Transformational Stories

The stories in this work describe depth psychological experiences of persons who often ended up in psychiatric hospitals. Beyond suffering and pain, these person's stories show a spirit and courage which led them to become advocates or artists. Many of the authors are well known and part of a national and international movement, advocating for rights of those in the psychiatric system. This work also includes a handful of professionals who may not have been hospitalized, but have found effective methods to help those in distress. Read this work if you want to see what happens in intense psychological experiences, and how the path to healing has been discovered.

The thirteenth Tarot card is Death, and he is a symbol not of the end, but of transformation and rebirth. This is the genesis and root of Thirteen: Stories of Transformation. The twenty-eight authors of this collection are voices—new and old—who are not afraid to explore what comes next. Whether it be a life after death, a life without love, a life filled with hunger, or the life shared by a ghost. These are stories of the weird, the mythic, the fantastic, the futuristic, the supernatural, and the horrific. The ghosts of the past have been eaten by the children of the future: this endless cycle of birth, death, and renewal is the magic of thirteen. Do not fear change. Embrace it. Let Thirteen be the handbook for the new you. With stories from: Liz Argall M. David Blake Richard Bowes George Cotronis Amanda C. Davis Julie C. Day Jetse de Vries Jennifer Giesbrecht Daryl Gregory Rik Hoskin Rebecca Kuder Claude Lalumière Marc Levinthal Grá Linnaea Alex Dally MacFarlane Juli Mallett Lyn McConchie Fiona Moore Gregory L. Norris Adrienne J. Odasso Cat Rambo Andrew Penn Romine David Tallerman Tais Teng Richard Thomas Fran Wilde A. C. Wise Christie Yant

Clutter: it’s not just the piles of junk in your closet. It’s also the nagging thoughts, endless to-do lists, and calendar full of obligations. It’s the fears and worries that cycle through your mind on repeat, and the sticky emotional energy that you pick up from the people around you. It’s the sense of panicky suffocation you feel when you contemplate all that you “have” to accomplish in a day, a week, or a lifetime. For almost thirty years, Stephanie Bennett Vogt has been teaching the art of clearing clutter at every level: physical, energetic, mental, and emotional. Her unique “slow-drip” approach to clearing is a welcome antidote to popular binge-cleaning methods that leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. With her practical tips and step-by-step guidance, you’ll learn how to identify the root causes of clutter, create a personalized clutter-clearing plan, and break the endless cycle of clutter accumulation. Completely revised and updated with even more inspiring stories, helpful exercises, and insightful advice, Your Spacious Self: Clear the Clutter and Discover Who You Are, 10th Anniversary Edition is the ultimate guide to transforming your home and life.

A complete yearlong course in clearing yourself of excess stress and stuff, this book features short contemplations, personal stories, tools, tips, one-minute practices, guided meditations, and wonderful questions to help readers create spaciousness in their lives. Stephanie Bennett Vogt will teach you how to unplug, detach, and clear to create more space and serenity in your life, what she describes as “the sacred process of removing clutter from both your house and your mind.” Included are 365 daily lessons organized into 52 weekly segments, with each lesson building on the others to develop one’s clearing muscle and grow new habits that will last a lifetime. The week usually begins with a personal story to introduce the theme and ends on the 7th day with a “Check In” to review and integrate the experience. Sprinkled throughout are meditations, Q&As, and testimonials. At the end of each lesson the author gives the reader an opportunity to “explore” a topic with several open-ended statements designed to bypass the thinking mind and open the channels to one’s highest wisdom. Weekly themes covered include: Moving Stuck EnergyConnecting with HomeBeing EnoughShining Light on Invisible ClutterLiving ImperfectlyWaiting It OutCultivating StillnessForgivingFlourishing

A collection of short stories highlights lycanthropy with a twist and includes contributions by R. A. Salvatore, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Peter David, Craig Shaw Gardner, Julia Ecklar, and Jody Lynn Nye. Original.

What kind of a makeover has the power to change a person, inside and out? These stories, specially written for this collection, delve into our culture’s fascination with beauty and present different views about all kinds of makeovers. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and always thought provoking, this anthology will open eyes and minds. Authors include Joseph Bruchac, Marina Budhos, Evelyn Coleman, Peni R. Griffin, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Norma Howe, Jess Mowry, René Saldaña, Jr., Marilyn Singer, Joyce Sweeney, and Terry Trueman.

Lessons Learned from Stories of Adult Intentional Change that led to Sustained Transformation, and their implications for Organizational Change and Transformation. This book yields insights about individual circumstances surrounding personal change journeys and how they eventually emerged into a new life of meaning, purpose and destiny. Are the processes of change and transformation the same? What provokes self-initiated (intentional) change in midlife? In a compelling study Inspiring Lives: Personal Stories of Sustained Transformation, author Myrna Araneta, Ph.D., examines the circumstances and processes involved in self-initiated and transformative adult change that yields insights about why and how people intentionally change in midlife. Using descriptive metaphors from nature, this book reveals some lessons learned that offer insights to individuals who will need to undergo a similar journey and their lessons and implications for organizational change and transformation. This book reveals that multiple circumstances that provoked transformative change include external experiences that created internal crises, dilemmas, discomfort, and the leap of faith to innovate one’s life. Findings also suggest that pathways to successful transformation is not one long straight road from a starting point to a finish line but, that it unfolds as a lengthy, evolving, and challenging process. An enlightening read, Inspiring Lives: Personal Stories of Sustained Transformation is filled with insights and lessons that can be utilized and implemented by others seeking to create their own process of change that may lead to personal transformation.

The Transformational Odyssey was written to help those individuals who are facing difficult life transitions, and who are attempting to successfully navigate tough life decisions and engage in deep self-discovery. Unlike other self-help books that attempt to provide readers with homespun advice for addressing difficult life challenges, The Transformational Odyssey shows readers how to take charge of their self-growth and development. It does this by providing readers with several applied techniques for engaging in deep self-learning in a more profound and fundamentally life-changing way. The title, The Transformational Odyssey, reflects the book’s integrative metaphor of transformational learning as a personal odyssey of self-discovery. The word “odyssey” connotes a long, and sometimes arduous and meandering journey. Although an odyssey may present the traveler with unexpected trials and challenges, in the end it may yield increased wisdom and knowledge. Building on this metaphor, The Transformational Odyssey introduces readers to eight passages that they will inevitably encounter during their own personal odysseys of self-discovery. Each of these passages involves a uniquely different learning challenge that, as it is successfully navigated, increases the reader’s capacity for self-growth. The Transformational Odyssey is written in a conversational style, as if the author were sitting down next to the reader to share my forty-plus years of experience as a personal coach and life transition counselor. Since different people learn in different ways, this book incorporates a variety of different learning methods, including actual cases, exercises, suggested actions, famous quotes, and metaphors. For those readers to would like to dig deeper on a given topic, at the end of each chapter the author has included a separate section that introduces readers to related cutting-edge research in the field of human psychology. The topics included in these sections cover such areas as mindfulness, meditation, narratives, and future selves. ENDORSEMENTS "The Road to self-discovery is one that has been traveled before. The Transformational Odyssey explores this journey in a unique and different way, by beginning at the intersection of academic exploration and the examination of authentic experiences. Robert Barner finds ways to challenge his readers, while also guiding each person in a way that is most logical and emotionally transcendent to them. And he does so in an insightful, compelling way. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to be vulnerable and wants to grow." ~ Kevin Beachum Jr. - NFL Athlete, Investor, Speaker, Philanthropist "This is a dazzlingly ambitious book and it does not disappoint. Thought-provoking, compelling, and an extraordinary source of scientifically-based insight for anyone seeking to improve their lives." ~ Jim Loehr, Best Selling Author, Co-Founder of The Human Performance Institute "The Transformational Odyssey enlists the reader in a powerful journey, grounded in their own creative imagination and wells of inspiration. This road of self-renewal is exciting and dangerous and the work is not for the timid. Robert Barner knows the territory intimately and is a guide you can both trust and enjoy." ~ Charles J. Palus, Senior Fellow, Center for Creative Leadership "In The Transformational Odyssey, Dr. Robert Barner offers what few self-help books do a research-based journey into self-awareness leading to real and sustained change. In embarking on this journey, readers will become more attuned to their experiences, more open to others, and more effective leaders, partners, parents and friends. I highly recommend this book for those courageous enough to encounter transformational learning!" ~ Jaime Goff, Certified Executive Coach and President, The Empathic Leader, LLC.