But I rose like a phoenix from those ashes. I rose to claim my true power. And God responded. Call It the Universe, call It Spirit, call it whatever--I am referring to that great and all-knowing Power that has created us all.
My name is Ester, and I am powerful, magnificent, whole, perfect and complete expression of Spirit. That has always been my true identity. And it is also yours.
But I forgot. It's easy to forget.
My early upbringing taught me that I was powerless, unworthy, not enough --and I bought it.
The fear, unworthiness and shame I felt were so much part of my identity that it was as if they were my very bone marrow. I couldn't tell where these feelings left off and I began. I couldn't separate myself from the fiction I had identified with for so long. That story had been repeated over and over until it seemed like it was true. But it wasn't true. It never was."
(This is from intro to Ester Nicholson book SOUL RECOVERY fb page and website soulrecovery.org
"Soul Recovery is a Godsend of compassionate understanding, grit and grace known by one who has victoriously walked the path." Michael Bernard Beckwith
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The fear, unworthiness and shame I felt were so much a part of my identity as if they were in my very bone marrow... But I rose like a phoenix from those ashes.
I have written this book to take you from powerlessness to a place of shining in your full power... I am here to show you—with my story and my recovery—that finding your power again is possible. It will depend on your own ability to be humble in the face of the demons you are fighting right now."
Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. xiii-xiv)
Ester Nicholson is a gifted gospel, jazz and R&B artist who has toured the world singing backup with everyone from Rod Stewart to Bette Midler. Perhaps more importantly, she recently celebrated the quarter-century of sobriety she's enjoyed since resolving the host of childhood traumas that had led her down a self-destructive path marked by drugs, unemployment, near homelessness, and the loss of custody of the daughter she gave birth to in her mid-teens.
Today, she remains "eternally grateful" to the 12-Step program which put her on the road to recovery. Now, she plies her trade as a spiritual therapist and coach, delivering inspirational speeches and leading transformational workshops all across the country.
She has something to offer beyond the traditional 12-Steps, which sees as limited in terms of helping a person harness their power. And since she went from "being a victim" to creating "a new life of balance, order and harmony," Ester has codified what she calls the "12 Keys" in order to help others overcome addiction and recover their souls.
The dozen tenets of the philosophy involve such New Age-sounding kernels of truth as "You Are the Power," "Never Give Up," "Complete Surrender" and "Honoring the Inner Child." The earnest author's conversational writing style is certainly very engaging, being based on oodles of anecdotal evidence culled from personal experience.
Each Key involves starting with an intention, focusing on finding a healthy direction, keeping a journal throughout the process, verbalizing affirmations and taking the steps necessary to reach your goal. Does the system work? I wouldn't be able to tell you, not being an addict in need of salvation.
Hard to say whether starting a diary and chanting stuff like, "I am now ready to release all thought patterns and behaviors unlike my true nature," would be enough to get a monkey off my back. Regardless, it did the trick for Ester, and the sister is very able to argue persuasively on behalf of her proven method.
To put it simply, what we have here is a practical handbook with a prescription of hope for the hooked.
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