self-love

Reflect and Renew

Life is constantly busy and, as we settle into our routines and responsibilities, days seem flow into each other, blending into weeks and months.  In business, taking stock ever so often is recognized as good business practice.  We do this for our own careers when seeking a promotion or growing our own businesses, looking at […]

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What’s in Your Mirror?

We are the main characters in our life’s story.  Often, the way we feel about ourselves is built from life experiences, the opinions of others, things we have heard about ourselves from the village around us, and society’s view on who we should be. Have you taken time to check in with what you really

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Choose YOU!

Choose you first, and others will too. We teach others how to treat us.  As a society, self-care and putting oneself first, is becoming more acceptable.  Many of us grew up learning the belief that we need to sacrifice, compromise, and generally give up a piece of ourselves to others, in order to live a

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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

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Spring Rebirth

Like the earth, we can use this coming of Spring to rebirth ourselves.  The advent of the new year brings pressure to change, and by the time April rolls around, many of us feel frustrated with ourselves for not implementing those wishes.  Spring brings an opportunity to reset – to begin anew without all the

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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