I am a rape survivor. This is something I say proudly these days. Proud? Yes. Why? Because for a long time I could not even utter the word rape, and now I can speak the truth of the worst things I have survived. So, recently I found myself incredibly triggered when I was reading a book where the author implied that by stating “I am a rape survivor” it means that I am overly identifying with this experience, and that I would be better off not identifying with it at all and letting it go. She seemed to believe I’d be free if I let it go.

Why can’t I just let it go? This is a question I find myself pondering recently. I look back on the last seven years, and can see clearly how I lived in an endless loop of triggers, flashbacks, and challenging emotions that I had no idea how to process. I had to find a way to make sense of things that most people won’t even talk about. It was a day-by-day struggle to get to where I am. Now that I feel so much better, I look back and struggle to find the words to describe this healing journey I’ve been on.

These are 25 self love affirmations. You can pick one to work with, you can work with them all, or if none of these resonate, begin to think about what you do want to affirm about yourself and write your own!