Ditch the Clutter & Dress for Success

Ditch the Clutter & Dress for Success

DITCH THE CLUTTER & DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Article by Cinthia Singleton
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

Without clothes or even a smile, we embark on our journey. Yet most of us in the Western world end it with an vast collection of stuff, most of which utterly unnecessary for day-to day survival. It’s incredible considering we start out needing so little beyond food and someone looking out for us. But the needs arise. Diapers. Pajamas. Blanket. Crib. More diapers. Something in which to store the pajamas, the blanket too. Soon we begin smiling… now there’s the need for toys. And more toys. Special toys to comfort us when we cry or to help us fall asleep. Suddenly there are so many toys we need shelves and boxes in which to keep them.

From nothing to a room of stuff, it happens so quickly.

Then we discover how certain objects make us feel and, in turn, “fill” our hearts. A stuffed bear becomes a bff. The dress we wear makes us feel beautiful, special and all grown up. The simplest trinket given to us by a grandparent makes us feel loved and close to them. These things plant a seed; we need things to feel things.

Some of us are as able to acquire as to relinquish. Others become hoarders. Then there’s everyone in between. Wherever we are on the spectrum, there’s some value placed on the things we own AND the (in)ability to unravel the need to keep them around. With a little conscious thinking, we can all enjoy nice things yet not being enslaved by them or, with time, their history. “The things you own end of owning you.” Remember that from Fight Club?  We don’t want that. We want to enjoy our things like the treasures they are meant to be.

If you must keep that set of crystal goblets around - you know, the ones you inherited that sit unused in a box? - start using them, for Snoopy’s sake. ENJOY them! Are you not worth a couple sips of tap water from fine Waterford crystal? You are. Of course, if you really hate those goblets, sell them and use the money to get the kind of glasses you adore.

A jewelry box filled with your beloved Aunt Mabel’s brooches and clip on earrings. Not exactly your style but you’ve dragged it around since college because that great lady was something else. How ‘bout you once in a while take out a piece and wear it? Someone compliments you on it, there’s your chance to say, “Why thank you. It was my dear auntie’s…,” and to share a sweet memory. For a moment the great lady’s still alive and vibrant. That’s worth the price of a ton of cocktail rings and big brooches, isn’t it?

It’s not junior year and the 80s prom dress that’s still in your closet doesn’t look the same on you. Make peace with that and give yourself some credit for doing a lot of great living since high school. Now. Quick. Shepherd the dress out of your closet and into the give-away bag. There’s bound to be a niece who’d love it or a charity thrift store who’ll do good things from its sale. And there’s a better dress for that great dame you’ve become.

A box of letters from the one who got away might make you smile but if they don’t, why are they in your possession? Time to shred or burn them. Or maybe, before you do that, use them as inspiration for that short story, one person show, blog entry, song or poem. Emotional upcycling. It’s cleansing. 

• Donate
• Give away
• Sell
• Toss
• Let someone who loves it more be its archivist and keeper

All are options. Tell that to the closets, homes, sheds and garages full of stuff. Give ‘em all you got:

I have loved this and I have [used, appreciated, loved, enjoyed] it but it’s now time to let someone else [use, appreciate, love, enjoy] it or [toss, shred, upcycle].

It’s just stuff and learning to detach from it isn’t saying that we can’t or didn’t love it but that we need more room to breath life into our future growth and passions.

“You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?” — Steven Wright

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8 Signs You’re Sleepwalking Through Life

THE SABOTAGED SUBCONSCIOUS:
8 SIGNS YOU'RE SLEEPWALKING THROUGH LIFE

Signs You’re Sleepwalking Through Life

Article by Keisha Shields
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

Becoming sophisticated is a skill, a level in which one reaches. As a sophisticated man or woman you hold yourself to high standards, have your daily rituals in place, and you accomplish more in a week’s time than many people do in longer stretches of time.  You are an icon, a role model, an up-and-coming generational leader who is inspiring so many others to pursue their callings.  But what happens when there is a curveball, a shift in the atmosphere, a major devastating change in your life? Many of us who have reached sophistication and climbed many ladders of success may find ourselves in an unfamiliar place. One where suddenly, days seemingly go by with little to no progress made, or you notice that the oomph that was in your step seems to be gone, and perhaps you realize that you haven’t been achieving things like you used to. This is a major sign that you may have unknowingly sabotaged your subconscious mind, and for high achievers like you, this is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed or it can become your downfall -- the thing that brings your empire to a grinding halt. 

So what can you do to stop your subconscious mind from sabotaging you? First things first, let’s understand the core functions of the conscious vs the subconscious mind. Although there are many official and complex definitions for these terms, at a simplistic form, the conscious mind is the rational part of the mind that gives the commands and the subconscious mind simply obeys the commands. Your subconscious is not rational. It obeys, strictly from information that is programmed in your mind; things like your self-concept and your beliefs about what you can and cannot achieve in your lifetime.  After all, the function of the subconscious is to store and retrieve data. Let that sink in for a moment. The subconscious simply obeys commands from information that is programmed into your mind! When your subconscious mind becomes your master -- meaning that this becomes the source from where you are retrieving data to make decisions in your life, you will find yourself being constantly pulled back into your comfort zones, or you will find yourself making decisions from a highly emotional place because this is the part of the mind that memorizes your comfort zones and memorizes your patterns and does whatever it can to ensure that you continue those patterns throughout your days. Anything outside of the comfort zone makes the subconscious mind enter a place of being emotionally uncomfortable, and that is when you are most susceptible to begin feeling as though you are actually sleepwalking through your daily and feeling as though you are settling and unable to pull yourself back out of it.

Let’s take a look at 8 carefully selected signs that you (the change maker and tastemaker) may be sleepwalking through your daily life. 

Sleepwalking through life Sign #1: You feel hopeless, and you feel that you have lost your power; the power to turn your life around and to get back to that level of efficiency and achievement that you are used to.

Sleepwalking through life Sign #2: You don’t recognize yourself or your life anymore. When you don’t recognize yourself, or your life, it usually indicates that you feel that you have lost control of your destiny and that you are disconnected.

Sleepwalking through life Sign #3: You spend your days being very busy, but actually having very little (if any) productivity. 

Sleepwalking through life Sign #4: You dread getting out of bed in the morning.  You have lost your mojo, your oomph, your zest. Operating from a place of a zombie-like state is a very hard place to be in. Dreading getting out of bed every morning may be a sign that there is something even bigger happening, and is a sign that you may be in the throws of depressive like states. If this is the case, please seek professional help to address what is happening in your mind, spirit, and body.

Sleepwalking through life Sign #5: Your days are completely repetitive, unfulfilling, and you are in such a state of unawareness that you don’t even notice it (or worse, you do notice it but can’t do anything about it). 

Sleepwalking through life Sign #6: You feel isolated and feel that you don’t have the level of support that close friendships and relationships can provide. When you feel this way, this is a great opportunity to awaken and take proactive steps to meet some new people. You can join meetup groups to do things in person, or at minimal you can find some online support groups where you feel safe and can meet other similarly-situated people. Just be careful that the people you surround yourself with are uplifters and not downers.

Sleepwalking through life Sign #7: Your life is consumed with your business or career. Yes, it is important to feel engrossed in your work, especially when you have high-profile work or work that brings you to work with affluent and high-impact clientele, however, if every conversation and action that you do throughout your daily life is consumed by business, that is a sign that you are sleepwalking through your life.  To combat this, use your schedule to your advantage. Be sure to schedule in some time off, some time to play, and some time to enjoy leisurely company.

Sleepwalking through life Sign #8: The final sign in this list is that you can identify most (or all) of the above signs as being true for you and your life.  Look, I know all too well what it feels like to go from being a high-achiever with a heart of gold, to feeling like an underachiever who is struggling to just breathe and keep some level of sanity and normalcy in her life. Sleepwalking through your life means that you’re not fulfilling your mission. Reconnect with the things that light you up in your life.  

Your subconscious mind can be reprogrammed. Remember, that all it does is obey. So, step up into consciousness and make intentional decisions that will get you back moving in the right direction! Take a breath. You can absolutely make it happen! Start today.

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Hey Clean Eater! Are YOU Conscious About What You're Feeding Your Skin?

HEY CLEAN EATER!
ARE YOU CONSCIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE FEEDING YOUR SKIN?

Article by Heather Jadus
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

Are YOU Conscious About What You're Feeding Your Skin?

Skin is the body's largest organ and because it's porous, so anything you slather on it can get absorbed straight to your bloodstream! When you eat food, it gets digested and and then goes to the liver to be detoxified. When products penetrate your skin there is no detoxification.  

When it comes to living a healthy and natural lifestyle, what you put on your body is just as significant as what you put in your body.

Everyone wants clean skin products and some people even think they are using them but actually they are not. Unfortunately safe makeup, safe skin products and clean cosmetics brands are hard to find. The truth lies in the transparency so you need to do your homework!

Studies show that the skin can absorb an average of 64% of total contaminant dosage of any ingredient. This is why knowing your ingredients and reading your labels is key! Other studies found the face to be several times more permeable than broad body surfaces and an absorption rate of 100% for underarms. Lastly, another peer-reviewed study showed 100% absorption for fragrance ingredients. Ugh! That one really scares me!

It is easy to see that what we use on our skin ends up inside our bodies. So it is important to pay close attention to the ingredients in our skin care products. If the products you use contain harmful ingredients such as harsh, toxic chemicals, colors, and fragrances, those ingredients make their way into your body, your blood and lymphatic system. Every choice counts. Make some changes!

Here are a few tips on how to find the best clean skin products AND how to avoid the worst brands when it comes to safe and healthy ingredients:

1| Ingredients should be easily found. Many personal products list their ingredients on the box rather than on the bottle. Who keeps the boxes? But that's ok. A quick google on the internet should get you the information you need. HOWEVER, if you get to a product company website and ingredients are not listed this should raise a huge red flag. This has happened to me on a few products searches so I end up sending and email to ask if I am missing the ingredient lists somewhere on the site. Always the same answer... "If you want an ingredient list, please call to get it." This really disturbs me. Go no further. NEVER buy from this company again.

2| Perfume, Parfum - When either of these words are listed as an ingredient, it's considered a "trade secret" in the cosmetics industry. Therefore, the ingredinet that make up this word are not required to be exposed. There could be 1, 5, 100 or even 1,000 ingredients that HIDDEN within that one ingredient. This does not mean that you need to use only unscented products. It just means that the ingredients that makeup the fragrance should be listed separatly.

3| Natural, Organic, Hypo-Allergenic, etc. etc. - If a product is slapped with any of these "labels" don't think that your search has ended. There is no regulation on any of these labels so any product can put them on there and they mean nothing. This does not mean that any product with these labels are lying. It just means you cannot rely on this label. ALWAYS check the ingredient list.

4| DIY (Do It Yourself) - This is an option of course and pinterest is full of recipes for natural products where you can pick the ingredients yourself. This option is not for everyone but at least it's there!

When in doubt always ask questions! Comment below if you have any!

Be Informed. Be Safe. Be Healthy.

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Conscious Creativity: The Secret To Your Creative Edge

The Secret To Your Creative Edge

CONSCIOUS CREATIVITY: THE SECRET TO YOUR CREATIVE EDGE

Article by Jennifer Nesbit Holt
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

Pause, Breathe, Create (repeat).

Raise your hand if you want to stay connected to your art and creativity for the long haul. No more artistic doubt creeping in, no more paralyzing fear that someone won't 'like' your work!

And how 'bout learning to love your creative blocks and fearlessly creating instead of clawing your way to the top?!

Keeping a creative edge in such a competitive, creative realm is a struggle, if you allow it to take you off track in your artistic trade. Today, everyone is seen. Everyone is noticed and creative theft is at an all time high.

But that doesn't mean you stop listening to that burning intuition that says, “you are meant to do this work!” It doesn't mean you stop taking risks.  

Don't let insecurities derail your career as a creative.

Get Self-Conscious
Key word: CONSCIOUS. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else and surrendering your creative power over your own life! Trust your ability to create YOUR WAY.

Pause...Breathe.  

The art of living mindfully means learning to pause and breathe to realign yourself with what IS; not what 'could be', or what 'was'. When you place energy outside of the tangible moment there can be no hope for conscious creativity.  

Open up space in your world by using the intelligence of a long, deep breath rather than being smothered by a restrictive existence to return to your creative edge.

Take nothing personally
Handle criticism with grace and dignity. You can do anything in this world without someone criticizing you. When receiving criticism..

Pause...Breathe.

Take a moment to reflect and ask if your commenter has a valid point.  

Regardless if the criticism is right or wrong, gain your composure, slip into easeful breath and disarm them with positive acceptance and gratitude for their view, no matter rude or kind.  

You can accept it or you can fight it..which do you think is better for your creative process and life-span?

Choose Happiness
Make a list of 10 things that light you up and do them more often. Learn to love yourself and your beautiful contributions to the world. Fully embrace that anything is possible when we are in a sacred, positive place. Just being YOU is enough.  

Be Amazing, Do Amazing 
Seek truth, be honest and contribute to the world with authenticity. Create the world you desire with your conscious mindset and gifts. Do something amazing by taking an approach no one has considered and fearlessly move full steam (against) the grain.   

Pause, Breathe, Create (repeat). Digest the words your have just read and know that maintaining a creative edge is a choice you have in each and every moment of the day. Conscious creativity is about accepting your unique talents, embracing criticism and change. Open your perception.

Filmmaker David Lynch says in his book Catching the Big Fish:  Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity

“Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper. Deep down the fish are more powerful and more pure. They're huge and abstract. And they're very beautiful.”

Now go make some beautiful waves!

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4 Ways to Keep Your Life and Business on Track

4 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR LIFE AND BUSINESS ON TRACK

Article by Darlene Dunn
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

Keep Your Life and Business on Track

Have you ever been driving and daydreaming and the next thing you know you are 50 miles off course? Or have you forgotten to change the oil in your car and found yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere? Whether it is in life or in business we need to maintain a certain level of awareness of where we are and where we are going or we’ll either end up in the boonies or stuck on the side of the road.

Below are four ways to help you keep your life and your business on track:

• Don’t make excuses as to why you aren’t moving forward. Take a good look at what is holding you back and then move forward with diligence. (Side note: diligence means ‘with intense effort’). Don’t let fear overtake you, keep your heart focused on the goal and start moving forward again, even if it is just little steps.
• Be conscious of changes you need to make. We should always be changing. So get your map or GPS- your goals and vision- and keep them in front of you to help you correct your course.
• Be purposeful in balancing your life, if you aren’t purposeful then life will run you over. The same holds true for your business….be purposeful in balancing so your business won’t run you over.
• Sometimes you have to stop, reflect and readjust in order to keep moving forward with purpose. Celebrate your failures and make a decision to learn and grow from them.

You spend a lot of time learning and growing, but remember knowledge is not power. The power comes from applied knowledge. So, do life on purpose. “BE on purpose.

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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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