We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Moseley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.
Laura , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
My confidence and self-esteem have evolved over time…I was bold as a teenager, but then withdrew into myself after a sexual assault. I started to come back out of my shell, after meeting my future husband, thinking that I had found the love of my life. However, a few years into our relationship (and already parents to one child), he started physically and emotionally abusing me. However, I kept moving forward for our child. I got into college and finished it, got a dream job, had two more children, completed through my Masters’ degree. For the longest time, he made me believe I was impossible to get along with, that I was stupid and incompetent, and never good enough. It took me being beaten nearly to death and getting away from him to realize, “Girl, you’re a prize!” I had to relearn myself, as I had withdrawn for so long. I took time with myself, but I got to know what I was good at, what I still liked, what I disliked, what I wanted to learn — I started growing as a person and falling in love with myself again! I realized that I AM WHAT I SAY I AM. My family always believed that I could do what I put my mind to and they were right! If I want it, I pursue it! I had to become this way to survive and be successful! I do what I do in spite of what the person who was supposed to love me the most, lead me to believe.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I survived over 23 years of sexual and domestic abuse. My life was so locked down, I felt as though I was a walking zombie. All I was allowed to do was tend to him, tend to the children, work to make money, and cook and clean. He monitored what I read, what I wrote, what music I listened to, and if I was allowed to watch movies or TV. He controlled our money and time. What finally got me away from him was in September 2017 when he beat me in front of my children and nearly killed me. He ran from the police and was jailed. I testified against him the next day and requested an emergency protective order. I decided then and there that it wasn’t going to get better — that he was only going to kill me. My kids deserved a better life, so I did it on my own: I did it broke, I did it scared — but I did it, despite what he previously led me to believe. I also rediscovered my loved of reading and writing — I could do it WHENEVER I wanted! I decided to start a blog that outlined what I was going through on this side of surviving abuse. I started my blog, DVWalkingWounded.me in 2019 to provide hope for victims and survivors of DV, as well as to provide mental health support and resources. I also started publicly speaking out about domestic abuse on podcasts and radio shows. I wanted to keep others from dying at the hands of their abusers, as I nearly had. I also wanted to help pass a law in Indiana that would protect victims, after another community member died.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities, which I embrace (and are in NO particular order): 1.) Never assume anything: for example, if someone did someone else wrong, don’t assume they’re going to do you in the same way, much the same way that you shouldn’t assume something is going to go horribly wrong…what if it goes well? Then you just caused yourself undue stress. 2.) Do all things with love: Never do anything in anger, as well as never allow the world to turn you toward an apathetic attitude. I do things for the betterment of others, because I live a life of service. I could’ve embraced the darkness that nearly overtook me, but I choose love every time. 3.) No one deserves to be bullied in any way: everyone deserves love, respect, and safety — no one has the right to have dominion over another person.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am branching out from blogging to a women’s personal protection consultant, so I can continue to move forward in helping more people to find safety and to protect themselves. I am partnering with Damsels in Defense, but would love to partner with more DV advocates and mental health professionals, trading blog posts on their sites and mine, to help more people no longer live in fear — I want people to live wide open and free! Please contact me via Facebook or my Blog (DVWalkingWounded.me) to collaborate on future projects!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.dvwalkingwounded.me/
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/dvwalkingwounded/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dvwalkingwounded
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-moseley-4957bb27/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Lmgoodwin1203
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWBL34DWzQVrlYiFpt6hrwg
Image Credits
Laura Moseley
