Hi Reader,

Today I'm picking up where I left off in last week's email, where I shared my fear of expressing my feelings as a kid when I really just wanted to cry and let it out.

In today's email, I'll share how I revisited my younger self and helped her release those trapped emotions.

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I sat at my desk listening to Bette Middlers' the wind beneath my wings, picturing myself in the Springhurst Elementary School auditorium.

I gave myself time to settle into the feeling.

I felt the urge to cry and immediately had thoughts coming through my mind telling me to choke it back.

But I didn't this time. I let myself cry.

Well, I let my body do the best it could. The tears didn't happen so much as I felt it all stuck in my throat.

But I let it be and didn't try to control it.

As this was happening, I brought a new dialogue to little Donna at her fourth-grade graduation:

• I'm here with you
• It's okay to be sad, or happy, or not to know what you feel
• You're not alone
• What you're feeling is valid
• Crying isn't stupid because you're not stupid
• You're a great kid

I saw little Donna feeling like someone was with her. She was no longer alone.

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Anxiety isn't the enemy. It's not out to get you. It's the younger version of you asking for help.

When you stop abandoning yourself (by running, neglecting your health, lacking boundaries, and ignoring your feelings), you will feel a connection to a more authentic, safe part of yourself, which will guide you to the best choices.

When we're severed from who we really are, we continue to live out of trauma/beliefs we learned in childhood, and we just can't heal that way.

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Note- I'm sorry if you responded to my emails recently and got an error message. I just became aware of the issue, and I'm bummed! I love hearing from you. You can forward your reply to donnamariebartos@gmail.com if you'd like until I figure out how to get Google to help me fix this. (prayers welcomed, lol). Hopefully, by next week, it'll be all squared away. 🤞🏻

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Thanks for being here,

💕Donna Bartos | Anxiety Recovery Blogger

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