Inspired by PAWS (wings, hooves, scales & fins too!) who taught me the value of slowing down, trusting my intuition, listening to my heart, and the importance of healing past wounds in order to live an authentic life and one in alignment with nature.
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I’ve learned over the years to pay attention to messages from my animal friends and especially when they are in line with what my inner voice is saying also. Though truth be told, sometimes it does take me a bit before I take action.
But with Gidget’s blessing, as we had a little chat the other morning, and the voice inside me getting louder, I finally made some changes to my website’s home page. What used to be a photo of me and Gidget on the beach as the header on the page is now a photo of my Joyful Pause Cottage. Below the header, my site welcomes you to Joyful Pause Cottage with a paw print after the word pause.
That magical paw print I shared the story of in my memoir Wisdom Found in the Pause that Joie gifted me with two weeks after her passing in 2013. The shape that came to be by water droplets that had formed as condensation on a glass of water that had dropped onto the arm of my Adirondack chair – in the perfect shape of a paw print. It was clearly a sign from little Joie that I shall never forget.
The words pause and paws play together as the teaching of the importance of learning to pause at different intervals of our lives, but also on a daily basis, which I’ve received from all the sweet dogs I’ve had the honor to have in my life. A photo of each of them on the page as my way of honoring them today and always.
As I continue to write for my blog, offer virtual oracle card readings, and create art (and eventually offer it for sale!), this is all done under the roof of this special and sacred space – Joyful Pause Cottage – that John built for me in 2009, and I felt it was time to make the change.
Joyful Pause Cottage really does encompass all that I am and all that I am creating. If it wasn’t for the teachings from my beloved canine-pawed friends, I wouldn’t have stopped to pause and reflect on what I really wanted for my life, which led to having Joyful Pause Cottage built as a symbol of continuing to follow my hopes dreams…
and to share with others in hopes that it will be an inspiration and a beacon of light to all to live inspired lives and shine brightly… and with a little help from the animal kingdom and mother nature too!
If you’d like to check out the rest of the changes on my home page, you can do so here: www.joyfulpaws.com
XO
Barb
