1. Wisdom from the Inside Out by Barbara Robitaille
My mother, the woman who I had allowed to define my life, was dead; my father had died the
previous year. After gathering the last of Mom’s few belongings, my brother asked how I was. I
responded that I had never felt freer in my life. Quietly nodding, he understood.
Suddenly, I had no one to disappoint, no one to tell me who I was or how I was to live. Always
the good girl, I did as I was told and delivered all that they asked of me. I tap danced my way
through life hoping to make their lives happy. There was love, but it was a hard love. As I
watched my mother draw her last earthly breath, I felt the liberating breath of Spirit begin to
awaken my Truth. I was 49 years old and only now gaining the courage to tell myself the truth
about my life.
We never know the whole truth about someone’s experience. Each of us has our own story, and,
while we share our humanness with others, how we define ourselves and the situations we find
ourselves in is uniquely our own. As a Soul Coach, I am privileged to listen to my client’s
stories. The power Soul Coaching brings to the client rests in telling yourself the truth about your
life. It’s one thing to respond with “I’m fine” to a casual inquiry from a friend or neighbor,
however too often we convince ourselves that we’re fine when we’re anything but. Too often we
adapt ourselves to conform to the ideas, values and opinions of significant people in our lives:
mothers, fathers, relatives, husbands/wives, co-workers, bosses, and we even adapt to cultural
influences. At some point life brings you the opportunity to come home to yourself.

2. The invitation to come home to your Self can arrive suddenly; a phone call with news of a health
crisis or the death of a loved one can, in a single moment, turn your world upside down.
Sometimes the invitation arrives at one of life’s thresholds, such as the experience of marriage,
divorce, being a parent or caring for aging parents, empty nest, career transitions, or midlife. My
invitation included all of the above in a matter of three years. It seems the Universe decided I
needed to be hit by a thunderbolt to get my attention. It worked, but I wouldn’t recommend it
unless you have the budget for regular spa visits, the latest anti-aging skin care products and the
right skin tone to compliment gray hair. What’s true though is this - however the invitation is
extended, feeling no solid ground beneath you, you stumble, looking for shelter with nowhere to
go except home; to your Self.
Arriving at your own front door, luggage in hand, still indignantly waving the invitation,
resisting the RSVP, you would rather be anywhere but here. Most of us would rather clean our
refrigerator, scraping mold off cheese, tossing that stalk of broccoli bearing a striking
resemblance to Bob Dylan, than choose to be alone with ourselves for longer than five minutes.
Many of us are champion medal holders in creating distractions to avoid any time spent in quiet
reflection. We keep ourselves distracted with volunteering to sew all the costumes for the school
play or offering to return all our neighbors’ library books. We make our lists and set our lives on
cruise control, sailing smoothly along with only a minimal amount of self-reflection. We create a
false sense of security, living on the surface choosing to ignore what lies beneath. As the
busyness and stress we have created in our lives escalates we become disconnected from Spirit.

3. But now the image in the mirror is unavoidable, it’s time to go below the surface; unpack your
bags.
As a Soul Coach I help you unpack. We examine the contents of each bag, and with honesty and
intention assess what truly fits and let go of what no longer serves you. This might mean
something as seemingly insignificant as letting go of that sweatshirt you wore at summer camp
when you were 12, along with Aunt Ruth’s careless Thanksgiving comment when you were six
about your hair looking like a Brillo pad. As you do this, you begin to create space in your life.
Composer Claude Debussy once said, “It is in the silence between the notes that true music is
born.” When you create space in your life, you welcome your Spirit home, you begin to hear the
voice of your Soul, however soft the whisper, calling you to live from Spirit, to know your own
Truth.
Soul Coaching offers the opportunity to reconnect to the voice of your Soul that knows what you
love, knows what matters to you, knows who you want to be. You assess your life and in doing
so, tell the truth to yourself about your life. As you clear your mental, emotional, spiritual and
physical clutter and reconnect with the natural world around you - the trees offering shade and
music in the wind, the chickadees cheerful song, the single flower that blooms through the
sidewalk crack - you begin to open yourself to living a life guided by Spirit, awakening that part
of yourself that has forgotten that we belong to each other and all life. I am humbled to witness
my clients awakening to the magic and miracles that are a part of every minute of every day;
seeing kindness in a stranger’s eyes, hearing from a friend when you most need support, finding

4. something that you thought was lost. They begin to discover just how extraordinary their
ordinary lives are.
Those awakenings happen at my kitchen table. How ordinary is that? There is something
comfortable and familiar about being at a table. For years I have welcomed people to my table
where three beeswax candles glow on a bamboo mat. Friends, neighbors and strangers have
found themselves sitting at my table telling me their stories. Over cups of tea, coffee, cocoa or
sips of wine, the conversation that was waiting, happened. My home has always been my
sanctuary, offering me a place to relax, create, feel safe and feel Spirit; a true shelter for my
heart, mind and spirit. People felt comfortable at my table. There was an ease between us. Gently
I would listen and counsel from my table. I never knew who might appear each day.
The time came when I left my kitchen table to set up shop in a ‘real’ office as a Soul Coach. I
was invited to join a local holistic health clinic and I agreed to become a part of a community
that offered referral support and provided a sense of shared vision with colleagues. I honored my
humble beginnings by naming my business Barbara’s Table. Interesting energetic roadblocks
kept coming up as I tried to set up my office space. Among the most memorable: being locked
out on two occasions having been issued the wrong key, unable to disarm the security system,
paint disappearing, and my phone unable to provide service. With each challenge I pushed
forward, determined to establish myself in the mainstream career world.

5. Recently an “aha” moment opened my Spirit to what is true for me. Due to tricky appointment
scheduling with a client, I agreed to see her at my home. I put the kettle on for tea and lit the
candles in my kitchen - just like old times. The session carried energy of ease and grace. I was in
my groove! I was home. My intuitive gifts that I use in combination with the Soul Coaching
program were at a heightened level and the intimacy of connection with my client felt deeper.
She asked if we could meet in my home again the following week saying “I love being here.” I
knew without question that I was to come back to my table.
As we come back to ourselves, answering the question “Who am I, really?” our lives awaken to
our wisdom within, hearing the soft whisper of our Soul calling us to our truth, guiding us in
bringing our light to the world. This is what it means to be alive; letting go of the fear that holds
us hostage; having the courage to embrace the power to define your life; knowing you have the
power to choose how you define each moment of your life. Howard Thurman once said, “Don’t
ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world
needs is people who have come alive.”
When you show up and make the commitment to dig down deep, it feels as though the Universe
and your Soul open floodgates to support you every step of the way, acknowledging the yearning
that has been kept undercover, held captive by your ego and the mind that said, “You must do
this if you want to be loved, if you want to succeed, if you want to belong.” Grace descends and
synchronicities expand. Those “aha” moments bring the gift of redefining your way of being in
the world, transforming your life.

6. I have come to know and honor Mystery as I work with my Soul Coaching clients. Each day
holds the promise of possibility and I never know which day’s exercises or which soul coaching
tool will be the one that will bring the delight of the “aha” gift of understanding and connection.
For one client it might be Day 9 that brings them to their knees, another might resonate deeply
with doing a Soul collage, where images, color or words hold the key to insights that awaken
their Divine identity.
In cleaning out a closet recently, I found the soul collage I made during my Soul Coaching
training course at Summerhill Ranch, and as I looked at it, I was stunned when I saw the words
Kitchen Table pasted on my collage. My Soul knew I belonged at my kitchen table. My ego took
me on a detour, but my Spirit brought me home. In the center of my collage there is an image of
a woman standing on a stage holding a microphone. I remember feeling strongly drawn to that
image and I get goose bumps as I stare at the image now, some two years later, as I realize I now
take voice performance lessons and own my identity as a singer.
With 28 days of powerful questions to reflect upon, meditations and hands-on tasks, the sense
that anything can happen comes alive and opens the door to the Divine imagination within.
Which Soul Coaching tool unlocks which door is different for everyone.

7. One of the most powerful tools used in Soul Coaching is composing a vow to yourself. In
preparing to write this chapter, I contacted several former clients asking them what they found
most helpful during their six week journey. Everyone included the writing of their sacred
contract as one of the most meaningful tasks. As you might imagine, writing a vow to yourself;
writing loving, tender, kind words brings a softening towards yourself that is unfamiliar, and
uncomfortable. We’re not used to being loving and kind to ourselves. Instead, the opposite is
often the case. When we make a promise to a friend or family member we do everything possible
to honor that commitment. Yet how easily we break promises we’ve made to ourselves. In
writing a thoughtful, heartfelt vow to your self, you acknowledge your goodness, your
shortcomings, and your strengths and make the commitment to accept and honor yourself.
Entering a Soul Coaching experience is like going on a holiday by yourself. This is a time when
it’s okay to say “It’s all about me” - a time to allow yourself permission to focus on you, to ask
yourself each morning “What do I feel like doing today?” and then doing it. You learn to keep
promises to yourself. If you wake up wanting to go to Paris, and you know you won’t be
boarding the next plane to Charles De Gaulle airport, perhaps you could bring a little bit of Paris
to your life that day - have a croissant and glass of wine for lunch at a local bistro, or spend time
on the internet looking up travel information to Paris. Print out a picture of the Eiffel Tower and
create a Vision Board filled with other images or words you desire. The point is to take time to
listen to your Spirit, to pay attention to your heart’s desires; to nurture the childlike nature
within, the part of you who remembers that magic happens.

8. There are many ways to open yourself to magic and miracles in your life. One way is to write
down exactly what it is you desire and declare “I desire this or something better to come to me in
perfect timing.” A client of mine, Eric1, decided to make a list of all the elements that, to him,
created the perfect house. With no expected timeline, he put the list in a special box he kept on
his dresser. Within two weeks, he received word that the condo he was renting was being put up
for sale. Rather than wait in uncertainty for the condo to sell, Eric began to look for a new place
to rent. After viewing several options, he found a beautiful home in a neighborhood convenient
to work and school. Upon inquiring, he learned that while he was welcome to make an
appointment to view the property, there were over 100 applicants scheduled to meet the owner
and walk through the house.
Arriving at his scheduled time, Eric slipped in the front door, just as the couple before him was
leaving. He overheard them offering the owner more money than she was asking for the monthly
rent. Eric considerately removed his shoes as he entered the house and after exchanging a few
pleasantries with the owner began to roam through the house. He loved the feel of each room,
delighting in its quirky layout, knowing he would be at home in this place. Talking a bit more
with the owner, he assured her of his genuine interest and desire to become her tenant. As the
next couple arrived, Eric quietly left, knowing that while he felt good about his connection with
the owner, many others were equally excited about living in this wonderful home.
1 Names have been changed to maintain client confidentiality.

9. Eric was chosen among all those who applied. He was ecstatic at his good fortune, but it wasn’t
until he had moved all his belongings and was settled in that he remembered his list. Smiling to
himself he read his list of house desires, realizing that every single one of his desires was present
in his new home. All except one. He had listed the desire for bamboo floors. The house did have
hardwood flooring, but it was not bamboo. Later that day sitting in his living room, his gaze was
drawn to the backyard, where, for the first time he noticed that his back fence line was planted
entirely with - bamboo.
Self-care, acceptance and forgiveness are integral elements of the Soul Coaching experience. I
challenge my clients to remember their manners toward themselves. We can be amazingly hard
on ourselves. I had one client who made the decision to commit to the Soul Coaching program
hoping to learn to say “Yes” to herself after a lifetime of self-cruelty. Growing up in a household
where she was guilty until proven innocent, where nothing less than perfection was allowed,
Emily apologized constantly and took the blame for whatever might go wrong, beating herself up
for every little thing.
In our work together, we explored the words and tapes that played in Emily’s mind as she made
her way through the day. It is amazing how harsh and critical those inner voices can be. The
judge and jury need to be dismissed and replaced with more compassionate and honorable
voices. The good news is that you have the power to fire the judge and jury. Once the realization
awakens, firing the judge and jury can be exhilarating. No need to mind your manners; let them
go without two weeks notice - "You’re outta here. Pack your things and get moving, now!” Bit

10. by bit the new language emerges; the old tapes are erased and, as a result, decades of conditioned
behavior can be redefined.
Many of us look back at events in our lives through a lens that blames others for our involvement
or excuses our behavior. “The devil made me do it,” the immortal line used by comedian Flip
Wilson’s character, Geraldine, to explain away her outrageous, mean-spirited behavior, was
always good for a laugh, but not so funny when experienced off-stage. It’s easy to blame our
actions on someone else. But, it is important to own our actions, recognizing that we choose
situations and how we respond in those situations, rather than adopting the position of being a
victim of circumstances, blaming others, living in denial or making excuses.
One of the exercises in the Soul Coaching program, often the most uncomfortable for clients,
involves looking back at your most memorable life experiences, those thresholds that you feel
shaped your life from the position of being an observer - a Sacred Observer. Through the lens of
the Sacred Observer, you detach from the emotional charge that you have used to define those
moments, offering the opportunity for a new perspective that could assist you in seeing yourself
in a new way.
Living your life from the place of being a victim holds you hostage; the hurts and wounds of the
past remain alive in feelings of blame, denial, regret or fear, as well as robbing you of the future
with the energy given over to worrying about future outcomes. You are not able to live in the

11. present moment, to know the blessing of living this one moment, to rest in the space of now.
Recognizing that you have the power to release living from a place of victimhood, that you are
not a victim, knowing instead that you have the power to choose how you react or respond in any
given situation is a huge step towards reclaiming and owning your power.
When you stand in your power, trust your own information and allow your intuition to guide you
in making choices and decisions, life becomes truly your own. After years of wearing someone
else’s shoes you are now standing proudly and confidently in your own. You dance, sing, smile,
laugh, cry and live from your Truth. You honor all that you are and open your authentic self to
all that you imagine possible. You have come home to your Self, embracing your humanness and
your Divinity. You Believe.
Years ago, I happened upon a letter written in 1513 by Fra Giovani2 to a friend. The words in his
note have echoed within me ever since. I offer them to you as a reminder that you Take Peace
when you remember your connection to others and all life. You Take Heaven when you let go of
past regrets and release worry about future outcomes; when you live in the present moment. You
Take Joy when you awaken to the magic and miracles that are in every moment of every day. I
believe Soul Coaching awakens you to the infinite possibility that is your life. You can choose to
take heaven, to take peace, to take joy in your life. It is up to you.
2 FraGiovanni Giocondo (c. 1433- 1515) Italian architect, antiquary, archaeologist and classical
scholar. Excerpt from A Letter to the Most Illustrious the Contessina Allagia degli
Aldobrandeschi, Written Christmas Eve Anno Domini 1513.

12. I salute you.
There is nothing I can give you which you have not, but there is much that while I cannot give,
you can take.
No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take Heaven.
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant. Take Peace.
The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take Joy.
Note to Book Designer:
Soul Coaching Oracle Card Quote:
(To be inserted in text box in body of Chapter)
Sanctuary – Affirmation: I am divinely guided gently and lovingly.
Go within and find your inner refuge. Be a safe haven for others. Step forward with grace,
deliberation, and thoughtfulness. Take moments for reflection.