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Survival Through Silence

Finding Hope and courage during the darkest moments of life can feel impossible, but I am proof it is not. I am still here, standing tall, spreading positivity, love, and knowledge the best I know how by telling my story. Through all of the years of pain, frustration, triumphs, wins, losses and enough tears shed to fill a pool, the only constant I found was that I would be OK somehow, someway. I would survive.

Read through the eyes of Dana Guillory. You will become immersed in the life of a person who struggled for and won her life back from the creatures that aimed to take it away.

About The Book

Meet the Author

Dana Guillory

Dana Guillory, a retired Army veteran, is the founder Potential Realized, a leading motivational and consulting company. She is a highly regarded and enthusiastic professional public speaker, facilitator, and coach. She is also a well-respected and decorated athlete within both the running and bodybuilding communities. Dana attributes her success in large part to her childhood. After her father died, Dana and her siblings were placed in separate foster homes. The mental, physical and sexual abuse she endured began shortly after her arrival and continued for several years until she enlisted into the Army and left. Her brutal childhood left deep emotional and everlasting physical scars that took a very long time to heal from. After serving more than 20 years in the military, she found herself searching for ways to continue to make a difference in the world. She founded Potential Realized so she could continue her mission of motivating and inspiring others. Her struggles and triumphs have helped mold her into a strong, positive, encouraging, and outgoing woman. She has an uncanny ability to pull from her life’s experiences and connect with others in a way that her message resonates and dramatically impacts them.

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A glimpse of the chapters included in this book

Survival Through Silence

Introduction

Life is a series of events. It is a perfect contrast, full of ups and downs. One minute, life will lift you up and let…

Chapter 1

Parents

My father, Bruce Senior, served in the military. My mother, Ursula, was a European (German) immigrant that arrived in the United States in 1957, shortly…

Chapter 2

Neighbors

We moved to a new house not too long after the incident when mom left the bar without me, and I had to go home…

Chapter 3

Forever Home

Where I lived, there were four seasons. Springtime was my favorite. Sometimes there were rain showers with the sun shining full blast. I loved it…

Chapter 4

A New Family

As time went on, I got used to my new house. I got used to living with a new family – away from the people I..

Chapter 5

William

Lilith started a new job where she worked different times of day and night. It was in the medical field, but I do not know…

Chapter 6

Nightmares

Over time, it became difficult for me to sleep. I would dread going to sleep. I think I feared what might happen when I was…

Chapter 7

Home Sweet Home

Almost as quickly as I had landed into trouble, the night before, I managed to get out of it too. Suddenly, I was not on…

Chapter 8

Barbie and Ken

In fourth grade, I had a teacher named Mrs. Woodson. We would have spelling contests on Fridays, and if we paid for it, we could…

Chapter 9

A Shift in Mindset

Growing up, I often felt like I was cursed. There are so many things about my past that helped satisfy this thought.  I was convinced…

Chapter 10

Almost a Family

William’s family was pretty cool to be around as well. Lilith’s family was all girls, while William’s mainly was boys. His parents’ names were…

Chapter 11

Modern Day Cinderella?

I was about 12 or 13 years old when my friend Tammy disappeared. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. There was…

Chapter 12

Freakshow

In the new house, I had more space. No matter how much space I had, and distance I created, it never seemed enough. At a…

Chapter 13

A Change

One of my cousins had known my biological brothers. I think he went to school with either Clark or Leon.  He reminded me of them…

Chapter 14

Breaking the Locks

Too much sudden change has a way of undoing itself. After moving into the new apartment, Lilith and I had altered our lives a little…

Chapter 15

Recruited

After that ‘incident,’ I was moved from the public city high school to a more rural one. It was a much smaller school. When I…

Chapter 16

Resentment

After I graduated, I had a little over a month until I left for basic training. Initially, after graduation, it felt like a weekend. I…

Chapter 17

Rebuilding the Family That Once Was

While I stayed with Clark and his family, life was great! We went to the lake and a wilderness park and had family gatherings. I…

Chapter 18

The Harsh Realities of Life

Not every minute of every day of my life was a tragedy. There were good times, good lessons that I learned, and positive memories that…

Chapter 19

Be Your Own Hero

The road to healing and overcoming your past trauma is never easy. The void within you, filled with nothing but hardships, pain, and suffering, is…

My Why

I was the kid who never felt like I belonged. I’ve been abused physically, sexually, and mentally for as long as I can remember. My mother placed me into the foster system after my father passed away from A.L.S. I was assigned to a family that persuaded my social worker and the courts that I was loved and would be well taken care of. That was not the case at all. The abuse began soon after I moved in with them. I didn’t want to live with them, but I had no choice. I learned from an early age that the only things I could control were the grades I made and my performance in extra-curricular activities. Academics and sports became my solace and escape because I was so unhappy. I found that running allowed me to push my body to the point where I couldn’t feel what my heart and mind were experiencing. Without even realizing it, I became addicted.

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WHY READ IT?

Survival Through Silence

We get confused and indecisive about who we are as a person. We often feel like we are cursed and we are good for nothing. We start questioning our worth and convince ourselves that we are ordinary and nobody needs us. People coerce us into believing that our past mistakes, experiences, and actions directly determine our future, causing us to stop trying to build the life we truly deserve. We start blaming ourselves for the failed relationships and all the things that go wrong in our lives. I hope that in these pages, you will find strength and a deeper understanding of what you are capable of doing and who you are truly capable of becoming. There is immense power that potential carries with it once an individual learns to believe in it.

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  • It’s a short and easy-to-read book.

Testimonials

What Our Clients Say About Us

Dan Brown

Financial Advisor

It takes a special person to take on the writing of their personal life story; this is a very moving story that is unlike many others I have read.

Sarah Paul

Business Advisor

An excellent read written by a remarkable and powerful woman! The world needs more strong women like her.

Maria Simpson

Life Coach

I am truly blessed to help so many people struggling with personal issues. This book paves the way for people to accept their situation and be honest with themselves because no progress is possible without it. Dana is such a real author, and I learned some great points that I could apply in my life.