The Eden Magazine

August 2020

EDEN T h e

Magazine

PREMA, UNIVERSAL LOVE

by Sarah Mane

T

he Power Couple

DARCY &CORINNE

CAVANAUGH

QUANTUM LEAP

by Rainie York

FRIENDSHIP REDEFINED

ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP?

by Judy Gaman

EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN

by Michael White Ryan

Table of Contents Everyday Optimism

18 26

8

PREMA, UNIVERSAL LOVE

By Sarah Mane

10

DARCY & CORINNE CAVANAUGH

18

EVERYDAY OPTIMISM

By Dani Dipirro

22

DRC OFFERS THE WORLD AN IMMEDIATE CLIMATE SOLUTION

By Gerald Prolman

32

26

MENTAL HEALTH & COVID-19 & THE POST COVID ERA

By Aneesh Chaudry

32

WHY WE LOVE FICTION, & HOW IT TOUCHES OUR LIVES

By Gen LaGreca

34

DRC Offers the World an immediate Climate Solution

DEXTER PHILLIP

22 40 54

By Joey Santos Jr.

40

WHERE HEALING BEGINS

By Jayita Bhattacharjee

54

FRIENDSHIP REDEFINED ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP?

By Judy Gaman

56

PURE FYRE

By Kristalyn A. Vetovich

Cover Photo by Regina Fleming Photography

10th Anniversary 62

2 KEYS TO ABUNDANCE DOMINATING YOUR LIFE

By Phyllis King

62

64

EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN, SELF-WORTH

By Michael White Ryan

70

A NEW MIND-SET FOR THE MILLENNIUM

By Nancy E. Yearout

76

64

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH POSITIVE SELF-TALK

By Shelly Willson

80

THE HEALING POWER OF FORGIVENESS

By Sasha Gary

82

80

WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE

By Gemma Leight Smith

86

QUANTUM LEAP

70 76

By Rainie York

94

REDIRECTING THE REPERCUSSIONS

By Tara-jenelle Walsch

Giovanni & The Camino of St. Frances

82 86

3 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

EDEN T

H

E

Since 2010

MAGAZINE

The Eden Magazine is a free online publication that focuses on spreading compassion to all Sentient Beings living in a healing and peaceful world FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARYAM MORRISON EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER DINA MORRONE COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER ALEXIA MELOCCHI BRAND AMBASSADOR MARIA ELENA INFANTINO COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST GLORIA KISEL-HOLLIS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SASHA GARY PHYLLIS KING JOE SANTOS, JR. ANGELA DUNNING NANCY E. YEAROUT MICHAEL WHITE RYAN MARCO NUNZIO ALATI JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE TARA-JENELLE WALSCH MARGARET TOMASZEWIC CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS + MAKEUP ARTIST EDWARD HAKOPIAN GRAPHICS & PHOTOGRAPHY GREG DOHERTY ISABELLE RUEN SHERI DETERMAN ARTIN MARDIROSIAN WEBSITE

www.theedenmagazine.com 325 N. Maple Dr. Po Box 5132 Beverly Hills, CA 90209 To purchase a copy visit us in www.theedenmagazine.com Eden Magazine is a non-profit monthly online magazine.

We aim to create a better environment where we live among other living beings in peace and harmony. We support artists that their work matches our criteria. If you would like to submit your artwork, article or/and your photography for our future issues please contact Maryam Morrison at; maryammorrison@theedenmagazine.com 4 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

5 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e December 2019

DINA MORRONE

Maryam Morrison

EDWARD HAKOPIAN

MARIA ELENA INFANTINO

ALEXIA MELOCCHI

GLORIA KISEL HOLLIS

TARA-JENELLE WALSCH

ARTIN MARDIROSIAN

NANCY E. YEAROUT

SHERI DETERMAN

GREG DOHERTY

MICHAEL WHITE RYAN

ANGELA DUNNING

JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE

JOE SANTOS, JR.

SASHA GARY

MARCO NUNZIO ALATI

MARGARET TOMASZEWIC

ISABELLE RUEN

6 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020

PHYLLIS KING

MEET OUR TEAM

Photo by ISABELLE RUEN

Discover the path to a peaceful life among other living beings. We are all made of vibration and light in the universe to manifest our energy around all livingness.

7 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e March 2020

Prema Universal Love

Photo by Annie Spratt

By Sarah Mane

8 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2019

When I was a teacher of young children the Headmaster of the school used to remind us frequently that the key to education was love. He would often say that the only important factor is the meeting of the teacher and the children, and in that meeting, love had to flow. Then all the practical parts of teaching - lesson planning, delivery of the curriculum, classroom management, interactions with the parents - were made a lot easier.

Love, in a very practical way, makes the world go round.

It is the not so secret sauce.

What guidance does Sanskrit give us to the discovery of the true meaning of love, and how to make it real in our lives and in the lives of others?

The Sanskrit word for pure, universal love is Prema. This word includes joy, completion, affection, kindness and delight. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Yes, and no.

If Prema is pure and universal, it is present everywhere, throughout all time and in all circumstances. This gladness and kindness and joy are ever present. Something universal and pure doesn’t just show up in some places, and only some of the time, and is absent at other times and in other places.

When a parent looks at a new-born baby, when a couple commits to a lifelong relationship, when a soaring piece of exquisite music captures your heart and takes you to another plain of being, all these are examples of Prema.

They are the easy ones.

But what about when the music is discordant, or when a colleague undermines you at work, or when that relationship turns out not to be lifelong? Where is your experience of Prema then?

successful end. Even in those situations where we might believe otherwise.

Sometimes, however, it just needs a little clarity and, yes, work, to see and experience it.

To receive the experience of universal abundant love, the trick is to give first. We give our love, our support, our joy to others first. We make others glad, we make the world beautiful and complete for others first. It is then that the doors open for us as well. And the wonderful part is we don’t have to worry about that second part, the flow back to us, the Universe looks after that.

I used to do this every day at school. One of my teachers once advised me to see each child as a pure and universal being every day as a matter of spiritual discipline. I followed this advice and made sure I took a moment with every child in my class to acknowledge this fundamental truth. The result? A flow of Prema, universal love, often despite surface behaviours. And the fruit of that daily act of love all those years ago is a wonderful deep relationship with these children who have grown into fine and admirable adults.

So, the practical path to experiencing Prema all the time is to connect with Prema when it is obvious and easy – think of those easy times, that family celebration, that meet up with old friends, that music. Feel the Prema, the pure universal love. Let it flow to others.

Then widen your experience. Acknowledge that love at other times, when life is ordinary. On the commute to work, let your love flow. When doing the weekly shopping, let your love flow. When dealing with those business emails, let your heart open and let your love flow.

For no reason other than that Prema is there and the flow is healthful for everyone.

In teaching, the eager pupil, the supportive colleagues, the friendly parents made it easy to give and receive Prema, universal love. But sometimes, you will be amazed to hear, the children were not so wonderful, there were times of stress when the staff at school was not so harmonious, and the occasional parent took issue with something I did.

Make this a habit and, if tragedy or hurt strike you will find yourself strong, confident and awake, and you can be the vehicle whereby Prema, pure universal love, soothes and heals and brings strength and peace to all who need it.

Did the Prema take a break? Did the universal joy, kindness and love suddenly become not so universal?

Sarah Mane is a Sanskrit scholar with a particular interest in the wisdom of Sanskrit as a practical means to life-mastery. Previously a teacher and school executive, today she is a transformational and executive coach. Sarah lives in Australia. https://consciousconfidence.com

Not according to the teachings of the timeless wisdom traditions. Prema is still there, pure universal love never goes away. It never sleeps, it is never hiding. It is ever accessible, always available, and always at our elbow to lend a hand, give support and fill us with the energy needed to see every situation through to a beautiful

9 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

The Power Couple

Darcy

& Corinne

Cavanaugh

By Dina Morrone Darcy and Corinne Cavanaugh, successful entrepreneurs, from Alberta, Canada, sat down in Los Angeles to speak with The Eden Magazine.

This power couple's mission is to make a difference in others' lives, one day at a time through their knowledge and experience, by giving back to those in need, and promoting good health through their company, Salvation Nutraceuticals Inc., with their product GSH+.

10 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

11 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Corinne: Now we have two sons, Nathan, 23, and Justin 17, who still lives at home.

What made you become an entrepreneurial couple?

Corinne: It fell into our laps.

Darcy: I want to say it’s been evolving over the last 30 years while I was in the insurance industry. We have worked together for that long as well. Corinne has been working at home, and I’m working in the office.

We always supported each other, everything that I did at work I shared at home, and everything she did at home she shared with me.

Corinne: We support each other on all of our business journeys. That’s the secret sauce of how we function well as an entrepreneurial couple. I supported Darcy with his business for all those years in the insurance industry, and I had to be home and keep everything going smoothly and take care of the kids.

Darcy: Yes, she ran the business at home.

Corinne: When I started doing my own thing, with Style by Corinne, and even some of the other business endeavors before that, Darcy was there to support me and help me evolve.

Corinne and Darcy, please tell us a little bit about yourselves? Where are you from, and where did you grow up?

Corinne: I was born in Northern Alberta in a small farming community town called Fairview Alberta, Canada. I lived there with my parents and my youngest brother until I was ten, and we moved the family to Red Deer, Alberta, in 1980. From there, I graduated high school and went to the local community college for legal assistance. After working in a legal office for two years, I became a chiropractic assistant.

I worked in the office for four years until Darcy, and I started a family.

Darcy: I was born and raised in a small town in Central Alberta, very close to Red Deer, Innisfail Alberta.

My parents moved to an acreage just outside of Red Deer. I lived there until I graduated from high school and went on to University at the University of Alberta, where I finished my commerce degree. Corinne and I met in high school. We are high school sweethearts.

We've known each other for 36 years, and this June 26th, 2020, will make 27 years that we've been married.

12 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Darcy: What triggered my exit from the insurance industry were my boys. Both our sons always wanted to work with their Dad, but didn't want to be in the insurance business.

Corinne: So, part of being an entrepreneurial couple was having Darcy exit the insurance business, and starting our own business so that we could all do this as a family.

Darcy: We’ve been branded the Conscious Couple, and it was a conscious decision to move forward as entrepreneurs and be in business together as a family.

This was a very easy transition because we have always worked together as a team and family in life.

Corinne: Our mission is to help others by doing good for our community and, hopefully, on an international scale.

Darcy: We want to focus on giving back on a larger scale.

How did you first embark on the path of becoming entrepreneurs?

Corinne: It started with the choices we made as young adults with our education in college and University. I had a lot of knowledge from the legal system, and we were both educated with business and commerce. Right from the beginning, we wanted to use this knowledge to help others.

Darcy: Yes, and my 30 years in the insurance industry, I counseled a lot of businesses that I helped ensure.

The businesses would tell me their lows and their successes. I also learned a lot about a different variety of businesses that I was insuring. That created a base for how to start our own business. I owned the company too, so I was active in the ownership portion of it and running a business.

Corinne: Running your own business allows you to go in the direction that your passions are.

Darcy: Unfortunately, I want to say with regards to that is I wasn’t able to pick my partners in the insurance business, and I had to work with them. As I stated earlier, what triggered us leaving the insurance business was our boys wanting to get involved with our family business and whatever that looked like.

Another important reason was being able to align ourselves with the people we want to partner with, not who I was told to partner with.

Corinne: Partnering with people of your choice is a beautiful thing. When you're running your own business, you can choose who you want to work with and who works for you.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who have dreams of making a difference in our society?

Darcy: I would say find your passion and do business from your heart. External, internal, eternal. External is a business idea. A young entrepreneur may get a business idea in their head. Internally, your head is a filter.

If you can filter what is in your head into your heart, and then continuously send it back into the world and keep it coming from your heart, you can be successful.

Corinne: Success will continue to follow you when you’re following a passion through your heart. The universe will guide you and allow that to happen.

When you’re following your passion and where your heart is leading you, you will experience many naysayers. You really have to block that out and know that you’re doing the right things for you.

Darcy: I always say “never chase the money, let the money chase you.” If you chase money, which is an external thing, and too many entrepreneurs these days do, it ends up stifling their creativity, passion, and drive that should be coming from the heart.

Success will continue to follow you when you’re following a passion through your heart. The universe will guide you and allow that to happen.

Corinne: Pretty soon, you can start losing focus and start panicking because you're not successful, and the money isn’t coming. This may cause you to try all these other things that are not fueled by passion or what drives you, and you become miserable.

Darcy: What drives a lot of people is money. It is the individual that should be driven, not the money driving them.

Corinne: Some of the most successful people in the world are just an empty tin can. They have all this money, but they’re empty inside.

Darcy: Success isn’t measured just by dollars and cents. If you have a business and it’s internal coming from the heart, the money will chase you around everywhere you go. When you’re doing good and you’re doing a good thing, it’ll capture attention, and people will invest in you. The money will chase you.

13 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Corinne: This is what we tell our young sons. Our 23-yearold just graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in commerce, and he's working for us. They're both up and coming entrepreneurs, our oldest one already is. That’s our advice that we give our own kids.

Darcy: Take that leap of faith.

Corinne: Yes, and don’t let fear stifle you and hold you back.

I know about fear, and I decided it was time to go for it. I found what’s on the other side of fear is so amazing.

What has been the most challenging aspect of running your own business?

Corinne: A challenging aspect is always the economy.

Darcy: For me, aligning yourself with like-minded good people can be challenging. There are a lot of predators and corruption out there that will put on a facade that they’re good people, but they’re not. They have a hidden agenda. That’s a challenge.

Corinne: To source that out and to find that is very difficult.

How do you vet/filter the people you would like to work with in business?

Corinne: We go by their energy, we run our business very intuitively.

14 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Darcy: Energy and using intuition. Even on the surface, we ask them for a shopping list of what their wants and needs are. A lot of that will come out on that shopping list.

Corinne: You can read a lot about a person from that, what their visions are, and what they’re doing currently for business.

Darcy: Yes, and what they want to accomplish.

Corinne: It's a lot of that, and right now, we can't meet people in person face to face as much due to COVID-19. It’s a little difficult when a lot of our business right now is remote.

What we have found is having them forward us a shopping list has been very beneficial.

Darcy: In one of our recent ventures, we let a business partner go. The first thing on their shopping list was money and online shopping as soon as we have cash flow in the business.

That gave us great insight into where they were heading. They are chasing the money. We had another business relationship, and we're parting ways with him too. We haven’t really invested too much money, more time, and mentoring. We asked him for his shopping list, and it was that he wanted to use our money to buy a new house when his business is just breaking even now. He’s chasing the money. These are just a few examples.

Darcy: Relationships, life, and business are all the same. They are all in the same lane. If you use the same criteria for all three, you’re golden.

Corinne: It isn’t different than when you’re meeting someone to be in a relationship.

In your head, you know you’re looking for someone with specific qualities or values.

That’s how it is when you’re looking for any relationship with someone. You have a shopping list.

How have you dealt with obstacles in your life?

Corinne: It’s about how quickly you can jump back from obstacles and disappointments.

Darcy: Look for solutions and don’t keep bringing up the problem.

Corinne: It's important not to keep harboring on the negative.

Darcy: Compromising is important, too, in overcoming obstacles.

Corinne: Also, staying positive. I always say when you take your garbage to the curb you, leave it at the curb, and you don’t keep bringing it back into the house. That’s part of resiliency and moving forward to get over the obstacles. Everything is about perception and mindset. The longer you dwell on negativity and obstacles, it will stifle you. Your energy flow and business will be stifled because you can’t get over or deal with your obstacles. It’s very much a mental game. It’s something that all entrepreneurs have to learn, and it’s a muscle, how to get over obstacles and how to handle them.

Darcy: It’s not any different than fear. Overcoming obstacles has an underlying tone of fear. When you come up to an obstacle, you're fearful of jumping over the hurdle.

Corinne: Yes, or fearful of dealing with it head-on. It's all in perception and mindset. That doesn’t just happen. It takes work.

Sometimes you have to go through it in your mind more than once a day like you're exercising your muscle.

Darcy: Yes, and if you keep exercising the

wrong muscle and not jumping over that hurdle and finding the solution, practice makes permanent. That permanent could be bad.

Tell us about your new product, GSH+, and how it can be beneficial.

Darcy: The name of our company is Salvation Nutraceuticals Inc., and our product name is GSH+. The product is an optimal immune therapy formula. GSH+ is the acronym for glutathione, a naturally occurring molecule in your body. Your body uses it as an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger, and a detoxifying agent capable of preventing damage to important cellular components. Our product triggers the production of glutamine, and it also has the breakthrough ingredient, an antioxidant powerhouse called NACET. We are the only product that has this. NACET increases the bioavailability of glutathione up to 65% compared to 5% in the leading treatment used in medical hospitals. Among many other positive contributions, NACET has been shown to reduce viral load during viral infections. It also increases the absorption of vital nutrients to combat harmful free radicals to optimize your immune system.

Corinne: Our product promotes intracellular immune function, enhances respiratory function, helps boost the immune system to fight bacteria, viruses, and pathogens, supports cognitive function, increases energy levels, provides powerful liver support, supports the bioavailability of key ingredients, may help regulate blood sugars, supports muscle strength and endurance, and elevates a sense of well-being. I like to think of this product as your invisible mask, and it is your best defense against COVID-19.

What inspired you to create this product?

Corinne: Our inspiration has always been to help others and be ambassadors of goodness.

Darcy: We are good people aligning ourselves with other good people to do great things and give back. It even started with our own health and wellness. We were taking similar types of products, but they just didn't have the horsepower or a WOW factor. Most people in this world take a supplement and expect to see a benefit in the first week. If they don't, they will stop taking it. We are a very immediate result society, so our own health and wellness journey really led us here.

15 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Corinne: It also led us to Dr. Morris in Utah.

Darcy: Dr. Morris had been studying and researching the formula for over a year doing human testing and clinical trials.

Corinne: He realized how amazing his formula was, but he had a hard time finding markets for it, distribution and manufacturing on a larger scale. Through contacts of ours, we were led to him, and we were willing to move ahead with him.

Darcy: They needed the business minds to take it to market.

Corinne: That’s how it started. Knowing how amazing the product is, allows us to help people, which is our passion. This

What is your Philanthropic vision?

Darcy: Our philosophy and where we like to focus our money is on health and wellness and the environment. That’s what our product is, health and wellness. Our largest philanthropic play so far has been with Sir Elton John, for the AIDS foundation at the Oscars, and our biggest environmental donation was for a Virgin Unite non-profit.

Corinne: Moving forward, those two areas will be our main focus; environment, health, and well-being.

Darcy: We are looking into opportunities for giving money to or funding a wellness clinic. We had some previous discussions with a group that was setting up windmills and solar farms in Mongolia as well on the environmental side. We had visited making a philanthropic donation there. It would be put towards a sustainable energy solution. We’re working on some tech right now too, that I call the Oscar. I named him Oscar from Oscar 16 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

product has so many benefits to the human body. With so many people having many health issues, this product will augment their health and help them.

Darcy: The name “Salvation” was used for a reason. The definition of Salvation is the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, or destruction. That is what this product does.

Corinne: That’s what we want to help society with.

Darcy: Our mission statement is to inspire people throughout the globe to achieve better health and well-being through the power of un-paralleled innovative health products.

the Grouch on Sesame Street. He lived in a trash can. What the tech does is process garbage. You would throw your bag of garbage into the machine. From there, it produces fuel, crude, electricity, fertilizer, and it fuels itself because there is so much energy around the process. This is also sustainable energy, so there wouldn’t be any more landfills.

Corinne: We are doing trial runs with it right now, and that is something that we will be bringing forth.

Darcy: It’s a big environmental business we are working on.

Special Thanks to: Darcey & Corinne Candice Bar Dina Morrone Lesley Jean Photography | @lesleyjeanphotography

17 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e April 2020

Photo by Bruno Nascimento

Everyday

Optimism

By Dani DiPirro

18 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

In her new book, Everyday Optimism: How to be Present and Positive at Work, at Home, and in Love, (Watkins, $14.95) Dani DiPirro explains why she doesn't believe in a quest for happiness but in being positively present.

Here she outlines the basic principles behind her ideas.

There are six fundamentals to the "Positively Present Principles," and are essential for living a more positive present life. Some of these principles might speak louder to you than others – and those are the ones you should tune in to the most – but all of these, when put into action, increase the odds of you being able to make the most of every moment.

1. OPEN YOUR MIND TO BEING POSITIVE AND PRESENT The first and most important aspect of living a positively present life is opening your mind to the idea of thinking positively in the present moment. Sounds simple, but when you're struggling through a difficult time in your life – or simply accustomed to embracing a negative attitude – positive thinking may not seem worthwhile, or even possible. Being willing to seek the good in the now doesn't mean being naïve about the presence of negativity or constantly existing in a state of blissful cheer; it means allowing yourself to let go of old habits (including old ways of thinking) and actively choosing to focus on the aspects of the moment that will help you create a more positive mindset.

2. BE AWARE OF – AND WILLING TO SHIFT – YOUR THOUGHTS Your thoughts shape your world. When a situation appears to be good or bad, it is because you interpret it as good or bad.

We use thoughts to label things, to try to make sense of them, and to establish our moral code. Knowing a certain behavior is unacceptable, or someone is a bad influence on you, for example, makes such moral judgments essential, but all too often, such labels can get in the way of the positive things in life, too. Amazingly, you can often change what you see by being aware of and willing to change the way you think about it. (It's kind of like magic!) Tuning in to your thoughts (rather than simply letting them happen) – an act that will take some practice if you're not used to it – allows you to see them for what they are and make a conscious choice to move them away from negativity and toward positivity. Likewise, you can redirect your attention from the past or the future to the present.

AMAZINGLY, YOU CAN OFTEN CHANGE WHAT YOU SEE BY BEING AWARE OF AND WILLING TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT IT 19 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

If you feel unhappy with who you are, it's very difficult to feel happy about the life you're living.

Self-love is about self-awareness – knowing and liking who you are, who you've been, and who you want to be – but it's also about acceptance, which means loving not only the obviously lovable parts of yourself but the parts that you might someday want to change, too.

3. REMOVE NEGATIVITY WHENEVER POSSIBLE Once you've made an effort to be aware of your thoughts, it's time to take a look at what's happening around you and how it affects your ability to live positively in the present moment. First, identify any negativity in your life. Consider your activities, habits, and mindsets, as well as the people around you.

What aspects of your life cause you to feel excessively unhappy, stressed, angry, nervous, or unsettled? (Note the word "excessively." It's OK to feel these emotions in moderation, but when you feel them constantly or to a strong degree, something in your life is not good for you.) If you can, try to avoid – or at least limit your interactions with – negative influences to free up your life for more positive people and situations. Of course, it's not always possible to remove negativity completely (for example, you may not be able to entirely avoid the boss or mother-in-law who stresses you out), but it's usually possible to limit or reframe your interactions with them, and it's always possible to limit the amount of time you give to thinking about negative situations or people.

4. LOVE AND APPRECIATE WHO YOU ARE If you feel unhappy with who you are, it's very difficult to feel happy about the life you're living. Self-love is about self-awareness – knowing and liking who you are, who you've been, and who you want to be – but it's also about acceptance, which means loving not only the obviously lovable parts of yourself but the parts that you might someday want to change, too. The second and equally essential aspect of self- Love involves actively appreciating yourself. You can show appreciation for yourself through your words and actions, by telling yourself – every day, if possible – how valuable you are and how lucky you are to be you. You can also treat your body and mind with kindness – eating well, resting when you need to, and allowing yourself to be who you are without too much judgment. In short, appreciation is Love put into action.

5. ADOPT AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE Having an attitude of gratitude might sound clichéd – and even a bit silly – but it means paying attention to the things you have to be thankful for, rather than dwelling on what

you feel you lack. When your mind is focused on the positives in your life, you're in the moment, appreciating what you have and who you are right now in the present, instead of worrying about what you wish you could have or longing for what you once had in the past.

When you are thankful, you are attuned not only to your own blessings but also to those of the world around you, making it much easier to stay in the moment and appreciate the moment for all it contains.

6. FOCUS ON WHAT INSPIRES YOU The moments you spend doing what fills you with joy and inspiration – like spending time with a loved one or engaging in a favorite hobby – are the moments in which it is easiest to be positively present. If you don't yet have something you love to do more than anything else, pepper your life with new experiences until you find what excites your heart and mind.

When you find yourself lost in the moment, with no idea of the time and little desire to be anywhere other than where you are, you've found your activity, whether that's playing the guitar, painting a picture, spending time with your child or trekking up a mountain.

What's inspiring and fulfilling may not always be straightforward (like raising children) or fun (like a job you love but find stressful), but anything that encourages you to embrace the moment is something you should make a priority in your life.

Dani DiPirro is the founder of highly popular website PositivelyPresent.com, dedicated to helping others live positively in the present moment by providing them with fresh ideas and innovative insights for making the most of each and every day. Her Instagram account (@positivelypresent) has over 600,000 followers and is growing fast. She is also the author of the Every Day Matters diaries and the Effortless Inspiration series by Watkins Publishing, as well as a variety of workbooks and e-books.

Dani has been featured on sites such as The Happiness Project, Forbes, Glamour, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Post Express.

Funkins is the loveable eco-conscious children’s brand already ahead of the game with beautifully made, planet-friendly cloth napkins/placemats made to keep kid spaces clean, and coordinating thoughtfully designed, insulated lunch bags for on the go.

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Lightweight & Breathable – made from soft, breathable cotton fabrics.

Easy-to-Clean & Machine Washable – durably made to wash and wear daily.

Funkins Lunch Bags and Award Winning Reusable Napkins/Placemats Napkins sold in sets of 4, single-ply, 12x12 inches, made with soft and absorbent cotton Napkins and placemats wash beautifully and are made to last Lunch bags are made with stain, tear, and water-resistant neoprene in an expandable and collapsible design.

Napkins, placemats, and lunch bags can all be simply tossed in the wash for repeated use.

Mom & CEO Lisa Baumgartner created Funkins in 2011 with the mission to encourage less lunch waste and environmental values in school-age children. Funkins reusable cloth napkins/placemats became 2019 Product of the Year by Creative Child Magazine and a 2019 Parent Tested, Parent Approved Winner. The brand is also a Certified Canadian Women Business Enterprise. In recent years these products have become celebrity kid favorites sported by the families of Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, and David and Victoria Beckham. www.myfunkins.com.

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DRC Offers the World an Immediate Climate Solution

By Gerald Prolman Photography by Filip Cederholm

New York, NY, July 6, 2020, Everland, the exclusive representative of the largest portfolio of high-impact, forest conservation projects across the globe launched its inaugural webinar event REDD+, A Force of Nature presenting the Wildlife Works Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project in the DRC highlighting the critical importance to protect the Congo Basin Rainforest.

REDD+ is an acronym for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, a climate change mitigation strategy introduced by the United Nations that is an essential part of the Paris Climate Agreement.

The REDD+ mechanism was designed to help stop the destruction of the world’s forests which is contributing massively 22 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

to the climate crisis. REDD+ allows local landowners in the developing world to monetize their forest and biodiversity assets whether they are governments, communities, ownership groups, or private individuals.

The Congo Basin Rainforest is the second largest intact tropical forest on earth and left standing, offers the world an immediate low-cost climate solution that also protects habitat for threatened wildlife and a way to bring sustainable development benefiting the local the forest community.

Leading sustainability and corporate social responsibility executives, impact investors, policy makers and media from 26 countries were in attendance.

Expert speakers explained how REDD+ offers one of the most effective tools we have right now to combat the climate crisis.

June 30th is significant as it is Independence Day in the DRC which had experienced a long history of colonial oppression and post-colonial exploitation and put the country in a position of dire need of development.

Today, a progressive new coalition government in the DRC is focused on meeting the needs of its people, eager to find ways to address extreme poverty and to preserve the country’s natural resources for the benefit of all.

REDD+ as a market-based mechanism offers the DRC an approach to solve both the needs of its population and the environment.

To address the climate crisis, the DRC has demonstrated longstanding leadership in UN Climate negotiations, representing Africa and advocating for the importance of forest conservation.

Since 2011, Wildlife Works has been working with the DRC government on the country’s national and subnational REDD+ program.

Her Excellency Madame Jeanne Ilunga Zaina, Vice Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development for the Democratic Republic of the Congo discussed the DRC’s ambition for

Chief Basabo said: “Here in my village, the forest is our main source of everything. Our livelihood is highly dependent on the forest.

That is the reason why we are saving the forest. We can’t survive without the forest. The forest is my and the whole (Ikita) population’s survival.”

a green new future and praised Wildlife Works for its numerous achievements to stop deforestation and bring much needed benefits to the local forest community.

Basabo Boot’Ombala, Chief of Batwa Pygymy Village of Ikita, one of 23 villages in the project area, was interviewed and she spoke about life in Ikita and what the Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project means to the Indigenous Batwa Pygmy community.

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Speakers included: – Armin Sandhoevel, Chief Investment Officer Infrastructure Equity, Allianz Global Investors – Mike Korchinsky, Founder and President, Wildlife Works – Jean-Robert Bwangoy, DRC Country Director, Wildlife Works – Anna Lehmann, Global Climate Policy Director, Wildlife Works – Naomi Swickard, Chief Program Officer, Verra–Filip Agoo, Documentary Impact Photographer, Create The Change – Josh Tosteson, Chief Operating Officer, Everland Moderated

by Pamela Brazier, Vice President of Business Development, Europe, Everland About Everland Everland is a specialized marketing company representing the largest portfolio of high-impact, forest conservation projects, across the globe, that are focused on stopping deforestation.

The company brings together forest communities and corporations in a common cause to protect some of the world’s most important and vulnerable forests. www.everlandmarketing.com About Mai Ndombe The Mai Ndombe REDD+ project protects 300k hectares of critical bonobo and forest elephant habitat within the Congo Basin, the world’s second largest intact rainforest which also contains one of the most important wetlands of the planet.

This project supports some of the world’s most impoverished and marginalized people in one of the least-developed places

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on Earth. The Mai Ndombe REDD+ project, developed and managed by Wildlife Works, utilizes carbon finance to address the basic development needs of 180,000 people that previously had little to no access to basic social services. https://www.everlandmarketing.com/projects/maindombe/ About Wildlife Works Wildlife Works is the world’s leading REDD+ program development and management company with an effective approach to applying innovative market-based solutions to the conservation of biodiversity. Over its 24-year history, Wildlife Works established a successful model that uses the emerging marketplace for REDD+ Carbon Offsets to protect threatened forests, wildlife, and communities. https://www.wildlifeworks.com

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Photo by Katerina Jerabkova

MENTAL HEALTH & COVID-19 & THE POST COVID ERA Brain Health Expert Shares Why Evolving Mental & Physical Health Strategies is Crucial for Sustainability By: Aneesh Chaudhry

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We are in an unprecedented time in history with how COVID has impacted life as we know it. From the stay at home order, to employers laying off employees, wearing facemasks, and various other changes that affected our everyday lives. One of the most significant impacts of the virus that has been overlooked is how these changes affect our mental health. Being forced to stay home for an extended period of time deprives us of a basic human need: connection.

This lack of connection puts us in a very uncomfortable situation. Removing us from the comfort of our daily routines on top of asking us to stay home creates a significant amount of anxiety. Our brains are filled with fear, which is the underlying basis for anxiety. One of the most common fears that people face in the world is the fear of the unknown. With COVID causing so much uncertainty in the world it is putting us in a position where we need strategies and tools to be able to cope with this new set of challenges.

One of the most effective tools we can use to combat the fear of the unknown is through the practice of meditation.

One may ask the question “What does meditation have to do with mental health and coping with fear?” Meditation is an ancient technique that has been found to have very positive impacts on brain health. The act of learning to sit with ourselves for a specific period of time on a daily basis helps us to face the fear that is echoing in our head.

Taking the time to sit with these thoughts and inquire deeper into what the underlying cause may be gives us a golden opportunity to understand this fear, and come up with a solution.

The perfect tool to accompany a regular meditation practice is journaling. Learning to document our experience in meditation and putting our thoughts on paper helps to provide clarity around them. As opposed to running away from the fear we possess, which is the norm for most people, this technique allows us to embrace and learn from

the fear. This fear is an opportunity to learn and grow from, and not something to be ashamed of. The act of putting pen to paper helps objectify our thoughts, rather than running around in circles creating stories that don’t exist.

COVID has really given us a chance to create a deeper relationship with ourselves. We live in a very fast paced society where we are constantly focused on doing, which makes it very difficult to be still. Our state of mental health ultimately comes down our relationship with self and the thoughts we feed into. This is why the key to overcoming all of our struggles in life, especially the pandemic, lies in our perception on what is happening. When we remain positive and optimistic we put ourselves in a position to take action and adapt to whatever struggles we face in life.

Aneesh Chaudhry Chaudhry is the founder of SoulPhysio Lifestyle, a brain health clinic and integrative healthcare network that specializes in treatments that combine both Eastern and Western Medical techniques. Chaudhry holds a bachelor's degree in Neuropsychology from Wright State University and a personal training license through the Cooper Institute. In addition, he holds a number of other mental and physical health certifications including accreditation as a Reiki Master, a Mind-Body Specialist, a Brain Health Coach, and a Performance Nutrition Specialist.

Chaudhry is on track to be a licensed Ayurvedic and Integrative Medicine Practitioner in 2022 and following this, he plans to pursue a PhD in Physiology and Health.

For More Information Visit: www.soulphysiolifestyle.com

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Photo by Vadim Danilov

Excerpt from “STABLE: The Keys to Heaven on Earth

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STABLE “It is not physically possible that we come from different Creators.”

By April Michelle Lewis

In May of 2011, Pope Benedict XVI had a conversation with Astronauts aboard the International Space Station. In this unique conversation, the Pope first commented, “I think it must be obvious to you how we all live together on ONE earth and how absurd it is that we fight and kill one another.” He then asked this history-making question of the astronauts: “Do you ever wonder about the way nations and people live together down here, about how science can contribute to the cause of peace?”.

The astronauts answered that their work in space was a collaboration of fifteen nations. For some reason, and I have felt this way ever since I first read the article, I have been completely consumed by and compelled to address his question. I know that no one had asked me to chime in, but I just felt that I must. Slowly, I came across more and more information that contributed to my answer to this question. Later in this book, I will describe and explain how scientists, researchers, and psychologists can now validate godly principles in their truest sense and ultimately create peace, not just in our individual lives but, yes, for the entire world…Pope Benedict XVI posed a question that, if it can really be answered, has the ability to transform the way humankind operates in this world. The scientific study of near-death experiences is….the [science] that can answer the Pope’s question…findings of researchers such as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Bruce Greyson, and Ray Moody, to name a few, are consistent across Western and Eastern cultures, both genders, all religious sects, various races, and various ages. Research has shown that individuals who have died, whose brains show absolutely no activity whatsoever, have experienced the most lucid, sensational, and realistic experiences of their entire lives with an overwhelming sense of love and joy that they themselves cannot fully express in human terms. They begin to feel great concern for their relationships and how they have treated others. They bring these experiences back for us all, similar stories retold over and over

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We all say we want to be happy. Do we mean it?

Are we even going to give it one real attempt, or do we actually enjoy the misery and suffering here on earth? I say enough is enough, and this is a plea to actually wake up and live the way we were intended to.

The study of the near-death experience is the science that we must all pay attention to as one entire, united world. It is time that we had enough of our various wars, judging, segregation, and hate. We must take a very serious look at what happens to us when we leave this earth.

We all have a birth experience. We all have a life experience. And we all have a physical death experience. This is not something that we can label or brand like Coke versus Pepsi. Just like I cannot command my digestive system to work any differently from anyone else’s, death is also a …physical and biological process that cannot be made to play out differently from that of any other human being. Let us use this science to discover truth and really come to understand the very nature of God. [Let it become commonplace, every day, household knowledge]. People who have died and lived to tell their stories offer us incredible discovery…let us use this science to unite us. …Why wait? Why stumble through this life on earth only to find out too late what we could have, should have, been doing when we were living? Why waste truth and knowledge on the dead? God wants us to utilize this knowledge here, in these physical bodies.

We all say we want to be happy. Do we mean it?

Are we even going to give it one real attempt, or do we actually enjoy the misery and suffering here on earth? I say enough is enough, and this is a plea to actually wake up and live the way we were intended to…We cannot biologically segregate our death experiences, no matter what version of the story we believe here on earth.

Dr. Jeffrey Long states “the evidence of neardeath experiences points to an afterlife and a universe guided by a vastly loving intelligence”.

This is the very science that can contribute to peace on earth. STABLE [is a] road map on just how to do that. Three extremely important portions of our lives contribute to a peaceful, joyous, and loving life. STABLE is an acronym that stands for Sound Thought, Always Believe, and Life of Excellence…as I discuss these three principles, I will always bring you back to love, which is the universal key to all things. I want each and every one of us to open our hearts and minds to the messages from the afterlife. Let us embrace these discoveries wholeheartedly. Let us wrap our arms around this truth, grasp it with all of our strength, pull it back into this life, and let it be our ultimate guide…heal our individu-

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al souls and then be used as a tool to bring the entire world together as one. Then, you will truly understand how to live as though heaven is on earth.

The book STABLE: The Keys to Heaven on Earth offers a new and different message as religious barriers are broken down. STABLE is defined by author April Michelle Lewis as Sound Thought, Always Believe, Life of Excellence— truly the keys to experiencing heaven on earth.

For thousands of years, humankind has envisioned a peaceful world. Peace can be obtained.

It is not impossible and is, in fact, well within our reach.

Various scientific studies support the existence and the true nature of God and heaven.

When these discoveries are applied to our lives, it launches us all toward an existence that God has intended for us here on earth. Through the STABLE philosophy, people of all backgrounds across the world can learn to love each other, share their possessions, strengthen their faith, turn their dreams into reality, and find hope in the face of debilitating depression.

This spiritual guide seeks to heal individuals in every aspect of their lives, and ripple out like a beautiful wave to unite the entire globe. It is time to live as though heaven is on earth.

April Michelle Lewis is a Philosopher and Speaker who has helped countless individuals improve their lives using the STABLE Philosophy. Educated in the Arts and Psychology, she has made it her life’s mission to break down barriers in families, communities, cultures and reli-

gions. Visit her at www.aprilmichellelewis.com

“heartfelt book ...involving, and passionate … her account of her own personal journey from confusion to the clarity of her STABLE philosophy has a powerfully persuasive narrative quality ...enthusiastically conceived and readable breakdown of principles for embracing an upright ...life.” ~Kirkus Reviews

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Why We Love Fiction, and How it Touches our Lives

By Gen LaGreca

A

re there great novels, short stories, plays, and feature films that thrilled you, shocked you, gave you moments of nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat suspense, or steamy, passionate love scenes? Are there works of fiction that got you thinking about important issues? Did you ever wonder about the power of fiction to inform and inspire us?

News stories, text books, essays, articles, white papers, and nonfiction books give us a straight-forward account of factual issues, whereas works of fiction tell us a story. Fiction comes from the imagination filled with adventure, excitement, romance, intrigue, suspense, and the full gamut of emotions.

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Nonfiction or Fiction? Which do you remember more?

The difference between nonfiction and fiction is like the difference between reading a flight manual and actually being in the cockpit and going for a ride.

For example, let's take an historical event: Sherman's March and the burning of Atlanta during the Civil War. How do we remember it? Through a textbook account of military strategies, generals, battles, and timelines?

Or do we remember Sherman's March far more vividly from a scene in the novel and film Gone With the Wind?

We’re in the middle of Sherman’s seige. Atlanta is wildly ablaze and in utter chaos. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler are in a teetering wagon with a half-dead horse driving it. A mother and her just-born child are in the back of the wagon, with the mother trying to shield the infant from falling debris from the fires all around them. The characters are desperately trying to escape Atlanta, but the Confederate army is in full retreat coming at them, slowing them down—and an ammunition depot is about to explode.

You can see how fiction makes that historical event come to life in a haunting, shocking way.

Fiction depicts great struggles for freedom and independence.

The ancient myth of Prometheus relates how he stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. This empowered humans so that they were no longer subservient to the deities who ruled them. The gods were so infuriated by losing their power over mankind that they chained Prometheus to a rock and cruelly punished him for eternity. The quest of humans to break free from a ruling class echoes through time and is a great theme for works of fiction.

Did you know that storytelling played a role in the American Revolution? The popular 18th century play "Cato: A Tragedy" dramatized the struggle of a political leader of Ancient Rome, Cato, who fought for republicanism against Julius Caesar's tyranny. This play was so important to George Washington that he defied a Congressional order banning the performance of plays during wartime and had the work performed to inspire his troops after their harsh winter at Valley Forge. Washington didn’t give his troops a lecture or a pep talk to boost their spirits. Instead, he used the sweeping drama of a play.

In the prelude to the American Civil War, the most influential abolitionist writing was a novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was this book—a work of fiction—that became an international bestseller

and galvanized the North against the evils of slavery.

Fiction has also shown us the face of evil in grim detail.

The term Big Brother, which originated from George Orwell’s novel 1984, has become the enduring worldwide symbol of tyranny. We still use this term today, over 70 years since the novel’s original publication in 1949.

Novels have contained moving messages about freedom.

Ayn Rand’s epic philosophical novel, Atlas Shrugged, shows us the role of the individual’s free, creative mind and productive activities as the generator of human progress. This novel has inspired millions to embrace the glory of freedom.

Stories that dramatize important ideas have always inspired me in my writing.

With no pretensions to the above works intended, I strive in my novels to create riveting plots interwoven with thought-provoking themes. My new novel, Just the Truth, is a political thriller that portrays the threats to a free press in an era of growing government power and the fearless spirit of one journalist who risks her career, her reputation—and ultimately her life— to uncover a plot to subvert free elections in America. This courageous newswoman battles a powerful bureaucracy to keep journalism, a free press—and truth—alive. It’s an entertaining novel that brings to life the importance of a responsible and independent press, an accountable government, and the rule of law. It’s not only for those who care about modern threats to our country's founding principles, but for anyone looking for an absorbing political thriller and murder mystery.

I love to write fiction that offers a full plate of plot action served with a generous pour of intoxicating ideas.

Are you ready for a sizzling read? I’m inviting you to my table.

Genevieve (Gen) LaGreca writes novels with innovative plots, strong romance, and themes that glorify individual freedom and independence. She has written novels of different genres including historical, mystery, and romance fiction as well as short stories.

She is one of the successful new indie authors whose novels have topped the charts in the popular ebook format. Her latest book is called, Just the Truth.

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P

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D

Dexter Phillip

By Joey Santos Jr.

D

exter Marion Phillip, born in Port of Spain in Trinidad Tobago, is a celebrity makeup artist, medical aesthetician, and CFO of DEX New York Cosmetics. But the field of cosmetics isn't his only career path. Since childhood, Dex, as his friends call him, continues to re-invent his wheel. He built a small recording studio in a second apartment and began writing and producing music, which has been a passion since childhood—reimagining his life in music by writing and producing songs that share his experiences in life. While creating, learning lessons, and listening to life statements, he can tell his story through rhythm, beat, and lyric. His songs, "Internash", "Don't Underestimate Me," and "Imagine" have all recently made it to the top of the Billboard Charts.

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What inspired you to start your line of cosmetics?

Beauty. I live for beauty! I have always loved seeing great style. Fashion and glamour were always exciting to see and be a part of. I often heard stories from women of color who were frustrated by the lack of choices in cosmetics. When I say women of color, I refer to all colors—fair or freckled skinned, yellow-skinned varied shades of white and brown. An opportunity arose to buy an existing company in NYC. My Husband, Daniel Padnos, and I discussed it, and decided to purchase it. I immediately went to work on my goal to re-create beauty for all women. I went back to school and learned all I needed to learn in cosmetology and then jumped in head first by creating DEX Cosmetics.

I'm very proud of this experience. It's ten years strong now, and although I downsized it a bit (no longer a brick & mortar), it remains an online force today.

Please tell us a little bit about DEX Cosmetics?

All of our products make women look their best while maintaining the health and care of their skin. The makeup collection features backstage beauty and everyday essentials and a wide array of strikingly vibrant hues that are all cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, sun-protection formulated, eco-friendly, kosher, vegan, gluten-free, and paraben-free.

Unlike typical mineral makeup products that use either too-shimmery Mica or dehydrating Bismuth Oxychloride as the base for their powder formulations, DEX New York's research and development team chose to invest in the restorative DEX Peptide Complex to act as a part of its unique core base. We are pleased to say that Lady Gaga was one of our first customers.

You were born in Trinidad, but your family moved to New York when you were five. Tell us about your time in Trinidad?

I remember tropical breezes and playing with my Brothers outside our house after dinner on warm nights. I remember certain sounds, like those from steel drums. Music. There was always music and a lot of people dancing.

Smells. Smells of the ocean, of food cooking, of coffee on the stove bubbling over from a tiny pot. I remember the smell of fresh air and flowers. I have a lot of memories.

Mostly happy ones. Those of family. Innocence. The carefree life of a child. All of the reminders from a time of joy.

A time of wonder. I take these memories and reminders back and hold them near to use in times of uncertainty, fear, anxiety. I also use them in times of bliss. They help me to create.

What inspires you today?

Every day inspires me. I would be remiss to live with or define inspiration by one experience only. Life inspires me.

Talent inspires me. People. It allows me to fill it with whatever is in my head and in my heart.

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Besides Fashion, Music, and the Arts, what else are you passionate about?

Cooking! But let me say that I believe good cooking comes from good eating! Or, the other way around. Either way, I love to eat. I love good foods, all kinds—the more exotic, the better, the spicier, the better. My heat threshold is probably, from 1-10? It's 15. The one thing I'm not able to enjoy from my country is seafood. I enjoy fish, but not shellfish. I'm highly allergic. I (unknowingly) ate a dumpling that was filled with crab. My lips and face blew up like a balloon. Not cute. But I survived. You know, I can go on and on about food and cooking, so I will say it relaxes me. Cooking allows my senses to join, create, and savor.

Tell us about The DEX Experience? How is it you came to share your story by music? And why?

As a kid, I was badly bullied. It shamed me. My bright and joyful nature was shaded. I developed a stammer or stutter and retreated to myself. This went on through middle school. Kids can be so cruel. And certain Parents aren't much better. I was a gentle boy. I suppose that made me a target to some. Perhaps they thought I looked easy to tease? That it was ok to beat me up? Maybe, throw slangs and slurs at me? Mean words combined with a push and shove weren't uncommon. Nor was a slap in the back of the head. Looking back and thinking about it used to fill me with such confusion, anger, disappointment, anxiety, and depression. What was it about me that made people so angry, so mean, I thought?

I've since replaced those emotions and burdens with so much more, self-confidence, joy, love, happiness, and passion. I choose people by reflection and instinct. It enables me to build my trust. It also teaches me to forgive. That in itself has freed me. I like myself. No, I love myself.

igan. Together we fund and support different charities and individuals that have a desire to inspire others with their talent, passion, and creativity. We sponsor their works and commission others. Together we have traveled to less fortunate countries around the world to sponsor fundraisers here in NYC and do a lot of hands-on work as well. People forget, writing a check is the easy part.

Giving of ones' self lasts so much longer and is remembered and emulated long after the money has been spent.

I would also like to add that I have traveled to India, Vietnam, France, Germany, Greece, Italy. I visited Puerto Rico during its devastation, and I vowed to find ways to make a difference. I traveled to my homeland for inspiration and strength and came back renewed with ideas on how to raise even more money and awareness for a cause. Together, with Daniel, we continue to raise and donate to many charities and foundations, not only in the Arts, that truly make a difference.

What's next for you?

My prize? I won. I overcame some things in my life by looking deeper and by seeing the better in people, and in myself finally. I have a family I love and respect, friends I cherish - a husband I love and like, who reminds me of the importance of giving back, and of occasionally giving in, but never giving up. My focus is to continue to create music. It keeps me sane. It is my therapy. It has become a voice to words, some who have chosen not to hear, and others who choose to not only listen but embrace them.

My goal (focus) from here is to continue to be involved in cause and purpose. Grow Spiritually, embrace my uniqueness, and celebrate the uniqueness in others. I live a rich and happy life. And, to all the Bullies out there? I wish this for them too. www.exexperience.com/about-dex

It wasn't until I got to High School that my life brightened up again. I was accepted into The LaGuardia School of The Performing Arts (The school inspired the movie Fame). That was huge for me. To go to school every day and see "me" in everything and everywhere I looked. In other students, in my teachers, in my schoolwork and interests. In my expression. To have friends! I flourished. I shone. I saw myself! Black, beautiful, smart, talented, and gay! And so ready for the world. Out, loud and proud!

You and your Husband, Daniel are very passionate about the Arts and contribute to many Arts Organizations. Please tell us about your mission to give back.

Daniel is a passionate supporter of the Arts. He and his family have supported many foundations over the years, including The Saugatuck Center for The Arts in Mich37 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

THE WAY I SEE IT

By Joe Santos, Jr.

We Need To Do BETTER

Photo by Aarรณn Blanco

TO BE BETTER 38 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Sounds simple, doesn't it? What if it were that easy?

Would we work harder on ourselves, our relationship, family, career, faith? Would we take less for granted if we knew our personal success was imminent? What if we were able to choose "happy" or "love" by merely believing we can be. Even deserve to be? Well, we can be!

We forget our own strength. Faith is a powerful tool.

It can open hidden doors, soar at every height, dive to any depth, and heal us from all pain. It can realize our dreams, and it can strengthen our soul while preparing our bodies for each challenge. Someone once wrote, "Life. A funny thing.” Is it? I look at Life as a "gift." A blessing. But in its’ transference, comes its’ receipt.

Rule 3.) Make statements. Rule 4.) There are No Mistakes!

If we look at Life in this way, it opens the door to a more positive way of thinking. Eventually leading us to live a healthier, happier, and longer Life surrounded by "like-minded" people who do the work to be worthy of the moments that have become precious and few. After all, Life is the Greatest Improvisation. So, if we “do better, we’ll be better.”

A simple acknowledgment of what it requires for us to live our best Life. So, what does that mean?

"Life is what you make it?" Most definitely. For sure, nobody said it was easy. If someone did, where can we find the manual, and which language is it written? The words in "life's manual" are written in mantra, poem, song, in thought, sign, and in a subtle whisper. It is exchanged by prayer. A confirmation of gratitude for a life we have been given, what to expect from it, and what is expected for it. How many times have we felt fear, anxiety, out of control, helpless, confused, lost, and sad?

How often have we turned away, to turn to less, to be left with nothing more than regret? What is it about human nature that triggers us to look for that big "red button" of self-doubt, self-pity, self-destruction, and push it?

REFLECTION! We need to pick up that mirror and look straight into it. Deep into it, until it cracks! Only then can we begin to see ourselves for who we really are, and what is worth truly is, before we start adding tax!

By owning that simple truth, we can successfully begin to put the pieces back to reveal ourselves' true beauty, one crack at a time. If Life with all of its' flaws is truly our most precious gift, then how can we not be flawed?

And why can't we see "flaws" in ourselves and others as inspiration? Why attach judgment? Hate, fear? If it's so easy to be driven to negativity, it must be as easy to change our positivity course. It's just law. Every "YING" has a "YANG." I play a game with myself every so often. I’ll tell myself, "today, I’m going to say yes to everything."

Kind of like the "Rules of Improvisation." Rule 1.) Say Yes. "Agree." Rule 2.) Say, yes, AND.

Joey Santos Jr. was raised in NYC, Malibu, and West Hollywood Hills.

He is son to Film & Television Actor Joe Santos. His Mother, Mary, was a former Showgirl who became a "stay at home Mom," and a wonderful cook who loved hosting lavish parties in their homes. Joey's Grandfather is World-Renowned Latin Singer Daniel Santos, and his Grandmother Rose was a Business Woman who owned Nightclubs in NYC, Havana, Miami, and LA. She also started a Record Label and a Film Studio.

Early on, Joey worked as an actor. He had a recurring role in NYPD Blue's, as Officer Aiello, and also performed on stage doing live theater. He then embarked on a singing career, recorded a couple of CDs, and performed in various venues throughout the US. His ultimate passion, however, was the result of following in both his Grandmother's and Mother's footsteps. He became a Restauranteur - (Co-owned the El Mocambo in LA, Owner and Chef of JoJo's Americana Supper-club in Saugatuck, and JoJo's Juke Joint in West Hollywood). This experience would lead Joey to embark on his own very successful private business of catering/hosting events for the Hollywood elite. For the past four years, he as been Private Chef to Brad Pitt. Since 2016, Joey writes a monthly column, "The Way I See It " for The Eden Magazine.

He is teaming up with life-long friend ( Literary Agent ) Alan Nevins, to develop a PodCast called, "Two Guys From Hollywood" where they will talk about everything you always "didn't want to know!"

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Photo by Oladimeji Odunsi 40 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2020

The

Interface of Art and Psychology

Where Healing Begins

By Jayita Bhattacharjee Art has come into existence for survival reasons. Art takes diverse forms like painting, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose.

Each one becomes a journey of exploration as through art, and we explore ourselves, our head, mind, heart, and soul. We play with a plethora of feelings, those we never thought existed.

Each form of art acts as a stimulus.

Through art, we make sense of what we go through, and in the process, we begin to understand ourselves. When life throws sudden surprises and humans grapple, it's then that we find difficulty in feeling the ground beneath our feet. But through the creation of diverse artistic activities, our emotions get transformed into intelligence and depression gets transformed into contentment. It's then that art becomes a pathway to explore in-depth psychology. We navigate the deeper terrains of mind through the painting brush, the pen, the verses, the rhythm, the plot, and the weaving. As we make the art, we make ourselves.

From this perspective, the creation of art becomes a whole new creation of ourselves. It reveals the psyche, and therefore the art-making process becomes revelatory. From the conflicting, confusing stage of mind, we gradually proceed towards emotional intelligence, aka psychological knowledge. The entire process is spontaneously transformative. As it transforms us, every step unfolds with surprise.

We are stuck with a new light, the light of transformation.

What remained previously unseen now becomes visible. From guilt and self- blame, we arise to self -appreciation. We dig the hidden depths and travel to the unnoticed areas inside us.

The unobtrusive areas of our minds now become prominent and pronounced. How do we achieve this in-depth revelation?

We refrain from using an analogy. Rather, we learn to focus on the immediate things right here, symbolized by the present moment. Art takes us away from the past and future and leads us gently to the moment we have now. Doing so, we gradually shift our focus from what happened in the past to what we have in the present. It instructs us to fixate our minds to reality with awareness, spontaneity, and imagination.

Through art, we experience an expansion of our imagination as there is an integration that occurs. We integrate the seen and unseen, the happenings of inside and outside of conscious thinking. There is a binding of the two extremities, and naturally, a coherence is formed between the visible and invisible, the surface, and the depth. They are rolled into one integrated whole. Arts become a communication platform between the conscious and illusory, seen and unseen. Through creative activities, we access to the deep-seated wisdom and complexity. In the process, the more we go through the complexity of emotions, their conflicting nature, things get clarified in a new light, the light of art. This is where artistry begins. We become expressive, and through continual expression, intelligence finds its words. As we travel deep inside, we find many conflicting emotions interact with one another. Some are subjective, and some are objective, biased, and unbiased. But as the brush continues to paint the portrait, the hand continues to hold the pen, the exquisite artistry begins. The conflicting interaction finds a pathway to serenity as there is communication between the extremities. A correspondence develops. We break through biased personal thinking, and the unbiased takes its place. We escape through art the biased opinions and step into the unbiased.

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Art sets us free, allowing ourselves to indulge in freedom again, to taste this life the way it comes. The suffering soul is no longer an enchained prisoner, rather a living, breathing man in the true sense of the word.

Art becomes the vehicle for our most profound expressions, our agonizing needs. As we transition from agony to ecstasy through art, a calmness descends upon the minds. The grip of subjectivity loses its hold as we proceed towards objectivity. The veil is lifted, and we see the light of freedom, slowly but steadily. As we are propelled to express ourselves through art, subconsciously, we are allowing ourselves to be cleansed, or else we would be confined to the prison walls. We would be prisoners of mind. Art sets us free, allowing ourselves to indulge in freedom again, to taste this life the way it comes. The suffering soul is no longer an enchained prisoner, rather a living, breathing man in the true sense of the word.

We etch our pain into art. We paint our brokenness into a painting, poetry, a story of all times. Wrapped with emotions incomprehensible to us, the process of creativity enlightens us. We rise as enlightened beings. Art becomes the vehicle of alchemy.

Art resolves the conflict between our thinking and feeling. We grow skyward as we get anchored downward, deep inside the soil. As our roots travel further and further deep down, we branch and expand skyward. The development happens, the more we are anchored. As the weight of pain, loss, betrayal is taken off our chests, we feel weightless. This transformation comes through art-making. Beautiful is the process, as it brings beauty to every step. Art then becomes a journey of exploration. Whom do we explore in the process? Ourselves. The enigmatic beauty of us, the mystery that fascinates us, the perplexity of psychological build-up, gradually begins to break.

The fog clears as the brush paints our passions, the pen writes our needs, the poem talks about our afflictions, and the verses narrate our grief. Who do we become in the process? We become the carriers of light. The energy is transformed from challenging situations to creativity. We become resilient, instead of being fixated on our problems. The artistry contributes to the build-up of resilience. We become psychologically, intelligent people. Artistry induces emotional intelligence deep inside us.

Photo by Random Sky

While creating a piece of art, we are facing a transpersonal state of consciousness. While engaged in this, we transcend our personal identities and rise from an individual to collective consciousness. In an integratingmanner, we arise as transformed beings, the transformation being gently induced in so many ways. Our conflicting emotions completely dissolve in the light. Being immersed in art helps us in reaching normalcy when we are struggling deep inside.

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Art has a plethora of roles. There is a relationship between analytical psychology and art, the ability of art to help in focusing on the present moment, on the here and now. While we are engaged in art-making, we can identify emotional responses while immersed in its making. We recognize the connections between those responses and awareness. We gain a perception of where we are and who we are, as we are centralized in the art-making. With the perceptions, we give recognition and validation to our emotions. This very act of recognition becomes central to the journey of healing. Healing is a long walk, but the first step to this walk is the allowance and acceptance of these emotions. The detection of those emotional responses leads to an understanding and recognizance. In the process, a self- perception develops.

While we create art, through the process of art-making, we develop personal integration. Through expressive art, we express our experiences, trauma, loss, betrayal, agony, and we develop our own identity and a self- image.

What was in a haze, now gets the clarity. The investigation of feelings and thoughts brings emotions into visibility. Besides, conflicting emotions are combined. They are brought together incoherence, which cannot be achieved with words alone. So again, we give the recognition of confliction emotions to exist side by side inside us. Therefore, we learn to balance those emotions as we regulate them. Thus, we achieve freedom from emotions that build up negative energy. So, art creation offers a room where we observe and play with responses arising from difficult emotions. We identify, analyze, and finally regulate them in a space offered by the art. We are not confined or restricted. Rather we have the freedom to be observant. In the process, from non-verbal experiences, we become verbose. While holding the brush, we engage in a dialogue with us, within us and through this inner dialoguing, our challenges, struggles find their vocabulary. We learn to become expressive. An artist in pain develops insight and comprehends himself/herself. This provides a better comprehension of experiences.

What does art have to do with the broken heart? Here comes the mind-body physiology. As the hands grab a pen or hold a brush, the very art brings a change in a person's physiology and attitude and unknowingly, before even they know it—this change becomes so heavenly that it brings the art of healing. And the body's physiology changes from stress to deep relaxation, where fear leaves and creativity makes its way. Grabbing hands of a brush, we bring the sculpted beauty, as we learn how to sculpt from the soul and not through the warbling of our minds—the inspiration springs from the joy flowing in our hearts again. Art brings a very different brain wave pattern and instills a profound effect

on a persons' autonomic nervous system, their hormonal balance, and the brain neurotransmitters. Every cell in the body gets affected instantaneously to create a healing physiology that, in turn, affects the immune system and blood flow to the organs. They immediately change a person's perspective of life and the surrounding world.

Art brings such a profound change in the pain perception and emotional well being of the suffering person.

Art brings hope and positivity in the life of a person who already feels so hopeless in many aspects of life.

They bring a deep transformation in a person's outlook and perspective, so in general, the person rises from brokenness to wholeness, holding the hands of the healing art. Art, prayer, and healing are deeply connected in feeling and meaning. We go to an inner world, to world imagery and emotions, to vision and feelings.

The journey inwards and into the soul is deeply healing, so rich and transformative, that we rise from stress to relaxation, a place of vastness where no thoughts dwell, only joy in pureness and bliss. And our healing energies are freed. Through art, we create a creative spiral that rises upwards as healing. Those who use art in souls can understand its true value as a therapeutic tool in the process of healing. It has a profound effect on the physical, emotional, and mental well- being of people.

The creative process of art-making is tremendously healing and life-enhancing. Art becomes a powerful way of communication, a very potent tool in giving life its rising flow again through its gentle whispers that arise to create some of the best beauties in life. The life that was clouded becomes clearer again in the light of art.

As we see life through a lens of creativity, the pain transforms into a beauty, and grief finds its transformative art. It fosters growth, self- expression, and emotional reparation. It is stress-reducing and life-enhancing.

The colors in art create the art that fills the brokenness, mends what needs to be mended, and makes us travel from stress to healing, so effortlessly. And the gentle breeze begins to blow. It becomes the piece of artwork that expresses our feelings, which we were not capable of giving an outlet. And releasing them lets us live from the deeper place again, a place where we can speak from the soul.

Scientific evidence proves that art enhances brain function. The profound impact that it brings on brain wave patterns and emotions and the nervous system can actually raise the serotonin levels. It brings social and emotional development. Research proves that art develops the neural systems, which in turn creates a widerange of benefits, a broad spectrum of positive emotions that raises creativity and improved emotional balance.

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The art becomes invaluable for our healthy functioning so that we can uplift our individuality and roles in society. Expressive art becomes the key portal, through which we express the inexpressible. The emotions that found no words now find a way to the rising words, and the pathway is no longer constricted. Rather the doorway opens, and the deluge of emotions finds its healing flow.

The cognitive and emotional parts-- they get integrated and well blended in awe, beauty, and wonder. Art serves as a healing modality for facing many challenges and dealing with the rising struggles in life. Art opens the locked gateways, and wonderfully evokes the sense of beauty. It takes away the pervasive pain and breaks them so effortlessly. And from ruin, we walk to riches.

From pain, we walk to beauty. Nothing holds us back anymore. There is only a wide opening as far as the eyes take us out. We travel with the eyes of our hearts and not the warbling of our minds. And how beautiful is this vision that sees with life as rich and prolific, and not scarce in any way? What we viewed as scant now shifts to abundance, and life comes in an abundant harvest.

Creativity has its own way of working in the brain. The communication through art transcends barriers, breaks all the chains, and makes the pathway so chain free and relaxed. We travel from fear to love, from hopelessness to hope, and faith sees its light again in the sky of our souls. Colors come to fill the canvas again, which remained so blank. We find the music of life. Such is the way art can be used to express stress, so it goes downhill, and up comes the healing expressions. No stress can be released, keeping it locked and isolated. Every stress that comes out in the light gets a chance to heal, and we get restored from woundedness to wholeness, given that portals for its healthy release. Our self-awareness and self-esteem rise, so we no longer lean on the approval or validation from others, rather we can rise in the light beaming from our souls. And it becomes a far-reaching light in a sense, that what goes out to light others, eventually lights us too, at the deepest of our depths. And we know no bounds, as we walk by this light.

How art alleviates the grief. Grief and loss through unwelcome, while they come and knock on the doorsteps of us, we need to find a way to navigate through the blinding darkness. And as we travel through all this sadness, the intensity of the pain makes us shake and break. But no matter how much pain we are in, there is something in us, there is something in life, whose call is greater than this pain. The call that rises from the sacred space of the universe awakens us to a new mission that will be untouched by pain. No agony can kill it, and no pain can devour it. And you become a survi44 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

vor of the worst tragedy and live to tell your story and paint it through the art of your heart. As you sketch your life-changing narrative, that becomes the sketch that inspires so many other lives, who are silently struggling from an intense heart-break or a life-changing loss. What threatened you with pain, finally inspired you to rise and challenge the very pain. You do not surrender. Rather the pain surrenders to your rising spirit. You are undefeatable, who knows how to turn a tragedy into a triumph.

How you choose to reshape yourself becomes your first battle, a battle between you and your loss. As voices rise from the grave, you are flooded with the recollections of the past, and you are gasping and breathing. It becomes a fight for your breath. The past holds the key to two things—to learn from and to breathe in the beauty of yesteryears. While spending too much time wandering around in the past is not a healthy choice, but at times, it might be the only thing left to do, to get a complete closure of what happened, while often, we roam around in the thoughts of could-haves and should-haves. Guilt, shame, regret, and sorrow are too many unfinished things that we need to look at. The unnoticed thing is—your pain is a gift. Art conveys that message that you have missed something in this pathway of life.

The memories of bygone times can be a place to learn from and also a place where we can refresh ourselves in the breaking beauty of it. You may think that you have accepted your past as a part of your journey and that you are okay with everything that transpired—mistakes, memories, betrayal, broken promises. But how can you, unless you sit with them, making the deepest eye contact with your past, in the most intense way possible? It is, in a way, dangerous to be held back by the unhealed feelings of the past. The choicest thing to do would be to sit down with your past, eye to eye, to learn from those mistakes that haunt you unceasingly, and to promise to your very self, never to walk in those wrong tracks again. So your present can be of more livable moments, where you can gift your time in an unbroken stream of words, thoughts, and deeds, so this universe can rejuvenate in the beauty of it. Be a gift to others, so those sinking inside can heal being around you.

What once almost killed you inside, you can sit with it and let it be your biggest mentor. And in the remaining years ahead, the wisdom that your past gifts you can light your trail, and in turn, you can light the pathway for others. Its time, you take a look at what you do with what you have now, and what you have been given and art makes you return to the present. From where your loved one turned to ashes, you begin from there again,

so you rise without a defeat, as you have heard the blessed call of life. As your eyes manage to hold on to dignity,in the midst of adversity, you rise above your brokenness.

again. If ever memories come to visit you, this light will help you to love them, nurture them yet to live a life, carrying them inside in a way, so your vision does not get dimmed.

Through the divinity of art, you hold onto what is left from yesterday's broken pieces, and given what is left, you promise never to let the smoke catch your eyes.

Rather your promise to God to turn the loss to a victory makes you hold onto these remnants of yesterdays. This inner beauty of art unravels and pushes you to go on and keep flowing in the face of a tremendous loss. For those who once came and left, for those who taught you how to let go and love again, for those who left a light behind, for those who taught you-- love goes beyond earthly dimensions-- you rise in honor of them, you rise in honor of the loved and lost—so grief sees its defeat, it surrenders, and you stretch, you arise in a new beauty who can conquer grief. While the past may echo from time to time, let it not clutter our minds. So it cannot dim the clarity of our thoughts, that help us to stream in pristine purity so that we can be in our best beauty at present. While often we choose not to look back at our past mistakes. But don't you think, its time, you sit down with it, and spend some days with your painful past, so you can learn, grow and live life to the fullest, with what you have now? You can make peace with your mistakes and take ownership of it. You may wonder, why should you do this? As that mistake is a part of you.

You made all those glaring mistakes, and there streamed some painful consequences. So, instead of hiding your eyes and heart, why don't you embrace those mistakes for a change?

If you get lost, it is the pull of the brush that reveals the colors of your heart, and from the light, you will be anchored. From your crumbled foundation, as you build your tidy life, gradually returning to normalcy, the brush will hold your hand to persuade you to return, just not the same way, but more strongly carrying luminosity within you. Every darkness carries a light. It only takes time to reveal and reach towards that glow.

And as you reach, the light brightens your gaze, giving you the meaning of what you lost and calling you to rise above the loss. So from where your foundation burned down, another gets built on those same ashes. So the smoke that once caught your eyes, the light helps you to build the treasure of riches on those ashes again. You who knew not how to withstand the loss of dearly departed, now know how to defeat the loss and rise in air again. The questioning, the disorientation, the helplessness—everything fades as you stand to behold the treasure topping your ruins. And it is the dignified way that you can ever pay tribute to your dearly departed ones while honoring those years.

It is not celebrating the mistakes, but it is about having an honest relationship with them. Returning to the retreat of art means going to a welcoming shelter, where there are no withholdings and no excuses, but taking ownership of what happened and what could have happened and what should have happened. It means making peace with your past and all your mistakes, so something beautiful can grow out of it, so it can silence your fears and calm the screaming of your present. And with that peace of mind, you can create and make something beautiful for this world to behold. Instead of clutching your past, so tightly that it makes it almost impossible for you to breathe, you can own up your past mistakes and choose never to repeat them again. And then decide if you want to close the door, that pains you or not.

However, do it with grace and gentility. Do it from a place that forgives yourself for your mistakes and embraces yourself again. Be in love with your soul again. As that is the sanctuary inside of you, a place from where you will rise and light this world. This light will walk you through your darkest nights, should they come

Jayita Bhattacharjee was born in Calcutta, India and later on pursued education from University of Houston in Economics, she had chosen her career as a trustee and teacher.

Her Indian residence is in the vicinity of the famous Belurmath.

Currently, she is settled in Tampa, Florida. Her love for writing on a journey of heart and soul was hidden all within. Looking at the moments captured in love and pain, joy and grief, the hidden tragedies of life...it was a calling of her soul to write.

Her books "The Ecstatic Dance of Life', " Sacred Sanctuary", " Light of Consciousness", "Dewdrops of Compassion" are meant to shed light on what guides a person to respond to the mystical voice hidden inside, to soar in a boundless expansion with the limitless freedom of spirit."It is in the deepest joy that I write with every breath of mine."

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WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

Dr. Shellie Hipsky

CEO of Inspiring Lives International, president of the Global Sisterhood & author of Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants

Dr. Shellie Hipsky is the CEO of Inspiring Lives International and the president of the nonprofit 501 (c)(3) the Global Sisterhood, a charity that guides and supports women and girls toward their dreams and goals. Dr. Shellie has earned the titles of “Entrepreneur of the Year in Inspiration and Empowerment,” the “Women of Achievement Award,” “Best Woman in Business,” and “VIP Woman of the Year.”

Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants is for those who have ever dreamed of leaving their 9-to-5 or want to get back into the workforce as a powerful mom and entrepreneur. Dr. Shellie’s proven secrets to success, as well as the stories of other entrepreneurs who started out with a powerful vision and drive will guide the way.

Three of her 13 published books, based on 100 amazing interviews from her Empowering Women Radio show, the Common Threads trilogy focused on Inspiration, Empowerment, and Balance, earned international bestseller status.

The former tenured professor of Ph.D. students and host of Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie on NBC has keynoted internationally from Passion to Profits in Hollywood to The University of Oxford in England and now teaches her signature EmpowerU Master Class, making the world her classroom. This powerful entrepreneur and influencer is the founder and editor-in-chief of Inspiring Lives Magazine: The Magazine for Empowering Women.

Dr. Shellie's mission is to inspire and empower the women of the world.

Her latest timely and very practical book takes readers step by step from vision to startup and beyond. Dr. Shellie leads by example as she describes her rise from tenured professor to becoming an award-winning “Best Business Woman” and “Entrepreneur of the Year” whose company has grown massively in impact and revenue.

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Being Authentic in Your Leadership and Marketing will Attract the Right Customers and Clients

By Dr. Shellie Hipsky “All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” ~TOM PETERS in Fast Company

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An excerpt from Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants

"Who does she think she is?" He had no idea that I was within earshot. I was all glammed up in a gown for the American Heart Association Go Red Campaign fashion show. I was, of course, rocking my signature Christian Louboutin high heels with red soles. I had been running around with my photographer getting pictures of people who were giving funds for heart health awareness for the Society Spotlight section of the magazine.

I started to get fired up as he continued talking about me just a few steps away. “I mean, she’s on every cover of Inspiring Lives Magazine. Does she think she is Oprah?

She’s a motivational speaker as well, I hear. Does she assume she will be the next Tony Robbins? Seriously, who does she think she is?”

sonalities. People are intrigued by the story of the person behind the brand and are influenced by the heart of the owner, CEO, etc., rather than simply buying based on a catchy slogan or product jingles, like in the past.

As I always say as I sign off from my TV show Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie and my Facebook talk show Inspiring Lives , “Inspiration is just a story away.” It is up to you to craft your story, and therefore your brand, so it sells and attracts your perfect clients and customers.

One deep breath later, I tapped on the shoulder of his suit. I flashed him a big smile and stated, “Hi, I am Dr. Shellie Hipsky, the CEO of Inspiring Lives International. And no, I don’t think I am Oprah or Tony Robbins. I am Dr. Shellie Hipsky. Every day, I strive to be the best version of myself that I can be.”

His mouth dropped open. My friend was speaking with grinned at me.

The three of us ended up having a great conversation about self-branding. That very evening, I received messages on my phone that he had started following me on Twitter @DrShellieHipsky and Instagram @Dr.Shellie.

Later, he became a big supporter of my brand and my magazine. I had stood up for myself and my brand.

Through that exchange, I gained a follower and the respect of a man who had pre-judged me.

You may be embarking on your own self-branding journey, or you may be a seasoned pro. Either way, you must begin with yourself. To sell your brand, product, or service, you must have a real grasp of who you are at your core. This book will help you hone in on your brand. Undoubtedly, you will engage in some self-discovery along the way, and I encourage you not to copy anyone else’s brand. Simply strive to be the best version of yourself, daily. And the brand accordingly.

Big companies used to be the only ones with “brands.”

Any entrepreneur who is building a business, people seeking employment, or even those who are simply existing in a busy media-filled world needs to consider branding.

As the editor-in-chief of Inspiring Lives Magazine, I know first-hand that people want to get to know per-

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Because it is your brand, and not mine, I want you to really think through how you perceive yourself and think about how you want the world to view you.

As Socrates once said, “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” To be smart about branding, you need to really know who you are, what you stand for, and what about you is memorable.

If you don’t truly know who you are, how can you expect people on social media and potential clients to know you or buy from you? Let’s take you way back to begin this self- discovery process. When I was a child, I used to tell anyone who would listen that I wanted to be a happy teacher, a mother, and a performer on Broadway when I grew up. Now I entertain through multiple media forms, and I still belt out songs to help raise funds for charity galas. I love leading the nonprofit the Global Sisterhood to help women and children around the world. I am also a mother of two beautiful children. I was a tenured professor at a university training future teachers and leaders for a decade. I think I came close to the mark, and my childhood ideas certainly showed hints of what I would be doing now with my life.

Unless you are Peter Pan and refuse ever to grow up, you likely had a vision for your future as a child. Let’s look at what you wanted to be. · When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? · Is there any connection between what you dreamed you would become and who you are in your daily life? · What held you back from this dream? (For example, my friend said that she never leaped an artist because her mother constantly told her that she could never support herself on the money that she would make.) · While you will probably not materialize a job as an astronaut at this point, if you are not already one, is there something that you left behind from your early vision of your future self that you could and should reclaim?

Maybe it was as simple as a vibe or feeling that you wanted or now want to have. Some of us just truly want to experience joy or stability in life. Perhaps you are too stressed all the time, worrying about money, and you always thought you would be a laid back, chilled out person. Or you would like to be considered glamorous, but you can’t recall the last time you got dressed up or even out of your yoga pants.

determines who you are. You just may be surprised by how others are perceiving you.

When I was a private university professor making a salary and earning my tenure promotion, it was easy to say what I did for a living. Entrepreneurs, though, may not have a job that is easy to explain.

We need to define to ourselves what we do as empowered entrepreneurs so we can explain it to others, although your parents may never really grasp what it is that you do or see it as a “real job.” Let’s look at what you do and who you do it for. · Describe the main service or product that you provide for clients. Write down your concept of the perfect client or customer, being as specific as you can. For example, Inspiring Lives Magazine’s ideal subscriber is primarily a fashion-savvy professional woman who enjoys charity functions, culture, fine food, and travel. · What is your elevator pitch? This is a one-to-threesentence explanation of what you do for a living that could be told in the amount of time it takes to go up a floor in an elevator.

Many business networking events, masterminds, meetups, and online groups allow business owners to stand up and present their elevator pitch, which provides a comfortable place to hone it. Take the time to write it down and commit it to memory. And don’t be afraid to tweak or change it down the road, you and your business brand should be positively evolving, getting more fabulous as the years go by for your company.

· Describe the vibe that you are presenting to the world currently. · What vibe would you like to project (maybe you want to be seen as high-energy and a positive person who brightens up a room)?

Doing this self-analysis may help to talk with your best friend, business partner, or a life partner. Or if you already have an active social media group, you could raise some of these questions there so everyone could weigh in about current perceptions. Of course, you are the only one who

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RECLAMING YOUR TRUE SELF

By Angela Dunning

Reorienting To Your Inner Landscape

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes".

Photo by Tanner Boriack

~C G Jung

A

steady reorientation from outer to inner over time leads to a more solid sense of self.

It changes our entire perspective and helps us develop a stronger belief in ourselves. Then, self-trust is able to be built, like a firm foundation beneath your feet so that whatever adversity comes your way, you can feel more confident in yourself by believing: "Yes. I can do this. I've done it before. I trust myself now to carry myself through; come what may".

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It is a sad truth that as modern humans we are taught from a very young age to ignore our inner-world and instead focus on everything around us. And so we readily learn to respond to external things much more easily than internal ones. We’re told to cease playing; to be less full-on; to stop day-dreaming; that it is “just a dream”.

To stop playing around at things we are deeply drawn to like music, art, animals, nature or writing. Instead, we’re steered away from our creativity and its accompanying vitality that comes so naturally when we are young, and directed as we grow up to study serious subjects, to think about getting a degree and a respectable, safe job.

"Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. who looks outside, dreams, who looks inside, awakes." ~C.G Jung In a nutshell: To always focus on the external and material world, rather than the inner mystery of what it is to be human and alive and awake. Hence, we grow up very imbalanced in this regard. Sadly, one of the hardest things to re-pattern, especially given our culture, which is so overly externally orientated these days, utterly one-sided in fact.

To turn from things external to you - people, situations, tasks, and all the drama and mayhem that is happening in the world at large and to instead, come back to your inner landscape is incredibly hard for most people. Particularly if you have a stressful job, family situation, or relationship, the temptation is to go full-steam ahead and keep busy, burning yourself out rather than reorienting back to your inner world. Yet, the most potent medicine of all is to found within ourselves. Why do most people dream of sitting alone on a mountain, walking on their favorite beach, or woodland? Because they know they will find the solace they so crave, as these wondrous, magical places enable us to tune-out the external and go within.

In the past, people would seek such refuge in monasteries, places of pilgrimage, and the like. Nowadays, few of us can afford such luxury and time.

But instead, we can learn to inhabit our inner sanctuary.

We can begin to explore our inner landscape which contains so many treasures and jewels, and a bottomless wellpool of creativity and untapped potential and energy. We truly risk being lost as a species if we continue to ignore such readily accessible inner-wealth.

that you're not easily blown about in the hurricanes of life like a dandelion head just waiting to be swept away.

It's hard to mind you. The thousand temptations and distractions out there are many and loud. So it's vital to develop firm discipline with your practice. How? Here are just a few pointers: 1. You have to set boundaries to keep out the noise and distractions of the outside world: turn off the news, stop endlessly checking your phone and social media feeds, and stop going along with mainstream views and priorities. You have to make time for this inner-world, make it a priority in your life and remind yourself over and over again, to look within first.

2. Spend quiet focussed time with yourself: at home, in nature, in meditation, writing, creating, and dreamwork. You have to essentially value YOU much, much more, and know that the outer world will always be there, carrying on in its loud and sometimes brash way.

But that doesn't have to be your way of going through your one, precious life.

3. Learn some simple body and breath-focused practices that immediately turn your attention back onto yourself.

Go within, breathe into your body, and your heart-center. As I often tell my clients, even just a few minutes now and then can make a huge difference in the long-term, as regular practice gradually enables you to pull back and go inside more easily.

In fact, when you listen carefully to your inner life, carrying on quietly behind the scenes all of the time, you can then locate your true source of peace, calmness, and meaning. You can re-balance, re-orientate, and re-center yourself. And eventually, over time, you will begin to recognize this place and find a newborn strength which declares to the world: "Yes. This is the ground I stand on.

This is real, and this is what is most important to me and my overall well-being".

If we can practice turning our attention inwards though and pay close attention to this landscape, we can learn to survey it for treasures, insights, feelings, thoughts, desires, and clues to our life's dreams.

Angela Dunning is a regular contributor to The Eden Magazine.

She is the author of The Horse Leads the Way: Honoring the True Role of the Horse in Equine Facilitated Practice.

Angela writes regularly on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehorsestruth/and Patreon: www.patreon. com/angeladunning

From this place, you can now begin to move through life.

Meeting the external world from YOUR standpoint in life, which is grounded in your truth, and thus ensuring

You can learn more about Angela and her work helping people and horses at: www.thehorsestruth.co.uk 51 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

I+I I Botanicals Expertly Formulates Products for all Skin Types without Compromising their Focus on Clean Beauty

I+I core values – Good for the Body. Good for the Earth. Good for the Soul. The founders of I+I believe that what you put on your body is equally as important as what you put in your body. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your health for beauty. Everyone deserves the sense of well-being and confidence that healthy and well-nourished skin provides.

I+I is for everyone – regardless of skin type, gender or age. I+I has products that address skin concerns like acne, redness, fine lines, wrinkles and hydration. I+I focuses on clean ingredients such as organic, vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, non-GMO. They never add artificial dyes or fragrances. I+I believes in transparency, which is why they have 3rd party lab results listed on every product page of their website. While I+I focuses on natural ingredients, it is important for them to work with certified labs and chemists to make sure the quality stays consistent.

Launched in 2019, I+I (pronounced EYE and EYE) Botanicals is a brand that pairs American-grown, lab-tested CBD with clean, responsibly sourced ingredients to create a lineup of products that is suitable for all skin types and addresses some of our biggest skincare issues.

I+I was founded by two working mothers seeking to change the way women view beauty and self-care. Jennifer Culpepper and Selam Kelati were on a quest to simplify skincare routines, so they teamed up to create effortless, trustworthy products that easily fit into our hectic lifestyles.

“Consumers are looking for quality products that deliver results.

Once we started seeing the results of our products through consumer testing, we knew we were onto something big and it made it easier to promote our clean beauty mission and the importance of responsible ingredient sourcing,” Jennifer said.

The ABC of CBD for skincare – Topical CBD can help regulate oil production and reduce inflammation in the skin. The anti-inflammatory effects of CBD can also help calm the skin and reduce redness. The antioxidant and re“I have always been a ‘product girl,” Selam said. “Once Jen- generative qualities help to offset nifer introduced me to CBD, we became excited about the damage from the sun, pollution, idea of blending it with other natural ingredients that I used and aging. growing up.” The next steps came naturally as they began experimenting, testing different formulations and created the “I+I differs from many of the mainstream CBD-infused beauI+I product line.

Prior to launching I+I, Jennifer, a brand strategist and designer, worked with several clients in the Hemp Industry to help build their brands. She witnessed, first-hand the incredible effects of CBD, especially on the skin. Born in East Africa, Selam was raised in a culture that incorporates herbs and plants (Moringa, Prickly Pear, Jojoba), into their daily lives.

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ty brands today because we treat CBD as an ingredient—not the whole product. While CBD is an incredible ingredient, we work diligently to find complementary ingredients that help the CBD achieve its intended purpose,” said Selam.

Leaders for a greener environment – not only for their ingredient sourcing, but I+I works hard to create environmentally friendly product packaging. Whenever possible, I+I uses plant-based, recycled, recyclable, bio-degradable and/or compostable materials.

They aim to use as little plastic as possible in their packaging.

Recently I+I joined the Counteract Coalition founded in 2017

by Beautycounter. This coalition was created to bring like-minded businesses together in the skin care and beauty industries to advocate for more health protective laws.

The name I+I Botanicals – in Rastafarian culture, “I and I” represents “One Love” and is often used as the expression of the physical body being in oneness with the soul. “I” is interchangeable with “you,” meaning that we are all connected.

“We were initially drawn to the message because Selam and I come from different backgrounds.

We have different skin and hair types, but we share a goal to create products that are universally beneficial. On a deeper level, the “I and I” symbolism spoke to us as we thought about the importance of self-care. Love and be kind to yourself, as you would to others.” said Jennifer.

I+I is committed to continue formulating and developing a range of skincare products that are clean and effective.

Friendship Redefined: Are You Ready to Level Up?

Photo by © Javiindy | Dreamstime.com

By Judy Gaman

I

f you ask your parents and grandparents what it takes to be a friend, their answers may be quite different than the way the current vernacular reflects the word friend. It used to be a word revered for those in your most inner circle, the ones who not only knew the real you, but would defend you and all your quirkiness, perhaps even risking the friendship itself if they thought being truthful during a debate was in your personal best interest.

With the invention of social media, so-called friends can be in the hundreds or even thousands. These friends get on your good side by simply taking an interest in your posts. A simple “like” may seemingly take that friend a step higher, and sharing your post to their page or audience – whoa – that takes the relationship to a whole new level. Not so fast. The reality is that an inflated number of friends on social media can leave people deceived. How many of those friends could you call, or better yet instant message, at 1am because you’re stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire?

Maybe the true test is to imagine yourself in pajamas with no makeup on and standing in your living room surrounded by all these “friends.” If that thought gives you anxiety, then you’re not alone. Most people only post what they want people to see, or who they want people to think they are 24/7. This only creates a dichotomy of the very essence of friendship. But, since the word is not going away anytime soon, perhaps it would be healthy to start categorizing our friends by different levels.

Level

1

Not really a friend We probably all have many of these, probably more than we ever imagined if we combine Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms. Many of these are the friends that are friend by label only. Some of these people you may not even recognize if you passed them on the street. Many of these are really a friend of a friend, someone in business that you somehow became connected with, or just someone that you connected with through a common interest.

Level

2

Acquaintance Most people can go through their social media connections and pluck out a few people that they may not be bosom buddies with, but they may want to invite to parties or events. At this level the person would not only know who you are, but be likely to attend something you’ve extended an invitation to.

Level

3

Holidays and Parties Friend I like to call this the 6-month gang. These are the friends that you see about twice a year, have a great time, but don’t really have a need to connect again anytime soon. You may have a real interest in each other’s lives, but that interest is more superficial, meaning you can catch up, walk away, and you can both call each at any time. Your numbers are usually stored in each other’s phones at this level.

Level 4

Good Buddy This level is where most true friendships sit. If you get to this level, you have a real friend, the kind your parents were talking about. Friends that make it to level 4 generally know enough about the other to place their order at a restaurant, or know their weekly routine. They have seen them on more than one occasion without makeup or when they’re feeling under the weather. Not only are the numbers stored in their phones, but you can usually find it under recent calls.

Level

True Blue Often this is where you’ll find most married couples, especially if it’s a good long-lasting relationship. This level is the secret-sharing, runny-nose crying, jump up and down happy, bail-out, give your last dime to kind of friendship. Level 5 friendship is what makes life worth living.

5

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably thought about your own level of friends. Maybe you’ve sat back and reassessed your social media. You could even be smiling at the thought of a level 4 or level 5 friend. But, what you may not have thought about is where others would place you. As we all look at 2020 through a new lens (and a mask), ask yourself if you’ve stopped and taken the time to cultivate some friendships.

Ask yourself: Am I ready to level up?

Judy Gaman is the CEO of Executive Medicine of Texas http://www.emtexas.com and author of the best-selling book Love, Life and Lucille, a book about her own Level 5 friendship with Lucille Fleming, who was over 100 years old. Learn more by visiting www.lovelifelucille.com

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An excerpt from “Pure Fyre”

PURE FYRE

By KristaLyn A. Vetovich

“Pure Fyre.” novel is set in a high-vibe world where the characters tap into their powers by using metaphysical concepts, such as connecting with crystal energy and spirit guides. “Pure Fyre” entertains readers with a mystical, adventure tale and teaches them valuable life lessons such as finding your place in the world, female empowerment and finding inner power.

“Pure Fyre” follows Spyre as he is forced to save The Kingdom of Condel and its leader, Eofyn. He is set on this journey because the other creatures of the realm wanted him to team up with Eofyn to help overthrow his king, Afor, who conquered The Kingdom of Condel. Throughout the novel, as Spyre adventures from one kingdom to another, various fantasy characters present themselves such as elves, trolls and dragons.

T

Eofyn stood in the throne room—his throne room, though he felt he’d never quite grown into the grandeur of it—staring at the crystal that hung around his fiancée’s neck. He’d just been receiving updates on the state of the kingdom when Lissa had entered with the first rays of the sun stretching through the wall-length window of the throne room, as if to greet her personally. Her face was not as bright or warm as the sunbeams, however, which was Eofyn’s first note of concern.

She stumbled two steps into the room, caught her balance, and sheepishly approached them. The door closed behind her with a thud. She glanced back at the door and then looked at Eofyn and his advisers, who waited for her explanation.

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Photo by Cederic C.

his was unheard of and possibly insane.

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Tucking a strand of caramel blonde hair behind her ear, she inhaled, smoothing her hands down the front of her pale blue gown with the exhale. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, still a little too hurriedly, “but I’ve had an odd dream that I feel strangely compelled to share.

Eofyn knew Lissa was a rational woman. She had a keen sense to separate nonsense from necessity. Her healing ability extended beyond physical mending. She could balance the mind and the heart as well, healing wounds of all sorts. Therefore, she was always well balanced herself. To see her at all flustered made Eofyn’s stomach roil.

“What is it, Lissa?” Darian, the people’s liaison of Condel, asked, using his abilities to ease the rising tension in the room. He approached her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, the pulsing green light from his crystal offering its calm to her.

Lissa gave a small nod of gratitude before crossing the hall with him to join them, her footsteps echoing across the vast, marbled room more than usual.

She stared into Eofyn’s eyes, almost pleadingly, but he had nothing to offer her but an apologetic frown. She sighed. “I do realize how this will sound, and I apologize,” she began.

Eofyn and his two companions waited.

“In my dream, there were two dragons.”

Eofyn’s heart began racing. It would have been bad enough to mention just the one dragon, but two? His eyes trailed to the window and found the great statue of Swelgan, Condel’s patron dragon, its back turned on him and its eyes on the city, as if to shun Eofyn’s poor rulership.

“They did not duel each other,” Lissa amended quickly.

Relief washed over their faces, but she was about to mend that as well.

“Yet the blue dragon did fall.” Her final words tumbled from her mouth like a ten-ton weight, and Eofyn nearly fell with them.

Never in history had someone of Lissa’s talent class had prophetic dreams. She was a healer, not a seer. Seers weren’t even a class. They only appeared in legends and children’s stories, yet what she had witnessed in her sleep clearly stirred up a foreign blend of emotions in her, and she wrung her hands. Fear and anxiety were not the most

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common sentiments in the kingdom of Condel. There were, in fact, talent classes to help with those. Condel was a place of happiness and contentment, where the people thrived with grace and ease with the help of their crystals. Even nightmares were uncommon. So why Lissa, and why now?

“Swelgan,” Darian said, breathing heavily.

“But that’s not possible,” Pyram, Eofyn’s closest advisor and best friend, said, a pulse emanating from the flamered crystal around his neck. “It’s been centuries, millennia, since the dragons have animated. They have all but faded into legend.”

“Don’t be so naïve, Pyram,” Darian said, his shoulders tense with a frustration that never reached his face or his tone. Darian always put kindness first, a father to all who surrounded him. Of course, Eofyn noted, that may have been because Darian was one of the eldest members of staff, especially since the passing of Eofyn’s father. Flecks of gray speckled Darian’s trim, black beard, which he now stroked in thought. “We’ve all noticed the Fyre weakening throughout the kingdom. The people are losing their confidence in their crystals, and their strength has been dwindling.” He sighed. “It was really only a matter of time before it came to this.”

Eofyn felt Lissa’s steady gaze on him while Darian and Pyram averted their glances to the floor. He knew they had all overlooked this problem, in part out of sympathy and patience for his adjustment as king. It had been nearly a year since his father’s passing, and Eofyn had heard nothing from the otherworld of Bryta, an ability that had been the birthright of every reigning monarch of Condel.

we need to act. The dream was likely a blessing, and we’d better not ignore it.”

Eofyn did not wear a crystal as the others did; with his ability, he should not have needed one. He should have inherited his talent, the Pure Fyre, the moment his father’s life ended, but Bryta remained silent. The prince had never felt prepared for the role of being king, and his motivation to activate his gift quickly faded. This only supported his theory that he was unworthy of receiving it. And so his crown remained in its case in his father’s study; his more regal garments went unworn. He favored the more common, if somewhat refined, style of a linen shirt with an embellished vest, wool pants, and practical leather boots—a velvet jacket only when ceremonially required, similar to the way Pyram preferred to dress. To all who entered, there was no king in this room, only castle staff.

He heard Lissa clear her throat and glanced through his curtain of brown bangs to see her offer Darian a sympathetic smile before they both turned to Pyram, Eofyn’s closest friend and advisor, who had been employed as an orphaned child by King Arisan himself. Pyram had grown up as Arisan’s second son, and there was no one Eofyn trusted more than him. Lissa begged Pyram with a subtle tilt of her head to use his bond with Eofyn and make the king listen to reason.

That was not good enough for his people. They needed a leader, and they needed the guidance from Bryta that they’d had under King Arisan’s rule. Eofyn was failing them, and rather than doubt their beloved king, they doubted themselves and the power of their crystals.

Eofyn had overheard Darian mention the depletion to Pyram before, when they thought he wasn’t listening. It was Darian’s job and his talent to promote confidence in the kingdom, but the people were nearly beyond his help, even the children who had not yet blossomed in a particular field. Their crystals remained untouched by color, but their hearts filled with the unsettling doubt that had now blanketed the kingdom, even if their minds could not yet comprehend the reason.

As the oldest in the room, Darian was the most qualified to say what the other nonroyals could not, yet still Eofyn cringed when Darian accepted the responsibility. “Your Highness,” Darian began, bowing at his stout waist with the utmost respect, “we haven’t seen the dragons come to life in all of recorded history, but the legends were passed down precisely. And while Miss Lissa’s dream could simply be a product of hearing the story throughout her childhood, it could still well be true.”

Eofyn tore his stare from the marble floor and moved to give weary reply, but Darian interrupted: “I understand you already know this, but I’m sure you’re also aware that

The anger that had crept onto Eofyn’s face fell away as he caught himself. He looked at Darian, the slightest glimmer of hopelessness in his eyes, and let his gaze fall back to the floor.

Pyram blinked and opened his mouth to argue, but he acknowledged her point with a lift of his slender eyebrows.

He leaned toward Eofyn’s ear, close enough to speak softly and ease the embarrassment that the young king already felt. “Fyn,” he said, speaking the nickname only he was permitted use, “I know this is rough, but you can handle it. You know what to do. Trust yourself.”

Eofyn tightened his jaw, but Pyram persisted. He clapped a lean hand over Eofyn’s shoulder for support. “You’re the king. It’s in your blood to always get it right.”

KristaLyn A. Vetovich is a high-vibe author and astrologist. Through her books, she helps readers find emotional healing and inspires them to connect to the lives they want. She is an expert in various healing modalities including reiki, crystal healing, Advanced IET, and Advanced ThetaHealing®, with additional certifications in Hellenistic astrology and chirology. She graduated in 2011 from Susquehanna University with a degree in English literature. She hopes to help authors, specifically those who want to write high-vibe fiction, overcome their writing anxieties and inspire them to become published writers like her. Currently, she resides in a treehouse in Elysburg, Pennsylvania with her husband and corgis, Jack and Zelda. To connect with Vetovich, please visit her website: www.kristalynavetovich.com.

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Abundance Corner

Photo by Mahdis Mousavi

By Phyllis King

2

Keys to Abundance Dominating Your Life

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On the road to abundance there is no way around learning to recognize the energy we digest moment to moment.

W

e yearn for better. We crave love. We desire wealth. We wish we could feel good about ourselves. Many of us embark on paths that include seeking new relationships, new jobs, going on a diet, or working out more often. All these things are productive ways to move energy. The critical step most people skip is in adjusting their inner perspective and narrative. Without that step life will not flow. In order for manifestation itself to become accessible we must practice and master two critical skills: 1. Release the programming that has been put upon us over the course of our lives – beliefs, ideas and responses that cause us to feel fearful and incapable, i.e. lies. We are divine creative beings with dignity, purpose and intention. That is who we are. Programming smalls us down and tells us we are not powerful, and that fear is a viable response.

2. Learn to recognize vibrations themselves – understand everything is energy. Energy is the gas that makes life go. The quality of the energy we use to create life will determine the quality of our manifestations. We must become responsible to ourselves for the energy we digest and choose to use in our daily lives. Too often we succumb to outside pressure that wants to tell us who we are and control us. We fall for it. Stop falling for it.

Even 20 years ago, these two “must-do’s” were left for psychics, energy readers and healers. It was considered unusual to possess these skill sets. We are evolutionary beings. We have now evolved to the point that in order to thrive we all must embrace these skills. Certainly, if manifestation of wellness, abundance or love is on your mind, you want and need these skills. They are the gateway to everything else you desire. Without them you will not become abundant.

I wrote the Energy of Abundance five years ago. I had no idea that the content of that work would be so relevant in today’s world. It is not only relevant but timely to the collective about the actual steps we must take to expand our lives. As a culture we have been stumbling around with the Law of Attraction for years. Now the route is clearly defined and accessible to everyone who is willing to expand their awareness and accept responsibility for their creations. That is the price of entry.

It requires intentional practice of releasing programming and recognizing vibrations themselves. You don’t have to be psychic to do it. You simply have to pay attention to how you feel. Then respond consciously to your feelings from your higher awareness. That part of you which knows the limitlessness of your true nature. We must bridge the divide between the physical and the intangible. It begins and ends internally.

Energy and vibrations work on a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum we have apathy, boredom, depression, violence, etc. Those frequencies are very dense. They move slowly. There is very little space in these vibrations. When we want to manifest, we need space to expand. Just like an expanding store leases a larger space. We must create inner space to realize external space. Space connotes abundance.

On the other side of the spectrum we have enthusiasm, love, generosity, patience, etc. Those vibrations are fast moving, spacious and light. There are mid-level vibrations in between these two extremes.

Most mid-level vibrations keep us in the status quo. In the status quo we settle

for the comfortable “known” experience rather than lean into the uncomfortable “unknown.”

As soon as we recognize the nature of the energy we are using to create our life we become empowered to expel or embrace vibrations. We can choose to think poorly of ourselves, or not. We can choose to feel powerful or not. We decide to be a loving force in the world, or not. We can choose to be courageous or live in fear. No matter what topic we look at in life, every moment the energy we choose to digest will determine the quality and quantity of our manifestations.

On the road to abundance there is no way around learning to recognize the energy we digest moment to moment. It is in our moments we have the power to redirect and create the life we desire. This is exactly where manifestation begins.

When we take care of this step, our only job in manifestation becomes to set intention and release it. We do not have to think about anything else. We recognize that abundance and manifestation is about balancing our inner world, not our outer world. In that awareness we put ourselves in the stream of abundant consciousness. When we surrender to this awareness our needs will always be met beyond our wildest expectations.

Known as the Common Sense Psychic (tm), Phyllis King has worked with tens of thousands of people in 25 countries. She is known for her practical and down to earth approach. She has been featured on, ABC, CBS and NBC TV, radio programs across the country, and has been published in over 70 print and online publications.

She has four books, including Bouncing Back, Thriving in Changing Times, with Dr. Wayne Dyer. Her latest book The Energy of Abundance is available in bookstores now. Phyllis holds a B.A. in Sociology. www.phyllisking.com 63 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Photo by Julia Mihailov

LANGUAGE OF SPACE

By Michael White Ryan

Exploring the Unknown SELF-WORTH

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Is not this an engaging and interesting topic to be talking about in our evolved age of 21st-century awareness? Do we fully acknowledge one's sense of self-worth? We know "what we are", due to our one-sided approach of over-stimulating the senses, in all that life has to offer. Looking at the opposite side of the spectrum, what do we know about "who we are" within the overall picture? The word self-worth by means of various social and self-derived interpretations is how we conceive one's perceived identity.

One's self-worth "foundation", is built upon, how beneficial we interpret others-definitions, self-definitions, and self-comparisons when validating one's identity.

For example, take notice of how one arrives at subjective permission for one's actions when an energy exchange occurs between you and another form. It's in the aftermath of our actions that we try making any sense of the answers/lessons we arrive at? Let's not waste any time looking into the past, now!

21st Wisdom, Reason Divides Blame Validates Evolved Human?

Are we like rabbits running free, not knowing the whole time, we have integrated into a world by choice, that resembles more like a zoo. When considering you/mankind, look out into space and ponder the complexity of our universe, it's obvious, we are also part of this same complexity. One could be considered foolish not to acknowledge how amazing are you/humans.….deep down, we/you are much more than an idea, fact, or concept.

And yet, that doesn’t seem to do it for humans. It is easy to overlook this gift of birth and life; when we colluded into value-thinking, there are more meaningful aspects to attain than self-worth. Like money, looks, position, class, marriage, partner, etcetera.

There is a seemingly long list of external needs/values to acquire so as to dominate one’s predetermined self-vision. These facts/ideas/beliefs for most persons are unhealthy, yet remain as believable-truths, as long as one stays within their comfortableness. Never wanting to step outside their zone, and allow our natural Columbus-instinct, to step beyond the shores of one’s preselected universe.

It's difficult to grasp /comprehend/change one's selfworth when everything we know already involves numerous "self-patented" blockages. We may feel

broken; experiences have left me unlovable. One can travel through life with purpose, yet within feel lost and unworthy. It's all a big fat lie. We are prepared by a mindset-past that keeps feeding our future, from a self-intended nonevolving source of survival—specifically designed to distract one away from discovering our unknown territory, the complete hidden self?

Is it a big question? Society dances around this issue year after year, when tackling and trying to understand, how does a human deal with self-worth?

How many people live with pain in their lives, just to validate/continue their now-existence? Where do we start as a people/community/nation, when beginning to unravel the mystery of one's emotional beingness, and release individuals, all of humanity from false self-retribution? In our culture, is discovery even allowed?

We are one and we are many we share a dream.

I am, you are, We are, Polariznations?

Self-worth went to a bar, stood on stage, and delivered to a 600 audience, who returned absolute complete silence and a few glasses of beer heading in one's direction. Self-worth returned four weeks later, stood on that stage, and delivered to the same audience of 600 who returned screams of joy while standing on tables, shouting loud laughter in acceptance. They were ecstatic and delighted.

We acknowledge our self-worth by the judgments of self and mostly others, and then strategically unawares, we wear the results like clothes as one's persona. What tells you, how do you hang your self-worth-persona?

There exists in today's world, hundreds of ways to develop awareness. One personal way of discovery goes like this. Thoughts flow from the mind daily, they come and go like rough diamonds floating via an invisible stream. In that very same stream, flow rough-diamonds from a different source, containing an unbridled-energy quality, that stands out from the crowd-thinking mindset, never noticed by most. A functioning observed awareness/human will immediately spring into action, grasps this one roughdiamond regardless of where and what is happening in their life at that moment in time, engages with this nonthought diamond with intentional action with the now.

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Exploring the un-known aspects of self-worth is not difficult.

Is it no mystery?

Take notice, is fear real or self-created?

What false story have you been telling you?

Today is a nice time to stand and deliver.

It's the one step, two-step and so on approach, which falsely appears as a complicated life-dance. Out from the universe arrives, what appears to be a thought, flows through you, not from the mind, yet seemingly appears to flow from the mind. One's Active Awareness distinguishes, functions, knows, this is that special NOW-moment.

Acknowledges, by taking the necessary action, plucks this special diamond, and then immediately brings it into the physical world of NOW. A NOW-moment is when you embrace your personalized-relationship, it's you and the universe holding hands. It's the wonders all you ever wanted, release, expression of your human LOVE, at a deep, more profound level. Notice, this mindful-action, is you, this Earthly-human in a connected relationship with the universe's moving NOW. A rough-diamond moment becomes ACTION in FLOW, and you are now functioning from the ESSENCE of ZEN. Well, blow me down and cart me away.

First, decide it's OK to be me!

Life is a landscaped environment we travel through. It's our personal secret garden to explore, shape and prune as we travel from one life-scene to the next life-scene experience, and so on.

Exploring the un-known aspects of selfworth is not difficult. Is it no mystery? Take notice, is fear real or self-created? What false story have you been telling you? Today is a nice time to stand and deliver. By now, you already know yourself, you have all the answers! Accept your knowing, regardless of right, wrongs, mistakes, and judgments.

Acknowledge, this is me, that's all there is, now-start anew.

You've gotta love these dipper-stages, our many restarts while traveling one's life train.

Blessings, we will meet again.

You are ONE and You are Many, You are ZEN! Life is a meditation! It's like being in a session, and you are calmly sitting in a boat flowing along with the stream. Being in that moment is the same way life is in the real.

It's not that we are unaware, we all have awareness. Unfortunately, through a mindset of self-denial, we limit our vision to what we think is real. Thus we maintain our personal struggles. Is it too late to know one's self? Does this question have to be finally answered? When that moment arises, all tomorrow's will begin anew.

Humans live in two worlds, one of functioning in the material world, dealing with, creating all that is necessary for daily living. The other is functioning from the who, what am I self. Behind these everyday-masks, exists numerous Identities, attitudes, behaviors, morals, social-skills, one lives a life inside a never-ending story.

There is only one version, the one we ac-

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cept, the self we have comes to terms with.

Michael White Ryan is a co-founder with his wife Pamela Edwards of Language of Space.

They are leaders in sustainable business growth via Performance Design and Performance Code.

Sustainable design encompasses both Western and Easternphilosophies including advanced Feng Shui principles, \Environmental Design, Buildings, Alternative Health, Business Advisory Consultants and 20 plus years as entrepreneurs.

Recognized in the top 100 globally and are Americas Leading Feng Shui BusinessConsultants.They are on faculty at CEO Space International one of the oldest business organizations in America today, currently operate in 7 countries and reside in Australia. www.languageofspace.com

Have you seen Gretchen?!

Missing since 11/11/2016 Please contact us

info@theedenmagazine.com

One Minute Meditation

Photo by Joran Quinten

Take this moment to close your eyes and consider the following possibility...

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• REMOVE SOMETHING FROM YOUR LIFE THAT DOESN’T SERVE YOU

• REPLACE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WITH POSITIVE ONES

• IDENTIFY THE BLOCKS IN YOUR LIFE HABIT

• COMMIT TO SOMETHING YOU ALWAYS SAY YOU’LL DO BUT ALWAYS FAIL TO START

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High Road to Humanity

By Nancy Yearout

Many people have chosen not to be connected, and that's their choice. When you come into your power and make these changes, there may be people in your life who don't like your new views. These people will shift out of your life, and new people will shift in. This happens when you change your mindset.

To find true peace within yourself, connect with each other, and to the God source. When you are fulfilled within, you won't desire material things to make you happy. Your connection will be with nature and with people. This is where the true inner happiness and fulfillment lie. You can be balanced and be your unique self and still connect with other people.

Everything is good in moderation. The pendulum has swung too far one way, and now we are less connected than ever. Social media and now Covid-19 have changed our physical interaction with each other, and we must change it back. We must connect to each other, for as humans, we need each other's love and companionship to thrive.

T

he best way for me to describe the new mindset would be the movie Avatar. Jake Sully portrays a man who feels alone in a "me" society until he becomes an avatar. He connects first with the Na' vi people and then with the energy flow of nature, realizing that the forest is alive with energy and light. He learns from the Na' vi people that the trees are a network communicating their ancestors' lessons, and the people can connect to this source of information. The trees hold their life source of energy and knowledge. But before any of this can happen, Sully first had to come into his own personal power and let go of the ego, realizing that we are all connected energetically. The solution is to find the power that lies within yourself; don't be afraid as it's fear that holds us back.

Find the power that lies within you. We hold power within us to unite with ourselves, others, and our God source. You cannot blame other people for your situation. Everything that you are living right now—today—is of your own creation. You have the power and the knowledge to create whatever you want in your life by your words and thoughts.

There is a higher power available if you choose to connect to the energy source. When you change your thinking, you will change your life. You move forward in life, and things get better for you. Remember that every one of us has a piece of the creator within us as we made in his image.

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Imagine your current mindset as a computer program that does not serve you well any longer, so we find a new program that works! We must download a new program, a new mindset. Each one of us influences the collective mindset. By each of us changing our way of thinking, a more positive collective energy is created.

As your energy shifts, the dynamic of others will shift as well; you are helping everyone else, too.

We are all creators with the ability to change the current entitlement mindset. As a collective, we can shift the mindset for ourselves and the generations who will follow. This new mindset will shift the energy here on our earth and create a more spiritual place for all of us.

We can create a world full of understanding and love for each other, along with self-forgiveness and self-love.

The more positive energy each person puts out to the world makes a difference to all of us, as we are all connected. The following accord will give you guidelines to change your mindset: The New Mind-Set Accord Be kind and considerate of others, and your kindness and consideration will be returned to you.

Be grateful for what you have. Give thanks, don't think about what you don't have, as this creates lack.

Share your wisdom with others, be a mentor. Your life experiences carry more weight than gold.

Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk

A New Mind-Set For The Millennium

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Your guidance and wisdom are more important than material things, and please guide others with your knowledge. Your true-life experiences are invaluable.

Respect yourself and each other. Respect the elderly, for they have been through more than you in their lifetime and hold much wisdom for today's youth. Respect authority, you want the police or fire department to show up at your house if you need them. Respect our military and our leaders as we must support them and their service to our country.

Love yourself enough to say no when it's not in your best interest. Tell your kids no when you should—it's called being a parent!

Give and receive unconditional love. When you give love freely, it will be returned to you freely.

Pay attention to what the universe is showing you. Pay attention to the signs and recognize the lessons that are presented to you every day. Recognize them as blessings and learn from them.

Begin to have faith in a higher power. Be faithful to your thoughts and your words, as they have power and create your reality. What you think about and speak about every day is who you become and what your life will be. You are the painter of your picture.

Plant seeds of goodness, honesty, and sincerity every day and watch them grow.

Be humble. Humble yourself and put others first. It's not all about you!

Help others unselfishly. Give to others, but do not boast about your good deeds.

Have integrity. Love yourself enough to do and say the right thing.

Don't forget to ask for what you want in prayer or by using affirmations. Have regular conversations with God/ Spirit and establish a relationship with our creator.

Forgive others as forgiveness is freeing to your soul. When you forgive, you're freeing yourself. You will be forgiven when you forgive others.

We have free will to choose. Choose carefully as your choices shape many lives.

Say positive things about yourself and others. Think positive thoughts. Love yourself and know that God/Spirit loves you unconditionally, as a father loves his children.

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Form a relationship before you become intimate with another person. Go on ten dates before you commit. If you're in an unhealthy relationship, get out! Save yourself!

Don't be judgmental of another person or their situation.

You never know their story.

There is unconditional love, and there is Ego love. Ego love has conditions, and Spiritual love is authentic with no conditions. Love Spiritually. Love all people and animals unconditionally.

In conclusion, we are here for only a short period of time, and then we return home, as we all have an expiration date. When our bodies wear out, our spirit lives on and moves on to another place. Do your best to help others while you're here on earth, learn what you can, and your next journey will be smoother.

Help raise the vibration on our planet—Think love!

Nancy Yearout is an Psychic Reader, Intuitive Life Coach, Author and Inspirational Speaker. Her religious and spiritual work has enabled her to help many people to live the life they desire!

Nancy feels inspired to share the wisdom and the messages she receives with others. Her real-life experiences are shared each week on her Radio Show/Podcast, High Road to Humanity where insightful, spiritual guests share their story. This is Nancy’s way of each sharing new insight about raising the vibration and consciousness for all of us to create a healthy, Loving and kinder people as well as a safe harmonious place to live. My Credentials: Sales Coordinator for General Motors Corporation, Sales Manager for multiple, Owner and Qualifying Broker of The Harville Estates Real Estate & Development LLC, Owner of Energy Girl Publishing LLC., Author of, Wake Up! The Universe Is Speaking to You, Author of Monthly Contributor to Eden Magazine, Motivational/Inspirational Speaker, Intuitive Personal Coach Intuitive card reader, Energy Healer, Radio Host/ Podcast High Road to Humanity.

Today she is happily married to the love of her life.

Nancy Yearout Hosts a Radio Show/ Podcast every week on Toginet radio and iTunes called High Road to Humanity.

Visit her website www.NancyYearout.com or her Podcast www.Highroadtohumanity.com

By Lavandaia & Marco Nunzio Alati

Photo by Nick Fewings

A morning

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with the Mouse

On this particular day, Lavandaia is hardly able to go down the stairs, and a great sense of dizziness envelops her. Making her way to the kitchen, the cats immediately come running for their food as she starts to brew her morning coffee. Lavandaia looks around, and it's still very dark; she then decides to pay attention to the sounds that the morning is gifting her. Her ears take in only crickets, roosters, and birds she doesn't recall, yet that have become familiar to her ears, and now, are always part of the morning occasion. There is silence.

As she sips her coffee, Lavandaia catches a little mouse showing interest in her "thoughts." Then, he speaks, "Really?" She responds, "what do you mean?"

He continues, "You know, silence cannot be improvised, and it is not even part of the form of relaxation you humans call meditation. There is great confusion about the meaning of meditation in your world. Just as there is confusion about the concept of Spirit, it is necessary to overcome the barrier of the "head," which you call intellectualism. Only in this way will the truth come down to sprout as a force at the center of the soul. We have to feel and want, do you understand?"

"Yes," Lavandaia replies," I understand, please continue".

"Not only do you have to react with the mind, but thoughts should also give birth to living images that need to be felt. Only in this way are they held in the heart, and from that space, they can be nurtured and nourished. Silence will then become an intimate necessity. It will happen that silence captures you".

Lavandaia responds again, "Let me understand more, please, give me an example."

The mouse replies, "Tell yourself a word once or twice, not more than that, for example, "beauty" or "light" or "life"... Then, put yourself in a place of silence and listen to what is moving within, what it arouses, what it causes. You will feel a gentle vibration that expands in your soul. Then listen to the nothingness. And don't do anything, put forth no effort. Just stay in that deep state of active listening. Silence should just be a stable condition of our inner being! In my case, for example, I don't always think, as I am silent, and you?"

Lavandaia responds, "No, I don't think I've reached that state. I believe that it is often part of me, but it is not a permanent, immobile, and solid-state within my soul. Yes, Mouse, I think I understand. You are talking

Silence should just be a stable condition of our inner being! about the silent contemplation. I know it, I experience it, I live through it, but it is not yet a lasting state. Once again, I believe that one must die in oneself in every single moment."

"Yes, exactly," the Mouse replies. And with that, he seems to show a "hint" of a smile, as he makes his way back to the place he emerged from.

And as she drinks her coffee, she replies, "Thank you, mouse, thank you, mouse."

After graduation in Industrial Biotechnology, Marco played a key role in international research projects in Canada, Austria and Spain. He stumbled upon the Reconnection by mere chance and it enlightened him in ways he hadn't realized he needed. Three months after that unique experience, he left his job in biotechnology and embarked on his journey to become a full time Reconnective Healing Practitioner, and one of the two Italian Mentors and Teaching Assistants of Eric Pearl’s direct Team. He is currently living in Los Angeles and collaborating with a number of independent scientific studies that are exploring Reconnective Healing and its extraordinary benefits.

For info contact: marco.alati@gmail.com 323-617-2289 “Description” is all in the eyes of that who is experiencing, thus “description” of “who” becomes irrelevant. And the truth is, that describing Lavandaia using “words” is like trying to catch a fragrance. Scent cannot be caught, it can only be enjoyed and discovered through the experience itself. Who Lavandaia “is” is her mission, Giving clarity and divine knowledge to those who are willing to move forward in life and explore how to express their highest self.

For more information visit www.lavandaia.org, or contact us at paola.seed@gmail.com

75 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH POSITIVE SELF-TALK

Photo by YIFEI CHEN

By Shelly Wilson

76 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2020

Being human can be tough sometimes, and so can this journey into consciousness. Many times, we are all too hard on ourselves. We are strong enough to endure this human life experience, and we need to be reminded of this periodically. It is essential that we have as much compassion for ourselves as we so often extend to others. In other words, we need to be easier on ourselves and much kinder, especially with our self-talk.

No one can do this for us on our behalf, even with support and encouragement. Empowerment is something we must do for ourselves, and the sooner we start, the better off we will be. Many individuals find it easy to love others and express that love, but find it challenging or uncomfortable to feel that same love for themselves. Love is a feeling, an emotion, a state of being. When we focus on loving ourselves, this feeling is empowering. Doing so isn’t selfish; it is self-love.

It’s time to acknowledge and then banish the negative self-talk, which is often detrimental to our psyche, well-being, and overall physical health. Then, we can make a choice to re-direct the energy emission to one of self-love, compassion, positivity, empowerment, and kindness.

According to Science, everything is made up of energy; it is the building block of all matter. Everything in this Universe is made up of the same stuff. It´s just present in different forms and shapes. Our physical bodies are also made up of energy. This includes our thoughts, words, actions, and emotions.

This energetic emission, which includes our self-talk and the other thoughts running through our mind, is similar to a radio signal transmission.

Therefore, it is necessary to become aware of these energetic emissions as we are essentially walking vibrations. Like a radio station, the frequency we vibrate at is what we broadcast out to the world around us. Our emotions affect our physical bodies. If we vibrate with fear, stress, or lack of trust, the energy is being focused in a lower vibrational way and resisting flow.

Lower or heavier vibrations are vibrations that stem from a reaction to an outside source. They are the frequencies of fear, which include worry, doubt, lack, depression, anger, hatred, apathy, jealousy, and despair. Higher vibrations are powerful and tend to feel good. They are easy to identify since they are heart-centered, light, bright, playful, loving, grateful, peaceful, and giving.

Consciously or subconsciously, we make a choice to live in lower or higher vibrations.

Lower vibrations create more reactionary choices: retaliation, judgment, and selfabuse. Higher vibrations move us into the choice of creation instead of reaction: understanding, acceptance, and self-love.

The words I am, which we use to define who we are and what we are capable of, are expressions of the highest aspect of ourselves.

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Every time the words I am are thought or spoken, we are knowingly or unknowingly directing the Universe to manifest what we are saying, thinking, or feeling. Rather than focusing on lower vibrational energies and negative thoughts, aspire to focus on higher vibrational energies and positive thoughts.

With that said, we need to become more conscious of our own self-talk, especially, as that is typically when we unknowingly invoke the, I am in a lower vibrational way.

Some examples of this include the statements: I am stupid. I am ugly. I am fat. I am lost. I am struggling. I am a loser.

These statements may be words we had spoken about ourselves when we were feeling frustrated, disappointed, angry, and unloved. Undoubtedly, these are words we may have heard others speak, or they may have been directed towards us at one point in our lives. But to put it simply, negative self-talk encompasses any thoughts or spoken words about yourself that may be demoralizing and inhibiting your ability to believe in yourself and what you are capable of. Ultimately, these self-limiting beliefs may prevent you from achieving your full potential.

Take a moment to consider these questions for yourself: How do you view yourself?

What does your self-talk sound like?

Is it negative/critical or positive/life-affirming?

It’s time to acknowledge and then banish the negative self-talk, which is often detrimental to our psyche, well-being, and overall physical health. Then, we can make a choice to re-direct the energy emission to one of selflove, compassion, positivity, empowerment, and kindness. Actively choosing to engage in positive self-talk will make us feel good about ourselves and the life we are living.

Turn down the volume of your negative inner voice and create a nurturing inner voice to take its place. When you make a mistake, forgive yourself, learn from it and move on instead of obsessing about it. Equally important, don’t allow anyone else to dwell on your mistakes or shortcomings or to expect perfection from you. ~ Beverly Engel

Subsequently, we must see ourselves as the beautiful, miraculous creations that we are. Recognize that there is no one else in the Universe exactly like you. Celebrate the unique and diverse being that you are. Accept your uniqueness and dismiss any perceived flaws or imperfections because you are perfect just the way you are.

Individually, we can each choose to accept and embody the unlimited power of our inner spirit by declaring an empowering statement, such as one of the following statements: I am unconditional love. I am energy. I am beautiful.

I am amazing. I am confident. I am empowered. I am joyful. I am successful. I am smart. I am attractive. I am resourceful. I am healthy. I am creative. I am financially stable. I am happy. I am loved. I am wonderful. I am making a difference in the lives of others.

What words do you wish to embody?

My challenge to you today is to observe your thoughts and internal dialogue and recognize if and when you speak poorly to yourself. We all have moments of self-deprecation, and very often, we are too hard on ourselves. Today, start to be caring and supportive of yourself. Observe that little voice in your head and say something positive to yourself instead! ~ Elaine Seiler So, who are you? Redefining our perception of ourselves is essential since we are walking, talking energetic beings. Feeling confident and empowered creates a ripple effect throughout our lives and those we come into contact with. Focusing on empowerment through positive self-talk begins with each one of us.

Let’s advocate for self-love and self-positivity while kicking negative self-talk to the curb.

Additional Tips to Assist You with Becoming Empowered 1. Ground and center your energy while consciously bringing your energy to this present moment. You are in the flow of manifestation when you are living in the here and now rather than dwelling in the past or planning the future.

2. Have the courage to be who you are always and in all ways. There is no need to carry the energy of what others may think or say about you. Each one of us has our own human life experience. Choose to honor your experience as well as everyone else’s experience.

3. Say what you mean to say. When you speak your truth, you will recognize the importance of hearing the truth from others. Be mindful when communicat-

ing and discern if you are coming from a place of love or fear/lack. Communicate your needs and desires to yourself and to others. Don’t assume that everyone can read your mind. You have to speak up.

4. Listen to what your body is telling you. Pay attention to the sensations that you feel physically. As you heighten your awareness and tune in, you will be accustomed to recognizing this communication.

5. Surrender and release to Spirit/the Universe anything you cannot control. The five things you can actually control are your own thoughts, words, actions, emotions, and responses.

6. Choose to be conscious of the energy you are emitting. Are you sending mixed signals to the Universe with your thoughts/words and actions? When you align your thoughts, words, and actions with your beliefs, you are walking your talk and talking your walk.

People may have differing beliefs, so it is important to honor their beliefs as well in a loving way while not compromising yourself in the process.

7. Trust the guidance you are receiving. You may not understand the how, when, why, what, and where details, but it is essential to acknowledge the guidance you are receiving and express your gratitude for receiving it.

8. Be patient with your progress. Cease the mind chatter and negative self-talk. Honor yourself and what you are feeling.

Shelly Wilson is an author, intuitive medium and conscious creator who is passionate about helping people wake up to their greatness.

She supports others as they navigate their own journey into consciousness to experience aliveness. Shelly’s books, 28 Days to a New YOU, Connect to the YOU Within, Journey into Consciousness and Embracing the Magic Within are available in paperback and eBook. She is also the creator of Cards of Empowerment and Clarity Cards.

ShellyRWilson.com EmbracingTheMagicWithin.com

79 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

The Healing Power of Forgiveness

Photo by Hian Oliveira

By Sasha Gary

80 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

O

ne morning I was so angry that I was betrayed and made a fool by a "friend" for well over a year. I was so angry when I realized what he had done. For many years I was just a reactive person. Hot-tempered, passionate, whatever you like to call it. I started meditating twenty-six years ago to help me with finding more peace in my life. All of these years later, I was still reactive.

My place of solace is at the beach. I know that if I can walk it out, breathe in the fresh air, and by the time I return to my home, I have let go of whatever it was that was bothering me. That morning I decided to walk to Marina Del Rey and back to Venice, and by the time I was finished, my body was calmer, my mind felt more at ease. As I started walking off the beach and I crossed the threshold of sound where the ocean stops the echoing noise of the waves crashing, and you leave the vortex of peace behind, I felt a rage of fire rise from my belly up into my chest. I knew right then, and there, my anger was still fueled inside of me.

I also knew that I had to forgive him right then, right there in the essence of that beautiful healing energy of the ocean. I knew that I had to forgive him for me!

I knew that if I didn't forgive him, I would be living with that fire inside of me. I said a healing prayer of I forgive you for….

I walked off the beach that day and never felt that anger again. I would run into him with friends, and I wasn't the least bit reactive. Forgiveness is so powerful.

It's very important to understand it's never about the other person. It's always about you! So you can go on and live your life in peace and tranquility.

I love the healing powers of the ancient Hawaiian tradition of p—a healing practice of forgiveness. An ancient spiritual practice originated in the Polynesian Islands of the South Pacific and later Hawaii. You begin by admitting responsibility. It doesn't matter who is right or who is wrong. You say, "I'm sorry", You ask for forgiveness, "Please forgive me." You express your gratitude by saying, "Thank you." and you give love by saying, "I love you." You can use this technique to clear out any negativity in your life, like that fire in my belly, or you can forgive yourself. It's a beautiful, harmonious practice of the highest energy levels of forgiveness, gratitude, and love. It's extremely powerful. You can do this with a partner face to face, and connect on that energy level between the two of you and feel it together, heal together.

I've used this practice, and the other person doesn't even know it's about them, because it's for me. This technique of Ho'oponopono reduces stress, improves

your overall health, and will improve your relationships and the most important relationship with yourself. Forgiveness lowers your stress hormones, reduces your blood pressure, and strengthens your immune system.

This practice may not be easy at first, but you do get used to it. Once you feel the healing powers you know, just like I did that, I needed that healing in that moment. Stay positive and focus on living your best life.

You can move on with your life without forgiving someone. However, this anger that is repressed will come back up in some other way, or you will be stuck at a point, and you can't move past it. The anger can grow deeper inside of you, and you are the person who is angry all of the time. You continue to blame and stay hurt.

Forgiveness brings happiness and peace, and what a beautiful way to live your best life. I love that smile that comes across my face for no reason other than the happiness is shining through. Walking away from people or things that do not bring you happiness will make you smile as you walk out of their lives. That makes me smile even more. Going inside and doing the inner work will bring that happiness and peace, breathwork, and meditation will bring you peace and more love into your life. Focus on the good, not the bad energy of anger, hate, resentment, and betrayal.

Visualize yourself in a happier state until you begin to live in that state. Expressing more gratitude for the lesson you learned that had brought you to this place of forgiveness. You can always find gratitude in everything. Say thank you for the lesson, and I am ready to move on! Next, next! It may take time to get there and find peace and compassion in your heart until you get there.

Sasha Gary is Gratitude Life Coach. actress, writer, and Transformation Life Coach at www.balancedbellasonline.com is a 16 week online health program for women that shows you how to implement small sustainable changes one by one to help you with whole food nutrition, self-love and a conscious movement. Sasha is a yogi of 25 years, a crystal healer, and an avid sound bowl meditation participant and lives in Venice California!

81 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

An excerpt from "The Light Within You"

WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE HARNESS THE POWER OF YOUR VOICE, YOUR INDIVIDUALITY AND THE SPIRIT THAT LIVES WITHIN YOU, WHILE UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF ON A DEEPER LEVEL. GAIN A TRUE CLARITY OF ‘SELF’.

By Gemma Leigh Smith

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Photo by Marco Testi

83 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Gemma Smith had wanted to write a book since she was a little girl. However, the prospect was so all-consuming and exciting that, ironically, she found it impossible to get off the starting block.

This paralysis is something everyone lives through every day. But Smith has realized her dream, and the result is 'The Light Within You,' a truly life-changing book that will move anyone through a paradigm shift to operate at their highest potential, with sincerity and love.

'The Light Within You' will show you how to‌ Discover your life art, your inner passion, that you want to achieve, succeed in, and unconditionally love.

Learn how to utilize your inner light to empower you to achieve anything you set out to do.

Be aware of the infinite Higher Power that lives within you.

Use gratitude and the magnetism of attraction to create a happier, more fulfilled you, enriched with love and light.

Uncover ways to operate on your highest potential to become the best version of yourself that resonates with your inner truth.

"Believe it or not, you have an innate right to operate at your highest potential," explains the author, an internationally-recognized journalist, writer, teacher, and a humanitarian" And we already have the light within us that will set the flames of progress and change alight. This internal warm energy provides a compass for us to navigate ourselves and the world with love, passion, and unstoppable potential. But most people live their entire lives without ever finding and using it. In "The Light within you, " you'll set this inner light free and start building a new existence where joy and prosperity prevail."

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Everybody on this planet has their voice, a voice that is destined to come out and to be heard (literally or felt through communication). You and I each have messages that can share with other people because we both have different life experiences. We may not know what that message is straight away, and we may not feel that we have completely found our voice, but it will come, over time, with self-confidence, self-belief, and learning how to harness your internal light truly. As individuals, we hold our own internal morals, values, and belief systems, and this can shape who we are, how other people see us, and where we decide to go in life.

When we decide to keep our voice inside of us, hidden from the world, we are, in fact, prohibiting the truth from coming out. We are suppressing our own truths. It may be that the people around you desperately want to hear your truth and could benefit greatly from what you have to say. The problem is, is that most of us are scared of what people think. We are fearful of being judged and of being thought about in a way that we're not comfortable with. Let's get rid of that belief system. Now! You have to learn to be comfortable in your own skin, whether there are consequences or not, is irrelevant. If you are not being true to yourself, how do you expect to move forward in your life? How do you expect to find serenity? You cannot progress as an individual if you are restricting yourself from being who you really are. When you find your voice, it can be truly life-transforming. You will start to notice people noticing you more. Maybe you have always hidden in the corner and was afraid to really stand out, but that won't be the case anymore. You might be thinking, 'I don't like to stand out' but never forget that you are ultimately still in control of what is and what can be, but what matters most is that you are always being true to yourself. Don't suppress your extraordinary internal energy, that glowing light inside of you. Be you because you are amazing, and you matter.

What is yours, why? To help you realize who you really are as an individual, can be helpful to figure out what matters most to you. When you are motivated by something, in particular, it may feel as though nothing else matters because you have a bigger, more meaningful purpose at stake. When you can dig deep into your heart and soul (brainstorm if you have to, by jotting down all the things you deeply love), you may be able to unleash what it is that really means the most to you. Pinpoint those things and strive for them. It depends on them to see you through when times get tough and challenging.

For example, I am a Primary School Teacher, and when I am having a hard, challenging day, I remember my 'why.' My 'why' is that I am there for those children, the children are what matter the most to me in my profession and ensuring that I can give them the best possible education and opportunity to thrive. When I am in a difficult situation or feeling a sense of stress, I stop and think about my 'why,' and all of a sudden, the moment of hardship suddenly doesn't feel half as bad. Thinking about those children and how much they deserve the best version of myself enables me to move forward, to look ahead instead of looking back.

The whole world makes sense again as though the missing pieces of the puzzle are arranged back together.

If you don't know what you 'why' is, make a list of all the things that are important to you and then focus on one in particular. Ask yourself which one feels right? What one stands out the most to you? Then, you can write that 'why' down or install it firmly into your mind so that it is going nowhere. You may not use or refer to it some days, and that'll be because you won't need to, but when you do feel a drop in your emotions or when you are feeling low, it'll be there ready in your locker to depend on and get you through a challenging time. Remember 'why' you're doing something, make it purposeful, and keep looking ahead.

Control your mind Staying in control of your mind is important if you want to become successful, but that is definitely easier said than done, especially in the world that we live in where so much is going on all of the time.

We have become a race of distraction, constantly doing things to distract our minds from what 'is'. It is hard and rare to shut off and to then be okay with the silence or to be okay in the present moment. When I was younger, I was taught an important lesson, and it has stuck with me throughout my life;' we must learn to stay in control of our mind instead of letting our mind control us.'

When we let our minds control us, it is as though we are letting our subconscious minds run on 'auto-pilot', without any control from us or our conscious minds. Is it okay that we lose control over our SELF? Absolutely not. The key to being in control of your mind is to be in the present moment.

I completely understand that it is a hard thing to do because I struggle with it myself. It can be easier to sit on a train, scrolling through our phone instead of looking up and appreciating what is going on around us. I do it a lot, especially when I am walking, I forget to take in what is going on around me.

It actually makes me feel empty inside when I reflect upon it.

We know it's not right, but what shall we do? How can we change that mindset?

Increasingly it is being suggested that we can consciously improve our mindset by simply being more careful about what content we consume because our input and output are intrinsically linked.

Input=Output – What you decide to invest on a daily basis has a profound effect on you and the way you think about things.

For example, when I was younger, I used to be naughty by watching some horror movies that I shouldn't have seen because I was considered too young to watch them. Without

realizing it at the time, watching those movies had a longterm effect on my mental health. To this day, I am a very frightened person.

Although I have adopted the 'feel the fear but do it anyway' approach, I still learned that what I put in, I get out. What I watch has an impact on my life, and this is something we should all be aware of. When thinking about our purpose and where we want to go in life, we need to be mindful of our input.

We need our input to enrich us, reawaken our souls, and spark the flames to our internal light, and that can mean curating the kind of content that we consume.

If I want to feel happy and be a happy person for my friends, my loved ones or for the strangers around me, then I need to digest positive material in a conscious, purposeful way. If I am putting negative information inside of me, I am putting myself into a position that I am likely going to execute negative thoughts, conversations, and actions. What I put into myself – my mind – will have an ultimate consequence, there will be a reaction from it.

Think about the input you want to put in and consider what you want to get back from it? What impact do you want that to have on your mindset? You could read a really interesting book, for example, and then share that insightful knowledge with other people by lifting them up and making others feel good. By educating yourself, you widen your horizon, stretch your know-how, and, ultimately, grow in wisdom and strength.

Gemma Leigh Smith life has been dedicated to lighting up the lives of others with her empathetic and caring nature known to have a positive effect on those around her.

She currently lives in the UK. Gemma. believes that there is a positive lesson to be learnt in every situation, no matter how bad or difficult it may seem.

Gemma is also a qualified Life Coach, certified in Positive Psychology and Mental Health and is keen to share her expertise by offering coaching sessions to transform people's way of thinking while encouraging positive mental health and all-round wellbeing. Her powerful voice and intention to inspire and lift others is truly infectious and can benefit masses of individuals and groups in society, all over the world. Gemma believes that your purpose is to touch lives through your centred craft. You have a duty to live a happy life. www.thelightwithinyou.co.uk 85 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Photo by Elia Pellegrini

Albert Einstein believed that everything is energy. That belief keeps company with today’s quantum scientists in that energy is everywhere and is everything, and that we can consciously access it.

In her new, young adult novel, “Quantum Leap,” Rainie York shares a thrilling coming-of-age story about a teenage girl’s journey into the world of energy as she struggles to gain true control over her life.

“As energy, words and thoughts are things,” York says. “As such, they have enormous power.”

In York’s new book, 15 year-old Rebecca Jean uses the power of storytelling to escape from her life and exercise a sense of control. When the stories begin to come true, Rebecca wrestles with both guilt and exhilaration, but also consequences that turn her life upside down.

Against the backdrop of high school drama, first loves, best friends, and family, Rebecca searches for answers.

What she finds will test her core beliefs. From ancient philosophy and universal law to quantum science, Rebecca finds a common thread relative to the power of mind. “Quantum Leap” introduces young readers to both ancient and quantum thinking about consciousness, and York invites her readers to ask themselves what they believe, and why.

“We get to choose what we believe,” York says. “Paying attention to our thoughts and beliefs can lead us to amazing discoveries.”

86 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Q

uantum Leap Explores the Power of Taking Control

by Influencing Energy

By Rainie York

Another week with no job, and summer had begun to lose its appeal. Rebecca was restless and bored. Bored didn’t really cover it, actually, but she was at a loss to define what did. She was not writing. She had tried a couple times, but nothing had come. She missed Laney, and she missed the thrill of slipping into the zone and letting a story take her where it would. But she was afraid.

Sam was at the ranch full time. Zoe’s summer class had started, and she was also doing a little tutoring. Rebecca couldn’t fault Zoe for wanting to come by some cash. Or Sam, either.

It was just that with no job of her own, she missed her best friends even more. It didn’t seem fair. Ty was, by all accounts, thriving in the wilds of Steamboat Springs. AJ worked most afternoons at the pool. Rebecca had fallen into the habit of hanging around waiting for AJ’s shift to end. It was lame, she knew.

Today, however, Zoe was free, and they were meeting up with AJ after her shift. Rebecca wore a new two-piece swimsuit. She had checked herself out in her mirror before pulling on running shorts—not that she ran, mind you—and a T-shirt. Alone in her room, she had admired round breasts subtly exposed by the halter top. As long as it was just the girls, she could be daring. Laney had sniggered, saying it wasn’t daring if there was no risk.

Rebecca had ignored her.

Now she adjusted the big umbrella and let herself sink con-

tentedly into her lounger, her mind still and quiet for a change. Zoe was reading or dozing, it was impossible to tell which with oversized sunglasses hiding her face.

The sound of the pool gate slamming and rowdy voices disrupted her peace. Annoyed at the intrusion, she opened her eyes to see Jackson, Josh, and Anson making their way toward the pool, punching each other and clowning around.

Rebecca sat up, suddenly self-conscious, and irritated that she felt that way. She dropped her sunglasses over her eyes, yanked her T-shirt over her head. She drew her legs up and hugged her knees. Zoe looked up from her book and glanced at the boys.

Rebecca watched as Anson made a graceful dive into the water. He popped up halfway down the pool, flinging back his head, water flying from dark hair. Jackson peeled his shirt off, exposing a flat abdomen rippled with lean muscle. Rebecca watched him closely from the safety of her sunglasses.

Was that a tat on his side? It looked like a lizard. Or maybe a dragon. Jackson dropped his things carelessly and followed Anson into the pool.

Rebecca shifted her gaze to AJ, who was coming down from the guard tower. Josh climbed swiftly up to replace her, settling his tight, wiry frame into the chair and assuming the classic lifeguard pose—arms resting on the sides of the chair, leaning slightly forward, body tense with vigilance. Rebecca’s eyes followed AJ as she crossed the grass toward her and Zoe.

87 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

AJ was a sight! Tall, bronze skin glistening. High cheekbones, straight nose. She was subtly toned from her swimming with a figure to die for. Rebecca was secretly in awe. A ratty hat and careless hair only accentuated AJ’s stunning appearance. The sun was behind her, and a nimbus of light surrounded her. Just backlighting from the burning Colorado sun, but she could have been a mythical goddess. Rebecca was mesmerized. Had she never really seen AJ before?

Whistles and catcalls caused AJ to frown. She pulled an oversized Tee from her tote and slipped it over her head, her movements casual to the point of indifference.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey, AJ. Wow. You look great!” Zoe’s admiration glowed on her face.

AJ shrugged, dragged another chaise close and arranged herself on it.

“God, AJ, you should be the one in a beauty contest, not Angela.” Rebecca knew as she spoke that her comment would not be welcomed by AJ, but she couldn’t help herself.

AJ directed hazel eyes at Rebecca. “That’s so not who I am,” she said flatly.

“I know, I know.” Rebecca was apologetic. “But, jeez, AJ . ” She twirled a lock of hair as she studied her friend.

“You’re a bunch of things, most of them totally the bomb.

And none of them about being drop-dead gorgeous. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t. Drop-dead gorgeous, I mean,” she added.

Zoe looked thoughtful. AJ’s closest friends knew her mother used her beauty to get what she wanted, to the exclusion of any other means. Also that AJ held her mother in disdain for it. There was a long history of issues between AJ and her mother, but that was a big one.

“She’s right, you know,” Zoe said. “Your mother isn’t a twit because she’s beautiful. She’s a twit because that’s all she knows how to be.”

And there it was. Out in the open for anyone to hear. AJ turned her steady gaze from Rebecca to Zoe. The friction in the air practically hummed.

Rebecca was holding her breath, so she guessed it wasn’t really hours before anyone spoke, even though it felt like it. Eventually it was AJ who broke the tension. She turned her attention to her tote, pulling out a paperback and a pair of glasses with blue frames.

“You’re right,” she said. Her voice was resigned. “And I 88 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

know that. I just want to be known for something else.

That’s all people see most of the time. The superficial, I mean. I want to be seen for, you know, more of who I really am.” She settled her glasses on her face and shifted in her chair. “If only I had some idea who that is.”

“Well, who does?” said Rebecca.

“You do,” said AJ. “Zoe is all about college. Sam has her horses. You’ve got your writing. And that you love to hate Jackson.” AJ glanced at the pool where the boys were horsing around.

Rebecca let the Jackson remark slide. She might have consoled AJ by telling them she wasn’t writing, but then she’d have to explain why. She let that slide, too.

AJ pushed her glasses up her nose. “I was at Aunt Tillie’s last weekend. You know, in Santa Monica.”

Zoe and Rebecca nodded.

“Aunt Tillie said maybe it’s time I quit hiding behind my mother’s issues and took advantage of my own strengths.”

Zoe’s eyes widened. Rebecca just stared.

“Yeah. Says what she thinks,” said AJ. “And what do you think?” Zoe asked carefully.

“I think she might be right,” said AJ. “I think she’s kind of psychic. Plus, all that attitude takes a lot of energy to maintain.”

“Wow.” It was all Rebecca could say.

“Psychic?” Zoe asked.

“Or something like that. Reads energy, maybe.”

Rebecca’s heart lurched and her stomach dropped. Laney came alive in her head, but she didn’t have anything to say. Neither did Rebecca. Zoe was looking thoughtful again; she just nodded.

AJ got abruptly to her feet. “I’m getting something to drink,” she said. “Either of you want something?”

Rainie York was born and raised in Mendocino County in Northern California. Rainie holds a BS from the University of San Francisco. She is a Reiki Master and a Certified Life Coach. Rainie is fascinated by quantum science and ancient belief systems, especially where they overlap in relation to power of mind. She is passionate about personal empowerment for women, writing, and energy healing.

Her website is www.rainieyorkauthor.com.

Genesis Book One of the Genesis Trilogy

By Layton Green

F

rom Assassin’s Creed mastermind Alexandre Amancio and Cirque du Soleil creator Guy LalibertÊ, comes Reflector Entertainment, a multiplatform think-tank that builds creative content universes. Reflector Entertainment interweaves narratives and characters across films, video games, novels, podcasts, comics, and beyond. While each story is independent, if you experience them all, they tell a broader narrative that expands the overall mythology.

Photo by Warren Wong

Written by bestselling author Layton Green, GENESIS is a modern-day thriller that takes readers on a global treasure hunt as an endearing heroine uncovers and decodes clues that unlock one of the greatest mysteries in the history of humankind.

90 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2020

A

Andie Robertson woke bleary-eyed and stumbled to the bathroom of her rental home. The semester had ended, but she was helping Dr. Corwin with a textbook over the summer, and a folder full of source checks had kept her up half the night.

A child with a coffee-toned complexion in the front row waved her hand in the air, her mass of curly hair bouncing like copper springs. “Hey, are you really a teacher?”

From her podium atop the scuffed auditorium stage, Andie smirked and tapped the silver piercing in her left nostril. She had heard the children giggling about it.

“Does this suggest I’m not?”

“It means you’re different.”

“Thanks for the compliment. Is that your only question?”

The girl, maybe eight years old, thought for a moment. “I know we’ve been to the moon, but I want to go to a star. Can I do that one day?”

“That’s a great question. I’d love to go to a star one day too.”

“So can we?”

“Hmm. Did you know the closest star to Earth is the sun?”

Though she would have helped him for free, because it was Dr. Corwin and because she loved the research, her mentor knew she needed the money. Andie was a PhD candidate in astrophysics at Duke. With her tuition scholarship, teaching duties, and the pittance she made as Dr. Corwin’s research assistant, she was able to scrape by, but her “The sun isn’t a star. It’s the sun.” lifestyle included copious amounts of coupon shopping, street food, and camping out at lo- The other children giggled at the little girl’s brashness. Milky Way Monday had cal coffee shops. become one of Andie’s favorite days of Though a state school was more Andie’s the month. She loved almost everything speed, she had come to Duke because of Dr. about her chosen field: the cutting-edge Corwin. He was not just her faculty mentor; research, the nights spent gazing at the he was an old family friend. Twenty years heavens, the heated debates about radago, when Andie was a young girl in Princ- ical cosmological theories with her coleton, New Jersey, Dr. Corwin had mentored leagues.

Andie’s mother, Samantha, in her own PhD studies. Samantha was his favorite student. Yet modern astrophysics was an esoAndie’s father was a novelist who loved to teric field that dealt with concepts and cook. They often invited Dr. Corwin—a life- distances vaster than most people could long bachelor— over for dinner parties, or imagine. Mathematical formulas so comeven by himself for a solid meal during the plex they resembled an alien language. week. Andie and Dr. Corwin had spent many hours in the back yard, cataloguing the gar- Andie found a visceral and very human den and studying the sky after dark, while her satisfaction in talking about the cosmos to elementary school kids in daycare proparents prepared dinner. grams, especially in the poorer neighborOver the years since her mother disappeared, hoods of East Durham. Not because the Andie had continued her close relationship kids were any different—she found most with Dr. Corwin, and considered him a sec- children, in their own ways, amazing and insightful—but because of the chance to ond father. spark the imagination of kids who might She ate a quick breakfast and finished dress- not have the best opportunities in life. ing. Dr. Corwin was scheduled to return in two days, and she had a lot of work to finish. While Andie was a very driven woman now, she would have fallen through the But first, she had a different sort of obliga- cracks herself without the intervention of Dr. Corwin at certain times in her life. tion.

“I’m not sure you’d want to go to the sun,” Andie said to the crowd of children. “It’s a little bit hot up there.”

“How hot?” challenged the same girl.

“The parts you can see are, oh, about five times hotter than lava.”

“Hotter than lava?”

“You think that’s hot?” Andie said. “The nuclear fusion at the core of the sun can reach temperatures of twenty-seven million degrees!”

This fact elicited a roomful of blank looks. Neither nuclear fusion nor million-degree temperatures were cool. Lava was cool.

“So you like volcanoes?” Andie asked, trying to recover. Children kept her much higher on her toes than a roomful of undergrads.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Did you know the planet Mars has a volcano three times as tall as Mount Everest? It’s the tallest mountain in the whole solar system.” After a few oohs and aahs, she turned to the curly-headed girl again. “Let’s get back to your question.

What’s your name?”

The girl twirled a finger in her hair.

“Kayla.”

Using a laser pointer, Andie aimed at one of the stars displayed on the projector screen. “You want to go to one of these, right? Maybe that bright one right there?”

“Uh-huh.”

“After the sun, this is the next-closest star to Earth. Its name is Proxima Centauri, and it’s about four point three light-years away. Does anyone know what a lightyear is?”

Silence.

“It’s easy. A light-year is simply the amount of distance a beam of light can travel in a year. We even know how far that is: nearly six trillion miles.”

The class started to fidget, and Andie thought about how to make it relevant.

“How many of your parents own a car?”

Most hands shot up. “If you wanted to drive a car to Proxima Centauri, it would take you about forty million years to reach it.”

91 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

“I don’t wanna drive, yo,” Kayla said. “I wanna beam up there, like on TV!” The class tittered so much the teachers had to calm them down.

“We’re working on that,” Andie said after the riot had subsided. “I hope you can one day.”

In the third row, a Latino boy with a gap between his front teeth meekly raised a hand. “How big is the universe?”

She always got this question, and it always provoked a soft smile.

“Even we scientists don’t know for sure,” she said. “It’s bigger than you can possibly imagine. But just think about how much adventure is waiting in space! Maybe you’ll all be astronauts one day, and you can tell me the answers.”

This led to a series of rapid-fire questions, the polite raising of hands forgotten in the excitement.

“What do astronauts eat?”

“Are there aliens?”

“What’s inside a black hole?”

Andie put her hands on the podium and leaned forward. “Do you want to know a couple of really cool facts?” As the children quieted, she pointed at the projector screen. “First, did you know that outer space is only fifty miles away? If a car could drive straight up, you’d be there in less than an hour.”

As their pliable young minds tried to grasp this, Andie felt her cell phone buzzing in her pocket. Unable to resist checking to see if the guy she’d met last week was texting her back, she discreetly pulled out her iPhone behind the podium The message wasn’t from the drummer in a local band who had chatted Andie up in a dive bar. It was from Lisa Cranton, one of her colleagues at Duke.

importantly, what was Lisa sorry about?

dromeda Genesis Zephyr.

What news? she quickly texted back, feeling uneasy.

Her phone buzzed again within seconds.

Not wanting to disrupt the lecture, but too curious to wait, Andie let her eyes slip downward as she spoke.

Not many people knew her true name, and when she saw the return address on the UPS envelope, Andie’s breath stuck in her throat.

He was mugged and shot in Italy. He died on the way to the hospital. I can’t believe it.

Sent by Dr. James Corwin.

With a melancholy smile at the name of the hotel, she opened the envelope, curiosity cutting through her grief, wondering why in the world he had sent her a snailmail package. And UPS Express international? That must have cost a fortune.

Andie lurched against the podium, dropping the laser pointer. Unable to find words, she ran out of the auditorium and into the nearest bathroom. She locked herself in a stall, pulled up her browser, and prayed there had been a mistake. But the awful truth was splattered like cheap paint all over the internet.

LEADING PHYSICIST KILLED IN BOLOGNA She knew that Dr. Corwin, one of the top physicists in the world and an authority on quantum gravity and the geometry of space-time, had gone to Italy to attend an international conference. It was a routine event for him.

So what in the hell had happened?

She scanned the online reports. The night before, after a lecture at the university of Bologna, Dr. Corwin was assaulted outside his hotel. It was a brazen attack, a senseless robbery. A hooded assailant had stolen his wallet and his watch, a midrange Swiss brand that Dr. Corwin favored.

A modest timepiece, 150 euros, and a few credit cards that had probably bought the mugger a tank of gas and a case of beer before the cards were flagged as stolen.

This was the price of a human life.

You’ve seen the news about Dr. Corwin?

I’m so sorry.

Andie leaned over the toilet and vomited.

The next morning, head throbbing, she started a pot of coffee and checked her email.

No, Andie hadn’t seen the news. Nothing had popped up in her email, and she hadn’t had time to browse. But if there was important news, why wouldn’t her mentor have told her himself? And more

After breakfast, she stepped outside, breathing in the loamy smell of pine.

There was a UPS Express envelope on the doorstep. To her surprise, the envelope was addressed to her given name, An-

92 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Starhotels Excelsior in Bologna, Italy.

Inside was a handwritten note, dated May 27, on a piece of paper ripped from a Moleskine journal. God, he had sent this right before his murder. As she read Dr. Corwin’s distinctive scrawl—there was no doubt it was his—her pulse quickened, and a series of chills swept through her.

Dearest Andie, I apologize for the bizarre circumstance, but there’s no one else I can trust. If this message reaches you before you hear from me, go immediately to Quasar CAM Labs in the Research Triangle, give the note to Dr. Lars Friedman, and tell him where the birthplace of mathematics is. Do not ask questions. Do not try to reach me under any circumstances.

Do not call or send an email to Dr. Friedman—go in person, as soon as you get this.

Should I fail to return from Italy, trust no one with this message besides Lars. Not the police. Not even your own family.

No one.

Layton Green is a bestselling author who writes across multiple genres, including mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, and fantasy. He is the author of the popular Dominic Grey series, as well as other works of fiction.

His novels have been optioned for film and have topped genre lists in multiple countries. Layton has also been nominated for major awards, including two finalists for an International Thriller Writers award.

SOUL COURAGE

By Tara-jenelle Walsch

Redirecting the

Repercussions

W

e’ve all seen it, we’ve all felt it, and actually, we’ve all been part of it at some level. Part of creating the new interpersonal dynamic since life threw us this pandemic curveball.

To be fair, it is a little awkward talking through masks at six feet apart, and we’re all just trying to figure it out together. But mask or no mask, the way we interact with each other now is far different than what we’re used to.

Life as we knew it will not survive this pandemic. That’s becoming more apparent as the days roll by. Yet most of us are still waiting for life to shift back to what it once was, grieving the loss of our old lifestyle; all the while, wondering how to maintain a sense of togetherness and warm fellowship with others. It’s become a great game of the blind leading the blind.

The sigh of relief here is that deep in our hearts, we don’t want to revert back to what once was; a world separated by discrimination and political upheaval. What wasn’t working has become even more clear since the great fall of this pandemic and it’s left us searching for answers, worldwide. Yet all the King's horses and all the King's men can’t seem to put humanity back together again. So now, it’s up to us.

94 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk

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This window of time is our chance to seed each other with renewed harmony and ground our world in peace; our great opportunity to mend old wounds and unite through catastrophe. We can’t do anything about the devastation of lost lives, but we can still save the living human race.

We’re actually closer than we think. Although it feels like humanity is being secluded right now, if you look closely, we have more emotional availability to connect than before.

Some say that we’ve lost our way.

That this pandemic has derailed humankind. I say that we’ve been lost for a very long time, and that this crisis has shaken us awake to see it with our own eyes.

Now, we must do something about it.

It used to be habitual to busy-up our lives and avoid connecting deeply with others.

Now that life has slowed down, many don’t know what to do with the feelings that being busy helped them avoid and are left looking within. Possibly even searching, within.

And what we find is astonishing; we find each other. Because as we look within, we hear a greater voice speak. One that’s not heard every day. One that we can’t ignore because it rings with such insight.

And it’s there that we instinctively discover a new understanding. Something we may have never considered or felt before.

A broader, impartial comprehension of “us”—who we are as human beings past the color of our skin, beyond our religious or political beliefs and apart from our financial status. It’s there that we realize we all live.

And we notice that no matter who we are, we’re each experiencing the same thing right now; extreme uncertainty.

This level of uncertainty produces a common thought of survival, which creates an immediate bond between us. The challenge is that we don’t share a common energy around this uncertainty. Some people are filled with fear, some are hopeful and others are in denial.

But there’s one powerful energy that, if we all agree to carry and project, would instantly unite and eventually save our species. That is love. If we agreed to share the common energy of love it would sponsor actions like connecting, which in turn

96 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

would sponsor harmony, which sponsors peace, which sponsors unity. It’s an energetic domino effect.

Right now, we’re collectively facing a decision that has forever been sitting in the wings; to choose love over hate, and courage over fear. A choice that is continually demonstrated through the behavior and personal energy we exhibit. Behavior and energy that instinctively elects compassion over hostility, inclusion over separation, and generosity over greed.

This is a cross-road where so many wrongs await to be righted through a simple, conscious shift in our way of being, thinking, loving and living.

Some say that we’ve lost our way. That this pandemic has derailed humankind. I say that we’ve been lost for a very long time, and that this crisis has shaken us awake to see it with our own eyes. Now, we must do something about it.

So, where do we start?

We can start by observing our own behavior rather than judging that of others. To try to stay grounded and in a place of love.

We also start by really being there for each other. Even though we see each other less, we can make ourselves more emotionally (and physically, if possible) available to others. To join together with compassion despite our pain, struggles and discomfort.

A lot of people, especially the elderly, are still in quarantine, some of which don’t see anyone for days on end. And sadly, not all governments are set up to care for their population with free healthcare and resources, so we have to start taking care of each other.

This can be done by checking in with those we care about; calling, sending cards, texting. Just letting them know they aren’t alone. And for goodness sake, stop ghosting each other. Consistently showing up for each other creates a safe place for our hearts to go—a key component in building any relationship.

And with strangers—we can start with giving those we don’t know the benefit of the doubt and treating them with compassion, if met with any resistance.

Yes, it’s tricky business trying to sense what someone we don’t know is feeling, especially when half of their face is covered by a mask. So, we need to work with what we do have: Look others in the eyes and continue to smile, even when wearing a mask. People can see a smile in your eyes and feel it in your energy.

Also, remember to smile at strangers when you aren’t wearing a mask. This sends a sense of ease their way and is an instant reminder that we’re all in this together.

Pay special attention to your voice inflection. Since we’re wearing a mask most of the time and people don’t know us or can’t see our full facial expressions, our voice tone is one of the only things we have to show our friendly intentions.

Waving and nodding at strangers is also helpful to include in our communication since it’s difficult to hear through a mask or from a distance. Using a quick wave or nod to say hello, goodbye, thank you or in agreeance is an easy and friendly gesture.

In essence, it’s important that we not become complacent in the midst of this change, and instead create more awareness around the personal energy we carry and project when in public.

Incorporating some of these small things into our communication with others to make sure we aren’t misunderstood shows wonderful effort to maintain harmony and peace.

And the more effort we all put forth, the closer we are to rebooting our personal morals, staying connecting and resolving discrimination. No one should be left behind. In fact, let that be our new promise to one another: Regardless of age, race, religious or political beliefs, financial or educational status— No one is left behind.

Believe it or not, there is beauty in this chaos; there is a silver lining. The gift is the reminder of how very much we all need each other.

We have the ability to redirect the repercussions of this pandemic through a collective

agreement towards a new way of living; one based in the strength of fairness and love. This agreement will become a universal understanding that ignites a new vision of hope. And when that vision is backed with the united energy of love, it will create the world our hearts have long, longed for.

RoadMap to Redirecting the Repercussions 1. The way humanity interacts now is different 2. Life will never be the same as before this pandemic 3. We don’t want it to be the same; it wasn’t working before 4. Now is our opportunity to create peace & harmony 5. By collectively shifting our energy from fear to love, we redirect separatism to unity 6. Start by observing our own behavior 7. Make ourselves more emotionally available to those we love 8. Give strangers the benefit of the doubt & treat with compassion 9. Learn social-distancing communication: - Smile even when wearing a mask; people can feel it - Smile more when not wearing a mask; it keeps us all bonded - Pay attention to voice inflection keeping it friendly - Wave & nod as an added form of positive communication 10. Let go of all discrimination in your heart 11. Our Universal Promise: No one is left behind

Tara-jenelle Walsch is a monthly columnist for the Eden Magazine.

She is the author of the book, Soul Courage, and the founder and spirit behindthe Soulebrate greeting card company. You will also find her speaking publicly about emotional and energetic awareness, and a sacred formula which she believes has the ability to enrich the world at large.

Tara-jenelle was raised in Annapolis, Maryland and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Towson University in Baltimore.

She currently lives in the beautiful hills of Ashland, Oregon.www.soulcourage.com

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W

hat is a breakthrough? It is a moment in time when everything changes. When the impossible becomes possible.

It is a Thursday evening, a day of any week, but not like any other. I am standing in front of two chairs with a karate board perched in the middle. The music is pumping loud to the words of EMINEM. "If you had one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, would you capture it or just let it slip?" I am jumping up and down, like Rocky, before getting ready for a fight. I am breathing like a dragon, moving my arms like Bruce Lee. I keep yelling YES, YES, YES. I strike. For one brief moment, I lose track of time, until I see the board broken in two on the floor. I start sobbing. I never thought that breaking a karate board with no training would have created such a powerful shift in my life outlook. But it did. And this was just the beginning of a four-day marathon attending the firstever Virtual Event of UNLEASH THE POWER WITHIN, together with twenty-two thousand souls from every corner of the world.

Tony Robbins is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and motivational speaker who has put up personal development events that transformed the lives of millions for more than four decades. A few months back, before COVID hit, I was celebrating his 60th Birthday at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles together with Derek Hough, Dr. Oz, Melissa Etheridge, Pitbull, Andy Grammer, Leona Lewis, and Gerald Butler to name a few.

In one single night, he raised over 18 Million Dollars for Operation Underground Railroad, to fight human trafficking. It was there that I saw for the first time and in-person how many raving fans he had. et me preface. I am not a Tony Robbin's groupie.

Though I have many friends who have been diehard followers and repeat attendees at his events, I never needed to experience his teaching as I had read the books and listened to his motivational podcast. I had seen I AM NOT YOUR GURU on Netflix. That was plenty for me.

In pandemic times, I, like many of us, found myself questioning my values, standards, and beliefs.

I must admit I have been experiencing waves of hopelessness, loneliness, and emotional paralysis.

Somewhere on Facebook, I had seen an announcement that Tony Robbins was doing a

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Facebook Live every day for a few hours daily to help inspire and mentor us on how to have a better handle of our emotions. Before the end of the first day, over 300,000 people were showing up online for him. And whatever he had to say, it felt good and hopeful and relatable. Towards the end, he announced UNLEASH THE POWER WITHIN, a four-day full immersion virtual event suitable for the entire family. I immediately signed up, with another twenty-two thousand human beings. My reason and goal were to crush some limiting beliefs I had carried with me for many years, and I was finally ready to let go. But I needed to know how and I needed a guide.

"Life is a gift. It offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more." ~Tony Robbins I woke up at 7 am on day one, intent to play full out, and be open to the process, loud music, and all (for which he is known for at his live events). I had a lot of earth-shattering moments, and breaking the board by sheer will power was one of them. Beyond the teaching, some of the most powerful highlights for me were the actual practical processes. On Thursday, we connected to our hearts, with a powerful guided meditation that created a profound sense of gratitude within me. Tony believes in the "stacking process."

Just like we stack negative thoughts and experiences, which brings us into a cyclical state of worry and stress and fear, we have the power to stack positively by connecting to our hearts and visualizing with all our senses moments that create positive emotions within us. Eyes closed, we are told to reach out to grab those memories and to bring them to our hearts.

It is amazing how easy it is to tap into those feelings if we open our hearts to bring them in.

"Trade your expectations for appreciation, and your whole life will change in a moment." ~Tony Robbins On day two, we got a lot of education on how our lives' quality is the quality of emotions we live every day. We were put into breakout rooms, as small as six people shuffled randomly to do the written exercises. During these sessions, what was fascinating to me was that almost everyone I met virtually had similar patterns of feeling insignificant, fearful, uncertain, unworthy, and believed those disempowering statements. How we speak to ourselves has such a lasting effect on our physiology and all areas of our lives.

BREAKING

Photo by Thao Le Hoang

THROUGH

By Alexia Melocchi

"You do not change you. You change your patterns". ~Tony Robbins Day three was Transformation day, and it was brutal, in a good way. After many hours of teaching, that were interrupted thankfully by some dancing around the room to shake up the energy, we did the key process of this entire event, called THE DICKENS. It's inspired

by A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Scrooge is visited by ghosts of past, present, and future, as full consequences of his choices, decisions, and behaviors are reenacted. Tony advocates that to break a habit, we have to experience the painful effects of continuing the habits, stretching to the extreme, much like a sling.

The further you bend it backward, the greater the momentum to propel you forward. And when you can't take it any longer, when you realize you will no longer be held back, and you can no longer stay the same, that is the most significant moment to choose to "unleash the power within" and change the identity you held on to for too long.

The fastest way to do so? To decide to live in a BEAUTIFUL STATE. That is accomplished through choosing new and empowering words, like YES, breathing, gratitude.

I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece.

I challenge you to join the ranks of those who live what they teach and walk their talk." ~ Tony Robbins The event ended Sunday night with the Meditation of the Two Hearts led by Master Co, a Pranic Healer, and Tony's wife, Sage. The sight of twenty-two thousand souls, emitting love energy from their heart, and spreading it out to the entire Planet, was nothing short of miraculous. Tears were shed, lives where changed. Hope was reborn. As Tony's wife Sage chanted OM MANI PADME HUM, I glanced at my broken karate board on my desk. On the top side, I AM UNLOVEABLE, a disempowering belief I held on to since I was a child.

On the other side, I AM WORTHY. Before this experience, my board would have been just an amusing experiment.

Now, I have broken through, And I know that not only all in life is possible, I know that I am possible.

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Alexia Melocchi is an accomplished film producer and world wide distribution executive and the partner of Beverly Hills based LITTLE STUDIO FILMS. Alexia Melocchi has an experience of more than twenty years in Hollywood and has produced 11 award wining movies and 3 documentaries that were shot by merging film makers that she has personally discovered and mentored.

She also acquires on behalf of her international distributor clients films and television shows from all over the world for release in the Middle East, Italy, Greece, Spain, Canada, South America and Germany.

She attends all major film festivals in the USA and abroad and has been often invited as an expert panelist on the Film Business for high profile film and television conventions.Alexia is fluent in five languages and is the proud mama to 3 rescue cats.

She supports environmental and animal causes , meditates daily, and is an avid reader of spiritual and self helps books.

IG @lexybella @LttleStudioFlms www.littlestudiofilms.com

Buddha Board

This blank slate offers you a chance to paint away the daily stressors that sap us of our creativity and energy without needing a long list of supplies or a lengthy chunk of time.

Simply grab your board when things start to get overwhelming and let the act of putting brush to tablet absorb your focus. Water “paint” in the abstract, make a picture, or give shape to your feelings. As the water evaporates you’ll be left with a clean slate and a clearer mind.

Buddha Board Highlights:

• Designed with a sleek, modern aesthetic • Reusable • Quick to set up • Painting is truly MESS FREE • Encourages mindfulness • Doesn’t add to your digital footprint • Taps into your creative side • Fun for all ages • Helps kids explore the creative process judgment free • Perfect for relieving stress at home, in the office, or when traveling • Original Buddha Board measures 12” x 9.5” x 1/4”

Take care of yourself, and you’ll help take care of the world with a little help from Buddha Board 101 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2020

Thank you for

10 Years Supporting us

99 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2020