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Content
About the Author
To my Daughter
To my Friend
I wrote "Watering my Crown"
Inspiring Women
Part 1 - The Story
Dont allow this world to break you
Let's go back
American stories
"Atlanta" did this to me!
Why Barcelona you ask? Why not?!
Part 2 - The Knitŧy Gritty
Healing Steps
Putting my Vision into words
Loving Yourself - But how?
Selfcare means
Body Image Struggles
Having Confidence in your Self
Claiming your Purpose
Part 3 - The Keys
Knowing your Worth
Surrounding yourself with Positivity
Cutting out the Negativity
Checking yourself
Doing things that bring you Happiness
Forgiving Spirit
Showing someone else Love
Presently Living
Dealing with Rejection
Dealing with negative Emotions
Quick Fixes
Gratitude is an Attitude
Goalsetting
Relapse
A word to all Mothers
Credits
About the Author
IT ALL STARTED WITH A DIARY WHICH BECAME HER REFUGE ON DAYS WHEN NO ONE ELSE UNDERSTOOD AND LATER WAS HER KEY TO FREEDOM WHEN UNPACKING THE YEARS OF PAIN AND TRAUMA. WRITING BECAME HER THERAPY, TRANSFORMING PAIN INTO WORDS THAT NOW READ HER STORY.
SUNSHINEGOLDENCHILD IS THE DAUGHTER OF A TRINIDADIAN FATHER AND A
GERMAN MOTHER. SHE WAS RAISED IN A SMALL VILLAGE IN GERMANY WHICH NEVER FELT LIKE HOME TO HER. GROWING UP SHE STRUGGLED WITH HER SENSE OF BELONGING AND IDENTITY, GOT LOST IN DEPRESSION AND HEARTBREAK. SHE ESCAPED THE SMALL-MINDED BORDERS OF HER VILLAGE AND DIVED HEADFIRST INTO A WHOLE NEW WORLD WHICH TURNED EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN FOR HER.
THESE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE THE TESTIMONY OF HER STRUGGLE AND THE OVERCOMING.
SUNSHINEGOLDENCHILD MADE IT HER MISSION TO OPEN WOMEN’S EYES TO THEIR INNER BEAUTY AND AMAZINGNESS. SHE PROMOTES SELF-LOVE, BODY-POSITIVITY AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT.
WITH HER HONEST AND RAW APPROACH OF SHARING PIECES OF HER JOURNEY, SHE REACHES AN UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF EMPATHY AND RELATABILITY AMONGST YOUNG WOMEN THROUGHOUT ALL WALKS OF LIFE, BUT ESPECIALLY OTHER WOMEN OF COLOR IN WHO SHE SEEKS TO INSPIRE TRANSFORMATION AND SELF-GROWTH.
SUNSHINEGOLDENCHILD UTILIZES THE INTIMACY OF POETRY AND THE ART OF THE WRITTEN WORD TO WEAVE THE CLOTH BETWEEN OUR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES AND COLLECTIVE LIBERATION AS WOMEN.
SHE IS A FORMER POETRY SLAM CHAMPION AND PERFORMED ON NATIONALAND INTERNATIONAL STAGES SUCH AS IN GERMANY, NEW YORK, AND LONDON. SOME OF HER ESSAYS AND POETRY HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN SEVERAL DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS. HER WRITING STYLE IS EASY TO READ YET FULL OF COLORFUL METAPHORS AND IMAGERY, SPRINKLED WITH ENOUGH OPTIMISM AND A BOUNTY OF PASSIONATE DREAMY LINES THAT ARE BOUND TO TOUCH READERS TO THEIR CORE.
SUNSHINEGOLDENCHILD IS A MULTI-FACETED ARTIST WHO ALWAYS SEEKS TO REINVENT HERSELF TO SHARE HER CREATIVITY WITH THE WORLD EXPLORING HER PASSION FOR ART, PHOTOGRAPHY, PEOPLE AND TRAVEL BUT THE ONE WAY SHE KNOWS BEST ON HOW TO SHARE WHAT THE EYE CAN’T SEE IS THROUGH WRITING.
BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2013 AND 20l6, SHE RAN A SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL BLOG WHICH HAD UP TO 23.000 MONTHLY WORLDWIDE READERS WHO LOVED FINDING OUT ABOUT THE CRAZY ADVENTURES SUNSHINEGOLDENCHILD GOT INTO DURING HER TRAVELS THROUGH 32 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
HER LIFE CHANGED WHEN SHE VISITED TRINIDAD AGAIN FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN HER ADULT LIFE, WHERE SHE MET HER FUTURE HUSBAND WHO ALSO GAVE HER THE BEST PRESENT, ONE THAT SHE WANTED EVER SINGE SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL HERSELF, A DAUGHTER. THE „WILD CHILD“ SETTLED DOWN AND ENJOYS BUILDING WITH HER LITTLE FAMILY.
To my daughter
READ THIS AS MY LOVE LETTER TO YOU, MAY IT GIVE YOU STRENGTH ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF LIFE AND ENCOURAGE YOU IN TIMES OF FEELING DEFEATED. THIS BOOK WILL FOREVER STAND AS A TESTIMONY OF MY UNCONDITIONAL NON-ERASABLE LOVE FOR YOU. I PRAY YOU WILL NEVER LOSE TOUCH WITH YOUR TRUE SELF AND FORGET WHO YOUWERE BEFORE THE WORLD CAME IN AND TOLD YOU DIFFERENTLY. IF THIS SHOULD STILL HAPPEN… MAY THESE PAGES EMPOWER YOU TO FIND YOUR WAY OUT.
For my dear friend
WITHOUT YOU, I WOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED MY MIND TO TRAVEL CROSS IT’S SELF-SET LIMITS AND DREAM THIS BIG. I HAD BEEN WRITING EVER SINCE I KNEW HOW TO, BUT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY PERSONAL, A LOT OF OLD JOURNALS AND JUST FOR MY EYES ONLY. I TRUSTED YOU ENOUGH TO READ ONE OF MY POEMS AND YOU WERE BLOWN AWAY. YOUR SUPPORT IS WHAT INSPIRED ME TO OPEN UP MY JOURNALS TO THE WORLD. AND FOR THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU. TO WHEREVER YOU ARE TODAY, I HOPE SOMEONE WILL SHARE THESE PAGES WITH YOU.
I wrote „Watering my crown“
TO MAKE PEACE WITH MY PAST AND TO DECLARE MY COMMITMENT TO DAILY LOVING AND APPRECIATING MY SELF. IT’S A TESTAMENT TO MY DARKEST TIMES AND MY GREATEST VICTORY. IT’S A COMPILATION OF MY TRUTH. I DIVE THROUGH DEEPLY ROUTED LAYERS OF GENERATIONAL TRAUMA AND LIFT THE VEIL TO A LOT OF HIDDEN TRUTHS, THAT I WAS UNABLE TO SEE AT THE TIME BUT NOW ARE SO ESSENTIAL TO ME. „SELF-LOVE IS NOT SELFISH“.
WE ALL LOSE GROUND SOME TIMES AND SOME OF US NEED A LITTLE HELP TO PUT THINGS BACK IN PERSPECTIVE TO GET THROUGH THE STORM. SOCIETY TELLS US TO BREAK IN SILENCE AS IF WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ASHAMED OF OUR STRUGGLE AS IF THE OUTCRIES OF OUR HEARTS AREN’T MEANT TO BE HEARD. I’VE LIVED THROUGH MANY DARK NIGHTS BEFORE I COULD GET MY FINGERS TO PLACE THIS PEN TO PAPER AND WRITE IT ALL DOWN.
AND NOW, READING IT BACK, I SOUND SO CONFIDENT, I CAN SEE THAT I WAS JUST TRYING TO CREATE A MAP FOR MYSELF WHEN I WAS FEELING LOST. I BECAME THE VOICE AND THE EAR. IN THIS BOOK, YOU WILL FIND A LOT OF „LIFE LESSONS“ I ’M SURE YOU’VE HEARD SOMEWHERE BEFORE THE ART IS TO TAKE WHAT YOU KNOW AND APPLY IT TO YOUR REAL-LIFE AND I HOPE THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU WITH THAT.
„WATERING MY CROWN“ IS ABOUT FACING YOUR INNER AND EXTERNAL BATTLES HEADS ON, NOT BEING TIED DOWN TO SOMEBODY ELSE’S IDEA OF WHAT YOUR LIFE SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND HONORING YOUR OWN INNER VOICE.
I BREAK DOWN DIFFERENT ANGLES AND METHODS TO ESTABLISHING YOUR OWN HAPPINESS AND PEACE OF MIND. I KEPT TRYING TO REMEMBER MY OLD SELF BEFORE THE DARKNESS SWALLOWED ME, WANTING TO GET BACK TO HER AND EVENTUALLY GREW FRUSTRATED WHEN I REALIZE THAT GOING BACK IS NEVER POSSIBLE IN EVOLUTION. SO I BEGAN SEEKING NEW ROADS AND I FOUND MORE THAN I HAD LOST IN THE FIRE.
I DECIDED TO SELF PUBLISH BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT ANY EDITOR OR PUBLISHER TWEAKING MY STORY OR MY VISION OF ARTISTIC LAYOUT TO APPEAL TO „A BROADER AUDIENCE“. I WANTED TO STAY TRUE TO MYSELF, I WANTED IT TO BE AN AUTHENTIC, HOMEGROWN, DIY PROJECT, A GIFT FROM ME TO THE WORLD.
I WANT MY BOOK TO BE READ IN BOOKCLUBS AMONGST FRIENDS OR SHARED