Trust The Path: Darkness to light in a 1/4 mile
I was living my pretty, perfect life; married, raising three kids in my big beautiful house… you know the white-picket-fence thing, but I was oblivious to the fact that little-by-little, year-by-year, I was slipping away from me. Who I was. What I wanted. What I needed.
The day my husband threw “I’m not happy” at me was like a sledgehammer shattering my perfect life. In that instant, the life I knew was over.
The many months, and sadly years, that followed were of complete wreckage. The unraveling of information was devastating. I was wounded and raw, trying to lick the wounds of my divorce road rash. I was stripped of my life, my dignity and my happily ever after.
But for me this was NECESSARY. With the passage of time and the gift of retrospection I realized that the hardest part wasn’t the divorce, the hardest part was healing me.
This is when the real work began and when the tiny glimmers of love, light, and truth began weaving their way into every aspect of me, my life, my path.
Accountable. Vulnerable. Genuine. Naked. Trust The Path is my story, my personal hell… and my ultimate unveiling.
Book Details:
- Category: Non-fiction, memoir/narrative
- Genre: Inspirational Biography / Autobiography
- Word count: Approximately 34,208 words.
- Completion: First draft complete.
- Tone: A raw, conversational, stream of consciousness written in a journal-style format.
- Target: Primary audience is women embarking on a divorce (426,0001 yearly); Secondary audience is women faced with personal trauma; identity crisis; mid-life crisis or empty nest.
- Theme: Similar to Eat, Pray, Love as it is a personal journey of self-discovery. However, my personal journey unfolded close to home – within ¼ mile from where it began.
- Speaking and Promotion: This healing process has enabled me to develop a blueprint of my process and the tools that resonated with me, empowered me and ultimately healed me. This knowledge, coupled with my communication/speaking skills, is the foundation that will enable me to share my story and encourage others to discover their path and process.
Table of Contents:
Section 1: The Beginning
Chapter 1: Love
Section 2: Derailed
Chapter 2: Love
Chapter 3: The Gray Area
Chapter 4: Denial
Chapter 5: Foreshadowing
Chapter 6: Shut Down
Chapter 7: Who Am I
Chapter 8: Self-Worth
Section 3: Swirling
Chapter 9: Perfect Perfect
Chapter 10: Time To Tell
Chapter 11: Whew That Was Fast
Chapter 12: It Was Just Over
Chapter 13: Just Me
Section 4: Is This Really My Reality
Chapter 14: Him
Chapter 15: The Other
Chapter 16: Her
Chapter 17: Betrayal
Chapter 18: Evil vs. Love
Chapter 19: Unaffected
Chapter 20: Are You Happy Yet
Chapter 21: Fringe
Chapter 22: Kids
Chapter 23: Casualties
Section 5: Uncovering Myself
Chapter 24: I Didn’t Matter
Chapter 25: My Heart
Chapter 26: Foretelling
Chapter 27: Stifled
Chapter 28: My Process
Chapter 29: My Body
Chapter 30: Boundaries
Chapter 31: Learning To Love Myself
Chapter 32: Unidentified
Chapter 33: The Mirror
Chapter 34: Tired
Chapter 35: Openness
Chapter 36: True Pink
Chapter 37: My Bubble My Wall
Chapter 38: The Right Way
Chapter 39: I’m Dating Me
Section 6: Letting the Light In
Chapter 40: Ah Ha
Chapter 41: Kool-Aid
Chapter 42: Karma
Chapter 43: My Heart. My Love
Chapter 44: Moving On
Chapter 45: New Way New Me
Chapter 46: Blind Faith
Chapter 47: My Power
Chapter 48: Perfect Gets Real
Chapter 49: Heavy
Chapter 50: I Believe
Chapter 51: I See
Chapter 52: All You Need Is Love
Chapter 53: Perfect Gets Real
Chapter 54: Return My Pieces
Section 7: Inspired Action
Chapter 55: Love, Strength, Courage, Forgiveness, Trust, Truth
Chapter 56: So It Is
Chapter 57: Walk the Walk
Chapter 58: Celebrations of Life
Chapter 59: Finding Peace
Chapter 60: My Vow
Section 8: The Finale
Chapter 61: She + He
Chapter 62: The Pattern Continues
Chapter 63: Happily Ever After
Chapter 64: Prince Charming
Chapter 65: The End The Beginning
Chapter 66: YOU ARE THE PRIZE
Chapter 67: My ‘Man’
Chapter 68: Unwritten
Chapter 69: Me
Chapter 70: Positive Chaos
Chapter 71: I am I can
Chapter 72: Trust
Interested: Tricia@TriciaMahoney.com
1 2010 Americans for Divorce Reform