About

Hi my name is Donna Whistler!

I was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in the Cherokee Nation.  My father is full-blooded Cherokee and my mother is a mix of good stuff.  I was raised in Southern California by my mother who did her best to keep her 5 little Indians spiritually connected. As I grew older I began to question life and what it all meant…what was my reason for being here? My answers began to unravel while reading a book my mother heard about on the Oprah Winfrey show titled, “A New Earth Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle.  I found truth in his words and I began my own relationship with the power of words.  I discovered a passion for writing about the sacred gifts that live within.  My writing has led me back to my Native American ancestors who I believe guided me through the creation of Build Spiritual Muscle.

The journey to Build Spiritual Muscle

It was the morning of my 40th birthday and I had everything to be happy about, a wonderful husband, two amazing boys and a loving supportive family.  Everything was great on the outside; yet a deep void was brewing from within.  I felt an emptiness inside, and because the feeling was overwhelming I spent the day confused and tearful.  I had a burning desire to give of myself and to be of service so I spent the next few years doing all the things I believed would satisfy my desire.  I volunteered, I gave to charities, I participated in fundraisers and I opened my heart to those in need.  I quickly realized the void wasn’t being nourished by my external acts of kindness.  It was much deeper, and my inner guidance was trying to direct me towards experiencing life from a place that came from within.  Once I began to quiet my thoughts and go within, the answers began to present themselves.  I once referred to the feeling as an unfulfilled soul, but actually it was my unawareness to the power of my inner self.

I wanted to continue connecting with my inner self so I created tools to help me along the way .  I started with a notebook and pen, and I began to write, and write, and write…I couldn’t stop. Mounds of words purged out of me like a running faucet and within days I had several notebooks full of this amazing knowledge and wisdom.  I continued to write for another two weeks, and once I finished I began sorting through all my notebooks.  I wanted to create a guide to use as a reference, “a stay connected to my inner guidance” reference book.  I gave my reference book a name “Build Spiritual Muscle” and I sketched a picture of what I envisioned building spiritual muscle looked like.  My sketch became the draft for my logo on the Build Spiritual Muscle website.  The amount of writing I had accumulated and the unexpected creativity that followed launched my desire to create a Build Spiritual Muscle package.  I realized I was being guided through this entire process and within six months Build Spiritual Muscle’s website was up and running.  I never would have dreamed this possible for myself, but I am a living example of the gifts that are presented when we connect and nurture our inner self.  Build Spiritual Muscle!