This giveaway is now closed. Thank you so much to everyone who participated!
I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time, and I’m so excited that it’s here!
A dear friend of mine, Julia Fehrenbacher did something that is so inspiring and amazing: she leaped toward her dream of publishing her own book of poetry and art. And she did it! Her book, On the Other Side of Fear is sitting right next to me as I write this.
To make her dream a reality, she pushed past all of her fears and said yes to her soul – that part of her who is so wise and so loving. That part of her who knew that this was what she was meant to do. That part of her who knew that her words and art would touch so many lives. That part of her who knew that she wouldn’t be fully living if she didn’t say yes to this inner longing.
And today I get to share her creation with you! I must say that I had high hopes for this book. I had the honor of being behind the scenes as Julia was putting it together, and I knew that it was going to be good. If you follow her beautiful blog, Painted Path, you know that she always comes from her heart and writes wonderfully.
So, yes – I knew it was going to be good. Great, even. But I had no idea that it was going to be so moving. I had no idea that her soul was going to reach out to my soul so deeply and ask me to hold hands with her throughout our journey. I had no idea that tears would stream down my face as I read it – tears of knowing and joy and a deep, deep love. No, I had no idea.
So, yes, I’m excited to share that love and beauty with you here today. Julia has graciously offered to give one copy away + she’s offered a discount to the Soul Speak community!
So, let me tell you about this amazing book and then share a conversation that we had. If you scroll to the end, you’ll see how you can win it. Plus, you’ll get to see how to order it now + receive a special gift from me!
On the Other Side of Fear is the kind of book that you’ll want to keep next to you at all times. It’s like caffeine for the soul. Anytime our inner world is dragging a little bit and we’re feeling lost or alone, Julia’s book reminds us that we are all on this journey together – it reminds us that everything is exactly how it needs to be. It reminds us that it’s okay to feel unsure or afraid. It reminds us that we are loved.
It contains over 25 heart-centered poems + 12 beautiful paintings.
Such as these:
I Am
It’s not that I don’t want to feel
the wind
of a thousand wild storms
or dance in the blaze
of one electrifying kiss
It’s just that, in the midst
of it all
I want to be
clear
like crystal is clear
calm
like that old sleepy oak
So deep down rooted
and wide-armed welcoming
of what
IS
that even when the ground trembles
and crumbles
beneath me
I See
like the mountain Sees
I Am
the life-giving
Breath
at the center
of it all
I could read this book over and over and over again. I love it that much. It truly is a work of art and a message from one soul to another.
Please keep reading to learn how you can win a copy! Also, you can order a copy now at a special discount + receive a bonus gift from me!
What does the other side of fear look like to you? How does it feel?
The other side of fear looks like movement without apology, showing up absolutely real and true. It looks like closing my eyes and lifting my head to the sky. It looks like deep listening and not holding back. It looks like letting go of trying to control with my little limited self and opening wide to magic. It looks like creating with abandon, deep breaths—freefalling. It feels like empowerment, abundance, freedom, wide open possibility, expansiveness—love.
I truly admire you for making the conscious choice to reach past your comfort zone and live in that space of both uncertainty and also complete certainty. How do you stay there?
Thank you, Jodi.
To answer your question, I don’t! I’m realizing that I don’t ever stay anywhere. Things ebb and flow and flow and ebb. Everything is always moving, never staying the same. The minute my little self tries to get in there and make something stay, squeeze something into a tight little box, I find myself flailing all over the place, reaching for something that doesn’t exist anywhere but inside of me. My practice is to constantly bring myself back to what IS, to what is right here, right now—to that place beyond the mind where everything is perfect just as it is.
I was asked recently what my deepest fear at its very core was, and I realized it was that I wouldn’t be good enough. It seems that we both share this fear. How do you step outside of it and continue to show up for yourself in spite of it?
I heard recently that at the root of all of our suffering is feeling not good enough—is the feeling that somehow it’s not okay to show up just as we are. To hone in on this more closely, I would say we’re afraid of being perceived by others as not being good enough. I’m constantly amazed at how much we give up (our dreams, our self-empowerment, our freedom/need to express) because we’re afraid of what others will think—afraid that “they” won’t like or approve of what we do.
In my experience, these broken-record-fear-voices that insist I’m not enough or insist that others won’t think I’m enough, don’t ever go away! But (thankfully) I’ve learned that I don’t need to let fear run the show anymore. At any moment, I can choose to quiet these scared voices, or move in spite of them. We are not our fearful thoughts. We are not our fearful thoughts. Beneath all the noise, at our core, we are love. My intention, my practice, is to always be identifying with this sacred essence, to allow it (not fear) to run the show and propel me forward.
I have a feeling that your paintings and poems are like children to you – each very special in their own way. Given that, it would probably be hard to choose a favorite. So, rather than asking which one is your favorite, could you share which one(s) carry the most energy even now when you go back and read them/look at them? Which ones still bring tears to your eyes? Which ones are the closest to your soul – your purest essence?
The piece that comes to mind is the painting entitled “Fearless Me” which is the painting on the cover of my book. If there is any creation where l I truly surrendered in the midst of creating, it was this one. The process of painting this felt like a moment by moment letting go, of getting out of the way and allowing something powerful to move through me. Though my mind desperately tried to control the process, I was able to, in each moment, open and allow an essence to move though me. Creating this painting was truly a powerful, liberating, soul-touching experience and showed me with such clarity what can happen if we’re willing to get out of the way and fully trust the process.
Aside from how amazing the content of your book is – the beautifully moving poems and the vibrant, heart-felt paintings – I love how it went from being a dream to a reality that I can hold in my hands. Can you share a bit about how it feels to be the author of such a beautiful book – to have followed your dream and made it come true?
I feel liberated, scared, relieved, vulnerable, empowered, full of doubt, full of faith— pretty much the whole spectrum of human emotions, and they seem to change from moment to moment!
What does your soul want you to know right now in this very moment?
It wants me to know that I can embrace ALL of who I am, that I can continue to move despite the fear, that I can absolutely trust this intuitive knowing that is always right here when I slow down and listen.
What gift do you hope to leave with anyone who reads your beautiful book?
I hope they feel more loved, more courageous, more empowered and inspired to move toward their greatest heart desires. I hope they are left feeling like they can embrace themselves and show up just as they, that—despite the fear, they can take one baby step at a time toward what is calling them.
Is there anything else that you would like to share?
Please know that you are never alone. Please, above all else, trust yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others; you are incomparable. Know that you are surrounded by angels and they are cheering you on every step of the way. Stop letting others decide your worth. Know that you are just right exactly as you are. If you get stuck in fear, remember that you are not your fear and find a way to connect to that sacred, real-you essence. Know that showing up as you, as love, is the greatest gift you can give to yourself and the world.
Jodi, thank you so much for opening your sacred space to me—for honoring me with these heart-activating questions. Knowing you are right here beside me, committed to moving through fear and opening wide to love and possibility, is such a gift and comfort to me.
You are so welcome. I am so grateful that we’re on this journey together. ♥
Julia is graciously giving away one copy of her book, On the Other Side of Fear!
Entering is super easy!
- Follow Painted Path and Soul Speak on Facebook.
- Leave a comment below sharing one leap that you are ready to take in your own life. 🙂
One lucky winner will be chosen randomly on 7/19.
Good luck!
Julia is offering a 10% discount off On the Other Side of Fear to everyone in the Soul Speak Community!
Be sure to enter coupon code: beyou when you check out. Hurry though! This coupon expires on 7/21!
I am also giving away one Soulful Journal ebook of your choice when you order!
Please click on the photo to see all of our journals. Then email me your purchase order number + your ebook choice. Yay!
Definitely come back here after you receive Julia’s book and share your thoughts about it. I hope you love it as much as I do. It’s straight from her heart to ours. I can’t imagine anything better than that.
Please help spread the world about this beautiful book by sharing this post on Facebook and Twitter!
P.S. – Want to hear the “behind the scenes” interview for the book? Click here to listen to this beautiful interview with Julia and Alia Indrawan!
Precious Jodi. I’m really without words right now…just the hugest kind of love stirring inside. I’m so deeply grateful for this, for you, for our beautiful connection.
I hope you can feel that my thank you comes from every little part of me.
So so much love,
Julia
I’m ready to stop being fearful of commitment. That will look like me owning that my fear is making me a porcupine in my relationship. Guess I have to take off the quills.
Thanks Jodi for sharing Julia’s amazing talents and book with us!
The one leap I am ready to make in my life is to focus on my “Love is all that Matters” project. It’s been dormant for a long time – and this seems to be right time to launch it:-)
Oh! This is so powerful. I am in a space and place where I am poised to leap into the unknown. I have had a traumatic year and my old life is gone, leaving me standing on a moving floor with broken boards revealing holes into a gaping dark chasm. I am prepared to allow my life to take me where it will and though I am so afraid, I will relinquish my need to control and just listen to my heart.
As you said in the interview, both of you shared a fear of not being good enough. Count me in the group too. This has caused relationship issues, self-esteem problems, depression, and health concerns. I feel that I’m now moving in the right direction and that I am ready to take bigger steps forward, to move past my fear or inspite of my fear.
Just as it is supposed to work, this came at exactly the right time for me. The leap I am ready to take i my life right now is trusting and surrendering and knowing I am enough!
Jodi, thank you for this wonderful post! As you know, I’ve enjoyed following you for a while. Now, I’m delighted to learn about Julia and follow her as well. Lovely, soulful poetry and paintings – thank you for sharing! I already took one leap – that’s what Choosing the Better Life is all about – by leaving life in the States as a big-city lawyer and moving to a tiny island in the Bahamas. Now, thanks in part to your prompt today, I’m “ready enough” to take the next leap, declare myself a writer (gulp) and do something about it! Thank you.
I am ready to trust that I can be exactly who I am and still be loved.
What a wonderful and important dialogue this interview turned into. Thank you for the inspiration, Julia and Jodi!
Hey Jodi and Julia, thanks so much for your beautiful work and inspiring story! so great to “meet” you through the circle.
The leap I took most recently: I quit my corporate job and started my coaching/mentoring business within a month, and acknowledge my gift of intuition – opening up about it with friends (who are mostly conservative) and using it to help more people…there are so many layers of authenticity and I am working to discover at deepest level 🙂
love to you all
Yiye
Jodi, thank you for featuring Julia and her beautiful book. I just finished reading it for the first time, and like you said, it’s the type of book I’ll want to keep nearby because it speaks to my spirit. I can open to any page and Spirit’s voice is there, loving and reminding me of the truth—that I am enough, and things are just as they should be.
On The Other Side Of Fear is a living treasure. Thank you Julia for sharing yourself in such an honest and powerful way. Your book will yield fruit for many years to come.
Thank you for sharing this fascinating interview.
The biggest leap I’ve made recently is….hmm…I have three contenders actually. Probably the biggest is a leap I’m taking right now, as I step up to teaching about chakras – I’ve wanted to do it for while but always felt not ‘experty’ enough. And now I’m doing my first private teleclass next week, which has attracted lots of interest. So exciting/butterly inducing!
Jodi and Julia,
Thank you for being such a beautiful inspiration.
I believe that so many of us can relate to “enoughness” “Did I do or say too much? Did I say or do not enough? These words can echo in so many of our minds.
My leap is to believe, I do enough, I have enough, and I am enough.
Jodi, I always, always know when your page opens that I’m stepping into a beautiful, soul enriching world. And once again, here it is. The interview was inspiring and the comments of your readers filled with a richness of love. No surprises there Jodi ~ we get who we are ~ and you my friend are a being of light.
Elle
xoxo
I’m so completely inspired & touched by each of your responses. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your beautiful, way-more-than-enough selves. What incredible things you are all doing and aspiring to do.
With love & gratitude,
Julia
I’m ready to start playing again! Life is too short and too serious!
What an inspiring interview. Thank you. My personal goal this year is to work on my book and finish it. 🙂 Thank you, Jodi and Julia!
Jodi – it is always wonderful to come here. I know I am going to feel good!
Julia – the poem and painting are just beautiful. Thank you for sharing a glimpse!
Love to you both, Vidya
My path crossed yours this morning and woke me up in so many ways. I am off to paint and love fearlessly.
Jodi and Julia!
This looks like a great book, with beautiful illustrations, too! Put me on the list for the giveaway!!
Hugs!
Leap into the heart of my inner circle of committed souls in the hope of discovering the Circle of Life.
I actually am interested with the giveaway here.. I hope a lot of people can benefit from this kind of interview.. Thanks for the chance!
I am going to leap into trusting my intuition more!
This is an amazing and beautiful place that I discovered via Julia’ Painted Path. Blessings to both of you!
This looks like a really great book, one that I would really enjoy. Thank you for sharing this interview too.
One leap that I’m ready to make is putting myself out there and making connections with others more.
“Fear of not being good enough”…definitely! I’ve managed to shed some of “other people’s opinions” but still have to deal with what I’ve internalized.
Thanks for your wonderful interview. So nice to find your blog, too!
The book looks so beautiful and inspiring. I have taken two leaps–I have cut back my work from full time to 80% so I can have time to work on my writing/art and I sent a query letter for my novel to 2 agents. I don’t know if it sounds like a leap, but both of these took a lot of courage for me.
I’m ready to go back to school! 🙂
I recently took a leap back into the corporate world and I feel like it’s the best thing I could do for my own professional development and personal growth. I’m learning again and pushing myself to my limits and I love it. I know that this will only continue to motivate me to my goals of opening my own business in the future and I’m so glad that I took this chance.
Julia’s poem is beautiful. Her poetry is so wonderful and pulls at the heart strings.
I am taking a huge leap of faith in my life by stepping out and declaring to the universe that I am ready to play with the big kids! I have allowed myself to think small or expect a certain level of income as my work is spiritual in nature. Which is ridiculous! I own my value, my truth, my skills, and talents, and am ready to serve in a bigger and bolder way than I have ever showed up before!!!
Congratulations to Miriam for winning this giveaway!
Thank you so much to everyone who entered. It is so inspiring to read how you’re each leaping and dreaming and ending up on the other side of fear in your own lives. I love it!
Remember that Julia is offering 10% off through Saturday + you can choose an ebook as a free gift when you order!
Yay!