How I Turned My Pain into Power: A Story of Wounds, Soul, and Light

We all have a story… and a wound.

It’s said that every human being on Earth has a story, one that’s woven with moments that uniquely shape their life. Some wounds come from direct experiences, others from the environment in which we grew up, and many more from the meaning we give to those events.

No matter the origin, most of us carry pain we’ve learned to hide or numb. We build masks, attitudes, roles, to avoid feeling vulnerable. It’s a way to survive in a world where everyone, in one way or another, is also dealing with their pain.

The mask I learned to wear (and how it almost erased me).

I walked that path. Since childhood, I feared not being seen, being forgotten. To avoid that, I became an expert at adapting. I learned to read the room and become whatever others expected from me. My goal was to be liked, to be accepted — even if it hurt.

My secret tool was humor. Laughing at myself made me more tolerable to others, even when their words were laced with mockery, bullying, or humiliation. I didn’t want anyone to notice how much it hurt to walk differently, to stumble often, or to wear special shoes. I normalized the cruelty. I grew a tough outer shell, but inside, I was fading. And the most painful part? I stopped validating my own pain.

When the mask stopped working

Everything seemed “fine” — until life forced me to face my wounds. I broke. I felt shattered, incomplete, a victim of my story. Without even realizing it, I became “poor me.” I blamed my suffering on physical flaws and beliefs I had absorbed in my youth — beliefs that made me feel unworthy of the goodness life could offer. Then, after a major emotional breakdown, something shifted. I listened to a friend who encouraged me to seek professional help. And I did.

Why do we think we have to heal alone?

For years, we’ve been taught that we should fix our problems alone, in silence. But when life brings us face-to-face with people or situations that activate deep emotional wounds, our inner world can fall apart.

That’s why self-discovery with support, is so important. When someone with the right tools walks beside us, we can find our way back to center. Because while the power is within us, when we’re hurting, we don’t know how to access it. We go into defense mode. We react instead of respond.

The 5 soul wounds that disconnect us.

Thanks to Lise Bourbeau’s work, I came to understand that many of these invisible wounds can be traced back to five core soul wounds:

• Rejection

• Abandonment

• Humiliation

• Injustice

• Betrayal

She explains them masterfully in her books, describing how each one is hidden behind masks we believe protect us — but in truth, they only keep us stuck in pain and disconnection.

Coming back to yourself: an act of love and responsibility

Today, I invite you to begin your own process. Listen to your soul. Acknowledge your pain. Healing doesn’t mean the hurt disappears forever or that others won’t press those buttons again. It means learning to respond with love to yourself and to others.

When you recognize your wounds, you take responsibility. And with that awareness, you can begin setting loving boundaries with those who haven’t yet learned how to care for their own shadows. It’s an act of compassion, strength, and coherence.

At Avalon Descubre Sana y Transforma, we gently invite you to take the hand of your wounded self, look into their eyes, and meet them with love, patience, and care. Because yes — it’s absolutely possible to transform pain into power. I did it. And so can you.