Musings of a Blogger: Inspirational Thoughts for Your Life’S Journey

By Ruth Anne Caukwell

"Great read. Excellently written. Workbook included. Good price" Kathy Joliene

Musings of a Blogger: Inspirational Thoughts for Your Life's Journey speaks with a voice of courage and a spirit of discovery as it reveals the musings of a woman who has devoted her life to personal improvement through education, reflection, and transformation. The author, Ruth Anne Caukwell, entwines a collection of inspirational thoughts with a sequence of workbook entries. By spending time sharing the musings and then reviewing one's own life, the reader of this guide for life's journey can set out with determination to discover life's deep truths.

Musings of a Blogger shares the story of a boy who sees a butterfly struggling to emerge from its chrysalis. Desiring to help it, he releases the butterfly, only to discover that the struggle to break free is what gives strength to the butterfly's wings. Absent the struggle, the butterfly is too weak to fl y. The workbook gives shape to one's struggle, serving to build strength so that one may fl y gloriously like a healthy butterfly.

By sharing this journey with the author, you can discover the truth about your own life and the source of your strength. As she writes, "Walking alongside others instead of totally relying on them allows you to become strengthened. It allows you to become who you really are, able to find your authentic self and fl y free. It allows you to be who you were meant to be!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Jan 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504300506

Ruth Anne Caukwell

Ruth Anne Caukwell is an author, blogger, and teacher. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, she earned her bachelor’s degree in modern Asian studies at Griffith University, Brisbane. She has published two e-books of short stories, written about women and for women. Visit: http://ruanca.blogspot.co.nz/.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 Ruth Anne Caukwell.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com.au

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0049-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0050-6 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 01/06/2016

Contents

Introduction

How this book came to be written

Suggestions to my readers on how to use this book

The Hexagon of Life

Part 1

Musings of a Blogger

1 – Do you have a dream?

2 – The stoppers in our lives

3 – What is fear?

4 – Embrace change

5 – Self-esteem—what are your values?

6 – Challenging your thought patterns

7 – The Masks We Wear

8 – Loneliness and hope

9 – We can all have happiness—so just go out and grab it!

10 - Choices, chances, and changes

Part 2

Workbook

The Parable of the Butterfly

Pre-characteristics list

My pre-characteristics list

11 – Do You Have a Dream?

Doodles of my dreams

My list of dreams

Steps to help me achieve my dreams

My top three dreams

My top three dreams card

My dream wall board

12 – The Stoppers in Our Lives

What are the stoppers or plugs in my life? Why are they there?

Stopper or plug removal!

Letter to my stopper—instructions

My letter ceremony

Letter to my stopper

13 – What Is Fear?

Doodles of my fears

Listing my fears

Replacing my fears

Time to take a break

14 – Embrace change

Embrace change—instructions

My changes and choices

Picture of the new me!

15 – Self-esteem—what are your values?

Self-esteem questionnaire

Self-esteem scale

My thank yous

My pivotal cue

Time to take a break!

16 – Challenge your thought patterns

Questions to think about and ask myself

What are my negative tapes?

What are my current burdens?

My list of accumulated negatives for the bin

Positive tapes

17 – The masks that we wear

My masks

Why do I wear this/these masks questionnaire

18 – Loneliness and hope

Gratitude for the Past and Present

Gratitude for the Future

My Catalogue of Hope

Ordering from my catalogue of hope

19 – We can all have happiness—so just go out and grab it!

My Happiness Questionnaire

My very own happiness questionnaire

Doodles of my happiness

20 - Choices, chances, and changes

My balance sheet towards finding my authentic self!

My hexagon journey!

Post-characteristics list

My Post-Characteristics List

My diploma of authenticity

Part 3

Reading Group Questions

Reading group questions

My Ideas and Thoughts

My Reading Group Questions:

Part 4

Conclusion

What is life?

Notes

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

About the Author

To my best supporter and friend, Marie Caukwell

Mum dear, thank you for your unceasing love and belief in me. Without that, and you, this book would never have happened!

Your journey will consist of many small steps and not one giant one—so step forwards in confidence and with courage towards your future.

Introduction

How this book came to be written

I wrote this book from my inspirational blog, RuAnCa.blogspot.co.nz, which I started in January 2015, after I had gone through a soul-destroying period of adult bullying, one from which I thought I would never recover. Time and support did heal me, though, and because of these experiences, I learned a lot about myself—who I thought I was, not who I really was! I had prided myself that I was a strong woman able to cope with anything. I had come out of a number of traumatic events earlier in my life and had moved on. Little did I realize that all I had done was bury my hurt, pain, and authentic self through busyness and work and was living with a sense of numbness behind a thick wall of self-preservation. The bullying was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and I was broken both physically and mentally.

As I started to heal, I was inspired to write my blog and e-books about women. My blog took off, and I found myself part of a network of people who appreciated and were supported by my heartfelt words. Suddenly, I felt like a caterpillar released from my own chrysalis—a chrysalis of hurt, pain, and hiding—and I was ready to fly above the ugliness of those people who would trample me down. I was ready to fly like a butterfly, high above, into the clouds of life, and burst forth from my chrysalis of hurt, but changed and renewed, ready to live again!

Just as the caterpillar goes through its own personal cycle of life, turning into a chrysalis and then bursting out of its protective shell into a wondrous butterfly—one of the most beautiful of God’s creatures on this earth—I hope that this inspirational book will aid you in bursting out of your protective chrysalis and becoming such a being, beautiful and unique, able to spread your wings, soak up the sun of life, and fly free.

Go forth, dear reader. Burst free and live again. Live your life to the fullest!

With love,

Ruth Anne Caukwell

Suggestions to my readers on how to use this book

Have you ever noticed how children see things differently—oh so simply? Nothing is complicated and involved, plus they bounce back and forgive so easily. They know what they want and let things go, seemingly without remorse and complications. Why is it that once we reach adulthood, things change? Everything becomes more complicated then. We find it hard to forgive, let go, and move on—instead, we think too much about things, mull them over, and because of this, they become part of our inner selves. We build walls that will keep us safe while hiding behind masks,¹ pretending that we are okay. We also take on board other people’s words,