WHO’S DRIVING—YOU OR THE WOUND? | Hilary Momberger Powers, The Voice of Sally Brown in Peanuts

She was the voice of Sally Brown in the classic Peanuts television specials. Behind the apparent glamour, however, was a childhood marked by addiction, abuse, instability, and trauma. She eventually faced addiction herself before beginning a recovery journey that has now lasted more than 40 years.In this raw, candid, and deeply hopeful conversation, Hilary explains what it means to stop leading with your wound—and why taking ownership of your life is not the same as accepting blame for what happened to you.After 40 years, she managed the first sober living house for women in the United States, and built a career helping others stop leading with their wounds. In this conversation, Hilary and Kevin talk about the difference between using your story for help versus using it for hope, why owning your past is the only way to change it, and how forgiveness works as a process rather than a moment.We explore:- How trauma can create people-pleasers, loners, and controllers- Why victimhood can quietly become part of our identity- The difference between acknowledging your wounds and allowing them to drive- Why forgiveness does not always require reconciliation- How Hilary developed empathy for the mother who traumatized her- The unexpected moment that changed how she viewed her childhood- How faith, service, and responsibility helped her move from pain to purpose- What Sally Brown may have revealed about Hilary all along- Her mantra...Thank You God, Thank You God, Thank You God.Hilary does not minimize what happened to her. She shows us how to stop allowing yesterday’s wounds to determine today’s life.Viewer advisory: This conversation contains candid discussion of addiction, childhood abuse, sexual trauma, and explicit language.00:00 Pain, love, and our relationship with suffering02:30 Meet Hilary Momberger Powers03:25 Who was little Hilary?06:55 How childhood trauma changes us09:00 Living from the outside in11:20 People-pleasers, loners, and controllers13:20 Taking ownership without accepting blame19:20 From child actor to addiction and survival25:00 Why victimhood becomes an identity28:25 The brother who helped save Hilary32:20 Finding joy on the other side of pain35:05 Can we learn to love our parents again?37:20 What it means to lead with your wound39:55 Forgiveness does not require confrontation42:20 Hilary’s difficult forgiveness exercise44:25 Seeing her own retaliation47:15 Understanding the mother who hurt her49:35 “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood”52:30 Healing from the inside out54:15 Changing the story when your parents are gone57:50 The surprising connection to Sally Brown59:20 Using your past—or repeating it63:25 One practice you can begin immediately64:50 Connect with Hilary66:00 Final thoughtsCONNECT WITH HILARYWebsite: hilarymombergerpowers.comLinkedIn: @hilary-momberger-powers-078a604Instagram: @hilarymombergerpowers/Learn more about Hilary’s coaching, speaking, books, and the No Longer Leading With Your Wound method through her website.CONNECT WITH KEVINhttps://linktr.ee/kevinmcnultyBook: The Gap Between Two Worlds#growyourself #personalgrowth #traumarecovery #healing #recoveryjourney #forgiveness #faith #HilaryMombergerPowers