About the Book
From the intimate struggles of severe mental health challenges to the triumphs of founding a nonprofit dedicated to fostering understanding, Von Gretshun shares her story with an unwavering honesty that resonates with the universal search for meaning and healing.
This is a narrative of resilience, an odyssey that takes readers through the highs and lows of the human spirit. “Becoming the Process” is not just a memoir; it is a guide for those grappling with their own darkness, a testament to the strength found within the process of becoming. Join Von Gretshun on this nonfiction transformative expedition, where the pain of the past gives way to the purpose of the present, and the journey itself becomes a beacon of hope.
About the Author
In the face of life’s darkest moments, Von Gretshun evolves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit when placed into the hands of the almighty savior, Jesus Christ. A survivor of many struggles associated with surviving a suicidal attempt, Von Gretshun bravely shares her journey to inspire hope, understanding, compassion, and truth in a world with so many superficial and vague layers of stigmatism when it comes to viewing life and its true meaning. She is more than a survivor; she is a beacon of resilience. Through the shadows of despair, Von Gretshun found the courage to confront the challenges of mental health and emerge on a path of healing. Her story is one of triumph over adversity, a narrative that speaks to the power of vulnerability and the transformative journey toward self-discovery and self-care. Far beyond being a survivor of many things, Von is an author and advocate committed to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health. With a raw and honest voice, she explores the complexities of the human experience, offering insight, comfort, and encouragement to those navigating their own struggles while continuing to carry and value herself as a daughter of the king, mother, wife, licensed nurse, and certified holistic life coach. Sharing her own experiences, Von illuminates a path toward hope, resilience, and understanding through discussing the process God has taken her through over the last seven years, leading her to a life of acceptance with gratitude and humility. Her mission is to exemplify compassion, erase judgment, and cultivate a community where everyone’s journey is acknowledged and valued. Join Von Gretshun Smith-Gross on her social media
platforms and website to be a part of the conversation surrounding mental health, resilience, and the journey to healing. She invites you to share your own stories, offer support, and be a great source of light in the lives of others as we all maneuver through the process and the cycles of life.
Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?
A journey wrapped in a whirlwind of the good, bad, and ugly, one must go through while yet pursuing their purpose of life here on earth. This God-given blueprint is a vision that God implanted into me years ago while I was going through one of the roughest seasons of my life. It was like no other because so much knowledge and wisdom were poured into me on many levels and each level turned into chapters of book (something that I was not and did not fully understand) through biblical teaching/scriptures, accommodated by real-life experiences I had encountered holistically on a personal level. The year of 2024 hit, and God informed me that this was the year to take a break from a 20-year career of nursing sand write the book. This was the year to share with his people in the same manner he used with me on the level and severity of understanding the process of life that comes with living. The details in every chapter were written with transparency, truth explaining and speaking on all things in a very articulate and authentic manner with the good, bad, and ugly playing its role in a justifiable way. No matter the depth of the situation, circumstance, or lesson to be learned, God provided a thorough, wide array of thoughts, feelings, and truth that always led to the one and only true answer. Surrender your will and lean into his perfect will for our life. Nothing is off limits as readers are encouraged to engage with their own thoughts through journalism and active exercises after each chapter to bring forth their very own personal connection of self-awareness, growth, and appreciation for entering a nonjudgmental space of liberty and self-love, including imperfection at its best and on to a better way of seeing that their very own greater lies ahead of them.
Qn 2: Who do you think would be interested in this book, is it directed at any particular market?
This book is for anyone who has found themselves in awkward situations that may have stemmed from emotional, physical, or mental abuse, and church hurt (not God hurt). At some point in life, particularly around the adolescent age through geriatric age. It is sad to admit but many of them have entered their geriatric age years and because they were never really introduced to change, tradition became a permanent marker in their life, which possibly held them back from reaching their fullest potential in life. The adolescent age group would benefit greatly from the book in a group form setting with a facilitator to keep them on track and answer or further explain any questions that may bring about different points of view. The young adult era would benefit the most from this book. It would give them a sense of clarity when it comes to values, morals, respect, boundaries, independence, and accepting the difference of uniqueness without feeling out of place or not belonging. The overall goal is to understand that our identity does not lie within things or titles, but we as unique individuals were born with gifts and talents for unity and equality, leaving no one behind.
Qn 3: Out of all the books in the world, and all the authors, which are your favourite and why?
I honestly do not have a favorite book. Weird huh? When God called me to write this book, it was the hardest thing for me to do. I am a visualization person and I tend to get off course when looking at black words on white paper. If I had to pick a book, it would be all my nursing books. The pictures and words caught my attention and kept my attention throughout the entire course of nursing school. Now that I am a Certified Holistic Life Coach, I do find myself reading more articles and studies on the true nature of how God created us and I find it intriguing when I can take a scripture or bible story I have read and create a parable between the natural body and spiritual body. I absolutely love it!
Qn 4: What guidance would you offer to someone new, or trying to enhance their writing?
Be you! Freestyle! Understand your point of reference and your why. Always keep a notepad with you. Record notes on your phone. Always, always, always be as authentic as possible with a mind and heart of understanding your audience. If they never remember your name, will they remember at least one lesson or line from your book that will stick with them forever.
Qn 5: Where can our readers find out more about you, do you have a website, or a way to be contacted?
survivingonpurpose.org
survivingop@yahoo.com
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