Nurturing is Breathing

Nurturing is like breathing.  Without breath we cannot live; without nurturing ourselves, we don’t connect with life.

We often think of nurturing in the context of a mother caring for her child.  Nurturing is the act of caring for and protecting your chosen charge to help them thrive.  Most of us find it easy to create time to help another or nurture a friend or loved one.  However, we often forget to nurture ourselves and instead wait to be nurtured.

The greatest gift we can give to those we love, is to give to ourselves first.  When we nurture our being, we feed our soul, grow, thrive, and recharge.  Every interaction we have from this place allows us to give to those we love without resentment, anger, frustration, or impatience.  We are more caring, kind, and able to come from a place of unconditional love.  If we don’t give to ourselves first, we feel as if we come last – we get burned out and resent life and the people around us, even if we love them.

We can nurture ourselves in grand ways such as taking a vacation with parameters of what we will and won’t do in that time. 

We can also nurture ourselves in little ways every day.  What nurtures your being: 

  • Outdoors: Being in nature?  Going out on the water?  Playing a sport, exercising, or another physical activity?Do more of what makes you happy
  • Indoors: What about doing things within your home?  Perhaps it is listening to a podcast or watching a video. Maybe there is book you have been wanting to read.
  • For self:  It may be taking a long bath, taking care of your physical body, meditating or napping.
  • Your space:  Perhaps nurturing self means reinvigorating your home space and making it more of a sanctuary, adding comforts or luxuries that feel good.
  • Your circle:  What about the people you choose to spend time with?  Do they make you feel good, and if so, can you intentionally meet more often?  Perhaps you leave them feeling a sense of relief or worse off – in this case, can you spend less time with them and instead make room for a new group of people who serve you better?

 How we treat ourselves shows others how to treat us. When we take time to give to self, the people around us grow accustomed to this and support us in this.  We need to be brave enough to take the first step and say yes to ourselves first.

What will you do to nurture your being today?

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