Episode 129: Perfectionism as a Shield: Rewriting a Childhood Marked by Sexual Abuse
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
In this episode, Nicole shares the story she once believed she would never speak — the decade of childhood sexual abuse she experienced while the world around her saw a bright, high-achieving, “perfect” young girl. At fourteen, a single, intuitive question from her mother led to a moment of truth that changed everything. Nicole reflects on her mother’s immediate protective actions and the fear, shame, and uncertainty that followed in the aftermath. Nicole describes how she learned to push her emotions down, stay busy, and shape herself into whatever version of “okay” she believed...
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Episode 128: Radical Self-Awareness: She Reclaimed Her Power
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
Jennifer was raised to be strong and independent—and she carried that identity proudly. As a critical care nurse, she believed she knew the answers to what it meant to be healthy and well. But life had other lessons waiting. Her journey shifted in 2002, when her second son suffered a massive neonatal stroke just one hour after birth. The experience awakened her to the many gaps in the healthcare system and inspired her to begin bridging those gaps through energy work, nutrition, and exercise. Several years later, on the same day she discovered she was expecting her fourth child, Jennifer...
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Episode 127: A Bold Step Led Her to the Journey of Healing and Calling
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
Julie’s story unfolds at the intersection of faith, identity, and self-compassion. Raised in a culturally and religiously conservative South Asian household, she grew up surrounded by clear definitions of what was right and wrong — spoken and unspoken rules that guided how one should live and belong. But how Julie was authentically wired didn’t always fit those expectations. The tension between who she was and who she was told to be became an early internal struggle, one she learned to carry as if it were her fault. When Julie was ten years old, she lost her father in a tragic car...
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Episode 126: Moving Through the Storm and Rebuilding from the Rubble: A Story on Trauma, Resilience, and Renewal
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
Felicity’s story is one of survival, silence, and rediscovery after enduring over forty years of physical, emotional, and mental abuse. At ten years old, she witnessed her father attempt to kill her mother with a crystal ashtray — a moment that changed everything and taught her to stay quiet, to shut down, and to carry fear as though it were part of her. Throughout her life, Felicity experienced repeated patterns of abuse. She grew up believing her worth was tied to endurance and her safety to silence — patterns rooted in a long line of generational trauma carried by her grandmother, her...
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Episode 125: The Silent Spiral: When Stage IV Cancer Became My Greatest Gift
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
In this deeply honest and transformative episode, Jenn Greenhut shares a story that began in quiet emotional suppression and perfectionism—and evolved into a journey of awakening, trust, and healing. As a young elite gymnast training for the Olympics, Jenn was conditioned to dismiss her emotions, believing that worth was only found through flawless performance. She trained intensely, travelled globally, and learned to disconnect from her needs—until a knee injury forced her out of the sport. That moment, she now says, was her body making the decision she couldn’t. Years later, she poured...
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Episode 124: The Silent Spiral: Walls Torn Down: A Story of Policing, PTSD, and Healing
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
In this raw and courageous episode, Glen opens up about the emotional cost of living behind the badge—sharing how years of witnessing trauma, bottling up pain, and keeping secrets from loved ones quietly unraveled his inner world. He speaks with striking honesty about the toll of suppressing his emotions to maintain a tough exterior, and how it led to walls of disconnection, impulsive choices, and a sense of losing himself completely. Glen describes how PTSD shaped his responses—through recurring nightmares, emotional shutdown, and what he calls “PTSD-influenced decisions” that felt...
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Episode 123: The Silent Spiral: Hidden Struggles and Racing Thoughts Before OCD Had a Name
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
In this honest and thought-provoking episode, Kevin shares his journey of living with racing thoughts that began in childhood—relentless mental loops he couldn’t fully articulate and believed no one else experienced. For years, he suffered in silence, overwhelmed by the belief that he was alone in his struggle. That changed the day he realized others faced similar internal battles—a pivotal moment that reshaped how he viewed himself and his mental health. At age 29, Kevin was diagnosed with OCD, and he describes the emotional resistance that often spiraled into panic attacks—waves of...
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Episode 122: Grief Will Change You, It Certainly Changed Me
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
In this profoundly moving episode, Julia shares a deeply personal untold story that begins with loss—the loss of her beloved mother, a woman who wasn’t just a parent, but also her best friend, protector, and guiding compass. As her mother’s health declined, Julia tried to remain fully present, asking tender questions and offering emotional support through the unknowns of anticipated grief. One moment that stayed with her was her mother describing how, as a child, she found comfort sitting beneath the soft canopy of a willow tree. That image became a symbol of comfort and connection—and...
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Episode 121: Against the Odds: Solo Parenting and Holding It All Together
Dare To Share Your Untold Story
In this deeply moving and reflective episode, Jennifer Gill courageously unpacks the layered experience of solo parenting, thoughtfully distinguishing it from single parenting. Her journey began in 2007 when her mother-in-law passed away, leaving a wave of grief in the family. Jennifer suddenly found herself juggling the emotional needs of her father-in-law, who was now widowed, while her husband relocated two provinces away for work. At home, she was raising two young daughters—ages 7 and 10—both diagnosed with learning disabilities, which came with their own unique set of challenges. At...
info_outlineAs we proceed to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 115 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, The Cost of Always Being Strong: Navigating Emotional Labour and Compassion Fatigue. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 54 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 54, titled “She Smiles, She Empowers, While Simultaneously Grieving & Mourning”, with guest, Saidat Abari.
Her journey is a profound example of how embracing vulnerability and allowing ourselves to grieve can lead to deeper healing and growth. Often, we believe that resilience is about powering through life’s challenges without pause. But Saidat reminds us that resilience can also mean slowing down, feeling our emotions fully, and finding the courage to share our pain. Her story speaks to the heart of what we call Mental Beauty—redefining strength and recognizing that true empowerment comes from integrating both our light and shadow. Saidat’s willingness to share her untold story sheds light on a crucial truth: even those who radiate positivity and strength need space to release, reflect, and renew. Saidat’s Mental Beauty Rethink challenges us to embrace every part of our emotional journey. Her headline, “Powerful Woman Feels Weak”, is a poignant reminder that strength and vulnerability coexist. Even someone known as the “happiness infuser” can carry deep, unspoken pain. But as Saidat reflects, healing begins with giving herself permission to feel. She’s learning to get “comfortably uncomfortable” with sharing her grief, a process that’s foreign yet deeply necessary.
3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 115:
- Acknowledge Your Full Range of Emotions: Resilience isn’t about pushing through or ignoring difficult emotions; it’s about allowing yourself to experience them fully. Take time to recognize and validate your feelings, even the uncomfortable ones. Embracing your vulnerability creates space for true inner strength to grow.
- Release Self-Imposed Expectations: Notice where you may be placing unrealistic expectations on yourself to always appear strong or positive. Give yourself permission to let go of these pressures. Resilience includes self-compassion and understanding that you don’t need to have it all together all the time.
- Find Safe Spaces for Authentic Expression: Surround yourself with people and environments where you feel safe to be your genuine self. This could be through therapy, supportive friendships, or personal reflection practices. These spaces allow you to explore your emotions freely and strengthen the connection to your true, resilient self.
Episode 115 Takeaway:
A self-care practice called ‘Mindful Self-Compassion Journaling’:
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It involves setting aside a few minutes each day to write down your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Start by reflecting on any challenges or difficult feelings you’ve experienced, allowing yourself to acknowledge them openly.
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Then, shift your focus to self-compassion by writing supportive and kind responses to your inner struggles, as if you were speaking to a dear friend.
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Finally, note one or two strengths or positive qualities that helped you navigate these experiences, even if it’s simply the courage to reflect. This process not only promotes self-acceptance but also strengthens resilience by fostering a gentle, understanding relationship with yourself.
Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.
Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!