The Gratitude Experience

Thanksgiving is coming up in the U.S. next week.   While this means different things to different people, the universally recognized experience is that it is a time of gathering.   Gathering with family and friends can be a trying experience, especially if the people around you don’t feel like your tribe. You are the most important person in your life, so do what serves you. If you can, choose who you will spend this time with and what your group will collectively enjoy, regardless of tradition.   If you are not able to make this choice yet, move yourself into a state of appreciation and keep a toolbox of little actions you can take to move yourself into a better state of mind.  Take a walk when you need to, give yourself space if you require it, use your breath to calm and ground yourself, and when you are surrounded by others, remind yourself that you are never alone and are always loved and supported by Source/God/Goddess/Universe.  

Living in gratitude is a choice we get to make moment by moment, each day.  When things are hard, and life feels overwhelming, finding things to be grateful for can feel impossible.  Start small with those things that are constants – your heartbeat, your breath, and your senses.  One thought always triggers another in the same spirit.  Adding in the emotions and immersing yourself in appreciation of that thought reinforces it, moving you forward with more such thoughts.  We shift our mental and emotional state a thought at a time.

Take a gratitude journey with me now:

Be in a quiet space and sit comfortably, letting your body relax and your eyes gently close. Go deeper with each inhale and exhale, relaxing more into every moment.

Visualize a golden light streaming down, moving along your body and surrounding you, gently loving each area it flows over – the Light of Source/God/Goddess/Universe.Textured background with two white feather on the left, and small pink flower on the right.  The words Gratitude, meditation, joy, compassion and more are on it  Tune into what you are feeling right now.  Give yourself permission to feel these feelings and then release them, letting the golden Light wash away the negative, cleansing your being with Love. Now open your eyes and let’s begin stepping into powerful, healing thoughts:

I am here in my body for a reason.  The steady beat of my heart, the sound of breath, the rise and fall of my chest, and my feet grounded to the floor, are affirmations of this truth. 

In this moment, I am okay. I am worthy. I am perfect as I am, where I am. I am an abundant being stepping into my power.

I am grateful for good thoughts.

I am grateful for (a sight/sound/smell/taste) right now.

I am grateful for water.

As you move into this state of gratitude, more thoughts come to you, supporting this state.  Allow yourself to drift forward on this positive momentum and continue building on it. 

Use the script above to start yourself off and once you are in a more positive state with thoughts of gratitude coming to you, follow them.  The more we practice creating this state, the easier it is to find it!

I am in gratitude for you and the Light you bring to our world.  Why walk this life journey solo when we can dance in community?  Join us this week in my From Trauma to Triumph community as we dance in gratitude.

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