My top 5 insights of 2021 on ADOPTION, HEALING, and PERSONAL GROWTH

Hey precious YOU,

 what a year—filled with uncertainty, opportunities, individual and collective challenges.

 How has it been for you?

Last night I did my end-of-the-year ritual and reflected and wrote about the most significant moments of this year, how they made me feel, and what insights I am taking away from them. 

HERE ARE MY TOP INSIGHTS OF 2021

ON ADOPTION

1. Every adoptee story is unique and nuanced—yet, we share a common and unspoken understanding of how it feels to be an adoptee.
2. Adoption is individual and collective trauma—I can create equal space for self and collective healing.
3. I can embrace my adoptee self as part of my wholeness. 
4. I am Korean, I am German, and everything in between and beyond. There is freedom and liberation in the in-between/the 3rd ethnic space.
5. My adoptive parents also carry trauma in their past; knowing that they may not have done enough healing on their end allows me to understand them better.
   
   

ON HEALING

1. Healing is a continuous and ambiguous journey; it can be painful, confusing, and isolating—it can also be connected, transformative, and liberating!
2. I can only embody what I teach by finding the right support to stay committed to my own healing journey.
3. My body carries the burden from my personal and collective past, and my body can release that burden. Somatic movement, mindfulness practices, and journaling for self-inquiry are my top 3 healing modalities.
4. I can hold my adoptee grief with rituals and ceremony as a precious gift that directs me to what I need to dedicate more attention to in my life.
5. Finding self-compassion and self-love allows me to be compassionate with my family and loved ones and opens the door to empathy, understanding, and healing.
   
   
   

ON PERSONAL GROWTH 

1. The most significant moments of growth are the most painful and rewarding ones.
2. My voice matters: Allowing myself to be vulnerable and open up more about my adoptee experience fosters a deep connection with others and helps to raise more awareness of the complexity of adoption.
3. I am responsible for my own happiness. I have the ability to create and design the life I want once I get clear on what I truly desire and not what others expect of me.
4. I can study the needed skills to guide fellow adoptees; however, trusting my intuition is the secret to staying authentic and personal. 
5. I have everything I need within me.
   
   What are your top insights on ADOPTION, HEALING, and PERSONAL GROWTH? 

I’d love to hear! E-MAIL me to sunmee@numaru.space

Warmly, Sun Mee.