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.

HOLISTIC FASHIONISTA RECOMMENDED!

If you know that what you REALLY need immediately is amazing, soul-sister support from someone who has your back, who won’t judge you, and who knows that you were indeed created for greatness then this is the best option for you. It’s time for you to get back in alignment with who you were designed to be. I know that your privacy is critically important to your business, your career, and other high-profile roles that you have. Most importantly, I have been in this very position that you’re in now. You feel so disconnected from who you are. You feel embarrassed and ashamed that you’re not where you know you should be at this stage in your life. You know there’s more. Sign up to experience a Reclaim Your Throne™ luxe 1-day deep-intensive (in-person or online!) where I will help you to reset and reclaim! Enrollment bonus available.

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!

3 Ways to Market in Facebook Groups

Ways to Market in Facebook Groups

3 WAYS TO MARKET IN FACEBOOK GROUPS

Article by Elizabeth Kelsey Bradley
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

Many of my clients tell me about their constant frustration with Facebook. If you don’t know already, Fanpage owners have had a rough time getting more of their Fans to see their posts. Facebook is a business, and it decided one day to monetize even more by ushering Fanpage owners into paying to have more of their fans see posts.

Frustrating, indeed.

The good news? Even if you aren’t too happy with Facebook right now, you can still take advantage of this tremendous social media platform by using Facebook groups and doing that thing that helps build your business: building relationships with your Ideal Clients.

Here are my top three tips to help you use Facebook Groups to market your business in a non-sleazy, holistic way!

Pick Highly Targeted Groups

One of the key factors in marketing is always to niche down and get specific about what your services are, and who they are meant to serve. This same principle applies to everything in your business, including marketing in Facebook groups.

Make sure that the groups you choose to join actually have your Ideal Clients in them! If not, you are wasting your time. Remember that as awesome as it can be to network with your peers, your business is built on getting new clients who don’t have the knowledge or skills you have, and they aren’t going to necessarily be in the same groups as your peers.

For example, if you’re a health coach, using groups that have fellow Health Coaches in them isn’t targeted. That group is where others in your industry hang out. Instead, find groups that have men or women who are trying to lose weight or eat healthier, depending on what problem you help your clients solve.

Introduce Yourself!

I know this isn’t rocket science, but introducing yourself is important for you to be seen in the groups you have chosen to join. Most group members rarely make an appearance. You want to be a thought leader in your chosen groups. You want to be seen, and stand out. 

Make sure you introduce yourself as soon as you join, and in your introduction, mention what you do for work, and how you help your clients, as well as who your Ideal Client is.

ENGAGE

The key to success in Facebook groups is consistent engagement. By engaging. By adding high value content. By not spamming. By being helpful and consistent.

If you follow these top Facebook marketing tips, you’re not only going to get more clients, you’re going to make some incredible friendships. I truly believe Facebook groups are the best way to find and interact with your Ideal Clients, regardless of what industry you’re in.

Healthy Eating for Busy Boss Babes On The Go

Healthy Eating for Busy Boss Babes

HEALTHY EATING FOR BUSY BOSS BABES ON THE GO

Article by Stefanie Dawn
Photo Credit: Angel Quintana
Magazine: Issue #26

One of the most important habits i ever developed was thinking about what i was eating, before i ate it. Its attributed greatly to my overall health and energy and helps me keep my lean figure. 

I know it sounds simple but how many of us just grab something on the go without giving any thought to what we are consuming?

Next time your in a rush for next meeting, slow down, take a deep breath and think about what your food choice means for your goals, your figure, your wallet and your over-all health. 

Most of the time, the items in your favorite coffee shop are full of sugar, calories and portioned to ridiculous sizes for the ingredients. Things like bran or fruit muffins are actually higher in calories, sugar and fat than a single donut! Yikes!

And then there is the lunch time dilemma, in which you can swap the morning diabetic coma for takeout that is ridden with salt, preservatives and hidden caloric fat bombs that leave many of us wondering why we don’t feel so great, or can’t reach our health and fitness goals even if we perceive that we are eating is fairly “healthy”.

What’s the solution? Think before you eat, and plan before you go. 

The #1 thing you can do is prepare for your day the night before and pack easy snack foods on the go and have breakfast and coffee ready for when you wake up. Set your coffee timer, grab a stellar, glittering to go mug and make sure you have ingredients for a delicious fruit and green veg filled smoothie or overnight oats and you are well on your way. 

You can always pack quick snacks to eat with your between meetings and on the road - things like banana’s, apples, baggies of nuts and chopped vegetables. You can also purchase these things on the go at gas stations and mini marts!

Stay away from things in packages, things with ingredients you can’t pronounce and items glistening behind glass counters.

Yelp juice bars and organic shops in your area so if you absolutely have to stop somewhere, you know you are getting quality and nourishment to keep that mind sharp. Vote with your dollar in supporting smaller business and better options.

If there is a major coffee chain on one corner, and a small local artisan shop on the next, help out your fellow small business owner and go there.

These small, mindful choices, can and do add up. 

So next time you are quick to pick up something on the go, be conscious of your decisions and ask yourself is it the best option possible for me right how and can i make a more healthful choice? 

Not only will you save time and some money, but you will also feel and keep looking as amazing as you truly are!

Almond Butter Stuffed Dates with Coconut

ALMOND BUTTER STUFFED DATES WITH COCONUT

Article by John Scardina
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

Almond Butter Stuffed Dates with Coconut

Serves 4
Ingredients:

16 Organic Medjool pitted dates
1 ounce organic almond butter
1 ounce of organic slivered almonds
1 ounce organic toasted shredded coconut
1 ounce organic coconut milk cream (the thick portion for whipping).

Preparation:

Sliced open pitted dates and fill each date with almond butter. Top with a small amount of Coconut whipped cream, (the solid portion of a can of organic coconut milk). Add a sprinkle of toasted coconut and some slivered almonds. Enjoy!

3 Dangers of Not Being Intentional in Your Life & Business

Dangers of Not Being Intentional

3 DANGERS OF NOT BEING INTENTIONAL IN YOUR LIFE & BUSINESS

Article by Darlene Dunn
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26

It is so easy to just ‘let life happen’ but when we do that we never go anywhere, we never achieve anything and we are always at the mercy of others. Listed below are three dangers to not living an Intentional Life & Business:

1| You become stagnant - just like a body of water that no longer moves, you will pick up all kinds of ‘junk’. You will no longer be moving toward anything, you will just ‘hang’ out and wither and soon begin to ‘stink’. Your business won’t grow and will most likely go backwards.

2| You will be unfilled - you will know that something is missing, you just won’t know what. You will hang out with other unfilled folk and commiserate that there ‘must be more out there’ yet you won’t go in search of the ‘more’.

3| You will be an easy ‘mark’ for the unscrupulous - when you aren’t intentional you can be swayed to purchase programs or products that you don’t need. These salespeople can zero on folks that are not living an intentional life and sell you oceanfront property in the desert! 

An easy way to avoid these dangers is to just BE INTENTIONAL. Every day wake up, review your vision and your goals and make a decision to walk toward them. Make a plan and go after it. Weigh every decision against your goals and vision- will doing this get you closer to your goal? If not, perhaps it isn’t the right time to do that particular thing. When you are intentional you will also see doors open that you wouldn’t have seen if you were not being intentional. Make this Your Year for Massive growth- BE INTENTIONAL!!!