Be your own spotlight.

Be your own spotlightNo matter what you have been through in your past, the only voice that should be guiding you into your future is your own. 

Be your own spotlight – instead of seeking approval and validation from others, turn within and look to yourself. Ultimately no one else knows you like you know yourself. You know what you need, what feels good, and what does and doesn’t fit you.  As we connect to Source, we will receive additional guidance.

If you have faced trauma of any kind, trusting your voice and believing in yourself can be daunting.  When we go through trauma, we often blame ourselves.  Know that no matter what you are going through, the past does not need to have a hold over you.  You deserve to let go of anything holding you back.  You deserve to live a life of joy, abundance and peace.

To listen and trust your own voice:
  • Pay attention to your feelings. Our feelings are our guidance system.  If you are feeling excited, happy and good about something then this is the right path.  If you feel uneasy and uncertain, then perhaps it is not the path for you.  Yes, we sometimes do feel fear about the unknown, but fear is our guidance that lets us know we are growing.  Fear presents as a twinge of uncertainty, and thoughts of doubt in our abilities, whereas the knowing that we are not going in the right direction is more of a feeling of deep unhappiness.

  • Be mindful of the words you speak about yourself to yourself and to others. Choose words that empower you.  If the words you are in the habit of using break you down, change them word by word.

  • Be mindful of the thoughts your think about yourself. If you find yourself thinking thoughts that do not serve you, stop, take a few deep breaths shutting out all thought, and then begin again with a better thought.

  • Find a daily practice that helps you connect to Source/guidance. Through this you will begin to find yourself getting nudges in the right direction and inspiration.

  • Even if you don’t believe yet, act as if you do. Be conscious of the way you present yourself – present yourself as you would like to be and not as a victim or as helpless.

Give yourself permission to let your light shine.  Forgive yourself for perceived failures – even those failures you believe contributed to what you are going through.  You deserve to begin your life anew, right here, right now.  In this moment, as you read this, make a decision that you are what matters most in your life; that your voice must be the loudest in your life; that you will strive each day to be in a better place than the last.  You are worthy of the trust, respect and validation you give to others. 

What daily practice will you engage in that helps you find your voice?

Many Blessings,

Santa

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022