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Inveraray Castle is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland’s longest sea loch. It has been the seat of the Duke of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell, since the 17th century. The castle is open to visitors. Its collection includes more than 1,300 pikes, muskets, swords and other weapons.
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$24 for a full year of BELLAmia fabulousness! Check our website for more details www.bellamiamag.com
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The mission is to change the lives of every person open to discovering their souls purpose and living a life they didn't know was possible for them on an individual level.
At BellaMia, we believe every woman is beautiful. Editor-in-Chief Mia Saenz Assistant Editor-in-Chief Amanda Rhymers Art Department Charlotte Hayes Creative Consultant Dana Canneto Editor Amanda Rhymers Editor Lauence Yhuello Me Director Dr. Mary Pritchard Lifestyles Director Sharon Otness Fashion Editor Linnea Duvall Business Directors Umoh Luna and Angela Gower-Johnson This publication is published bi-monthly For advertising please contact BellaMia magazine
BellaMiaMagazine@gmail.com
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BellaMia is a publication of BellaMia Inc. BellaMiaMag.com BellaMiaMagazine@gmail.com November ~ 2015
The best relationship book in a decade!
Every woman wants a man who is willing to cross the world to come to her. This one did!
www.getlove.com It’s Your Turn!
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Castle ~ Cover, 2-3, 14-17 Bella Staff ~ 10 Editor & Chief Letter ~ 18 Bella Holiday Gift Picks ~ 20-21
BELLA ME
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December 2015
BELLA MAN
~45
EDITORIAL
~46
For The Love of Life ~ 22 By Kimberley Heart
Celebrating the ~ 25 Wisdom of Your Heart By Dr. Mary Pritchard
Celebrate it All‌ ~ 28 Even the Bad Stuff By Claire Sierra, MA
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Marooney ~46 Q&A In the Embrace of the Divine ~50 Michelle Mayur
The 5 Masks We ~ 31 Wear That Push Away the LOVE We Want By Victoria Wynn
V Love To Me Love: ~ 34 Celebrating Her By Bonnie Gayle
My Sacred Body ~ 38 By Dana Canneto
Poetry ~ 40
Rebecka Eggers
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Possibilities Are Endless ~ 54 Shannon Abbott
LIFESTYLE
~58
Stop Holiday Excuses ~ 58 Andrea Allen
The Little Black Dress ~63 Linnea Duvall
Celebrating ~65 Everything Fashion Tina Ketchie Stearns
Creating a Sanctuary ~ 70 for the Holidays By Sharon Otness
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Recipes
New Paridigm ~100 Cups of Consciousness ~ 100
Food ~ 68, 69, DIY ~ 61, 72, 79
By Aleya Dao
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Celebrate Your Awesome ~ 102 Fabulousness
BELLA ~ 75 A Paradigm Shift ~ 76
Celebrating A Wonderful Life ~ 105
BELLA MEN
Lorraine Cohen
By Tina Ketchie Stearns
Nicholas Holmes
Training Your Body To Win ~ 81 Matt Brauning
The Natural Advantage ~ 83 Ricardo Sierra
6 Ways Men Push ~ 86 Love & Connection Away
Celebrating New Light ~107 Amanda Rose Baker
Victoria Wynn
Miracle in the Desert ~110
Five Tips for Living a ~ 89 KICKASS Life
Carolyn Gervais
Christopher Rausch
Tiz the Season to be Jolly ~112 Patricia Maddalena
What’s Love Got to do with it? ~114 Umoh Luna
LOVEolutionize Business ~ 118 Inga Michaelsen
Removing the “Dirty Word” ~ 91 Stigma from Imagination
What to Expect Out of ~ 120 YOUR Speaker
Dan Fowler
Tonya Hofmann
Celebrating Her Entirety ~ 93 By Drew Gerald
UnderHill Rose~124 Music Q&A
Men ~ 95 By Kimberley Heart
When did marketing ~ 98 become a dirty word? By Ken Course
BellaScope ~126 Spotlight~128 Amanda Rose Baker
We hope you enjoy our photo shoot of Iverarary Castle.
Cover Model : Suzanne Taylor Photographer: David Stanton StantonImaging.com Makeup Artist: LeeAnne Fraser Whyte
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Inveraray Castle, Scotland 2015
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D
ear BellaMia Readers,
I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have had bringing it to you. There are so many surprises in store for you. The first and most evident is our new layout with our new graphic artist, Charlotte Hayes. Enjoy all the little special details she created just for you. This Holiday issue we are calling it Life is Worth Celebrating. Our cover photo with Suzanne Taylor was shot in Scotland at the Inveraray Castle. There is so much expansion happening at BellaMia, and I am glad you are here to share it with us. Celebrate Life with us with our Holiday issue. You will find the core of our magazine fully displayed and in addition to this Holiday issue we are bring the men’s section to life - so both men and women can share in the growth. We are going through some very exciting updates at the magazine HQ. Beginning January we go to subscription, you’ve loved us since we first published March 2015. Now we are going to monthly and paid subscription, and we look forward to you growing with us further. Feel free to write with any conversation that you want BellaMia to know about at: mia@BellaMiamag.com
B
Have a safe and warm holiday and remember if you are not with family and friends that you are still so dearly loved and cherished. Look for the positive and do something nice for someone in need. I guarantee you will have one of the best and most memorable holidays you can remember.
Mia
lessings and Love,
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Mia Saenz, Editor and Chief
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Tiffany’s Return to Tiffany® Circle Pendant
Inspired by the iconic key ring first introduced in 1969, the Return to Tiffany collection is a classic reinvented. This simple circle pendant with the traditional inscription exudes understated elegance. –Sterling silver and RUBEDO® metal –Adjustable, 16-18” chain
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B Me ella
For The Love of Life
W
By Kimberley Heart
h at are you willing to do for the love of life? Who are you willing to be to create a life you love? For every breath you take, for every person you touch, for every word you speak what are you willing to do for the pure love of being alive? Are you willing to live flat out in honor of the gift of life? Are you willing to be as loving as you know how to be, and always learning more?
Fly High ... As If Your Wings Will Never Tire. The World Is Waiting of You!
Who are you willing to be:
• • • • • • •
Visionary Dreamweaver Architect Planner & Builder Keeper Peaceful Warrior Champion
We are powerful, we are beautiful in all of our uniqueness. No amount of self denial will make this any less true. What needed gifts are you willing to give to life? Are you willing to unveil your brilliance, your secret passions that if unleashed would send you soaring? Are you willing to celebrate life, the gift of life given to you, by changing your world?
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You and I can change the world. That singularly powerful message is being shouted out on billboards, “do the impossible”; on TV commercials, “one of these children will change the world”; and in newspapers, “miracle of the day.” Ready or not the time is now and the challenge is here. We are privileged to live in this the most incredible time in humankind’s history. For the first time, we as individuals realize that we can consciously change the entire world. Think about that! You can consciously choose to change the entire world. Never, ever, before in humankind’s history could one individual so readily change their world. This is as phenomenal as it gets! You and I are powerful beyond our reckoning. Our minds simply cannot hold the totality of this idea. It takes every part of who we are, our hearts, minds, spirits, and souls to consciously create our futures with this power. Always remember, all of this power is rooted in love.
Let me whisper to you a widely known and little acted upon mystery: if you are working on something you love, life will work for you! Have you ever asked yourself why this is true? It is true because the energy of connecting with authentic love is an indomitable force. The love must first be for yourself and then for your ‘Great Work’—achieve this essence and life will work for you. Loving life in this fashion makes you unconquerable. It lifts you and your life to a level of freedom many dream of and few attain. Life always reflects our personal truth back to us. What is your life reflecting back to you? Do you dream the improbable and create communities to create the impossible? Do you fly in your dreams both waking and sleeping? Do you glory in the joy and honor of being you? For the love of yourself, for the love of life we can choose to change our world. We can change the world with a blog, a video, a song, a post-it note of inspiration, and by sharing ourselves in such a way that it influences someone else. We can impact the world by speaking our heart’s words right out loud.
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Think, really think about what we have done already for the love of life. Millions are being born into a world with access to resources, to information, regardless of their economic conditions, that is nothing less then miraculous. This access to resources/ information is one of the biggest miracles of our time. Celebrate life, love life by realizing that when all is said and done your ultimate need is to be loving. Yes, to be loving. Our ultimate desire is to be happy. We are driven, in fact our ultimate drive is to unveil the secrets of love and of the love of life. In these few words I have revealed to you some of the most profound secrets of the mystery schools of ancient times. You and I don’t need to lock ourselves away in a monastic life, or go to some mountain top to contemplate the sacred mysteries revealed by studying the love of life. Instead we need to take these truths and be out in the world changing it, rebirthing it. Whatever your “Great Work,� it includes birthing a future filled with dreams and visions. Those dreams and visions can be boundless and create a future filled with magic and miracles. It can be filled with the reawakened belief in the power of the possible and the power of you.
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I believe in you. Changing your world, changing the world is no long just words, it can be the truth of how you live your life. If you and I love ourselves and our lifes, if we honor every moment, every loving touch, every power we possess, if we fill life with gratitude, beauty, hope, passion, freedom and love, yes always love, then we have honored the gift given to us called life. Then we know what we are willing to do and to be for the love of life. Kimberley Heart GetLove.com
Celebrating the Wisdom of Your Heart By Dr. Mary Pritchard
T
wo years ago, after a grueling divorce and subsequent battle with depression, I decided to drop everything that was not essential and focus on healing from the loss of my 21-year relationship with my ex-husband. I allowed myself to just be in the present moment instead of operating solely on “I must finish my
And hurt. Goddess, how it hurt. But I realized that that’s what I needed. endless to-do list” mode. I learned to let go and trust the Universe to provide. But what I neglected to do was to throw my heart into the mix. I was scared. I didn’t want to get hurt again. I thought if I protected my heart, I would – in turn – protect myself. I was wrong.
Buried under layers of hurt and old wounds, I had sheltered my heart so I wouldn’t get hurt. That’s how I was able to stay in a loveless and unfulfilling marriage, and keep doing a job that didn’t feed my soul. It was how I survived. But something happened to me three months after getting a divorce. I friend I hadn’t seen in over a year came to town for the holidays. As we talked about our various relationship mishaps over tea, my little heart that had been hidden beneath those layers of pain broke open. And re-awakened. And hurt. Goddess, how it hurt. But I realized that that’s what I needed. You can’t heal – not truly – while keeping your heart sheltered. You have to open up and put everything on the table, knowing your heart might need to get broken again in the process for you to truly heal the past wounds. November ~ 2015
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And let me tell you, there have been days when all I wanted to do was slam the door to my heart shut again. Days when it just hurt too much. Days when I was blinded by my tears. But I persevered: I journaled and painted and worked through my wounds. Was it comfortable? No. Did it need to be done? Absolutely. Tuning into the wisdom of my heart is such a crucial part of my life now that I routinely check in and see how I am doing. Am I being true to me? As another year comes to a close, I encourage you to examine your heart. Are there any wounds that need to be healed? Are there any past grievances that need to be forgiven? Any old grudges that need to be let go of? I know it’s holiday season; I know you’re busy, but I encourage you to hold a release ceremony to let go of any past hurts, wounds, and grievances so you can begin your New Year with a clean slate. It doesn’t need to take a lot of time and can be done over the course of several days – for example, you might ask yourself one question per day until you get through them all.
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Ask your heart the following questions and journal her answers: What wounds do you still carry? What grievances or grudges do you still hold? How are these serving you? Are you ready to forgive, let go, and move on? What do you want to let go of? (Be specific.) Who do you need to forgive? (Don’t forget to include yourself on your forgiveness list.)
Release Ceremony Get out a blank piece of paper and fold it into three parts. On the first part, write: I forgive. Then list the names of everyone you need and want to forgive. On the second part, write: I let go of. Write down everything you need to let go of. On the final portion, write: I release. Write down everything you need to release. Re-read your paper to make sure you didn’t leave anything out. Once you are satisfied, get out a lighter (or match) and fire proof container. Rip your paper into the three parts along your folds. Light the first part on fire, dropping it into your fire proof container, saying: I forgive you. Once that has
burned completely, light the second strip, saying: I choose to let you go. Once that has burned, light the final piece, saying: I release you, I release you, I release you. Sit in silence for a few minutes. Get your journal back out. Write down everything you want to attract in the New Year. Keep this list somewhere safe but where you’ll see it often – in your wallet or purse, perhaps. Look at it often to remind yourself not only of what you’ve let go of but what you want to attract into your life. Let your thoughts, feelings, and actions follow your dreams. Happy Holidays! Dr. Mary Pritchard www.drmarypritchard.com
“Tuning into the wisdom of my heart is such a crucial part of my life now that I routinely check in and see how I am doing. Am I being true to me?”
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B Me ella
Celebrate it All… Even the Bad Stuff By Claire Sierra, MA
“C
I realized that nothing good was going to come of making myself try to write. It feels forced and contrived. Two solutions immediate appeared: chocolate and walking. I needed a change of pace, a new outlook.
elebration of Life? You must be kidding,” I think to myself. I’ve just spent the last seventy plus minutes trying again and again to connect to the internet, email, and Facebook with many re-starts, So I went outside. There’s nothing better re-boots and refreshes. My blood is than a walk to shift my energy and bring boiling with frustration. I’m attempting a fresh point of view. Outside, life reveals to figure out this issue’s herself for what she is: a cool topic. Maybe it’s in the day, bright sunshine, notes I scribbled months “Celebrating life cloudless fresh sharp breeze, with wheat ago. I’m hungry, as this has now taken the better means reveling in fields undulating effortlessly part of my morning. Life all of it. Even the around me. Immediately I realize: this is what’s real, not is not flowing. Finally, not-so-good stuff.” my internet annoyance. I access our magazine portal and confirm the Virtual glitches are theme: Celebration of Life. exasperating, but also enlivening, forcing us to stop and change tactics— Oh please! I am so far from celebrating interacting with the physical world around life right now! But then I start to wonder, us, reconnecting with ourselves and each what do we do when what is happening is other, which can otherwise be easy to avoid. not what we want? How do we “celebrate The online world can be so captivating life” in these instances? that we lose perspective. As much as I love the on-line communities, the speed and connectivity can be a burden too. Especially this time of year. Maybe you’re feeling it too.
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It’s the holidays. Not everyone loves this season— it’s a mixed blessing. Maybe yours is full of cozy family celebration and charmed holiday parties, like we see on TV. But often it’s a lot of extra work and pressure—it’s busy, exhausting and disappointing. But celebrating life means reveling in all of it. Even the notso-good stuff. Yes, enjoy the parts you love and what’s going well. But everything isn’t to our liking all the time, so you can also honor the challenges, frustrations and difficulties. Discovering how to celebrate all of it could be useful. So how? First, step back and get present to what’s happening. For me it was realizing my situation wasn’t changing, so I had to shift. My habit of masculine pressure and force needed balance with feminine flow and timing. Do something different. Change your view, literally. That’s the wisdom of wandering outdoors. I didn’t know what would come of it, but it works. Then new ideas can come in. And with new vision you’ll see a bigger picture.
From there, gratitude sweeps in. I notice all that IS working, the beauty and bounty around me. Despite the difficulties, great or small, there is much to be thankful for. As you see the balance of the challenges you can celebrate them. You’re no longer a victim of your nasty situation, you’re a participant. And you can always opt out. (As I did.)
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From there, the blessings flow in. They’re surprising but obvious. I enjoyed fresh warm sunshine and a broader vista of life around me, which I would not have had if I stayed stressing in my office. So much to celebrate that came out of that difficulty! It might result in an unexpected synchronicity, a fresh perception, or a conversation with someone new. And even if none of that happens to you, something will. Just releasing attachment to what’s not working, letting go and changing scenery will change your perception, I promise.
So why celebrate life, even the bad stuff? Because life “is what it is” and the more we release what’s not working and find ways to make the best of it, the sooner we find our path of joy. Trying to force everything to the imaginary picture in our minds of “the way it should be” only brings stress, disappointment and heartache. The sooner we revel in all that is, the better it gets. It sounds so sappy simple, but it’s the truth. But don’t forget the chocolate. Claire Sierra, MA www.MagdalenePath.com
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The 5 Masks We Wear That Push Away the LOVE We Want By Victoria Wynn I’m not extremely religious at this point in my life, but I do want to let you in on a personal prayer that turned into a social experiment. I felt wildly confused about a relationship that was perplexing enough for me to not know if we were friends, more than friends, in a relationship or insert any other confusing status. So I did what any cool, calm and collected woman would do; I took it upon myself to set boundaries out of frustration! And I wasn’t done there, I wore a few “emotional masks” as I pushed him away. That of “empowered woman, hear me roar!,” “bold and overbearing,” “marry martyr” and “Ms. Ultimatum.” None of these were healthy or got me what I wanted. Somewhere amongst my feminine chaos, a quiet idea came to me. Ask for help. In my prayer, I humbly asked for guidance with my life. I also sought clarity with this particular individual who I had quite a heart connection with. The answer was whispered to me later that day; “Victoria, lean in by sharing all of yourself. Yes, Victoria that includes
your deepest fears of abandonment and your softest feminine side as well.” In the process of letting down my walls and taking off my masks, I discovered five common masks we wear that inadvertently push away the very love we desire:
1. The “I don’t need you” Mask: How often do we drive away that very thing we want most? It’s a way we protect our tender egos from further pain. What if we shifted our paradigm into vulnerability and simply told our friend or partner, “I miss you?” I tried this approach and not only did I feel better being completely honest with him, but he shared that he loved to be missed. It made his day as well. (Though results may vary! …Do this for yourself, not him.)
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4. The “Self sabotage” Mask: We don’t know why we are doing it, but we are making it impossible for an enlightened, emotionally healthy man to be in a relationship with us. It commonly stems from not feeling deserving of all that he and life has to offer. It can also challenge us if we have seen unhealthy relationships as a child, then when prince charming comes along, we aren’t familiar with it and it literally feels uncomfortable. I challenge you to make the uncomfortable, comfortable. You deserve it.
5. The “He’s not enough” Mask: 2. The “Pushy” Mask: Sometimes as women we can get so “empowered” that we lose our feminine softness and turn empowerment into entitlement. We step out of our transparent and honest feelings in exchange for demands. It doesn’t inspire our kids and it doesn’t inspire our men.
3. The “I’m not pretty enough” Mask:
Sometimes it’s true. The man falls short of all that we deserve. I simply request that you ask yourself if you’re playing your “A” game. I remember a friend years ago writing down her laundry list of the kind of man she should have instead of her husband. I instantly noticed that she wasn’t even all of the items listed. Take a moment to honestly consider if you have, to the depth that you want, all of those same traits.
This mask hides our true beauty. It lies to us day in and day out and we actually use it to push romance away. If it seems counterproductive, it is! When we feel confident and beautiful we attract kind and powerful men. And “Lean in by sharing all of yourself. more importantly, we feel free from Yes, that includes your deepest fears the lies we tell ourselves about our of abandonment and your softest bodies. Self-loathing is a way that we resist love.
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feminine side as well.”
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There is no shame in wearing any of these masks. We are all human. We’ve all worn at least one of them. The question to ask the next time you find yourself hiding your authentic self is: “Does this mask get me what I truly want?” What I found over the past few weeks were a couple of eye-opening life lessons. First, that the social experiment was actually more about myself and less about him; though of course he’s benefited by a more authentic and genuine relationship with me. Second, I realized how closed off I still was even though years had passed from my devastating 16 year marriage. The challenge to “lean all in” hasn’t been easy. And as the saying goes, anything worth doing isn’t easy. May we all create unity in this world, beginning with our own transparency. Victoria Wynn Founder, “The Lies I Tell Myself Project” Happy, wild & free mother of 5, author and facilitator www.TheLiesITellMyself.com November ~ 2015
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V Love To Me Love: Celebrating Her By Bonnie Gayle
S
ince the days of Adam & Eve, women have been taught to have a lot of shame around feeling pleasure, understanding what makes them feel good sexually, and connecting to their feminine essence – their vaginas. The so-called sin of Eve has sadly affected creativity, sexuality, relationships, pleasure, emotions, movement, intimacy and the ability for women to make money. From the time you were a young girl, you were most likely taught to be disconnected from your body, You may have even suffered with low self-esteem or lived in fear. Sound familiar? According to Indian philosophy, your sacral chakra, where your vagina is located, represents all areas of your life. Without having that channel open, acknowledged and loved, you will never have the opportunity to fully enjoy your life and achievements. Instead, you will be controlled by the fears of blame, guilt, and shame. I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to be or feel this way. You can overcome this and change the course of your life. It will take some time and effort; however, it’s one of the most worthwhile things you can choose to do for yourself. It’s about allowing the most intimate part of you, your vagina, to blossom and come alive so you can become your most amazing self.
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It’s time to embrace “She Love.” This concept is not talked discussed openly in modern society and you likely haven’t heard about it, unless you’ve done some deep inner work with women. This is not something you heard about in school, from your parents, friends or people you are in relationships with. Why? Because it takes a lot of bravery to take the dive into what I call “She Love.” What is “She Love?” She Love is the way I teach women to love, appreciate, and celebrate their vaginas that were so heavily connected to shame of lifetimes. It’s celebrating and connecting to your vagina so she can experience pleasure, feel good, and open up. I’m not talking about sleeping around with a lot of people, running around naked in public, or anything that would put her or you in harm’s way. In fact, it’s just the opposite. You are connecting to yourself to expand that part of you that has most likely been in hiding for generations. I recently lead a group of women through a “She Love” practice. Everyone agreed to do at least one daily “She Love” practice for 30 days and note anything significant that happened. The results were amazing!
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Love
Are you ready to
the skin you’re in?
What if you fell deeply wildly in love with your body?
Yes
, it’s possible
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30daystobodylove.com
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The entire group of women had a variety of personal shifts in their relationships, careers, friendships, and especially with how they felt about their bodies. For example, as one woman began connecting to her femininity she began speaking to her husband in a much more loving way. Their relationship grew because this inspired him to be more understanding with her and more open to working on their relationship. Another woman, after understanding more about how the ingredients in the products she was using were harmful to her body, decided to start using healthy organic products in the bath, on her body, and inside her vagina and found that she stopped feeling itchy and her skin became softer. Each woman felt a deeper connection to herself physically, mentally, and spiritually and experienced a greater sense of confidence, self-love, and appreciation for her body.
She Love is about: • Connecting with your vagina • Acknowledging your precious parts • Allowing yourself to experience
pleasure
• Taking care of your vagina’s needs • Making sure she is nourished
You can do this by: • Vagina exploration. • Have you ever seen her? • Talking to her. • Acknowledge her lovingly. • Checking ingredients you expose
her to.
• Going at her pace. Take things
more slowly.
• Self-pleasuring and releasing the
shame around it.
Connecting with your vagina is empowering! Every area of your life is affected by that part of your body that has been associated with shame for far too long. It’s time to unblock her and allow the power she has to shine so you can be all you came here to be. Bonnie Gayle www.BonnieGayle.com
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My Sacred Body By Dana Canneto
O
nce upon a time, I was in a very dark and lonely place when it came to my relationship to my body. I can remember feeling so disconnected from myself and who I was. I always tried to look perfect in order to be accepted in the world, which led me towards a 6-year battle with anorexia and many other health issues thereafter until I woke up and began my journey towards wholeness. As I reflect back, I now see that it really had nothing to do with my body but the mere the fact that I didn’t like myself enough to know I was good just as I was, therefore my body became the victim. I am NOT this body and she is not what defines me. She is, however, where I call home and vehicle that navigates me through life. In order for her to be the best version of herself, she needs to be honored, loved and cherished. She is the conduit to source, and source is where we connect to our divine truth and inner knowing. It’s time for you too, to reclaim this part of you. The problem with society today, is that we aren’t taught this. We are shown otherwise by various mediums that our body is what defines whom we are, and if we don’t look a certain way then we shall not be accepted in the world. So many women are walking around feeling unworthy, undeserving and unsafe to be whom they are for fear of rejection - simply based upon their looks or body type - and this needs to stop!
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The good news, is that as individuals we have a choice. You can choose to honor and respect yourselves enough to look past what society is telling you, and know that you are whole and complete just as you are. You are beautiful! It begins with loving yourself in your totality. It starts with getting to know who you are at the core of your being as you begin to shed the layers of self-rejection. It’s about loving your shadow because without the shadow, we can’t see the light. Once you begin to love yourself fully is when you will begin to accept the sacred vessel you are in and respect her just the same. The more you love your body, the more she will respond to you in ways that you desire. I am living proof that you can love your body again no matter how impossible that might seem right now. Believe it.
I would now love to share with you some of my most sacred body rituals. Each one of these rituals is a way to further enhance your relationship to your body. Now it’s time to cultivate that love for her so that you can walk through life feeling empowered, confident and in love with yourself.
1. Sacred Dance – In the morning when
you wake up take 10-20 minutes to move your body through dance. I highly suggest using very feminine flowing music that allows you to move your hips about so that you can land in your body and be in somewhat of a meditative space. A few of my favorite artists are Karunesh, Prem Joshua, Deva Premal, Snatam Kaur or Bachan Kaur. I encourage you to allow your body to move without thinking about how you look but to allow the rhythms to take you. It might feel awkward for the first few minutes but then you will start to feel the rhythm of your own body.
2. Communicate –
Communicate with your body. Ask her what she needs, let her know you are there for her, to listen to her and give her what she requires. Treat her as you would treat your own child. Release any negative connotation towards her.
3. Adornment – Allow your
creative expression to flow through you and adorn your body with those things that make you feel that much more beautiful. Often times we “hide out” when we are unhappy in our body but this is a chance to express yourself with lavish, yummy, comfortable clothes that make you feel your best. This is not for anybody else but you. Maybe it is dresses, cotton yoga pants and tunics - whatever it is that makes ‘you’ feel beautiful and feminine.
For more of my body rituals you can download the free PDF on my website. Dana Canneto www.danacanneto.com
November ~ 2015
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Divine Passion Rebecka Eggers At the end of all my longing, In the dissolution of My craven hunger, I feel something open in me. Not with any ferocity. I open slowly, Delighting in each scent, The touch of my own fingers Exploring The softness of my belly, The texture of the blanket on my back. Just an ordinary blanket! Slowly I rise. You are calling me. Beloved. Beloved. I feel your touch, Winding its way down to the nape of my neck. You stop, Caress me softly, For a moment that seems to contain Every single thread of time Woven through the ages. As if we were never parted. I feel your touch Slither down my back, Beneath my hair, In soft ringlets, Of fire. At once alive, With the scorching heat Of your passion, And cool to the touch.
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Your presence is utterly soothing. Beneath your scintillating touch, I come alive, Awaken, For the first time and for all time. You stoke My own long dormant Quietly smoldering Fire. It ascends. Suddenly I no longer know Where you begin And I end. You have entered me.
Free Woman I stand tall Arms outstretched, Back arched, Breasts bared, Hair floating On wind. I stand proud, Naked, Blessedly free Of prying eyes. Even if they are watching. I soak up warmth From this newly risen sun, Skin glistening, Like lilies Wed to the morning dew. I stand free, Bathed In the sweat Of ecstatic labor. Absorbing light Through the residue Of long overdue tears Offered as prayers. And answered.
Rebecka Eggers November ~ 2015
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S
Iridescent Smoke
omeone asked me today if there are things for which I still cannot forgive myself. I have searched my soul.
The answer?
T
here is nothing left for which I need to forgive myself.
I feel whole and complete in this truth. The things I cannot forgive are the things of this world that break my heart every day. I cannot forgive the random, undeserved hatred, the racism, the sexism, the exploitation‌I could go on and on.
B
To be honest, I am not even sure I should forgive these things as they persist and are meted out with great intention. They affect me continuously. ut I can take them and I can lay them on my ecstasy altar.
A
One by one I can surrender them to the truth of my own vow to live for joy, ecstasy, lusciousness...
s I kneel, a woman appears to me. She is shapely and beautiful in her own unique way. Her body is faintly visible beneath a white chiffon gown. This woman, this manifestation of ecstasy, is powerful and larger than life. For her my little bundle of un-forgivens seems tiny, like twigs.
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B
efore ecstasy, I am tiny too.
November ~ 2015
T
ogether we dig a pit in the ground. My bundle of hatred has grown very large now. It is too large for me to move. My first act of devotion. I must ask for help.
H
I
t is nighttime.
The moon is shining in silvery fullness.
er eyes are gleaming a mixture of pleasure and mischief. The moment I ask, she tosses the twigs in the pit and snaps her fingers. The whole thing goes up in white flames and iridescent smoke. This smoke looks like melted pearls as it rises.
F
I breath it in, this luscious, rich, intoxicating brew. It smells of sage and lavender. or the first time in a long time, I relax.
Rebecka Eggers November ~ 2015
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Scarlet Baptism
Will you meet me here In this tender moment As the dew drops of pleasure form Like silver rain, Tender touches Of sweet ecstasy Glistening on my skin? Will you lend me your eyes Hungry For visions of my triumph? Not lecherous eyes Starving for me, For stolen moments Of voyeuristic highs. But witnessing eyes. Eyes thirsty to Drink in my win, Loving eyes Teeming with tears And admiration For my bravery As I dive into My desire Not just a delicate glance But My Full on Scarlet Baptism, My Fierce Fiery Immersion In the pureness of my ecstasy. Rebecka Eggers
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www.rebeckaeggers.com
November ~ 2015
B Man ella
J
ust like the feeling I have for GOD
Here are some of the words that come to my mind Life giver, Protector, Loving & Compassion, Passionate, Gentle, Savvy, powerful and strong, fabulous and beautiful, a mover and shaker, she can make it happen with little or lot.
C
harleston Pierce
Model/Modeling Coach 45 November ~ 2015
BEditorial ella
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Marooney Q&A
BellaMia: Tell us about the Angels. Kimberly: Angels are ALIVE!
They are real Beings who are here with us always. As we awaken in consciousness, our relationship with angels deepens. The real juice is being in direct connection with angels. Not long ago, angels were viewed as conceptual and “out there” somewhere. When I first became interested in angels in the 1970s, I could only read about them in books. That was all that was available! When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Judith Larkin Reno was that teacher for me. She taught me how to channel angels in my body, inviting the vibratory frequency of specific angels to re-inform my DNA. This was the beginning of The American Angel Tradition. By communing with angels in a state of complete immersion, you experience the angel personally. You receive a molecular transplant of the qualities of that angel, opening access to your true Being and the Source. For those precious moments, you are the living Divine. This is Participatory Divinity.
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Here’s the best part: It’s easy and natural! Angel readings are the simplest way to begin this profound connection because they allow you to let go of the mind and what you think you know to invite a personal experience of Unity with your angels. We all have a team of angels. Our Guardian Angel is the manager. S/he knows our Divine Plan and life purpose. The other angels on our team come and go as needed to help us release old misconceptions as we heal past pain, to realize greater truth as we experience Divinity, and to manifest our soul calling in the world. BellaMia: I have connected NDE (Near Death Experience) with people being connected to the Angels. Did you have a NDE? If so, when? Kimberly: Yes! My first mystical experiences were in my teens so I had this connection before my NDE. Even though I was interested in angels, I wasn’t really listening.
I became one of the first fee-based financial planners in the late 1980s. Although I enjoyed the work, my health was failing. I got to a point where I was in so much pain I could barely function. Then over a weekend, I forgot how to read which felt terrifying. I could no longer do my job so I had to resign. Two years later, a dozen doctors still failed to identify the problem. I had degenerated to a lump of flesh. I was close to death and wanted to die; yet a part of me knew that my “separateness” was killing me. At that moment, this prayer rose up from my soul: “Lord, I don’t care what you
do with me. All that matters is that I feel your Love right now.”
I poured every ounce of energy in my body, emotions, mind and being into this plea for love. The ceiling disappeared and the Heavenly Host came down into my room. Millions of angels held me in an embrace of Divine Love that was unlike anything I could imagine. Miraculously, the pain left. I experienced being totally loved for who I am, jolting me out of a “what I can’t do” perspective .
In that embrace of love, the angels asked me to co-create a “Bridge to Spirit” with them. I screamed YES! I would do anything to stay in that love. The angels began to work with me one at a time, infusing me with their potent qualities of energy. I could feel their vibration penetrating my cells to heal everything. A week later, I was referred to a doctor who diagnosed my condition and started treatment. A year later, I had recovered the ability to read and enough strength to begin writing. By May of 1995, I had the first printing of Angel Blessings Cards of Sacred Guidance and Inspiration in my hands. Since then, a quarter of a million copies of Angel Blessings Cards have found their way into the hands of people in 15 languages around the world. The more I listen to angels, the healthier and happier I become. I am that Bridge to Spirit now!
BellaMia: Will you share your
profound experience with us by tuning into the Angels?
Kimberly: The angels would love to
connect with you personally, dear reader.
November ~ 2015
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On your behalf, I asked the question:
How can we embrace more joy and celebration during the holy days when there can be so much pain and stress? Ananchel was the first to respond. Ananchel, the Angel of Grace, is a gentle angel who whispers love in your ear, and infuses you with Grace. Grace is an experience of Divine Love. Close your eyes and breathe with Ananchel as she whispers this message into your ear.
“We are here. We love you deeply. Breathe into your heart. I stand behind you with my arms wrapped around your heart in love. Can you sense me? Shake off who you are not and be filled with Grace of who you are. You are a precious Child of Light. You are loved and loving. Joy is your true nature. Archangel Ramaela holds the flower of Joy to your heart, infusing you with the highest quality of your soul, eternal Joy. Breathe in
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Joy. Let it infuse every cell of your being, awakening this living presence of Joy within you! Take our hands and let us lift you into the highest vibrations of Love where it is easy to Forgive yourself and others. Stamera holds you tenderly, helping you to let go of old stories and pain so you can embrace the Joy of oneness. Can you feel it? Celebrate the goodness of your life with us. Celebrate your family and friends, your home, your work, fur friends, challenges and opportunities; celebrate everything as a blessing of goodness. We are with you always.�
BellaMia: What led
you to begin The Angel Ministry?
Kimberly: Each project
the angels have invited me to co-create has been different. Angel Blessings was a massive epiphany filled with heavenly vision and a strong, clear angel presence.
The Angel Ministry quietly revealed itself over several years. I would get visionary glimpses, but it was so big it frightened me. I didn’t know what to do or how to do it! I didn’t think I was up to the challenge so I shut down the visions and went to Europe for five weeks to lead workshops and do angel readings. Soon after I arrived in England, Karen Leys, one of my hosts, did some hands-on healing for me. When she finished, she asked, “When are you going to start The Angel Ministry? I need to be in your first class.”
Gateway University! This is very exciting. We’ve been planning for this transition for five years and now it is happening. The angels have been giving me glimpses of expanding this quiet little university for the study of higher consciousness into the heart of the New Thought community. I can’t wait to receive the divine plan for this co-creation! Learn more at KimberlyMarooney.com
I thought, “Whoa!!!” I hadn’t mentioned my vision to anyone As we talked, Karen made it clear that The Angel Ministry was bigger than my fear and helped me to say YES. The curriculum and guidance poured into me in just a few weeks. We launched our first class in 2009. Now we have 50 Angel Ministers around the world bringing blessings, love, healing and guidance to everyone they meet. Our current class of Angel Ministers is filled with brilliant souls who have wondrous visions. I can’t wait to see how they blossom into divine service.
BellaMia: What do you see for the future?
Kimberly: I just got the news that I’ve
been appointed the next President of
November ~ 2015
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In the Embrace of the Divine
M
ichelle Mayur hasn’t always been aware of angels in her life. Like many, she turned to spirituality after a crisis period in her life in 1989 when her marriage dissolved and her mother died two weeks later. Her passion for meditation, inspiring self-help books, and everything spiritual grew rapidly. In 1991, Michelle’s deceased mother appeared to her as a radiant apparition and communicated important information to her telepathically, all with a warm and radiant smile. When Michelle went to put her arms around her in the vision, her arms just went through the apparition. Any doubt Michelle may have secretly entertained about life after death or the presence of loving non-physical guides was shattered forever. It was the start of viscerally connecting to the higher realms, or The Divine, as Michelle terms it (think Source, God, Angels , Creator or whatever term you most resonate with).
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Working on the tiny equatorial island of Nauru in 1994, Michelle suffered a mysterious NDE (Near Death Experience). All Michelle knows is that in the space of a few minutes she went from perfectly normal and healthy while getting ready to go to work to being in incredible pain, becoming paralyzed and then surrendering into dying. At times of crisis like this, the soul leaves the body and decides whether or not it will re-enter it if and when the trauma has passed. There must have been important work for Michelle still to do because a number of hours later she regained consciousness, floating around on the hospital ceiling. Such a close encounter with the other side opened her up dramatically. After her NDE she often found herself with pen and paper facing the ocean in Nauru. As
she watched the waves, profound philosophical poetry poured through her as fast as she could write it down. The angels finally had her full attention. Eventually Michelle co-created a fully channeled work with the angels called Angels are Watching in 2001.
How You Can Communicate with Angels Too We live in a quick-fix society of instant Since 1995 with her private healing practice in gratification, but developing a rich, deep Melbourne, Australia, Michelle has continued to connection with the angels and other deepen her connection to the angelic realms. The higher beings generally takes time. First name of her business, “Angel Wings Healing” was and foremost, take the time to be in the given to her by the angels when the first candle on stillness and to develop a regular discipline her angel altar partially burned down with the most of meditation for at least 10 minutes a gravity-defying spread-out angel wings! day, even if it is just to practice some deep breathing exercises to naturally Of course Michelle has turn on the body’s relaxation had so many signs that the We live in a response, or listen to guided angels are working closely quick-fix society relaxation audios. with her, such as bouncing balls of light in the room, of instant In the relaxed space, ask the cool wafting breezes, flashes gratification, but angels your questions or talk of angel wings and reports to them about your concerns. from her more clairvoyant developing a rich, Often the answer will appear clients who see and sense deep connection in your mind even before you the angels in the room. have finished asking the quesMichelle herself often sees with the angels and tion. That is truth. Keep it. If a brilliant intensity of white light similar to what she other higher beings you wait a few seconds and then the answer appears, it is likely to experienced in the NDE as generally takes be your ego mind substituting the angels work on a person something. Let that go. with her. time.
Angels in Michelle’s Work
Over time Michelle has come to observe psychically that the greatest intensity of healing takes place when she invites the angels in to do the work and then steps back to let them get on with it, rather than trying to “micro-manage” them! Often Michelle will just ask the angels for a healing for herself and straight away will feel the shifts of energy flowing through her. She assures me that anyone can ask for a healing from the angelic realms and receive it! You are not deflecting the angels and archangels away from more important tasks, as their energy can be everywhere at once.
Of course the answer may come much later on in another form … and often not in the “package” that you expect. Be open. Feathers are traditionally the calling cards of the angels and may show up in unusual places, just to let you know the angels are supporting you. You may also suddenly find yourself singing the words to a certain song that contains the answer to your question, or you may see the answer on a billboard message. The angels get very creative … and also have a sense of humor!
November ~ 2015
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One day Michelle was feeling dejected, wondering if anyone was really listening to her teachings. At a traffic light a big truck pulled up next to her with the huge words, “Loved around the world!” painted on it. She knew instantly that it was a message of comfort for her. Michelle also sees repeating number sequences far too often to just be coincidence. Some of you may be familiar with seeing 11:11 frequently. Michelle describes this as an “angel moment” and the basic angelic nudge. At times of difficulty in her life, Michelle sees 1414 or 1144 frequently, which she interprets as the angels’ way of reassuring her that even though things feel difficult now, the angels are there for her loving and supporting her.
Embraced by the Divine you to share stories of heartache, pain, hope and personal transformation. Your story is to be about how everyday women have faced challenges, maybe even hitting rock bottom emotionally and financially, and ...she received very clear what has created the within them and specific guidance as an shift from despair and desperation to hope auditory message... and courage.”
With Michelle’s strong connection to the angelic realms, it comes as little surprise that the angels recently asked her to write a book. One summer morning as she was peacefully watering her garden paradise, she received very clear and specific guidance as an auditory message from the angelic realms. It was gentle, loving and direct. “You are to write a book and you are to call it ‘Embraced by the Divine.’ We want
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November ~ 2015
The result has been a beautiful anthology of true stories by women, for women. The message is that no matter
You can find out more about Embraced by the Divine –The Emerging Woman’s Gateway to Power, Passion and Purpose and order your copy at www.EmbracedByTheDivine.com You can also find out more ways you too can receive angelic guidance at http://heal-the-healer.com/ are-angels-trying-to-get-yourattention/
what challenges, misfortunes or trauma life throws at you, there is always the chance to turn it around, to grow from the experience and to triumph against all odds. Each chapter is a deeply personal, raw and vulnerable account of one or more crisis periods in that woman’s life, her Dark Night of the Soul and how, in partnership with the Divine, she found that deep inner courage and strength to not only break through to a higher level and to grow as a person, but also to follow her dreams and achieve success, often phenomenally.
Little did Michelle realize the journey of self-discovery creating the book would take her on! She has been called to step right of her comfort zone and to move more fully into her power. As Michelle says, “If it weren’t for the clarity of the initial angel guidance I received and of feeling myself literally handheld by the angels, it would have been very easy to just give up with all the frustrations/learning edges in the creation process.” Michelle’s wish is that you too be held in the embrace of the Divine. -Mia Saenz
November ~ 2015
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Possibilities Are Endless By Shannon Abbott
I
n the course of three short weeks my life completely changed. Okay, that’s a little dramatic. My life didn’t completely change, but the direction I was heading in definitely took a sharp right turn. Up until that point, my life was pretty average. As a stay-athome-mommy of two, my world revolved around my sweet husband and our adorable and precious little monsters; I mean children. I was very fulfilled! I had plenty of “me-time” outlets; I played in a women’s volleyball league, had plenty of girl’s nights, and dates with my hubby. I enjoyed my responsibilities at my church, and had lots of quality time with my children. I enjoyed singing in my church choir and sang at little events here and there. Nothing big, but it was enough to make me happy. I was satisfied with life and not really looking for anything else. Changing the lyrics to songs to make them funny or relatable is something I have always done. Even as a child I remember sitting on the roof of my playhouse re-writing an Elton John song to sing to my big sister for her birthday. It was just one of my “things”.
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When I decided to post my version of Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Hallelujah’ which I had written and performed for our local talent show on my Facebook wall, I NEVER imagine it would catch like wildfire and thrust me into a global spotlight. It was kind of like trying to take a drink of water from a broken fire hydrant. It was refreshing and completely overwhelming at the same time.
To me, it was just a silly song about the “woes� of motherhood. But to others it meant so much more. People responded and reacted to it in ways that were so humbling to me. I was in awe when people told me it made them cry and that it touched their heart in a profound way. Young mothers who were experiencing the same things I was were relieved to know that they were not alone. It made Grandmothers smile as they reflected upon their own past years of sleepless nights and diaper changes; years that are now distant memories. I was amazed that people around the world reached out to me to tell me how my song had inspired and impacted them. That was the biggest surprise of all. I could see how people
would think it was funny and that it would make them laugh, but that someone was truly inspired by it astonished me. Throughout this whole experience, I have been amazed at the kindness of total strangers. It has made me realize that there is more compassion and love in this world than the media or others would have us believe. I have felt a connection with women around the globe and it has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I have come to see that it doesn’t matter where we are from, what our beliefs are, or what occupation we may hold, we are more connected than we could ever imagine. It has been a beautiful thing to witness!
It was kind of like trying to take a drink of water from a broken fire hydrant. It was refreshing and completely overwhelming at the same time. Though many positive things have happened because of this experience, and continue to happen every day, it hasn’t been without it’s challenges. The hardest part of all of this has been trying to find a healthy balance in all things. Before this sudden life-shift, all of my time and energy were devoted to my little family. I had a few outside responsibilities, but for the most part, I could dedicate myself entirely to them. As I stated before, I was completely happy with that. But suddenly I found myself with hundreds of wellintentioned and sincere people reaching out to me and wanting a piece of me, my time, my attention and my energy. I was happy to give it to them. It was fulfilling to me to respond back to them and to share a little bit of myself with the world. Yet to my children, nothing had changed. I was still on full-time mommy duty. My
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6-month-old couldn’t have cared less that over 35 million people had viewed and loved my song...he still needed his diapers changed and loved waking up 3-4 times every night. My 3-year-old still wanted me to play dolls and read books with her every chance we got. A balance definitely had to be found. To that, I can say I am still working on it. So what’s next, you ask? I’m still going to be the best mommy I can be. I have no intention of bulldozing my way into the music industry. I plan on having my cake and eating it too! (Does anyone even know what that means?) Through my YouTube videos, I believe I can have the best of both worlds. I can be home with my kiddos, yet still have a way to get my music out to the world. People love that I am still a mommy, living my regular life while pursing my dreams at the same time. Many have shared that it’s “refreshing” to see and I feel very blessed. As much as my life has changed because of all of this, I can honestly say that I am still the same Shannon Abbott I was before it all began. I still am a sassy and occasionally ornery redhead. I still have good days and bad days. I have days where I feel like I’m rocking the whole “mom thing” and days where I wish I could have a do-over because I completely failed. One thing I know for certain: I am an ordinary woman. But through this unexpected adventure I have found that the world is full of ordinary people who do extraordinary things everyday just by shining their light, lifting others and following their dreams. - Shannon Abbott
November ~ 2015
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BLifestyle ella
D
S
top Holiday Excuses
–Five- 6~ Minute Mini Workouts
on’t let the holidays stop you from squeezing in a workout. Too often, during this time of year, the endless to-do lists become overrun with expectations and busyness while your workouts and you get pushed down to the bottom of the list. Not this year. In just six minutes you will be armed with not only a powerful defense from the holiday extra pounds, but also enhanced presence, peace of mind and confidence to create the holiday experiences you want. Make the decision today to make it a no excuse season. When you make this small 6- minute commitment to you, you give yourself a wonderful gift. The holiday season should be one of feeling good, delicious foods and unforgettable memories. Today, make the 6-minutes a day commitment, have fun and remember there is no excuse for not taking care of your body and you. Pick and Choose from one of the five No Excuse 6-Minute Mini Workouts or do them all!
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By Andrea Allen
100 Squats in 6 Minutes Squats immediately engage the entire body, especially your large muscles in the lower body, quads and gluteus maximums and core. Squats reveal your power and remind you of your strength. You have no excuses, because you can do your squats anywhere, anytime. Try them in the kitchen, at the mall dressing room or at the park. If you need to, build up to 100. Start with 30 and add on 5 every day until you get to 100.
1.
Directions: Feet are hips width apart. As if you are sitting in a chair, bend your knees keeping them over your toes and push you butt back and your chest up, hold for 1 second and then stand back up. Add movement with your arms for extra benefits.
Today, make the 6-minutes a day commitment, have fun and remember there is no excuse for not taking care of your body and you. Core Strength Sequence Six minutes of daily core strengthening will have you trim down your waistline and protect you from any back injuries due to wrapping to many presents.
2.
Directions: Get into a plank position, with your shoulders above your wrists and your body extended off the floor, core strong, legs energized and the heels reaching. Hold a flat plank for 1 min. Alternate knees to chest for 1 min. Rest for 30 sec. Hold a flat plank for 1 min. Hold your right knee to your nose for 30 sec. alternate and hold your left knee to your nose for 30 sec. Rest for 30 sec. Plank pose jumping your feet wide and then close for 1 min. Done!
Handstands.
3.
Nothing flips you into a better mood and reminds you who’s the boss of your holidays like a handstand. Handstand are great for arm, core, back strength and definition. Directions: Find a wall. Bring your hands 6 inches away from the wall and go into downward facing dog. Now kick up as hard as you can placing both feet on the wall. Squeeze your belly and pull up bringing the mounds of your big toes together. Hold as long as you feel comfortable. Kick down and rest for just 10 seconds before kicking back up again. Repeat for 6 min.
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4.
Just Jump:
Get you heart pumping and jump all that anxiety and stress away. Grab a jump rope or just do your standard jumping jacks. Ready set GO. Directions: Start a timer and don’t stop jumping until your 6 minutes is up. Add some fun jumping with high knees and double time. When you finish you can jump back into whatever is next on your to-do list.
Speed Racer: Take it outside; in the street, sidewalk, or mall parking lot. Directions: Grab any family, friend or neighbors you are with. Ready, set, go. Run or walk as fast as you can to a certain location and back again making sure to keep the race up until you hit 6 minutes. The best part of this race is that everyone is a winner.
5.
- Andrea Allen www.inspireme2b.com
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BLifestyle ella
Bath Salts
hat better way to pamper yourself at this hectic time of the year than with the luxurious and healing properties of a bath with Epsom and Sea Salts. You can make your own for pennies. Keep one for yourself and gift them to friends and relatives. They will thank you all year round.
B
asic Recipe: • 1 cup Epsom Salts • ¼ cup Sea Salt • Essential oils of choice (about 8-10 drops total) Dried flowers or herbs if desired Food grade coloring optional
I
nvigorating Peppermint
Bath Salts • 2 drops peppermint essential oil • 1 drop eucalyptus essential oil • 1 drop lemon essential oil
L
avender Epsom Bath Salts • Add 5-10 drops lavender essential oil • Add 2-3 tsp dried lavender petals (optional)
• Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon • Add to a jar with a tight fitting lid • Decorate jar and add a label an tag for gift giving
~ Sharon Otness www.sharonotness.com
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Sharo
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November ~ 2015
The Little Black Dress By Linnea Duvall
The Little Black Dress brings up some thoughts for us here at Bella Mia. The Little Black Dress... Is an absolute must have in your wardrobe! (Especially as the Holidays approach!) The Little Black Dress... Is the answer to #3 on the list of Glamour Magazine’s 30 Things You Must Have…”Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour”. The Little Black Dress... Is the perfect “canvas” for varied and wonderful accessories, giving the dress a fresh look with each accessory change, taking you fabulously through numerous Holiday parties and events, and honoring the humorous fashion dictum…”the ability to accessorize is the only thing that separates us from the animals”. The Little Black Dress... Is something that everyone who is anyone has worn…and that means everyone has worn one, at least once in their life, or will need to wear one. So! Go and get yourself that Little Black Dress, in the style that will most flatter you, most boost your self confidence, and most guarantee you will feel absolutely self assured and terrific every time you slip into it. Happy Holidays!!! -Linnea Duvall www.Gladragbags.com
November ~ 2015
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Fly with an angelic girl to a tropical realm of perfect beauty; surf with mermaids; fall in love with a rugged, forest boy; defeat the dark angel. Find your power.
Available on Amazon!
"Living Life on a Natural High"
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www.sharonotness.com November ~ 2015
opt for long sleeves but in a sheer fabric. It’s lighter and lets some skin peek through, without risking a tooconservative look.
Celebrating Everything Fashion
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By Tina Ketchie Stearns
t’s December! It’s time to party! It’s time to bring out the glam! This is the month we have waited for all year! It’s time to celebrate everything fashion! You are standing in your closet with party invitation in hand and think, “I have nothing to wear!” Off to the store you go, and as you are shopping for that perfect, eye-popping outfit for this oh-so-exciting party season, you remember a heart-stopping reality – you have issues! Issues with your arms, your stomach, your legs or your hips. Well sister, the only issue you have is that you think you have issues! Don’t you know you are beautiful exactly as you are? That’s what BellaMia is all about – embracing the beautiful you that you are! Back to the shopping. Now that you fully embrace the reality that you are beautiful exactly as you are, there are tips for making that Beautiful You shine as bright as the lights on the tree. Here are some great fashion tips to work with those areas that are a little more challenging for you -
Arms
A wide flutter sleeve is a graceful finish that’ll cover up any arm anxiety in a pretty way. If long sleeves feel too covered-up, opt for long sleeves but in a sheer fabric. It’s lighter and lets some skin peek through, without risking a too-conservative look. The key to making a fabric like velvet work is in a sophisticated silhouette, past-the-elbow. If your legs are your strong suit, wear a long-sleeve dress that goes as sky-high with your hemline as you dare.
Stomach
A banded waist keeps the fabric from bunching around your stomach, and in a metallic fabric, all anyone will notice is the festive sheen. Extra volume under the natural waist creates space that conceals your midsection. White dots on the torso almost seem as if you’re looking at an optical illusion. And one of my favorites, the classic wrap dress adjusts to individual curves, making it nearly impossible for the dress to fall at an unflattering angle. November ~ 2015
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Legs
Shop for a maxidress in a silky fabric (not cotton!) to ensure it feels party-ready rather than weekend-appropriate. The long length also means you can go as skimpy up top as you dare. A sheer bottom offers all the coverage of a floor-sweeper, but the light fabric is so airy, you’ll look like you’re floating around the party. When dress shopping, don’t forget there’s a middle ground between the maxis and the minis. The midi is a chic, right on-trend option that’s great for giving you some leg coverage. Stunning beadwork up top is the showstopper of a party dress, acting as the main attraction. A low-key romantic skirt is light and flattering. If you are a pant girl, well do I have the perfect answer for you! Check out my own Go Free Pants line and the black Margaret Velveteen. Absolutely luxurious with its satin pocket trim and straight leg, you will feel and look like a million dollars!
Hips
Look at the dress on the hanger: If it has a shape that widens out under the natural waist, it will be ideal for accommodating curves. Skater skirts flare wider at the hem, with an A-line shape that follows and flatters your natural silhouette. Flirty ruffles up top take all the attention away from hips. Clingy, bodycon dresses will show off every curve of your body. If that’s not the effect you’re after, pick a silhouette with a voluminous skirt instead (and feel free to do it as a mini to let your legs do all the talking). Women in the hourglass category can take full advantage of it by shopping for a style nipped in at the natural waist. A flared bottom and longer length will only highlight the waistline even more. With these buying tips and your BellaMia Beautiful Me confidence, you will be the hit of the party turning heads the moment you enter the room! Bring it December! Go fashion! Go holidays! This is OUR MONTH! Let’s get dressed up and party like it’s 2015!
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Tina Ketchie Stearns www.gofreepants.com November ~ 2015
LLLL Liii Yeerr YYYnnnn Naaarrrrr It's not about stopping the aging process, it's about NOT getting old!
Over 70+ million people suffer from digestive disorders in the US alone. Bone broth, fermented veggies/drinks are healing foods.
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Is life real or imagined? Is there a difference? Do our beliefs and perceptions hold us hostage? How do we break free?
Author Carolyn Gervais immediately hooks the reader's attention by revealing the profound philosophical questions she, as a small child, asked her grandfather. I really appreciated the author’s biographical stories and I like the way the author explores reality and illusion. "Judge, Writer's Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards"
Author Carolyn Gervais takes you beyond the boundaries of belief and perception. http://www.awakeningyou.com/
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Beet & Butternut Squash Winter Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Salad
By Sharon Otness
4 raw beets, peeled and quartered 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash 1T. coconut oil or olive oil 1 tsp. Sea salt 2 cups of salad greens Âź cup goat or feta cheese Turn on oven to 350. In large mixing bowl, toss beets and butternut squash (I do them separate to retain their colors) in oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Place on large cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
Vinaigrette
1 orange, juiced 2 lemons, juiced 1 shallot minced 2 T. olive oil
Place juice and shallots in blender. Add oil. Blend to create an emulsion.
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Place greens of choice in serving bowl. I like baby kale, arugula or an herb blend. Toss with a bit of the dressing to coat. Place roasted veggies on top, sprinkle on cheese and serve with additional dressing. You can easily add shredded chicken or wild salmon to make this a main meal.
I love this salad at the holidays for several reasons. The colors are very festive and it is healthy. It is just as easy to make this for 12 as it is for two. Just adjust the ingredients accordingly. Make it as a side salad or the main meal. ~ Sharon Otness www.sharonotness.com
By Lorraine Cohen ¼ cup Organic virgin coconut oil I cup Organic coconut flakes ¼ cup Organic coconut butter 2 – 3 dollops Organic chunky peanut butter or organic almond butter 2 tbsp - Unsulfered molasses 1 tsp Organic vanilla extract (optional) Unsweetened cacoa square melted, Baker’s dark chocolate - 6oz ( you can use cocoa powder) ¾ - 1 Cup Organic chopped almonds or any favorite nuts (or combination) Pinch of Himalyan or Celtic or Real salt *You can also add currants & chocolate nibs
Peanut Butter, Coconut & Chocolate Almond Bark 10- 12 minutes prep Ready to enJoy in 30 minutes Melt the coconut oil, and chocolate on moderate heat stirring as needed so it does not burn. Remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients Pour into a wide glass container on parchment paper and top with additional nuts and coconut flakes if desired. I like to do this and it looks very pretty! Place container uncovered in the freezer for minimum 30minutes for the chocolate to harden Remove, break into pieces and enjoy! Remember to keep the chocolate refrigerated in a glass container as anything raw melts quickly.
Yum! -Lorraine Cohen www.lorrainecohen.com November ~ 2015
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Creating a Sanctuary for the Holidays By Sharon Otness
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can’t think of a time that is more important to have your home be your sanctuary than over the holidays. A place that you can go and shut out the noise and hype if even just for a few hours. A place that you can welcome friends and loved ones if you choose. A sanctuary to offer them a respite from the distractions of a commercialized world. Sure you want your home to look festive and beautiful. You might be doing more entertaining than usual. This can add stress to an already overly busy time. Although it doesn’t have to be that way. You do not
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need to buy into the hype of trying to do everything. It isn’t a time to suddenly become a master baker, a decorating professional and an event planner all wrapped into one. Some of the most beautiful and welcoming spaces are also the ones that are simple. They are comfortable and create a sense of ease. Instead of elaborate, think welcoming. Hopefully by now you already have a designated place to be by yourself in your home. Your own sanctuary to reflect, read, and dream. If not, make sure you do that first. Even if you just create a nook with a comfy chair for you to rest. Once you have that in place, take an inventory of the rest of your home.
Where do you entertain? So many homes have a great room that is part of the kitchen. The overall hub of the house. This is the place you might want to concentrate on as well as your entry. Look at the overall comfort. Give you and your guests the gift of being able to “chill”. Are there extra places to sit? How about tables that are handy to set a drink or snack on? What about a place to put up feet that are tired from shopping or dancing in those ultra high heels? A great solution to all of these is ottomans.
It isn’t a time to suddenly become a master baker, a decorating professional and an event planner all wrapped into one. There are so many choices out there from leather, fabric and cowhide or sheepskin. Some of the newest are knitted in chunky yarn. Add a tray and they become a table. If they are on caster as so many are, they are quick flexible seating. Add a tray on top and they become a quick table. Make sure to titillate all of your and your guests senses. Think of the sights and smells of the holidays. Chances are you conjure up scents of vanilla, pine, citrus and spices like cinnamon. Visually you might think of greenery, flowers, ribbons and sparkle. Two of the easiest decorating ideas are to fill a bowl with colorful and sparkling glass balls, or a bowl full of greens, citrus fruits, pine cones and ribbon. What about the sounds?
What music sets you in the mood for the holidays? Create a playlist that you can easily tap into. What about touch and taste? Provide a beautiful soft knitted throw or a sensual sheepskin pillow to curl up with. Have a bowl filled with colorful crisp apples and nuts to crack. Keep it simple. Make cookies early (maybe set up an exchange with a neighbor or two) to have on hand. Have a pot ready with soup or chili for an impromptu meal. Make up a batch or two of meals when you are cooking one weekend and freeze the rest to have when you are in a pinch. Snacks can be as simple as plenty of fresh cut up veggies with hummus or guacamole for dipping. A beautiful and delicious detox water can be made quickly with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint sprigs. Enjoy a joyous and stressless holiday season! - Sharon Otness www.sharonotness.com November ~ 2015
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Seasonal Diffuser Recipe: Add to the water in your diffuser
• 2 drops fir • 2 drops orange • 2 drops cinnamon. If you do not have a diffuser, you can do a version on the stove top. To a pot of water add a combination of citrus slices, cinnamon sticks and cloves.
~ Enjoy - Sharon Otness www.sharonotness.com
Is it TRUE ?!?!? BELLAmia goes Monthly ~ 12 issues a year!
Check our website for more details www.bellamiamag.com Click link to subscribe
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I know what’s on my wishlist! November ~ 2015
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Bella MAN Here at BellaMia Infoweabout know that celebrating, Man loving, and learning about how to make a happier healthier YOU important for everyone -not just women - so we created a Special holiday section full of great things just for you guys. Enjoy and have a fantastic holiday season!
Mia
-BELLA
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Bella
At BellaMia we love our men. Featuring our first Bella. The alpha male’s hold a unique fire deep within hunting and gathering for us feminine goddesses. They love us, protect us, and tantric’ly unite with our heart. Suzanne Taylor Angel Channel Writer Spiritual Practitioner
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A Paradigm Shift
By Nicholas Holmes
What is fitness? Is fitness just a physical aspect of the human existence or is it something more?
F
itness is more than just the physical, it is also the emotional, mental, sexual, and in some cases, the spiritual expression of a human being. One experiences a holistic personal transformation because all of these interrelated aspects are affected during the process that originally started with an end goal of body transformation. In essence, when you work out you’re striving to be a stronger better version of the person you already are…not only outwardly, by getting bigger, stronger, and faster, but also inwardly, striking at a primal level of your existence. Exercise is one form of the outward expression of that urge. You can be creative by building
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a program that addresses your weakness and accentuates your strengths at the same time, achieving both a humbling and empowering experience. You experience that jubilation of achieving a feat you’ve never done before (lifting a heavier weight through a series of specific exercises, or beating your previous time). You may also experience failure (not achieving your goals, not executing all of your pre-designated repetitions for a set, seeing regression). These are just a few of the emotions you face when doing an exercise routine or pushing through a set or that last repetition. Fitness really is empowered living. This is when your mind and body goals are in line with what you want and you’re at your best.
There are five aspects to fitness that play an integral part in empowered living and determine your success level in this way of being: Physical: Building a program that works for your body Habits: Do you have habits in place to support this way of life? If not, what new habits do I need to incorporate into my day? How will I know when it is a part of my life? Motivation/Psychological: Do I have what it takes to push through this last repetition? (“I don’t feel like putting in the work today, but I’ll do it anyway.”) Understanding your “why” for putting in the effort is key. Vanity can only take you so far before you feel that something is missing. The ever changing nature of your “why” becomes evident as you ask it at various stages of your program, the question digging deeper and deeper, revealing your real motivations for the fitness regimen.
Maintenance and Sustainability: Understanding your “why” will keep this area going strong. Your “why” will change over time too so it’s important to check in on a regular basis.
When someone wants to improve their health or tone, what they’re really asking for is guidance on how to raise their standards. As a professional you symbolize the idea of that transformation process and possess the tools to make it happen. To use an analogy, an apprentice carpenter swinging a hammer to a nail doesn’t get good at his trade overnight. With experience, he becomes good at his task, moves quicker, and reaps the benefits of the time and effort he puts along with incorporating other tools of his trade such as a skill saw, or a nail gun. Working together, his newly honed skills and tools start to create a structure that’s livable.
In unison, these five aspects play a pivotal role in your fitness, and continue to expand as your fitness journey evolves.
Your fitness journey is similar in that you are creating a practice or ritual where you are challenging preconceived notions, thoughts,
Nutrition: The principles of good eating
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and physical limitations in the honor of growth and authenticity. As you do it more often, you acquire expertise in executing the exercises that make up the practice of fitness. This leads to the byproduct of being more toned, having better endurance, less body fat, better body composition, more energy, better mental grit, more organization, sense of well-being, and the list goes on. These are the physical manifestations of the work that is being done internally and externally. This is why it is admirable to see someone in great shape. It is innate within us to know that our bodies can and should work well. Your fitness level is a constant reminder of the energy level you are either developing or allowing to recede over time. There is a final aspect of fitness that contributes greatly to overall fitness: Spiritual. Fitness does not flourish in the light of addressing only the physical or mental nature of things; it thrives when you incorporate the spiritual aspect. It is important to be deeply in touch with your soul so that you can outwardly express who you are from an authentic place. Spirituality has a way of unlocking that door and diving in to bring out our authentic nature. This will shine through in the ways we approach things, how we handle stress, the creativity of our exercise or the grit we exhibit during times of challenge.
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I’d like to leave you with this paraphrasing of a quote I’ve read, attributed to many sources, one I feel is very applicable to my approach to holistic fitness: “Be careful of your thoughts for they determine your words. Be careful of your words for they dictate your actions. Be careful of your actions for they develop your habits. Be careful of your habits because they become your character. Be careful of your character, for it determines your destiny.” -Nicholas Holmes
Mint Rosemary Shave Cream
1/3 cup Coconut oil 1/3 cup Shea Butter Âź cup Almond or Jojoba oil 3 drops peppermint essential oil 8 drops rosemary essential oil
This is a beautiful shaving cream for both men (and women). It is good for sensitive skin and is non-drying. But always test before using to make sure it works for you. Melt coconut oil and shea butter together in a small pan. Pour into a heat proof bowl and add the other oil and essential oils (Sandalwood is another nice alternative). Stir well and put the bowl into the refrigerator until solid. Remove from refrigerator and whip with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Spoon into an 8 oz. jar with lid and keep it in a cool dry location. You will enjoy a beautiful moisturizing shave. -Sharon Otness www.sharonotness.com November ~ 2015
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Training Your Body To Win By Matt Brauning
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f you’re into sports or fitness, getting into the competition side of things can really up your game. It’s awesome. Whether it’s the crossfit games, a local pickup game of basketball, or a jiu jitsu tournament. Competition can be a secret motivator to get a ton of practice in during the weeks and months leading up to an event. I’ve ran marathons, triathlons, team adventure races, and competed in jiu jitsiu tournaments. Just having a date in the future where you need to show up somewhere can be very motivating to regular training. What really makes the difference between winning and losing in competition? It’s not just skills, like you may think. You can know all the same moves, have the same strength, but one athlete will still come out on top, whether it’s in a tournament or just routine training. The deciding factor is always this: Mindset. I know it’s basic, but it’s also the basic principle most competitors don’t spend the time to master. There are a few patterns that show up repeatedly with World Champions. If you want the same level of success, you want to duplicate these patterns. Here are 3 keys to start you on the path to success:
1. During Training: When you practice, don’t just practice with your body; practice with your mind too! There was a study done years ago with a basketball team in college. They split up the team into three groups. Group 1 only shot free throws for 3 hours a day; Group 2 visualized free throws for 1.5 hours, and practiced on the court for 1.5 hours. Meanwhile, Group 3 only visualized shooting free throws for the entire 3 hours. So which team November ~ 2015
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do you think did the best? Group 2, who imagined the activity in their minds vividly AND had the real-life feedback of actually doing the activity, did the best. For every hour you train live, you should spend at least 15 solid minutes visualizing the same training. Go through the moves in your mind; see what you would see, hear all the sounds, and really feel yourself making the moves. This is a risk-free way of taking your game to the next level! 2. Day of the Competition: Negative emotions are the enemy in competition. If you feel weak, unworthy, or fearful, it will show in the end results. I’ll help you create what I call the Champion State, which is a set of positive strong emotions necessary to win in any competition. For example, one might use the emotions of determination, power, and confidence. Years ago I created a set of audio programs that walk you through the process of creating this internal state, and it only
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takes a few minutes. The best part is that after you have done the process once, you can instantly bring back that powerful winning state any time you need it! 3. Moments before the match: As simple as it may sound, visualize yourself as the winner. See your hand being raised in victory, and feel the feelings of winning a great match. Then recreate your Champion State over and over until you are vibrating with positive energy. And this only takes a few seconds! Now you’re ready to compete and win! Matt Brauning www.EvolutionSeminars.com
The Natural Advantage:
A Rite of Passage for Men in the Wilderness By Ricardo Sierra
The campfire crackles and pops, and we sit close by it’s warmth on this cold November night. Our shelters are hand-made with sticks, leaves and brush, our only protection from the freezing temperatures that will last until tomorrow morning. Across from me, one of my companions carves a piece of wood with a small knife. I can’t quite tell what he’s working on in the dim light, but it’s probably the spoon he started working on a few days ago. Another uses a stick to poke the fire and help it burn without smoke. We’re on a survival trek, and putting our skills to the test here in the mountains of upstate New York, and we have two more days before we can return to the comforts of the modern world. We’ve learned to make fire without matches, using hand drill and bow drill methods. We’ve dug up wild roots (sorry, no berries are ripe at this time of year) and tasted their earthy goodness in our soups and stews. Each of the men around the fire has learned powerful skills of survival, and each has their own reasons for being here. One works inside a tall office building, and the only nature he gets each day is seen from his car window during the crowded commute to and from his job. Another is a hunter and carpenter, who longs
to ditch his backpack and learn to do things ‘the old way’. One wants to leave his company and go off-grid, and start his own homestead, living off the land through small scale farming. He wants to get some wilderness skills under his belt before giving his notice. Another man just wanted to do ‘something that actually matters’. The woods are full of sounds tonight, mostly barred and great horned owls calling high in the treetops, but every now and then we hear the crunch, crunch, crunch of the local porcupine as it makes it’s way down to the overgrown apple orchard, searching for a few sweet snacks before everything freezes up for the winter. We talk about the weather, and our plans for making grass blankets tomorrow, and who’s turn it is to make the fire, until the conversation drifts to more intimate subjects, like our wives, our partners, or our children. We roast apples and bits of venison, and share stories about what we remember about camping when we were kids. We talk about our dreams that we had as young men, and how we can recapture that magical feeling again, now that we’re older and wiser, with all of our ‘mileage’. This scenario might seem quaint, or trite to some people. “There goes those guys playing in the woods” is a November ~ 2015
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phrase that all of them are worried about hearing from their friends or co-workers, but when we actually talk about it, the dominant emotion expressed is envy. “Damn, that sounds great, man! Can I come?” It’s rare in our modern world that we can find a way to disconnect from the daily rush of schedules, meetings, data streams and constant task-making. But here, in the forest, nature forces us to her schedule and demands we tune in to a slower pace. Our heart rate drops, our eyes move from our hands to the trees to the distant mountains, and things begin to slip back into place. We integrate. We feel. We let go of all that ‘stuff ’ and find what’s really in our hearts, what is truly important. I’ve taught wilderness survival to children, teens and adults in summer camps, retreats and workshops, for about thirty years now. In the last two decades, I’ve seen people’s awareness, their basic living skills and focus drop in competency by probably about thirty percent. The digital screens ask very little of us, in terms of our ‘rite of passage’. It doesn’t take much effort to beat a video game to get to the next level. It doesn’t demand much of our soul to write a comment on Facebook.
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These men came into the woods for a challenge, and for an experience that would change them, and help them reconnect and find a deeper meaning to their lives. They came here not just for themselves, but for their families, for their communities, too, because when we find that we’re tired and burned out, they suffer too. We know we can’t be who we need to be unless we reset, and renew, and get our feet back on the ground. So, we gather and we support and we learn and we share. It might sound easy to just hang out around a campfire and all that, but trust me, this experience is tough. Learning a new skill means being vulnerable for a man. It means practicing and trying something new, and possibly failing the first ten times in front of other men. That takes a willingness to grow that is greater than the fear of losing one’s standing in ‘the Tribe’. To make it in the wilderness, sometimes you have to drop your ego, empty your cup and let go, in order to find what you seek. Learning from another man means that you are open to the fact that you don’t know everything already, which is another thing that is hard for many.
We as human beings are genetically designed to live close to nature, to hunt, fish, explore, make buckskin and hunting tools, to track wild game and swim and gather. When we do those things, even for just a weekend, we activate parts of ourselves that awaken, if you will, abilities that lie dormant in our potential. It can be called a passion, or an alertness, or an awareness, but it’s more than just those things. It’s a hunger for being alive, and for feeling fully awake and empowered. It’s a gift that I call ‘the natural advantage’. It’s a gift that’s worth searching for. We’re on it’s trail. We eventually finish our tea and move into our shelters, and the firelight dwindles as the frost blankets the forest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. -Ricardo Sierra www.hawkcircle.com
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6 Ways Men Unknowingly Push Love & Connection Away By Victoria Wynn Isn’t it ironic that we push away that which we most want? Don’t we all ache for intimacy, that emotional closeness that easily crosses a spiritual realm? There are many distinctions between the way in which men and women process. One of which is how relationship-focused women are and accomplishment-focused men are. In an effort to unify the sexes and for the sake of learning, I’ve listed the “emotional cloaks” men wear to hide and I’ve added how women commonly internalize them:
1. The “I can fix you” Cloak: You’ve probably heard of the knight in shining armor syndrome where men try to fix women and in essence, “save” women. Sometimes its out of kindness, other times ego, but either way it feels great! Though a beautiful sentiment, it would serve women if you’d add one more step by asking your female friend or partner, “Do you need a solution, a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on?” When not addressed this way, my female clients have internalized your “cloak” with thoughts of “I’m not good enough so I need fixing.” and “I’m not accepted as I am with these problems.”
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2. The “Fear of failure” Cloak: A high percentage of men I’ve coached have admitted to quitting before they’ve even begun. This includes international speakers, entrepreneurs with private planes, world class singers, students and more. The fear of rejection rules their world. The question to ask to move past this fear is, “What do I believe it says about me if a woman turns me down?” With the follow up question, “Is it true?”. Chances are its not true. I’d gamble that you are inspiring, intelligent, fun and lovable. How do we as women often internalize your “cloak”? “He doesn’t like me.”
3. The “emotions are for sissy’s” Cloak:
4. The “Money Matters” Cloak:
Which is really the “money makes me feel like I matter” cloak. Another common challenge men One of my friends explained that he feels have is a feeling of completeness and wholeness weak in his manhood when he shares sad when they make money or create value in the things in life that weigh on him. You’ve world. It seems to be a core necessity. As a been taught what an alpha male looks women I’d like to honor that quality rather than like all your life and been shunned if you diminish it, so my suggestion to you is to set daily weren’t that man. I replied to my friend reminders on your devices and create connective how I’m affected by his “cloak” when I said habits that inspire intimacy with your loved ones this, “When you push me away so I don’t during the day. (texts asking how she’s doing, see your soft side, it hurts. It feels like you phone calls saying I love you, beyond asking for don’t like me or trust me. When you share your buddies number.) You know what works for it with me I’m inspired and find you to be her. When you don’t do this, we often confuse it more attractive than ever.” as, “Work is more important than I am.”
5. The “hurry and get the touchdown” Cloak:
When you push me away so I don’t see your soft side, it hurts. It feels like you don’t like me or trust me. When you share it with me I’m inspired and find you to be more attractive than ever.
One man said it frankly, “I used sex as a substitute, not a tool to strengthen my relationship.” Challenge the idea of the “touchdown” and consider the whole journey without the expectation of that end goal. That is the very trick to being present in life. From a women’s perspective, this is one of the most attractive qualities a man can have in the bedroom. Slow down. Enjoy. Let go of the outcome. When you don’t do this we commonly feel used, unappreciated or objectified.
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6. The “I’m not worthy” Cloak: How many of you have felt the way this successful start up entrepreneur and software developer has? “My thing was that I didn’t believe I was worthy of it, I didn’t love myself. ...so even though I didn’t push them away intentionally, I just didn’t lean in because I didn’t feel worthy to.” There are so many ways that we cloak ourselves that push away intimacy and connection. Your homework is to find out what yours are. You deserve connection, love and intimacy. The next time you find yourself hiding behind one of these “cloaks”, ask yourself “Does this get me closer to what I truly want?” Your authenticity will inspire authenticity in others and in return bring intimacy and connection. Watch your relationships deepen and blossom as you set down the “cloaks” that push others away.
You are the magnet. Victoria Wynn Founder, “The Lies I Tell Myself Project” Happy, wild & free mother of 5, author and facilitator www.TheLiesITellMyself.com
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Five Tips for Living a KICKASS Life
L
By Christopher Rausch
ife is crazy isn’t it? One minute we’re kids dying to be grown-ups, and the next we’re wondering where in the hell the time went, right? Listen, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is this: regret sucks! Let me ask you something. Are you by any chance playing the “Someday” game with yourself? You know, “Someday I’ll (insert what you’ve been putting off) when (insert your excuse here). If this sounds painfully familiar, have no fear MR. KICKASS is here! If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired here’s what I think is critical, so you don’t wake up one day regretting your life.
Take Care of Number One
I’ll bet a zillion dollars if you ask anyone who’s lying in a hospital bed right now if they wish they’d taken better care of themselves the answer would be a resounding “Hell YEAH!” And, just so you know, I’m not just talking about physical health either. All too often we put everyone else’s needs before our own. Sound familiar? Then what happens? Yeah, we eventually burn out and crash in a not so much blaze of glory. Putting yourself
first isn’t being selfish – it’s self-love. Make the time for your physical and mental health. When you do, it’s incredible how much more you have and want to give to others.
Seek First to Understand Then be Understood
Ever wonder why we have two ears and only one mouth? True success and happiness happens when you have strong trusting personal and professional relationships. There’s no better way to creating those than listening. Not just hearing, but actively listening. Simply start by paying attention to your body language. Then, in your own words, let the person talking know what you heard. As a bonus, ask them November ~ 2015
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open-ended questions to keep them sharing. Before you know it the doors of opportunity will be flying open. In a nutshell, you’re establishing respect, which leads to trust, which leads to KICKASS opportunities!
more lives, including my own, by taking pen to paper. What did we write? Our eulogy!
Yes, I carefully thought about how I want to be remembered when my time Take Risks comes and wrote it down. From that Now, to put your mind at ease, I’m not asking point, I kid you not, I started living my you to base jump off of the Empire State true passion in life. The words you’re Building. reading are my What I am Putting yourself first isn’t being passion. Helping asking is to people develop start getting selfish – it’s self-love. KICKASS authentic comfortable self-confidence with being uncomfortable. We spend more time to quit living in the past and embrace decorating our comfort zone than getting out the present, is my passion. I know it and really experiencing life. It’s super sad and sounds uncomfortable to think about but frankly stupid we don’t start living until we know remember what I said before about being we’re dying. Well, the truth is we don’t know how comfortable. many tomorrows we have. Please quit playing it safe. Remember, no regrets! Listen, in case I haven’t made it clear, tomorrow isn’t promised. And more Be Grateful – Not Hateful importantly, it’s never too late to become Quit wasting precious time complaining and what you might have been. One decision judging other people’s choices and lives. The at a time will build your self-confidence. saying, “You don’t know what you got until it’s Take small bites and before you know it’ll gone” isn’t popular for no reason. When you live you’ll truly be living a KICKASS life. everyday with genuine gratitude for all that’s around you’ll actually find more to be grateful I’ll leave you with one final piece of for. advice I want you to post everywhere so you never forget. Take a few moments each night before going to bed and again when you wake up to say out “You’re only limited by the parameters of loud what you’re thankful for. Then, [bonus tip] your own mind!” – Christopher Rausch make time to share with those less fortunate. I’d really love to hear how this impacted Think With The End in Mind you. Feel free to reach out. Listen, if you don’t know where you want to end up, how will you know how to get there? I think Christopher Rausch it’s clear time flies and then we die. I’ve changed www.ChristopherRausch.com
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Removing the “Dirty Word” Stigma from Imagination
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magination a dirty word?” you ask? Well, no government agency has officially labeled it as such, but unfortunately, many people around the world treat this word, Imagination, as a concept that died once they hit puberty. To many, imagination simply means that something is made up and has no anchor in the “real world.” That is why many enjoy using this familiar sentence: “It was a figment of my imagination.” What they are really saying is that their imagination is fake and has no recognized merit.
By Dan Fowler
Although the pressure of society tells us to drop our imagination and get our heads out of the clouds to become productive members of a community, we are constantly drawn back to entertain our imaginations in a variety of ways like television, books, art, etc. Why is this so? If we need to grow out of imagination, why are we constantly compelled to interact with it? To be fair, many evolved thinkers and philosophers have reintroduced us to ways we can reconnect with this etheric discipline, and some of us are starting to understand its significance in the universe, our world and in our daily lives. However, we are a very small minority and I believe it is our duty to reawaken hearts, minds and spirits to the immense power of our imagination and how it not only allows us to escape from the mundane, but is actually the master architect of our dreams for the future. “Imagination is the operating system of the universe.” -- Dan Fowler
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imagination was the master manifesting agent of everything. Until that moment, I never realized that I had that much power. Most people go through life never realizing this.
It comes down to a simple idea that has rocked our planet for centuries and has singlehandedly sucked the wind out of many an intrepid soul. “You do not have permission to imagine. Imagination is for little boys and girls I began using the word imagination wherever I could. It was weird at first but I and has no place in the life of a responsible soon got used to it and every morning in my adult.” This is where we have been misled! daily meditations, I would say, “Today, I give Growing up in a fundamentalist Christian myself permission to imagine. How may I receive more?” home, I was taught to be practical and make responsible decisions. Now there was nothing They are two simple sentences, wrong with that by itself, but but extremely potent when set with when it was used to squelch ...it not only allows the intention to open up fully your my natural connection to my us to escape from imagination throttle. The energy imagination, it caused serious the mundane, but was overwhelming at first. The harm to my psyche. Much responsibility of my every action later I realized one simple is actually the truth that revolutionized master architect of became ever apparent and I became the way I viewed myself our dreams for the cognoscente of why my mother and father and my ancestors before and my imagination. I had future. me branded imagination as a an epiphany. I must give dirty word and something from myself permission to imagine again. I had taken on the programming from which to stay far away. They were fearful of this immense dynamo and its manifesting my childhood and every time I heard the capabilities. So afraid that they felt that closing word imagination, I silently snickered under this divine portal was the only way to maintain my breath and disempowered the notion of life, as they knew it. imagination before it ever took hold. Fortunately, I awakened to the fact that my imagination was the powerhouse behind everything I did, and I mean everything. I even came to understand that when I disregarded the concept of imagination, I was actually using my imagination to create that reality of disbelief and self-defeating thoughts. Looking back on it, I understood quickly that I created each situation in my life, whether good, bad, or indifferent, from the power of my imagination. It became evident that my
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Imagination became a dirty word in our hearts and minds because our ancestors wanted OUR lives to be like theirs and we fell into this trap and in many ways have probably passed this subconscious restriction on to our children. However, there is still time. We can start giving our children and ourselves the permission to imagine once again and take it off the “dirty word list”. once and for all. -Dan Fowler www.theimaginationinstitute.com
Celebrating Her Entirety By Drew Gerald
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here is an adoration; an acknowledgement of the best in your lover. We see her beauty, her glow, her warmth. We allow ourselves to be illuminated by her sultry, fiery desire. It ignites us, turns us on, beckons us to show up. When we’re feeling weak, useless, or purposeless - it’s her feminine love that calls us to rise back to greatness. I use to think it was only the sexy, attractive aspects of a woman that I liked. I would ignore the ugly, dark, destructive facets. I just wanted to see what turned me on. I would celebrate all the great things about her body: her long flowing hair, her smooth luscious skin, her voluptuous breasts, her long legs and fit, firm ass. I would celebrate her great personality: her sense of humor and silliness, her brilliance and wit, and her caring heart. But what about her immaturity? What about her annoying gestures? What about her incompetence in making plans? What about her desire to fuck into oblivion out of self-hate? What about the part of her that brought out my primal killer during arguments?
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These I saw as flaws, not reasons to celebrate. Things to fix, to change, to save. But that’s because I haven’t been seeing these as things to celebrate in myself. I don’t want to be a killer. I don’t want to be annoying. I don’t want to be incompetent. But alas! I see that in myself, and that’s why I couldn’t accept her shadow… let alone be turned on by it and guide her to the depths of it. The more I embrace and find the value of what I don’t like, the more at peace I am with it. From this place, everything becomes a celebration; everything becomes an excuse to be joyous. It’s weird, isn’t it? We make love and cherish such beautiful moments of intimacy, but we don’t acknowledge the same beauty of the “ugly” moments. Why don’t we see the full spectrum of who we are as something to adore? When did we all decide these were all bad things to begin with? The beauty of the world can only be appreciated because of the ugliness that surrounds it. The warmth of the sun is basked in greatest after the cold of winter. The sunrise steals its majesty from the night. You will lie in bed and see each other in varying ways. Some nights the shadows will exaggerate, some mornings the sun will blind. If you can find the joy in all of it - if you can see that her dark is just as beautiful and purposeful as her light - each moment becomes a celebration of the completeness of each other. -Drew Gerald https://remarkablelover.com
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Men
By Kimberley Heart It is hard to be a man. Really, it is freakin’ hard to be a man! We, as women, make it even harder. In today’s world there are constant mixed messages about what it means to be a man, how they should behave and what they need to do for women. Men are overloaded with faulty, myth-ladened requirements of manhood that they cannot possibly fulfill. The pressure of this confusion is untenable; it is so painful that they don’t think about it. Ask a man in your life when was the last time he asked himself the question, what does it mean to be a man?
missive, very romantic with alluring pros, proclaims to the world that if only men would love women in the “right way” the world would change. The bold proclamation is that it is a man’s responsibility to make a woman feel: alive, safe, sensual, loved, cherished, and precious. It states that a man’s love will heal the still unresolved wound a woman carries. The missive shouts out to men to get their acts together and stop screwing with the world and instead embrace their true manhood by loving a woman, and in so doing change the world.
This question does not linger in the conscious awareness of most men. No, it’s much more insidious than that. The demand of manhood is an internal pressure that most men have not taken the time to define. I quickly add, in their defense, that as women we have not faced the true answers to the question: What does it mean to be a woman? Oh no, instead we demand that men define us as women by loving us in the right way. I just read a short missive to men that is being spread, like a virus, though the web entitled Change the World. The bottom-line intent, “Men, if you want to change the world, love a woman.” The
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Sadly, women are devouring this prose like Saturday night’s chocolate ice cream. The myth of a man’s responsibility to a woman, and indeed to the world, continues to be propagated from woman to woman, I hasten to say very bright, seemingly enlightened women. Nevertheless, it is still a bunch of tripe. When we propagated the myth of what it is to be a man we damaged all of humankind. When we demand of men what they can not possibly fulfill, we guarantee their failure.
As women, it is our responsibility to save ourselves. We must reawaken the sexuality in ourselves, create our own safety, know that we are glorious adult ...but as your heart women with much to offer will tell you it is not the world, and should we choose, share our glory with sustainable... a man.
What are the consequences of these demands? Men become less and less available to the very women who want to love them, and be loved by them. It shouldn’t be surprising that we see men numbing themselves with TV, sports, work, drugs, alcohol, gambling, affairs and pornography. If we want men to feel safe enough to love us, have ears to hear us, and hands that want to touch us, then we must stop asking them to do what they cannot. We must stop demands that make them feel, “not enough,” because I promise you they will run from that pain every single time. Let me tell you a secret that should not be a secret, a man’s worst fear is “not being enough.” Not being enough is excruciatingly painful to men. They will do almost anything
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not to experience that pain. If your man is disappeared from your life, either figuratively or literally, it may be because you expected of him what he cannot possibly deliver. Perhaps he can no longer stand not being enough, so he stepped back from the pain.
No man can give these things to us for any length of time. You might bite back and say, “You’re wrong, I experienced that nirvana… we [my man and I] just lost it.” Perhaps you have experienced these fulfilled feelings in the early throes of lust and love in a relationship, but as your heart will tell you it is not sustainable because it is built on a faulty premise: the premise that anyone other than you can do your healing and growth for you. The premise that anyone can give you what you haven’t first given to yourself. When the relationship settles down to the daily living of life, a man can shrink under the demand that he provides for his woman a sense of her own womanhood, the aliveness present in her sensuality and sexuality, and being happy with herself.
The very man you fell in love with seems to disappear. Why? Because he cannot give you, in a sustainable way, what you have not given to yourself. You, in your demands of fulfillment, are like a bucket with a hole in it, always needing to be filled. When we make the impossible demands, men pull away because they see the judgment in our eyes, when those demands are not met. And it hurts! Once again I shout from the rafters, it is not a man’s responsibility to make us feel whole, sensuous, sexual, safe, and loved.
We must enter our loving relationships feeling these things about ourselves; if we do, then a man can enhance us, as we can him. From this place, together we can create unprecedented love and intimacy. We can grow together. Being a man is truly a magnificent thing. If we give to ourselves that which fairytales have promised a man would deliver, we can fly beyond our adolescent dreams of love. If you and I stand for ourselves and then share that magnificence with a man who is standing for himself, we can have everything we dreamt and more. Kimberley Heart www.GETLove.com
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When did marketing become a dirty word?
By Ken Course
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The Advertising Backlash ight along with the image of If you even suggest the idea of adding advertisements or the “slimy used car salesman” in the commercials to anything these days, expect backlash like dictionary now sits a picture of the “selfyou wouldn’t believe. Check content aggregation sites like promoting, greedy marketer.” reddit.com or even youtube.com where advertisements are seen as the worst thing to happen to entertainment. When did marketing become such a Content providers are gradually going broke as they dirty word? hastily throw up “pay walls” or other ways to monetize what they do. Anyone who’s been in business (even if only for a couple weeks) understands The juxtaposition – audiences are looking for more that marketing is the key to your content than ever and yet they don’t want to pay for it or survival as a business. Your primary job, support the creators. no matter what your product or service, Does this mean that content creators are now damaged is to get in front of as many people as goods or have to go broke? possible.
So what gives and what’s happened?
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Not necessarily, but it does mean that the marketing game has changed. The challenge hasn’t, but your methods now have to move with the times.
The Dawn of Native Advertising The largest advertising firms in the world, not just online, are Google and Facebook. To combat the perpetual forest fire of advertising complaints, the platforms have introduced a new form of ads known as Native Advertising. They’re ads…except they don’t look like ads. What this means for your business is that your advertisements have to look like content. Not capture pages, sales pages, or pitches for your product or service. This also means that anyone looking to market their business now must become a content creator. Even more so, you’re expected to go cross platform more than ever – meaning that your written words must be accompanied by images, audio, or even video. And none of them can sound like the words “Buy my stuff.” Know What Your Audience Wants As the summer of the information age continues to grow brighter, the average user spends a minimum of 1.72 hours per day online. During that time they’re looking to be entertained, educated, and perhaps even shocked. As a content marketer, your job is to take advantage of the same methods that marketers have been using for years to draw more customers into your business. Entertain your audience meaning that your personality should shine through. Don’t hesitate to leverage humor, storytelling, or tugging at the heart strings to draw attention. The most experienced marketers will leverage analysis such as “Emotional Value Calculation” in order to assure that their language is attracting emotional response rather than just the intellectual.
Take a stand, even when it’s controversial. You don’t have to look much further than Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign to understand that audiences love controversy. Don’t be afraid to say things that others wouldn’t say. Take a bold stand. Draw your line in the sand. Just don’t settle for being average. Your opinion matters to you…and it also matters to your customers. Value must be delivered up front, not simply promised. It used to be that you could create simple opt-in pages and people would share their contact info in droves. The world has changed, meaning that we live in a “show me, don’t just tell me” economy. A value promise isn’t enough; you have to be willing to pull back the curtains and show a little bit more about who you are and what you’re expecting from your audience. Only then will you build trust to create longterm customers in your business. What’s most interesting about all of this is that it isn’t a “new” form of advertising, rather a return to when marketing meant hanging your sign or relying on word of mouth. The same principles are required to get customers as what you might have needed in the early 1900s rather than in the 1990s. If you don’t want your customers to see your marketing is a headache, now’s the time to embrace the new ways of native advertising. Ken Course www.exploremomentum.com November ~ 2015
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Cups of Consciousness for Bella Mia
Finding your inner bounty
By Aleya Dao
Fall and winter is a perfect time to go deep within and receive your inner gifts. When you look internally for your resources your life reflects this inner bounty. So often we look for support and resources externally. This can be frustrating, unfulfilling, and doe not yield abundant results. hen you use your inner world to change your outer life amazing and magical things begin to appear. Flip your bank account, love life, and physical healthy into a rich flow as you find your inner flow. This in time will reflect into your outer world.
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The following meditation will help you tap into your inner resources. Sip on this yummy audio meditation Cup of Consciousness that is brimming with gifts. Access inner freedom, clarity, connection, and flow inside yourself and allow for the reflection. The energetic protocols in the meditation are the following‌ Invite your Higher Self, Body Deva’s Higher Self, and Team to access the dimension where you DO have access to greater freedom, clarity and flow. Light language and toning to help you vibrational access this vibrational realm of freedom, clarity, connection, and flow. Activate grids of freedom, clarity, connection, and flow in the higher vibrational realm that is being infused with these vibrations of freedom, clarity, connection, and flow. Embrace these vibrations in the divine line. A light language toning activation chant. Pull all your awareness into your divine line and activate this combination of vibrations. May you find and use your inner gifts in every breath and model that in the world. -Aleya Dao Download audio meditation using the link below https://aleyadao.box.com/s/zc4w6me7ytixsr9w9b7w
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Celebrate Your Awesome Fabulousness Five ways To Lovingly Embrace Your Sparkle
By Lorraine Cohen Tired of trying to cram her sparkly star-shaped self into society’s beige square holes, she chose to embrace her ridiculous awesomeness and shine like the freaking supernova she was meant to be. ~ Unknown
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he holidays traditionally open our minds and hearts to thoughts and feelings of thankfulness, love, and gratitude for the people and things we have in life. Celebrations of good will, generosity, and compassion unite us in love. It’s a beautiful time of year for self-reflection: to remember and own your awesomeness. I dare you to step out of the shadows, stand up and declare all that is amazing, wonderful, and right about you. I invite you to celebrate YOU in all of your humanity! Give yourself permission to crow, sing it from the rooftops and claim your destiny as a shining light in the Universe.
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Here are five ways to lovingly embrace your sparkle: 1. ) Own your fantabulousness If asked the question, what do you like and love most about yourself, what would you answer? Too often we focus on things about ourselves we don’t like and want to change. Feeling good about yourself fosters selfworth, self-esteem, and self-love. When you like and love who you are you will share those loving feelings out in the world. Owning those qualities and competencies that make you unique is critical to step into your power, purpose and destiny. Now’s your chance to claim the values, virtues, qualities, strengths, passions, talents and things you admire about yourself that make you feel good about YOU. Dive into this invitation to love and appreciate all that is amazing about you.
2. ) Treat yourself as you would treat someone you love. 3. ) Do at least one thing every day that gives you pleasure, makes you feel good, and brings you joy.
Self-love is not something most women (and men!) have been taught or shown enough. In fact, feelings of unworthiness is one of the greatest wounds humanity suffers. Have you been putting your own wants and needs on the back burner to be there for others? Perhaps you have difficulty speaking up, setting boundaries, and saying no when you want and need to? When you mess up, do you treat yourself compassionately or harshly? If you answered yes to most of these questions, it’s not your fault – it’s what you learned. The good news is that as you choose to treat yourself with respect, love, and gentleness, others will too.
Something that is just for you rather than doing something for someone else. First, identify the things that whet your appetite and give you pleasure – physically, emotionally, psychologically, and mentally. In other words, let loose here too. Aim for guilt-free experiences by giving yourself permission to have it. Indulge yourself in activities that bring you joy. You deserve it gorgeous!
Happy people often have a sparkle; a glow that radiates from their being. Have you ever been drawn to someone who feels great to be around? Perhaps you wanted to be more like that person and have what they have – that zest or joy that seems so contagious? When you are fulfilling your needs on a regular basis by being more loving with yourself, the people and situations in your life will get a happier YOU.
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4. ) Look for ways and opportunities to allow people to love you. Ask for help even if you know you can do something yourself, accept compliments graciously without minimizing or deflecting. Reaching out for assistance is not a sign of weakness, it is a strength. The most successful people in the world have teams of support. Being a great giver also means 5. ) What successes, becoming a great receiver. How often have you helped another lovingly and joyfully? Why would you deny someone who cares about you the same heart-fulfilling experience? Love, abundance, and all the goodness you could ever want flows in a circle of giving and receiving.
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accomplishments, and things are you most proud of?
Write them all down including the small ones too! They all count! The challenges you have overcome and turned into triumphs, or the fears you have transformed into courage. Resist glossing over and minimizing how much you have grown. Consider how your inner brilliance, resourcefulness, and intuitive insights have assisted you to become who you are today. Going a little blank? Ask friends to help you see some things you may be missing to celebrate!
very day is a new day to celebrate you. So, go and shine brightly today. The world needs your love and light!
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Lorraine Cohen www.lorrainecohen.com
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elebrating A Wonderful Life
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At the End of Life By Tina Ketchie Stearns
he end of the year is near. It seems to be such a bitter sweet time of year as we say goodbye to the year just lived with all its ups and downs, and hello to a new year full of exciting unknowns. It’s a wonderful time of year with all the holiday celebrations with friends, family, food and parties. One of my favorite rituals this time of year is looking back at the last 12 months and remembering the great times, the hard times, the memorable times, and all the reasons to be grateful for what we learned and how we have grown. We have all heard the term “the winter of your life” meaning the final months when someone’s life is coming to an end. Just as December marks the beginning of the winter season and the end of a year blanketed with wonderful holiday celebrations, likewise, there are wonderful ways to make the last chapters of someone’s life a wonderful experience. I have been November ~ 2015
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experience and one I will cherish the rest of my honored to work in hospice care for life. One man whose wife came under hospice care many years and can assure you that said they spent the time she had left traveling to the end of life experience can be one see some of the cities she had never been to before. of the most memorable, beautiful, A farmer who was too frail to go outside took growing experiences of your life. Sad, yes. Extremely. Saying goodbye to the great joy in looking at his farm equipment that the hospice staff had placed outside of his window so year gone by is one thing, but saying goodbye to a loved one who is dying is he could see them. A man who was nearing the end of his life took advantage of the time he had very likely the most difficult thing we will ever do. Inspite of that sadness and left and made sure all of his friends came by to heartache knowing you will have to wait visit so he could say goodbye and tell them how much they had meant to him. One of my favorite to see this person again when you join stories was a woman who wanted them on the other to attend her own funeral, so they side of the rainbow, ...Saying had it while she was still alive so finding ways to goodbye to a she could be there. It turned into honor, celebrate, loved one who is more of a party than a funeral. remember, and JUST BE with your dying is very likely One of my favorite movies loved one can be the most difficult during this time of year is “It’s beautiful and life A Wonderful Life” with James changing. thing we will Stewart. During this season of ever do. holidays, celebrations, reflecting If you are facing on the past year and its successes the sad truth of and those things that are still works in progress, having to say goodbye to a loved one I hope you will take the time to celebrate the who is nearing the end of life, think wonderful life of your loved one who may be in about how you can make the most of every day you have left with them. Pull the winter of their life. Spend time checking off out the bucket list and see which items bucket list items, making new memories while there is still time, and simply enjoying each other’s are still achievable. My mother was in company. Celebrating life should be something hospice care for almost five months, and about two months before she died, we do each and every day. And if you really pay attention and JUST BE with the ones you love she said she wanted to go to the beach and drink Tequila Sunrise on the beach when their months and days are numbered, the celebration is truly a wonderful thing. at sunset. And that’s what we did, two nights in a row! It was an awesome Tina Ketchie Stearns www.gofreepants.com
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Celebrating New Light By Amanda Rose Baker
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It also marks a major turning point in the year – over the coming months, the days will grow continually longer. It is the astronomical end of the old year, and the starting of a new one. So, while we celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1, Winter Solstice is the true ‘New Year’. The word ‘solstice’ derives from the Latin ‘sol’, meaning
here is a mysterious, stone structure in Ireland, called Newgrange, which fascinates archeologists, historians and travelers. This five thousand year old dome was carefully constructed, taking hundreds of workers decades to build, predating the great Pyramids. When the sun rises here on Winter Solstice, December 21, a perfectly positioned window captures the new light and channels it into a long shaft that enters into the earth, illuminating the chamber below. The chamber is carved with beautiful spiral shapes that are only visible for around twenty minutes, as the light shines in. Clearly the ancient people who built Newgrange held the early morning light on Winter Solstice in very high regard. Some historians believe that the engineers were looking to symbolize the impregnation of the earth by light, as well as the ending of one cycle, and the beginning of a new one. In the Northern hemisphere, Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and subsequently, the longest night.
sun, and ‘stitium’, meaning stoppage. It is as if the sun reaches a place of stillness, as evidenced by the sunsets, sunrises, and high-noon sun, which occur in the same place in the sky for a few days on either side of the 21st. November ~ 2015
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It brings to mind inhaling deeply and then pausing, reveling in the stillness, before exhaling. This time of year is the pause, the time to grow still and see what is offered; what mysteries, what treasures of information, can be found in this quiet? The ancient Celtic people held their most important rituals at Winter Solstice. They took the tinder of last year’s yule log, carefully preserved all year, and used them to light the celebratory yule log. As the yule log burned merrily for twelve days, the people honored this sacred time as a stop from daily life, just as the sun seems to suspend
itself momentarily. Evergreen trees were decorated with sparkling things, symbolizing the celestial objects that held much importance in Celtic tradition, such as the moon, stars and sun. Mistletoe, holly and evergreen boughs decorated the hearth, to represent the coming green season. Many modern Christmas traditions find their roots in these practices. Traditionally, the Celtic Winter Solstice ceremony was held outside, in a tree grove. The intention of the ceremony was to celebrate the birth of the light. The group formed a circle around a single lit candle, with each member holding an unlit candle. The Druid’s prayer was recited by the Grove leader: “Grant, O spirit, thy protection, And in protection, strength, And in strength, understanding, And in understanding, knowledge, And in knowledge, truth, And in truth, love. And in love, the love of spirit, and all creation.” And then, the Grove leader asked the group: “From the point of greatest darkness, comes the beginning of the light. Is there anything you wish to cast away into the dying darkness? What new hopes and dreams are waiting to grow? May you wish to have them, as you light your candle.”
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Each person answers the question, one by one, then individually lights their candle from the center candle. Thus, the light continues to grow in the darkened grove as the candles are lit. Thus, the Solstice - the day in which the darkness reaches its peak, and the light begins to return - is ritualized. November ~ 2015
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, within the twelve days of the Solstice. Historians believe the Christ child was probably born during the spring time, due to historical markers in the Bible, such as it being tax season, and lambing season when the Shepherds were watching their flocks at night in the fields. Yet, this all-important Christian holiday is celebrated at the Solstice. Clearly, there is something sacred about this time of year. The birth of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible, was an event heralded by angels. “And the angel said unto them, fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:10 &11, Luke 2:13 & 14 And so, great joy to all people, peace, and good will are celebrated at this time of year. How do we synthesize all of this, and make it applicable to us, here and now? While attending the parties, eating the amazing foods and drinking the wine, let’s also take even just one day to emulate the rhythm of the sun. As the sun ‘stops’ in the sky, let us find room for stillness. And in this stillness, may we meditate on joy, peace, good will for all.
In the darkest days of the year, leading up to the solstice, we can use this darkness as a time to turn inward, if even for just a few minutes a day. What sacred whisperings does your spirit wish to share with you at this powerful time? Is there anything you wish to cast away into the dying darkness? And as we celebrate the birth of the new light, we can ask ourselves: What new hopes and dreams are waiting to grow? As we each light a candle, or many candles, and focus on these dreams, may we give them momentum. May this be our best year ever, in which humanity elevates to new heights of love, compassion, goodness to the earth - and to one another. As the new light dawns, let’s harness it, and make this the year that we bust through old patterns and into the exciting realm of all that is possible. Amanda Rose Baker www.amandabakerayeartoheal.com November ~ 2015
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Miracle in the Desert By Carolyn Gervais
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hope this message will bring inspiration for the holidays, filling your heart and soul with hope. It’s a message for those that long for more insight about living in the world of today, so full of uncertainties.
Cosmic awareness expresses itself in many beautiful ways, and we are each a part of that beauty. Life, no matter what form it takes, has the innate potential to add color, texture, uniqueness, and beauty to the world. It does so in some of the most simple and innocent ways. Take a smile from a child or from someone who loves humanity, add a person who needs a heartfelt smile and some kindness, from anyone, even a stranger. That kind of energy moves mountains and brings a welcomed warmth into those needing it. Here’s a story about an unpretentious elderly woman I had the joy of witnessing while driving to Nevada to visit my son and his family. I was traveling down the freeway, surrounded with nothing but a dry desert on either side of the road. It was about a hundred and ten degrees outside and quite a few miles from civilization when I noticed a rusting, dilapidated small trailer home set several yards away from the freeway. That little trailer sat directly in the midst of miles and miles of dry, hot desert. There wasn’t any yard to break the monotony of its colorless surroundings.
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Suddenly I spotted a lone, frail old woman with stringy grey hair, dressed in a tattered, faded blue dress, standing in front of a small young, but green tree. The tree looked much like an oak or maple and I noted that if it survived November ~ 2015
the desert heat, it could someday provide shade. It was the only tree and greenery anywhere in sight. There the woman stood, holding a garden hose, watering her beloved tree during the hottest part of the day. As she stood there, her face and body language exuded such affection and love for her tree. I truly believed her will and gratitude were strong enough to keep it alive, to thrive someday and provide shade for her humble abode.
I wondered if Mother Nature herself had seeded the earth with that little tree without help from humans. The small tree seemed to symbolize a miracle and blessing for the weary old lady who had so little. I knew the tree was a heavenly gift from above, for this woman who seemed to have such a hard, meager life. I wondered if Mother Nature herself had seeded the earth with that little tree without help from humans. Who’s to say maybe a truck was driving down the freeway with several small trees in the back of it and some pollen from those trees was carried by the wind, settling in that very spot where her tree was growing. There are miracles harder to imagine. I believe in miracles because I have experienced many of them. When I was a little girl of about ten; I secretly
took apart our family record player because it was broken. I wanted it to work so badly so I could play some of my dad’s albums. Not knowing but believing I could fix it, I disassembled it, tweaked a few things, and managed to put everything back in its proper place. Lo and behold, it worked great for years. My dad asked us kids, “How’d the record player get fixed?” I was afraid to tell him I fixed it because I didn’t know if he’d punish me or not, but I finally admitted that I did it. He asked me how and I told him. To my surprise, he didn’t get mad or punish me. In retrospect, maybe my dad was amazed and thought it was a miracle his ten-year-old daughter was able to fix the record player. I know it was. So, it wasn’t difficult to believe our fragile lady had a potential shade tree miraculously seed itself near her trailer. And there she stood loving her tree; nurturing it with another miracle in a dry hot desert; water out of a hose from a well, deep down under the hard dry ground. She was blessed with a home, water and a tree to grace her life. That’s how I saw it. Some of the simplest gifts have such a big effect. I experienced a spiritual gift that day, as I watched the lady cherish her tree. Appearing to be all alone, she had her gifts, her blessings to comfort her. We humans become spoiled by having so much we waste and don’t need, when those like our frail, elderly lady have the bare necessities. Even so, she exuded gratitude for the gift that someday could become a big shade tree. I prayed it would. Carolyn Gervais Awakeningyou.com November ~ 2015
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‘Tiz the Season to be Jolly, Tra-Lah-Lah-Lah-Lah, Lah-Lah-Lah-Lah By Patricia Maddalena
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ists, shopping, parties, money, family, journeys, more lists, arguments, work deadlines, chasing up presents, and yet even more money. All to create that special holiday vibe, that moment when I hear the screams of delight as they find their haul of goodies. That moment as I take the turkey to the table to the cheer of my family. That Health & Safety moment as Grandpa sets fire to his sleeve whilst getting the brandy to light on the plum pudding. That moment of quiet as they are all too stuffed to talk and the odd snore escapes Granny’s ruby lips. All for that moment, I break the bank, pull extra hours, run myself ragged, and cook the bejesus out of the kitchen, all for that precious moment of celebrating my family and our life together. Every year, at nearly midnight on Christmas Eve, I finally flop on the sofa with my glass of obligatory sherry. Surveying the piles of presents from ‘HIM’ in their
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rightful positions around the fireplace, I feel that warm feeling of, ‘I’ve done this, me, I’ve done it”. I pat myself on the back knowing that I’m creating these magical memories for them. And yes, for a full 3 minutes I feel smug, even though ‘HE’ gets all the accolade for the hard work I’ve put into finding that super expensive remote control car that flies and goes up walls and turns into a submarine! I sip the sherry and suddenly remember why I don’t partake the other 364 days of the year, and leave it out for the man himself to wash down the mince pie. Those 3 minutes tend to be the only 3 minutes I get over the holiday season, as long as you don’t count daily ablutions, because for me and for most mums it’s go, go, go. I must say that I’ve got it off to a fine art, just as long as nothing sidelines the conveyor belt of jolly Christmas cheer, it’s a well-oiled machine all the way to the cold meats and salads that are set on the table and the family game of charades on Boxing Day. Don’t get me wrong, I love the holiday season and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I give thanks whilst I stand amongst the Christmas chaos and remember 12 Christmas’s ago, when my baby son and I were in the hostel, homeless and recovering from a sentence of domestic violence. Even then, surrounded by other distraught women and their traumatized children, we got together and made that drab and dreary place a seasonal sanctuary of good will and cheer! We managed to take an otherwise dire situation and magically transform it into a time of hope and, for those few days, we felt like real people again; we felt like family. We cooked together, and laughter filled the halls and our children played happily like normal kids, free of fear. In those few days, us women, we made the ordinary, extraordinary. We ate well courtesy of the Good Samaritans Food Box, and our children had a gift to open that morning too. Bless their little hearts it really doesn’t cost a lot for a child to feel the happiness of receiving a gift. Boxing Day is our story day, and ‘Christmas in the Hostel’ is always part of that, always to be remembered and acknowledged that 12 years ago, as I watched my son’s face as he opened his one and only gift from Santa, that I had a choice. That tiny realization changed the
course of my entire life and now, I am sitting here with an abundance that I could only have dreamt of. Whilst it is one of the busiest times of the year for me as a mum and a business owner, and many times I feel utterly spent out, on all levels, I still find the time and that extra bit of cash to help out someone less fortunate than myself. The truth is, it isn’t such an amazing time for many people, and so donating some seasonal cheer in the form of food and a few gifts to help someone who finds themselves and their children homeless, scared, alone and skint, is the least that I can do. And with all of my heart I pray that they realize that they have a choice and a say in their lives and can achieve the seemingly unattainable, even if it doesn’t feel like it at that moment. So, may this holiday season bring you all the peace, happiness and love that you deserve, the wisdom to be present among the chaos, and the energy to give that little bit more of yourself to the ones you love, for your presence in their lives will be the best present of them all. Happy Holidays!
Patricia Maddalena November ~ 2015
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What’s Love Got to do with it? How Love Affects Your Revenue. By Umoh Luna
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atrina Sawa is known as the jump start your biz fast coach because she helps entrepreneurs get moving FAST in their business so they can start making real money. She’s been in business over 12 years and is an award winning marketing coach, bestselling author and sought after speaker. Not only is she a successful and powerful business woman but she is a woman of heart and faith.
Love and Money.
Katrina does things a little differently in her business. Not only does she teach marketing but she mentors women entrepreneurs on Love and Money. She gets to the underlying reasons your relationships may be sabotaging your business and how to choose something different. She shows you how lack of love and support can throw you out of alignment and sidetrack your business. Katrina teaches how to open to love AND money. She literally wrote the book on how to love yourself successful! You can check out a chapter for free here at http://loveyourselfsuccessful.com/
How Your Relationships Affect Your Cash Flow.
Katrina talks about a phenomenon that she sees with up to 60% of her clients. Where they are stuck in their business it’s not just because of marketing. It’s because they have people close to them in their lives that are not behind them in their dreams and their businesses. And sometimes they themselves are the person that doesn’t believe in what they are trying to create.
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You might be experiencing this. It could be a spouse, mother or brother that means well and genuinely loves and cares for you, but they don’t understand what you are doing. They might be trying to protect you out of fear and sending you negative vibes, encouraging you to get a “real job” and subtly and not so subtly conveying that they don’t think you can handle it. They are triggered by watching you stumble and fumble as you figure it out. And so they want you to stop building your business because they are operating out of a fearful place instead of pure love. Not from a place of malice just lack of knowledge. But if you don’t do something about it, it will hold you back and amplify all the negative voices in your own head that tell you, you are not good enough. You are not smart enough. You are too fat, too lazy and too old. Whatever the lies are the ones that keep you stuck. So what do you do?
Katrina advises that you start with a get real conversation, where you explain to them what your work really means to you. So they really understand that this is your passion, which feeds your spirit and that you are committed to it for the long haul. Also explain that you are still learning and ask them to trust that you know what is best for you and that you are capable of figuring it out. She also talks about having an employee mindset versus and entrepreneur mindset. Most likely our loved ones are not entrepreneurs. We need to take some time to open their minds to a different way of thinking. They may have never imagined living in a world where they don’t get a steady paycheck and have inconsistent cash flow. It’s because of their mindset, not how they feel about you that they doubt what you are building. Explain to them that you are learning and investing in your business and your future, just like you were going to school. If you were going to be a nurse you would have to go back to school. You would need to invest in some training before they let you just starting poking people with needles. Starting a business is the same thing. It takes time, energy, and money to create a successful business and you don’t immediately start turning a huge profit as soon as you decide to do something you’ve never November ~ 2015
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Find out more about Katrina Sawa at her website: www.katrinasawa.com
done before. You’re not going to make the money, then go invest in training. It doesn’t work that way in other professions and starting a business is no different. You have to invest in some training first to create success. And you also have to have faith in what you want and keep charging ahead even if things don’t look the way you want them to right away. But if you can just keep moving forward, it will all work out in the end.
She decided to leave that relationship and opened to loving herself and bringing more love into her business. Then her business really started to take off. Her business has consistently brought in 6 figures since 2008. She recently got married to a wonderful man who deeply supports her work and her business and she does the same for him.
Katrina shared that when she started her business she was married to her “starter” husband. He wasn’t abuse or anything extreme. However he wasn’t exactly supportive of her business and what she was trying to create. There came a breaking point about 3 years in. She didn’t want to settle, cry herself to sleep anymore or be held back by someone who didn’t quite believe in her or her vision for herself. She realized she was worth more and even though it was very scary she was not going to settle!
Basically if you are not happy with yourself and your personal life, it will negatively and dramatically affect the revenue you are able to bring in. The more that you have love in your life, and supportive lovely people who lift you up and are your cheerleaders, the more revenue you will bring in. This is because you will have a better outlook and attitude. You’re more confidence and able to focus on what you need to do to build your business. That opens the doorway for more revenue to flow swiftly and easily into your business!
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- Umoh Luna www.sacredbranding.com
Have you ever been stopped by your fears?
On Sale Now! KissYourFearsGoodbyeBook.com
LOVEolutionize Business By Inga Michaelsen
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e are all aware that our business culture is too often dominated by selfinterest and greed. Even though those familiar motives are quite human, they are not transformational, and up to now they have limited our spiritual evolution. There is, however, a compelling alternative: Making business an expression of love.
“When we use our businesses to express compassion and care – for our customers, our employees, our environment – we are essentially connecting to the consciousness of love.”
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When we use our businesses to express compassion and care – for our customers, our employees, our environment – we are essentially connecting to the consciousness of love. When that happens, life’s abundant energy seems to flow to us, touching November ~ 2015
everything our businesses are linked to and manifesting a higher level of human evolution.
About 40 years ago, a dear friend moved from Northern California to Guatemala. There he started an organic herb farm. His goal was to produce the best quality dried herbs for his customers in North America, and that was something he eventually achieved. But his motive was to use his profits to fund work with social impact in the highlands where he lived. There, his business became a small revenue generator, changing the lives of hundreds of indigenous people who were too poor to make those changes themselves. These services were funded by his simple agricultural business, and there was no mystery to what he did with it: He allowed his business to manifest love.
When you decide to let your business be an expression of loving kindness, three important things will start to happen. 1.You begin to lead authentically; 2.the relationships in your life – with your clients, your suppliers, your team – become enriched and meaningful; and 3. consumers are drawn to the goodwill of your effort, and that in return increases potential sales and profits. What makes this all happen is that you are driven by a compelling vision. When you feel your business is a conduit for service to the greater good, you can’t wait to get up in the morning and dedicate yourself to your work, because you are filled with inspiration and purpose. Such inspiration is, inevitably, infectious. Whether you sell a product or a service, your employees and clients will also be inspired by this adventure in human improvement. Then, it may evolve into a “family” effort, bound together by the most important family value known to man: giving generously. But what, exactly, is the end result of giving to others? The most positive consequence of giving is the Opening it provides to Possibilities – especially the ones that seem distant. You see, in our world each of us is surrounded by a bubble of self-interest. Like a thick glass shield, it is carried with us wherever we go, and when we are called on to reach out to others – as we are in unexpected emergencies – this bubble gets in the way.
But what if we reach out with love? Through the act of giving, our businesses could create a transformation of this hard reality. That’s because giving causes an opening in the bubble. It penetrates the barrier of self-interest that keeps us from realizing the possibility of collective, positive change. Just imagine this: If business owners by the thousands – along with their managers and employees – could start conveying tangible examples of compassion and love through their businesses, there is no end to what might be accomplished. - Inga Michaelsen www.ingamichaelsen.com Inga Michaelsen is the founder of the Conscious Business Evolution (www.ingamichaelsen. com) and curator of “Make love your Business” (www.makeloveyourbiz.com), a free online interview series where expert will share how to lead authentically, thrive financially and give back generously in business. November ~ 2015
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What to Expect Out of YOUR Speaker By Tonya Hofmann
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he market for speakers is always changing. All events, even virtual ones, are demanding and stressful, and need speakers to be a part of their success team rather than just flying in and out without much interaction. This article will explore how events can find creative ways to balance the investment in speakers with the end result: an informed, enlightened and motivated audience, as well as satisfied clients, sponsors, volunteers – and even the speakers themselves.
The Speaker’s Mindset In the past, speakers often had an “employee” mindset. Someone would contact a speaker, negotiate the fee and travel expenses, book the time and the topic, and then have little interaction until the event. With this approach, speakers are paid for their time and their expertise and rarely offer anything extra. The “employee” attitude is most common with celebrities, CEOs and sought-after speakers whose time is very limited. These days most professional speakers have a more entrepreneurial mindset. Their goal
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is to create momentum and interaction, and their highest accomplishment at your event is to have done that well. Such speakers work with event organizers on marketing and promotion to help create excitement about the event, and are sometimes involved in attracting attendees, vendors, sponsors and even other speakers to achieve this goal. Well-delivered presentations at well-organized events earn the speakers name recognition, get their message heard, drive sales and opportunities, and build their reputation as forces for true change.
Speakers’ Fees Speakers’ fees range from $0 to thousands, but under certain circumstances even the most popular and sought-after speaker will speak for no or low fees nowadays. Working within your budget, you will have to decide how flexible you
out of it at the time. Other possibilities can be in your negotiations with prospective include posting a banner or other event speakers. Open-minded and creative negodetails on their website, handing out fliers tiations about fees can result in a fresh new or postcards at other events, and personapproach that will benefit all parties. If your ally connecting with people who budget is low, you might want to attend, be a vencould supplement the dor or sponsor. speaker’s fee with one ...Their goal is to or more of these other options. create momentum
Promotion
and interaction, and their highest accomplishment at your event is to have done that well.
Speakers usually have large lists of contacts on social media and email marketing that can be utilized to drive more traffic to the event. Both the event and the speaker benefit from having more people to connect with. With careful negotiations, most speakers will be willing to do several things to help promote the event. They might send out social media posts, place the information in their email newsletter or even create a specific email about the event. Speakers can also give the attendees some things to prepare before the event so they will get more
Speakers’ Availability
Attendees expect and appreciate more interaction before, during and after the event with those who are training, inspiring and motivating them. Greater speaker availability helps the retention of knowledge because it gives attendees opportunities to ask questions and discuss what they just heard. Speakers are usually happy to sign on for more interaction because they realize that being available to connect with the attendees is vital in today’s market. Most speakers want to be there for questions, comments, interaction, conversation and
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other opportunities to connect. Today’s professional speakers thrive on this approach, which gives them a sense of bringing significance to the events they speak at.
Pre/Post-Event Interaction
the follow-up meeting. This approach brings huge value to attendees and especially to corporate accounts that are looking for reasons to send their employees to an event.
Giveaways
The payoff can be great when you entice Ask the speaker(s) to offer giveaways or the attendees, vendors and sponsors by introspecial bonuses to attendees, sponsors and ducing the speakers in advance. Speakers VIP guests. Suppose there are 10 workshop benefit by connecting with the crowd and trainers and one keynoter, warming everyone up to and each speaker gives away their message before the a special bonus to those who event. Simple audio or attend in person versus on video calls can be recorded a simulcast, or to those who and posted on YouTube to ...T you don’t know sign up before a cut-off date. create excitement for the what you can get until If each speaker offers a PDF, event on your website, in you ask but if you never a promo item or a ticket to a newsletters and via social ask, you never get. special webinar, for example, media connections. It is so and each one is worth $100, easy for speakers to record then you can promote a total a two- to five-minute video value of more than $1,000 in introducing themselves, bonus offers! This is a great talking about what they will strategy to get people to buy be training on at the event, and encouraging their tickets early, and again the speakers love people to attend. People love video and getit since the attendees get to know about them ting to hear a speaker’s message beforehand. ahead of time. As a bonus, putting the videos on the conference website also helps with the website’s search engine optimization because Google Extras for VIPs/Volunteers/Sponsors loves video! Speakers can also bring extra value to special marketing and promotions or to certain individuals. For a thank-you party for volunteers After the event, sending a video or teleor at events for your VIP guests, sponsors, seminar offering a follow-up with the speakvendors, etc., speakers can do something speers will help ensure that the participants cial as a bonus – even an exclusive webinar/ remember what they need to do, accomplish, teleconference call with your special guests. take action on. The attendees will feel even Most speakers would jump at the chance more empowered and motivated, and will to speak more than once and it gives your have immediate action plans to contribute to
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organization another marketing approach to promote those VIP tickets or another reason for sponsors to jump in.
Vendor Booths and Sales Many speakers want to sell products, sign books, offer a contest or giveaway for lead generation, and interact. Sometimes offering a booth or a table for such activities can be enough to reduce or even offset the speaker’s fee. It might be necessary to negotiate the size of the area with the speaker to make sure the space is adequate. They could be bringing a sign or banner to hang, or they might need a chair or bar stool, room to do an activity, or skirting for a table – or they might prefer to be in your vendor, sponsorship or exhibit area
Be Creative As an event organizer, the most effective utilization of a speaker is at the end of the event. It is the satisfaction that the whole event went off without a hitch. When the attendees, vendors, sponsors and speakers
reach out to tell you what an amazing event it was for them, that moment of complete satisfaction is the outcome that everyone is searching for. I learned a long time ago, you don’t know what you can get until you ask but if you never ask, you never get. So discuss your expectations, desires and ultimate outcome you wish to create and most people are on the same platform with you. Most people want to help to achieve your goals because truthfully, it is usually their goals too. When goals are aligned, then the outcome is inevitable. If the speaker has completely different goals than you do, it is better to find someone else so that the outcome is achievable. Most importantly, have fun! Life is too short to deal with mean, grumpy or negative people and there are way too many amazing, incredible and nice people on this planet to deal with anyone who isn’t just plain FABULOUS! I know that I love not only speaking and putting on my own events but especially helping create a success for someone else in their business and in their life. Always look for the person who will continue to grow, collaborate, connect and help you achieve your goals! -Tonya Hofmann Tonya Hofmann is the CEO and Founder of the Public Speakers Association. www.PublicSpeakersAssociation.com www.TonyaHofmann.com.
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Harmonies. Soul-touching lyrics. Eye-catching stage presence. Underhill Rose has become synonymous with beautiful music, charming personalities, and rippling success. In the last three years, the all-female trifecta has independently released two albums in the AMA Top 30, with The Great Tomorrow currently on the rise, gathering critical acclaim.
Underhill Rose
BellaMia: How did growing up in Georgia, in a musical and religious family, influence your music today?
Molly Rose: I grew up in an urban area
of Atlanta, and my parents were in a band together when I was born called Summer Sun. My father taught me to hear harmonies while we listened to songs on the radio. He made the process of learning harmony-singing fun, because I could sing along to tunes that I liked. However, it was in my grandfather’s Unity church where I first sang in front of other people, and the kind community of people there encouraged me to keep it up.
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BellaMia: How did you and the rest of
the band get together?
Molly Rose: My musical partnership
with Eleanor Underhill is the result of a chance meeting at a makeshift performance of Angel from Montgomery between classes at Warren Wilson College. I was picking the tune when Eleanor walked up and sat with me, singing along. It’s been over 10 years of sisterhood. We officially formed Underhill Rose in 2009, and after meeting Salley Williamson in a dance class, she joined the band in 2011.
You can find out more about Underhill Rose and check out their fresh, beautiful Americana music at www.underhillrose.com
BellaMia: Tell us about
being a trifecta -- the blend, the balance, the sound?
Molly Rose: Eleanor and
I have been crafting our harmonies for more than 10 years, and Salley has bravely jumped in to add a lovely third harmony. Everyone sings and simultaneously plays an instrument in Underhill Rose, and Eleanor and I alternate singing the lead. Our voices and instruments are strong, but subtle at times. Each of us has to listen intently to the inflection of the others’ voices, and play close attention to the dynamic changes in the instrumentation.
Eleanor: A song has the ability to explore
in writing your songs?
complex human experiences. In my writing, the first spark for a song is usually an emotion or interesting idea that I want to try and express. It’s usually something that I haven’t figured out how to say in plain English, or I might not even fully understand yet. I try to be honest in my writing and have fun; that’s satisfying to me and I think that is what people want to hear. A good song is all about connection, to yourself and to the greater community.
Molly Rose: My writing comes from the
BellaMia: What genre would you call
BellaMia: What most inspires you all most
experiences in my life, and from the things that I feel I need to say. When writing for our album The Great Tomorrow, I had experienced a breakup with someone who had been my best friend. Thus, the song My Friend was born, in which I reckon with the pain of losing not only love, but also friendship. I wrote the song When I Die because I live near a cemetery. Ultimately, though, the song is a celebration of enjoying our lives to the fullest.
yourself?
Molly Rose: That’s a good question. Since
we blend many aspects of rhythm and blues, country, and bluegrass, some call our music “Heartfelt Country Soul”. I’d say that overall, our genre is song-centered Americana, because our focus is the voice and the song.
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Aries
21 March – 20 April You may find it difficult to escape from your thoughts over the next week or so which may be accompanied with the feelings on a lower vibration. Reflecting over the past year you have accomplished much more than you are giving yourself credit for. As we push forward to midDecember you will finally crack the code concerning a personal matter which will automatically leave you feeling unrestricted and ready to accept the changes coming your way.
Leo
Stop Taurus you are going around in circles; everything will fall into place perfectly. A warm, and high vibrational month ahead for you not only delivering magical moments, the wave of golden ambience will sooth your soul in a powerful way. Be open to free any fears concerning love as you step into your authentic self. Everything you touch will turn to Gold!
Virgo
24 July – 23 August
24 August – 23 Sept
Whether you are physical boarding a flight or spiritually astral travelling through dream state - you may feel a little fatigued in the days ahead. As I receive a vision of your guides I feel that your healing energies are very powerful at the moment; empathy control is important and will help you stay focused on our physical plane. A salted bath will help you breathe easy; remember that your ability to heal the souls of others will always contribute with your own debris. Rest is necessary!
You are entering a strong vibrant period which will flourish the ambitious part of your soul. Learning too put you in the centre will be very rewarding as you fully understand that the need from others can drain your personal power. As I step into your vibration I feel very creative with the need to express my thoughts through writing, or painting. Allowing your spirit to soar this month will build momentum for a future project; believe in yourself!
Sagittarius
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Taurus
21st April – 21 May
Capricorn
23 Nov – 21 Dec
22 Dec – 20 Jan
Love commitments seem to be distant at the moment as you experience a shift within your need for satisfaction. As I hold the vision I can clearly feel that spiritually a tidy up is important in order for you to move into a more delicious zone within the next week or so. Cinnamon spice with an apple aroma surrounds your senses; with its powerful energies you will intimately experience a deeper connection, and love within your romantic self.
Having a clear out within your family home top to bottom will aid the release of old worn out energies that do not serve your highest good. Capricorn always one step ahead you may feel on the ball holistically, but are being encouraged to spend time healing a part of the past that was not meant to be. As the Angels work within your vibration I hear clearly for you that nothing happens by chance, and that your sparkle will become more vibrant over the next week or so… There is nothing you cannot achieve!
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Gemini
Cancer
As I step into your vibration Gemini I feel an overwhelming sense of love within my heart; the angels are working close with you this month on a healthy new project concerning wellness. Exercise may overtake this month as your physical energy rockets – remember to be sensible by nourishing your body with nutritious meals; be sensible. Coming back to your hearts vibration something magical and mysterious is brewing. A perfect end to a rewardable year!
It feels good to be organised having everything in order. As I step into your vibration I feel very elegant and at peace with career choices. Friendships over the past few months may have been pushed to the side due to work or family demands, but you are ready to re-connect with your social circle and allow the fun part of your personality run away with its self. Fashion tips help with a last minute gathering so… prepare to be centre of attention.
Libra
Scorpio
24 Sept – 23 Oct
24 Oct – 22 Nov
Libra as I step into your vibration I do feel a little anxious as i receive the words ‘Rome was not built in a day.’ Be calm within your mind and heart as I express to you, that you are doing, an amazing job. You are being encouraged to surrender any fears of doubt, to your guardian Angel who will help you recognise your natural skills; as you free your mind from old morals and belief systems, you will be ready to open the door of fresh new opportunities.
As I step into your vibration Scorpio I am feeling flush; the flow of abundance is very overwhelming as I feel the need to shop, and tie up loose ends. December will be a month that will deliver satisfaction concerning finances, and emotional wealth. I do however feel that work commitments may disappoint you towards the end of the month as you struggle to wind down, but with family time on the cards the feeling with evaporate giving you time to recharge over the festive season.
Aquarius
20 Feb – 20 March
As I step into your vibration Aquarians I feel that something magical is on the cards for you. Yes excitement is in the air – perhaps a life changing event will literally swoop your right off your feet this month. In a partnership, or single the universal energies are delivering what you have been asking for. Patience however may be a struggle for you guys as the energy is pretty intense. Enjoy the ride and have fun with this loving flow!
Pisces I am feeling a lot of confusion around a decision that has to be made over the next week or so… become willing to surrender the anxiety concerning your future to your Angels, and allow them to guide you through the door that appetizes your future healthily. The month ahead will focus on your throat chakra – communication will become clear as you step readily into a beneficial phase learning from your mistakes, and positively moving forward. Live each day freely!
21 Jan – 19 Feb
Pisces
By Suzanne Taylor ~ Angel Channel ~ talkwiththedatingcoach@gmail.com
22 May – 21 June
22 June – 23 July
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A
B Spotlight ella
A
manda Rose Baker Writer/ Lifestyle Consultant/ Mom
manda Rose Baker is a writer of fiction – her adventure novel involving mermaids reminds us to live joyfully in the present moment. But, when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and feel ill, her focus shifted. After putting the illness into remission through lifestyle changes, she has become committed to helping other women heal. The founder of A Year to Heal, a certified Ayurveda Lifestyle Consultant and yoga instructor, she has much to offer.
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November ~ 2015
Thank you for celebrating our Holiday issue with us. See you in January! Don’t forget subscriptions make wonderful Christmas & Holiday gifts. BellaMia
November ~ 2015
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