Healing Isn’t Linear: It’s a Spiral

Healing does not follow a straight line. It is not a checklist you complete or a race you finish. Healing is a spiral. It loops back, revisits old places, and invites you to see them with new eyes. 

There were times in my own journey when I thought I had healed from something, only to feel the same pain resurface later. I would ask myself, “Why am I still feeling this way?” It took time to realize that I was not back at the beginning. I was meeting the same pain, but from a higher level of awareness. 

The Myth of “Moving On” 

We live in a world that loves quick fixes. We are told to “let it go” or “move on” as if grief, trauma, or disappointment can be neatly packed away once we decide to be done with it. But true healing doesn’t work like that. 

When you heal, you are peeling back layers of protection that once helped you survive. Each time you revisit an old wound, you bring more light to it. It feels uncomfortable because you are stretching into a deeper level of wholeness. 

Healing is not about forgetting what happened. It is about learning to hold your story with compassion instead of shame. 

The Spiral of Growth 

Imagine your healing journey as a spiral staircase. Sometimes you feel like you are circling back to the same place, but you are actually on a higher level than before. You are carrying new tools, new wisdom, and a stronger sense of self. 

You might still cry about something you thought you were done crying over. That does not mean you are broken. It means your heart trusts you enough now to release what it once had to hold in. 

Every emotion that resurfaces is an opportunity to love yourself through it. You are not failing. You are integrating. 

How to Be Gentle With Yourself 

When old pain returns, pause before judging yourself. Ask, “What is this moment showing me now that I couldn’t see before?” Maybe it is revealing how much stronger your boundaries have become, or how your self-worth no longer depends on others’ approval. 

Healing asks for gentleness, not perfection. It invites you to rest when you are tired and to honor how far you have already come. Progress is not erased just because you had a hard day. 

The Takeaway 

You are not broken for feeling broken again. You are revisiting old wounds with new wisdom. 

Healing is not about never being triggered. It is about responding differently when you are. It is about meeting yourself with grace, again and again, until love becomes your new default. 

You are not starting over. You are spiraling upward. 

🌸 If this message spoke to you 

Come join a community of women who are learning to honor their healing process, embrace self-compassion, and rise into their power. https://www.facebook.com/groups/traumatotriumph2025