Here is an intro to my book:
I am an attorney by trade, working for 15 years with the Federal Government, but my passion is inspirational writing. I am currently working on my project that is called The Sunrise of My Soul’s Bliss- The Story of How Grief Transformed Me and Set Me Free. My book is both my memoir and a handbook of gratitude to inspire beauty and hope through daily inspirations. By sharing my inspirations, it is my intention that my story out of the dark tunnel into the light gives hope of reawakened purpose to others who are facing the same kind of overwhelming grief and despair. As a point of reference, I started on a journey over two years ago to identify and live my purpose in this world. There is actually a bit of history behind my words. My mom passed away from the dreaded “breast cancer” in April of 2011. We had a beautiful relationship and amazing conversations each morning before I started each day that left me truly inspired. When she died, the grief and the loss of this connection was terrible. My book documents my experience leading up to this profound loss, my first introduction to grief after she passed away, how it almost did me in, how I made the choice to seek out the tools to sustain me, how angels came to my aid and how I ultimately thrived by reconnecting to the beauty within.
Like many before me, physically losing such an important relationship in my life led me on a path into a dark place. When I could no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel, a good friend suggested I dedicate a time each day to connect to my mom. With this advice, I started to channel conversations that I would have had with her to help me pull through. I started to send emails out to family and friends entitled my thoughts of the day. My message starts with an idea of hope, supported by a quote, and then I write what my mother would have communicated to me if she were alive. These thoughts are meant for me, but shared with many. These thoughts of the day have saved me and have become a way for me to reconnect to the joy of life again. While I started each day connecting with my mom, by sharing these daily inspirations with others, I started to see clearly a path that led me out of the abyss of grief. I get to take the inspiration and love I got from my mom and share with others who may want to hear it. On so many occasions, I have received e-mails from others telling me how perfect the thought of the day was as it spoke directly to them, how they have passed on my e-mail to their friends, and how they look forward to reading them each day. Many of my friends have said that they have archived my e-mails so that can refer back to them when they need to be reminded of a particular sentiment. And, I am so inspired to continue as I too am benefited greatly by the love that I receive in return.
I have written now over 215 since I started and it has helped me heal. The responses that I have received from those who are on my e-mail list have been so uplifting and amazing. I am stopped and touched by my friends who share their gratitude for my honesty and my inspiration as many topics touch very close to the heart. On many occasions, people have suggested that they would love to have my “Thoughts” compiled in one place to refer to as well. So, I started to write my story about how my journey began, how it progressed, and how my thoughts of the day reopened a door in my heart that allowed me to share myself with the world again. In the last part, I include my words of inspiration to perhaps offer us the hope that I was so desperate for. It really has been an amazing creative work in progress. Writing the book has been incredibly cathartic and has helped me to find laughter and joy again, something that I truly believed was an impossible task back in April of 2011.
I am so excited about this project. There is unlimited possibility as to what direction it will take. In addition to the book, I love the idea of a journal and/or the daily inspirational cards. I love even more the idea of a spiritual experience brought to life by artwork that gives an added depth to each entry. I come from an Italian family who has passed down the belief that when we pass away, we transform into the form of a butterfly. As we were looking for the butterfly the day after my mom passed, it was no surprise to us that my daughter chose to wear an outfit with a big beautiful purple butterfly on it. As purple is the symbolic color for healing and the butterfly symbolizes transformation, I can see this book enveloped with this sentiment, perhaps pages peppered throughout with butterflies. For me the process of grief and how I have responded to it in my life has been a healing transformation. I have continued with these insights on a daily basis, I have held a five part workshop series called Follow the Sunrise of Your Soul’s Bliss to help others find their passion in life, and I was invited to give a motivational presentation in April to 80 school teachers in Miami, Florida.
Also, to continue to give back in gratitude for all the love and support that I have received during the past two years, I have started a service project with my children called the Give Love Project. We made rocks that say, “Give Love” on them in small bags filled with hershey kisses. There is a message included in the bags that says: “if you need love take a kiss, if you see someone else needs love give a kiss, pass it on”. My kids have passed them out to random people we meet on a daily basis, we hand them out to strangers and friends alike. Everything that I do comes from a place of aligning myself with what I believe to be my true calling, giving hope and love. There are so many people who suffer in silence. Because I felt so incredibly lost when my mother first died, this book is my opportunity to share with others that even in your darkest hour there is hope if you just reach out and ask for it and never give up on yourself. This turn in my life has brought me wonderful balance as I step into my authentic self and have met some wonderful and inspirational people along the way. It has been truly amazing to see the connections and experience the synchronicity.
THE SUNRISE OF MY SOUL’S BLISS-(tm) A Story How Grief Transformed Me And Set Me Free A HANDBOOK OF GRATITUDE TO INSPIRE BEAUTY WITHIN By Meg Nocero