sabbatical

Unfinished, Transition or Renovation – No Matter – It’s a Gift of Acceptance.

Posted by Barbara Techel

Unfinished, Transition or Renovation - No Matter - It's a Gift of Acceptance.

Author Joan Anderson, of The Second Journey, calls it “unfinished.” I’ve also heard it referred to as, and use the term often myself, as being in “transition.” On Saturday I heard a woman call it “renovation.”

Renovation was one I’d not heard before and it make me chuckle.  There are many stages of life as we all know and have experienced at some point. Some stages we go through time and time again.

And perhaps it’s because I’m a woman consciously working on my own little awakenings that these terms really speak to me. But call it what you want, we are all unfinished, in transition at one time or another, or busy renovating to welcome in new aspects of ourselves, and new manifestations that are trying to break through.

Listening to this woman who referred to herself as being in renovation, during the Spiritual Fun Fair I took part in on Saturday, was so refreshing. She was excited about being in this stage! Usually I encounter the opposite and that women fear not knowing what is next for them or try to push away or stuff down what they are feeling.

Then today my friend, Monica, who writes a newsletter for her beautiful website at Life is a Pretty Word wrote last month how she was side-lined with a health issue, which wasn’t easy for her.

But this month, now that she is better she is in total flow of manifesting some wonderful things for herself. While in that “not being able to do much stage” which was an inner battle at times, she now sees why it played out like it did.

These times of being in transition, no matter the amount of time, if we can see it as a gift, even though we can’t always understand why at the time, is the universes way of supporting us. It is preparing us for the next step, the next phase, the next path.

Thinking about the woman in renovation I met, and Monica now in a wonderful welcoming flow of exciting new revelations, turns out to be a gift to me during this time of my own transition as I am still awaiting the return of my manuscript from my editor.

I’m told by my editor it will be about another week. My new book, about my time taking a sabbatical and how difficult it felt at the time, I’m understanding more and more, is a pertinent message that I must share.

Monica and the dear woman in renovation are my messengers from the universe of the timing of how this is all unfolding. I have no control over it. My only job is to keep the faith and be open for the signs that are there and to know that each step and each phase is necessary to the process.

It’s in this acceptance of these stages that then, and only then, can the gift be revealed.

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Writing a Book is Messy. Where I’m At.

Posted by Barbara Techel
Writing a Book is Messy. Where I'm At.
My faithful writing companion, Gidget.

I’ve heard this phrase three different times the last few weeks- “writing a book is messy.” Once in a blog post, once in a podcast and once in a webinar.

It’s exactly how I’ve felt since starting my second memoir, which I began in the winter of 2013. While there have been many rewarding moments writing it, most of the time it has been messy.

I’ve wanted to quit a thousand times.

I’ve had to learn to accept this- it has been a tug and pull much of the time. My two children’s books and my first memoir (for the most part) came much easier for me to write than this new book I’ve been working on.

A part of me wanted to share more of the process with you sooner, but the other part of me was, honestly, too afraid to say anything. Afraid I may disappoint others if I don’t finish this book.

But today I completed another round of editing of the third draft of “Wisdom Found in the Pause.” I’m feeling way more clarity about it than I have in a long time.

The book feels like two parts—the first part of my time with Joie, my second dog with IVDD and in a wheelchair, who I adopted from Oregon Dachshund Rescue. As many of you know, I had to help her cross over ten short months after she came into my life.

It threw me completely off. Though honestly, looking back, I realized I had been off for quite some time, but was too afraid to look at why.

The second part is that Joie’s death was my wake-up call to sit with all the uncomfortable feelings I had at the time. Joie’s gift while beautiful while she was here, and I got to love and care for her, her deeper gift came after she was gone.

It was then that I discovered a new definition of purpose that I’m much more comfortable with. I learned how to sit in stillness and silence. I learned to see transition as a necessary part of life.

The messy part of writing this book has been trying to convey my time of solitude which was a sabbatical for me, into a book others will want to read – but more than that – how it can help others.

But over the past three months, since devoting more time to working on the manuscript, I have more hope that his messy business of writing a book- this new book – may just turn into the real deal.

Lastly, I’ve had huge fears around the idea that this book will not be “as good as” my first memoir, Through Frankie’s Eyes. How do I top my journey with Frankie and how that book has touched many lives? That fear has stopped me in my tracks as I’ve worked through the trenches of my not-so-pretty, but real fears.

The fears are now beginning to subside. I see a journey that is still much the same, but evolving—a new way to touch other’s lives through this new book. I have hope…

and this is where I’m at.

Creativity is a crushing chore and a glorious mystery.  –Elizabeth Gilbert, #BigMagic

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Messages Like This Bring Tears to My Eyes.

Posted by Barbara Techel

gidget and barb eLate yesterday afternoon I received this message from Kelly who reads my blog, “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you have found Gidget and are back to blogging. I think special needs animals do wonders for the human psyche!”

This brought tears to my eyes because when Joie died I shut down inside. I honestly didn’t know if I wanted to write again. I felt I had nothing more to say. Nothing really made sense to me.

Taking a sabbatical was a tough thing for me to do. I was afraid all the work I had done blogging, writing my books, finding my loyal readers like all of you, and educating others about disc disease and special needs animals would simply vanish. I wondered, could I really walk away for two months?

I questioned if all I had worked so hard to build would not be here when I returned. But I knew I had to step away for awhile. I pride myself in being someone who enjoys sharing, encouraging and inspiring.  We have enough bad news in the world if we want to hear it. I want to be the happy place people can come to.

I debated and finally decided to reach out to a mentor of mine, Dan Blank. He helps authors and writers. I’ve taken many classes from him and admire him greatly. I had a feeling he could help me with my decision. His words of wisdom were just what I needed to trust that this was the right thing for me to do at this time in my life.

I’ll continue to write more about what I learned on my sabbatical in future posts.  Though right now I can say I felt restless and lost many times throughout those sixty days. But now that I am back, I’m so happy to be here again. I also know that was the right thing for me to do.

Of course, having Gidget in my life now has certainly added to my heart feeling so fulfilled again! But to finally feel like me again, back to writing on my blog and giving thought to new projects, seeing that message from Kelly brought me to tears. To me, it is a message from the Universe, sent through Kelly to affirm for me that I am on the right path.

PS:  Kelly, you are 100% right… special needs animals are so good for the human psyche!  And might I add, all animals are special in one way or another and bring us so much joy.