Shannon Nealy
What makes Shannon Wildly Capable?
So many women have been touched by Shannon’s story of surviving sexual abuse. She is doing the hard work of healing herself and encouraging others to do the same.”
HANNAH SCHMITT
What makes you feel proud?
I feel proud that I did not give up on life or myself. I love and accept myself by granting myself permission to fully be me. My heart has been hurt but it is still full of LOVE! I used to hate to look at myself in the mirror and my healing work now lets me see myself and also show up for others and be seen. It makes me happy to please God and love his people. I am proud that I share my journey because speaking saved my life and I know it will help others to allow God’s glory to shine through them.
What keeps you up at night?
My faith allows me to sleep well, but I have a deep pain for broken families and voiceless sexual assault victims. My family and many others have been broken or divided as a result of how a tragedy was handled or ignored.
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
Low self-esteem has been a huge obstacle. No matter how many compliments I received from others, I had to know who I was for myself to be able to fully love me. Recognizing my worth helped me create healthy boundaries in the world and refuse to settle for less than life is abundantly providing me.
What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?
In case you haven’t noticed, I am big on love! When we fully love ourselves unconditionally, it helps us love others unconditionally. People give us an opportunity to see ourselves through them. Many of us don’t like our reflection and we judge others as harshly as we judge ourselves. I would love to solve that problem with love. Love lifted me out of anxiety and depression and I know it can work a miracle in the world.
