emotional wounds

My New Book, “I’m Fine Just the Way I Am” is Now Available to Order with Bonus Gifts (limited time)

I’m so excited to share with you that my new memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am – Healing Emotional Pain through the Wisdom of Animals and Oracles is now available to order! 
 
The official launch date is April 22, 2020, but I’m offering this limited window of opportunity between now and then for you to order a copy of my book which includes bonus gifts (ordering and details below).
 
The thought to write another book happened one morning two years ago driving down a country road. It flashed quite quickly across my mind but then as quickly I tucked it away.
 
At the time, I was deep in the muck of going through a dark time and finding it difficult to cope with taking care of my special needs dog, Gidget.
 
I had no idea at that point how things were going to unfold, but somewhere in the deepest part of my heart, I thought maybe, just maybe, my story could help other women.
 
A few weeks later during an animal reading with friend and animal communicator, Dawn Brunke, I’d learn that Gidget was fine just as she was despite her health issues even though I was feeling challenged by it all. Her invitation to me was to see subtle perspectives I wasn’t considering and to see life sideways.
 
She also encouraged me to understand inner focus and details and how she really wanted me to get this. She said it was her final teaching to me.
 
While I didn’t at first fully grasp what she meant by seeing life sideways, I was open to exploring what insight this could bring me.
 
During that reading, Dawn also mentioned that perhaps I’d write a book about this someday even though she hadn’t known I’d just had that thought two weeks before.
 
She said that maybe a great title would be I’m Fine Just the Way I Am.
 
I still recall how my hand immediately flew to rest upon my heart. It struck a chord deep within me. Though, I wouldn’t know the full extent of its meaning until I embarked on the deep inner work that I was being called to do.

Little did I know I’d be taken on a journey to explore a significant and painful recurring vision that has plagued me for over two decades.
 
I wanted more than anything to be the best I could be for Gidget and also for myself. I was so very tired of suffering and the endless inward berating I’d done to myself for years.
 
After that reading with Gidget, I’d embark on an inward journey and employ a myriad of tools — each serving as a building block to self-knowledge and healing. 

  • I learned to trust my intuition and trust in the process.
  • I learned to dance with the wisdom of not only my dog, Gidget, but with a snake, a wolf and a horse. Each had a poignant message to help me heal different parts of myself.
  • I gained insight I’d not have considered by incorporating oracle cards and identified patterns that no longer served me. I also discovered ways in which I could course-correct when I fell into old patterning and repeated my never-ending story.
  • I paid attention to my dreams and worked with a dream analyst to understand how my dreams were guiding me to believe in the wounded little girl within me.
  • I incorporated the power of forgiveness and ceremonial work.
  • I accepted help from others who were beacons of light guiding me to listen to those parts of myself that felt shame and guilt.
  • I took part in life-enhancing breath work that took me to feeling the core of my wounding and healed me on a level of understanding that I was never alone, always loved, and most importantly, that I was worthy.

I’d come to understand that the turmoil in my life wasn’t happening to me, but rather for me.
 
All of this was integral in helping me transform my pain and accept it both as a gift and the path I was meant to walk in order to finally understand that I’m worthy just as I am
 
Bonus gifts included with pre-orders (until 4/21/20): 

  • Animals as Oracles – Oracle cards and messages from four of the animals I write about in the book that helped guide me in profound and powerful ways. This is a PDF that you can print and cut out the photo of each animal and use them as oracle cards if you wish. Plus pages to journal your thoughts on what each animal is personally offering to you to help guide you.
  • An inspirational 5 x 7 graphic to encourage you to embrace your worthiness and know that you too, are fine just the way you are. This is a PDF you can print, cut out, and put in a favorite frame. Place it where you will see it every day to remind you that you are worthy just as you are…and that you matter.
  • Coupon with a special discount toward one oracle reading and guidance session with me.
  • Special drawing: Your name will be entered in for a chance to win one of five oracle reading and guidance sessions I’ll be giving away.

**After you’ve placed your book order send an email to Imfinebookgifts@gmail.com with your name and order # for your bonus gifts.

Please note that bonus gifts will be emailed on or around April 22, 2020, along with notification of winners of the five oracle reading giveaways.

In closing… to my Gidge girl, I can never thank you enough for being you and walking so lovingly beside me. I miss you. But I’m so honored to carry you in my heart and the beautiful teaching you instilled within me.

xo,

Barbara

P.S. The e-book version will be available sometime in May.

Animal Oracle Guidance for the Last Few Weeks of 2019

 

I’d been waiting for this new deck for quite some time and they finally arrived last week. Yippee! So I asked the cards for all of us:

What animal ally is guiding us as we move through these final weeks of 2019?

You can read below or listen to the reading here on SoundCloud.

I’ll admit I was hoping to pull a cute and cuddly animal to share with you. When scorpion presented itself I hesitated whether or not I should go with it.

But alas, after simmering in scorpion medicine, I believe this is just the animal that will guide us in the most beneficial way. 

As I looked at the card I heard, “It’s true, sometimes life stings, but this is where the real value lies. Don’t look away.”

It’s in those goals we perhaps didn’t achieve this year that we wished we did, the emotions that come up for us over the holidays that are challenging, or the feelings of regret or loss, that we can learn from.

We can wallow in the uncomfortable feelings of those situations, or we can take the sting as an opportunity to be gentle with ourselves and look at how we can resolve to change and take what we learned to move forward in a more meaningful way.

There really is no such thing as failure, but rather just information for us to evolve in a new way.

How are you going to direct your life right now so that you move into 2020 with a new perspective? The number 9 on the card is symbolic of endings, so this is a great time to review and set intentions of how you will move forward.

You can do this! Without the sting of life, we wouldn’t grow, and so let Scorpion walk beside you as you boldly accept all that life entails as part of the journey of living here on planet earth.

xo,

Barbara

 

 

Card from: The Ark Animal Tarot and Oracle Deck by Bernadette King

 

Revealing the Cover of My Next Book: I’m Fine Just the Way I Am

I’m so excited to finally share with you the cover of my next book! 

As I’ve been reflecting on the past year, it will likely not come as a surprise that I’ve often been moved to tears.

Gidget’s spirit has been so strong around me of late, and while I feel some sadness she is no longer with me physically (and this is my first Christmas in 35 years without a pet), I continue to feel this deepening of utter gratitude for her. This is such an exquisite gift because of the healing she guided me through.

There was a time I didn’t believe I was going to make it through that dark night of the soul that began in the summer of 2015, but now on the other side, I continue to swim in this magnificent gratefulness and see clearly that Gidget knew all along I could do it. My dear devoted sweet one I say thank you from the bottom of my heart…always.

I don’t have an exact release date yet, but I hope you will stay tuned as I’ll be announcing in early 2020 when pre-orders will be available!

Thank you for being here, for allowing me to express my thoughts, and for pondering and growing along with me. I hope you know how much I appreciate your support of me and my work.

What this Book is About:

I’m Fine Just the Way I Am takes you on a deep, intimate and powerful journey as I explore the significance of a painful, recurring vision that plagued me for over two decades. To do so, I must call upon every ounce of courage, faith, and commitment, or be swallowed by the depression and anxiety that has consumed me.  
 
Like a metaphysical detective, I employ a myriad of tools, each of which serves as a building block to self-knowledge and healing. I learn to tap into my intuition and the insight from oracle cards on a level I’ve never done before; I also examine my dreams and embrace the power of ceremony and life-enhancing breath work. Most importantly, perhaps, I learn to accept help from others and trust in the process, understanding that the turmoil in my life is truly happening for me, not to me.
 
As in my previous two memoirs, I also draw on the profound teachings I received from animals—from my special needs dachshund, Gidget who served as a reflection of the darkness and what needed to be healed, to a snake who helped me shed what I no longer needed, a wolf who encouraged me to keep my heart open, and a horse who empowered me to stand in my strengths.
 
All were integral to help me transform my pain and accept it as both a gift and the path I was meant to walk in order to finally understand that I’m worthy just as I am.

xo,

Barbara