The older we get, the more we feel the impact of the responsibilities we have as adults. For many, the responsibilities we hold overshadow our personal wishes and dreams. We have taught ourselves to either shelve our dreams in favor of meeting our obligations, or we dream smaller and simpler dreams, giving up those we […]
Permission to Dream Read More »
We all have dreams, or a heart’s desire that we someday hope to accomplish. Perhaps you have a dream that originated years ago, or something new that was born out of a recent experience. Going through trauma changes us in ways that are sometimes hard to define. The impact of this change may have caused
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Keep your dream alive by creating a supportive tribe who cheers for you.
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Your dreams are gifts from your highest self, the voice of your soul. Part of healing is developing the knowing that you deserve to have the best, that you do have the right to your every dream, and that nothing is off limits to you, no matter what you have been through.
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You came into this world for a purpose – living that purpose begins with the dreams in your heart. Your dreams cannot be right or wrong. No one else can tell you how your dreams should look or what they are allowed to be. The only person who can give you permission to have your dream, is you.
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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
