Inspiring Possibility – Barb Klein

If there is one thing I have learned in this past year as a woman entrepreneur, it’s the value of self-care. The lesson rings just as true looking back over two decades of entrepreneurship. When women begin solo entrepreneurial journeys their eyes are only on the distant bright horizon as they envision a successful future as a triumphant provider of their unique passion and service to the marketplace. Never at the beginning of the trip do women foresee curves or detours which eventually rise up leading to vital self-care.

“In the past six years as a business owner who works with women, I have discovered that they often need to lower the bar in order to bring gentleness and kindness to themselves instead of driving, striving and pushing all the time,” Barb Klein of Inspired Possibility shares. Women of any age need to determine the best work/life balance to sustain themselves and maneuver through personal life experiences and careers.

“Often women put others first, forgetting they also need to take care of themselves. This is the main reason my work always brings with it an element of self-care and why I host several Women’s Renewal Retreats annually. Everything I offer is designed to help women awaken to their soul’s imperative,” Barb passionately declares. One of her clients said it best, “You brought me back to myself. Thank you!”

As part of her mission, Barb offers Serenity Now retreats for mothers impacted by their son’s or daughter’s mental health conditions, including substance use disorder. During these retreats, moms get to be with others who have walked a similar path which offers a certain level of comfort. A main focus of these retreats is to step out of the chaos and remember that we were women first before becoming a mom and before a loved one’s illness came into our lives.

As a mom who loves deeply and has known for many years the waves of powerlessness, hope, fear, joy, and grief that regularly swirl in families where mental health conditions reside, Barb knows the complexities of living, loving, and letting go. “These things don’t happen in a linear or cyclical way. Love is the thread that runs through it all, and remembering to love and care for myself as well as others is critically important,” Barb says. She knows there are no easy answers or quick fixes, and that practices of self-care, mindfulness, and self-compassion lay the foundation for living one’s own life, regardless of what is happening with those you love. Barb also knows that it is possible to live and create even while dealing with previously unimaginable events, having started her business and written her first book, 111 Invitations: Step into the Full Richness of Life, while often consumed with worry and having many sleepless nights. This lived experience is what has her on a quest to help other mothers around the world reclaim and live their lives fully.

Open to all women, Barb’s 2nd Annual “Coming Home to Yourself Retreat” held at the Himalayan Institute, nestled in the beautiful hills of the Poconos on August 9-11th, is a special time to pause and reconnect with yourself. This tranquil Pennsylvania retreat center is an easy drive for New York women (2 ½ hours from NYC area, 2 hours from Syracuse, 3 hours from the Capital Region, and 3 ½ hours from Rochester). During this weekend, the group dedicates time to slowing down and making space for inquiry, exploration, and discovery while immersing themselves in practices of self-care, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Gentle yoga, campfire time, meditation, music, readings, and writing exercises support the retreat experience.

This fall women looking to re-engage with their own light can attend Barb’s annual “Let Your Light Shine! Women’s Renewal Retreat” at the gorgeous Light on the Hill Retreat Center in Ithaca on October 25-27th. Along with her friend, Deb Bussewitz, Barb inspires participants to return to the woman they were before overwork, crisis, or attending to others’ needs put them on the back burner. Reinvesting in our own lives is critical to our well-being and part of a solid self-care regimen. This special autumn retreat allows women to rest, rejuvenate, and realign before the busy holiday “giving” and commerce season.

“What is a soul’s imperative?” I ask Barb as she mentions it. “It is what makes us feel alive, what calls us to create and express ourselves to the fullest. It is what lights us up!” she explains. I realize I’m living my soul’s imperative as I stare at Barb’s kind eyes and feel her deep concern for women living life for others more than for themselves. “Each one of us has our own journey. We don’t know what our children’s journey will be and we can’t save anyone from their own lessons and experiences. We can assist, but when we give too much to another’s situation, we must come back home to ourselves to effectively keep moving forward,” she says.

I totally understand what Barb is saying having put my own self-care in the forefront of priorities this past year because I overworked myself, worried too much about my adult children working in a big city, struggled to find a second purpose for my life since they left, and trying to handle an unexpected health condition that altered my profession and life. It has taken a year of re-prioritizing my life while keeping my heart aglow helping the women entrepreneurs I serve and love. Like Barb, I understand the need for women to recognize and act as their own best friend when life intersects with work (which it always does).

If you are ready to consider the possibility that self-care might strongly support whatever else you are trying to do, I suggest you look at the programs Barb offers which include Self-Care Sanctuary (bi-weekly group which meets by phone) and life coaching in addition to her live events. Barb and I agree, women need the support of other women when their professional or personal lives get out of balance. There is no shame or stigma in seeking support to rebalance your life, especially if you have a loved one with a mental health or addiction issue or if you are overworked and in need of assistance.

If there is anyone who understands women best, it is another woman; for this reason I support and highlight women like Barb Klein as a member of Women TIES. Women need each other. I know Barb can help you or any other women you know who want to rebalance, care for themselves more deeply, or find their light again.