Are you always on edge? Headaches won’t go away? Can’t sleep? Do you go to the worst case scenario first? Let’s talk about TOXIC STRESS!!! But before we talk about toxic stress, let’s clear something up, because there are actually three types of stress. First, there’s positive stress. That’s healthy stress. Things like trying something new, taking a test, learning a skill. Your body feels it — and then it calms back down. Second, there’s tolerable stress. That’s moderate stress. Something hard happens, but there’s a buffer — a safe person, support, help. And because there’s support, the body can recover. Then there’s toxic stress. Toxic stress is when there is no rest, no safe spot, no break. It’s constant. It’s daily. It’s ongoing neglect, abuse, harm, or chaos — and you cannot escape it. And here’s the part people miss: toxic stress doesn’t just affect emotions — it affects the body. When stress never turns off, the body stays in survival mode. And over time, that changes how the brain, the immune system, and the nervous system work. Now, toxic stress shows up differently in children and adults. In children, it often shows up as what people call ‘bad behavior.’ But really, their stress has become their communication. Their nervous system is overloaded. In adults, toxic stress often shows up in health issues — chronic illness, pain, anxiety, burnout — and emotional shutdown or explosions. And this is how it becomes generational. A parent who grew up in toxic stress may get stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. They learned that the world is unsafe — that something bad is always about to happen — so they stay ready. And without healing, they raise their children under the same survival patterns. Not because they don’t love them — but because nervous systems teach nervous systems. But here’s the hope. Toxic stress is not permanent. It can be reversed with consistent safety, nurturing relationships, and skills that teach the body how to calm and ground itself.

This was the day I flew across the sky in Florida. The first picture captures the moment before — standing on the platform, strapped into the harness, heart racing. The second picture is the follow-through — the moment where there was no turning back. My son Eugene helped strap me in. He was standing right there with me on the platform. My other children, along with my grandchildren, were on the ground looking up. Every one of them had their eyes on me. Once the harness was on and I said I was going to do it, I understood something clearly: this wasn’t just about fear. It was about responsibility. I was scared — but I was also being watched. They were watching how I respond to fear.They were watching whether I back out.They were watching whether fear gets the final word. In that moment, I wasn’t just making a choice for myself. I was modeling how to move forward when fear is present. So I went.

Trauma doesn’t just affect what happened to us.It affects how much we can hold — and how much choice we believe we have. That’s capacity.That’s agency. When capacity is low, people react.When capacity grows, people choose. This is why ACEs aren’t just something we learn about —they are something many of us have lived through. Healing doesn’t erase the past.It restores the ability to respond, to choose, and to move forward with intention. ACEs: Lived, Not Learned.

I suggest we need to build an email list and send out campaigns to potential people sharing the benefits of the community and also what they will gain ,i also feel if there can be a free ebook for now for incoming members, that will prompt them to refer their friends as well . What do you think about starting to build an email list and sending out campaign to them ?

Trauma doesn’t end with one person.When it isn’t addressed, it moves through generations.A child grows up carrying what was never healed. That’s why ACEs are lived — not learned. This isn’t theory.It’s lived experience, family patterns, coping strategies, silence, and survival showing up over time. Reflection (optional): - What’s something you once thought was “just how I am” that you later realized had roots in childhood? - What does addressing trauma look like for you right now — awareness, boundaries, support, rest? There’s no pressure to share more than you want.This space is for honesty, learning, and healing at your own pace. Every choice builds a life.Every breath is a chance to rebuild.