Author: Kimberly Novak

Kimberly Novak is a wife, mother, author, retreat facilitator, and Spiritual Director. Her passion to inspire, and motivate those on a spiritual journey has bloomed into various ministries. Kimberly’s mission is to enhance each journey by guiding others where the light of strength is…God’s love. Her debut children’s book will be released in the spring/summer of 2022. Her writings and blog are at KimberlyNovak.com.

Facing Fear

Published on by Kimberly NovakLeave a comment

At the beginning of  May I wrote  a post about fear and a leap of faith.  Within that post I mentioned being in Hawaii and snorkeling with the fish and how much fun it was once I had allowed myself to face that fear.  Well, this week I found an underwater camera I had forgotten to get developed.  I was so excited to see all the beautiful pictures I had taken that day.  I remember being pretty nervous in the open water but I never anticipated how nervous I actually looked.  I had managed to snap a photo of myself underwater and I was stunned to see the fear in my eyes; a midst the happy memories of my trip I had forgotten about the fear I had to face in order to get there.

Surprisingly, what I remember about that day is not that I was afraid.  I remember the brilliantly blue sky; how fun it was to kayak in the open water; being among my friends; and how beautiful nature is.  Those are my memories, the picture however, tells a completely different story.  I can see the fear in my face; the wide-set eyes; the wrinkles on my forehead; and the general look of shock.  So why can’t I remember the fear that I was obviously facing?

I believe it has to do with the outcome.  Think about it, if you take yourself back to a time when you were afraid and it did not turn out the way you wanted you will always remember feeling that fear and it will force you to not want to go down that road again.  For example my first roller-coaster ride did not go so well.  I was with someone who was 6ft 4″, I am 4ft 11″; because of our height difference the lap bar would not hold me in securely and with each hill I thought for sure I was going to fall out.  I never went on another roller-coaster again.  The memory of that moment is complete and utter fear and I would not dare to face it again.

So why is the snorkeling different?  I can see in the pic I was terrified and I remember how I felt leading up to that moment before I leaped off the kayak, but I would definitely do it again, because it had a good outcome. My reward was seeing the vibrant colors of the fish below me; how softly the water flowed over me as I paddled along; and being truly happy once I resolved to sticking my face in the water and actually looking at the beauty that surrounded me.

We can’t always know how things are going to turn out, and I had several of those instances during my divorce, but there have been rewards.  I can’t say I have good memories of what I went through but that situation has produced different kinds of rewards.  I have become who I was meant to be; gained confidence in myself as a woman, and mother; strengthened bonds with family; met some amazing people; re-kindled some past relationships; and most importantly learned that facing fear will not kill me!

We all have different fears, public speaking (myself included); water; heights; karaoke; spiders; snakes; boats; airplanes, the list can go on forever.  There is one fear that we all have in common and that is Facing It!  Admit it, each one of us is afraid to face fear no matter how small or large it  is.  It is a natural instinct to be afraid of something you are not sure about.  

Imagine how disappointed I would have been had I not jumped into the water that day.  I would’ve been forced to stay in the kayak and watch my friends making their rewarding memories.  I am extremely happy with the choice I made.  I can honestly say that I am happy that I was able to face my fears of my life trial as well.  Even though it did not have the same outcome, it has made a positive impact in my life and I’m so proud  that I can now see what they are.

I’d love for you to share your fears and outcomes!

Kimberly

Courageous Butterfly

6/10/12

I found my Passion!

Published on by Kimberly Novak2 Comments

One year ago I sat in a conference room at a retreat and after listening to several people speak, and watching a few videos  I was asked the question “What is your passion?”  I had no answer and I was devastated.  For years my passion was wife and mother.  Don’t get me wrong that was very fulfilling for me and I would not trade it for the world.  But in that moment when I could not produce an answer it left me feeling anxious, sad, and sometimes hopeless, until today.

At approximately 7pm this evening  I was finally able to answer that question.  My passion is writing, sharing my story and helping other’s who have been through what I have.  It was the best feeling, and I haven’t felt that good in a very long time.  Even though I”ve had some accomplishments since the divorce, like getting an actual job, this was different.

In that moment of extreme clarity I felt like I had a purpose.  I know there are millions of people out there who are struggling with divorce and loss and I’m just another blip on that screen, but if I can help just one other blip my dreams will be realized. I did have family and friends to turn to during my time of loss but what I was missing was true life stories to compare to.  I was so busy with the act of getting a divorce that I didn’t look to see if there were other’s like me out there.

I want to be that “search result” when someone else does their Google search.  I would like my stories,  reflections and  words to calm the souls of those who are struggling.  I feel like I am on the right path to doing just that and with the continued love and support of my friends, family, and fellow bloggers I will be on my way to becoming who I want to be when I grow up!

 

So I need to ask  what is your passion?

Kimberly

Courageous Butterfly

6/5/12

Help me title the eBook!

Published on by Kimberly Novak2 Comments

Hello reader’s my little fingers have been very busy clicking away on the key board and I am confident I will finish the eBook by my deadline of June 30th with a launch date of July 7.  Of course that’s barring any unforseen technical difficulties.  As I’ve mentioned before if you become an email subscriber the eBook is yours for free and will be automatically emailed to you.  As soon as I figure out how to do that.  LOL just teasing, I have it covered.

But what I don’t have covered just yet is the title.  I’ve been tossing around two ideas and would like your input and if there is anyone who would like to suggest a title I will also take those into consideration.  If I chose at title that you have suggested I will give a shout out for title courtesy of….etc.  By the way don’t be surprised if my two suggestions have to do with the butterfly.  🙂  The first one is just something I thought would be fun;other than it pertaining to the butterfly it does not hold a special meaning for me.  The second one has a little more personal meaning behind it.

The Butterfly Maiden

My research tells me that the butterfly maiden brings us light, joy and wisdom to enjoy each day no matter what has happened to us in our lives.  She is a powerful Goddess to call upon for any kind of deep personal transformation or metamorphosis.

Photo:  I will need an original drawing

Post It’s For The Journey

I have stated before that when I have an idea for a blog post it jot it down on a post it for later, well I have saved each one and  I”ve placed them on a large butterfly which hangs on my wall.  That butterfly was first placed in my nursery by my daddy when I was born.  It spent many years in the attic and was placed back upon my wall just after my divorce was final.  I’ve taken a pic for you.

So there you have my two title ideas.  I’m looking for input and advice.  The eBook is going to be used as a tool to represent my blog so keep that in mind when deciding on your choice.

What I need from you is your feedback.  Either respond in the comments, email or message me on face book what your title choice is.

I will keep track of each person that responds  and when the title is chosen I will pull a name, that person will receive special recognition in the eBook for being an active part of changing lives!

Kimberly

6/3/12