Angie’s non-fiction (Gems of Wisdom series) and inspirational fiction is described as intense, insightful, and inspirational…
Here is a little taste…
Introduction
From a Personal Place:
I ran from the room. Door after door in the sterile clinic kept me out. Out in the hall. Out in public where privacy became the mythical siren song. I needed seclusion and I needed it now – before I fell apart.
The final door swung into an empty treatment room that smelled of medicinal alcohol. I thought the heavy door closed behind me only to have the nurse catch it. I turned to beg for a moment, just one moment to be alone. But there was no holding back. My eyes closed, shutting out the panic in her face, as my head and shoulders slammed against the wall. Sucker punched with loss, I slid down the white paint.
“Are you okay?” She called from somewhere above me.
I’d hit the cold tiles – and bottom of a cold, dark mineshaft – as my hopes careened into the fan of reality and came out the other side chomped to bits. Misery, at this moment, did not want company. I could not restore my mother’s health or sanity. No drug, no doctor would make it all better. Nothing I could do would change anything. I could almost see the chopped bits of hope explode into dust all around me. Mom was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at twenty-three, a mother of two, around my second birthday. I never had that close mother/daughter relationship – and now I never would. I had to accept that no medication would miraculously give me the mother I’d always craved. I’d held that hope my entire life.
My brain, heart, and hopes all jumbled as if in a rock tumbler. The barrel rotated over and over raw, tender nerves. Grit rubbed every surface, every nook and cranny until my spirit felt sandblasted. What was left? How would I help her now?
Maybe it took me hitting bottom. You know, that place where there is nothing and nowhere but up? I might as well start inching toward the lip of the pit one way or another or never see light again.
I shiver still thinking about that time, that emotional void. It was very dark down in that hole.
Were valuable gems waiting to be discovered? Could there be another way out if I followed the rock-hewn cave? How was I supposed to see in the suffocating dark?
Pique Points:
- How dark is the place you are right now?
- Have your hopes come face to face with reality?
- Are you lost in the dark mineshaft looking for the way up and out?
Let’s strike a match, light the space right here, for a moment. Catch our bearings and read on. You may choose to search for your own treasures as we did. What tools will uncover the gems of wisdom that make this journey successful? We invite you on an adventure of discovery. One that reveals not only the hidden treasure, but also the pirates that try to steal it, all those challenges that fight everything from common sense and logic to battling all the love inside us. Come along and fill your own treasure chest. Challenge your pirates and win the jewels of wisdom to triumph over the Pirate King and his crew. You are in the battle of life and you can win. You must win!
This book is the map, sharing the booty and the defeat of the pirates from people in many different walks of life. We’re your captain and crew here to help navigate the changes ahead until you can pilot your own vessel, plot your own course to find the gems of wisdom and fill your treasure chest.
Here’s what you’ll find on the journey:
Pique Points: Thought-provoking questions and questionnaires.
Ponder Points: Tidbits to entice an open mind.
Personal Places: Tender and true stories, from the hearts of volunteers, shared to help others.
Pirates: Those cutthroat negative attitudes, situations and feelings that get in the way of healthy living presented through fictional allegory.
Putting It All Together: Tying all the loose ends together in each chapter so it’s easy to understand and easy to then put into practice.
Polishing Point: Real life options to solve real life dilemmas and suggestions on how to put them into practice.
Gems: Gems of wisdom awarded as new concepts are learned along the treasure hunt route.
Definitions: A little more perspective on some words and ideas sprinkled through the book.
Tips: Tried and true, these are little gem chips that have worked for others.
Ahoy there, Matey. Welcome aboard.
Battle Your Pirates–And Win! Gems of Wisdom Series Book 1
Topical Outline
Chapter 1 What’s Fair? (Gemstone: Tanzanite- Pirate: Injustice)
Chapter 2 Acceptance (Gemstone: Moonstone- Pirates: Magical Thinking & Denial)
Chapter 3 Opalescence (Gemstone: Opal- Pirates: Ownership)
Chapter 4 Courage (Gemstone: Obsidian- Pirates: Fear & Short term thinking)
Chapter 5 Reframing (Gemstone: Garnet-Pirates: Rumination, Destructive Scripts & Assumptions)
Chapter 6 Forgiveness (Gemstone: Bloodstone- Pirates: Martyrdom, Anger & Unforgiveness)
Chapter 7 The Secret of Being Proactive (Gemstone: Zircon- Pirates: Ignorance, Emotion & Reactivity)
Chapter 8 The Adventure of Confidence (Gemstone: Spinel-Pirates: Worry & Perfectionism)
Chapter 9 Mercy (Gemstone: Aquamarine-Pirates: Unreasonable Expectations)
Chapter 10 Self-Care (Gemstone: Amethyst- Pirates: Fatigue, Busyness & Chaos)
Chapter 11 Paradigm (Gemstone: Mother of Pearl- Pirates: Self-Defeating behaviors Frustration, Helplessness, Pessimism & Negativity)
Chapter 12 Radiance (Gemstone: Sunstone- Pirate: Shame)
Chapter 13 Courtesy (Gemstone: Jade- Pirate: Impatience)
Chapter 14 Consideration (Gemstone: Alexandrite- Pirates: Arguments, Confrontation and Logic (I have to be right regardless of the outcome)
Chapter 15 Teambuilding (Gemstone: Tourmaline- Pirates: Power & Control)
Chapter 16 Filtering (Gemstone: Iolite- Pirate: Misconceptions)
Chapter 17 The Secret Treasures of Education and Knowledge (A chest full of wise gems)
Epilogue: You must win and with the experienced wisdom you’ve gained, you will win!