We Are Not Broken

Posted by Barbara Techel
I Am Not Broken
Print by Cherie Burbach, “God Saw Her As Beautiful.”

I have a feeling this art piece will resonate with many. It certainly did for me when I saw it last week. Since learning about this local artist earlier this summer, Cherie Burbach, I’ve been following her work. Her passion for life and art come shining through!

When I saw this piece on her Facebook page, my heart caught in my throat for a quick moment, but then love and warmth flooded over me.

In the middle of the girl’s chest it says, “she saw herself as broken.” I was this girl for such a long time. And I know many have, and still do, feel this way.

This last year I feel as if I’ve busted through leaving behind seeing myself as broken. No more. I’ve taken back my power.  And while it was a rocky road to travel, I feel blessed for the lessons learned – and this pivotal teaching came to me because of a 10 pound darling little dapple dachshund you likely know if you’ve followed me here on my blog for awhile now. Yup, you guessed it…Miss Gidget! I continue to work on my newest memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am sharing the journey her and I have traveled. Hint of insight: Gidget was never broken either even though I thought she may have been.

So when I saw this painting, I just knew I had to have it. It hit me dead center with love and truth right in my heart. I remember clearly the day I felt what other’s have experienced, though I had never before. While I’ve always believed in the conceptual fact there is a God, I had a hard time seeing God as a man in a white beard. I see God as a vast, glorious, energy.

This past early spring when I felt as if I might have a nervous breakdown, I surrendered to Spirit and asked for guidance. I didn’t beg, but just simply stated I was ready, and that I would listen to what it was I needed to do.

And it was the next day I was guided, and even though it felt scary, I took the steps I needed to, to release a past pain I’d carried with me for over two decades. And when I did, I felt Spirit. It’s something that I can’t even find adequate words to express, but it was a feeling unlike I’d ever had before. 

When this print arrived today, I didn’t realize the other message embedded within it. I find it so interesting as it is written on the throat of the portrait and says, “be you ’til full.” 

Isn’t that beautiful?! That is what we are here to do…to be our full selves!

Looking up the definition of the throat Chakra as I know it is related to using our voice it says: 

The throat chakra is the voice of the body. It is a pressure valve that allows the energy from the other chakra to be expressed. If it is out of balance or blocked it can affect the health of the other chakras.

It’s through using our authentic voice to living in a way that matters to each of our souls is what “be you ’til full” is all about! If we don’t express our pain it blocks the way for true joy.

And for me, feeling Spirit embrace and hold me that day, and since then, I knew that Spirit always saw me as beautiful — and it was me that had to get out of my own way.

So I share this today in hopes that you too will find a way, if you feel broken, to see yourself as the Divine does – because it’s true – you are beautiful just the way you are. 

XO,

Barb

P.S. If you are interested in a copy of this print for yourself, you can find it, and other prints, by Cherie here.

P.P.S. I’m not an affiliate. I just truly enjoy sharing the creativity of others.

On Becoming and Making it “Official”

Posted by Barbara Techel

On Becoming and Making it "Official"

While it’s been official for some time now, and while a certificate is simply a piece of paper which I received yesterday, this acknowledgement of the deep personal work I accomplished since Fall of 2017, ….well, I must say, it made my heart smile.

It’s not always an easy road to travel when looking at what causes us pain, for we don’t always remember that on the other side, what is waiting for us is a new and improved version of ourselves, not to mention a new found sense of peace!

Revisiting my journal entry from October 9th, 2017, the second week into Oracle School and the first phase being the foundation called Personal Mastery, we were asked to pick four cards from The Wisdom of the Oracle Deck and do a “Becoming” reading.

It began with what part of my becoming needed the most healing?I pulled Never-Ending Story. In order to become who I wanted to be, I would need to let go of past pain, transform it, and learn to see it as a gift of how it helped make me who I am. As so often happens, and we don’t often recognize it, but we do get stuck in our never-ending stories and thus find it difficult to move forward.

The next card representing what aspect of my healing needs the most encouragement I pulled Peace in protection (reversed). I was being called to trust that if I worked with what it was I felt wounded by, brought it into the light, and witnessed it without judgement, that I could find my way toward more peace for my life. I had to believe that if I walked through the pain, I’d find peace on the other side.

The third card was about what aspect of my healing needs the most effort. I pulled A Change in the Wind. I can still feel the resistance I felt when I pulled this card that day. We humans don’t always like change and oh, do we like to resist it. But I knew that if I wanted to achieve more lasting inner peace, I’d have to accept that change was needed and that indeed it would take effort on my part.

The last card pulled was about what aspect of my past story is the biggest obstacle to my becoming? I pulled Unfinished Symphony in protection (reversed). How often we get so close to the finish line of making a breakthrough, but then we quit out of fear or lack of confidence thus missing out on the big teaching and the thing that will catapult us forward and living from a new place of awareness.

I look at this reading today of what it would take to Become and clearly see I was being supported during the deep dive into my inner world this past year… and why receiving this certificate means so much to me…because I can say I busted through and had tremendous growth. I am not the same woman I was a year ago. And I’ve become the woman I knew I wanted to be. I’m dang proud of this.

It took tears, anger, stubbornness, believing, trusting, and faith…but I made it!

And while I’ll always be a work in progress, as we all are, it’s the new awareness I now carry with me that helps illuminate the way. And while I’ll still have challenges, it’s the remembering they are signposts to something greater to deepen my understanding about this journey I travel on planet earth.

It’s also been so rewarding to now encourage women through areas they feel stuck, gently invite them to open to change, and support them to become who they truly wish to be through my Oracle Guidance Sessions. If I can be of support to you, I’d be honored to do so.

XO,

Barb

Honoring the Memory of Joie and the Gift of the Importance of Pausing. Special Price on E-book.

Posted by Barbara Techel

This photo popped up as a memory on my Facebook timeline today. Little Joie, such a sweet, sweet soul. Her time with me short, but that didn’t matter to my heart, as I loved her so much.

It took me quite some time to understand why she had to move on so quickly after coming to live with me. In her leaving, I learned to appreciate and honor the importance of pausing during uncertain times in our life, and how important it is to pause each day, too. To step back, to reflect, to ponder, to be, to really see what is directly in front of me, and most importantly, what is within me.

That inner world we tend to push aside thinking the push and forcing is what will get us ahead in life. That call to take time to re-evaluate our path, though fear can often try and steer us away from taking time to be in the stillness and really listen for the answers.

But time and time again, I’m reminded how vital it is to our well-being to pause and connect with what really matters at each step along the way of life.

A part of me has regret for not fully and truly honoring the gift that Joie left me with. While I wrote about that journey in my second memoir, Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift, for the most part, I kept it quiet that I had published and released this book in early 2017. It was because of fear of judgement and that others wouldn’t understand my need to let go of an identity and move into who I am today.

So in honor of Joie and the lovely reminder of her gift that showed up today as a memory, I’m offering the ebook version of Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift for $1.99 through Sunday, October 14th. I’m providing it as a PDF so you can download to your Kindle, computer, phone or anywhere you read content digitally.

Just click here to purchase or on book cover, and enjoy the pause in reading and how it can open your world to a new perspective and understanding. And feel free to share the purchase link with anyone else who you think would enjoy.

XO,

Barb