November’s Book To Live By

This month’s Books To Live By selection highlights the theme of our membership Inner Circle for November: The Body Does Not Lie: The Power of Guided Imagery, featuring Belleruth Naparstek, guided-imagery pioneer, psychotherapist and author.

Our November selection is….

  

Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal by Belleruth Naparstek.

In this groundbreaking book, Belleruth helps you heal from pain and trauma through her revolutionary work with guided imagery. Traumatic events come in all shapes and sizes, and Invisible Heroes will nurture your body, mind and soul back to a place of peace.

Belleruth, a longtime friend of mine, is one of the most gifted therapists I know. Over the last 30 years, her cutting-edge research on guided imagery has helped more people into recovery than we can count. And her work has established guided imagery as an overwhelmingly effective and easy tool for dealing with the devastating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Belleruth describes guided imagery as the “lazy person’s form of meditation that requires no skill and not a whole lot of patience, even.” In fact, she says, “You don’t even have to be awake.”

And as someone who has practiced guided imagery with her, I can attest! I’ve also used the audios while sleeping. 🙂

So if you’re suffering from psychological scars, I urge you to grab a copy of this life-changing book. Invisible Heroes really does have the power to help you safely and effectively recover from all kinds of trauma, no matter how long you’ve suffered.

If you aren’t currently struggling, please pass this along to someone you know who might be in need of Belleruth’s brilliance.

Lots of love,

Debbie Signature

P.S. Remember last week when we sent you a free audio sample of Belleruth’s guided imagery on self confidence? Invisible Heroes is the perfect supplement to the full recording!

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November’s Inner Circle Sneak Peek w/ Belleruth Naparstek

We have a sneak peek of what’s coming in your Women on Fire members’ package for November.

As many of you know, Debbie has a set of wise, accomplished women in her life that inspire, uplift and support her. Their wisdom is priceless, and we thought it was high time we shared some of the wealth of knowledge and love. 🙂

This month, we are featuring one of Debbie’s wise women.

A highly respected psychotherapist.

A pioneer in the use of guided imagery.

An entrepreneur.

An author.

A mother. A grandmother.

Belleruth Naparstek has dedicated her life to helping people heal and find relief from pain and trauma through guided imagery, and she’s sharing her best strategies, biggest challenges and brightest ideas with you.

Today, we’re giving you only a tiny nugget of all the inspiration Belleruth shared. But in the full interview you’ll discover:

  • How the power of guided imagery can transform your life
  • When and how to use guided imagery
  • The best way to express your greatest gifts over the course of time
  • How Belleruth balanced running a business and taking care of two kids
  • Her strategies for healing after her husband died

If you’re not yet part of our membership inner circle, please be our guest and listen today for free to a clip of Debbie’s interview with Belleruth.

Press PLAY for a quick (2:30) audio clip of this inspiring and intimate interview.

If you are already a member of our Women on Fire inner circle, enjoy this preview of what’s coming to you early in November!

If you aren’t yet a member and want to receive this Women on Fire exclusive, make sure to join us today. You have until Sunday, November 1. Less than 48 hours left!

BUT WAIT… there’s more! 🙂

Belleruth didn’t want you to walk away today without getting a small taste of what guided imagery is, so she is giving you a FREE sample of one of her most popular audios. Click here to listen to your free streaming guided meditation on Self-Confidence,plus a little something extra!

Trust us, you don’t want to miss out on Belleruth’s brilliance.

P.S. A little birdie told us that there may or may not be a very special gift from Belleruth included in November’s membership package. You’ll just have to join to find out! 🙂

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Bunny bunny and counting sheep

There’s a British superstition that if you say “rabbit, rabbit” the first thing on the first day of the month you are ensured to have good luck all month long!

Years ago our friends Debbie Cook (a Woman on Fire, of course) and Bob Linton introduced us to that good luck charm, and we quickly adopted it!

Since then my husband Rob and I never miss a month and even put our own twist on it by saying “bunny, bunny” on this first day of December and on every first day of the month.  Thought you should know the important strategies I live my life by … 😉

Like us, you’re most likely wrapping up your Thanksgiving weekend and I hope you had a warm and wonderful one.
Around our Thanksgiving table on Martha’s Vineyard were my husband Rob, Holly Getty, me!, Edward Beck, Ellen Wingard and Robert Joerger.

Ours ended up to be an easy and very sweet holiday here on Martha’s Vineyard with great friends, walks, naps and amazing food, even though it was one of the first times I’ve not created Thanksgiving at home.

With all the losses, stress and travel in my life lately, I made the tough decision that we would eat at a local restaurant instead of a feast at home.  We had a ball so it was a good lesson about how much more important the people around the table are than the food!

Still, we had plenty of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie and I slept like a log all weekend.

*This week’s Pinspiration*

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The best way to see what tomorrow brings is to sleep through the night. Need help sleeping? Women on Fire has you covered in the latest spark. www.womenonfire.com

Sleeping through the night was a welcome relief from my pattern lately where stress and sadness has taken its toll on my sleep.  Did you know as many as 70 million U.S. adults are affected by disrupted sleep?

In today’s SPARK! I want to share an excellent report by a close friend of mine Belleruth Naparstek on An Epidemic of Sleeplessness.

I’ve wanted to introduce Belleruth to you for some time. (And monthly members will hear even more from her in the future.)

She is a psychotherapist, author and guided imagery pioneer and an inspiration for creating a super successful business by following her heart. Thirty years ago, she started out by recording audio cassettes of guided imagery to calm her cancer patient clients.

Today, her company Health Journeys provides guided imagy for every disease, affliction, ailment and stress you can imagine.  I’m a regular listener of her CDs and I know some of you are too.

A lack of sleep can lead to serious health consequences, weight gain and jeopardize your safety.  So when Belleruth wrote a report on just how to get a good night’s sleep and offered it to us, I jumped.

In this report, you’ll learn:

  • Which teas to drink to promote your sleep
  • The fruit to eat before bed to help you sleep
  • The most effective item in your bedroom to ensure a good night’s sleep
  • Why you shouldn’t turn on lights during the night and what to do instead if you have to get up
  • Which helps more for a good night’s rest: rising early or late in the morning?
  • And lots more about getting a full night of zzzzz’s.

When you click on the link for the report, it will ask your name and email and invite you to join Belleruth’s list. I encourage you to join so you learn not only about best practices for a good night’s sleep but you’ll also see all the resources Health Journeys offers for you, your family, friends and clients.

Belleruth also is the author of Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal, an award-winning book that explains why imagery is a best practice for posttraumatic stress.

Listening to her audios has made a huge difference in my life for my peace of mind, health and healing.  And I know it will help you, too.

And, finally, I want to share a book you might like by another friend of mine Marianne Schnall, author of What Will It Take To Make A Woman President?

Two weeks ago a number of Women on Fire members gathered in New York City to celebrate the release of Marianne’s book and to hear expert panelists on the topic of a woman becoming president.


Women on Fire members in New York City celebrate the release of What Will It Take To Make A Woman President? by Marianne Schnall. From left: Janina Serden Sebesky, Jan Nolte, me, Jenifer Madson and Eva Tenuto. (Photo by Amanda Chu)

During the panel, Marie Wilson, founder and president of The White House Project, suggested women join “circles of courage” to inspire and support each other to increase the chances of support for a woman president.

In the audience, we all smiled at each other, knowing that is exactly who Women on Fire are. We are circles of courage that lift up and light up each other to live our dreams.

So “bunny, bunny” to you and a good night’s sleep to us all.  And, maybe, just maybe someday soon there will be a female U.S. president!

Wishing you a terrific week ~

Sweet memories and a side-splitting performance

For those of you who are new to The Spark!, today is both an update and to shine the light on a Woman on Fire who is blazing brightly.

*This week’s Pinspiration*

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How well do you walk through the fire- womenonfire.com

I am in Huntsville, Alabama this weekend to attend a celebration of life service for my brother Steve and his wife Gaby. Married for 32 years, they died only weeks apart – on September 11 and November 9.

The compliment most often said about my brother during his life and after was “Steve would give you the shirt off of his back.”  And, indeed, he would.  In fact, more than a decade ago he gave Gaby one of his kidneys and prolonged her life and their life together.

While extremely difficult to have two people in our family die so close together, when I reach into my heart of hearts I am grateful they are together again – free from their illnesses and pain.

In this deeply sad time for all of us and especially for Steve and Gaby’s daughters who are in their 20s, it’s also been a precious time of coming together in a new configuration of family.  In the face of losing our first sibling, new family bonds have been formed and strengthened.

It’s been my saving grace to live in our Women on Fire community at this tender time in my life, and I am so grateful to you for your oceans of support.

Thank you.

Last week I had the comforting pleasure of being with Women on Fire members in New York City and Columbus.

In New York, I was utterly dazzled by the performance of one of our long-time members.  Sarah Elizabeth Greer wrote and starred in her own hilarious show – Bio-Hazard: A Relative Comedy.

I joined Women on Fire Holly GettyJanina Sebesky and Janette Barber to laugh the night away.  It was an honor and profound joy to see Sarah achieve her dream and! And to meet her mother Connie Greer and Sue Donor.

Sarah’s determination to transform her pain into radiant joy is extraordinary.

You’ll be seeing and hearing much more from Sarah when she shares her story of adoption in our upcoming book – Women on Fire: 21 Inspiring Women Share Their Life Secrets (and Save You Years of Struggle!), Vol. 2.

You’ll also recognize Sarah in our new book trailer.  Guaranteed, in her few seconds  in the video, she’ll put a smile on your face and maybe even make you laugh out loud!

And, in Columbus last week, Women on Fire members gathered at my favorite restaurant LaChatelaine (you know I love anything Paris-inspired!). We caught up with each other and discussed ideas for honoring our beloved Jane Juergens.

Through generosity that is so typical of Women on Fire, we will create a scholarship for a deserving woman (or several) to help her make it through the transition from one career or job to the one she truly wants (just as Jane successfully transitioned from a corporate job to her own company with the support of her Women on Fire sisters).

There will be a nomination and application process to select the recipients.

If you’d like to be part of a small committee to meet (can be virtual) to craft the details for the scholarship, please email me.

In next week’s SPARK!, we’ll feature tips and strategies to get a good night’s sleep (although after Thursday’s turkey fest, falling asleep may not be an issue at all!).

My wonderful, brilliant friend Belleruth Naparstek (she who launched the entire industry of guided imagery recordings) is offering us her special report on how to achieve restful sleep and get more zzzzzz’s in your life. Each day more information is coming to light about how very essential sleep is to our physical and emotional well being. Belleruth’s report couldn’t come at a better time.

So stay awake to get that!  And I’ll see you then.

After Steve and Gaby’s service, I’ll be back home on Martha’s Vineyard to have Thanksgiving with my husband Rob and close friends.   I am oh-so-ever grateful for all I have in this world – which includes wonderful you.

Have a beautiful, abundant Thanksgiving.