Hi, I’m Sandra Pawula.  I’m glad you found your way here!

Always Well Within is about tapping into your own inner spring of true happiness and freedom.  It’s about transforming your mind, opening your heart, and embracing the fullness of life.

My writing offers simple wisdom and practical tips to inspire, support, and help you to:

• discover your true self;
• make friends with your own mind and emotions;
• understand and gradually transform pain and suffering;
• loosen the grip of challenging emotions like anxiety, fear, self-doubt, irritation, anger, impatience and so on;
• release self-defeating patterns;
• learn to love yourself and everyone else too;
• explore healing in its deepest sense;
• see challenges as opportunities;
• live in concert with the environment;
• taste genuine freedom;
• and be part of creating a more harmonious world.

Personal development, simple wisdom, wellness, and ecology intersect at Always Well Within.  Why?  Because our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health are inextricably interlinked and interdependent with the health of the environment.

My writing is for people who are willing to think deeply, explore their inner landscape, and create positive change – for themselves and for the world.  This is not a light-weight blog.  I like to ask thought-provoking questions!  But we don’t have to be too serious either!  We can bring a sense of joy and wonder along on our evolutionary journey.

I’ve made a special effort to create an ambiance of simplicity, serenity, and beauty at Always Well Within – a refuge from the busyness, stress, and overwhelm of modern life.  A place where you can journey within and learn to transform your minor irritations as well as make headway on your greatest challenges.

Readers say they enjoy the warm atmosphere, useful information, and excellent writing they find at Always Well Within.  Please read a few of the Top Articles and see for yourself.

There’s a new article once or twice a week.  I emphasize quality over quantity and, it’s been said, offer a unique, thought-provoking voice.

About Me

I’m a writer, thinker, dreamer and inner explorer.  Curious, intelligent, and caring are adjectives that have been used to describe me.

My background includes working as an executive director for non-profit organizations, fund-raising consultant, and freelance copywriter. Now, I am a freelance writer by trade and instruct online courses on mindfulness meditation, loving kindness practice, and the lost art of contemplation.

I’ve had the good fortune to receive teachings from some of the greatest spiritual masters of our time.  I’ve been studying and practicing Buddhism for more than 25 years – which is all about working with your own mind to transform limiting beliefs, dissolve difficult emotions, and actualize your full potential.

Successes and Challenges – Some of my successes include raising millions of dollars for good causes, managing mega-events including public programs with the Dalai Lama, and completing a long meditation retreat. Post-traumatic stress, working too much, and food and environmental sensitivities have been some of the big challenges in my life as well as important teachers.

Discovering an inner spring of happiness and freedom – Through working with my own life challenges and applying the skillful means and wisdom I’ve learned from my teachers, I’m reconnecting with my own inner spring of genuine happiness and freedom.  My wish is to pass on the inspiration, methods, and wisdom that I have received to you so you too can live fully with more confidence and ease.  These are simple, universal ideas and methods of benefit and relevance to almost everyone.

I’m not perfect.  I’m just like you with both strengths and weakness and my own day-to-day struggles.  Trauma has deeply etched unhelpful grooves into my brain and being.  I can be fearful, insecure, opinionated, highly emotional, edgy, and a perfectionist.  Yikes!

But I’ve changed and so can you.  Close friends say I am lighter, softer, and happier; more joyful, accepting, patient, and heart-felt.  I haven’t overcome all my challenges by any means.  But, I am moving in a good direction and growing each and every day.

Whatever your personal story might be, true happiness and freedom are within your reach.  They are your very essence and your birthright.  I’m here to be your friend and support you on your own journey of personal transformation.

Please let me know if there are special topics you would like me to cover or questions you would like me to explore in my writing.  You input means a great deal to me. Your comments are warmly welcome and can be left at the end of most articles on this blog.  I invite you to connect with me in these ways:

• On Facebook at  Always Well Within
• On Google+ as Sandra Pawula
  
• On Twitter at @alwayswellwithn
  
• Email via alwayswellwithin@gmail (dot) com
  

With love and best wishes,