Emotional Roadmap to Emotional Health, 2431 Nowata Place, Bartlesville, OK (2026)

01/29/2026

Anxiety Isn’t the Enemy — Chronic Anxiety Is the Clue

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

⸻

Anxiety Is Part of Being Human

Let’s start here: every single one of us will experience anxiety.
It’s not a flaw. It’s not weakness. And it’s not a failure of faith.

Anxiety is part of our human design. It’s the body’s way of alerting us to potential threat, uncertainty, or change. In healthy doses, it helps us prepare, respond, and adapt.

The problem isn’t anxiety itself — it’s chronic anxiety that quietly takes over our lives.

⸻

Where Chronic Anxiety Really Begins

Chronic anxiety rarely appears out of nowhere in adulthood.
More often, it has deep roots in childhood.

Many of us learned early on that we had to be alert, aware, and ready — emotionally scanning the room, reading moods, predicting outcomes, or bracing for what might go wrong. That kind of hypervigilance wasn’t random; it was adaptive. It helped us survive environments that felt unpredictable, unsafe, or emotionally inconsistent.

Over time, that way of being became hard-wired into our nervous system.

So now, as adults, our minds are still trying to guess outcomes, control uncertainty, and stay one step ahead — even when the danger is no longer present.

⸻

The Hidden Damage of Self-Shame

Here’s the part most people don’t realize:

We don’t just feel anxious — we shame ourselves for being anxious.

We get frustrated with our bodies.
Angry at our minds.
Ashamed that we “should be better by now.”

And for those of us who are believers, there’s often another layer:
“If I really trusted God, I wouldn’t feel this way.”

So now anxiety isn’t just anxiety — it’s wrapped in guilt, self-judgment, and spiritual confusion. That shame reinforces the very wiring that created the anxiety in the first place.

The cycle tightens.
And the nervous system stays stuck in overdrive.

⸻

What If We Pulled Back the Curtain on Shame?

What if, instead of fighting anxiety, we exposed shame for what it is?

When anxiety shows up — especially when you can’t even understand why — the most regulating response isn’t force or logic. It’s composure, curiosity, and compassion.

We begin by slowing our breath.
Grounding our bodies.
Letting our nervous system know we are safe right now.

As believers, we can consciously anchor ourselves in the Word — not as a weapon against ourselves, but as a place of refuge. And just as importantly, we become aware of how we speak to ourselves in those moments.

Instead of harshness, we respond gently.
Instead of judgment, we respond with empathy.

We acknowledge that anxiety is trying — albeit clumsily — to protect us.

And we can sit with it long enough to ask:
What are you trying to tell me?

⸻

Why Logic Doesn’t Calm Anxiety

Here’s something crucial to understand:
Anxiety does not respond to logic.

Have you ever been anxious, fully aware that your fear wasn’t logical — and yet when someone said, “Just don’t worry!” or “You’re fine!” it only made things worse?

Exactly.

That’s because anxiety doesn’t listen to reasoning — it listens to safety.

It responds to tone, presence, reassurance, and regulation.
It softens when it feels understood — not dismissed.

⸻

You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck Here

If this sounds painfully familiar — if anxiety has been running your thoughts, stealing your peace, or keeping you fearful of what the future holds — you are not broken.

You are patterned.

And patterns can be gently rewired.

You can learn how to proactively respond to anxiety instead of being controlled by it. You can stop shaming the part of you that learned to survive. And you can build a relationship with your nervous system that leads to peace, clarity, and trust — both in yourself and in God.

If you’re ready to do that work, I’d love to walk with you.

⸻

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who struggle with anxiety, self-worth, and the lasting impact of emotional wounds such as abandonment and rejection. I offer free consultations so you can ask questions, get a feel for my approach, and see if I’m the right fit for your journey.

📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

01/29/2026

Hey Ladies! 💕
We’re getting together tomorrow (1/30) at Crossing 2nd, and we’d love for you to join us! This is such a welcoming group of women who truly have a heart for connection.

If you’ve been wishing for more friendships or just want to widen your circle, this is the perfect place. I know it can feel intimidating to put yourself out there and meet new people, but sometimes all it takes is 30 seconds of courage to step out of your car and walk in. The rest is easy — because we’ll be right there to greet you, make you feel comfortable, and share lots of laughs together.

Come as you are — we’d love to see you! 🌸

01/28/2026

The Illusion of Control
Learning to Trust God When Life Feels Uncertain

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

⸻

When Control Feels Like Safety

So many of us live under the illusion that control equals safety.

We plan.
We prepare.
We try to anticipate every possible outcome.

And then life happens.

A diagnosis.
A loss.
A relationship shifts.
A door closes.

In an instant, the illusion shatters — and we’re left face-to-face with uncertainty. Our minds scramble for answers because the brain craves predictability. We want to know how the story ends.

But faith invites us into something deeper: trust without certainty.

⸻

What We Forget When Life Changes

When we look toward the future, we tend to overestimate everything.

We overestimate how good certain outcomes will feel.
And we overestimate how devastating the hard ones will be.

What we often forget is this: God is still at work in the in-between.

When we imagine the future, we picture ourselves facing it as the person we are today — with today’s strength, today’s faith, today’s understanding.

But Scripture reminds us that God is constantly shaping us. No one has arrived. Growth doesn’t stop. Big life changes don’t just alter our circumstances — they transform us.

We may not be happy the change happened, but God never wastes it.

⸻

Catastrophic Thinking vs. Trust

Anxiety loves to pull us into the future.

“What if this happens?”
“What if it gets worse?”
“What if I can’t handle it?”

This is where catastrophic thinking takes hold — convincing us that this time will undo us.

But faith gently reminds us to look backward before we look ahead.

You’ve changed before.
You’ve grown before.
You’ve been carried through seasons you never thought you’d survive.

How much of your life are you living in tomorrow, when God promises to meet you today?

⸻

The Parts of You God Reveals in Hard Seasons

We like to believe we know ourselves well.

But the truth is, the person you think you are isn’t a full picture. There are beliefs, strengths, and depths of faith within you that haven’t yet been revealed.

Hard seasons have a way of bringing those hidden parts to the surface.

They expose where we’ve relied on control instead of trust.
They uncover fears we didn’t know were there.
And often, they reveal a resilience God has been quietly growing all along.

Change forces us to loosen our grip — and in doing so, it invites God to show us who we’re becoming.

⸻

Surrender Is Not Giving Up

Surrender isn’t passive.
It’s not weakness.
And it’s not pretending things don’t hurt.

Surrender is choosing to trust God with an unfinished story.

You may not like the change.
You may not understand the timing.
But you won’t come out the same.

On the other side, there is often a deeper faith, a steadier peace, and a clearer sense of who you are — not because life became easier, but because you learned where your true security rests.

⸻

~Jenn 🤍
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who struggle with anxiety, self-worth, and the lasting impact of emotional wounds such as abandonment and rejection. I offer free consultations so you can ask questions, get a feel for my approach, and see if I’m the right fit for your journey.

📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

01/28/2026

Hey Ladies! 💕
We’re getting together this Friday (1/30) at Crossing 2nd, and we’d love for you to join us! This is such a welcoming group of women who truly have a heart for connection.

If you’ve been wishing for more friendships or just want to widen your circle, this is the perfect place. I know it can feel intimidating to put yourself out there and meet new people, but sometimes all it takes is 30 seconds of courage to step out of your car and walk in. The rest is easy — because we’ll be right there to greet you, make you feel comfortable, and share lots of laughs together.

Come as you are — we’d love to see you! 🌸

01/27/2026

How Core Beliefs Quietly Decide What We Believe Is Possible

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

⸻

The Roadblocks We Don’t See

What if we challenged ourselves with a different kind of question?

Instead of asking “Why can’t I get what I want?”
What if we asked, “What invisible roadblocks am I putting up in my own life?”

So often, it’s not our lack of ability, opportunity, or effort that keeps us stuck — it’s our beliefs about ourselves. Those beliefs quietly dictate how far we’re willing to go and what we believe we’re capable of achieving.

What’s wild about this is that many of us walk around feeling powerless… when in reality, we have far more power than we realize. Fear, not ability, is often the thing holding us back.

⸻

When Beliefs Become Ceilings

If your core belief system has been programmed to say:
• I can’t lose the weight.
• I’ll never find a new job.
• I’m stuck in this relationship forever.

Then very little forward momentum happens.

Here’s why: the brain is wired to be right.

So if your core belief whispers, “I’m a failure,” your brain is not fully on board when you try to make healthy changes or reach new goals. It’s already saturated with the expectation that you won’t succeed.

And when you stumble — because growth always includes missteps — the brain says,
“See? I knew you couldn’t do it.”

That’s not weakness. That’s conditioning.

⸻

“So Jenn… What Do I Do About That?”

This is where self-awareness becomes life-changing.

You begin by asking yourself — and the people who are safe to speak truth with you —
What is lying underneath the thing I’m trying to accomplish?

Not what am I failing at?
But what belief is driving this pattern?

⸻

A Personal Example: Learning to Be Seen

When I was growing up, I formed the belief that others were better than me.

Smarter.
Prettier.
Funnier.
More capable.

Because of that belief, I learned to become small — not physically, but emotionally. I shut down. I lived in constant fear that if a spotlight landed on me, everyone would see all my flaws.

That belief followed me into adulthood and quietly caused all kinds of havoc in my life. If you’ve read my blogs, you can probably piece together the toll it took — because my early adult choices consistently supported that belief.

I didn’t choose those beliefs consciously. I adapted to survive.

⸻

Unpacking the Belief Takes Courage

Once you identify a core belief, the work becomes gently unpacking it — and that takes courage.

I had to ask myself questions like:
• When did I first start believing this?
• How did this belief serve me back then?
• How is it keeping me stuck now?
• If I stopped fearing being seen or judged, what might my life look like?

Slowly, I began to entertain a new idea:
No one is perfect — and I don’t have to be either.

There are things I’ll be good at.
There are things I’ll fail at.
And that doesn’t disqualify me from living fully.

⸻

What’s Still Keeping You Tethered?

So let me ask you:

What is keeping you tethered?
What invisible walls are you still carrying around?
What beliefs might be quietly boxing you in and keeping you stuck?

These beliefs don’t announce themselves loudly. They hide in the background, shaping choices, shrinking dreams, and convincing you that freedom is out of reach.

⸻

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

If you’re struggling to identify those beliefs — or you’ve named them but now wonder, “How do I actually change them?” — you don’t have to figure that out by yourself.

That’s the work I do.

And I would be honored to walk alongside you as you begin to dismantle the invisible walls and move toward the life you actually want to live.

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who struggle with anxiety, self-worth, and the lasting impact of emotional wounds like abandonment and rejection. I offer free consultations so you can ask questions, get a feel for my approach, and see if I’m the right fit for your journey.

📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

01/26/2026

Understanding Why Walking Away Can Be the Bravest Choice

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

⸻

The Bravest Thing I Ever Did Was Run

It has been over ten years since I lived this part of my story.

There’s a lyric that has stayed close to me when I think about my past:
“The bravest thing I ever did was run.”

For a long time, I gaslit myself into believing everything was okay. I minimized what was happening. I talked myself out of my own reality. I convinced myself that if I just tried harder, loved better, or stayed quieter—things would eventually change.

Until one day, I stopped doing that.

And when I did, the door swung open—and I bolted with every fiber of my being.

Was I fearful?
Yes.
Did I worry about what was next?
One hundred percent.

But I was done.

I began to realize something I could no longer ignore: life was not going to change. He was not going to change. And if I stayed, I was going to completely lose myself.

I could feel it—I was at the end of my rope.

If what I’m sharing carries even a hint of what you’re facing right now, maybe it’s time to be brave too. That bravery might mean leaving. It might mean staying and finally turning inward to do your own healing work.

But whatever direction you’re being pulled toward—it may be time to stop standing still…
and start running toward it.

⸻

When Staying Starts to Cost You Too Much

Cutting ties isn’t about giving up on people.
It’s about finally being honest with yourself.

Honest about the quiet truth that something which once felt meaningful is now slowly breaking you.

Love was never meant to cost your peace.
It was never meant to erase your identity.
And it was never meant to compromise your mental health.

Yet so many of us stay far longer than we should—hoping, excusing, over-giving—because walking away feels like failure.

⸻

The Places Where We Slowly Disappear

Sometimes it’s a friend who only shows up when they need something.
Sometimes it’s a job that drains you without offering growth or dignity.
Sometimes it’s a family member who repeatedly crosses your boundaries.
And sometimes, it’s a partner who makes you feel painfully alone—even when they’re sitting right beside you.

You keep giving pieces of yourself, telling yourself this time will be different.

Until one day, you pause and realize…
you’ve been disappearing in the process.

⸻

Letting Go Is Not Cruelty—It’s Courage

Walking away is not an act of cruelty.
It is an act of courage.

It’s choosing healing over harm.
Truth over pretending.
Self-respect over silent suffering.

And yes—people may say you’ve changed.

What they often don’t understand is that you’re not shutting people out.
You’re finally choosing to save yourself.

⸻

Why Healing Requires Space

You cannot heal in the same environment where you were wounded.
You cannot keep pouring from an empty heart.
And you cannot grow in places that continue to shrink you.

Letting go isn’t abandonment.
It’s reclamation.

It’s choosing yourself after spending far too long choosing everyone else.

⸻

Knowing When to Let Go

Sometimes, the most powerful act of love isn’t holding on tighter.
It’s knowing when to release what no longer serves your well-being.

Walking away doesn’t mean you didn’t care.
It means you finally cared enough about yourself.

~Jenn 🤍

⸻

Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who are learning how to release guilt, rebuild self-worth, and make peace with the choices that protect their emotional health.

I offer free consultations so you can ask questions, feel into my approach, and see if I’m the right fit for you.

📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

01/25/2026

Can I Get a Do-Over?

Learning to Choose Healing in the Present Moment

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

⸻

When the Past Feels Like It Still Has a Vote

We may not be able to rewind the past and ask for a do-over. No matter how much we wish we could go back and change a decision, a relationship, or a season of our lives—time doesn’t work that way.

But what is available to us is the gift of the present moment.

And within that gift is a choice: to stay anchored in what was, or to begin taking up residence in a world where beauty still exists—sometimes quietly, sometimes stubbornly—right alongside our pain.

⸻

Making Peace With a Story You Didn’t Choose Wisely

It took years of healing for me to accept my past as part of my story.

For a long time, I couldn’t reconcile how any beauty could rise up from a world of toxicity—one I unknowingly chose at the age of nineteen, and then knowingly dismantled twenty-three years later.

Shame had a loud voice in that season. Criticism tried to convince me that my past disqualified me from peace, joy, and wholeness. Healing didn’t happen overnight—it happened as I learned how to disarm those voices.

Little by little, I developed the skills needed to silence shame and step out of the emotional prison it tried to keep me locked inside.

⸻

When Beauty Feels Just Out of Reach

Does your past still haunt you?
Does the idea of beauty existing within the mess surrounding you feel just outside the borders of your imagination?

If so, you’re not alone.

So many women carry the weight of what should have been, believing their history defines the rest of their story. But the truth is this: while we can’t change the toxicity of our past, and we don’t have the power to change the behavior of others—we do have agency in the present.

And that matters more than we often realize.

⸻

Choosing Forward, Even Without a Do-Over

Perhaps this is where our paths meet.

I can’t change your past—but I am well-versed in the skills needed to help you move forward. Healing doesn’t erase what happened, but it does loosen its grip. It teaches you how to reclaim your voice, your worth, and your ability to choose differently now.

The present moment holds more power than regret ever will. And when you begin making intentional decisions rooted in self-compassion and awareness, you create space for beauty to grow—even from soil that once felt barren.

⸻

You may not get a do-over—but you do get today.
And today is enough to begin again.

~Jenn 🤍

⸻

Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who struggle with anxiety, depression, and deep emotional pain.
If you’d like to learn more about what I do or see if I’m the right fit for you, I’d love to connect.

📍 In-person sessions in Bartlesville & virtual sessions available
📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

Choose healing. Choose freedom. Choose emotional health.

01/24/2026

The Quiet Exhaustion of Always Being the Safe One

When Everyone Leans on You—but No One Sees the Weight You Carry

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

⸻

The One Everyone Comes To

There’s a certain kind of woman people instinctively turn toward when life feels heavy.

She’s the listener.
The steady one.
The calm presence in the middle of chaos.

She knows how to hold space without judgment. She doesn’t flinch when emotions get messy. She makes people feel safe enough to unravel.

And over time, that role quietly becomes her identity.

She’s the one people call when they’re overwhelmed, hurting, confused, or falling apart. The one who can be counted on. The one who doesn’t seem to need much in return.

⸻

When Strength Becomes an Expectation

At first, being the “safe one” feels meaningful. It feels like love. Like purpose.

But somewhere along the way, strength stops being something you have and starts being something you’re expected to be.

You become the one who doesn’t fall apart.
The one who listens but doesn’t burden.
The one who can handle “just a little more.”

And because you’re capable—because you can—you often do.

Even when you’re tired.
Even when your own heart feels heavy.
Even when you’re quietly running on empty.

⸻

The Exhaustion No One Talks About

The exhaustion of being the safe one is rarely loud.

It doesn’t always look like burnout or breakdown.
It often looks like quiet depletion.

It’s the weight of carrying stories that aren’t yours.
The emotional labor of regulating yourself so others can fall apart.
The loneliness of being strong while wishing—just once—someone would ask how you are really doing.

And because you’re so good at holding it together, the world assumes you’re fine.

⸻

When You Stop Making Room for Yourself

Over time, being the safe one can come at a cost.

You may start minimizing your own needs.
You may feel guilty asking for support.
You may tell yourself, “Other people need me more right now.”

But slowly, subtly, you begin abandoning yourself—not out of weakness, but out of habit.

And that’s the part no one sees.

⸻

You’re Allowed to Be Human Too

Here’s the truth I want you to hear clearly:

Being emotionally strong does not mean being emotionally limitless.

You are allowed to need rest.
You are allowed to say, “I don’t have the capacity right now.”
You are allowed to be held, not just the one who holds.

Your worth is not measured by how much you carry for others.

Healthy connection makes room for mutual care—not silent self-sacrifice.

⸻

Letting Safety Flow Both Ways

Healing often begins when the safe one learns to soften—just enough—to receive.

To notice when listening turns into over-functioning.
To recognize when love starts requiring self-abandonment.
To remember that boundaries are not rejection—they are protection.

You don’t have to stop being compassionate.
You just have to stop disappearing.

⸻

A Gentle Reminder

You don’t lose your goodness by choosing yourself.
You don’t lose connection by honoring your limits.
And you don’t stop being safe just because you allow yourself to be seen, too.

You were never meant to carry it all alone.

~Jenn 🤍
⸻

Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who struggle with anxiety, self-worth, boundaries, and the emotional exhaustion that comes from carrying too much for too long.

I offer free consultations so you can ask questions, feel supported, and see if I’m the right fit to walk alongside you in your healing.

📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

01/23/2026

I Feel Guilty When I Say… No!

When “Sure” Comes Out Before You Check In With Yourself

Guilt is a familiar feeling for many of us.
It lives right under the surface of our smile and the agreeable words:

“Sure, I’ll do that.”
“I don’t mind.”

(…but what if you do mind?)

As soon as those words escape our mouths, something shifts.
We might feel irritated with the person who asked for our time and energy.
Or we feel frustrated with ourselves — again — for saying yes when we didn’t want to.

That internal tug-of-war is exhausting.

Why Do We Keep Saying Yes When We Mean No?

And here’s the question many of us quietly wrestle with:

Shouldn’t I feel guilty if I don’t obligate myself to someone else’s request?

Somewhere along the way, kindness became tangled up with a familiar belief:

“I am available whenever you need me, and I will put your needs ahead of my own emotional health and well-being.”

But here’s the truth we don’t talk about enough —
Often, we say yes not out of kindness, but out of fear.

Yikes.

The Fear Under the Guilt

The deeper truth that lives beneath the surface usually sounds something like this:

“I’m afraid you’ll reject me.”
“I’m afraid you won’t like me.”
“I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you.”

So when we finally dare to use that two-letter word — no — guilt rushes in.

And that’s when many women ask,
Why do I feel so bad about honoring my own limits?

Guilt Has a Backstory

To understand guilt, you often have to do a little digging.

Ask yourself:
• Who taught me that my feelings don’t matter?
• When did I learn that I’m responsible for how other people feel?
• Where did I internalize the message that saying no makes me selfish or unloving?

Those beliefs didn’t appear out of nowhere.
They were learned — and that means they can be unlearned.

No Is a Complete Sentence

When you say “no” (and yes — it is a full sentence), you are releasing yourself from the false belief that you control someone else’s thoughts, feelings, or reactions.

That responsibility was never yours to carry.

When we say yes to things that aren’t good for our emotional or physical well-being, we lose our authenticity. We disconnect from ourselves. And we quietly reinforce the fear-based question:

“What will they think of me if I decline?”

But your worth was never meant to hinge on your availability.

When Your Body Says No — Listen

If you have a habitual pattern of saying yes while your body and mind are screaming NO, you’re not broken — and you’re not alone.

More often than not, guilt is an old narrative that took root years ago.

And friend, it’s time for a new storyline:

Your needs matter too.

Learning to honor your limits isn’t unloving.
It’s honest.
It’s healthy.
And it’s a powerful step toward emotional freedom.

~Jenn 🤍

⸻

Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who struggle with anxiety, depression, and emotional pain.
If you’d like to learn more about how I work, I invite you to visit my website or reach out for a free consultation.

📍 In-person sessions in Bartlesville, OK
💻 Virtual sessions available

📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

Choose healing. Choose freedom. Choose emotional

01/22/2026

The Guilt Isn’t Proof You’re Doing Something Wrong

Learning to Question the Voice That Tries to Rewrite Your Story

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

⸻

When Guilt Shows Up After You’ve Made the Right Choice

I hear clients talk about guilt often.

They’ll tell me how guilty they feel when someone they love is disappointed.
Or when they make a decision that’s right for them—but it leaves someone else feeling hurt, frustrated, or angry.

And that guilt can feel convincing.
It whispers things like:
“If they’re upset, I must’ve done something wrong.”
“If they’re disappointed, I should fix it.”

But here’s the truth we often miss: someone else’s emotional reaction is not automatic proof that you made the wrong choice.

⸻

When Guilt Gets Personal

If I’m being completely transparent, guilt still tries to rise up in me too.

It shows up when I see my children struggling with the remnants of their childhood experiences—when the waves of the past come back and remind them of the not-so-perfect childhood they lived.

I made the decision to leave an abusive marriage.
And my children were a huge part of that decision.

Even though I believed I was protecting them—and I was—they knew.
They felt it.
They lived inside it.

And guilt will try to use that against me.

It tells me things like:
• I should have left sooner.
• I never should have married him in the first place.
• I should have asked more questions about what they were experiencing during the process of leaving.

My girls didn’t have a choice in my decisions. And yes—the impact of those years still exists.

That’s where guilt tries to take hold.

⸻

Talking Back to Guilt

But I refuse to let guilt’s voice become louder than what I know to be true.

Guilt does have a place.
It serves an important role when I’ve genuinely done something that goes against my values.
It gets my attention when I’ve caused harm.
It invites me to take responsibility and make amends when possible.

But guilt does not get that same power when I look back with honesty and compassion and acknowledge this truth:

I did the best I could raising my children with the knowledge, tools, and awareness I had at the time.
I loved them deeply—to the core of my being.
And they knew it. (They still do.)

Truth holds compassion for the 19-year-old girl who made the decision to marry someone she barely knew.
That version of me no longer stands on trial.

She has been forgiven.
She has been set free.

⸻

When Guilt Is Trying to Carry What Isn’t Yours

So let me ask you:

Is guilt trying to overtake you right now?
Is it attaching itself to something that isn’t actually yours to carry?

Maybe it’s replaying a past decision—reminding you of everything you didn’t know at the time.
Maybe it’s pointing to outcomes you couldn’t have fully predicted.
Maybe it’s trying to convince you that being human is the same thing as being wrong.

If so, here’s something you’re allowed to do:

Question guilt.

Hold it up and ask:

“Am I doing something right now that truly goes against my values?”

If the answer is no—then you have every right to tell guilt to stand down.

Because guilt is not meant to punish you for being human.
And it is not proof that you failed.

Sometimes, guilt is just a voice that hasn’t yet caught up to the truth.

⸻

🤍
Jenn Hutcherson
Certified Emotional & Resilience Coach
A Hutch Better Life

I work with women who struggle with guilt, anxiety, self-worth, and the lasting impact of emotional wounds such as abandonment and unhealthy relationships. I offer free consultations so you can ask questions, feel supported, and see if I’m the right fit for your journey.

📞 918.214.8109
📧 ahutchbetterlife@aol.com
🌐 ahutchbetterlife.com

Emotional Roadmap to Emotional Health

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