June 2026: Freedom and Inner Alignment
- Jun 6
- 7 min read
There is a line from the old musical Stop the World — I Want to Get Off that has been echoing in my mind lately. Not because I want to leave life behind, but because sometimes the pace of life itself becomes too loud, too demanding, too relentless for the human spirit to sustain.
Recently, during a follow-up appointment, my young surgeon, Dr. Clara Lai* — a woman whose wisdom seems far beyond her years — looked at my wound and said something that stopped me in my tracks.
“It was healing beautifully,” she said. “Now it’s not. It’s receiving too much treatment.”
Too much interference...
Then she said something even more profound:
“We need to let the body heal. The body needs rest in order to heal.”
I stood there quietly, frustrated at first, realizing that what she was saying was not just about my wound.
I heard that it was about me as a whole.
How many times in our lives do we do exactly the opposite of what our soul is calling us to do?
We push harder.
Stay up later.
Take on more.
Dig deeper.
Overthink.
Overwork.
Over-caretake.
Over-function.
It felt as though healing, success, love, purpose, or peace could somehow be forced into existence
through sheer exhaustion.
For years, I lived that way without questioning it. I would go to bed at 2 AM and wake early for 6:30
AM Mass. Then home to make breakfast for my four beautiful children, drive them to school because
there were no buses, keep the household moving, attend classes, give classes, prepare dinner for 4:30
PM when my husband came home, and then begin the evening routine — dishes, lunches, homework,
errands, after school activities and preparations for the next day.
And somehow, even after the children were grown and long gone, I never truly stopped that pace.
The pace itself became my identity.
Somewhere along the way, I confused constant motion and hard work with the frequency of love.
I confused exhaustion with devotion.
I confused depletion with responsibility.
I remember when I graduated as an Enneagram instructor, I was introduced as “Miss Responsibility.”
While felt like a virtue at the time, I see it very differently now.
“Our bodies eventually speak what our souls have been whispering for years.”
My wound was speaking to me:
“You do not heal by extending yourself more.”
Achievement rarely comes from working harder and longer.
Sometimes achievement comes through allowing active silence:
Resting.
Listening.
Trusting.
Sometimes healing requires us to stop attending to the wound. My father had a skin cancer removed on
his face near his eye on a Thursday. It was frightening to see! My daughter and I then visited my
parents on Sunday. What did we see? On my father’s face there was no swelling, no black and blue, etc.
I asked my mom, “How did that happen?” She said, “He gives it no thought!” And I didn’t learn from
that experience?
I think many of us live this way emotionally and spiritually too. We work hard to control every outcome,
solve every problem, rescue every person, meet every expectation, and outrun every fear — until we no
longer remember what peace feels like.
Perhaps true progress is really the soft expression of love:
love for others,
yes —
but also love and care for ourselves.
But the understanding that we cannot continually pour from an exhausted spirit and expect not to break.
And maybe the first real step out of the rat race is surrender.
Turning over what cannot be controlled to a Higher Power.
Trusting that not every burden was meant to be carried alone.
Believing that rest is not failure and stillness is not laziness.
Healing sometimes happens most completely when we finally stop trying so hard to prove that we are
responsible.
I no longer appreciate the title “Miss Responsibility”.
Perhaps that is what Stop the World — I Want to Get Off truly means for me now.
Not escaping life.
Not giving up.
Just stepping off the treadmill long enough to breathe…
long enough to heal…
long enough to remember that we are human beings, not human doings.
Because something beautiful begins to happen when we finally release the “hyper hustle.”
We begin to heal.
We begin to breathe differently.
Sleep differently.
Think differently.
Feel differently.
And eventually, we begin to live differently.
What replaces exhaustion is not laziness.
It is freedom.
The freedom to be present.
The freedom to feel joy without guilt.
The freedom to rest without shame.
The freedom to succeed without sacrificing ourselves in the process.
That is what our Circle of Freedom (the title I give my followers) is truly about.
Learning that we can create a life from which we do not need to escape.
A world we do not want to “get off.”
So many of us have pursued achievement in ways that have quietly robbed us of our freedom, peace, our health, our relationships, or even our sense of self.
“We live as though doing more will finally earn us the right to rest”
.
But real freedom does not come from endless striving.
Freedom comes from inner alignment —
alignment with ourselves,
alignment with our Higher Power,
alignment with the deeper rhythm of life.
When we are spiritually aligned, we no longer need to force everything.
We no longer measure our worth solely by productivity.
We stop confusing depletion with love.
Ironically, when we release excessive doing, we become more effective, more creative, more peaceful
than before — because our energy is no longer fragmented by exhaustion.
Our lives begin to flow instead of constantly pushing uphill.
Perhaps healing was never about becoming more responsible.
Perhaps healing is about becoming more whole.
I no longer want to live as “Miss Responsibility.”
I want to live as a woman who is:
Awake.
Rested.
Present.
Spiritually aligned.
Free.
My success today is less about the completion of a to-do list and more about the frequency of the love,
peace, and presence that I bring into the lives of others and into my own soul by simply being me!
And maybe that is the real freedom we are all searching for.
Barbara Hribar
* Clara K.N. Lai, MD ~ Surgery Specialist in Endoscopy, Gallbladder, Gastrointestinal, Hernia,
Laparoscopic/robotic procedures”
Healing through Rest, Surrender, and Inner Alignment
Are you tired of constantly pushing, over-functioning, and feeling responsible for everything and
everyone?
Many of us have spent years believing that exhaustion was simply part of being loving, successful,
productive, or responsible. But what if true healing begins when we stop striving so hard and begin
listening more deeply to ourselves?
Join me for a thoughtful and uplifting one-hour conversation as we explore:
• releasing the “hyper hustle”
• learning to rest without guilt
• spiritual surrender and inner peace
• freedom from over-responsibility
• creating a life we no longer need to escape from
Together, we will reflect on how rest, inner alignment, and connection to a Higher Power can open the
door to greater joy, clarity, healing, and authentic freedom.
This gathering is gentle, reflective, and welcoming — a place to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what truly matters.
📅 Tuesday, June 9, 2026
⏰ 6:30 PM Eastern Time
💻 FREE Zoom Gathering
🔗 Click Here to Join Zoom
Meeting ID: 882 9914 0728 Passcode: Stop
No registration required — but if you think you may attend,
a quick text to 216-409-4906 with your name is appreciated.
Enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
Bring your curiosity, your lived wisdom, and simply yourself.
I look forward to seeing you.
~Barbara
At 82 and thriving, I share simple, effective wellness tools to help you feel healthier, stronger, and more energized at any age. Get ready to enjoy summer in a healthier, more vibrant way!
I’m offering a special 4-Week Individual Health Coaching Program designed to help you make positive, practical lifestyle changes that support your overall wellness and energy.
Together, we will explore:
Everyday food choices
Supplements and nutritional support
Simple “Bio-Hacks for All” to support healthy living
Program Details
Four 45-minute private coaching sessions
One session per week for 4 weeks
Individual information and encouragement
Simple, realistic strategies you can use right away
Special June Offer
$160 for the full 4-week program
Feel better, move better, and enjoy the season with renewed energy!
Let's begin together between June 1 and June 15, and together we’ll complete your 4-week program by July 15.
Simply contact me to express your interest... call/text 216-409-4906.
Please leave a message if I am unable to answer at the time you call.
Here’s to a healthier, happier summer! 🌿
Do you ever find yourself asking…
Which supplements are right for me?
Why am I taking so many?
Could I cut back?
Which ones are most important and effective?
How do I decide what to take each day?
What criteria should I be using?
How do I know when functional health advice fits—or doesn’t fit—with traditional medical care?
You are not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.
I offer a complimentary 45-minute Discovery Call where we can talk through your questions and bring clarity to your health decisions. This is a relaxed, no-pressure conversation focused entirely on helping you better understand your options.
If you decide you would like continued support, I offer coaching where I share the facts until you feel confident and equipped to make your own informed, best decisions. Coaching sessions are one hour each at $45 per hour.
Call or Text Barbara 216-409-4906
to express your interest in a Discovery Call
Let's see the potential! Am I the right person to help guide you forward?
let's connect soon!
I have been helping others find their wholistic way since 1980. With my varied life and career experiences, I am ready to be a resource to you. Know that together we can discover lasting solutions!
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The information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat or diagnose diseases or medical conditions, nor is it intended to prescribe forms of medical treatment. Issues concerning health should be referred to qualified health professionals. You always have the choice on your health journey.