Welcome Author, Dr. Gwendolyn M. Plano…

Hi everyone!  I’m thrilled to have the talented author, Gwendolyn Plano, here to share with us her journey of forgiveness and Letting Go into Perfect Love; Discovering the Extraordinary After Abuse.

Welcome to Six Sensory Being Gwendolyn! I have to share with you that your words brought healing to me throughout the book.  It felt every word was infused with forgiveness and compassion. Please share with us when you first realized you were a writer and that by writing and sharing your story, you would begin the journey of healing and forgiveness for yourself and others?

Thank you for your kind and generous words, Margaret. It is truly an honor to join you today.

I’ve always enjoyed writing, even though I did not envision myself a writer until recent years. Busy with work and family, there was little time for the play of words. Two years ago, though, I retired and decided it was time to write. On the surface, this was a simple decision, for I imagined that writing would be a process of connecting the stories that made up my life. But, I was mistaken.

I’d awaken in the early morning hours with scenes faded by time, and then would be guided through the corridors of my heart, where I wrestled with confounding flashbacks and elusive threads of connection. In my younger years, I had been in a lengthy abusive relationship. Like many survivors, I became a mannequin of sorts, a shell of a person. As I walked back into this experience, for the first time I actually felt the terror, felt the despair and my heart nearly broke. Then I realized—the tears and gasps came and went—because they could.

One story after another unfolded on paper, as sections from frayed journals and yellowed family photos came alive and spoke to me. The dramas that once controlled my life and held me captive were but ailing memories, soon to meet their demise. And as I gazed upon this human collage of struggles and apprehensions, a miracle occurred: I realized that my journey was everyone’s journey.

We all face challenges; we all struggle with adversity. Who doesn’t experience sorrow, fear or regret? And, don’t we all go through life trying to make sense of it all? When I realized the commonality of our collective quest, and saw how hardships shift our horizons, soften our hearts, and often bring us home to ourselves, I began to see the blessings inherent in life’s hurdles. And this, more than anything else, drove me to write.

The patchwork of memories that formed the outline of my book was ultimately given new life by the collective story of our human quest for the one Perfect Love. This is why walking through our past is a journey of the highest order. Not only do we redeem the broken remnants, we realize the hidden blessings.

The reader certainly can feel the healing as they discover their own hidden blessings by reading your book, Gwendolyn.  What tips do you have for the budding author? What did you struggle the most with while writing Letting Go into Perfect Love.

My tip for new writers is to stay close to your heart. Genuineness exposes our humanity, and an open heart is irresistible. When I begin reading a new book, I listen for the author; I want to know the person sitting at his or her desk. For that reason, I cherish the trail markers scattered in the chapters of the book. There is a reason a person writes, and if we can grasp that reason, we may find a lasting friend. So, stay close to your heart, and folks like me will join you there!

As for my struggles when writing Letting Go into Perfect Love, my answer may surprise you. The most difficult writing task was sharing my experiences of angels. My career in education was built on logic and proven facts; my experiences of angels defied such knowledge. To publically share these encounters meant risking my academic credibility. The angel visitations were like nothing I had ever known before, and I felt very vulnerable writing about them. Yet, these ethereal beings were integral to my life story. In the end, I chose to speak my truth and let readers decide as they may.

Yes, the angelic realm often assists creative and healing endeavors and more and more people are becoming aware of this because of people, like you, bravely sharing their experiences openly. We all experience blocks in healing and forgiveness, as you mentioned. What would you encourage our readers to do when they reach a block in their process of spiritual growth?

My first thought is simply to be gentle with yourself. Take a walk, go out in nature, breathe deeply of the beauty around you…it is a journey after all. And, if you need guidance or validation, contact someone who can provide insight into your life journey, someone like you Margaret.

When we experience a block, we are often too close to our situation to see clearly. Stepping back with the assistance of an intuitive reader can help us. This is particularly true when we are dealing with forgiveness. In our efforts to do the right thing, we readily “say” we forgive, but depending upon the situation, our well-intended claim can be an act of denial. To truly forgive is to release the violation from our soul and to restore joy. This necessarily involves transformation.

Writing has been a means for me to make peace with my sorrows. And as I have done so, I’ve realized that my life hurdles helped me become who I am today. So it is that sorrows can become blessings, when they no longer hold us captive.

I have to ask, Gwen… what is your favorite food, or should I say “soul food” when life becomes challenging.

I can’t help but chuckle at this question. I love chocolate, and when I’m writing, I keep a bowl of Kisses close by. Most frustrations are quickly softened by a chocolate bar!

I agree completely! Chocolate is definitely the way to go. Gwendolyn, do you have any plans for future books, events or thoughts that you would like to share with the readers today?

I’m just beginning to sketch out my next book. It will be very spiritual, in that its focus will be: tending our personal garden of life.  I’m quite excited about this next book; in a very real way, Letting Go into Perfect Love cleared the path for this one.

We look forward to your next book, Gwendolyn, and thank you for allowing us to learn more about you.  You are a beautiful spirit, healer, writer, and teacher.  The angels are dancing and singing as I write this.  May you have continued success and many blessings.

Visit Gwendolyn’s website more for information

Gwendolyn M. Plano on Facebook

Follow along on Twitter @gmplano

 

I hope you have enjoyed today’s interview and have a  wonderful weekend,

Margaret