Safe Spaces

Donut, the 1400-pound horse, was my first space of safety. I accepted Donut, and he accepted me. We saw one another, and anyone who knows horses knows that they have a sixth sense about people. They seem to know when a person really needs them. When the connection is established, our horses accept our vulnerability. Softly blowing air in our faces, they breathe love into our souls when we need it the most. Needless to say, that experience with Donut has stayed with me throughout my life. It has helped me clearly understand my values, needs and wants in a powerful way. That interaction with Donut has influenced my whole life from healing to self-mastery. Thanks to this gentle giant, I have been able to claim my journey from a scared little girl to a global empowerment leader. Donut helped me establish a core sense of safety and inner strength. He showed me how quickly circumstances can change if I make the right decisions. To this day, whenever I fall short of who I am, his reflection of my true, empowered self rings in my ears: "remember who you are." My search for genuine self began with Donut, and it has morphed into something a child with my experiences could never have imagined. That one interaction, when I was only five years old, has helped me stay true to myself as I assist others in discovering their core sense of self. It's as if the light from that day has followed me across continents, careers, relationships, and into my purposeful life. I've lived in 4 different countries, made friends everywhere, found true love, and healed from my painful past to discover my greatest gifts to the world. I have run workshops on empowerment, written courses on personal integration, and built successful businesses making money doing something I love. I have learned to open my heart to global service. My online safe house, the Sumiloff Academy of Human Integration, is a significant product of that love and light. The creation of the Academy started with Donut, although I had no idea back then where my life would bring me. It was Donut that first gave me a safe zone to establish myself and discover my inner power. Like he did for me, I now hold the same sacred space for others through the Academy. I am paying forward the gift a horse gave me when I was five. This book is written as an homage to the safe spaces I have been given and those I have created. Establishing safe spaces around us starts from within and expands outward. If we are intentional, together, we can create a safer world by integrating ourselves and then sharing our authentic self with the world. No more power games out of fear. No more predatory behavior because we realize that there is no competition. As you walk this journey with me, I hope that your personal pilgrimage to authenticity is activated in the process. I invite you to take this book into the privacy of your own mind, hopes, and dreams as you discover and remember your greatness.