The Power of a Woman

March 8 was International Women’s day, and March is also Women’s History Month. 

As women, collectively and globally, we have come so far.  More women are being recognized and acknowledged than ever before.  Women are beginning to hold greater positions of power and influence across the world.

In celebrating women this month, those of us who are women also need to celebrate ourselves and our achievements.  As women, many of us have been taught to give to others, care for others’ needs, and to put our needs and desires last.   There was a time when women didn’t expect to be honored or celebrated.  Most women still don’t acknowledge how they should be treated. woman 1197094 640

We all have wounds that need healing and many of them are internal.   Part of healing is getting to know what your needs, desires and boundaries are.  As a woman I have learned how far I have come in understanding what I need, how I want to be treated, and in believing that I have a right to have my needs met.  This journey begins by recognizing your value.

Whatever relationship you are in, claim your worth in that relationship by believing that you have the right to have your needs met.  Acknowledge how you want to be treated by your partner.  No matter what your past looks like or what you have been through, you deserve to be treated as worthy and special.  It is your right to have your needs met.

Honor and celebrate yourself first, and know how you want to be treated.  Through doing this, you teach others how to treat you. Communicate with those that you feel don’t treat you with love and respect, or honor your wishes.  If they don’t hear you, let go and surround yourself with people who do honor and respect you.  While this is not an easy path, you deserve to feel like a star in your own life.

Make a list of how you want to be treated. 

  • What are your needs? 
  • What do you desire more of? 
  • What do you want less of?
  • Are your needs being met by the person you are with? 
  • Can you communicate with them about this?   

When you know your value as a woman, you bring into your life those that will see your value.  Own your value, your worth and your power.  You may not be in a position to influence the world but you can influence your world. Owning your power allows you to bring your best to others and has a ripple effect on the lives around you.  Every woman who has ever impacted the world started in her own world by fully claiming who she is and proudly proclaiming this.

What can you do today to celebrate the beautiful, special soul you are?

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