MY BOOK IS 10 YEARS OLD

What a throwback Pic! Friends and family book launch 2010

October is a celebratory month. My autobiography Daughter Arise has turned ten years old. I cannot believe it has been a decade since I released the first edition of my book.

 

It feels like the time has passed so quickly. The process was a long journey. My book took nearly two years to complete because writing about my childhood was hard and painful. My motivation for writing my book was to voice my experience. God impressed upon me to do it and encouraged me every step of the way.

 

So what’s changed since my book was first published in October 2010? I can tell you many great things have happened in my life. In this celebratory blog, I just want to share with you three things. I could write at least ten, but I will keep it short and sweet!

 

I am no longer depressed about my abuse

I struggled with depression for twenty-five years because of childhood sexual abuse. It affected my life in many ways. Jesus set me free from the stronghold of depression and used other outlets (such as psychotherapy) to help me on my journey to healing. I realised I was no longer depressed by the way I started to view things. I had hope.

 

My book Daughter Arise (2nd edition)

 

I set up Daughter Arise the organisation

After I published my book, I wanted to do more to help survivors of sexual abuse. Initially, I only wanted to set up a support group, then I decided to offer other services as well. Next year this organisation will be ten years old. I have run Daughter Arise as a volunteer since 2011. It has been an honour to support men and women in England and across the world on their journey. I am planning on doing something special next year to celebrate.

 

I did a TEDx talk

One of the best moments of my life was doing a TEDx talk because it was a dream of mine. Someone suggested in 2013 that I should apply. At the time, I never had the confidence. But as I stood on the stage, I realise my confidence and self-esteem had grown. It was a full-circle moment. I went from feeling dis-empowered because of my abuse to empowering other people. My talk has over 33,000 views on YouTube. That’s a lot of reach and influence. My TEDx talk opened the door for me to host an event in California to empower survivors.

 

I have achieved many great things. I have personally reaped so much. I am no longer the broken woman I was when I wrote my book. I have grown emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I pray that my book continues to touch and changes lives. Beauty has indeed come from the ashes. Talitha Koum (Daughter Arise) I am excited about what the future holds!

 

DAUGHTER ARISE BOOK IS AVAILABLE ON THE STORE PAGE (SIGNED COPY), AMAZON AND OTHER BOOK RETAILERS

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *