ISSN 2058-198X
Volume 4 • Issue 6 • June 2015
BUILD
£3.00 GBP | $4.50 USD | €4
YOUR
Lies We Tell
BIZ
AFTER LOSS
WHAT’S IN YOUR HOROSCOPE?
IN VAIN? SKINCARE & VANITY
TIMOTH
I
Brand Provocat uer
NEEDVSNEEDY
TRY THIS SNEAKY TIP TO CONQUER FEAR
about Hat Trick (noun): 1. A sports metaphor for three achievements by a single player in a game. 2. A magic trick. We happily accept both definitions. Hat Trick Magazine is a special project targeted at sharing spiritual and professional growth with like-minded people from around the world. We share strategies that truly will change your life, business and career (with a little help from some pro friends). We’ve all been there: under/un/employed, in a bad situation, in transition, wondering what the options are and not knowing the skills we would need to get us there. We won’t lie to you. Coming out the other side isn’t easy, but we can show you what we learned along to way and help you get the confidence to turn that leaf over and pursue that which is your destiny. Knowledge is power. Not everyone fancies themselves to be an entrepreneur but the truth is, even when seeking employment these days, pulling together your resume requires some sly articulation to showcase your skills, be keyword-optimised and with a strong, personable presentation to get noticed. We feature inspirational people who have great careers, amazing businesses, tips and a host of amazing stories will inspire and amaze you. Our editors and contributors are some of the most connected in their industries and specialisms.
Hat Trick Strategies cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited coverage made by our contributors including reviews, articles, manuscripts or photographs of products, services. While every care is taken, prices, details or availability of items are subject to change and we cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit letters or correspondence received via email, social media or other communication. All advice is given in general terms or as a matter of opinion, for entertainment purposes only, and may not be exhaustive nor suitable for all situations. Always seek specialized professional advice, specifically suited to you or your business needs. Absolutely no part of this magazine should be taken as medical, professional or other advice - always seek the advice of a qualified practitioner.
Hat Trick Your Life! Take control of your lifestyle, your career, your dreams and your journey. We’ll share what we know and we invite you to join us. If you or your business would like to be featured or simply would like to contribute a feature in an upcoming issue, please email us on: content@hattrickmagazine.com
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Hat Trick Strategies
Unit 4 Vista Place, Coy Pond Ingworth Road, Poole BH12 1JY, United Kingdom Registered in England and Wales Number 07819796 UK: +44 1383 279 879 US: +1 501 588 2248 clientcare@hattrickstrategies.com
Editor-In-Chief Michelle Fitz
Design & Illustration
Michelle Fitz Michael Thomas Hartley Eleni Sofroniou
Business & Tech
Andrea Sullenger Michelle Holmes Ucheki Ezurike-Bosse Nathalie de Ahna
Career & Learning Sandra Cunningham Sukh Pabial
Faith & Self Help
Karen Salmansohn Katie Clifton Gina Hussar Joey & Michael Phelps
Style & Beauty
Shalanda Turner Rachael Pontillo Marina BerBeryan
Lifestyle & Wellness Charlene SanJenko Manish Kumar Arora Kate Spencer Ashley Jack
Food, Home & Family Tanya Jackson Cherie DeBurger
We love hearing from you‌ content@hattrickmagazine.com
From the Editor Strength After a Great Loss: The Lie...................................................................8
Cover Story Timothi: Brand Provocatuer..............................................................................10
Business & Tech Build Your Biz With This Proven Tool..................................................................26 Time to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone ......................................................30 The Most Important Business Strategy Ever.....................................................32
Career & Learning When ‘Need’ Becomes Neediness.................................................................38 Digital Literacy & Inclusion................................................................................44
Faith & Self Help Karen Salmansohn.............................................................................................48 Rocking Your World...........................................................................................52 So What! A Sneaky Little Trick to Conquer Fear.............................................60 Lil Nipper Snapper Cartoon..............................................................................65
Style & Beauty Live Life in Style...................................................................................................66 Is Skincare Just About Vanity............................................................................68
Lifestyle & Wellness Female Leaders With Impact...........................................................................78 NEW Your Zodiac Predictions For July 2015.....................................................88 When Things or People Don’t Fit Anymore.....................................................94 What We’re Reading........................................................................................99
Food, Home & Family Oyster Stew.......................................................................................................102 Another School Year Gone............................................................................104
From the Editor
STRENGTH AFTER A GREAT LOSS: When I was very young, through a series of events beyond my control, I went through a phase where I found myself broken, alone, and ultimately a victim of rape. I have had many trials in my life but there is nothing that could describe the feeling of utter filth, lack of control and displacement that comes when something of this magnitude happens in your life. It is loss, amplified. In my coaching practice, I have found 2/3 of my clients have experienced a great loss of this magnitude. Many of them did not experience rape. You would be surprised at how many have, including men. Sometimes, however, the loss came in another form such as a sabotage or attack at the hands of someone close to them. Other times it was a literal act of theft which left them reeling for years, financially and otherwise. Whether it is through identity theft, credit card fraud, unfair dismissal, direct deception by a partner (business or private life), or any form of major loss can leave you feeling utterly worthless for the rest of your life. 8
• Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Many of you have the great fortune of a support network around you and I know what it is like, dealing with the urge to push that support system away. Funny how we get through the big thing and then find that we feel silly accepting consolation or support when smaller challenges emerge. Those who survive the unthinkable go through life as though their strength disqualifies them from help in times of lesser stress. This is the lie we tell ourselves after surviving a major loss. You might feel yourself a huge burden but it is important to recognise that for the people who love you, this is actually a welcome opportunity to shower you with their support and love. They want to be there for you. I am guilty of rejecting help and compassion as a first instinct, myself. It’s funny how we hold ourselves to such a higher standard than we would others. If we are struggling to cope, how dare we burden another close to us with our issues. Ask yourself if someone you loved were going through emotional turmoil, would you rest comfortably in the knowledge that they will suffer alone tonight? You would not. We would each want to be there for our loved ones. When you have been through a trauma or great loss, especially when something is stolen from you or you have suffered an injustice of any kind, we risk falling for the façade portrayed through tunnel vision. I was burned and left alone to make it through, I made it through and now I am stronger so, I am now supposed to be stronger than everybody at all times. Bullshit. Are we stronger? Yes – certainly, we have been tempered like a strong sword. But without proper shield and maintenance we will rust in the rain.
By Michelle Fitz, Editor-In-Chief
Michelle
Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •
9
Cover Story
Brand Provocateur
Personal Branding, down deep at it’s roots, at it’s core, is all about storytelling and pressing people’s buttons. It’s a form of pageantry. Performance. An art piece that is meant to provoke a consistent visceral response. That’s not to say that it’s not authentic. On the contrary, it’s about being the realest you’ve ever been and then turning the volume up on high.
If
you had asked me what branding was a couple of decades ago you would have been met with a blank stare, a shrug and “Is that, like, a box of cereal?” It wasn’t on my radar at all. It still sometimes feels surreal when I tell people I work internationally as a branding specialist. I never thought that this amazing adventure would be part of my journey and I have so much gratitude. But the truth is I feel like I am truly doing what I am meant to be doing and everything up till now has just been preparing me for this very moment. It took me a long time to put together my tool box for this journey and I am open to riding this wave. I grew up in New York City and Los Angeles as a show biz kid. My dad worked as a writer and performer on some big television shows and movies in the 70s and 80s. Mash, Bill Cosby, Chico and the Man and a bunch of films with Mel Brooks. I grew up on the set watching how it all got done. My mother, a true branding genius, was a Broadway dancer who understood the power of personal
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image. She wasn’t the greatest dancer in the room but her ability to create a memorable persona put her head and shoulders above the rest. So, yeah, not only did I grow up with a deep connection to the idea of performance, image, storytelling and the idea that it’s all in the presentation, but it’s definitely in my blood. I instinctually have always understood the process and the power of aesthetic choices. I just didn’t know how to pull it all together. That came later. My mother had me on stage and in front of the camera from the time I was 6 months old. I was a professional dancer since I was a child, I did my first offBroadway show when I was 8 and travelled the world working as a fashion model in my teens and early twenties. I don’t know if she was really a stage mother. It was more the idea of this was just what we did in our family. It was all about heritage and legacy. It was so much a part of the family mythology that I really believed wholeheartedly that being on stage or in front of the camera was my true path. I never even thought to question it.
In
my twenties, two things happened that I believe set the stage for me to take a huge left-turn in my life and led me to where I am now. While trying to get work as an actress in NYC I was lucky enough to fall into the world of voiceover. Thanks to having the “pipes” that fit into the voice type that was in vogue at the time, I began working very good jobs right away and spent many hours a week up at big advertising agencies and television networks like Grey, Saatchi & Saatchi, HBO, VH1 and Lifetime. Working long term on numerous Timothi: Brand Provocateur •
13
campaigns over 20 years I got a behind the scenes view on how brands were built and evolved over time. I got schooled in the difference between good and great copy. I began to understand and really got what it meant to build a brand and how to press people’s buttons through words and images. It stuck and became the filter through which I see everything in my business today. The second thing that made a huge impact was teaming up with a well known theatrical manager. Even though I was signed with a big agency I just wasn’t working. My agents were losing confidence in me and were about to let me go. Enter my manager, Joni Deakins. She sat me down one day and asked what do you see yourself booking? I was very passionate and proceeded to tell her how no one “got me.” My agents were sending me up on the wrong jobs. I was the girl next door, the ingénue, the love interest. Now before I tell you what her response was I need to paint you a picture. I had just cut my hair into a 2 inch pixie cut, I wore combat boots, kilts, fishnets, muscle tees and wrist cuffs. Looking back at that moment, what came out of my mouth was comical.
“If we begin to cultivate and build upon the natural qualities that are uniquely yours that’s where your success lives.” ~ Joni Deakins Timothi: Brand Provocateur •
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She looked me in the eye and said “That’s not going to happen.” I was devastated. “Timmi, you need to take a good hard look at yourself. Nothing in how you present yourself tells that story. You’re smart, funny, quirky with a very distinct husky voice. You may identify with the girl next door, you may want to be the girl next door, but that’s not what you project. You need to start thinking about yourself in a different way. You need to look at who you really are. If we begin to cultivate and
build upon the natural qualities that are uniquely yours that’s where your success lives.” It was a hard pill to swallow but the best advice I have ever gotten. You can adore what other people are doing. You can covet their aesthetic. What they bring to the table. But unless it syncs up with who you really are and the quality you organically project you’re dead in the water. I followed Joni’s advice and streamlined my look and my quality. I started to work all the time.
Years
later, when I put performing behind me for good and moved to my career behind the camera, my experiences in advertising and film and television really coloured all I created. After years as a model, I really understood what it took to create a great portrait from a technical standpoint but somehow the “advertising” and
Never ever say you can do something unless you know you can really bring it 1000% 16 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
“entertainment” sides of me crept in and from the get go I was branding my shoots. I was looking at my photo sessions as a way to tell stories, to make people larger than life, to create something iconic. It wasn’t enough to have my clients show up with their favourite wardrobe pieces. I styled everything myself based on their unique qualities.Who are they? What’s their story? What’s the promise? I have never worked any other way. For me, there’s no point. When I transitioned to photography I thought that the buck would stop there, but little by little things shifted and grew. Offers came my way and I took them. I stayed open and rarely said no to something unless I knew for sure I couldn’t really do it well. That’s always been a thing for me. Never ever say you can do something unless you know you can really bring it 1000%. My credo is all about all talk and all action. Timothi: Brand Provocateur •
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“I get a lot of calls from people that want to do what I do and they want to know my secret. My secret is there isn’t one.” I started off shooting actors and musicians, press photos mostly, and over the past 7 years I have branched out into entrepreneurs, small and large business owners, and some health & wellness clients. My business kind of evolved organically. Someone would ask me if I shot video. I would experiment and go for it and before I knew it, it was on the menu! The same thing happened with copy writing. Then there were a lot of people that wanted to work with me but lived a continent away, so I started consulting once in a while over Skype and then over time that was also on the menu. Now, I lead Destination Branding Retreats a couple of times a year and travel annually to work with clients in Europe and this year I’m slated to be in Australia and Asia as well. So it just keeps growing. I love change so this is a perfect fit for me. No matter what or where it’s always about the Branding work. It always comes back to the Branding.
Great
branding is about creating one vision that is consistent with your words, imagery, offerings, audience and promise. If one element is off then you’re branding is not in alignment. The magic happens when all of those elements are streamlined and support that one vision. When it’s done well it should feel effortless and like each moving part is an extension of another. That’s why I’m a big believer in the creative agency approach to building brands. One team. One vision. I’ve cherry picked the people I work with over the past ten years. Web designers, editors, makeup artists. The relationships have evolved over time. We are all on the same Timothi: Brand Provocateur •
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Authenticity always shines through. Why aspire to being a cheap copy of someone else. page. We all speak the same language. I feel like you can really see that in my work. I am all about syncing everything up. I get a lot of calls from people that want to do what I do and they want to know my secret. My secret is there isn’t one. I would say that 50% of what I do is from instinct and my gut feeling about someone or something. That’s my first line of defence and I trust it completely. 30% is business and the practicalities that go along with it. You have to make smart cohesive choices when it comes to Branding. There’s a lot to consider when building the image and aesthetic you are putting out there. There’s your audience but there’s also you and what you ultimately project as a personality out in the world. You have to really balance those two things to have a truly successful brand. The final 20% is my toolbox that I’ve built over time. I spent my entire life in show business, fashion and advertising. Those are the big guns in my toolbox and I’ve worked hard for them. I have a few other tools I’ve added over the years but those are top secret and I never ever kiss and tell. 20 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Authenticity is the hardest thing to lean into. There is so much to covet out there. So many great people doing great things. So many people putting out amazing work and looking great doing it. It’s so easy to say I want to be just like so and so, I want to do what she’s doing, I want to look like that, sound like that. But I can promise you that’s a waste of time. Authenticity always shines through. Why aspire to being a cheap copy of someone else. I mean really, do you want the Jimmy Choos or the Payless knock offs? ‘nuff said. I get a lot of resistance when clients come to me with a laundry list of people they want to be just like and I tell them I can’t give it to them. I’ll say: “You can’t expect to put on an Oprah suit and shazam! You’ll be just like Oprah. I can’t give you that. That’s not 22 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
what I do. What I can do and what I know I’m good at is leading you to your true Iconic Self. Once we discover that, I’ll whip out my tool box and work my magic. Finding your Iconic self is the ticket. In fact, it’s the only ticket. You can’t put a price tag on that.”
Timothi Jane Graham lives in NYC and Los Angeles and works globally as a Personal Branding Specialist. She specializes in photography, video production, copywriting, web launches and overall branding. She is an author and branding expert at Success. com and a contributor at The Huffington Post, Mind Body Green and YFS Magazine. When she’s not working her tail off you can find her chilling on remote beaches or sequestering herself in many a hidden jungle paradise.
Check out the link above to see more of Timothi’s work and find out more about her! Timothi: Brand Provocateur •
23
Business & Tech
Build Your Biz With This Proven Tool
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Andrea Sullenger 26 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
This five-letter word is one of the most powerful ways to build your business and boost your credibility at the same time. Some of your successful competitors are using it and clearly, you’ll benefit by jumping on board. I am talking about video. At times, I’ve been hesitant to pull out the camera and shoot a video about topics my clients asked about. Then I started to realise that even the simplest suggestions shared on video are appreciated by people who are finding their way in business. I will tell you this. It has never been easier. Do you need a gigantic video camera that costs thousands? No, absolutely not. Grab your phone and shoot a video. Use a tripod and your video will be steady and consistent. Have the light coming in from behind for best results. Get a friend or family member to help you out if you like, but you can do this yourself.
What do I say in my video? That is the first thing people ask. Just keep it simple. Have one single tip or suggestion in mind and go with that. Think of three bullet points which support your idea. If you need to jot your three bullet points on a piece of paper, you can tape that paper right up by your camera. How can I look natural on camera? Know ahead of time exactly where the lens on your camera is located. Imagine you are talking to your best friend and pretend that camera lens is their eye. Make eye contact. If you are thinking that camera is your friend, you will appear natural in your recording. Say to yourself, I’m just having a casual Build Your Biz With This Proven Tool •
27
conversation but I only have a minute or two to get my point across. That way, your message will be clear and to the point. Once you’ve finished your video, upload it to YouTube. Keep it private until you’re ready for the world to see it. Watch it a few times and make sure it is clear and easy to understand. Most people are too hard on themselves when they see how they look on camera. Don’t forget that small imperfections can help us look natural and then we tend to come across as someone our audience can relate to. Practice with more and more tips and topics. The more videos you create, the better you will get. Post the videos on your website, blog and social media. Make a
thought provoking comment and include a link to your video. This will get people clicking on your link and you will start to build viewers on your YouTube channel.
Video has boosted countless businesses to success. Do it today. You’ve got the guts it took to become an entrepreneur, so use that same gusto to strut your stuff in front of the camera.
Press record and never look back. Your business will benefit from your efforts to share through the medium of video.
Andrea x
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Click ch t a to W ine! Onl
WITH MICHELLE HOLMES
Give your Business a Shot in the SEO Arm •
TIME TO STEP
OUTSIDE YOUR Comfort Zone
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse 30 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
GROWING
and stretching past our comfort zone is something we must all do in order to achieve a higher level of success. When we can learn to be ‘comfortable with being uncomfortable’, we are able to get through the sometimes painful process of change. We at times tend to shy away when we start to embark on change and let fearful thoughts pull us back. However, when we learn to be resilient, and stick with the change, that is when we will experience the shift and growth that we desire. That is where the magic happens.
In this video, I share 3 important reasons why we need to practice stretching past our comfort zone in order to achieve success! Click below to watch.
Time to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone •
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PRO BIZ TIPS The Most Important Business Strategy Ever! FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Nathalie de Ahna 32 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Are
you using the most important business strategy? Do you wanna know what makes me wish to throw up a little and then get a coughing fit right in front of certain people? When someone boasts about how much money they are making with pricey ‘how to make money’ packages without ever having built an actual business?
Of course, getting multiple orgasms, AKA the six figure biz, simply by following persuasively unique and miraculously generalisable formulas sounds insanely appealing. I’d totally want that too! Just like luscious and long hair, peachy skin and a body to die for. But can I theoretically have all this? Well, yes! But growing my hair, clearing my skin and getting into the ‘let’s make all the other mums on the playground green with envy’ shape takes the same patience, consistent efforts and systematic approach as growing a successful business. I know this not just because my abs would most certainly look like Lara Croft’s, if only I managed to stick to my long-term work-out plan.
I know this because I’ve already built a successful business. I went from being a solo translator who needed a side job in 2005 to make ends meet, to owning an entire translation agency with a team of 15 freelancers three years later. Before I had my son in 2008, I worked 70 hours a week. Today, it’s only about 15 hours a month. The Most Important Business Strategy Ever! •
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I’m
still making the same money with my agency – but I have a lot more time to spend with my family and work on other businesses. Have I never fallen into the ‘buy my swap file formula’ or ‘copy this biz blueprint trap?’ You bet I did! Was there never a time when I bought each and every 8 to 12 week biz class or ultimate master plan only to realise I was way too overwhelmed and paralyzed to use – let alone implement – all the knowledge I hoarded on my (online) shelves?
Hi. My name is Nathalie and I’m a shiny biz course addict! But just like there is no universally effective done-for-you-diet to shed pounds and really keep them off, there is no universally effective done-for-you business plan. (Unless you’re a ‘how to make money online’ person persistently rubbing desperate online entrepreneur’s most painful failures into their faces while at the same time persuasively offering your pricey ‘big bucks boosting balm.) Yes, being informed is important. But, the most important business strategy is to never bite off more from the knowledge cake than you can chew and consistently have biz cookies, i.e. implement small bites!
To
help you build your business one bite at a time (and save a ton of money for shiny stuff you don’t need), I’ve prepared a tray of incredibly tasty Biz Bites for you. Sign-up if you haven’t already and you’ll get them warm & straight from the oven!
34 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
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Career & Learning
When ‘Need’ Becomes
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Sandra Cunningham 38 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
So many of the ‘needs’ that creep into our everyday language aren’t really needs at all. In conversation with a friend the other day, I was shocked at how often one of us said the words: ‘need’, ‘should’, ‘must’, or ‘have to’. ‘I must get this post written before I leave for holiday.’ ‘I should manage my time better.’ ‘I need my boss to give me more encouragement.’ ‘I have to eat fewer carbs, need to take more exercise, need to lose weight … blah, blah!’ It was an exhausting conversation. Not a chat where you hang up the phone feeling uplifted, energised and raring to go. I really don’t need any of these things to happen. I might want them to be true. Why? I’d get to feel a sense of achievement, I’d get to feel in control, I’d get to feel valued, I’d get to feel healthier and I’d get to feel better in my clothes. But the sky will not fall in on my world if they don’t come to fruition. I will still be walking around, doing what I do and being who I am.
And why is this a problem? Have you ever noticed how the average conversation is splattered with self-talk and commentary like this? It has become so normal and familiar to us that we hardly even notice the damage we are doing to ourselves. Our lives have become dramatised with a deep
When ‘Need’ Becomes Neediness
•
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Ultimately, the spiral takes hold and we gradually close down the possibilities of getting what we really want. Find Out for Yourself. Really listen to how we speak with one another. Conversations on the tube, interviews on the radio, your favourite soap, your own inner dialogue…
down feeling of insufficiency – in ourselves, in our relationships and in our lives.
The same goes for our careers. Unfortunately, when we approach our work with this mentality, we effectively limit our creative powers. We fail to inspire. We become inauthentic. We sabotage our relationships. We rarely achieve our goals. We deny ourselves the chance to realise our potential. And we make ourselves feel like s**t, because we/they/it are never ‘enough’. Ultimately, the spiral takes hold and we gradually close down the possibilities of getting what we really want. Find Out for Yourself. Really listen to how we speak with one another. Conversations on the tube, interviews on the radio, your favourite soap, your own inner dialogue (I find my conversations with my dog are riddled). You can even look back at past email conversations. 40 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
I promise you’ll be astounded. And none of us are immune. Instead of ‘I need’ try ‘I want’ or ‘I will’ Do you notice the energetic shift that comes when you replace ‘need’ with ‘want’ – or even better, ‘will’? Instead of feeling scolded like a wayward child by the invisible monkey on your back, you allow yourself to become the adult – you take on ownership. You are obliged to commit yourself. Take a stand for what you want, and you’ll experience a radically different, more enabling and upbeat set of emotions.
You are far more likely to take action and move forward with this mindset, than one of rule-making and inadequacy. So, when you want to overturn a need-y habit, choose your language carefully. Next time you hear yourself say ‘I need to …’, consider: Is it true? Really? What might be more true? Then follow this line of enquiry.
• What is a new, more self-empowering intention that I will set for myself? • Why is that important? • What difference will it make? When ‘Need’ Becomes Neediness
•
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• How will I feel? • How will they feel? (If applicable.) • Is it still worth it? • What will make it possible? • What one step will I commit to taking that will make a difference?
I hope that was a help. I’m off now as I want to finish my new e-book and then I need to take my dog out for a walk before dinner!
42 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
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FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Sukh Pabial 44 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Are social learning technologies the way forward? I first remember hearing about digital literacy a while back on Steve Wheeler’s blog. In talking about digital literacy he gave the comparison of driving a car. In England, we learn to drive a car, take a test, pass it, and go on to buy a car which we then drive regularly. Over time, we become adept at driving and can indeed step into any car and drive it. However, when going to the USA and hiring a car to drive over there, suddenly everything is different. The skill of driving
a car is no different, but the rules have changed. Suddenly we become out of kilter with a once well understood manner of behaviours. In the social learning space, there is a lot said about how learners are just doing it themselves. They’re out there on the social networks, collaborating in different spaces, networking in their own ways, sharing what they find and getting their learning at their point of need.
The population doing this isn’t as big as we might
assume. It’s significant for sure, and there are a good many who will get this way of continued working. But what about people whose role at work means they have no need to interact with the company they work for digitally? They may Digital Literacy & Inclusion •
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“…they gave their staff tablet devices. I like it. It’s accepting that people need the right tools to do the work we want them to do. It’s also bold.” need to and have to because the world of work is moving that way, but for roles which aren’t office based and don’t require modern technology to do their work, what’s happening to them?
My fear is we’re just ignoring them.
Recently I read an interesting piece about Penguin Random House’s approach to raising the digital inclusion of their workforce, they gave their staff tablet devices. I like it. It’s accepting that people need the right tools to do the work we want them to do. It’s also bold. How many HR departments could convince their IT and Finance colleagues that this is a better investment? For companies who can’t do this, though, I think we are at real danger of actively excluding people who want to work, but aren’t 46 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
able to access all that work can offer because it’s all gone digital and they don’t know how to access it. Linked to this as well is how user friendly the systems we use are. If the UX of the system is awful, then it doesn’t matter how digitally literate you are, you’ll hate using the system. We need to work with vendors and providers more in establishing good usability of their products.
I’m not simply talking
about being trained in how to use systems and what have you. I’m talking about outright development programmes of digital inclusion which includes provision of devices, personal support in using them, helping them learn how to use MS Office suites, how to navigate the interwebs well, what it means to have email, how to write an email, and so much more. Mervyn Dinnen wrote a piece on this for recruitment purposes and highlighted that digital skills will fast become a recruitment factor. Can’t use MS Office? Sorry, there’s 10 other applicants who can. That’s the impact of not growing a programme like this – people who are good workers, want to work, and are capable, but don’t have digital skills.
It’s something I’m going to be embarking on as a long
term piece of work for my organisation. I’m setting out to do this because I want people at work to enjoy being there and for them to be able to access everything they’re entitled to. Once I’ve got that happening, then I can be confident of growing an organisation to take full advantage of learning and development in all its guises. Digital Literacy & Inclusion •
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Faith & Self Help
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Karen Salmansohn
48 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Mindfulness Retreat MINDFULNESS AND THE ART OF MANAGING ANGER & STRESS WITH MIKE FISHER, THE UK’S LEADING ANGER MANAGEMENT & STRESS GURU WHAT IS MINDFULNESS MEDITATION? We spend most of our waking hours in distraction and random, discursive thinking. Because we have never cultivated this ability of mind to simply be present, our ‘mindfulness muscle’ is weak, and we find we have little control over our thinking process. For thousands of years meditators from various traditions have known that by working with the simple technique of repeatedly bringing our attention back to the present moment, our ability to be fully present with our experience, both during formal meditation practice and in our everyday life, steadily increases. In recent decades extensive studies have confirmed this claim through the lens of scientific inquiry. You can read more about the scientific research on mindfulness and anger here via www.mindyouranger.com
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN • Mindfulness – medicine of the future • The Breath – a pathway to tranquillity • Letting go of attachments – Zero Duality Training • Reducing emotional obstacles one by one • Welcoming stillness into your life • Facing your fear and doing it anyway • Making space for solitude • Tuning in – a guide to different meditations • Encouraging a daily practice
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...Clearing the Red Mists
Rocking Your World
I
haven’t written in a few weeks. To be honest, it isn’t because God has not done much or that I haven’t been inspired. It’s that God is doing so much and sharing so much with me that I can’t even explain it all to you. My cup is full and running over. God has totally been rocking my world.
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Katie Clifton, Christian Columnist 52 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
And it is awesome. And it is scary. And some days I am excited.And some days I get frustrated. And some days I feel overwhelmed. And some days I have insane peace.
First
there is the Bible study the Lord began. I prayed for 10 women (just 10) to sit on my couch and laugh and cry with as we shared and studied God’s Word. Do you know what He did? He sent 52 women. 52 women who stepped out in faith and said “yes” to Jesus and His community. These 52 women were strangers one month ago. Strangers, people. It takes courage to say yes to something uncomfortable and walking into a room of strangers is pretty scary for a lot of us. God sent 5 other women to lead this with me and these women are becoming some of the safest, most cherished friends I have ever known. The study began a month ago and the Lord is wrecking us all for His glory. He is drawing women to Him and for some this is the first time in years they are seeking Him. Hearts are changing. Habits are breaking. Chains are falling off and these women are not alone, because God has sent a community of women to surround them and pray for them and encourage them. I believe this entire ‘idea’ of Christian community is one that only comes from the mind of an incredible God. Rocking Your World •
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One
of my favourite definitions of Christian community is this: A group of people who love each other, united through a common joy, sharing and living the story of Christ. What we women are experiencing on Monday must be something that makes Jesus smile (that is always my prayer). Jesus had his own Christian community. He had 12 followers who were His closest friends. These men were in Jesus’s inner circle. They left their jobs for Him, their families and their old way of living for Him. This inner circle had their world rocked by His invitation to follow Him. They had a front row seat to His radical healing, His miraculous actions and His controversial teaching. Jesus loved these precious men. Not because of who they were to the worldbut because of who they were to Him. He didn’t see them as fishermen and tax collectors or political zealots. He saw them as worthy of His grace, His mercy and His redemption. He saw them as friends, family even, whom were worthy of His love and His blood. Friends, this is the same way Jesus feels about you.
We aren’t all neighbours and we weren’t assigned to one another for Sunday night worship. We weren’t even all friends four weeks ago. Christian community has taken on a whole new meaning in my life. Four weeks ago, we and other families began meeting in our home for Bible study. This is another really awesome thing the Lord is doing. We call it house church. We share a meal together, worship 54 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
through song and study God’s Word. We are united in a common joy and share our thoughts, ideas and our struggles with scripture and theology and our common desire is to live out the story of Christ. We do not all attend a big church together. We aren’t all neighbours and we weren’t assigned to one another for Sunday night worship. We weren’t even all friends four weeks ago. I am telling you, God is blowing my mind with the amazing people He places in our lives. We are simply a group of people that have hearts who are seeking God and we are all hungry for Christian community. This Sunday night thing is pretty cool and it is just another way God is rocking my world.
Since
I began writing, some of you have shared ways that you have been impacted or particular ways in which God spoke to you through the words you read here – and I thank you for sharing your heart and for encouraging me. Tonight, I want to speak to the rest of you. The ones who just feel like this whole Christian community thing sounds like a creepy Christian club or sorority and you want to run far, far away from it. For some of you, you might be thinking, “What would she do if a non-Christian wanted to come hang out? I bet she would never let ‘them’ in…” Well, if you are thinking that then you are wrong dear friend. Jesus sat down with prostitutes and shared meals with criminals and laid hands on the ‘untouchable’, so I am certain that our community would be open to anyone Jesus says yes to. (FYI, He loves everyone.) Every time I write, I pray and ask for God to lead me to the words He wants me to share and the scripture I need to work through. I needed to share that, before I share this: Rocking Your World •
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For
some of you reading this, you have been tragically wounded by someone who claims the title of Christ follower. This wound may have even caused you to run far away from the church and everyone affiliated with it. I believe for some of you reading this you have even gone so far as to ‘explore other options’, maybe a god who requires you to sacrifice nothing, maybe a god who says you can make up the rules and happiness is for you to create. Maybe you consider yourself a critical thinker, or man of science and this whole faith idea seems like junk I have been spoon fed and brain washed with. Maybe you believe nothing. No eternity. No eternal consequences for goodness or badness. No afterlife. Maybe this life is just it for you and all this nutty God talk sounds like a sweet fairy tale we pass down from generation to generation. To each of you, I want you to know I have been there too. I have wrestled and struggled and I leaned on my own understanding. I have thrown my hands up and I ‘educated’ myself on ways to a god that seemed good and less condemning.
Friends, I get you. And tonight each of you are weighing so heavy on my heart. I want to dare you all to try something. I dare you for 90 days to genuinely try out this Christian community idea. I dare you to find a group of people who walk with Jesus and just meet with them. Christians, this challenge is for you as well. This challenge is a scary task for some of you. For those of you reading this who may 56 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
think I still seem ridiculous, my last question to you is this: What do you have to lose? As human beings we have all been hurt by other people and some of our deepest, most tragic wounds have been from someone clinging to the label of Christian. Jesus knows your pain. His most trusted friends, the men He kept the closest were the very ones who handed Him over to death and denied even knowing Him. Jesus even knew that the friends He loved would hurt Him and He chose love anyway. He chose community even when it hurt. Now Jesus was deeply troubled, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” (John 13:21). “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (Verses 34-35.)
I am praying for your world to be rocked. I am praying for you to be surrounded by safe friends who extend to you the same grace and mercy they have been shown. I am praying for you to find a Christian community (small group of people) to begin studying with, sharing with Jesus knew Judas would betray Him and He knew Peter would deny Him. Yet, in the midst of His heartache and disappointment He commanded us all to love one another as He loved us. Friends, Rocking Your World •
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as I challenge you to embrace Christian community it is my prayer that you would be shown the love of Christ. Christians, it is my prayer that each one of us who claims the title of Christ follower who live out this love we are commanded to show. I would love to hear from those of you who are up for this challenge. I am praying for your world to be rocked. I am praying for you to be surrounded by safe friends who extend to you the same grace and mercy they have been shown. I am praying for you to find a Christian community (small group of people) to begin studying with, sharing with, wrestling through scripture with, and growing with. I invite you to join me on this journey of sanctification.
YOUR WORLD WILL BE ROCKED! Amen x 58 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
(Galatians 6:1-3) Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com •
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Try This Sneaky Tip To Conquer Fear!
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By Gina Hussar 60 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
“Most of us have two lives. The lives we live and the un-lived life within us. Between the two, stands resistance.” That’s a quote from one of my favourite writers, Steven Pressfield. I had a vision for my life. And it wasn’t at all what I was living. In my vision I was bold, creative and fearless. In my vision I was abundant, free, living my purpose and creating miracles. I was a walking Maybelline advertisement. In my reality however, it was raining outside. I had no idea what I wanted to do, only that it was something different from what I was currently doing. I knew I was a writer who didn’t write. A teacher who didn’t teach. A leader who wasn’t leading anyone. I had no idea how to get from point A to point B and the very thought of taking one step paralysed me with fear. But then I read that line from Pressfield’s book The War of Art and I was changed by it. I didn’t want to be one of those people who died with a life un-lived still inside of them. I didn’t want to die with books in me, with wisdom dried up and never shared. I found an email address for him and sent him a message to thank him for waking me up. He replied, “You’re welcome. Now get off of email and go finish your fucking work.” No joke. So What! •
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And so I did. I didn’t finish it of course, but I did something even better. I began. The Miracle of Core Courage, one of the miracles that I teach about in the 6 Month Miracle Project, calls us into battle with a foe that everyone on earth fights at least once – resistance; more commonly called fear.
Fear sucks. Period. Fear is the primary reason that some soul mates never try. It’s the reason so many dreams are left abandoned on the side of the road. It’s the reason brilliant people die with books still inside of them The other day I was frustrated with my daughter. She was refusing to brush her hair and when I told her it would look messy she said, “so what my face is still cute.” It reminded me of a weird trick I once read to combat fear. Fear based statements often begin with the words “what if.” What if I try and fail? What if he doesn’t love me? What if it doesn’t work out? Etc etc. From now on try adding the word “so” to your “what ifs.” My daughter didn’t care if her was messy. She’s gorgeous, and she knew she still had a whole lot of other stuff going for her. And so do you. Instead of “What if I write the book and it never gets published?” Try “So what if it never gets published? I will still have put my story to paper, which is more than a lot of other people would do and maybe someone will find it someday and be changed by its wisdom.” 62 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
“Different can be freaking beautiful! Different can open doors you hadn’t thought of…” “What if my launch doesn’t make any money?” changes to “So what if my launch doesn’t make any money. I will have learned exactly what my audience does not want and can adjust accordingly. There’s a bigger, better offer waiting to pour out of me.” “What if I move to a different city and hate it?” changes to “So what if I move and hate it. My feet won’t be shackled to the floor. I’ll just move again!” Nothing is irreversible and thanks to Google and YouTube there is nothing that cannot be learned or solved in some way. So write the book. Start the business. Take the trip. So what if the result is different than you expected? Different can be freaking beautiful! Different can open doors you hadn’t thought of and show you gifts you didn’t know you possessed.
The only thing you actually have to fear, is regret. So What! •
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By Joey Phelps & Michael Phelps Lil Nipper Snappers Cartoon •
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IS SKINCARE ABOUT VANITY?
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By Rachael Pontillo 68 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Have you ever heard from anyone that worrying about your skin or your appearance makes you vain? Let’s be honest here: have you ever directed those feelings towards someone you saw buying a lot of skincare products or admiring her reflection in the mirror? Or let’s be really honest: have you ever directed those feelings towards yourself?
WHY DO PEOPLE ASSOCIATE SKINCARE AND PURSUIT OF BEAUTY WITH VANITY? I’ve thought about this a lot over my whole life, and it’s something that I’ve written about both here, as well as in my book, Love Your Skin, Love Yourself. I don’t think about it just in terms of skincare and beauty – I also include the concepts of self-care and selflove in the group. My position on the subject is something that I write about often, and recently spoke about in my interview with Dr. Trevor Cates when I was a guest on her podcast – and I really think it’s time to mention it again because I feel it’s a message that all people, especially women, need to hear. Let’s begin with an excerpt from chapter 4 of Love Your Skin, Love Yourself called: Is Skincare Just About Vanity? •
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WILL PEOPLE THINK I’M VAIN? “So many people believe that having a regular skincare regimen and/or wearing makeup is vain. I had a hard time with this myself because I began wearing a lot of makeup at a very young age to cover my acne. There seems to be an insidious misconception that wanting to be beautiful means you are a shallow or superficial person. This couldn’t be further from the truth! No one wonders why someone looking at a beautiful, perfect flower would marvel at its perfection. What about admiring a beautiful work of art in a museum or being captivated by the music of the symphony? You don’t ever hear people say, “Wow, she is so vain for appreciating all of that beauty.” Why can’t we want and enjoy the beauty of our own physical bodies? We are one of the
There seems to be an insidious misconception that wanting to be beautiful means you are a shallow or superficial person. 70 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
first people we see every day when we look in the mirror. Why shouldn’t we want the first images we see to be beautiful? Why shouldn’t we want one of the last images we see before going to bed to be beautiful as well?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel beautiful. Human beings are naturally drawn to that which is beautiful—if that wasn’t true, no one would have dedicated their lives to creating epic, timeless works of art, music, drama, or architecture. We wouldn’t decorate our homes, offices, or yards with ornaments and pictures or paintings. Why is it so horrible to want to decorate yourself? Many cultures around the world have long histories of adornment rituals commemorating special moments or rites of passage in a woman’s life. Their histories are much older than our nation’s Puritanical values.” Now I’d like you to jump over to Dr. Cates’ website and watch her podcast, and think about whether skincare is just about vanity or whether there’s (in my opinion) a better, more ‘valid’ reason to care about your appearance. Click here to watch the podcast.
By the way, you can pick up a copy of Love Your Skin, Love Yourself here if you liked the excerpt and want to learn more! Is Skincare Just About Vanity? •
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“In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.� Albert Schweitzer
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Lifestyle & Wellness
Female Leaders
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By Charlene SanJenko Photo Credit: Maggi Woo photography
78 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
5 Key Components of Female Leaders with Impact PowHERhouse is a highly interactive multi-media platform that celebrates Canadian women who are making an impact in sport, business, the arts and community leadership. As an educational and economic driver for like-minded women with a keen focus on lifestyle management and leadership development, we are constantly studying women’s leadership and curiously asking the question: What makes a strong leader?
Here are our top 5 1. We show up. First of all, we get clarity around our Mission and then we show up and we keep showing up until that Mission is accomplished. Many times it’s not glamorous, and most times no one is watching – but regardless, it is who we are and what we do everyday that makes us leaders.
2. Our actions – not our words.
Many people talk at great lengths about the important things they are going to do or have done. However, some of the world’s most Female Leaders With Impact
•
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powerful leaders say very little at all. They allow their actions to speak for them.
3. We make tough decisions.
Some ‘decision-makers’ actually do their best to avoid decisions rather doing what they can to stay in the public’s favour. In my opinion, many sit on the fence and try their damnedest to keep everyone happy. The result? Nothing happens. Leaders know that in order to grow stronger, tough decisions have to be made – decisions that sometimes take us outside our comfort zones as that is when we build strength.
4. We lead from the centre.
A certain style of leader attracts those want only to lead from the front of the pack. A leadHER of impact is happiest being part of a team and leading collaboratively from the centre. Trust is instilled in others which in turn inspires their team to want to be better leaders.
5. Leadership starts with me.
If you want to be a great leader, lead your own life first. I could write an entire article on just this topic. In fact, former municipal mayor and community leader, Christina Benty recently has. You can read her article here: Great Leaders Lead Their Own Lives, PowHERfully, First! There’s a quote by Albert Einstein that goes:
“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.” 80 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Actions you can take today to become a stronger leader. Identifying Strength Gaps & Energy Leakages. A strong leadHER – like a strong body – is only as strong as her weakest link. We need to make our greatest challenges into our strongest opportunities. That begins with identifying strength gaps and energy leakages:
Flustered, lack of focus, needing to ground? Is multi-tasking really serving you well? Is communication lacking due to lack of confidence? Is your energy flat because “you are so busy” and not practicing ample self-care? Female Leaders With Impact
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Are you being the role model you want to be – everyday? Appreciating Talent, Remembering Greatness and Celebrating Our Assets. Our PowHERhouse mantra is, “The stronger we are, the stronger we are!” Click here to read our Mission.
What does this Mean? We must remember that everything we need as mission-driven leaders is inside us right now waiting to be accessed for Our collective greatest good. Our God-given talent is our greatest asset. Why are women all too eager to downplay our abilities and hide our talents? What good does this do? We owe it to ourselves and to our world to live up to our fullest potential and not shy away from it. The world needs us to shine as brightly as we possibly can. 82 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Finding our voice.
“People may not remember what you said, but they remember how you made them feel.” There are many ways to communicate. Finding our voice as strong female leaders includes honing our ability to make others feel valued, appreciated, heard, honoured, respected and inspired. Each one of us has something deep inside that we need to say. It’s a message we were born to share, and we spend every day of our lives getting closer and closer to the true essence of our message allowing it to flow through us – like a conduit – in our daily lives through our thoughts, words, choices and actions. Most importantly, finding our voice and perfecting our ability to communicate means first and foremost we practice being powHERful listeners. We know how to hold the space for others, respecting what they have to say and listening with an open heart. True success in authentic communication happens when we don’t have to say anything at all, it is obvious from who we are being each day, and the world is attracted to us and our message because of how we make them feel. Female Leaders With Impact
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Own it! Making a decision to be a leader is where it all begins and ends. According to Forbes, leadership is defined as process of social influence which maximizes the efforts of others towards the achievement of a goal. We believe this process breaks down to a daily practice – which we call the Practice of PowHERful Living – and the sweet spot of your most powHERful practice and strongest life as woman of impact lies waiting for you within the integration of Lifestyle + Leadership. It’s there, waiting…
“We owe it to ourselves and to our world to live up to our fullest potential and not shy away from it.”
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Photo Credit: Maggi Woo photography
Charlene SanJenko is the Founder and CEO of PowHERhouse, a digital platform that provides solutions for women to keep them strong and powerful, evolves the role that we allow to fitness to play and our lives and celebrates positive, natural female role models in fitness, sport, business and community.
Predictions
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By Manish Kumar Arora
Aries
21 March – 19 April You certainly have a positive omen on your side. You need to listen to your intuition and strengthen your connection to the mysterious world of all that is unspoken. You may benefit from trusting your feelings with regards to yourself or a situation surrounding you. This is the time where great mysteries and knowledge become accessible. You should be enjoying the truth of a committed relationship which will keep you internally satisfied. There is high attraction of you for people. They will ask for solutions of their problems or you will give them a shoulder to lean on. You will have the ability to bring joy, harmony and balance to any stressful situation.
Favourable Dates for July 1, 5, 10, 19 & 2 Favourable Colours White & Brown
Taurus
20 April – 20 May You are going to be starting a new cycle and this is a really exciting time for you. Any journey of self discovery that you may take will be filled with
optimism and enjoyment. Having completed an important cycle in your life, you take a quick breather before you begin the next. This cycle will spell a radical break from your previous life, having almost no resemblance to it at all. Even close friends and family will have a difficult time understanding the decisions you are now making. Any rewards however will come through clear, well reasoned thinking and careful consideration of any decisions that may have to be made. You should move forward slowly, with an organizational mindset.
Favourable Dates for July 2, 9, 18, 20 & 27 Favourable Colours Yellow & Green
Gemini 21 May – 20 June
You should not be relaxed in your current situation and should take time to think about you and your life. You had lost your passion and that your life is currently in stagnation. You could be exposed to negative consequences, because you were not paying attention to what was everyone doing around you. But now a sudden insight or event is encouraging you to make a life changing decision. New opportunities have come your way, or you’re seeing opportunities you Zodiac Predictions For July 2015 •
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didn’t see before. A problem that’s been puzzling you for some time is now making perfect sense. This newfound clarity is re-energizing you, giving you the proper motivation to accomplish your goals.
Favourable Dates for July 1, 4, 10, 13 & 28 Favourable Colours Red & Blue
Cancer 21 June – 22 July
This period indicates that interesting and good times are coming. Before this happens, you must find a way to trust people again, so you can be a part of a group again. The difficult period that you are having to face right now, will soon be over, with a help from someone who is wealthy and caring and you are on your way to better days. Any project that you’re currently working on will take you far through team work. There is a way to get a lot of people to help you – keep them inspired and ensure that your project brings something to them also. If you are looking for love, wait for sometime for tides to turn completely in your favour.
Favourable Dates for July 3, 12, 21, & 30 Favourable Colours Yellow, Purple & Black 90 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Leo
23 July – 22 August You have explored and mastered life in a certain situation, that everything that you are working on now or is troubling you will come under your control in close future. It is time to learn and appreciate yourself. You are currently in a situation that asks of you to defend your ideas, opinions or way of doing things. This is not a particularly happy situation, but you must stay calm and be prepared for attacks from all sides. You are looking at multiple creative possibilities landing into place, just as you want. You could use this to advance your position in the world. Committed relations may remain tensed for a while.
Favourable Dates for July 7, 8, 16, 17 25 & 26 Favourable Colours Yellow, Green & Blue
Virgo
23 August – 22 September There would be over-dependence on material wealth. You may have become so fixated on becoming a millionaire or owning a fancy car that
you have forgotten the importance of investing in your relationships or yourself. Despite challenges and setbacks along the way, you will finally reach a point of completion and accomplishment in your journey. You will also feel compelled to share this success with others to ensure that they are also well cared for. You may also be required to make a longerterm move from one location to another, where you will leave behind friends and family in order to explore or experience a new territory.
Favourable Dates for July 1, 5, 10, 14, 20, 23 & 30 Favourable Colours Purple, Blue & White
Libra
23 September – 22 October Hard work and raw talent have allowed you to make something from nothing – in business, your career, or any other situation you can think of. Aggressive energy and single-mindedness has allowed you to do incredible things. You are more open to sharing what you have and being well-intentioned. Try not to do everything yourself. It’s perfectly okay to delegate. You have a well-educated mind and a pure heart. What you have endured is a good
way to assure yourself that, whatever trials lay ahead, you will meet them and you will overcome them as you overcame others.
Favourable Dates for July 6, 7, 15, 16, 24, & 25 Favourable Colours Yellow, & Red
Scorpio
23 October – 21 November If you allow yourself to be open to the positive elements that surround you, you will find yourself in the perfect position to learn something vitally important. It will be inspiring, interesting and somewhat of an eye opener for you. This learning will open up ways that you can share your knowledge with others by teaching and mentoring them. You have a good strong psychic connection to your own intuition and can use this to connect with others. Use your intuition to guide you. Once you have applied both your head and your heart to the situation it will bring clarity and the answers you need.
Favourable Dates for July 2, 5, 11, 15, 20 & 25 Favourable Colours Red, Purple & Brown Zodiac Predictions For July 2015 •
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Sagittarius
22 November – 21 December Opportunities are very quickly approaching, particularly in the areas of creativity and career. Further growth of your ideas will occur, while some previously developed will start to bear fruit. Some individuals will take more of the world on their shoulders and some people will dust themselves off and learn that what can’t kill them can only make them stronger. If you’ve missed out on a promotion at work and your finances have took a hit, you have to fight and get yourself back to a stronger position than you were in before. That special person you are hoping to date might have several suitors. Even if this is the case, go for it with all your might.
Favourable Dates for July 2, 3, 11, 12, 20, & 21 Favourable Colours Yellow & Red
Capricorn 22 December – 19 January
Your future plans have become muddled because you allow too many outside forces to influence you. Get your life back on track and 92 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
put more trust in your own thoughts and ideas. You might need to find the help of someone else to help you get through this. Remember to share compassion and love at work . You will find new heights of understanding as long as you communicate openly with your work mates. Concentrate on those strengths - on your current possessions and abilities. Let go of what you cannot complete or what you don’t possess. . Lay out the necessary steps for success. Look over your finances and hit it head on. It will help. Look closely at your exercise and diet routines.
Favourable Dates for July 1, 9, 10, 18, & 29 Favourable Colours Yellow, Blue & White
Aquarius
20 January – 18 February Your intuition might be attempting to come through at this time. It is essential that you listen very closely to what it is saying. You might be working way too hard and earning very little money or recognition. Bring your accomplishments to light a little more. Be sure that your superiors don’t overlook those accomplishments ‘accidentally’. . Clear your mind and start looking for projects that will stretch you to
the fullest. Blockage will move soon and money will start flowing. Whether you’re in a relationship or single, it is vital that a partner shares the same passions as you. It would be very unwise to give so much time and energy to someone who’ll ultimately stifle your personality.
Favourable Dates for July 1, 3, 10, 12, 19, 21, 29 & 30 Favourable Colours Yellow, Red & White
Pisces
not quite where you want to be. One last push and you’ll be on the peak of that mountain If you are working or desire to work in some sort of creative field, you will push forward in this field. However, if the job you do is more technical, you have to pull in the reins and refocus. Make sure you are very specific and clear regarding your relationship needs and choose the right soulmate.
Favourable Dates for July 1, 9, 10, 18, 19, 27, & 28 Favourable Colours Yellow, Red & Blue
19 February – 20 March You have many wonderful possibilities in your life. Reach down deep inside yourself and find the energy you need to keep going. You may have overcome obstacles, including illness, to reach where you are - but you’re
Manish Kumar Arora. K.P. Astrologer, Numerologist, Tarot Card Reader & Vastu Consultant. Email for a personal reading or consultation at manishastrologer@rediffmail.com
Zodiac Predictions For July 2015 •
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WHEN THINGS OR PEOPLE DON’T FIT
ANYMORE
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By Kate Spencer 94 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
AS WE
go through life, most of us change and evolve. This change can happen because of lessons that crop up, life events and experiences, interactions with others and epiphany moments. Whatever the reason for the change, when something in us shifts this affects our energy system and therefore our attraction field.
In my life I have had many of these, some subtle and some not so! No matter the gravity of the experience in my life, each one has helped me to heal a wound, change a perspective or belief and therefore my core signature vibration has changed as a result. I have released resentment, poverty consciousness and programming connected with illness and much more. Each of these patterns were a part of what I was sending out there into the universe, and now that has changed I am sending different vibrations out there that serve me better and attract a different experience. This change and evolution, which for most of us is a part of the human condition, will move us through our lives and attract different outcomes at different times. What used to be a good fit with you may no longer feel right, and this goes for people and situations. Relationships may feel like they are suddenly hard work or a struggle for you, and you may find people that you once felt insync with very wearing to be around.
THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT OR THEIRS, IT’S AN ENERGY THING. When Things or People Don’t Fit Anymore
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WHEN
things no longer feel in alignment with you and our human ego and personality insists on maintaining a situation or relationship that is becoming uncomfortable, you are experiencing something called energetic dissonance which is the opposite to law of attraction. It’s a feeling that you are being repelled away from what no longer feels OK with you, and as humans we experience this as wanting to avoid situations and people, literally wanting to keep away or distance ourselves from what no longer feels good.
So what should you do if this happens to you?
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First of all honour the feeling, and know that it’s no one’s fault. Remind yourself that this is an energy thing, think of it as law of attraction in reverse.
If you are not in alignment with a person or situation, know that this is working both ways. They may not feel it as strongly as you but they are not in alignment either. Know that it’s OK to side step, create better boundaries and look for ways to have some distance. This is self-care and if
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you don’t do something about it you are telling the universe that you are not worthy of feeling good…and that will stack up a whole load of stuff in your vibrational escrow that you would rather not take delivery of.
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Keep your ego in check. This does not mean that you are better or more evolved, for all you know another person may have gone through a shift that has served them well and you could be feeling the energy dissonance because you have not made progress in this part of your life.
Know that all is well. We came here to evolve and sometimes that means growing pains. I hope that helps you.
LOVE KATE When Things or People Don’t Fit Anymore
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About a Homemade Year
Food, Home & Family
Oyster Stew In my family some of us like oysters and some of us don’t. My dad always loved fresh oysters but no on else in my family did – not even my kids would touch them. I think it’s because they have landlubber’s blood, whereas I am mostly like my dad, from the Gulf Coast. Here is my take on Oyster Stew. I use canned oysters because they are more readily available and cheaper, but I really like using fresh oysters where possible.
! y o j En By Tanya Jackson 102 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
INGREDIENTS 1 onion, chopped 3 tbsp butter 1 cup milk 2 tbsp sour cream 1 small (8 oz) canned
METHOD
1 In
a small saucepan sauté onion until soft and butter thickens. (I put the setting on low, cover the pan & check it every 10 mins or so.)
2 Add 1 cup milk and 2 tbsp sour
cream – I call this combination the poor man’s cream. Cook on low until milk, sour cream, butter & onion are smooth.
3 Add chopped oysters. At this point you will know whether you like canned oysters – they have the texture of chicken livers, which are also one of my faves!
oysters, drained 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper
4 Add
Worcestershire sauce. (That word always gets me. We don’t have so-and-sochester towns in the south.)
5 Add salt & pepper. I always
add more salt to enhance the oyster taste, but you may not want as much.
6 Heat until bubbly. 7 It is a funny looking stew but
with saltine crackers it is deliousa-mous. Finally, if you can get your kids to eat it let me know. They may be Gulf Coasters too! Oyster Stew •
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Another School Year Gone
By Cherie DeBurger 104 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Can you believe it? In the blink of an eye another school year has come to an end and summer vacation for the kids is knocking at the door. It seems like just yesterday I was riding on the shopping cart and singing blissfully through the aisles of the back to school supplies with my children dragging their butts behind me. This is, in my opinion, the most wonderful time of the year although Christmas does run a close second.
Now it seems as if the children and I
have switched personalities. They are the ones riding on the cart, smiling and chatting about what they would like to do while school is out. They laugh and skip with the anticipation of the coming break as we make our way around the department store shopping for shorts and t-shirts. I am the one without the enthusiasm mechanically dragging my butt making my way through the store. I pull out all the summer clothes that I had neatly packed away in clear totes last fall. It was the only bit of organising that I was organised enough to do. Throw the extra loads into the washer and dryer so they are nice and fresh and wrinkle free and disperse the items into the correct rooms. Then I begin the half an hour of yelling at the kids to come and try on the clothes so we can see what fits and what doesn’t. You would think I was planning on shoving bamboo shoots up into the nail bed of each finger. Another School Year Gone! •
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After bribing them with a promised trip to McDonalds when we are done things finally start moving. Leo, who is the third child born in the line up, comes out of his room carrying all the summer shorts I had given him.
“They don’t fit,” are his only words. In utter disbelief I place my hand on my forehead, close my eyes and try to hold on to what little patience I have left. “They all can’t be to small! I want to see go back in there and come out with a pair on!” As he starts to once again inform me of the problem I look at him with “my” glare the one that expresses with no uncertainty that is he doesn’t do what I say the veins in my neck will swell and pulse until my head launches from my shoulders and explodes like confetti from a Christmas cracker.
With a huff and an eye roll he turns and closes his door. A
few minutes later he comes out and stands there looking at me I contain my first impulse which is to laugh and quickly make sure I didn’t give him his younger brothers pile by mistake. I know he is a growing boy but come on. Even though he likes his shorts to be
I look at him with ‘my’ glare, the one that expresses with no uncertainty that if he doesn’t do what I say the veins in my neck will swell and pulse until my head launches from my shoulders and explodes like confetti from a Christmas cracken. 106 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
a bit baggier then I like I can even tell the season for these shorts has passed. What the heck, we do not live by a nuclear plant or anything like that so I guess it is just good old fashion nature that has caused my children to grow physically as much as they think they have grown mentally. It’s a good thing Sam doesn’t mind hand me downs from Leo because that is basically what his wardrobe consists of. Some of the clothes still have tags on them!
This time of year is bitter sweet for me, can you
tell? As I weigh the pros and cons of the coming season I try to keep a positive attitude. On the pro side of the debate I won’t have to get up at seven a.m. every morning. Although I am pretty sure that one of the kids will be up by then or even earlier each and every day of the summer vacation. Every parent knows when a child can sleep in they are up and raring to go shortly after daybreak even though we have fought with the same children every school day morning for the past ten months. Sometimes even making us resort to physically grabbing their foot and dragging them off the mattress.
I won’t have to think up ideas for school lunches or pack any lunch boxes for two whole months. Of course I will be fixing food off-and-on all day long because the kids never want to eat the same thing or at the same time. The kids will be able to stay over at a friend’s house any night of the week instead of just the weekends. The downside is it works the same for their friends coming to our house. I will have less laundry to do with the warm weather and no school. My son seems to be happy wearing the same clothes day after day Another School Year Gone! •
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after day. I am always on him to go change! Bathing suits become to my kids what the little black dress is to a woman and are worn almost all the time. At least I no longer have to worry about looking out at the back yard and seeing clothes strewn around the grass while little white bums are running around and getting all dirty looking like they are neglected children from some third world country. What is it with toddlers and clothes? That’s a whole different article!
Every night I will have to tell them even though there is no
school they still have to go to bed. That is when my sanity sessions start. What is a sanity session you may ask? It is the couple of hours after the kids have gone to bed that I get to watch what I want to on TV, I don’t have to get anyone a drink, make someone something to eat, be able to sit for an extended period of time, use the bathroom all by myself, eat my own food while it’s still warm. These sessions are just as beneficial to my children as they are to me because just like the title says they enable me to keep my sanity for the summer.
Even though having the kids home all day every day will no doubt raise my blood pressure, give me a few more headaches, and keep me running all summer long, when September finally arrives I will wonder where the time has gone. No doubt I will shed a tear as I watch them standing at the bus stop in their new school clothes looking so grown up and for a moment (but only a moment)…
…wish they didn’t have to go. If you have any comments then please feel free to email me at lifes.moments@live.ca 108 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
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