DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS A WHOLE

I am thoroughly excited that Ashton Kutcher and his media company A Plus have decided to join the fight against domestic violence. Domestic Violence is still a cause that needs much attention and I always think it is awesome when celebrities help raise awareness. I know that ANYBODY can raise awareness, but celebrities can raise awareness on a bigger scale and so I think what Ashton Kutcher and his media team are doing is amazing.  What they have done is created an infographic that shows, in their words, "the effects of abuse that outlast physical violence, but are still detrimental". The infographic basically shows what happens after abuse and how it affects the survivor as far as their children, their employment, and their living situations go.  Infographics are great because some people are visual, meaning they need to see something in order to understand it. Not everyone can or wants to read a long paragraph or a bunch of statistics simply because it is not...

Dear Survivor, I hope this message finds you at the right time in your life. It's been a while since I have wrote on this blog, but I am always grateful for all of you who still read and keep up with this particular blog. I have a very important message on my heart. It is one that God has placed on my heart this week and that message is that it is time to heal. This is only goes for you, but it  goes for me as well. It is time for us to heal and allow ourselves to be free to be ourselves again as well as to love and be loved. Now I know some people may feel like they have already healed. I felt that way too, but sometimes we are only temporarily or half way healed. The moment that we keep replaying our situation and it brings us down instead of uplifting us, that is a sign that we are not yet healed. The moment when we try to begin a new relationship or endeavor, but the memories of the past begin to haunt us and hold us back, then we are not healed yet. The moment we fee...

Dear Survivor, Has anyone ever told you thank you for surviving? If not, then I would like to be the first person to tell you, so here it goes: THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR SURVIVING! Now, some may be wondering, why I decided to say that or what that really means. What it means is that, surviving domestic violence is more than just leaving or escaping an unhealthy relationship, because even after you do that, you still have to SURVIVE. A lot of people do not understand what domestic violence survivors go through on a daily basis, they have to fight emotions, block out negative thoughts, maybe even tune out negative people, they have to learn to love themselves again, they have to learn to believe in themselves again, they have to believe they are are worth living, they have to learn to trust again and most importantly they have to HEAL! Surviving is not something that happens overnight, surviving is something that you do everyday, so from one survivor to another, I just really wanted...

To My Readers: As most of you or all of you probably know, this month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and lately I've really had a lot on my heart. Although I haven't lost anyone to domestic violence, I am a survivor and I started to think about those who have lost someone due to domestic violence. I can't imagine how hard it is especially during this month for those families and friends who are remembering their loved ones. So while raising awareness, I did not want to neglect to send my condolences and uplift those that have lost someone due to domestic violence. Of course my words cannot take away the pain that you may feel, but hopefully my words and prayers can bring you some hope and encouragement. As a life coach, I always  like to focus on pain in purpose. It was from my painful experiences that I have found my purpose. I want to encourage you to use your pain and share it with others. Share the stories of your loves ones because you never know wh...

It seems we meet again. I remember in 2012, when I started a petition for the NFL to wear purple for domestic violence and everybody was in an uproar. While, there were many supporters, there were many against it as well. There were even some fellow advocates against it only because it said wear purple and not what they felt that it should say, so some of them created their own petitions, which I am not against because I believe the more the merrier, but really where has it gotten us? As advocates we are still so divided amongst a cause that is suppose to be promoting togetherness. Perhaps, if we stood strong together we would be making a bigger impact. These are just my thoughts. If you want to know my reasoning behind the petition you can visit this post here:  Athletes and Domestic Violence: Why I started With The NFL First I am troubled for a number of reasons, I am troubled with the NFL specifically because even though they have changed their policies, it still may not ...

Are you a survivor that has a story to tell? Are you living in silence out of fear or judgement? The truth is that we all have a story and we all deserve to be heard. Another truth is that your story can help someone else. Many times we go through things so that God can use us to bless someone else. Our pain has purpose. I believe in testimonies, I believe that the power of a testimony is very strong. When you decide to tell your story, you not only help someone else, but you begin to release the hurt and the pain that you have held inside all of these years. Once you see how your story is impacting others, you will begin to feel better and you will also learn that you are not alone. A lot of times when we go through situations we feel like we are alone because we probably have not met someone that went through what we are going through or simply because we are living in silence. I seek to have a platform for those who feel like they do not have a voice. I encourage you to shar...

This was something that was on my heart this morning and so instead of writing, I decided to speak it. Sometimes people need to hear things and I pray that this video blesses someone. Again, thank you to all who read my blog and God bless you. -Nicole C. Lofton www.facingittoday.org www.gardenofpurpose.com