Tiffany Manbodh, originally from Guyana, is a FAU Alumni, budding entrepreneur, and newly self-published author. She recently released her first book titled Forget Me Nots. Tiffany tells Life On The Up, “My 8th grade language arts teacher asked us to write letters to our future selves so that in 5-10 years we would be able to look back and see how much we had grown. The assignment required us to write about the person we currently were, the future we envisioned, our fears and so forth. It was an engaging assignment which required a deep level of introspection and I really enjoyed it.” Tiffany found that she really enjoyed writing and says, “It’s relatively easy for me to tell a good tale.” Which is why it’s no surprise that she dreamed of one day becoming an author.
During a very difficult time in her life, she began to write poetry as a way to express herself and as an outlet to get rid of “negative energy” she was feeling at the time. A short while later, she was inspired after hearing Simone Biles bravely share her experience with sexual abuse. Tiffany explains, “I contemplated a short while after that and decided to share my own personal journey with similar issues that I had kept to myself for too long. There’s a stigma in the West Indian community about openly sharing your sexual abuse story.” And so the journey began to self-publishing her first book.
Publishing “Forget Me Nots” wasn’t an easy process for Tiffany. After she got over the fear of sharing her story, she had no idea how difficult the editing process would be. But she has discovered a unique way to handle it, “Since I am a multi-modal learner, I use bubble maps to organize my general ideas first before getting into the details.” She has had to overcome a lot to get this book out and had to learn along the way, including learning to market her book as well.
Her book, “Forget Me Nots”, is a collection of poetry divided into three sections/chapters: The Great Fall, Healing & Restoration, and Thriving. Each part chronicles Tiffany’s personal journey with sexual abuse and psychological trauma that she has endured. The various stages of her journey from painful events to healing are told in poetic form. Her mission is to end the stigma that victims of sexual abuse face. She also wants to motivate others to seek help. Her book description says it all, “I would like them to know that it’s OKAY to be vocal on sexual abuse and mental health related issues instead of carrying that burden alone. There are many resources and services out there for those having experienced trauma and most importantly, there is HOPE.”
You can visit Tiffany’s website or follow her on Instagram for more. Her book is available on Amazon now!
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*If you are a victim of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse please seek help from a professional. Call a hotline anonymously or speak to a therapist. If you are depressed and need to talk to someone please seek help as well. You don’t have to do this alone.
lifeontheup.com 
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