About Barbara

Barbara Techel, Author, Creative Writer & Lover of all Animals

	And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk to let it blossom. –Anais Nin

I remember hearing Dr. Wayne Dyer, motivational speaker, once say, “I don’t believe you find your purpose, but your purpose finds you.” It resonated deeply in my heart. After the diagnoses of terminal bone cancer in my chocolate lab, Cassie, I literally felt like I hit a wall. Something critical was missing in my life. I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted desperately to fill the void. I was searching for my purpose but was not sure what it could possibly be. So I enlisted the help of a life coach and began the inner search for my truth and wanting to live with more joy. During my coaching sessions, animals and my love for them kept coming up time and time again, so I decided it would be fun to write about them. I set out to do just that and landed a job with our local paper writing a column called, “For the Love of Animals.” In December 2005 I brought a new Labrador, Kylie into my life. I began training her for therapy work so she could visit hospitals and nursing homes. Writing about our experiences was a stepping stone I was looking forward to accomplishing.

Little did I know God had other plans for me. On Easter Sunday 2006 my miniature dachshund, Frankie ruptured a disk in her back and became permanently paralyzed. Frankie taught me through her zest for life, even though now in a dog cart, I could either feel sorry for what happened, or I could look for a blessing in our situation.

This is when Dr. Dyer’s words came full circle. My purpose had found me. I was meant to share Frankie’s story with others through her children’s book, “Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog.” Teaching children, as well as adults, that we can overcome challenges has become a passionate mission of mine. With Frankie by my side, I find blissful joy in sharing her story.

Never did I dream my life would unfold as it has. But, the blessings have been immense. My heart rejoices each morning as I wake and see the sweet faces of Frankie, Kylie and Dani (my cat). There is absolutely no doubt in my mind I was meant to travel down the road of sharing my love of animals through my writing. I was graced with paws and tails which lead to my authenticity and I will be forever grateful.

I am a proud member of the following associations:

Wisconsin Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, www.scbi-wi.com

Dog Writer's Association of America, www.dwaa.org

Wisconsin Regional Writer's Association, www.wrwa.net

The Association of Booksellers for Children, associationofbooksellersforchildren.com

Elkhart Lake Public Library Friends of the Library, serving as Editor of Newsletter

	Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. –Carl Jung

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