“wisdom found in the pause

A New Website Look and A Chance to Win a Copy of My New Memoir “Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift”

Posted by Barbara Techel

A New Look and A Chance to Win a Copy of My New Memoir "Wisdom Found in the Pause - Joie's Gift"

I’ve had a vision inside my heart for quite some time now—a vision of how I was going to evolve and expand from the many wonderful teachings I’ve received from the dog’s in my life:  Cassie Jo, Frankie, Joie, Kylie and Gidget.

Each one instrumental in bringing me to this space I stand in today – standing tall in the woman I now am – proud of who I am, what I’ve accomplished and excited about where I am heading.

First let me say that Joyful Paws will always be a big piece of who I am and I have no intentions of leaving behind the sharing of what I continue to learn from my dogs. But here are the ways in which I want to expand and explore:

  • Sharing the wisdom of all animals.
  • Sharing the beauty of nature and how it helps to ground and center us.
  • Encouraging others to find their authentic voices by opening to their intuition.
  • Encouraging others to find what is meaningful and what will bring more joy to their everyday lives.
  • And lastly, I leave some white space….as a way to honor new exploration and bring what I learn here to my blog in hopes of more inspiration and encouragement for others.

While I believe my blog/website has been doing just that, writing about the many different topics I’ve written about the last few years, the look to my website, especially my banner, didn’t really reflect that. While I love sharing photos of my dear, sweet dogs (as my old banner reflected), it’s because of everything I’ve learned from them, that I’m now much more confident and comfortable in my own skin (woo hoo!).

As many of you know, my Zen writing cottage is an extension of who I am also (as seen in my new banner!) – my sacred space that wraps its loving walls around me each morning when I enter through the old fashioned screen door. I knew I had to have that part of my banner as it is the place I continue to test my wings when they want to expand and try new things.

It’s the place I come to, to pause often, listen deeply, and capture what matters most to me… and what is my greatest wish in helping others to do the same.

I still have some “behind the scenes” tweaking to my website, but it was the banner I wanted to share with you today. I hope you will like it as much as I do!  A very special thank you to my web gal, Caryn Newton of Lantern Glow Design for helping me put this together.

And one last thing, I’m also excited about is that my website is now mobile friendly and you can read my posts very easy from your phone. Me thinks I’m finally “with it!” 

And now to celebrate with a giveaway, because I love to give gifts!

Win a copy of my new book (plus a customized journal)!  If you’ve already purchased a copy(and thank you if you have!) you can still enter and give it as a gift or donate to your local library.  That would be cool!  Just leave a comment in the comment section below and your name will be entered for a chance to win. (open to US residents only). Entries must be submitted by Thursday, Oct. 27th at midnight cst. I’ll notify winner on Friday, Oct. 28th.

Thank you for sharing and subscribing to my blog updates.

Transition: A Doorway to a Deeper Self

Posted by Barbara Techel
Transition: A Doorway to a Deeper Self
Photo credit: freelyphotos.com

Happy Monday to you!  Today I’m excited to share with you an article I wrote for memoir author Kathy Pooler’s blog.  This article on how I came to understand that transition is a doorway to learning more about ourselves.

Transition: A Doorway to a Deeper Self

When it first began, I’d only hear it now and then. But as a pivotal chapter in my life was coming to a close, it became harder for me to ignore an inner whisper trying hard to get my attention. Yet I kept pushing down the feelings I didn’t want to deal with.

I knew a transitional time for me was right around the corner, but it was too painful to think about. It meant I needed to let go of what was, and give thought to what was next.

I had found what many seek and some never define– a purpose. For six years I had a passion to bring positive awareness to disabled pets and help children and adults see their challenges in a positive way. I did this through the example of my dachshund, Frankie, who was in a wheelchair due to paralysis of her hind legs. It was what made me bounce out of bed each morning.

Continue reading…

Thank you for sharing and subscribing to my blog updates.

Pooch Smooches Shares “Wisdom Found in the Pause” and Thought-Provoking Interview

Posted by Barbara Techel
Pooch Smooches Shares "Wisdom Found in the Pause" and Thought-Provoking Interview
Me & Joie when I first brought Joie home in the fall of 2012.

Today I invite you to visit my friend, Jackie Bouchard’s blog, Pooch Smooches, where she interviews me about my new book. You will want to check out Jackie’s books too, if you don’t already know about them. They are among my top ten favorite books about dogs!

Here’s a sneak peek at the interview…

PS: It’s no spoiler to warn blog readers that Joie dies during the telling of your story – after all, you mention it on page 1. What made you decide to do that?
BT: Thank you for asking this question. I struggled with whether or not I should state that up front at the beginning of writing this book. Mainly, because so often I’ve read or heard people comment that they won’t read a book where a dog has died – that it is just too painful.

While I truly understand that pain, I’ve come to see transition in death and transition during trials in our life that there are gifts within these times of pain and difficulty. Meaning, that if we only focus on the sadness of death or a change in our life, we tend to miss out on the new blessings it often brings, too.

Click here to read rest of the interview…plus read Jackie’s final note “about books where the dog dies…”

Thank you for sharing and subscribing to my blog updates.