I Grew Up Without Applause — By Salma Malik

I didn’t grow up with applause. No clapping hands. No proud eyes. No one saying, “You’re doing well.” But I kept going.

As a little girl, I stitched dresses for my doll — not because someone taught me, but because something inside me just knew.

I observed. I imagined. I created — quietly.

That was my world. A quiet one. A tender one. A world I survived in silence.

The accent. The systems. The culture. I wasn’t always guided, even when I was clearly lost. In fact, I was often left to navigate difficult situations… alone.

There was no argument. Just absence. No rejection. Just silence. And that silence became heavier than words.

I longed to be protected. To be seen not as a burden — but as someone worth standing beside.

Two things often triggered my shame: English and driving.

In the world around me, they were normal. Expected. But for me, they became quiet reminders of how “different” I was.

Every time I avoided driving, every time I hesitated to speak, a voice inside whispered, “You’re not like them.”

That voice wasn’t mine — but I carried it like it was.

Eventually, my body — faithful and tired — began sending louder messages.

Eczema. Allergies. Chronic pain.

It was as if my body was saying, "If your voice won’t be heard, I’ll speak for you."

That’s when I discovered EFT and Root-Cause Health Coaching. Suddenly, everything made sense.

My symptoms weren’t random. They were messages. My emotions were memories looking for light

Even as I healed, I began helping others. And that supporting others while still healing myself became my deepest purpose.

I became the voice I needed when I was young. The guide I didn’t have in marriage. The witness I needed when my silence was mistaken for strength.

I didn’t grow up with applause — but now I clap for myself. I didn’t grow up with a voice — but now I speak for those who still whisper.