About three weeks ago, I started taking private writing classes again. I don’t think I’ve written as much as I have in the past few weeks, but I’m enjoying it.
Some time last year, I shared with all of you my focus statement. A focus statement is what you will prove in the book. It serves to guide your writing. This is my old focus statement:
I am writing this book to prove that it is unnecessary to fear life after divorce.
As of last week, my new focus statement is the following:
I am writing this book to prove the old self dies with divorce.
Why the change of focus statement?
One-third of the book deals with the fear of a divorce, and the fear of a new life- without my ex-husband. The majority of my book, however, deals with me (the protagonist) shedding layers of doubt and insecurity for the perfect unfolding.
It’s amazing how your intentions manifest when you have an unyielding determination and faith. I couldn’t be happier or more grateful as I finish writing this book We all have a story. If you’ve always wanted to write a book, I encourage you to just do it.
Have you wanted to write a book? Are you writing book now? Do you have a focus statement?
Y llegó el día en que el riesgo que corría por quedarse firme dentro del capullo era más doloroso que el riesgo que corría por no florecer.” ~Anais Nin .
Mi nueva declaración
Hace tres semanas, empecé a tomar clases particulares de escritura de nuevo. Creo que nunca he escrito tanto como lo he hecho en las últimas semanas, pero lo estoy disfrutando.
Compartí con ustedes mi declaración hace unos meses. Una declaración es lo que se va a comprabar en un libro.Sirve para guiar tu manuscrito. Esta era mi primera declaración:
Estoy escribiendo este libro para comprobar que es innecesario temer la vida después de un divorcio.
Ahora, mi nueva declaración es-
Estoy escribiendo este libro para comprobar que muere el viejo “yo” con el divorcio.
¿Por qué el cambio de declaración?
Una tercera parte del libro es sobre el miedo de un divorcio y el temor de una nueva vida sin mi ex-marido. La mayoría del libro, sin embargo, la protagonista (de mi) se deshace de capas de inseguridad y duda hasta llegar al desdoblamiento perfecto. Es increíble cómo se manifiestan tus intenciones cuando tienes una determinación inquebrantable y fe. No podría estar más feliz o más agradecida de poder escribir este libro. Todos tenemos una historia. Si has querido escribir un libro, te animo que lo hagas.
¿Quieres escribir un libro? ¿Estás escribiéndolo? ¿Tienes una declaración?
As you can see from my last few posts, I love quotes! I have decided to start posting a quote every day. I chose today’s quote because I’m finishing my memoir, and I’m taking more private writing classes, too. I’ll tell you more about this later. Enjoy the quotes!
¡Hola!
Como pueden ver de mis últimas entradas, me encantan las frases célebres. He decido publicar una cita por día. Escogí esta cita porque estoy terminando mi memoria y decidí tomar más clases particulares de escritura, también. Les diré más sobre esto más adelante. ¡Espero que disfruten las frases!
* “Si hay un libro que quieres leer, pero todavía no se ha escrito, entonces debes escribirlo.” ~Toni Morrison
As I write and edit my chapter on happiness from my memoir, I am reminded of all I did to become where I am now: happy.
Back in 2007 I quit my job as a teacher.
I was at an all time low back in 2006 and into 2007. Separated and going through a painful divorce, I gathered every ounce of courage I had in order to heal. I knew I needed a break from teaching.
“When the pain of staying put exceeds the fear of the unknown, you leap.” ~ Dr. Rankin
Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert and her book, Eat, Pray, Love, I set out and did something a bit like her. I quit my job, I sold my home, I went to beautiful Spain for 4 months as a student, and I went back to school as a graduate student.
My decision to leave a secure job was extremely hard for me to make. But,
“I couldn’t deny the money I was making was good. I wasn’t earning a six or seven figure income, but it made for a comfortable living. At first, I worried about where I would work once I came back from my trip. What would I be doing in my next job? This teaching job I had was a safety net and over and over again I heard an echo from my ego. Repeatedly, I heard the same unnerving message : “teaching is a sure path for you.” “Sure,” I’d tell it. Thankfully, I listened to my heart once again, and I also let it go. I figured if this profession would be for me, then it would make its way into my life once again. This was another risk I was willing to take and it was well worth it. Not a glimpse into knowing what my future held, I did my best to maintain a worry-free attitude. After leaving my job, I sold my house. Looking back I think how courageous it was for me to have taken this step. I would do it all over and exactly the same way if I had to. I don’t regret a thing.”
Oh, and like Elizabeth Gilbert, I too found love. 🙂
Have you ever quit your job to heal? Have you contemplated it?
Thank you for reading!
Liz
Deja Tu Trabajo y Sé Feliz
Mientras escribo y edito mi capítulo sobre la felicidad de mi memoria, me acuerdo de todo lo que he hecho para convértirme en una persona feliz.
En el 2007, dejé mi trabajo de maestra.
En el 2006 y 2007, estaba pasando por un tiempo sumamente doloroso. Separada y, a la vez, pasando por un divorciéndome, reuní todas mis fuerzas que tenía para sanar. Sabía que necesitaba un descanso de mi trabajo como maestra.
“Cuando el dolor de estar en un lugar es más que el miedo de lo desconocido, saltas.” ~ Dra. Rankin
Inspirada por Elizabeth Gilbert y su libro, Come, reza, ama, hice algo muy similar a lo que hizo ella. Dejé mi trabajo, vendí mi casa, me fui al hermoso pais de España por cuatro meses, y después regresé a la universidad como estudiante de posgrado.
Mi decisión de dejar mi trabajo fue difícil de hacer. Pero, una vez que salté, nunca miré hacia atrás.
Source:www.facebook.com/BalboaPress *Hoy está lleno de lo posible.
“No podía negar que lo que me pagaban estaba bien. No tenía un ingreso de seis o siete cifras, pero tenía una vida cómoda. Al principio, me preocupaba de donde iba a trabajar cuando regresara de mi viaje. ¿Qué sería mi próximo trabajo? Este trabajo de maestra era para mí una red de seguridad y una y otra vez escuchaba el eco de mi ego. Repetidamente, oia el mismo mensaje inquietante: “La enseñanza es un camino seguro para tí.” “Ah, claro,” le decía. Escuché mi corazón una vez más y también lo dejé ir. Me di cuenta que si esta carrera sería para mí, entonces sería maestra una vez más. Esto era un riesgo que estaba dispuesta a tomar y valió la pena. Sin tener la menor idea de lo que me esperaba en el el futuro, hice todo lo posible para mantenerme sin preocupaciones. Después de haber dejado mi trabajo, vendí mi casa. Para mí, el haber dado este paso es lo más valiente que pude haber hecho. Si tuviera que hacerlo de nuevo, lo haría todo otra vez. No me arrepiento de nada”
Ah, y como Elizabeth Gilbert, yo también encontré amor. 🙂
¿Has dejado tu trabajo para sanar? ¿Lo has contemplado?
A few years ago, I was at my friend Kimberly’s house, and we were discussing my book. At the time, I had just began to write my memoir . I remember her telling me, “If you have a journal, then you have a book.”
I’ve been writing since I was little girl, but I didn’t actually keep a journal then. This happened until I was an undergrad in college. And journaling was off and on back then up until about 7 years ago.It had never occurred to me to look at my journals even once! I drove home that night only thinking about this.
Finally I was home. I went in search for my journals, and I found treasures.
I came upon my journals and all this writing of mine. As I opened each one and began to read them, I most definitely knew I had a book. There was writing that went back as much as twenty years, but what I mostly had was writing that I did during the time I was going through my divorce. When I was separated, I wrote as a way to understand what I was going through and eventually it became a part of my emotional healing.
I began to add parts of my book and before I knew it, I had the skeleton for my memoir.
I simply “cut and paste” my journaling into the book. Perhaps all the writing was not enough to fill up my entire book, but it was extremely helpful. I recalled my story with more clarity, and I was able to add details to it, as well.
I have also done this with my blog posts.
Just today I went through my blog posts, and I added excerpts from my posts to different chapters of my book. The opposite is also true. You can write posts based on excerpts from your books.
Do you journal? Have you thought about writing a book? Have you added your journaling to your book?
Thank you for reading!
Liz
P.S. I am in the process of editing and translating one of my chapters from my memoir. It will soon be a freebie on my blog. 🙂
¿Escribes En Un Diario? Puede Ser Que Tengas Un Libro
Hace unos años, estaba en la casa de mi amiga Kimberly y estábamos hablando de mi libro. En aquel tiempo, apenas había empezado a escribir mi memoria. Me acuerdo que ella me dijo, “Si tienes un diario, también tienes un libro.”
He estado escribiendo desde que era una niña, pero no escribía en un diario. Esto pasó hasta que fui a la universidad y solamente escribía de vez en cuando. No fue hasta hace 7 años que empecé a escribir todos los días. ¡Nunca se me había ocurrido mirar diarios ni una sola vez! Mientras conducía hacía mi casa no podía pensar de otra cosa que no fuera mis diarios.
Source:www.todaysmanager.wordpress.com
Por fin había llegado a mi casa y fui en búsqueda de mis diarios. Encontré tesoros.
Me encontré mis diarios y mucha más de mis escritos. Abrí cada uno de ellos y empecé a leerlos. Definitivamente sabía que tenía un libro. Había escritura mia desde hace veinte años, pero la mayoría era del tiempo cuando me estaba divorciando. Cuando me separé, escribí para entender lo que me estaba pasando y, finalmente, se convirtió en parte de mi sanación emocional.
Empecé a añadir partes de mi libro y para pronto tenía el esquema de mi libro.
Simplemente, “corté y pegué” mis escritos al libro. Quizás toda esta escritura no era un libro entero, pero fue extremadamente útil. Me acordé de mi historia con más claridad, y tuve la oportunidad de añadir detalles a la vez.
También he hecho esto con mis posts.
Hoy repasé todos mis posts y añadí extractos de mi blog a diferente capítulos de mi libro. Lo contrario también es cierto. Se pueden escribir posts de los extractos de tu libro.
¿Escribes en un diario? ¿Alguna vez has pensado en escribir un libro? ¿Has añadido tus escritos de tu diario a tu libro?
¡Gracias por leer!
Liz
P.D. Estoy editando y traduciendo unos de mis capítulos de mi memoria. Ya pronto se los regalaré en mi blog. 🙂
It’s hard to believe that another school year has ended!
My last day of work for the school year was last Friday. I’m off until about mid August. This is one of the perks of being a teacher. We get the summers off!
With so much time on my hands, how will I be spending this summer? I have decided to indulge myself and spoil myself with writing and reading, of course, among other things.
This is what I planned on doing with writing and reading this summer:
1. Memoir- I will continue to write the last couple of chapters of my book.
2. Blog- I’ll be blogging with more frequency.
3. Edit- I am working on editing one of my chapters from my memoir to give away as a freebie!
4. Children’s Books- I also greatly enjoy writing children’s books and I’ll be writing one more this summer.
And last, but not least-
5. Reading- One of my passions is also reading and these are some books I’ll be reading this summer:
Book List:
* The EarthKeeper – Undeveloping the Future: The Extraordinary Story of an Earth Conqueror Turned Preservationist Who Uncovers Our True Nature and Reveals the Creative Power of the Universe by Adam C. Hall
* Mind Over Medicine Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself by Lissa Rankin, M.D.
* Piense y Hágase Rico (Think and Grow Rich) by Napoleon Hill
* Los Cuatro Acuerdos(The Four Agreements) by Miguel Ruíz
* Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen
* El Poder del Ahora (The Power of Now) by Eckhart Tolle
* Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into your Comfortable Life by Jeff Goins * Proof Of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander, M.D.
I do want to read quite a bit, but I’ll give it a try, and we’ll see how much reading I actually do this summer. I’m indulging in things I love to do and I have already begun.
What will you be doing this summer? Will it involve reading and/or writing? What does your summer reading list look like?
Un Verano de Escritura (Y Lectura)
¡No puedo creer que se terminó otra año escolar!
Mi último día de trabajo fue el viernes de la semana pasada. No empiezo a trabajar otra vez hasta los mediados de agosto. Esto es una de las ventajas de ser maestra.¡Tenemos todo el verano de vacaciones!
Con tanto tiempo, ¿Cómo voy a pasarme este verano? He decidido disfrutar de la lectura y escritura, entre otras cosas.
Esto es lo que planeo hacer con my escritura y con lectura este verano:
1. Memoria- Voy a continuar a escribir los últimos dos capítulos de mi libro.
2. Blog- Voy a escribir mas seguido para mi blog.
3. Editar- Estoy editando unos de mis capítulos de mi memoria para dárselos gratis.
4. Libros de Niños- También me gusta escribir libros para niños y voy a escribir otro este verano.
Y por último
5. Lectura- Una de mis pasiones es la lectura y voy a leer estos libros este verano:
*The EarthKeeper – Undeveloping the Future: The Extraordinary Story of an Earth Conqueror Turned Preservationist Who Uncovers Our True Nature and Reveals the Creative Power of the Universepor Adam C. Hall
* Mind Over Medicine Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself por Lissa Rankin, M.D.
* Piense y Hágase Rico (Think and Grow Rich) por Napoleon Hill
* Los Cuatro Acuerdos(The Four Agreements) por Miguel Ruíz
* Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home por Rhoda Janzen
* El Poder del Ahora (The Power of Now) por Eckhart Tolle
* Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into your Comfortable Life por Jeff Goins * Proof Of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife por Eben Alexander, M.D.
Quiero leer muchísimo este verano, pero vamos a ver cuanto leo. Estoy disfrutando de cosas que me encantan y ya lo empecé a hacer.
¿Qué vas a hacer este verano? ¿Va a incluir escritura y/o lectura? ¿Tienes unas lista de los libros que te gustaría leer este verano?
On this blog, I have shared that I attended the Hay House Writer’s Workshop back in October 2012 in New York. There was a contest for the attendees and it was to get a publishing contract and a $10,000 advance from Hay House.
The winner of the Hay House Writer’s Workshop was announced this past Monday. The publishing contract went to Andrea Libutti, M.D. Her book is titled Awakened by Autism. Congratulations to her!
Although I did not win, I gained a lot from this experience.
1. I am grateful for the opportunity to have entered this competition.
2. I met some wonderful people.
3. I got to travel a bit by going to New York.
4. I learned about publishing with major publishing companies, self- publishing, writing, and building a platform.
Plan A didn’t go through. My Plan B is to finish my memoir by the end of this year and to self-publish.
“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.” Walt Disney
I always see my projects as completed even before I begin them. Like Walt Disney, I “believe in it all the way.”
What is your plan b for you? What’s next for you?
¿Qué Sigue?
En este blog, he compartido que fui al Taller de Escritura de Hay House el octubre del ano pasado en Nueva York. Hubo un concurso para los asistentes y el ganador se llevaba un contrato de edición de Hay House y un adelanto de $ 10,000.
El ganador del Taller de Escritura de Hay Houyse fue anunciado el lunes pasado. La ganadora es Andrea Libutti, D.M. Su libro se titula Awakened by Autism. ¡Felicidades!
Aunque no gané, aprendí mucho de esta experiencia.
1. Estoy agradecida por la oportunidad de haber participado en este concurso.
2. Conocí a muchas personas maravillosas.
3. Tuve la oportunidad de viajar un poco al ir a Nueva York.
4. Aprendí de la publicación con una empresa editorial, del auto-publicación, de la escritura y de la plataforma virtual.
One Baby Step At A Time“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could write a book.”
This was me about three years ago. That is the time I started writing my memoir. Was it a dream? Yes. It still is. As I have said before, being a published writer and speaker is a dream of mine. What I have learned about pursuing your dreams is to be patient and take baby steps.
Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com
As I approach the last few months of the completion of the book, I am reminded of where I began and all that I have done to manifest this in my life. It was May 2010 when I found myself at the library at Long Beach State, and I started to write this book. I should have been studying for my comps exam, but my intuition told me to write, and I did. As I wrote the first three pages of the book, I jumped to the end of the book. And just like that I’d written the end of my memoir.
As with anything I have done, it all started with taking baby steps towards my goal. In one of the last posts, Nature, Life, and Writing – What Do They Have In Common?, I talk about patience.
What are the baby steps have I taken towards my dream?
1. Believe in yourself. Not only must you believe in your dream, but in yourself as well.
2. Start today. The time to begin is now.
3. Do it every day. Whether it be to write, or to practice the piano every day, or to lose weight. You’d be amazed at how much you can accomplish by doing a little every day.
3. Build a platform. If your dream requires that you get noticed, start a blog, get a Facebook page, Twitter, etc. A great book on this is Michael Hyatt’s Platform: Get Noticed In A Noisy World.4. Be grateful. Take time out from your day to be grateful for all that you have accomplished and with those that have helped you.
5. Be patient. And above all, be patient with yourself and with your passion.
Finally, whether you want to be a published writer or you are wanting to lose weight, it is all within your reach!
What are your dreams? What baby steps have you taken to accomplish your goals in life?Un Pasito A La Vez“Jamas pensé que podría escribir un libro.”
Esto fue algo que dije hace tres años. Fue cuando empecé a escribir mi memoria. Era un sueño? Si, y todavía lo es. Como he dicho muchas veces, ser una escritora publicada y oradora es un sueño mio. Lo que he aprendido de hacer un sueño realidad es de ser paciente y tomar pasitos.
Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com
*Pasos de bebé para nuestros grandes sueños
En estos últimos meses que me faltan por terminar mi libro, me acuerdo donde empecé y todo lo que he hecho para manifestar esto en mi vida. Un día de mayo 2010, estaba yo en la biblioteca de la Universad de Long Beach y fue allí donde empecé a escribir mi libro. Debería haber estado estudiando para mis exámenes, pero algo dentro de mi me dijo que empezará el libro y lo empecé. Tenía como unas tres páginas escritas y de repente me salté hasta el final del libro. Y así fue como escribí el final de mi memoria.
Con todo lo que he hecho, he empezado con tomar pasitos hacia mi meta. En una de mis últimas entradas, La Naturaleza, La Vida y La Escritura – ¿Qué Tienen En Común?, hablo sobre la paciencia.
¿Y qué pasitos he tomada yo para hacer mis sueños realidad?
1. Cree en ti mismo. No solamente tienes que creer en tu sueño, sino en ti también.
2. Empieza hoy. El tiempo para empezar es ahora. Hazlo todos los días. Te sorprenderás de lo mucho que puedes lograr con solo hacer aquello un poco todos los días.
3. Haz una plataforma virtual. Si tu sueño requiere a darte a conocer, puedes empezar con un blog, y después una página de Facebook, Twitter, etc. Un libro que me ayudó mucho con este tema es el de Michael Hyatt – Plataforma: Hazte oír en un mundo ruidoso.4. Ser agradecido. Tomo tiempo de tu día para estar agradecido con todo lo que has logrado y con las personas que te han ayudado.
5. Ser Paciente. Sobretodo, se paciente contigo mismo y con tu pasión.
Por último, si quieres ser un escritor publicado o estás interesado en perder peso. ¡Tu meta está a tu alcance!
¿Cuales son tus sueños? ¿Qué pasitos has tomado para lograr tus metas?
One of my favorite things to do is to go out and just be in nature! Luckily for me, Northern California is filled with beautiful parks and vast, open spaces as far as the eye can see. I get to take walks in these verdant parks with creeks running right through the middle!
I first became enthralled with this beauty around me as a student at Long Beach State. I’d eat lunch right outside the library (in the quad area) and I loved just being out there and taking in the trees, plants, and flowers. From time to time, I’d treat myself to a trip to the Japanese Gardens- a simply peaceful experience.
The Japanese Gardens at Long Beach State
When I lived in Los Angeles, one of my favorite things to do was to go to a park by my parent’s house and run. After my run, I’d lay down as I cooled off and looked up at the sky and the trees. Time and time again, I was reminded of the amazing patience and intention of nature. A peaceful energy is what I felt in that moment.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
As I begin begin my bilingual blog and to write more, I am reminded of that same patience. In my Chapter by Chapter Synopsis post , I refer to this patience in Chapter 8: Gratitude and Patience – The High School Year. I briefly discuss patience as a spiritual lesson that I feel I am meant to learn in this lifetime. Countless experiences have lent themselves to the opportunity to be patient: from being patient with my students to being patient with my own healing. In writing and in life, I have learned to be patient with myself.
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” ~ St. Francis
If you’re not being patient with yourself and/or your writing, try it. You’ll discover that letting things take their natural course (as nature does) will bring you miracles in your daily life.
What are your experiences with patience? Are you patient when it comes to your own writing? Are you patient with yourself?
La Naturaleza, La Vida y La Escritura – ¿Qué Tienen En Común?
Unas de mis cosas favoritas de hacer es estar afuera en la naturaleza. Afortunadamente, el norte de California está lleno de hermosos parques y espacios abiertos extensos hasta donde llega la vista. !Tengo la oportunidad de pasear por estos parques verdes con arroyos corriendo por el centro!
La primera vez que me cautivó esta belleza que me rodeaba fue cuando era estudiante en la Universad Estatal de Long Beach. Me gustaba almorzar afuera de la bibliotica (en la area del campo) y me encantaba ver los árboles, plantas y flores. De vez en cuando, me daba el gusto e iba a los Jardines Japonenses-una experiencia simplemente tranquila.
Los Jardines Japoneses en la Universidad Estatal de Long Beach
Cuando vivía en Los Ángeles, me gustaba ir a un parque cerca de la casa de mis padres para correr. Después de correr, me acostaba y miraba el cielo y los árboles. Una y otra vez, me recordaba de la paciencia asombrosa y la intención de la naturaleza. Una energía llena de paz es lo que sentía en ese momento.
“Adopte el ritmo de la naturaleza; su secreto es la paciencia.” ~ ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Con este blog bilingüe y con mi escritura, me acuerdo de esa misma paciencia. En una entrada de este blog – (Chapter by Chapter Synopsis) 0 Los Resúmenes de los Capítulos (Capítulo 8 – Agradecimiento y Paciencia – Un Año en la Preparatoria) de mi libro (memoria) hablo acerca de la paciencia como una leccíon espiritual que siento que estoy destinada a aprender en esta vida. Un sin número de experiencias y oportunidades se me han dado para practicar la paciencia: de ser paciente con mis alumnos a ser paciente con mi propia sanación. En la escritura y en mi vida, he aprendido de ser paciente conmigo misma.
“Ten paciencia con todas las cosas, pero sobre todo contigo mismo.” ~San Francisco de Sales
Si no tienes paciencia contigo mismo y/o tu escritura, inténtalo. Te darás cuenta que al dejar que las cosas sigan su curso natural (como lo hace la naturaleza) te traerá milagros en tu vida cotidiana.
¿Qué han sido tus experiencias con la paciencia? ¿Eres paciente con tu escritura? ¿Eres paciente contigo mismo?
I am towards the end of finishing up my book proposal and it has been quite the experience! Writing the overview has helped me focus more and get a better feel for what I am trying to convey here. Being that it is a memoir, an outline would not be necessary , but the overview (that I am about to share), I think, served the purpose of the outline and made my writing easier to work with.
Here is the overview of my memoir: Looking Within: A Memoir.
Overview
The manuscript will be divided into 4 parts.
1. Part I: The Meeting And Marriage. Many women are in enamored with the idea of getting married and living happily ever after.I was one of them.Shortly after meeting my ex-husband, we were married. While I was married, I was second in my life as he was the center of my universe. Needless to say, the honeymoon didn’t last as reality set in and love and nurturance became absent in our marriage. Problems ensued and a separation seemed imminent.
A chapter will be devoted to this first part.
2. Part II. Emotional Healing. Shortly after the problems began, I withdrew emotionally and sought individual counseling. Slowly, I began to heal emotionally and I eventually I separated from him. All alone, I began to nurture my spirit as best I could. Soul searching and a return to my passions of learning, traveling, running, and writing became part of my recovery. This emotional healing part encompasses four sections that include emotional detachment, the separation, self-nurturance, and more changes that were in store for me.
A chapter will be devoted to each of the sections in part two.
3. Part III. Spiritual Healing. Spiritual healing eventually replaced my emotional healing. Changes in my beliefs and a series of unexplained events began happening to me such as moments of peace and an increase in intuitive abilities. As I began to awaken spiritually, I began to understand that my problems were mere illusions. In time, I began to practice spiritual principles of compassion, kindness, patience, and gratitude, among others , and I simply became happier.
A chapter will be devoted to each of the sections listed in part three.
4. Part IV. My Purpose in Life. I started to live in the present moment and the consistent peace that I longed for, as well as happy life, awaited me. After endless questioning, I found both my inner and outer purpose. I began to co-create my life as I intended it to be and found joy and miracles in my everyday life.
A chapter will be devoted to this section in this part.
One Woman’s Search for Her Truth and the Spiritual Awakening that Resulted
Elizabeth Cárdenas
Part One: The Meeting
Chapter 1: Love at First Sound
“A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” ~Jane Austen
This first chapter explains how I met my ex-husband. He was a musician and I was mesmerized when I saw and heard him play for the first time. Having met him would not be a coincidence. I go throughout my “picture perfect” marriage to the problems that arose in the last couple of years. Throughout my marriage, I put him first, and I put myself second. Writing has been a passion of mine since I was a little girl, yet I didn’t do it during my marriage. In fact, no passions of mine would come to the surface when I was married. Growing up in a Mexican household, I saw my mother do everything for my father, and I would imitate this when I became a wife. A “good wife” was supposed to clean, cook, serve her husband, do the laundry and iron for him, etc. I did all that and much more. Needless to say, problems arose and I became resentful.
Part Two: Emotional Healing
Chapter 2: Detachment
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” ~Winston Churchill
This chapter discusses my emotional detachment from my ex-husband. Guilt, shame, and depression set in, but thankfully, I met one of my angels on Earth: my counselor Christina. I began counseling on my own. I discuss the stages of grief as my counselor had pointed this out to me: denial, resentment and anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, and I apply them to my experience. Although my healing began as emotional healing, something very special was happening. Something unexplainable as I started dream and my dreams in many ways came true and made me even feel peace. Amidst all this pain, I was able to find hope. Nevertheless, the pain outweighed my peace at the time and the result was extreme disillusionment of my marriage. Divorce was inevitable and it was only a matter of time before I filed for it.
Chapter 3: Alone Again
“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
This chapter begins with the divorce papers being served to my ex-husband and separated from him, I found myself alone again. All throughout this time, I questioned why this had happened and I questioned my existence. With a plethora of questions and no answers, I even questioned God. “Why would You do this to me?”, I’d ask Him. Briefly, I discuss my religion, Catholicism, and the role it played in my life during this time and I how I also questioned it. Although the pain continued, I had more for better days. Counseling and my divorce support group helped me tremendously, and for the first time, I learned about emotional healing in one of my counseling sessions. That day, I made the conscious decision to heal emotionally and I would keep my promise. The chapter ends with a return to love as I began to love myself again and slowly began to have glimpses of happy moments. I put my faith and trust in God with all this.
Chapter 4: A Well Deserved Break
“Fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.” ~Dale Carnegie
About 4 months after the separation, I came across Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I read it and thought, “I could do something like that.” After working nine years as a first grade teacher, I deserved a break. Nurturance of my spirit was in order and it was during this time that I yearned to learn about music and to play piano. I took a Classical music class and a piano class at East Los Angeles College. Exhausted and burnt out were perfect words to describe this teacher during this time. Initially, fear held me from making my decision to sell my home and go abroad. Once I made my decision, it was a done deal. My ex-husband and I put the house for sale and I went in September 2007 to Granada, Spain for a semester. For the first time in years, I began to put myself first in my life.
Chapter 5: More Changes: Going Back to School
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.” ~ Joseph Campbell
My stay abroad would only last four months, but it was enough for me. I missed my family dearly and I wanted to see them. Although I was ecstatic about the changes in my life and my new experiences, I began to feel lost. I was living with my parents again and in many ways I felt like a little girl. My counselor said that moving in with my parents would be a great thing because I would get nurturance from them – something I needed at the time. Confused, I contemplated what I wanted for myself. The answer was to go back to school and to get another master’s degree in linguistics. By no means was it a walk a park in the park, but learning is one of my passions and this return to school was what I needed. My faith and my spirituality were growing. My life and my divorce was making more sense to me and I kept my faith and trust in God.
Part Three: Spiritual Healing
Chapter 6: Bumps in the Road
“My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents, and I lay them both at His feet.” ~ Gandhi
There were some “problems” that I encountered as I began to awaken spiritually. I began to see the world in a completely different way and many incidents were happening that I could not explain. For example, I would be overcome with feelings of joy and peace: bliss, if you will. Peace took more presence in my life, but it wasn’t consistent. Change was now something that I welcomed more easily and speaking my truth was something I was learning to do. Finally, I was finding my own voice and I simply let it be. However, during this time, I also allowed myself to become stressed with school and, once again, I had to deal with not only depression, but a relapse of my mental illnesses: manic depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Aside from counseling, I began to see a psychiatrist and Seroquel, Lithium, and Zoloft entered my life and put me in numbed state as I began taking these drugs. Questioning Western medicine lead to believe that I could slowly rid myself on this dependence of drugs. Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote, “A bodily disease which we look upon as whole and entire within itself, may, after all, be but a symptom of some ailment in the spiritual part.” With all this medication, peace took a back seat in my life and I greatly missed it. Although I had no idea of what it was to heal spiritually, I made the conscious choice to heal spiritually anyways. At the end of this chapter, I discuss what I saw as problems as illusions and how they were merely spiritual lessons to be learnt on this path.
Chapter 7: Kindness and Compassion – A Semester with Adults
“Our main goal is to help others. If you cannot help them, then at least resist from hurting them.” ~Dalai Lama
After leaving the world of primary education, I taught adults for 7 months. Armed with courage and with some fear, I began teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adults at a non-profit organization in Northern California. This entire experience was very humbling for me as I learnt so much from them. Being the first time I taught adults and ESl, my students held my hand and little by little I learned how to teach them and to teach ESL. Words cannot express the gratitude that they had for receiving the English lessons and for their teacher. During this time, I began to be even kinder and to develop compassion for not only my students, but for myself, as well. This chapter ends with learning the true meaning of being one.
Chapter 8: Gratitude and Patience – The High School Year
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” ~ St. Francis
Following the semester with adults, and armed with courage, I signed up to teach high school. In this chapter, I talk about the gratitude I now have for everything in my life as well as the patience. Also, I discuss the law of attraction and I apply to manifest both my job and my wonderful, new relationship. Throughout this school year, I had numerous questions such as why am I teaching high school? Then, it dawned on me one day. Physically and emotionally, it took a lot out of me. I was worrying yet again. It wasn’t until I learnt to let things go and let things be that I started to be myself again. I surrendered. More changes came as a result including a defining moment: my own epiphany. Around this time I read Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss. In it, he discusses, how we return in physical form to learn a spiritual lesson. In my humble opinion, I believe that in this lifetime I am meant to learn patience. My life events have yielded so many opportunities where I have had to be patient not only with others, but with myself, as well. This patience that I am learning has resulted in more peace for me, and those close to me. Patience also taught me to surrender and to simplify my life. I allowed what the Universe was blessing me with and I let my life events transpire. I let things be. Realizing this brought me great joy and happiness.
Chapter 9: A Happy Heart of My Own
“Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.” ~ Democritus
This chapter begins with being grateful for learning to be happy regardless of what was happening in my life. Staying in the present moment has brought me peace, and that peace in turn has brought me happiness. Learning to let go of material possessions (as this isn’t true happiness), as well as letting go of fears to follow my heart has also contributed to my happiness. Suppressing my ego was key to go in the direction of true happiness for myself. In his book, The Power of Intention, Dr. Dyer lists the 7 Steps for Overcoming Ego’s Hold of You and they are the following: 1. Stop being offended, 2. Let go of the need to win, 3. Let go of the need to be right, 4. Let go of the need to be superior, 5. Let go of the need to have more, 6. Let go of identifying on the basis of your achievements, and 7. Let go of your reputation. In this chapter, I list each one and I give specific examples as to how this manifested in my own life. Finally, I discuss the dependence society has on antidepressants to achieve a state of happiness. The end of this chapter concludes with a quote from Ernst Shurtleff Holmes’ book Creative Mind:
As it’s given me to perceive,
I most certainly believe
When a man’s glad plumb through,
God’s pleased with him same’s you.
Part Four: My Purpose in Life
Chapter 10: Coming Into My Own
“Our Creator would never have made such lovely days, and have given us the deep hearts to enjoy them, above and beyond all thought, unless we were meant to be immortal.” ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
This chapter begins with answering my question on the meaning of my life. Why am I here? My answer lied in looking within myself. Because each of us has the divine spark, we are spiritual beings in physical bodies. We are, therefore, immortal and perfect as we are. My soul searching resulted in my finding both my inner and outer purposes. Seeking my truth and my never ending questioning brought me great peace as I made that fateful reconnection with God. Also, I discuss the love I have for others and myself as the greatest gift that I have given to myself and to them. Finding my balance in my life through meditation, nurturance of my spirit, and living in the present moment contributed to my spiritual awakening, as well. The divorce made it all possible and, in retrospect, it really is the best thing that has ever happened to me. The culmination of this spiritual journey resulted in the everyday miracles and a love for life. This chapter ends with my favorite poem: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.
Elizabeth Cardenas. Writer 