Sparks of Phoenix

By Najwa Zebian

As the phoenix emerges from its ashes, Zebian emerges ablaze in these pages, not only as a survivor of abuse, but as a teacher and healer for all those who have struggled to understand, reclaim, and rise above a history of pain.

The book is divided into six chapters, and six stages of healing: Falling, Burning to Ashes, Sparks of Phoenix, Rising, Soaring, and finally, A New Chapter, which demonstrates a healthy response to new love as the result of authentic healing.

With her characteristic vulnerability, courage, and softness, Zebian seeks to empower those who have been made to feel ashamed, silenced, or afraid; she urges them, through gentle advice and personal revelation, to raise their voices, rise up, and soar.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781524852733

Najwa Zebian

Najwa Zebian is a Lebanese-Canadian activist, author, speaker, and educator. Her passion for language was evident from a young age, when she delved into Arabic poetry and novels. The search for a home — what Zebian describes as a place where the soul and the heart feel at peace — was central to her early years. When she arrived in Canada at age sixteen, she felt unstable and adrift in an unfamiliar place. Nevertheless, she completed her education and went on to become a high school teacher, speaking at multiple schools about poetry, diversity, inclusion, education, equity, culture, and more. She has both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in educational leadership. Her first students, a group of young refugees, led her back to her original passion: writing. She began to heal her sixteen-year-old self by writing to heal her students. Since self-publishing her first collection of poetry and prose, in 2016, Zebian has become an inspiration to millions of people worldwide and a trailblazing voice for women everywhere — name-dropped by the New York Times, HuffPost, and CBS News, among others. Zebian’s unique journey of breaking out of the mold that society and culture suffocated her with has been an inspiration to millions of people worldwide — many of whom have chosen to have her words tattooed on their bodies. Her ability to articulate soul-deep feelings sets her apart from the rest of the world; that uniqueness coupled with her extensive knowledge of educational pedagogy and teaching in a manner that effectively educates makes her a powerhouse in the field. Through her five books, her podcast (Stories of the Soul), and her own digital school (Soul Academy), she continues to give a voice to countless souls out there aching to be heard.

Book preview

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also by najwa zebian

Mind Platter

The Nectar of Pain

contents

I      the burning

II     turning to ashes

III    sparks of phoenix

IV    the rising

V     the soaring

VI    a new chapter

an invitation

acknowledgments

about the author

prologue

To heal from your pain

now,

you need to go all the way back

to chapter one.

To page one.

To the beginning

of how it all began.

For every ending,

there is a

once upon a time.

For every broken soul,

there is a

once upon a happy soul.

For every phoenix soaring,

there is a phoenix

burning,

turning to ashes,

rising,

then soaring.

Let me hand you the matches

to ignite the glory

within your soul.

Let me be the one

who burns to ashes

as you spark in your darkest of nights.

As you rise.

As you soar.

You lit my soul

on fire

and told me

to watch it burn.

He asks me:

What do you want from me?

I stare at him in silence

with tears fighting to stay

buried inside my eyes,

with thoughts swirling in my mind

like a hurricane.

What do you want from me? he asks

over and over.

I am confused because

I know and

I don’t know.

You were the one

who knocked on my door.

You were the one

who wouldn’t allow me to close my door.

He told me

that he loved how

I made him feel.

Back then,

I put my self-worth

in his hands

and told him

Be the master.

He attached strings to my self-worth

and played with me

like a marionette.

I used to look at those in pain

and think

they are choosing to be in pain

until pain chose me

and I understood the taste

of feeling pain

that you cannot control.

I see myself crumbling

and my wings

becoming weaker and weaker,

but there is nothing I can do.

It feels like

there is poison running through

my veins

and I am letting go

one breath at a time.

I go back and forth

between being angry with you

and falling back into the moments

I fell in love with you.

One moment,

I want to scream at you,

the next moment,

I want to tell you

I love you.

My heart