When Your Gut Knows Before You Do: A Veteran’s Story of Divorce and Authentic Living

In a powerful episode of Bent Not Broken, I sat down with Chris Cushing, a US Air Force veteran and founder of VA Victory, to talk about something many people quietly experience but rarely admit: knowing something isn’t right—and moving forward anyway.

Chris shared that when she was proposed to, she cried. Not tears of joy, but tears of uncertainty. Deep down, she knew the marriage wasn’t aligned, yet societal expectations whispered loudly: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids. Especially within structured systems like the military, pushing through discomfort is often normalized.

Her story takes us through military life overseas, becoming an instant stepmom, and the slow realization that she was living a life shaped more by obligation than authenticity. As the marriage unraveled, it wasn’t chaos or cruelty that defined the ending—it was honesty, responsibility, and an eventual commitment to living truthfully.

One of the most powerful lessons from Chris’s journey is this: intuition speaks early, but we’re often taught to ignore it. Red flags don’t always show up as danger; sometimes they appear as quiet tears, tight chests, or persistent inner questions we don’t yet feel allowed to answer.

Today, Chris lives and leads unapologetically as herself—both in love and in business—helping other entrepreneurs reclaim time, clarity, and alignment. Her story is a reminder that ignoring your gut doesn’t mean you failed; it means you were surviving with the tools you had.

You are not broken for waking up later.
You are brave for listening now.