By: Denise J. Mungin
I am not here to dismantle a lie but merely reveal truth to
those who are fully prepared for change! The freedom of letting go is a powerful
admission once you realize you don’t need permission from anyone to do it. You
just have to simply let go!
I have been on a journey to acquire freedom my entire life,
as I don’t ever remember being completely whole as a person. There was always a
sense of absence or loss because I had been stripped of my voice, my power!
Having endured many challenges in my life starting in my childhood, I have
struggled with who I was and what my purpose was. I had been molested, sexually
attacked, bullied and mentally abused during my formative years growing up.
However, I had allowed those things to build a stronghold on my consciousness
thereby affecting everything I did as an adult.
Living in that state of mind caused me to feel insecure,
ugly, and unworthy of anything good, so I ate. Not only did I eat, but I
neglected my health as I watched the scale soar up to nearly 300 pounds. I
can’t say that it was a great feeling, but I wasn’t prepared to emotionally
handle some of the pain and guilt I had mastered hiding from everyone, so I
ate. It wasn’t over night, but little by little after exposing the real me to
God, I was able to get a better understanding about who I truly was and discover
my purpose.
I had spent most of my life being a people pleaser, but now
I strive to please God! My freedom came once I finally admitted to God that I
was hurting and that I didn’t know what to do with my life. Gradually, I
learned that, while it wasn’t my fault, I had to accept the truth, which was that
I would never be able to get a “do-over” or get those who hurt me to apologize,
yet I had an opportunity to move on with my life. I hadn’t realized that I was
stuck in the past and living in the hurt I had experienced so many years ago.
One process that helped me shed so many years of guilt was
having gastric bypass surgery on August 30, 2015. I remember that date as if it
were my birthday because it helped me experience life again. I had been hiding
myself for so long because I didn’t believe I had anything to offer, but there
was a constant tugging at my heart, and I knew that was a lie. Having been able
to discover my purpose also helped me shed years of pain because I am on a
mission to encourage everyone I come across. I am an encourager. That’s who I
am! I refuse to allow anyone who’s in my presence to feel inadequate, unworthy
or unloved because I can identify with all of those feelings.
Since I am still experiencing my weight loss, I now embrace all of me without picking apart my flaws or judging myself. My freedom now exists because I use my voice. I am no longer a silent participant in this journey called life. I speak what I want to see happen in my life, and I fully expect it to manifest because I believe I am worthy of better! I now live every day excited—excited that I get to love who I am still becoming, excited that I get to walk in my purpose daily, excited that no matter what happens in my life I will be fine and nothing has the power to control me unless I give it authority.
I spend my time encouraging others through my blog and
business, Encouraging Words by Denise, where I facilitate seminars, classes and
events to inspire people to achieve their dreams, empower people to walk in
wholeness and to uplift people as they gain understanding of their God-given
purpose. As an author, I love spending my time volunteering at The Village of
Summerville where I teach creative writing classes to help assist the elderly
in continuing an active lifestyle while strengthening their mental dexterity. I
also collaborate with Trident Technical College through their continuing
education program by offering my expertise in the areas of soap making, writing
and DIY projects as an instructor.