Transformation | inspired2ignite

Finding My Voice

January 24, 2015

Zoe Hisey Facing Fear, Personal Growth, Recovery abuse survivor, emotional strength, facing fear, finding freedom, healing, personal growth, recovery, Transformation, truth 22 Comments

***On a blog sabbatical until July 2015***

Keeping secrets, not telling. The truth was strangled in my throat for so many years.

Once I became strong enough to tell my truth to one, then another, I found increasing healing and empowerment in my words. Getting the awfulness out in the open helped make the darkness flee.

Over time, telling my truth to safe people strengthened me to be able to speak my truth to anyone -even if they didn’t believe me.

Starting this blog nearly 3 years ago has been such an incredibly important part of me speaking truth in a whole new way. Recently, I’ve discovered More

Me, and A Lady in France

December 31, 2014

Zoe Hisey Personal Growth, Recovery A Lady in France, emotional strength, Facing Adversity, healing, Jennie Goutet, Reading, Transformation 31 Comments

It’s satisfying to know I reached my goal of reading 24 books this year. I like saying goodbye to 2014 with a tidy check-mark on my list.

Some of the books were ones I’d meant to get to over a long period, and others I simply stumbled upon. More

Birthdays of My Dad and My Father

December 20, 2014

Zoe Hisey Facing Fear, Family, My Journey with God, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma childhood trauma, Christmas Memories, emotional strength, Facing Adversity, facing fear, Family, forgiving dad, Forgiving My Father, healing, Letting Go, Mental Health, recovery, Spiritual Journey, Transformation 13 Comments

Dad’s birthday is today; gone now nearly 5 years, he would be turning 92.

He hated Christmas. Apparently his birthday was forgotten every year in the midst of Christmas preparations when he was growing up. The pain of being forgotten never seemed to leave him. He would not allow us to put up a tree until his birthday had passed, and even then did so grudgingly.

I know now Dad’s Christmas experience is only a tiny window into his life story. More

Exposing Skeletons in the Closet

October 22, 2014

Zoe Hisey Facing Fear, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma abuse survivor, childhood trauma, emotional strength, Facing Adversity, finding freedom, getting help, healing, Mental Health, personal growth, recovery, Transformation, truth 30 Comments

With Halloween around the corner, ghoulish decorations are beginning to pop up alongside gargantuan pumpkins, bumpy gourds, and colorful leaves.

A plastic skeleton swinging in the wind recently reminded me of the saying about keeping skeletons in the closet.

My closet is no stranger to skeletons. Some have represented things done to me, others symbolized things I’ve done. Shame and fear were the hinges on my closet doors. Strong and secure, they kept my secrets tucked in the dark.

Or so I thought. More

PCT -Bears, Canada & Back to Reality

October 5, 2014

Zoe Hisey Facing Fear, Family, Personal Growth Bucket List, Facing Adversity, facing fear, Pacific Crest Trail, PCT, personal growth, Transformation 37 Comments

My daughter’s epic summer journey on the PCT ended on September 9th. She hiked from the Columbia River, at the Bridge of the Gods, to Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia. It was done in sections, two alone, one with her husband, and one with her dad.

At the Columbia River, Oregon/Washington Border

Canada Border 507 miles

I dropped her and her Dad off at Stevens Pass on August 26th.

They saw 9 bears between there and the next time I resupplied them at Rainy Pass. More

Journeys of Healing & Discovery

September 2, 2014

Zoe Hisey Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma Blogging, emotional strength, finding freedom, getting help, gratitude, healing, Joe Pote, Lori Lara, Mental Health, personal growth, PTSD, recovery, Spiritual Journey, The Presents of Presence, Transformation, truth 41 Comments

When I started my road to recovery, I felt incredibly alone. My circle of friends at that time were not interested in things like feeling pain, speaking truth, or self-reflection. Who could blame us, really?

I had myself tightly knit with people who lived in denial, thus allowing me the freedom to do the same. I didn’t even realize the cocoon I lived in until I took several steps away. It felt natural, and safe. Little did I know just how wrong I was…

Joining the blogging community has been such a completely different experience. I’ve found so many people who are interested in growth and healing of all sorts. Some from physical issues, others from emotional, mental, or spiritual ones. My own journey of healing and recovery was catapulted with the discovery of such a rich world of genuinely caring and tremendous people.

There are several such bloggers I’d love to highlight on this ‘blog hop’ I’m on, but today I’ve narrowed it down to two, plus a thank-you for the invitation to join in The Hop.

As part of The Hop, I’ll also answer 4 burning questions at the end! 😉

PCT Hike Update

August 27, 2014

Zoe Hisey Family, Personal Growth Bucket List, Facing Adversity, facing fear, gratitude, motherhood, Pacific Crest Trail, personal growth, Transformation 40 Comments

My daughter’s hike on the Pacific Crest Trail continues…and I am more amazed at her tenacity every day. I’m so grateful she has a GPS device that allows her to send messages in addition to ‘pinging’ her location when she has service. She has been faithful to let us know where she is each day, and we’ve seen her about once a week when she crosses into civilization and we resupply her.

She’s grubby and hungry when she walks off the trail, and we’re sure glad to see her!

After a 26 mile day near Mt. Rainier

She craves fresh fruit the most!

Grubby Tootsies!

She hit mile 325 when she made it to Steven’s Pass over the weekend. We picked her up there and brought her home for a 36 hour rest and resupply. She’s done about 275 miles alone, meeting some interesting characters along the way. Her husband did a stretch between Mt. Rainier and Snoqualmie Pass with her. They experienced rain, thunder, lightening, hail, and a new forest fire! More

The Difference Between Feeling Better and Getting Better

August 7, 2014

Zoe Hisey Facing Fear, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma abuse survivor, childhood trauma, emotional strength, Facing Adversity, facing fear, finding freedom, Forgiveness, getting help, gratitude, healing, Letting Go, personal growth, PTSD, recovery, Spiritual Journey, Struggle to Forgive, Suicidal, Transformation, trauma, truth, wearing masks 21 Comments

Feeling better seems to be a universal goal of humankind.

When we’re experiencing physical, emotional, or spiritual pain, the instinct to feel better can take on a life of its own. Most of us don’t even realize our subconscious is in overdrive doing whatever it takes to avoid bad feelings.

The problem is this: what makes us feel better usually isn’t what makes us get better.

Feeling Better More

Anger -Constructive or Destructive?

June 3, 2014

Zoe Hisey Facing Fear, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma abuse survivor, anger, childhood trauma, emotional strength, facing fear, finding freedom, getting help, gratitude, healing, personal growth, recovery, Transformation, truth 35 Comments

Anger with a D is Danger. That’s the kind of anger I used to have. The Destructive Kind.

Anger was my best friend. Always accessible and purposeful, it was my go-to response to many of life’s situations. It didn’t take much to justify unleashing on all the irritating people of the world. And those irritating people were everywhere!

Anger suited me well –I felt strong and powerful when I was angry. People kept their distance and I was safe. I got kudos growing up for being angry; as long as it wasn’t with anyone in our house! I’d come home with stories of mouthing off at teachers and be commended for it. Dad would laugh and give me the rare praise I coveted.

It wasn’t until I finally heard myself More