Category: Books

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Discovering A Sense of Purpose

I never had a problem rattling off a list of things I enjoyed doing, projects I loved getting involved with, and topics I loved teaching. Then one day I decided to learn to meditate and everything changed. 

The first meditation talked all about finding our deepest desire. Deepest Desire? What’s that? I wondered and moments later a new journey began in search of my deepest desire.

It didn’t take long before I began feeling like nothing I did was enjoyable. Tasks I once enjoyed, or at least tolerated, now ate at me from the inside out. What am I doing wrong? What has changed? Don’t every ask these questions if you’re not serious about getting the answers.

I began asking other questions, What do I really love? Not what can I do well, but what do I really enjoy? What feels exciting? What makes me want to laugh? What do I love doing more than anything else?

I asked and asked until I whittled it down to a simple statement. I love connecting people’s passion with opportunity. That was it! Above anything else I have ever done or hope do, making those connections is the top of the list, cream of the crop, it fulfills my deepest desire.

So what was going so wrong? The rub came in when I  did something that went against or took me out of my passion. 

I was connecting people to the door of opportunity (my passion) but instead of stopping at the door and letting them walk through on their own, I escorted them through the gates and then began to help them set up shop. The moment I walked through the door, the passion left and dread, frustration, resentment took hold. I’m not wired to help set up shop, I’m wired to explore possibilities, seek out opportunities, encourage others to follow their dreams, and brainstorm strategies. 

I have always loved teaching, I now understand that teaching isn’t the motivator. Rather, it’s the content that I’m teaching. Teaching about processes is deflating and my eyes are glued to the clock as an hour seems like a life times. It’s the complete opposite when I am teaching about possibilities and opportunities, connecting people to their potential – it’s in those classes that I have to remind myself that time exists.

Finding your passion and uncovering you deepest desire (or desires) is like putting a puzzle together. Its all about self-exploration. Looking at strengths, talents, and weaknesses. It’s about discovering where you are and seeing all the amazing things that have already happened that makes you – YOU!

You are unique. No one sees life through your eyes. No one taste chocolate the way you do. No one hears music the way you do. Only you can live the life you were designed to live. How awesome is that!!

When we find our passion and deepest desire, we create for ourselves a sense of purpose. Our passion and purpose becomes the funnel that we pour life through. We know what activities will build us up and which have the potential of drain us. We can pick and choose where we want to put our time and energy.

Discovering A Sense of Purpose is a new course rolling out this fall. Its a four part series that offers opportunities to explore who we are and what in life energizes and moves us closer to living a life full of passion. Fall classes are being organized.

Interested? YES!  Let’s do it! Let’s find out what makes you tick and where you should be spending your time and energy.

For more information click here and give me your info.

Join me and let’s get this party started!!

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Welcome

Welcome to my new home on the inter-web! It’s like moving from an apartment to a real house.

The Jeep is gone – not in real life, heavens no! Just the images. The jeep will be around for a long time. It does need new tires however. They’re starting to look like old Converse gym shoes, the ones that look great on top but have no traction. Every time I climb into my Jeeper I picture myself at 70, 80 even 90 swing my right leg in and pulling myself up. By that time it will be less about the jeep and more about, “Look what I can still do!!”

I’m using my full name now. No more jeanniegb. I wonder if that’s a sign that I’m more comfortable with who I am and not afraid to put  my name on it. But it could be that the names are almost equal in size and make a classy logo for the header. There are too many n’s in my name. My signature is a J followed by a bunch of humps, a B followed by a bunch of humps and is finished off with the tail of the g.

The brilliant designers at A+B|Photo+Design made this for me. It’s almost done. Feel free to take a tour. The road map is to your right. The only room that isn’t finished is “Available Books.”

Which has made me think about those books I’ve written in the past 9 years. Me, writing books!! All my english teachers would shake their heads in disbelief. Mom taught us to speak properly, which is a good thing cause I never understood any of the “rules of the english language”. I can tell you what a noun and a verb are, but that’s about all. And anyway, all we need to know is what it was and what it did, right?

Back to books…”What’s your favorite?” I get asked. That’s like asking “Who is your favorite kid?” The answer to both those questions changes regularly…

Mr Hobbins was the first and I love him (the book and character) dearly.

Your Wagon is a Saggin’ is all about emotions.

Lessons Learned in Retail Management is a tribute to my life in that world.

Memoir of Beatrice Miller makes me laugh just thinking about her and her crazy aunt, but mostly about the ways they get rid of people.

The Plan is my true love. Telling my favorite stories from the Bible as they layout in my mind. The Captive, A Story of Fear and Forgiveness (2018) is the sequel, and I may love it the best.

Living Unstuck, finding your joy is hot off the presses. It’s a game changer. It’s a life changers. I can say this because I’ve tested it’s contents and it has changed my life in ways I never dreamed possible.

So thanks for visiting my new home and allowing me to share some of my favorite things with you. Come back often. I hope you find warmth and comfort here. Next time bring a friend and maybe we can share a glass of wine while we watch the sun setting over the ocean. Cheers!

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Your Wagon is a Saggin’

Your WagonYour Wagon is a Saggin’

 Written Jeannie Bruenning

Illustrated by Austyn Ford

Your Wagon is a Saggin’ records the journey of a young boy named Philip learn how to deal with three very difficult emotions: Sadness, Angry, and I Don’t Understand. These three emotions are represented as rocks that have been keeping young Philip’s wagon, or life, down and the load has become too heavy to carry.

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Mr. Hobbins

CoverImage-SIZED

 

 

Mr. Hobbins

Written by Jeannie Bruenning
Illustrated by Carolyn S Kuether

After realizing that possessions can never return love, Mr. Hobbins learns the important lesson that people are more valuable than eve the most beautiful things.

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The Captive

Captive cover sm

The Captive

Forgiveness seemed unattainable and fear dominated their existence. Incapable of making the journey to freedom alone, they needed a champion, someone to lock arm and arm and lead them to freedom.

Life for the Humans and Fallen Souls change as Jael returns to the Kingdom, Konnory takes on Turayn, Magnor gets his battle, Quaine finds forgiveness, and Palti remains a question.

The Captive is the second in The Plan Series.

Available on Amazon in paperback or eBook.

For a signed copy click here and place order.

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Why We Publish

It all begins with an idea. It can hit us in the shower, driving on the freeway, or observing strangers in a store. A few hours later we find ourselves still thinking about it and finally admit, “There is something there.”

A day, or week, a month or years later we begin the journey of making this idea into a story. We create characters that never existed before and places that have never been built. But in our minds they are as real as those sitting across from us at the dinner table.

When we finally feel our story has substance, we share it with a few close friends and hope they love it as much as we do. This is when the real work begins. We wait, hoping the reaction will confirm that we are indeed authors. Those first reviews are as stressful as they are mixed – Why is it that our dearest friends feel the need to point out all the spelling errors, missing punctuation, and font size before they tell us what they think of the story?

We forgive them for being insensitive, take their advise and begin to rework our story as more time passes. We have a few more people read it and once again, wait for the reviews. Eventually we finish the rewrites and proudly admit, “Its done…well maybe…I hope so…I don’t want to write ever again…I’ll read it one more time…”

When we finally write the last line, we have completed an enormous task, one that few will ever accomplish. As we look back over the process we remember the pain, the late nights, the frustration. We also remember who we were when this all started and who we’ve become because we stuck with it. THAT is why we should publish our work, that is why we should not be satisfied with it living in our computers or in a notebook. Publishing your work is the evidence of an idea, the measurement of your commitment, the proof of your existence.

A book is the physical manifestation of an idea!