Forward 

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Natasha for asking me to write the foreword for this remarkable journey you are about to experience. You see, I didn’t know this beautiful soul before her words were eloquently written. I didn’t have the opportunity to truly understand the part of her that changed. I only see what I see now, which is why I truly believe that the title of this book is so significant. I see the beautifully empowered woman who fought one of the hardest battles a person can possibly fight—the battle within oneself.

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When I hear the statement, Stroke Survivor, I think of a person remaining alive after an event in which others have died. However, although they remain alive, are they still truly living? Natasha states this while going through her recovery grieving process, and it made me think about the comments I most frequently received during my early recovery, Wow, you look great. It looks like you made a full recovery in a short time. I wondered, Does anyone ever make a full recovery?

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I agree with her perspective. No one is the same person they were yesterday, but I am not here to lessen the ordeal that she went through with that statement. She went through more than most can ever imagine at such a young age. However, through forced introspection and detachment, she realized that part of the person she was originally no longer existed. This new reality was not based on a state of victimhood but rather from a victor’s awareness that this event didn’t happen to her but for her. The only choice she had was to work on herself, which is a choice that many take for granted, and in many cases, avoid doing. When forced to stop and look at her life, she knew the direction she had to move in, courageously moving toward the resistance instead of running away from it. 

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Being vulnerable enough to tap into the discipline needed to discover your authentic self can only be achieved by the willing. It cannot be forced upon someone. A person must want to find this alignment to discover the greatness within it. Although I only see a view from this side of the mirror, I know that the version she currently presents is aligned with her authenticity, which again takes courage—massive courage. It also takes a strong faith in the ability to overcome, regardless of what the outside world’s reality attempts to impose. Therefore, I believe she is one of the strongest people I have ever met. 

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I am proud of her for the will and persistence she exemplified in this story you are about to experience. However, I am far prouder of the person who is not just a survivor. I am proud that she has accepted that she will never recover the version of her former self. I may not have known the Natasha of the past, but what I know that she is different. I refuse to normalize her based on her former self because, as hard as it is to comprehend what she went through, she has embraced her strengths and weaknesses in her current state, which is more than so many do. 

The reflections and notes she wrote in this book paint an emotional picture in her most vulnerable state. They will take you through personal epiphanies about her and her loved ones in a way that brought me to tears. She will take you right there inside her cocoon of fear, comparison, and self-doubt with an overarching feeling of What If, along with the brutal reality of an uncertain future. Although she received the help she needed from her family and community, she also knew that this was a journey of independence. When she fell, she knew she had to pick herself up. No matter how hard the struggle was, she had to fly on her own. 

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From the first day I met Natasha, I quickly realized she was a beautifully empowered butterfly who refused to allow the circumstances of one earth-shattering moment hold her back from her journey. Instead of asking Why this happened to me, she searched for the gift within the loneliness, pain, and struggle. These gifts are presented to you and me, the reader who will never truly understand what she went through. Thankfully, she was able to present her gratitude to us through her guidelines as an author, poet, and self-love coach. Based on her story alone, I cannot think of anyone more qualified to support others to become the best version of themselves by not relying on anyone else to pick them up. 

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Through sheer will and determination and by leading by example, she demonstrates that when life knocks you down, there really are only so many choices. Do you stay down or get back up? Do you choose to live or choose to die? Do you say yes to a positive direction, or do you say no? Natasha suffered a stroke; for many, their choice may have been to stay down, but not her. She is different because she made the choice to stand up and blatantly refused to accept the words of others who tried to impose their reality upon her. She chose to get back up and fly like the beautifully empowered butterfly that she is. And for that, we can choose to be grateful for her gift of gratitude.

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Corey Laine Hilton, Author

Take It Off—Revelations of a Male Exotic Dancer

Authenticity Coach & Introspective Influencer

www.coreylainehilton.com

 

February 2022

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