As a motivational speaker that focuses on personal development, I am grateful for the humbling opportunities I’ve had to help individuals begin to move past their pain through the gift of forgiveness. This true story and video will seriously make you mad and shock you, but the ending will touch your spirit! Years ago I was asked to try and inspire a young girl who had been been tortured and kept in an animal cage for years by her foster / adoptive mom. When I first sat down with her, it was tough to connect with her. Her walls were up and emotionally cold. I understand…who could she trust? This was typical of anyone trying to connect with here at that point but the authorities thought (because of my past and growing up in foster care) that I would be able to inspire her.
As I sat down and talked with her for about 20 minutes, I realized that my approach was not going to work with her. I began to question my technique in connecting with grieving children…but then a thought popped in my head. What would happen if I started singing to her? I had brought my guitar (because I usually sing the journals of my life to audiences) and thought that is a great idea. Music is very therapeutic and is a great connection tool. I decided to not talk anymore but rather sing her a song about my past. Music has a great way of connecting to the spirit of a person and has the power to transcend you. After the song, I saw her face light up and knew that we were now connected. She finally spoke to me saying “Do you want to see where I was burned?” We then traded stories and showed each other our scars of abuse. She has now grown up and has created a positive life of her own.
Watch this news video talking about her brutal story! I am glad that we are still in contact. She is a great example of never letting the past infect your future. I love helping people turn their broken pieces into masterpieces.
