Journey to self

The journey to self is not something you arrive at overnight. It took me years to begin finding myself — and even now, I’m still uncovering new layers. Healing is not a destination; it’s a continual return to truth.

I have overcome severe depression and anxiety. Many people ask me how — and truthfully, some days I ask myself the same question. What most don’t see are the countless nights I sat alone with my thoughts and with God. No audience. No applause. Just me, my pain, and my willingness to keep going.

I chose to fight for myself.

Healing yourself from deep trauma and tragedy is not easy work. It requires facing the parts of you that hurt, the memories you try to bury, and the thoughts that try to convince you to give up. But I am living proof that it can be done. I am a walking testimony.

Your thoughts are powerful. They can either make you a victim or a victor. I had to learn how to discipline my mind and redirect my consciousness — away from fear and toward faith. That shift changed everything.

Prayer became my anchor. The closer I drew to God, the closer I came to myself. In stillness, I found strength. In surrender, I found clarity. In faith, I found the courage to keep moving forward even when I didn’t have answers.

The journey to self is not about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you were before the pain, before the trauma, before the world told you who to be. And every day, choosing to return to that truth — one thought, one prayer, one breath at a time.

— Jamina Riley

Mother Oracle Gemz