Kimberly Wells On Rebuilding the Life of Her Dreams
I believe it is never too late to follow your dreams and begin living life to the fullest. My story is living proof that regardless of the trials and tribulations you have lived through, or the obstacles that come your way, you can have a beautiful life and your dreams can come true.
I am a survivor of domestic violence.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in three women have experienced domestic violence by an intimate partner. I met my abuser in college as a confident young woman full of hopes and dreams, but within a few years, I didn’t even recognize myself. As a victim, I lost perspective and hunkered down to simply survive.
We eventually married. From the outside we were the picture-perfect family: two beautiful children, a beautiful home, leaders in our church, volunteers in our community, and successful careers – we had it all. No one could have ever imagined the horror that was happening behind closed doors.
Fifteen years into this abusive marriage, I was beaten so badly that my spleen ruptured. I begged God on the operating table to let me live so that my children wouldn’t be left alone with my husband. They were only six and three at the time. I recovered and returned home – like so many other battered women, I was afraid of losing my children if I left, and that was his constant threat.
However, five years later, on my daughter’s birthday, I took a stand and fled from home. I was so scared and did not know what to do, but as I was driving, I saw two police cars. Something clicked, and I flagged them down. Seeing my bruises and recognizing the signs of abuse, the officers followed me back to my home and arrested my husband, my abuser. This was my first step to a new life.
That one action started a domino effect that would change my life and the lives of my children forever. I began the healing journey of rebuilding my life and discovering who I was and how I wanted my life to be moving forward. I found a trauma therapist and attended a women’s group.
I built healthy friendships and a support system. I wanted to live a life of meaning and purpose.
I discovered after years of healing that I did not want this story to define my life. I learned the importance of positive thinking. I sought out life coaches who taught me the tools I needed to create the life of my dreams. I learned to set clear goals and take action steps. I read books, went on retreats, and made vision boards. By implementing these strategies into my life and having accountability, I started believing in myself. I began to attract all the wonderful things I wanted. Today, I have a loving husband, a successful career helping women, a beautiful home, thriving children, and a happy and harmonious family. I have beautiful grandchildren that I am so proud of. I have wonderful friends. I am in awe of how far I have come, and I am so full of gratitude.
After having such success in my own life, I began helping my friends and other women set goals and action steps. We started getting together for vision board parties in my free time.
They began asking me when I planned on becoming a life coach, and I thought, “why not?”
Becoming a certified life coach for women has been the most rewarding career I could have ever imagined. My company, Kimberly Wells Coaching, has grown from fun Sunday mornings at the dining room table with friends to a successful career working with women around the country. I have created a simple framework to help women of all ages and backgrounds discover what they want out of life, take simple steps to overcome blocks, and learn how to set and achieve their goals in order to live successful, happier, and more meaningful lives.
Empowering women is my passion. A friend once described me as “a woman of heart and intellect that brings the wisdom of her own well-worn journey to help other women find their freedom and voice.” What an honor and joy it is to share my journey and to be a part of other women’s journeys.
Beautiful things happen when you take the first step…the first step can lead to the life of your dreams and beyond – it did for me!
Kimberly Wells, Chattanooga
