Finding the Peace
I am excited to share that I have written and published a book called Finding the Peace. Finding the Peace is a memoir of my journey through depression and finding wholeness, finding the peace. I first decided to write this book because of my work with clients over the years. As clients struggled with anxiety, depression, or other difficulties that left them feeling hopeless, I felt drawn to reassure them that there really was hope. In my own experience of conquering depression, I knew that there was hope, and that they could heal and be whole too. Sometimes, as I worked with clients, I would share parts of my own journey to let them know that they could find their way out of the black hole. I also shared to help normalize the journey each of us takes by taking the judgment out of it, accepting it, and using the pain to motivate us to grow and heal.
However, as I wrote, the book evolved. Yes, it is a story of a woman’s journey through depression and how she can come out on the other side of the depression as a whole person, maybe for the first time in her life. It is a story of her finding her essence and becoming authentic with herself, learning to listen and be true to her own knowing. But the story evolved into much more. It became a story about how we can navigate through our difficult times and change our lives by looking at situations in a different way.
I live with the premise that life has a perfect order, that I am exactly where I need to be at this moment. I didn’t always believe this, but through my journey, I have been blessed with the gift of being able to see how the pieces of my life actually fit together. Each event or hardship became a stepping-stone in my growth, training me and preparing me for the next phase of my life. The perfection of how my life has played out has been beyond anything I could have come up with had I tried to map out my life. My perceived negative moments and painful experiences provided the opportunities I needed to find myself by digging deep and touching my soul. The gift of finding myself, developing who I was, and stepping into this person fully is the real story.
This is our life work. We are to develop who we are and step fully into our authentic self. Sometimes pain is the only motivator that will make us take the time to look within, listen to ourselves, and consider what we need to change in our lives. We usually don’t chose to make significant changes when we are comfortable. When we can grow through our difficult times, we have used our experiences for something bigger and better. And with that we bless the world.
Everyone has a story. To see the greater good in our own story, we may have to adjust how we look at life. We may have to search for meaning in why this moment is in perfect order. But if the moment helps us in finding and embracing our authentic self, then we have been gifted. My hope is that my story will help the readers consider their own story, the challenges that life brings us and how to use these challenges as a path to finding the peace within ourselves.
Join me in blogging about this at www.finding-the-peace.com or check out our facebook page Finding the Peace. My book is available online through www.wholenessheali.wpenginepowered.com and Amazon.com in both hard copy and e-book form. It is available as an e-book through Nook. Hastings Book store is also carrying the book.
I am pleased to sign all copies purchased through Wholeness Healing Center. You can also stay up-to-date on Finding the Peace happenings through my Finding the Peace blog, Facebook page, Linkedin group and Twitter. I am blogging every Monday and will be sharing Finding the Peace book excerpts throughout the week.
Tags: Finding the PeaceABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janie Pfeifer Watson
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner- Janie Pfeifer Watson, LICSW, is the founder and director of Wholeness Healing Center, a mental health practice in Grand Island, Nebraska with remote sites in Broken Bow and Kearney. Her expertise encompasses a broad range of areas, including depression, anxiety, attachment and bonding, coaching, couples work, mindfulness, trauma, and grief. She views therapy as an opportunity to learn more about yourself as you step more into being your authentic self. From her perspective this is part of the spiritual journey; on this journey, she serves as a mirror for her clients as they get to know themselves—and, ultimately, to love themselves.
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