meaningful life

A Little Bird Shared this With Me…

Posted by Barbara Techel

A Little Bird Shared this With Me...

Yesterday morning with cell phone in hand and a glass of water, I reached to turn the handle on the patio door to walk out to my writing cottage. Luckily, I spotted this little fellow before I turned the handle completely.

What a delight it was to watch him for a few moments hop about my deck! At one point I noted he had a few morsels of bird seed gathered in his beak. I do believe he is an Indigo Bunting as a Bluebird has a tan chest and it is quite rare to actually see one. But also a rare site indeed to see an Indigo Bunting up close and personal right outside my door!

I was happy to have had my cell phone in hand as I very slowly and carefully (since I’m still healing from a sprained back!) kneeled down to snap a couple of pictures.

It wasn’t until I reflected on the day last night that this little fellow came to mind again. Earlier that evening John and I ventured out for date night to a local restaurant. He asked me how I was feeling with the handing over the reins of National Walk ‘N Roll Dog Day (NWNRDD), which I announced yesterday.

I said, “You know, it’s interesting how this took me a long time to decide and while I feel right about the decision, there is a part of me that feels a little bit sad.”

What I’ve come to appreciate about my almost 40 years of being with John is that he’s come to understand that sometimes I just need to be heard and I don’t need him to “fix” me or to say everything is going to be okay.

When we got home after dinner, sitting on the sofa, I continued to move through my emotions from the event of the day, when that little bird came to mind again. I thought about how the Bluebird is a symbolism of happiness. Even though this little guy wasn’t a Bluebird, per say, his appearance that morning was to assure me that in letting go of the attachment of NWNRDD and all that symbolized for me, a new channel of joy will come into my life.

I thought about the little seeds he carried in his tiny beak and how this represented to me the seeds I’ve been planting to grow in a new direction. In order for them to continue to sprout (a.k.a allowing myself to grow!) I can only develop further by releasing what no longer is part of an old identity I had of myself.

I’ve changed so much over the years because of my dedication to personal growth and being open to the wisdom of animals. Both continue to guide me to go beyond the surface of what is so that I can live an even more enriching life.

This morning in doing a little research for further symbolism of Indigo Bunting I came across this:

Indigo symbolizes a mystical borderland of wisdom, self-mastery and spiritual realization. While blue is the color of communication with others, indigo turns the blue inward, to increase personal thought, profound insights, and instant understandings.

It took my breath away. It’s very much in alignment of where I am these days. For quite some time now I’ve been craving deeper conversations with women. I continue to explore the deeper meaning of oracles, by working with oracle cards personally, and with others, to open channels to more meaningful dialogue to impact our lives in a positive way. My continued pursuit of my own spiritual realization and wisdom developed in communication first with myself and in connection with the creator guides me to want to share with others seeking this path also.

“Indigo turns the blue inward” speaks to me of my belief that to gain thorough and valuable insight to who we are, that time for daily personal reflection and going inward is vital. The more we do this, the more our souls can find peace in what is true.

Just as I was coming to the end of writing this post, I spotted the mailman drive by. In my mailbox a special package arrived that I’d forgotten I’d ordered. What perfect timing for another “sighting” of Indigo Bunting! A box of note cards I ordered recently from Brook Burling, an amazing photographer of all things nature! She named this photo she captured, A Shiny Blue Gem. I couldn’t agree more!

Thanks for reading and may you be blessed with some animal wisdom of your own today!

XO,

Barbara

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A Sense of Belonging

Posted by Barbara Techel
A Sense of Belonging
 
When fragmented, fearful, and at any time, feel the Earth and sense her spirit. Harmonize with her until you feel a deep sense of belonging.  – Llyn Cedar Roberts, M.A.
 
For the third time in three days I’ve heard something about this sense of belonging.
 
First in this interview with Sarah-Jane Farrell hosted by Dr. Cara Gubbins where she says, “Sarah-Jane helped us all see ourselves more clearly and connect more deeply with ourselves and every aspect of our lives.”
 
Then last night watching a short documentary with Ram Dass, called Going Home, which is available on Netflix. Then this morning I opened my email to see the above quote from Llyn Cedar Roberts.
 
Okay, Universe, I said. I’m paying attention.
 
How often I’ve thought about a sense of belonging as finding the right tribe to be around. Where you feel like you have a sense of place in this world and other’s understand you. I still believe this to be true and that it’s important. But it’s also something deeper. It’s something I’ve been doing much inner work around lately. It’s no mistake the universe, always speaking to us in symbols and messages, has been sending these my way of late. Or perhaps what I really believe is that this is just another level of awakening I’m going through.
 
While I’m not ready to share the details around this conscious time of inner reflection I’ve been immersed in, I will say that this sense of belonging to oneself, as the utmost first importance, is starting to make much more sense to me. As someone who teaches workshops and guides women one-on-one, wanting for them to really understand that it’s okay to put themselves first, and vital to living a fulfilling life, it’s something I still have my moments of grappling with. 
 
Such is the place I’m in right now, which I’ll admit, has had me experiencing some very painful moments. While it’s important to me to be a positive face in the world and something I’ve made a conscious effort to do, I’m recognizing that feeling all my emotions, whether I share them or not, is vital to my own well-being. How important it is for me to feel and acknowledge certain things of which I’m quite critical in judgement of myself. But seeing them for what they are, being okay with what is, and integrating it all into my being.
 
This isn’t always easy, and while I’ve made great strides the last thirteen years in living a self-examined life, there is still much work to be done. While this feels painful when in the eye of the storm with my emotions whirling like a tornado, I know now from past experience that this is necessary. I also know it’s only temporary – though I don’t always remember this in the moment of feeling lost and just want out.
 
But this sense of belonging is about embracing it all and still loving myself. It’s about coming home to myself.
 
I share with you one more quote today. This one which I’ve had on my website now for over ten years. But I’m experiencing another layer of it I’d not seen before with this belonging to oneself. Because the work in walking this journey back to where we came from is really about walking back home to ourselves.
 
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -Anais Nin
 
XO,
Barbara 

Taking Back My Power. No More Facebook Brain Drain.

Posted by Barbara Techel

Taking Back My Power. No More Facebook Brain Drain.

You will be with you longer than anyone else on this planet – why not make it a good relationship? ~Louise Hay

In having a heart-to-heart with my inner self of late, I’m being honest in looking at what in my life drains my energy.

I’ve been feeling for quite some time now that Facebook oftentimes takes away from my precious and valuable energy. While I’ve met some wonderful people via this social media avenue and it has been valuable in helping me spread the word about my work, I’m giving thought to how I will best use it going forward.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, here on my blog and in my newsletter, I’ve been pondering writing another book – one that feels the most challenging of the six books I’ve written to date. It will require much focus and it’s a book I feel more and more everyday I want to write.

This means being serious about looking at what feeds my mind which is fuel for my inspiration and energy. This has me facing the fact that when I find myself aimlessly scrolling Facebook it actually is more often than not, a brain drain for me.

In being honest and paying attention to my habits, when I feel stuck in my writing, working on a creative project, or working through the course I’m currently in at Oracle School, I’ve come to realize how easy it is to distract myself instead of sitting through something that feels challenging at the moment.

Oftentimes without even knowing it, when I feel stuck in my work or in school, I’ll realize I’m mindlessly scrolling through Facebook. I don’t even remember clicking over to Facebook! This can then take me down a bunch of different avenues. I have many interests, which is a lovely thing in ways to have, but also can leave me feeling drained when I lose focus (Hey look! A chicken!).  🙂

I don’t like how this feels anymore. And why I love the quote by Louise Hay in that I’m the only one who can be accountable to myself. I get to decide how my life will be meaningful and how I wish to feel on a daily basis. I want to spend more of my time feeling energized, not drained.

I’m also giving thought to if I will continue to share links of my blog posts to my Facebook page or not. Though this one feels scarier to me as I think about how I will share my writing and future books I publish. And this quote speaks to me and what I’m working on:

But I’ve been frustrated with how Facebook has changed their algorithms and how it has come down to money for ads and how many likes (or not) you receive which then determines if your posts are seen (or not).

At the beginning of the whole social media advent, it was for me, in that having a social media presence meant I could fulfill a purpose of mine in making a difference and being a positive voice in a world that can too often be filled with negativity.

While I’ve not made a definitive decision whether or not I’ll continue to share my posts via Facebook, it’s made me think about this home I call my digital home – my blog and website, Joyful Paws. I’ve been reading with great interest how blogging is making a return and how other creatives, such as Jon Katz of Bedlam Farm and Tammy Strobel of RowdyKittens.com, are thinking about Facebook and embracing taking back of their time and how they spend it. I agree with Tammy, who is also is a one woman operation as I am, that I only have so much energy to go around.

Thanks to Tammy I’ve also been reading with interest thought-provoking articles from Cal Newport, a Computer Science Professor, and the affects using social media has had on many, myself included. All of this has been confirmation for the many feelings I’ve been experiencing.

My digital home, when I think about when I first began and evolved in my blogging platform, is much the same way I see my home in which I live. It’s at the heart of who I am. A friend recently said to me when visiting me at home, sitting in my living room, how cozy it was, and how she could feel the beautiful energy and love within it. I can’t tell you how that warms my heart!

Home is so important to me – it’s always been one of my values. And so is my home on the internet, my blog. It means so much to me when you stop by and leave a comment. Even if you may not always agree with something I’ve written, it’s about being able to have a constructive and meaningful dialogue. You don’t always get that on Facebook.

For now, until I decide how I will move forward, I will continue to share links to my blog posts on my Facebook page, but won’t be interacting as much there anymore. In large part due to how I wish to conserve my energy because trying to be so many different places can leave me feeling drained…and then frustrated with myself for not having the energy to do what I really want to be doing.

What I’d welcome is when you feel called to share in conversation or simply leave a comment about something I’ve written, that you feel comfortable in doing so on my blog. Consider it your personal invitation to get comfy in my big red chair in my living room and imagine me pouring you a cup of tea or glass of wine. 🙂 

As I’ve been doing with blogs I enjoy, I’ve gone back to subscribing to them (and commenting directly on their blog) or adding them to my Feedly reader. I’ve always enjoyed supporting artists, and this means writers, too!  Two great options to choose from if you wish to do the same with my blog and subscribe if you don’t want to miss when I post. 

In regards to my interaction on Facebook, for now and the foreseeable future, it will be much more limited as I take back my power and focus on what feeds my soul…. in turn, it’s my hope that by my focusing more on what matters to me, it will encourage you do the same, and with your new found energy you will come sit a spell now and then here at my digital home, and engage in conversation when you feel called to.

Last but not least, thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you who have been with me here on my blog since the beginning. Please know it means so much.

XO,

Barbara

P.S. I’ve reinstalled a helpful app on my computer that you might find useful also if you are feeling called to limit your social media exposure. It’s called Freedom where you can block your social media sites for a period of time. Because after all, we are all a work in progress, and it can be easy to fall back into old patterning. 😉

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