Stressed Out? Keep Calm and Grab these 3 Apps...

Stressed Out? Keep Calm and Grab these 3 Apps...

STRESSED OUT? KEEP CALM AND GRAB THESE 3 APPS...

Article by Debbie Moore Johnston
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

We are all so busy these days. Our To Do List seems to be overflowing: home, work, family, life and everything in between. When will we get a 36-hour day? I’d probably fill that up too.

It’s exhausting and stressful; At least it is in my world. I suspect that many of you are also in the middle of a juggling act. With all of the stress going on, it can be challenging to take a step back and just BREATHE. RELAX. BE ALONE.

Well, these 3 APPS have become my IPHONE favorites to help me step back and Breathe---even if for only a moment.

1| Happify: Even the name makes me feel good. “Elevate your happiness and feel good about yourself.” It’s been featured in the NY Times, and made CNN.com’s Top 10 to train your brain.

2| Stop, Breathe, Think: This one gets used a lot on my phone. Even if you don’t like to meditate, I think this one will get you going. You can Check-In with yourself daily, track your progress and create a little more peace in your life.

3| Joel Osteen: Even if you’re not the religious kinda gal, I think that you’ll appreciate his messages. Love the Daily Inspirational Messages and Motivation. Keeps me inspired to Thrive, not just Survive.

I hope that you find these as useful as I have. It’s great to have them right on your phone when you have those — 911 moments to keep the CALM!

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Failure Does Not Define the End of Your Business

Failure Does Not Define the End of Your Business

FAILURE DOES NOT DEFINE THE END OF YOUR BUSINESS

Article by John Scardina
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

Some businesses have and some have not. That event when you realize that owning your own business is not working out. That moment when failure is the only foreseeable outcome, at least in your own mind that impending feeling of helplessness and doom that consumes you. This consumption can be devastating to your mind and body.

Definition of FAILURE: Source Merriam-Webster

1 :: a: omission of occurrence or performance; specifically: a failing to perform a duty or expected action <failure to pay the rent on time>
b: (1):  a state of inability to perform a normal function <kidney failure> — compare heart failure (2): an abrupt cessation of normal functioning <a power failure>
c: a fracturing or giving way under stress <structural failure>

2 ::  a: lack of success
b: a failing in business: bankruptcy

3 :: a: a falling short: deficiency <a crop failure>
b: deterioration, decay

4 :: a: one that has failed

Enough of the doom and gloom portion of this. These events sometimes unavoidable can be controlled and overcome with the right mindset rather than being consumed by the fear of failure. These moments are teaching moments and you already have experience and knowledge of what was not working. Now is the time to take this event and manifest it into an entrepreneurial dream and reality. Failure is that teaching moment that helps you better prepare a business plan and continue with well calculated decisions for your successful future.

For myself the following quote holds so true and is something that has been engrained into my mind. “In business there are only challenges and opportunities”, author is unknown to me.  This quote alone allows the entrepreneur the mindset to never accept failure and turn negative events into a positive solution for your business. Utilizing what you already know, at don’t leave out items that did not work for you in the past. These are lessons of ever changing opportunities. I’m a huge cheerleader of this process as I have had a failed business in the past and this now allows me not to repeat past fruitless efforts and to push forward in a market that has some many variables, learning to quickly adapt to all and any market changes.

Items to consider when adapting to your next endeavor... 

Preparation list:

1| Positive attitude only, never let the negative manifest itself
2| Define your product or service
3| Product or service need in a niche market
4| Marketing, Holistic Fashionista, what a resource for everything you need to know.
5| Customer acquisition and retention
6| Ability to adapt quickly to changing trends
7| Do not accept failure as an option
8| Embrace challenges and seek opportunities

Remember “There are only challenges and opportunities in business”

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Fix Your Funk with these 9 Mood Boosters

FIX YOUR FUNK WITH THESE 9 MOOD BOOSTERS

9 Mood Boosters

Article by Amanda Egger
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

Sing
The act of singing releases endorphins, the brain’s “happy” chemicals.  Let your inner rock star out!  You can create a “my happy theme songs” on your iPod, sing in the shower or heck you could even write your own little happy tune.  Never mind if you don’t have the voice of an angel, Just Sing and release your happy chemicals.

Wear Pink or Yellow
Pink is associated with happiness & romance so if your feeling down in the dumps throw on a pink top and get happy.  In need of some cheering up throw on your yellow sweater and Cheer Up, Butter Cup!  Yellow is associated with inspiration and intelligence.

Play
Take part in an activity that makes you happy- such as riding your bike, swimming, baking, walking and of course Dance.  There is always time for a Dance Break. Have you ever been in a bad mood after you danced?  Shake your groove thang!

Hang out with your besties
Get your girls together (unless your friends suck & bring your mood down. Then go get new friends).  Have some fun with your friends. Eat, Drink & be Merry.

Be Grateful
Make a list of all the things in your life that you are truly grateful for.   Put your focus on what you have at this moment and you’ll surely feel happy with all that you have.

Wake up with a smile.
Wake up with a big smile on your face. By moving your muscles into a smile you will increase endorphins.  You could state a happy positive affirmation to yourself while you are grinning ear to ear.  It could be as simple as “I am Joy” or “My future is always bright and happy. I look at only the bright side of things.”

Laugh
Not just a little chuckle a great belly laugh. Ya know where you laugh so hard you could pee your pants.  You could go to the comedy club (ever see anybody leave there miserable?) Or you could watch some LMAO videos on youtube.

Send yourself Flowers
Research proves that flowers have an effect on a person’s emotional and behavioral state. Flowers are linked to immediate happiness of a person.  You don’t need to wait for somebody to show up at your door with a bouquet.  Call the florist and have them delivered to your office.  You could have the florist write a happy quote on the card.  Don’t want to spend the cash for delivery?  On your way home when you stop off to grab some dinner pick up a beautiful bouquet.

Plan a trip
“Anticipating a trip makes you happier than actually taking the trip.”  Research shows that people planning a vacation are happier than those who aren’t.   Grab some travel brochures and plan “your vaca” or you could create a board on Pinterest.  Have fun with it, plan it as if it is truly happening and soak up those happiness vibes.

Top 5 Surprising Benefits of Having Low Self-Esteem

TOP 5 SURPRISING BENEFITS OF HAVING LOW SELF-ESTEEM

Article by Jentana Lee Dabbs
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

Benefits of Having Low Self-Esteem

Believe it or not, having low self-esteem/self-worth is actually beneficial for some people and can make people more powerful. Self-esteem reflects a person's overall subjective emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self.  Many people, especially women, are a bit challenged with issues in the self-esteem/self-worth department and they choose not to do anything about it, since they don’t recognize the impact that it has on their lives, however, here are 5 surprising benefits of having low self-esteem/self-worth.

Top 5 benefits:

1.    Weak men, can get a wonderful woman who will spend every waking moment trying to please him, regardless of his appearance, income level, physical or emotional abuse, or any other type of demeaning thing he will do to her, because a woman with low self-esteem/worth is on a mission to prove that she is good enough for him and she is blind in seeing that what he is doing is wrong.  

2.    Cheap, low level employers can hire talented people for very low wages, minimal benefits and sometimes even hostel work environments, because they know that for every confident person that stands up and say’s a firm “no,” there are about 10 people with low self-esteem/worth eagerly waiting to say “yes,” because they feel they “can’t” get anything better and their “lucky” for even getting this job. 

3.    People who are looking for someone to work for them for free while they profit from that persons free labor, can easily attract someone with low self-esteem with the “promise” that the free work will lead to exposure, credibility, more work in the future with good pay or possible full time paid placement in their organization, which sadly, rarely happens. 

4.    People who are looking to hire you as a coach, freelancer or whatever your independent business is, can get you for dirt cheap, regardless of all of the years and money you’ve spent on educating yourself, nor how good you are, because people with low self-esteem are afraid of losing the sale and/or being “disapproved” of if they ask for more money.  They have no idea how much they are really worth, because they lack personal self-worth.

5.    You’re making plenty of room for other peoples dreams to happen, because many people with low self-esteem, rarely make their dream a reality, they hold back with the belief of, “nobody wants what I have,”  “I’m not good enough to be paid for my services,” and they give up too soon, before they can even get a glimpse of their possibilities and how powerful they really are.

The truth is, if you have low self-esteem/self-worth, it actually benefits OTHER people who will take advantage of your weakness and NOT benefit you at all.   It also gives those people who take advantage of you more power, because you are giving them YOUR POWER.  Having low self-esteem/self-worth, not only hurts you, but hurts others and future generations, by keeping a cycle going of low wages, negative work environments, men degrading and disrespecting women, clients who expect cheap prices, people who expect quality for nothing and so on, because low self-esteem/self-worth people let them get away with it!

If you feel you have self-esteem/self-worth issues, then do yourself and others a favor; ignite your inner fire and personal worth, by getting the help that you need to do it because change is not easy alone, through workshops, hypnosis, coaching, books, invest in yourself, because once you raise your self-worth, your net-worth will increase along with it and you will not only be happier, but you will create a happier and prosperous future for everyone.

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3 Keys to Master Catalyst Mindfulness in Your Business

Master Catalyst Mindfulness in Your Business

3 KEYS TO MASTER CATALYST MINDFULNESS IN YOUR BUSINESS

Article by Nicole Zaagman
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

As this issue is all about being mindful, question for you. Have you been paying attention to past or present catalysts? Maybe you are wondering what a catalyst is! Well let’s dive in. A catalyst is defined as: a person or thing that precipitates an event. Synonyms include: stimulation, spark or incitement. For example, this can take the form of a new business opportunity, new mentor, a job change, life changing medical diagnosis, a movement, change of relationship status or a chance meeting with a kindred spirit or soul. 

So what the heck does this look like? Just as the description states, it’s something that precipitates an event eluding to change. Could be change of location, change of mindset, beliefs, change of heart or all of the above. Something that can literally turn your life, upside-down. Unfortunately, unless, you’re mindful about the importance and significance of this sometimes tumultuous event in your life, you may completely miss out on the unexpected blessing in disguise! 

So now that we understand what a catalyst is, how does it have effect on your life? Well believe it or not EVERY experience you go through in life can be a catalyst, depending on the outlook and stance you take on the situation and experience. Let’s go through 3 key things to pay attention to when one experiences a significant catalyst. 

Remembrance: Life is ALL about remembering. Remembering WHAT we came here to do. It can take years to discover your soul purpose, as it has for me and many others. Sometimes if we’re lucky enough we’ll encounter a series of catalysts quickly right after another. This can be absolutely exhausting, which I’ll talk about next. I’ve had a series of my own catalysts, health challenges, personal and family changes, relationship changes. It’s sometimes hard to not get bogged down in the wear and tear of the moment and not become resentful of what we’re experiencing, whether it be negative or positive. But get down remembering that every significant life event you go through has a purpose.

Rest: As I mentioned earlier, the wear and tear of such a jolt of significance can leave you absolutely exhausted, you may even lose your heart throughout the process. This is why REST is an absolute MUST during significant times such as these. I’ve had several instances where I felt like I just needed to plug ahead in my business. My computer stops working, things don’t work or take 3-4 times as long to accomplish simple tasks. When I see this is happening I’ve learned to take it as a sign from the Universe to STOP. Rest, take a bath, take a step back, and make time for you. Get council when needed, drink a cup of warm tea, drink lots of water, eat nourishing food and take care of yourself. 

Recognition: Once you recognize the situation/said catalyst for what it truly has brought to your life. It is much easier to move forward and to walk towards faith and fate. Leaving the ultimate outcome to the powers that be. This can take time to get to this point, weeks, months and sometimes years and a lot of lost sleep. Be gentle with yourself throughout the process and remember the truth is an absolute MUST. If you bottle your feelings, your experience to yourself when it often involves others, it WILL suffocate you. Ask for forgiveness if needed and one last thing, LOVE YOURSELF unconditionally. Once you’ve made a decision, recognized the significance of this catalyst in your life, love it, bless it and accept it as a very important step in your journey.

Once I grasped this concept as something good, instead of wasting time and energy on wishing something away, my whole mindset changed. I learned to appreciate the everyday lessons I experience, and embrace change with open arms. When you feel like you’re going through more than you can handle, just be mindful, aware and know that the solution you’re seeking is often in the catalyst you’re experiencing. Blessings.

Feeling Overwhelmed? 3 Ways to Hit the Reset Button

FEELING OVERWHELMED? 3 WAYS TO HIT THE RESET BUTTON

Feeling Overwhelmed? 3 Ways to Hit the Reset Button

Article by Keisha Shields
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

Sometimes the higher you climb, the lonelier it becomes. Other times, the more of an impact you begin to make on the world, the easier it is for your truth and your essence to become compromised and the easier it is for you to lose yourself.

In this comparison nation, the pressure to do more in a shorter period of time can become overwhelming. Don’t get it confused, as high-achievers and overachievers that innate drive you have to do more and to go bigger and be better is totally supported (and encouraged). The issue arises, however, when that drive becomes an obligation to conform based on views and desires outside of your own.  This can be especially true when you are in high-profile, high-visibility roles in your life and your business or career. 

When you feel overwhelmed and pressured and when you feel that there is discord in your spirit and in your world, that may be a sign that it’s time for you to hit reset in your life. When people look up to you, and see a picture of perfection and success, they often don’t realize that there is sometimes deep disconnection and pain lingering in the background.

That feeling of being lonely even when people are all around.

So how do you proceed with being completely solid as a leader and visionary when you realize that you have disharmony in your life? You get permission to hit the reset button as often as you need! As women, it is a beautiful phenomenon to have the ability to self-empower and to be consumed with others who believe in empowering women.  When you need to hit the reset button, here are 3 areas to pay special attention to:

Hit the Reset Button tip #1: Friendships: We all love friendships when they are healthy, vibrant, and loads of fun. When your friendships, however, have become draining, unfulfilling, and de-motivating it is time to hit the reset button! Your privacy is very important to you so you tend to have a loyalty complex -- don’t allow people to stick around just because you’re comfortable and familiar with them. If they are not helping you they are hurting you, and vice-versa. 

Hit the Reset Button tip #2: Romance: Ooh la la. There’s nothing like a hot, steamy romance to help take your mind and your emotions off of your very demanding world-changing work! To have a supportive ear who is able to not only listen but to help you process what is happening. When you don’t have a supportive partner, though, that can be a huge source of the disharmony and discord that you are experiencing in your personal life. Every woman wants love! And the more successful you are the tougher it can be. You deserve it! Hit Reset!

Hit the Reset Button tip #3: Personal support: Being a leader is not for the faint at heart. When you are at the top (or near the top) of the hierarchical pyramid in your business, your career, or other area of your life you may experience issues with not having the high level of support that you need for you as the woman, the person… not just you as the leader. If you find yourself feeling like you are drowning in despair, completely unfulfilled in your personal life, and yearning to be a part of something much bigger or much more deeply important, you have all the permission in the world to hit reset! Get involved in a supportive sisterhood, or get yourself a life coach or personal development consultant that can focus solely on you and helping you to put together the pieces of your spirit and your heart that are bursting at the seams for new adventure, new challenges, and new opportunities.

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Of Awareness and Manifestation

Of Awareness and Manifestation

OF AWARENESS AND MANIFESTATION

Article by Claire Porter
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

Look around you, and then look inside. When we take in what is going on around us and then check in with how we feel and where our thoughts go, we are processing information. We are processing a reality and making a determination if we like or dislike that reality, if we would want to live it again or not. That processing of experiences leads to greater clarity. Greater clarity leads to more concise intentions. More concise intentions lead to quicker manifestations. And, if we truly do want what we ask for, quicker manifestations lead to more quickly felt joy.  

Don't only live in the moment, be conscious of your reality and be grateful for the lessons gifted to you from your experience. Not having the awareness of how your life is running, what is going on, what is out there and possible, means you're not learning everything you could from your internal processing (which happens with or without your attention). Having the mindfulness of our surroundings and our feelings gives us amazing insight to the guidance of our internal wisdom, which then in turn helps us manifests our desires.

Every experience offers a lesson. Sometimes the lesson is an affirmation of our intuition, validating what we already thought to be true. Other times the lesson comes as a surprise – good or not so welcomed. Realize that the moments your mind is processing distaste or negative experiences, that those, too, affect your desires in a positive way, because knowing what you don't want is arguably as important as knowing what you do want. You could look at life like a recipe you're trying to master, made up of many of sub-recipes. It might take a little while to get the right mixture or components down, but eventually you get really clear on how much is too much of this ingredient or that, and what tastes the best. And with more taste-testing, you get pretty good at knowing what you're looking for, what will work, and what won't. (Bear in mind that our tastes change and recipes that once delighted us may ultimately get shelved – c'est la vie!) Why go through life eating mediocre food when all it takes is a bit of effort to have something you really enjoy?

Bit of Effort Outline:
1. Live in the moment and pay attention.
2. Observe your feelings: what your emotions are, how your body feels, what discernments you make.
3. Relish those. Trust those are guiding you (even if you're guided away from what you've just experienced, you're still be guided toward something else).
4. Think and feel what you want more of. Dream your desires, make plans, set intentions.
5. Have faith that your positive-natured thinking and feeling will manifest more positive thoughts and feelings.
6. Smile and know that life is amazing.

3 Tips on Discovering Your Purpose

Discovering Your Purpose

3 TIPS ON DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE

Article by Marinna Rose
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” - John F. Kennedy

All it takes is a little enquiring within to uncover the truth of your purpose. Liken it to the sculptor chiseling away at the marble, chipping away one piece at a time unveiling the masterpiece within. Your purpose is just like this masterpiece carved from the marble, simply hovering just under the surface waiting to be shown to the world!

The quickest way to unveil your purpose is through the work of introspection. Through this we dive deep into the essence of who you are, first pulling pieces apart, then putting them back together in the exact placement creating your beautiful sculptor of purpose.

I discuss in detail three tips with action steps of how to begin this process of introspection below:

Tip #1- Self Love

“When a woman becomes her own best friend life is easier.” - Diane Von Furstenberg

It all begins from you. You already have all you need within your self, every answer, all the love you’ll ever need and more. To discover your life purpose you must be able to start loving yourself by accepting. Accepting who you are, your flaws, your crazy personality…You must be in acceptance of all of you. 

Then from loving yourself you begin to unveil that inner knowing of why you came here. You start to see that there is so much more to being here than just doing the daily grind and keeping a roof over your head.

•    Write down three things that you love about yourself.
•    Write down three things others love about you.
•    Write down three things that you can begin to accept about yourself.

Tip #2-Discover Your Core Values

"Effectiveness without values is a tool without a purpose." - Edward de Bono 

Defining your values give you purpose. When you have not clearly defined your values, you end up making bad decisions and drifting down the wrong paths. 

So many of us base our decisions on outside social influences that we don’t even recognize, instead of tapping into our internal guidance system. Most of us are walking around like zombies actually thinking we are living our lives on purpose when we are just living them all for someone else’s purpose! Before you know it you have no idea how you got here. 

Living other people’s purpose and not knowing your own reason for being here is simply a shame and leaves you feeling empty and hopeless. I want to change that for you by suggesting this tip on living life by your three main Core Values. This will organically allow you to discover your purpose and fill your life with joy!

Ask your self some of these questions, write down as many core values that come up, Then weed out the ones that are least important leaving the three most valuable that become non negotiable with every decision you make!

•    What is most important to you? For example: Health, Freedom, Fun, Stability..
•    What quality do you most admire in a person you think very highly of? For Example: Driven, Innovative, Risky, smart, unique..
•    What quality do you most admire in yourself? For Example: Loving, Caring, Empathetic, excitable, authentic, Intelligent…

Tip #3- Ask Your self these Thought Provoking Questions:

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it” - Gautama Buddha

•    Why am I here?
•    What is my mission?
•    What gets me really excited when I think about it?
•    What makes me smile?
•    What causes do you passionately believe in?
•    What am I really good at, so good I don’t even have to think about it?
•    What do people come to you for help with?
•    Given your Core Values you came up with, how could you use these resources to serve and help others?

After you have worked on these three tips you should have a solid idea of what Your Purpose is. These are tips to use again and again; you change as you go through life. Always be willing to relook at Your Purpose and be willing to carve your marble sculptor even better as time goes by.

As you grow and become more Self Empowered by Discovering Your Purpose, you organically shift from the deeper knowledge that is gained through your wisdom. You must realign with this new wisdom integrating it into your Purpose. 

Just as so many of us make decisions based on other people’s purposes, you may find yourself locked into your own original discovery of Purpose. Be open to shifting, just like I suggest when setting goals, set them, but always realign, as you get closer.

The same goes for Your Purpose. You must be open to redefining as you grow!