Create the Ripple Magazine December 2020 by CreateTheRippleMagazine

Issue 1, December 2020

The Law of Value Bob Burg

Our Hidden Gems Ryschell Dragunov

The Stories We Tell Ourselves Susan Binnie

Explore What Spirit Wants to Share Donna Ericksen

Trust the Niggle Candice Smiley Photo Credit: Mark Bensted

Letter From The Editor DECEMBER 2020

Ioften think the magical power of referrals is so overlooked and severely misunderstood. In a world where it’s all push-out, promote, look-at-melook-at-me-look-at-me, the magical art of giving a quality (and qualified) referral (and receiving one gracefully) is gone. I’d like you to imagine for a moment what your life would be like if every single month you received the best kind of referrals... Referrals to clients and customers because people know how to refer you, why they would refer you, and feel comfortable with your process of receiving and taking care of their referrals. What if you had ten people who knew, who loved you and wanted the best for you in a way that translated into them sending quality and qualified customers to your business. What would your business, life and bank account look like? And more importantly, how would it feel? Would you feel the same amount of stress you do now? Or would you find your mind clear to come up with new products or service offerings? Would you be able to add more value to your community? Would you have more time for the people and things you love the most? I’m often surprised at the hesitancy and, in fact, the resistance that people have to entering into joint ventures or referral-based partnerships. I think this stems not from a lack of desire to collaborate or a fear of connecting with people, or even a bad memory of partnerships gone wrong; but rather a lack of communication, of clarity of value, of intention and of vision to create collaborative relationships and referral partnerships that work. These require candid commitment! It can be easy to have blinders on and only be able to focus on that which is right in front of you, rather than sometimes expanding your vision to include the community around you. What if this month your goal was not to add four new customers/clients to your own business, but, rather to send four quality and qualified referrals to four people or businesses you know, like and trust in your own network? How would that feel? What would be the ripple effect of this action in your own life and career? What tone would it set for your conversations? What conversations would be started with those around you? This is the intention of Create the Ripple Magazine! The number one intent, for all our contributors, is to first and foremost add value. I read the Go Giver (by Bob Burg one of our guest contributors (Ryschell insert Link to ARTICLE here)early in my entrepreneurial career. I was inspired! So inspired I left the company I was with to start a new company. This is the pivotal moment of change - from failure to success - in my career that now spans over a decade. Yes, I’m just getting started. I couldn’t be more excited for the future. We are wondering if we can create an intentional referral community? The concept is simple, you pay the value you receive, and therefore become a partner in the success of

those around you. We are not interested in taking your money and then feeling your expectation that we must deliver on promotional results, when we don’t have control of the quality of service. That’s on you. However, what if we could create a community where everyone gives a little and pulls a little and refers a little... Is there magic in that? We certainly think so! And believe me, I know that what we are proposing to do here flies in the face of normal and/or common sense business strategy. I for one am looking to do things differently! I k n ow t hat wh e n you f i nd yourself o n t he s i d e of t he m aj o r i t y y o u m us t a sk y ou r s elf why ? So thi s i s m y c a n di d i nv i t at i o n fo r y o u to j oi n m e i n a co m m u nit y creat ion ex p er i me nt, whe re you may ex p e r i e nce t he m ag i cal p owe r of a refe r ra l com mu nit y for yourse lf ! Let’s go Create a Ripple.

Candice

Hi, I’m Candice Smiley and I take on the role of Editor-In-Chief for the online publication. My bio goes something like this... I am going to make everything around me beautiful - that will be my life. (Elsie De Wolfe) This quote is my subtle mission in life... I’m a mom to an amazing little girl, girlfriend to an amazing man, a social marketer with an amazing online values driven company, a thought leader (follow me on my instagram @ candicecreation) and multi-entrepreneur. I find a ton of my life’s joy in connecting people, to other people, places and things. It’s not about hustle, it’s about heart. It’s not about push, it’s about attraction... and you don’t attract what you want, you attract WHO YOU ARE. So choose brave. Choose you. Listen to the nudges from within and live... live here and now. I live a minimalist lifestyle, own a tiny home (324 sq ft), love to travel with my partner in life; Mark and dance. I can never resist the urge to take off my boots to walk barefoot into a clear mountain lake or stream. When I’m not connecting or writing, I can be found disappearing into the backcountry trails of Canada and losing myself exploring waterfalls and mountain trails. I am a quiet introvert who adores eating clean vegan foods and reading a great book.

DISCLOSURE: I USE MY WEBSITE, MAGAZINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO CREATE THE INCOME THAT SUPPORTS MY LIFESTYLE. WHEN YOU FOLLOW ME/MY POSTS/ARTICLES/PAGES/ ESSAYS MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Meet the Team Candice Smiley - Editor in Chief As editor in chief, It’s my goal to make sure our contributors feel valued and receive value for being involved. I carry (and share!) the vision of the magazine and decide on the monthly theme of the publication. I have the honour to make the final decisions on what goes in the magazine, making sure that we deliver on our promise to add value. I support the creative team energetically and oversee the marketing and promotional outreach. I am a mom to an amazing little girl, a girlfriend to an amazing man, a social marketer with an amazing online values driven company, a thought leader and multi-entrepreneur. I find a ton of my life’s joy in connecting people to other people, places and things.

Susan Binnie Managing Editor As Managing Editor it is my goal to provide our readers with a clear and concise story. I am passionate about helping our contributors provide value to their potential clients and all who read the magazine. I love seeing the stories come to life once they are designed to leap off the page into the hearts and minds of the readers. I am a storyteller and I enjoy helping others tell their story. I bring my ability to coach in this way to the publication, I am here to help YOU in any way I can. I am married, have 4 children and 4 grandsons. I am honoured to be a part of this publication as it aligns with my vision to raise the vibration of the planet, one story at a time!

Ryschell Dragunov -Head of Design As Head of Design I am so excited to bring this Magazine to life by creating art from the written word. Being passionate about creativity; I have dabbled in face painting, jewelry design, book design, sewing and fantasy creation. I enjoy working on my creative fantasy space, which has been lovingly dubbed the “Fairy House” I graduated U of A with a BScHEc focused on Clothing and Textiles, Photography and Typography, I have taken that passion to develop my experience in Graphic Design. With my can do attitude there are no obstacles. . Enjoy.

C r e a t e t h e R i p p l e Te a m

Contents Click the Title to go directly to that page

uplift 10 Gratitude 14 Being True To Yourself 16 Ask Lonnie 22 Why Is Gratitude Such A Powerful Practice 28 How to Make a Crystal Wealth Expansion Bowl 34 Gratitude is a Gift 48 Embodied Sound for Unshakeable Peace 54 Vision, Inspiration and Purpose 62 Tamara Thompson 66 Stop Hiding Stand in Your Power 72 Our Life, Our Way 74 Stripped to My Very Soul

impact 4 Create the Ripple Team 8 The Law of Value 18 Ditch the Shoebox 30 Social Media Survival Guide 36 What Brings You Joy 50 Trust the Niggle 56 Too Much To Lose 58 The Stories We Tell Ourselves 68 Being an Empath 4

Thank You to Our Founders

Create the Ripple Magazine would like to thank the people who believed in our vision and helped us to bring this to life. By clicking on their name you can go directly to their article.

Donna Ericksen

Abigail Teixeira

Bob Burg

Monika Blichar

Carolynne Melnyk Catalina Morales Velez

Elizabeth Smith

Carol Logan

Jenn and Allen Oleksyn

Susan Binnie

Kelly Wheadon

Sheri Schaaf

Carmen Goebel

Earl Shindruk

Lori Chenger

Mandy Gefle

Angel Lady Terri Marie

Matt & Angela

Kimberly Langford

Tamara Thompson

Juey Anne MacLeod Janice Stefanic

Ryschell Dragunov Lonnie Gartner

Tiffany Keeping

Contents

Click the Title to go directly to that page

promote 12 Shifting Retail 20 Food is Love 24 Practical Ways to Add Value 26 Give Yourself a Break 32 Qigong Club 38 Our Hidden Gems 40 CAFFIEND 42 Carol’s Quality Sweets 44 Monikas’s Art Boutique and Studio 46 Rapt in Love 52 The Echo of Yes 60 What is Your B.S. Photo by Roberto Nickson on unsplash

70 Why I Love Essential Oils 76 Explore What Spirit Wants to Share

Notices and Terms of USE CreateTheRippleMagazine.com Products/Services/Service Providers in this publication are independently selected and featured editorially. If you make a purchase using featured links/services/products or services we may earn commission. The Editor reserves the right to proof and edit content, without changing the intent. Create the Ripple Magazine reserves the right to reject material that promotes, in the view of the publishers, unsafe or unhealthy practices, hate speech or other inflammatory content. Online comments are subject to review and deletion if deemed inappropriate. Please contact Createtheripple@gmail.com with your submission. The material and content in this publication is for information purposes only. No material should be reprinted in whole or in part without the expressed written permission of the publisher. Contact Create the Ripple Magazine Head office at CreatetheRippleMagazine@gmail.com. Create the Ripple Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate or incomplete information, nor for any action taken as a result. Content has been contributed by individuals, events and/or organizations, and, as such, may not have been verified by the publishers. The opinions expressed in articles, features, ads and editorials are those of the Author.

The Law of Value

By Bob Burg

Shifting your focus from getting to giving (“giving” in this context meaning

constantly and consistently providing immense value to others) is not only a more pleasant way of conducting business; it’s the most financially profitable way, as well. But isn’t that naïve? Not when you consider that your prospective customer or client is not going to buy from you because you have a quota to meet, because you need the money, or even because you’re a really nice person. No, they ’re going to buy from you only because they believe they ’ll be better off by doing so than by not doing so. And, in a free-market based economy (freemarket meaning that no one is forced to do business with one another but rather they do so willingly) that’s the only reason why they should buy from you…or from me…or from anybody. The good news is that the entrepreneur or salesperson who can genuinely move their focus off of themselves and onto their prospect – that’s the person who is most likely going to create the sale.

T h e L a w o f Va l u e

Value is The Foundation In Law #1 of John David Mann’s and my book, The Go-Giver, we introduce The Law of Value, which says, “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.” But, does that mean you don’t make a profit, or even that you lose money? Obviously that wouldn’t be a productive way to run a business.

It would actually be a recipe for bankruptcy. And that wouldn’t benefit anyone. No, it doesn’t mean that.

because you both come away better off afterwards than you were before. This is actually the essence of a free-market based exchange.

So, let’s dig a bit deeper and define the word value.

It’s up to you and your team to communicate that value through everything you say, do, and are.

Actually, let’s first explore the difference between the words, “price” and “value.” Price is a dollar amount , it 's a dollar figure. It ’s finite. Value, on the other hand, is the relative worth or desirability of a thing, to the end user or beholder. In other words, what is it about this thing; this product, service, concept, idea that brings so much worth, or value to someone that they ’ll exchange their money (or time, energy, etc.) for it and be very glad they did? This while you make a very healthy profit.

A Real-World Look Let’s say you eat at Ernesto’s Italian Café, a fairly high-priced and upscale restaurant. From the moment you walk in you’re made to feel like a VIP. You’re greeted with kindness and respect; you feel right at home. Your wait-team is professional, friendly, handles themselves with class and has that way of knowing when you need their attention and when to leave you free to enjoy your meal and your company in peace. The food is amazing and the presentation spectacular. The ambiance is wonderful, and the entire experience is absolutely superb. As you leave, the door is held open for you and you are thanked and bid farewell by everyone on the staff whom you pass. Your bill was certainly higher than at most restaurants. But you didn’t mind because the overall experience was worth much more to you in value than what you paid. Yes, while the price was $150 the value you received was ten times that. The restaurant owner, Ernesto, gave you significantly more in value than he took in payment. However, his costs for providing the meal, including staff, equipment, space, and food, were much less than what he paid so he made a very healthy profit. Giving more in value than you take in payment doesn’t mean you don’t make a profit. It means you and the buyer both make a large profit…

And, the key is that shift in focus. It means that rather than being focused on the money you’re focused on providing massive value to your customer.

Know That “Money Is An Echo Of Value.” As Such The Value Must Come First. The Money You Receive Is Simply A Natural Result Of The Value You Provide.

Bob Burg is a Hall of Fame Speaker and recognized authority in referral-based selling. He is coauthor of the international bestselling business parable, The Go-Giver (more than 975,000 copies sold in 29 languages) and the sales classic, Endless Referrals. All-told his books have sold close to 2 million copies. Bob’s website is www.burg.com where you can receive a free chapter of all of his books. For information on his online video course, “Endless Referrals: The Go-Giver Way” visit https://endlessreferrals. com/online-video-course/

impact 8

Grati

tude

Gratitude, a noun to mean, “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”*, from the Latin word meaning pleasing or thankful. To the adjective, grateful, meaning a “feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful”*. To the action of practicing By Candice Smiley gratitude where: “Practicing gratitude is synonymous to expressing our feelings for others and ourselves. By simple words of love and praise, we not only make others feel good, but we also feel a lot better of ourselves and our lives. Gratitude is about feeling the right way, about the right things, and at the right time.” ** Take a big serious deep breath. Its so easy to be very distracted right now and feel like it might be hard to find

Gratitude

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

something to be grateful for. It can be easy to have the “wrong” attitude as you express “I’m grateful” and actually mean, “whew, I’m glad that that bad thing hasn’t happened to me… yet”.

Are there strings attached to your sense of gratitude? Is there actually an underlying tone of scarcity under the gratitude? And it’s ok to feel a sense of relief as we express thankfulness for what hasn’t happened to us… and this is your gentle nudge to maybe allow your

practice of gratitude to go a little deeper than that. To gently challenge yourself to look into what you is the “not” in your life to be grateful for, and also into the what is, and the what if. Joy is the more vulnerable emotion, for me, one of the most vulnerable to feel… perhaps sincere, deep and present gratitude is the same? Perhaps. Regardless, here is your homework for the next week… look candidly and honestly at your life… and look deeply and passionately for the people, places, things and moments that bring you the most joy. Stay in that moment when it happens (if you can), or energetically return to it later when you can be quiet with your own thoughts.

Think on it, consider it, breathe it in. View it, handle it in your mind as if it were precious. Be present to it.

Stay with it for 17 seconds… and if you can, repeat this process 4 times for a total of 68 seconds… and 4 thoughts that you simply remember, consider or hold because you are grateful you have them, will have them or simply because you want MORE OF THAT in your life. Sounds simple, but it’s harder than you might think… when you start, until that habit is formed. Imagine for a moment what your life might look like if you were consciously looking for the moments, people, thoughts and things to be grateful for in your day? This much I know that; one, gratitude brings you closer to the heart of G-D; and two, thoughts become things. *Dictionary.com **https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience -of-gratitude/

“ Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” Lao Tzu

uplift 10

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promote 12

A sk

Lo n ni e Being True To Yourself

Be True To

What does this mean?

It means honoring and respecting

your needs, wants and desires. Making yourself a priority, without the guilt.

Here Are 5 Steps You Can Utilize To Help You Stay True To Yourself: 1. YOU Time: Be honest with yourself about what you need/want. If you need some YOU time, then take some. I know the world is a busy place, but, if you take a closer look, you’ll find moments that you can carve out for your needs. Instead of watching that late night show, run yourself a luxurious bath with your favorite salts or bubble bath. Put on some relaxing music. Light a deliciously scented candle even. Or sit in a quiet comfy place where you won’t be disturbed. Perhaps the perfect YOU time is reading that book you’ve been eyeing forever. Whatever you choose to do during

B e i n g Tr u e To Yo u r s e l f

Steps To

Y ourself

Photo by Jared Rice on UnSplash

YOU time, make sure you breathe! Deep breaths in and out. That helps to destress, refocus and defog the mind so you can think clearer. Making dealing with life a little easier.

2. Check In: When you’re asked to do that thing, say that thing or go somewhere, check in with yourself to see how you really feel about it. Are you going along with what’s asked of you simply to make others happy? Are you overlooking how you feel? It’s time to stop. You can’t please everyone. In fact, you’ll burn yourself out trying. If it isn’t important and a ‘must do’ of your responsibility, then answer truthfully. Saying, “I am unable to fit that in right now” or “I’m not interested in doing that”, is allowed. It’s more than ok! It’s necessary! The more you start making decisions that feel good to you, the better you’ll feel and then the better you’ll be

for yourself and others. By setting your boundaries, you’re actually making it ok for others to set their own too.

5. This Is A Big One. Speak Your Truth:

3. Honesty and Acknowledgment:

No matter what it is. No matter what you were taught growing up. You are an adult now. You have experience, insight and intimate knowledge about the things that feel like home to you or feel like razor blades run on raw skin. If you don’t want to follow that certain way of thinking, don’t. If you can’t stand the way someone in your circle belittles others, then speak up and cleanse your inner circle. If you don’t really like that ‘help’ someone always tried to give, say no thank you. Whatever you believe, feel, who you Love, who you are and who you want to be, all are ok! Don’t be ‘fluffy and agreeable’ just to win friends. Because you’ll lose them anyway when the real you shows up. And you’ll still feel lonely in a crowded room. Speak and live your truth, and your tribe will come.

Be honest with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. Notice your self talk. Don’t just brush a negative comment or criticism off. Acknowledge how you’re feeling and what you’re saying to yourself. Just ignoring things doesn’t make them disappear. In fact, the more we stuff them down and try to lock them up, the stronger they get! If you catch yourself saying things like, “Why am I always so tired”? Or “I can’t do anything right”!, Flip the script and try saying, “I’ve noticed I’ve felt tired the last few days. I’ll plan some me time so I can rest and refocus”. And “I’ve noticed I’ve been spreading myself thin, trying to do ALL the things. I’ll reprioritize and focus my attention on the job at hand”. Remember to be gentle on yourself. Be loving. Your own thoughts are the ones that you hear 24/7. Use them to build you up, not tear you down.

4. Clean Up The“People In Your Life” List They say you are the 5 people you hang around most. So take a good look. Are you surrounding yourself with people that lift you up and make you want to be better? Or are you surrounded with people you feel an obligation to? Fact: the only person you owe anything to is yourself. This is your life. You get to decide how you want it to be. There’s no such thing as a ‘small’ action. Everything you allow and don’t, effects your world. So if ‘Debbie’ always puts you down or just has to give you the negative side of everything you say and do, it’s ok to cut her out. So you’ve known her for 10+ years, so what? People out grow people and situations all the time. It’s a part of life. And it just might be a part of like that’s holding you back! Be thankful for the lessons and grateful for the opportunity to move on.

We all have a truth. What’s yours? My final advice is this. Forgiveness. Forgive yourself for mistakes you’ve made, are making and will make. You’re human and mistakes come with the territory. When you know better, do better. I See You ~ Trelawnie Gartner

Trelawnie Gartner is from Alberta, Canada. She is a Reiki Master and Empowerment Coach, healer of moments, a catalyst, energy shifter and truth teller. As a fixer of other women’s crowns she encourages all souls and offers advice and guidance with knowledge gained through courses, books and life experiences.

uplift 14

A sk

Lo n nie DEAR LONNIE: It’s Christmas, and it’s Covid, do you have any tips for staying grounded through the holidays with the added stress?

There are so many ways to keep in touch. Facebook video calls, and FaceTime, allow you to see and hear the people you love and may be missing around your table this year. You can even do some baking, crafting or decorating while on video, so they can be a part of it. A spontaneous phone call, or even snail mail, who doesn't love getting a personalized card in the mail?

Remind yourself, (and each other), that this won't last forever. This is temporary. Self care is extra important this year to help you stay grounded and not let overwhelm take a hold of you. I recommend daily journaling. Anytime you feel a bit anxious or start wondering how you'll get through this, take out your journal and jot down your thoughts, feelings and anything in between. Our minds tend to relax if we can gather our thoughts and bring some order to them. Make time for conversations. Knowing you aren't alone can make the biggest difference. Watch your diet, get some healthy nutritious food in there too. Let's face it, it's Christmas so we will indulge, but we can balance it out with good food too!

ANSWER: Dear Grounded Christmas, Christmas can be stressful on its own, so with the added pressures of Covid I understand the need for grounding!

The lack of family and friends with us to celebrate is definitely a hard one to handle. Focus on flipping your mindset from 'hardship' to 'adventure'!

Ask Lonnie

Do something active daily. You don't have to go run a marathon, but some jumping jacks, pushups, extra trips up the stairs or a few aerobic minutes, will also help to relieve stress build up. Give your body and mind an outlet. All of this holds true if you have littles at home too. They will love all the things if you put an adventurous/game playing feel to it. And as an added bonus, getting outside in the backyard to play with your kids counts as getting active! It's a win/win! Above all, be kind as we all try to navigate our way through this very unique year. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas,

Lonnie xx

DEAR LONNIE: I just celebrated my 50th birthday! What a year! What are some great habits that I could add to my life this year to make my next 50 years the best yet?

Use the good dishes on regular days. Don't save anything for a special occasion. Everyday there's something to celebrate! Keep gratitude in your heart and actions daily. Grow fresh herbs to use in your cooking. They also brighten up a room and mood.

Most important of all, enjoy yourself! If it makes you happy, do it! I'm celebrating you! Thank you for writing in. Lonnie xx

ANSWER: Dear Birthday Celebration,

Happy birthday to you! 50 yrs is such a magnificent milestone! Take some time and think about what you've always wanted to do or learn and put a plan in action! Shed those things that haven't worked in the past and focus on what lights you up inside!

“I have a gift for seeing what others miss. I offer the truth as I know it. I offer this from my own life experience and my intuition. I hope to inspire you to have courage to look at your life, to help you feel empowered to do what you already know you need to do and as you sift through my “advice” - you will find the answers to your own questions”.

Click here to submit your questions.

Some self tuning is always a great idea. Take a cooking class, a writing class, an art class, join a book club, write your first book (I bet you have some amazing stories from the first 50 yrs of your life!), dance lessons, volunteer, plan a trip so you're ready to go when all this covid settles down. Prioritize friendships and conversations with loved ones. If you haven't already made exercise part of your life, now is a good time to start. Something that keeps your body thriving and your mind active.

uplift 16

They Want The Process To Be Simple And Easy, By Tiffany Keeping

SINCE IT’S NEARING THE END OF 2020

I definitely

feel ready to say goodbye to this year, I wanted to discuss starting the New Year off on a new organized foot. I have had many people approach me since I’ve started my business Awen Bookkeeping to discuss how to catch up on filing their taxes or tackling the backlog of bookkeeping for their business. 17

Ditch the Shoebox

where they feel comfortable, to be engaged in the financial side of their business or personal life. I’ve been in the accounting field on and off for 20 years. It took me until this year to really embrace my passion for being a “bean counter”. My goal is to ease my client’s stress and anxiety surrounding filing their taxes and keeping their books. From my personal experience, a lot of people get overwhelmed with bookkeeping and taxes and just shove all their receipts, invoices, etc in a “shoebox” and put it somewhere to deal with later. How will you know if your business is growing in the right direction if you don’t know where you are exactly? Imagine, if you will, that you were going to drive to Disneyland. You wouldn’t just jump in your car and start driving, right? You would pack for your trip and

enter Disneyland in your navigation system so that you make sure you are going in the correct direction. The same principle applies here. You need to organize your documentation and create a plan to get your business or life headed in the direction you want to go. You won’t know your profit margin or if you are overspending on expenses without a plan. The goal is to make your business as profitable as possible and if you aren’t aware of what is coming in and what is going out this goal can’t be achieved. The same principle applies to your paycheck and life expenses.

It’s time to talk about the preverbal “s h o e bo x f u l l o f r ec e ip t s ” . From my personal experience, there are a several reasons people create a “shoebox of receipts”: 1. They get really busy and just designate one spot to put all their receipts and keep telling themselves they will deal with it later. Believe it or not, this is really great, because at least everything is in one place even if it isn’t organized. However, if you are failing to track your income and expenses you can find yourself in a cash flow crunch very quickly. Also, it hinders your ability to apply for financing should you need to do so in the future. 2. They don’t know how to organize their accounting information or they don’t know exactly what to keep or what to throw away. I have some tips and tricks that I teach my clients to help deal with organization and what needs to be kept for tax purposes. 3. They have an emotional reason why they don’t want to organize or deal with the information in their “shoebox”. They don’t want to know what their business made for income or they don’t want to know what their business expenses have been this year. I can’t stress this enough. YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR BUSINESS’S NUMBERS!

4. Accounting just isn’t their thing and they don’t want to deal with it and that’s ok. That is why you hire a professional like me, so your books can be kept up-to-date and you don’t have to worry about it.

Here are a couple of suggestions to dit ch the shoebox for good: • If you find yourself struggling to keep up with your books consider hiring a professional to organize and enter your accounting information for you before year end. It becomes significantly more expensive if you leave it for a full year. • Consider using accounting software that allows you to snap receipts and track mileage. There are several apps that I find helpful with this task that you can download right on your phone. Bonus: this way if you lose a receipt you have a digital copy as well. • If you are absolutely in love with your shoebox accounting process Pinterest has some amazing ideas to transform your shoebox. You can find some of them here. Are you ready to ditch the shoebox for good and have a system that works for you? One that is less stress and less costly at the end of the year? Call me today at (780) 264-0860 or book a consultation here and let’s see how I can help you ditch the shoebox for good!

Tiffany Keeping Awen Bookkeeping Connect with me here

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FOOD IS LOVE by Mandy Gefle BScN, LHNP, RN

Ihelpcouldn’t the smile that

spread across my face as I looked over and saw my youngest son had climbed up the stool and sat on the kitchen counter across from me. He was having a matter-of-fact conversation with me and my husband. Just days over the age of five, his biggest concern was what might have happened to his Spiderman mask. We hadn’t been able to locate it for a few days.

Food is Love

“Mom, can you help me find my wred Spiderman maks? It’s not in bwrother’s wroom, it’s not in the wandry wroom, and it’s not in the wriving wroom. Dad, where’s my Spiderman maks?”

He looked so cute sitting there, totally exasperated, his little lisp coming through with certain words. He could not figure out how our level of concern, at this point, could be so low! It was during the evening rush. I was making supper, my husband was finishing up his work day, and my oldest son had accidentally let in two cats and our giant dog when he opened the door to feed them. The kitchen was buzzing as the usual chaos unfolded.

I had to admire his focus, and persistence. I paused for a moment to appreciate how he looked. Sitting up there so casually in his Spiderman costume, the stern and annoyed look on his chubby little face. He was not taking no for an answer this time, we were finding that mask!

It’s moments like these that come rushing to my mind when people ask me, “Why food?” These are the moments that connect families and generations. As I turned and saw him sitting there, I had memories flood in of the busy kitchens I had occupied in the past. Grandma’s house during Christmas… One aunt stirring gravy while another mashed potatoes, mom setting out dishes, weaving through children as they sprint through the kitchen on their way to go play!

Even now, if I close my eyes and picture the scene in my mind, the sounds of happy voices and smells of delicious homemade food fill my senses. I can almost feel the surge of serotonin and endorphins as the visions flash through. I have come to know that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and that is one thing that never seems to change through the years. This is the space where families come together to connect, to talk, to nourish and to learn. The kitchen has a pulse and energy that I tap into, every time I prepare a meal. I choose food because it is the key when it comes to supporting or destroying our health. It is what builds us and connects us to other’s.

FOOD IS LOVE

I would love to meet you, to book your free call with me, please CLICK HERE. Now taking reservations for my group plan starting in January: Feeling Fan-Freaking-TasTic is the leading program to show you how to finally escape the diet trends, and instead create simple habits that gain results. I have created this program after working in the healthcare industry for almost 10 years, and realizing that the current available models are not sustainable. For over two years my clients have been gaining success with this exact program!

By the end of this program you will: 1. Have a meal plan that you and your family will love. 2. Release stubborn weight when implemented properly. 3. K now exactly how to choose foods that support your health and wellness, without compromising flavour. Sign up before the new year for the special incentive price of $399.00

For Details Click Here. ple habits

These are the feelings I strive to pass on to my clients as well. My primary goal in working with you is to give you the opportunity and the confidence to create simple, delicious and nourishing meals in your own home! Create memories while you create health within your family.

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Why Is G r a ti tu de S u ch A Po wer f ul Pr a ct i ce

Photo by Adrien Converse on unsplash

By Catalina Morales Velez

Discover how gratefulness looks in real life and how it can change your entire human experience. When you aim to be your best version, there is a practice that continuously shows up in almost every piece of content you consume; gratefulness.

What makes gratefulness so essential to be featured in the different media you read, watch, or listen; is that it's something that goes deeper than barely bringing awareness about how blessed you are. 21

The regular practice of gratefulness creates new neural connections in your brain that allow the opening of the spectrum of things and experiences you appreciate. This practice literally impacts the reticular activating system (RAS), and according to a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, by day 18th of a daily gratefulness practice, you would move from doing the assignment of the day - thinking about what are you thankful for or writing the beautiful things you experienced during the day, to finally unlock fulfillment. This appreciativeness state enables you to live your everyday life in awe without any conscious effort. The beauty of consolidating the practice's benefits is that feelings that fuel your body, open your mind, and allow you to see other perspectives and details; sprout organically. The state might come to you while walking towards your car when suddenly you witness the magnificence of the machine taking you home. You will see how strong it is, how it

Why Is Gratitude Such A Power ful Practice

protects you, and how it takes you in such a comfortable way back home. You will appreciate on another level the value of this material possession. It may be a more intimate realization and come to you when watching your children. Offering you an abrupt awareness that those beings came out of you or are part of you, and the same thing that it's making your heart pump it's breathing life to them. It might even come to you as the capacity to discover flowers alongside the road that you have never seen before and be bewildered by them.

The reason is that what you're exp er iencing is what you have been looking for unt il ult imately living gratefulness. The expansion of your reality is what you gain, and because you did it consciously for X amount of days, the neurons linked strong enough together to open your mind to see and enjoy your life fully.

Gratefulness is an essential practice because it reveals that everything you already are is what you truly want. That doesn't mean that you discard the desires for that cool car, plenty of money, getting an MBA, or anything material and connected to human expression. It just releases the weight and responsibilities that we drop on top of those physical things to provide us with happiness and feelings of wholeness or fulfillment.

Photo by Fa Barboza on unsplash

Those moments when you are remarkably present and connected to the holisticness of the human experience, you don't want or strive for anything. You are free!

It Does That, Because Thanks To The Gratefulness State You Reached, You Will Find That In Every Moment Of Every Day! --Catalina is an inspiritual communicator and consciousness entrepreneur based in Canada. She teaches her audience how to embrace life experience with their spiritual and human sides working as cooperative components. You can sign up for Catalina's weekly tools for those aiming to improve themselves on her website Shine Inc.

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Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Practical Ways to Add Value out I worked 60 hours or more every week. I met clients in evenings and weekends to get ahead. I got run down and often felt like quitting. Only after I set a routine to get more sleep and more exercise did my productivity improve, which in turn helped the business flourish.

By Earl Shindruk

Adding value is a widely-

used term today. Such a task can be daunting work and concepts like the Triple Bottom Line for adding value seem lofty.

It does not have to be that way There are ways to add value to the following areas that, done properly, foster long term relationships and word-of-mouth endorsements that spur lasting growth.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Owners

It is easy for leaders to overlook first adding value to themselves. Since they are at the core of most organizations, its vital owners must perform self-care, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I am a good example: starting

P r a c t i c a l W a y s t o A d d Va l u e

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Employees It is often said that the customer comes first as

they are the lifeblood of all businesses. However, employees come before customers because staff are the key touchpoint for customer contact. Whether you have one employee or 100, you must get to know your staff - their needs, the reasons they are with your organization and what keeps them there – this is where to add value. It is seldom just a b o u t t h e m o n e y. Acceptance by co-workers is key to workers feeling welcome and to diffusing toxic workplaces that drive employees away. Adding value here lowers costly staff turnover. Likewise, employers need to create opportunities for staff to learn new skills, to develop and grow in order to advance their careers and the business.

Frequent communication is important, especially now in these disconnected times. Our company reached out to all of the clients early in the pandemic. Our clients told us they appreciated these touchpoints. Being clientfocused and not just on how you can get customers to buy your products or services is one of the keys to success.

Earl is a key contributor to his community, donating lots of time and expertise to charities and not for profits. He is past board chair of the NPO Collective, and board member of The100YEG and the Edmonton Business Association. His legacy includes sharing knowledge and expertise. For over 11 years he was an instructor and guest speaker at MacEwan University, and a guest speaker at the University of Alberta. Successful businessman and community leader, Earl Shindruk, launched Optimax Benefits in 1998 after a vast career at TransAlta, Laidlaw Waste Systems & with a local contractor. He has grown Optimax by harnessing people skills, ‘being accessible’, ‘getting to know your client’, and ‘being innovative’.

Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash

The Community

Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash

Customers Many organizations fail by being out of touch with customers. Leaders must stay connected to their customers. By conducting needs surveys by email, phone and in person, companies will learn more about how their customers perceive offerings and find ways to improve their operations.

At times, the life of an entrepreneur is challenging, with a big focus on just surviving. It is vital never to forget the community around us and give back, since it is where your customers and stakeholders are.

As a company, we look outward to support many local charities and to help others in need.

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Give Yourself a Break How Would It Feel To Do The Things You Love? Could Your Life Be Simplified By Bringing Order Into It? by Elizabeth Smith

Ia home was brought up in where there was a place for everything, and e ve r y th i n g i n i t s p la c e and so clean you could l i c k th e f l o o r s!

Growing up I resented this OCD atmosphere because I was not allowed to have friends over in case they moved something out of place. I always thought I would be the complete opposite when it was my house.

G i v e Yo u r s e l f a B r e a k

However, as an adult, I embraced the calm I felt with order. When your home is organized, items are found easier and life becomes less confusing. Money is saved by not purchasing duplicate items and time is not wasted looking for things you are sure you saw but have no idea where they are now! I’ve always loved helping people and when someone says “I couldn’t have done it without you, it makes my heart sing. Knowing I made a difference in someone’s

life is my “why ”. I’ve not been blessed with children so I’m sure my need to mother the world contributes to being a personal assistant. Even as an adult, who wouldn’t want the lovely feeling that someone is going to take care of them? As a Personal Concierge/ Assistant and Professional Organizer, I have come across many misconceptions about my profession. One of the biggest is that only the rich and famous have

personal assistants. Now if you need someone to straighten your tiara or fluff your ball gown – I’m your girl. In the real world, a personal assistant is someone who can help you once a week, once a month or once a year! All people, at some point in their life, need a helping hand.

Some of the ways I provide assistance are: • Shopping – at the end of a busy day do you dread the fact you STILL have to stop at the grocery store to pick up something for dinner? Imagine how awesome it would be to arrive home and have the food already in your (organized and all the expired goodies taken out) fridge? Better yet – what if your meal was prepped and ready to put in the oven?!? WHAT ??? Or picking up that perfect birthday or Christmas gift? You want it wrapped – no problem!

• Taking care of the homestead – are you

travelling? I will stop by your house to ensure everything is in order. I’ll check your mail and if there’s something important to deal with, I’ll take a pic and email you. Do you want Fido or Fluffy picked up and brought home from Pet daycare? Do you need contractors for snow removal, lawn maintenance, , etc.?

• Organizing – do you

find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff ” you have in your house? Do you search for things you just know you have but can’t place – then you go out and buy another only to find it?! ARG. Organizing can be difficult – it’s great to have someone to “hold your hand” and guide you through the process.

Typically, people do not like asking for help!! “No, it’s OK , I can do it myself – I’ll be fine”. How many times have you said that? Even when you’ve worked all day, you still have to cook dinner, help the kids with homework, spend time with your husband, etc., and you’re just about in tears because all the “chores” you didn’t accomplish today just moved onto tomorrow ’s list. It does not have to be like that. What is your time worth to you? A lady once told me she thought I was a “luxury ” and didn’t feel it necessary to hire me to help her, even though she was extremely busy juggling many things at once. She had an opportunity to attend a trade show where she was sure she would have made about $10,000.00 but, since she was so burnt out, she didn’t go and lost that revenue. Asking for help is not a weakness. It shows great strength! Any CEO of a company does not try to do everything themselves. Do

you think the President of a multi-million-dollar company answers the phones? Or fixes the computer? They succeed because they hire other people to support them. Be strong. Take care of yourself. Give yourself the most important gift of time so you can concentrate on what is important to YOU.

Whether it’s your family, business or self care! Contact me at 780-913-6037 or on my Website or email me and let’s start

Simplifying Your Life

If you need more “ME” time, you need more of “MY” time.

Womanition “New Business Venture” Nominee for 2020 Executive Board member of Professional Organizers in Canada Proud member of the Sherwood Park Chamber of Commerce

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H ow to M ake a C rystal W ealth E xpansion B owl Hello Beautiful Soul Angel Lady Terrie Marie, D.Ms. Crystologist, Crystal and Angelic Realm Channel

Crystals are energy powerhouses that can help you raise your vibration, help ease transition and transformation and assist you in connecting with Spirit and your Guides.

The conscious mind tends to focus on the exact opposite of what we truly desire to manifest in our lives, relationships and businesses. Making a Wealth Expansion or Prosperity and Abundance Bowl with Crystals is an empowering way to remind yourself to focus on what you desire and quiet conscious mind chitter-chatter. Abundance is something that seemingly eludes you, especially when there’s uncertainty which only feeds the exact opposite of what you’re attempting to manifest. Manifesting can be rather tricky because if we focus on the *wrong end* of abundance, wealth expansion is going to be more of a challenge. It’s all about being in the flow and allowing. Sounds easy enough --- but --- how do you get

into and stay in the flow of allowing instead of blocking the flow? One of the ways to do just that --- be in the flow of allowing that which you desire most --- is to make a Crystal Wealth Expansion Bowl. Each time you see your wealth bowl, it is a physical reminder to focus on what you do want instead of fear and doubt. So take a DEEP breath and tap into what you truly desire and let’s get started, shall we? Here’s What you’ll need to make your Crystal Wealth Expansion Bowl:

You will need: Currency, a paper bill currency. Denomination is your choice Loose coins, just a few to get the manifestation energy started Glass Bowl Glass Marbles

Herbs: White Sage Leaves Organic Lavender Buds

How to Make a Cr ystal Wealth Expansion Bowl

Tumbled Stones: Amethyst or Ametrine - Crown Chakra, calms the Spirit, raising your inner-vibration, connect to your Guides

2. View Video. This will give you a quick overview of how to assemble your Wealth Expansion Bowl. You are free to follow your intuition. Video link https://youtu.be/WZCN9e16gpQ

Green Aventurine - raise your vibe, clear guidance and messages; abundance

3. Place a paper bill, the currency of your Country, into the bottom of the Bowl. Then add the Glass Marbles

Bloodstone - Courage, energy purification, Chakra balance, calms the conscious mind

4. Begin to add the Crystals, Organic Lavender Buds and White Sage leaves

Citrine - Solar Plexus, Root and Sacral Chakras; Manifestation energy; empowerment

5. Add a few loose coins when you have finished adding the Crystals and Herbs

Sodalite - clears blockages in your Throat Chakra, opens Channels receiving

6. Place your Wealth Expansion Bowl in a place where you will see it often.

Celestite - Intuitive Guidance, go with the flow of energy, emotional healing Clear Quartz - magnifies the energies of ALL other crystals, protection, manifestation Rose Quartz - Heart Chakra; emotional healing, inner harmony Selenite (or Kyanite)- clears and recharges all other Crystals, protection from Psychic Attack Snowflake Obsidian - protection from negativity, clear self-sabotaging thoughts Tiger ’s Eye - manifest, clear conscious mind confusion, grounding, take action

7. Each time you find coins on the ground, add them to your Wealth Expansion Bowl.

Mu ch Lo ve a nd Infi ni te B lessi ngs

About The Crystologist Angel Lady Terrie Marie, D.Ms. is a highly attuned Master Crystologist, Crystal and Angelic Realm Channel, showing Sensitives and Empaths Worldwide how to tap into and easily access their Intuitive Skills, Spirit and their Guides. Her fascination with Crystals began in 1989, after reading Spiritual Value of Gemstones by Wally and Jenny Richardson and Lenora Huett, and Crystal Enlightenment: The Transforming Properties of Crystals and Healing Stones by Katrina Raphaell.

How to Make Your Crystal Wealth Expansion Bowl: 1. Set Your Financial Goal Intentions. You can do this mentally or write it down to place beneath your Wealth Expansion Bowl. DO NOT put your goal into the bottom of your bowl. It ’s important to be in a high-vibe state of mind, thoughts and emotions.

She utilizes and enlists the Power of Crystals in her personal daily spiritual Practice. Through her work, she teaches her clients how they too can tap into the Power of Crystals in simple practical ways.

As an 8-Time BestSelling Author and Intuitive SpiritualPreneur and Crystology Mentor, she radiates Spiritual Presence, Unconditional Love and compassion, teaching her clients life-changing skills, easy-to-use techniques and practices that work quickly and easily. With her guidance, Terrie Marie’s clients become transempower catalysts in their lives and Spiritual business from the inside out in miraculous ways. • 8-Time BestSelling Author • Angel Dream Team • The Crystologist • EtsyShop

uplift Photo by Krystal Ng on Unsplash

T HE SOCIA L M E DIA SU RV IVAL GU IDE FOR

E N T R EP R EN EURS By Catalina Morales Velez

Today, No Business Can Survive Without A Powerful Online Presence

Social Media is now essential for every business. Entrepreneurs are always encouraged to take advantage of this costeffective tool, its massive audience, and the potential virality that can ignite long-lasting business results.

There is no doubt that the content you post on social media has the power to turn your brand into the go-to of your community and transform followers into customers. However, this kind of impact is accomplished only through a solid social media content strategy. The principle of content marketing relies upon communicating your brand, products, and services to potential clients on a regular basis. But often, the immense requirements to implement such a strategy are only revealed once 29

Social Media Sur vival Guide

the accounts are open and the goals laid out.

It takes a fair amount of brainpower and time to create content, admin schedules, and engage current and potential clients. The Struggle is Real. Using social media to educate your public, raise funds, trigger sales, interact with your target audiences in a meaningful and helpful way, increase brand awareness, and empower your community, could become an avenue of stress and frustration.

However, the following tips can streamline the process and help you save time and money, and ignite growth.

1. Be Real

4. Use Scheduling Tools

As humans, we connect and empathize with real people. Relax and show the human behind the enterprise. Don’t be afraid of captions that sound like you talk, now that those are the ones that people can relate to and make them want what you sell.

Planning your content out gives you time to think about what's coming up and allows you to be creative in how your brand can connect with your audience. Plus, many of these tools will recommend the best times to posts to see high engagement.

In a nutshell: Show on social media that your business is run by a real person with a real personality.

In a nutshell: No one expects you to be connected 24/7. Scheduling tools can help.

2. Strategize Despite that having a constant flow of content to maintain your brand on top of your customers’ minds would be great; it can also get annoying for your customers, especially if they end up surrounded by empty updates, or even worse, incorrect information. Focus on providing content that is good to be re-shared and ignites action.

In a nutshell: Focus on quality vs. quantity and make sure to produce content that converts. 3. Video, Video, and More Video The demand for high-value content is high, but the competition is intense. Video has the highest conversion rates, ranging from 38 - 43%!

Managing social media accounts is a constant work in progress. Frequent changes to their algorithm, policy updates, and new regulation will affect your post’s organic visibility; that’s why keeping an eye on what works is a must. However, remember, Social media is not only about sending direct messages via a brand’s page or profile. These platforms provide you an opportunity to hear what your customers are saying and what they care about.

Make sure you are listening!

Join Our Facebook Group And Keep Learning About How To Improve Your Social Media Engagement

Take advantage of the support Collective Advance offers. We conveniently deliver a set of social media videos every week to support your communications needs around quick sales, promotions, special dates, events, product launches, and more.

In a nutshell: Create video content that reaps rewards.

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g n o Clu g i Q

refresh recharge reclaim spiritual aspects of bringing your inner state back to centre and away from the fight or flight response of fear and uncertainty. BY Carolynne Melnyk

Are you looking for a physical

There could be no better time to incorporate Qigong into your life than now.

You can thrive through anything in life if you have the right tools!

I’ve relied on my daily Qigong practice for many years to get me through the ups and downs of life, from navigating debt and the emotional upheaval wrought by a close family's death to adjusting to these shifting times.

Qigong Club

There's a way to handle the challenges of life, so your body and mind can relax. There is a way to a calmer, happier and healthier life.

practice that also incorporates movement, mindfulness and greatly reduces stress?

In Carolynne’s Qigong Club, we combine the physical, emotional and

known that stress wreaks havoc on our immune systems and our day-to-day lives.

This year has been challenging for everyone on the planet. It’s well

Qigong is a gentle, easy ancient Chinese practice that can be done by anyone, anywhere at any time! It can be adapted to meet any challenges you may have. You don’t need any experience or special equipment.

It would be my pleasure to share w ith you my passion and pass along the to ols that have h e l p e d me and my clients thr ive in difficult t imes!

Carolynne Melnyk, B.Ed, MA is an educator, world traveller, and Certified Spring Forest Qigong trainer with many years of Qigong experience. She is devoted to sharing the ancient wisdom of Qigong, so that others may reclaim their natural health and well-being from the inside out.

Let her help YOU Refresh, Recharge and Reclaim your health and wellbeing from the inside-out

Contact her today camelnyk@gmail.com Join the club here.

Here’s what clients say: “I initially hired Carolynne to help heal a sick family member. She introduced me to Qigong and it ended up enhancing MY life. I have more energy. My relationships with my family members have improved. Financial abundance has improved. My life has a deeper, happier, more peaceful meaning and sense of connectedness to something wonderful. But, the best part is that it's exciting and fun to do and learn. Carolynne is very committed, professional and reliable. Thank you Carolynne for making my life so much better.” ~ Tracy Lucas

Qigong Is An Ancient Chinese Energy Healing Practice Designed To Balance Your Energy, Strengthen Your Health, Reduce Stress, Increase Your Vitality And Promote Longevity

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ratit u

G ift

We’re approaching

the season of giving when we share words of holiday cheer, exchange gifts with our family and friends and help those who are less fortunate. By Kimberley Langford And along with exchanging gifts, words of good cheer and sharing what we have with those who are in need... comes giving thanks. Looking back at 2020 and what I’ve gone through during this tumultuous past year and feeling uncertain due to the Pandemic, I can still find things to be grateful for. • The many frontline workers who have put their own health and safety on the line to ensure that the public’s health becomes their top priority. Thanks to frontline workers I can still put food on the table.

is a

• The marvel of Technology. If you have a computer or cell phone and access to the internet, you can still have contact with friends, family, support and faith groups, and work from home while maintaining social distancing. • Those in the field of medical research who are racing to find a vaccine that can curb the spread of the COVID-19 Virus And I’m also grateful for: •

My cat who is a constant companion

• My mother, brother and many friends • My 22-year-old son, who is working at his dream job, when so many others his age are still figuring out what they want to do. • My four years of sobriety have brought me from a place of despair and hopelessness to a life of purpose and happiness. • My family and I are healthy.

Gratitude is a Gift

Focusing on what is positive in our lives and feeling grateful for those things can boost our spirits, emotions, and help us to deal with things when we think they’re not going as they should. And science has proven that practicing gratitude helps with our problemsolving skills and creativity as well. How you practice gratitude is up to you. Some people pray and give thanks that way. Others practice meditation or mindfulness to tune into what they’re grateful for. Another way is to keep a daily journal and write down at least 10 things you’re grateful for each day as it can help you to focus on the positive aspects of your life.

Start by jotting down some of the simple things that you take for granted, that you can be grateful for such as: • A beautiful sunrise • Your child taking their first step • You woke up today • You have money to cover your living expenses • An answered prayer

Gratitude Is A

Mood Enhancing Life

Affirming Gift That Can Be Opened Every Day

Why Not Open It Today

Kimberley Langford has been published in Rising Women Magazine, Today’s Business Woman Magazine and The High River Times. She is the author of The Evolving Woman Series, What Lies Beneath The Mask. Kimberley is currently writing two more books: The Eamon’s Garage Story and Lessons Learned from Being Run Over By A Bus. She can be reached through her Website and Kimberley Langford Author on Facebook. She currently resides with her family in High River, Alberta.

Photo by eugenivy_now-St6UEfOson Unsplash

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What Brings You Joy lastly the worry that also comes with it. I replace it with confident, vibrant, playful energy all through releasing childhood fears, hands on play to ignite the child within, meditation to reconnect to the inner child, self love/self care techniques and much more!! I believe once connected back to the inner child one will be able to show up 100% as themselves and in turn will give their children permission to JUST BE !! Sounds inviting?!?! I encourage

you to join my page by Alexis Love

Exactly As The Article States” What Brings You Joy?” I'm going to let you sit with that for a bit....

Iowner/founder am AlexisofLove, 40 yrs old, Einstien’s World Of Wonders Dayhome, owner/ founder of Creative Playful Parenting Group. I am super

passionate at assisting parents releasing the need to be perfect, the guilt that comes with parenting and 35

W h a t B r i n g s Yo u J o y

Okay I now invite you to go back to the original question What Brings You Joy?!?! So often parents will go to look outside of themselves and state my kids, friends, material things... the list goes on... Are you noticing a theme? They are all things that are outside of oneself... Man when I was faced with this reality, I was absolutely shocked and in disbelief that I was constantly looking outside of myself for Joy - in other words external validation. That was hard for me to swallow... does this sound like you? I am here to share a bit of my journey into discovering joy

within myself, to basically enjoy my own company... I took it upon myself to remove many things that I depended on to bring me joy and allowed me to be in my own thoughts… which allowed me to really be with my own thoughts and I was faced with many fears and feeling anxious. I was super unsettling. This is when I became aware I was dealing with codependency. After becoming aware of this, I chose to take action to rediscover who I was, and where I wanted to go. I became aware all my energy was used to worry about others, to take it upon myself to "fix" other people, these really were to distract me... I had a fear of losing control, which sucked the joy right out of me. Now I always choose myself…

Here are some questions that have helped me...

These two tools have definitely helped reignite the joy within!! I am now finding my relationship with myself is becoming more healthy by taking care of healing my negative core beliefs, which were formed right from 0 to 12 yrs old. Also taking responsibility for my own happiness. I am now seeing the results of having more energy in carrying out the things that truly are in alignment with my soul, and I am now able to share these amazing tools with my daughter which deepens our relationship.

“ In

closing I invite you to revisit and make a list of what truly brings you joy from within.

1. Is that thought true?

To start by taking 15 mins a day to be with your own thoughts - journal them out.

2. How do I behave when I believe the thought?

Walk in nature, whatever that looks like.

3. Where would I be without that thought? 4. Think of turn around thoughts for the original thought (meaning discovering positive thoughts) 5. Picturing self living the turn around thoughts ....how do I feel? How do I behave when I believe the turn around thought? Love Byron Katie's work !!! This tool alone has definitely helped me release any negative core beliefs that I have developed from my childhood, not saying they don't surface, it just means anytime they do i use this tool, and if it does not work I then go to meditation, particularly inner child meditation, which can be found on YouTube.

This will guide you back to what is truly in alignment with your soul and leave you feeling genuinely happy. You will feel confident and restored which will spill over! ” Alexis Trinity Love is a woman of power who is ready to take that leap and not look back and only move forward!! To continue to walk the path that is meant for her and to do what brings her joy, to go through the growing pains of life, as she is paving the road to success and feels soooo blessed to be calling in her tribe She assists parents in regaining their vibrant, playful, creative energy back by doing inner child work. She began on January 15th, 2020. Mom, woman and owner of Einstein's World of Wonders Day Home.

To contact Alexis Love send email to spiritualhealing21@hotmail.com.

impact Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Hid

Our Hidden Gems

dden

ems

promote promote Photo by Tristan Colangelo on Unsplash

Our

Hidden Gems

The way the stores are laid out, the diverse things you can find and the people that run them!

By Ryschell Dragunov

Iunusual, love the therefore I

love finding unique treasures, and will hunt out unique stores with nooks and crannies full of trinkets and riches. When I was a child my family spent four years in England where we discovered the Brighton Lanes, Covent Gardens and little shops tucked up in the corner of h i g h s t re e t .

I Loved Them All..

Harry Potter caught my attention because of the way they presented all the little stores in Diagon Alley. I love discovering the stores in small towns and big cities as well. Recently I traveled to Chicago to visit my boyfriend, he told me to find things to do and I dragged him to a store called “THE WOOLLY MAMMOTH”. It was off the beaten path, in a rougher end of Chicago tucked up in a cluster of stores. So worth the trip, nay, adventure! From the moment I opened the door, I fell in love with the store, every corner had something new to marvel at. You just don’t get that type of experience from online shopping. We have these stores here in

Edmonton and you have them where you live too! The owners have unique ideas and share their personality throughout their stores. It is my passion to introduce these stores to the lucky ones who are reading this publication. For those of you who love the unique, the treasure hunt and the adventure to get there. For you, I present “Our Hidden Gems”.

If you have a favourite store, local gem, hidden treasure that you want to share with others please let us know by emailing us at CreateTheRippleMagazine @gmail.com We will work our magic to get them introduced!

The Wooly Mammoth - Chicago

The Woolly Mammoth - Chicago 39

CAFFIEND

Our Hidden Gems

Tuc k e d Aw ay I n Th e Shoppes Of Ja ga re R i dge I n S W Ed m o nt on Lies Ca f f ien d Cof f ee

A vision brought to life by Jennifer and Allen Oleksyn. “Our Mission is to be Your Third Place” Sociologist Ray Oldenberg first pioneered the concept in his 1989 tome “The Great Good Place”, in which he explains that your third place is a hangout spot, community center or “home away from home” that provides an essential zone outside of home and work. One of our top values and priorities is supporting other local businesses. Inside Caffiend you will find many other local independent businesses to support. Our coffee, tea, beer, pressed juice & kombucha all come from local Edmonton suppliers. You’ll also find an array of local art for sale and items from local artisans.

Food quality is another top value and priority at Caffiend. Allen is a chef by trade and puts his time and energy into creating the delicious food combinations customers rave about. All baking is done in house to ensure quality and freshness every time. If you need a vegan or gluten free option we’ve got you covered! Jennifer’s passion is community and people. You’ll often find her laughing and chatting with customers, organizing or participating in fundraisers and seeking new and unique collaborations. Come visit Caffiend for the first time, say hi and you’ll soon find yourself as a regular.

You can view the most update menu or order ahead here: https://order.tbdine. com/caffiend-coffee/pickup

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By Candice Smiley

As soon as Carol starts talking about her store you can hear her passion through the phone.

“ We celebrated 30 years of

being in Edmonton this year”, she says and I can hear her smile. “When we started, with six jars of candy on the counter and two cabinets of chocolates, ” she pauses for effect. “ And now over a thousand different kinds of candy, four hundred jars of product and cabinets of chocolates! ” I’ve been inside her store on High Street in Edmonton, and I love it! There is such a unique feel and so many candies to choose from. It makes

C a r o l ’s Q u a l i t y S w e e t s

me nostalgic for a time that was simpler than the one that we live in now.

I was intrigued and so I had to ask her how she got started; and surprisingly her story starts in Swan Hills and not Edmonton. Carol shared that it all started in the little town with a population of about 4000 people, with nothing for the women to do but make crafts. Making crafts required supplies, so she brought in craft supplies and opened a “craft

Our Hidden Gems

store” on her porch for the women to buy the needed items for their crafts. This was apparently very successful and a fun little venture.

Carol, her husband and her family continuing to be the ones who create, craft and perfect the chocolates you can purchase there.

Around this time a lady came to town who taught the art of chocolate making. Carol, intrigued, said, “why not?” and began learning to make chocolate and started selling those too. Of course, with all of the women making crafts they needed somewhere to sell them.

Carol tells me that the only chocolate they make is Belgium chocolate… and to hear her tell the story of how they are made is worth the stop in to see her alone. Her eyes light up as she tells you how and what is in the divine little bites of heaven.

Carol, being the innovative business woman she is, started the Swan Hills Craft Guild. It was only in 1990 that Carol found herself part of a large craft event in Edmonton, followed quickly by the Art Market in Calgary that same year. She is quick to jump in on her own story at this point to remind me that at this time, the economy was experiencing another dip as it is now, and I can hear the resilience and pride of a seasoned entrepreneur in her voice. Carol found herself opening up the first of the Carol’s Sweets shop on Whyte Ave and the corner of 104th street. This was where the shop remained until tragedy struck by fire in 2003 when they lost everything. “All except half of a burnt cookbook…” she says. “Everything else was gone, and we had to start again.”

Their Peanut Butter Cups won the CBC Snack Checker Award and I’ve been told they have The Sourest Candy in the world! As we wrap up our call Carol interjects… “We have lots of things for stocking stuffers”. And I smile, again, as I have through this delightful interview of a Hidden Gem in our city, as I think about the tiny wrapped bits of chocolate that are tucked away for loved ones of mine. If you need "Sweets" for the sweets in your life (and who doesn't) you really deserve to take a trip to High Street. Get out of the house, get those stocking stuffers, and meet a lady you will not soon forget!!! Carol’s Quality Sweets

12519 102 Ave, Edmonton, AB (780) 433-8650

It was at this point that Carol’s Sweets moved to their High Street location. Their little shop was touted as the “Perfect Business for High Street”... (And I couldn’t agree more!) If you have never been, it is well worth the detour to make a stop. A delightful family run business with

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Not all Hidden Gems are in

Edmonton... Last year at the Edmonton “Art World Expo Body Painting Competition”, I met Monika Blichar, of Monika’s Art Boutique and Studio from BC. I entered the Body Painting By Ryschell Dragunov Competition and came in third place. Monika organizes amazing events for Artists. The “Art World Expo Body Painting Competition” is just one of them. With COVID she, like many store owners and event planners, had to pivot. With all the uncertainty of the rules and regulations of COVID she has made some changes and additions to her Art Boutique and Studio. This is fortunate for us as we too can shop at her boutique and support Canadian artists online. With her business being a studio and a boutique, art classes are always on the menu and now they are online as well. If you are looking for something different to do, check out any of her online painting classes and more.

"Our goal is to allow our guests to experience imagination, creativity and possibility. We want all our guests to feel 43

M o n i k a s ’s A r t B o u t i q u e a n d St u d i o

like they can do, be and see the impossible through imagination, inspiration and all the colours of creativity.” - Monika Blichar, Owner Monika’s Art Boutique and Studio is unique. It is a boutique gallery and working art studio in one beautifully inspiring space! Monika Blichar, Founder and Owner, is the creative mind behind this retail boutique and art programs. With over 15 years teaching experience as well as 10 years as a creat ive entrepreneur, Monika offers an array of ways for children and adults alike to express themselves as well as enjoy, purchase and collect unique artisan items. Monika is passionate about creativity and imagination. She strives to offer a space to help visitors and students alike believe that anything is possible and that creativity is within all of us!

This little boutique is host to over 70 artists and designers. This includes visual artists, jewellers, fashion designers as well as British Columbia Native Artists mainly from the Squamish Nation. They love to find unique items and make them available to customers as gift ideas or as additions to art collections. As all of their artists are constantly creating new pieces, their selection of merchandise is always changing and being updated particularly to suit each season.

Our Hidden Gems

If you are in BC you can visit her studio at 3063 Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. Her working studio is consistently bustling with working artists, arts programs and specialty workshops. They offer programming for children and adults including painting, jewelry making, fashion workshops and specialty workshops led by local artists and creative professionals. They also offer kids art camps during summer, winter and spring break as well as after school classes year round.

Be sure to visit them and check out their space or a class for yourself! Make a purchase before December 31st and save 10% on your order. Use promo code at check out! You can reach the studio via Phone: 604-999-6177 or Email: mabartstudio@ gmail.com

10% OFF WITH CODE CREATETHERIPPLE EXPIRES DEC 31, 2020

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Rapt in L ove By Sheri Schaaf

Raising 4 children on my own was a challenge and money was always tight. I would make many of our gifts for birthdays, Christmas, weddings, and baby showers. There is

Creating has always been my happy

place, my safe haven, my go to when the world becomes too much. Even as a small child, creating was in my soul. I have dabbled in many different creative outlets, depending on my situation, from knitting, crocheting, and sewing to poetry, baking and wood crafts. Some of my projects I gifted while others I kept for myself. As far back as I can remember, I always dreamed of making a career out of crafting. To share my creativity and love of handcrafting with others.

Rapt in Love

something special about handcrafted items. Someone’s time, thought, love and patience went into making that one-of-a-kind item. When I receive such a gift, it makes my heart sing.

When I pass on my own creations, whether as a gift or a purchase, it warms my heart to see the smile in the eyes of the receiver. A little over a year ago, I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across a friend doing a live video. Crystal was creating beautiful home décor using Chalk Couture™ products. I had never heard of the company before but was blown away by how easy it was to use

Our Hidden Gems

and how amazing the finished item looked. During the video, she talked about the products and the company, and the words spoke to me. I needed to know more. I messaged her to order some products so I could create my own masterpieces. She explained that if I joined her team as a Designer, I would save on all my product purchases. WOW! Then she told me I could sell my finished pieces to make some extra money. I was excited! Make money for crafting... sign me up! Crystal went on to tell me about the business opportunity. Chalk Couture was a new company that had started in the United States about 2 years prior and had just launched into Canada in May that year. This was a ground floor opportunity with the potential to change my life. I could make my dream come true.

The Chalk Couture opportunity can be life changing if that is what you are looking for. You have so many options with this company. You can join as a crafter, a creator selling your finished

Chalk Couture gives you the ability to create your own high-quality home décor, you can match colours to your style and home. Our silk screen Transfers can be used 10-12 times if taken care of properly and the non-toxic Chalkology™ Paste is completely washable on most surfaces. This allows you to change out your decor for the season, which is an incredible cost savings if you like to decorate for each season of the year. You can also customize pieces using our individual lettering, so making gifts has never been easier. Our Chalkology Ink is also very unique, it can be used with our silk screen Transfers to create permanent creations, any type of glassware, t-shirts, pillows, etc. You just heat set it and your new creation becomes completely washable.

goods, a business builder, or a combination of all 3 like I have. As you build your team, the compensation plan is outstanding. Chalk Couture is a family of Designers who will support, encourage, and train you. Your imagination has no limits, don’t let it hold you back.

Does this sound like something that appeals to you? Would you like to know more? Please visit my website and my Facebook page. Contact me via messenger so I can get you started today, on your Chalk Couture journey. I look forward to welcoming you into our family. Sheri Schaaf ~ Rapt in Love Website

Sheri Schaaf is a mom to 4 adult children, a Nini to 2 amazing 4 year old twin granddaughters and 1 fabulous teenage grandson. She is also a fur mom to 4 large fuzzy hounds. She loves creating, camping, hockey, and spending time with friends and family. She feels blessed to have a husband who loves and supports her, even when she takes over his garage with her supplies.

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Embodied Sound for Unshakeable Peace

Some

of you reading this might already know me as a singer-songwriter, sound therapist & yogi, someone who shares sound experiences rooted in spirituality, peace, self-love, etc. What you might not know is there was a time in my life when I deeply hated my body and myself, and was in complete rejection of being here. I spent most of the first few decades of my life so uncomfortable with myself, my body, my voice, and my place here in the world.

“ I was 12 years old when I was hospitalized for anorexia and bulimia. ”

I was treated by doctors who barely understood eating disorders and who used talk therapy, medications and followed the Canada food guide. Though they were doing their best, it didn’t take me long to realize the professionals around me didn’t know how to truly help me get to the heart and suffering of this illness beyond simply putting weight back on. All of their techniques only grazed the surface of my body loathing, rather than getting to the root of my core issues. I knew there was another way. Even at 12, I sensed my body

Embodied Sound for Unshakeable Peace

was holding something - I now know the body holds crystalized emotional and energetic memories that need to be moved, felt, alchemized in order to be transformed. I’m sharing the reality of my experience with multiple eating disorders here not to lament or glorify it but to highlight it as a major turning point in my life, the thing that pushed me to search for ways to create profound transformation. This journey was a catalyst to help me learn why sound medicine, devotional music with mindful embodiment practice can be such powerful tools for full body acceptance and liberation.

“ I dedicated several years of my life to exploring many different healing methods and practices ”

and found the most powerful impact came through music and sound practice combined with embodied energy healing journeys. I became a certified music therapist (MTA) and yoga instructor (ERYT) to offer song, sound, mindfulness and healing to others. I travelled the world and sought out music and spiritual guidance from many global teachers. Then, also I got super real about the remaining parts of my body-self

how sound can reduce physical pain perception, blood pressure, heart-rate, and increase endorphins and boost immunity. In other words, sound can limit negative physiological, sensory and biological experiences which means it can help us physically feel better, have less tension, stress, pain etc. Feeling better in our body is a big part of coming to peace with it. In my system clients are empowered to use their body as an instrument for sound: to breathe sounds in and out and to activate their voice. rejection, deceptively hidden in the wellness practices I was doing and stopped travelling to allow myself to sit with my pain and feel deeply. This dedicated action and commitment to healing played a huge part in my transformation and I immersed myself in the musical meditation and guided healing techniques I now use with myself and others to help me move through it. Reflecting back on why and how embodied sound methods worked for me, there are many reasons. Today, I’m going to tell you about two.

Firstly,

sound is intimately connected to the body: we receive sound with our whole bodies through our skin and bones, not just our ears. Sound directly impacts and engages our bodies biologically and we’re literally hardwired to receive it. So many research studies now show

Secondly , sound is an

amazing vehicle to help tap into the non-physiological parts of body loathing and negative body image. Sound triggers our emotions, our memory, and helps us tap into deeper brainwave states so that we can repattern beliefs with more longevity. Often extra weight and heaviness in the body are emotions that have been blocked, concretized and solidified from past traumas. Sound can help identify, release and transform these with more ease and permanence. I’ve now made a commitment to dedicate the rest of my life to helping others transform w ith sound medicine. I’ve worked with m a n y p r i v a te c l i e n t s , p e r fo r m e d a l l o v e r t h e globe, led countless sound j o u r n e y s a n d s p o ke n i n f ro nt of m a n y a u d i e n c e s . I ’ ve c re ate d H a n g - u p s to H a r m o n y g ro u p a n d Immersions, a sound-infused guided healing system.

I’m truly grateful to walk my talk and help others ditch body-image baggage and find real radiance, body liberation and unshakeable peace.

Music for the soul, sounds to inspire and transform. With sun-kissed tones and compelling lyrics, Tiffany Sparrow offers music not only for its entertainment value but as a way to connect and heal. Tiffany is an accomplished vocalist & multi-instrumentalist, certified music therapist (MTA), sound healer, yogi and body image coach. She is passionate about accessing sound and mindful practice as a powerful tool for transformation, body confidence and mental health. Tiffany is releasing her debut double album solo project of original songs “Journey On” and “Good Place”. You can hear these as well as her other meditation and world-music mantra recordings (Sharanam 2013; Soundevotion 2011) online at her website.

CLICK HERE To find out about hangups to harmony programs Or Find her here

uplift 48

(s)hero in your life? If you are nervous, that’s normal. If you are worried you might not know what to say? No worries. I love to hold space and part of my job as the host is to make sure I “carry” you, the conversation and create an on-air environment that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. .

So how does it work? 1. We set a day to record 2. By Candice Smiley

TRUST THE NIGGLE. TELL THE TRUTH. EVEN WHEN YOUR VOICE SHAKES .

I’m re-launching my podcast after a delightful summer of refocus, re-calibration and re-framing. Do you have a story to tell? Something you would love to share? Would you like to grab a cup of tea and discuss those things that are near to your heart and would encourage others? How are you being the

Tr u s t t h e N i g g l e

https://bit.ly/PodcastwithMe

3. You fill out my questionnaire, which is very detailed, but you only have to fill out the parts that appeal to you, and from that our conversation is ignited. 4. We meet a little bit early on the appointed day. We connect, we chat, we laugh, we relax, we adjust your lighting and camera if need be. 5. I hit record. You relax and we have a lot of fun. 6 . I s et t he d ate fo r i t to b e re le a se d and s e nd y o u a co p y of t h e f in a l p ro d uct and any t hi ng e l se we d o to get he r s o y o u can us e i t fo r y o ur we b s i te, fo r y o ur b lo g o r y o ur ow n p ro m ot i o ns

That’s it!

Oh… wait… maybe you want to know a little bit about me? Well my bio goes something like this...

This quote is my subtle mission in life... I’m a mom to an amazing little girl, girlfriend to an amazing man, a social marketer with an amazing online values driven company, a thought leader and multi-entrepreneur. I find a ton of my life’s joy in connecting people, to other people, places and things. It's not about hustle, it's about heart. It's not about push, it's about attraction... and you don't attract what you want, you attract WHO YOU ARE. I love speaking, writing, creating, traveling and connecting. A natural leader and disruptor, I have a passion for helping men and women to trust the niggle (trust themselves), tell the truth (boundaries are an amazing thing) and speak, even when their voice shakes. I'm a champion for the underdog, can't doesn't exist in my vocabulary and I

believe that taking radical responsibility in your life changes everything.

A little more? Ok... I live a minimalist lifestyle, own a tiny home (324 sq ft), love (LOVE!) to travel with my partner in life Mark, and dance; and can never resist the urge to take off my boots to walk barefoot into a clear mountain lake or stream. When I’m not podcasting or creating content - I disappear into the backcountry trails of Canada and lose myself exploring waterfalls and mountain trails. At my core, I am a quiet introvert who adores eating clean vegan foods and reading a great book. Curious to know more? I show up very honestly on my social media platforms.

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Photo by Pure Julia on Unsplash

by Lori Chenger

Perhaps Robert Frost said it best in his quote

“ I have miles to go before I sleep. ”

Th e mind is like that, b u s y r u nning aroun d i n all directions, unearthing old childho o d stor i e s that really mean nothing anymore, yet still affect ou r c u r rent live s by

T h e E c h o o f Ye s

g i v i n g us s o m e fal s e story to chase until we claim every detail and hold it tightly as the reason(s) why our lives are the way they are. Like a dog getting distracted in the present moment and digging frantically for that one “defining excuse” that THIS is why you are stuck at this particular moment. I wa s t hat p e rs o n, and I wa s o n t hi s j o urne y seeking to find anything that would release me from t he ho ld s of childhood trauma planted i n p ove r t y , ad d i ct i o ns

and abuse. The problem was that I was always searching “out there”; outside of myself and as a result felt a heaviness and a scary belief that I was never going to claim the life I was worthy of. What was the point anyway as birthday followed birthday and no book or technique was helping.

It led me to creating a beautiful library of books and a lengthy list of interesting people and techniques which likely did chisel away at who I thought I was.

This became part of my empowered success! Then I found NLP, hypnotherapy and Qigong. Finding these modalities I thought was because traditional jobs never appealed to me. In reality though, I was amazed at the clearing of thoughts, energies and false stories that each gifted me with. It had always been “an inside job” and I could feel the heavy energies lift, the thoughts became lighter, the realizations of I was more than okay and that life had value were now what filled my mind. I became certified in each and transformed my life immeasurably. I have more

life ahead of me now at 60 then I did at 30.

I have learned how to speak to the mind in ways that my behavior creates success. I h ave le arne d how to tra ce d i s - e as e to o ld stor i es . I have le arne d how t he m ove m e nt and m e di t at i o n of Q i go ng c le a r t he e ne rg y w i t hi n that blocks our channels and causes health proble m s . I now us e a com bi nat i o n of t he s e te c hni q ue s to he l p people take their power ba c k fro m t he g r i p s of the ove rp rote ct i ve mi nd .

Today I am defined by LIVING, not by age. I am so excited for the experiences I am creating. I have even found passion in showing others the power of attitude, how to choose yourself first, how to speak success into your life and how to embrace whatever is in your path! Most importantly, my mind now sleeps because it knows not to dig up the old but how to create and own the new stories.

Life is a Gift.... Make it Worthwhile! View my website for a more complete list of services to help you say YES to living an empowered life. Email: Lori@echoofyes.com Call: 780-218-7831 Private sessions include life coaching, hypnotherapy/NLP as well as bookings for staff training sessions in dementia care. I am also available as a keynote speaker. Photo by pure julia on Unsplash

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Vision, Inspiration and Purpose By Carmen Manastyrski Goebel

I’m a woman, daughter, wife, mother and grandmother. I’ve done many things and experienced so much, and yet still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface in this lifetime. One of the hats I wear is Visionary/ Confidence, Goal Setting Coach. “It W o r k s ! ” Ye p … . v i s i o n b o a r d i n g , d r e a m building and writing pen to paper all a c t l i ke a n e n e r g y m a n i f e s t a t i o n l a w of attraction. Let me tell you a story. My first experience was back in 1998. I had recently separated from my husband. I felt abandoned although that’s a story for another day... After healing I felt a yearning for companionship so I set pen to paper and started writing all the characteristics I was looking for in a man

Vision, Inspiration and Purpose

to date. I don’t remember how I came up with that idea to write down my thoughts but there was and is something to be said in the law of attraction. I can remember it still so vividly... I wanted tall, dark and handsome - I even put a height in.

I remember thinking I didn’t want a farmer but having come from a farming background was ok. I remember including things like “a great kisser” and cuddler. I kept making my list, and it filled the page. I remember putting in words that he wouldn’t be ashamed to hold my hand in public. I wrote lots of characteristics that I wanted my first husband to do and be like. Things that I yearned for. Things like that were important to me and back then I had the belief system that if a man was wealthy he wasn’t a sexy man in the bedroom. Now, I know that it’s not true, although because of that belief back then, I never put a value or anything of that sort in my vision board writing and it reflected from my words. I kid you not. Three months later I was at a bar with my girlfriend from work. We decided to go to

a different town because she was actively looking for a man to date. I on the other hand went along for the ride and the booze. Hahaha. I didn’t have to drive. I met my now husband Lynn. We sorta knew who each other was from being in the cattle business and in 4H as kids. He kissed me and I gave him my business card to call me. Once he called me and came over for coffee we hit it off and the rest is history. My story isn’t that unusual or even how it manifested.

However the fact that I wrote it all down and literally all the traits are in him is the brilliant part. We’ve been together for 22 years and married for 19. He’s helped me raise my children and cares for us all. He is kind and funny. He is quite the storyteller and even though I’ve heard it for what seems a hundred times, it warms my heart knowing he is my favorite person. He gets me and doesn’t try to clip my wings, he lets me soar. Many of you have heard of vision-boarding and some of you have even done it a time or two but have you stuck to it? Made a vision board every six months?

things that have taken 15 years. The point is if it’s really important keep it on your vision board. You never know how each vision is going to manifest itself. Another thing that I love to do in my online vision class is to evaluate what you want in every area of your life. It’s what makes for a balance in life.

Have you ever heard that you must align yourself with what you want? It’s true!! When you are feeling happy your

energy is good and you're attracting good things. When you're feeling unhealthy and miserable your energy doesn’t match what you want so then it doesn’t manifest. That's the most simplistic way I can say it. The trick is to be happy! Turn water into wine. Telling you this story has inspired me... It recharges me to continue writing the books that are still in my mind. Pen to paper I say.

Have a blessed month and be grateful for everything you see, hear, smell, touch and taste. You never know what’s right around the next corner!

I have manifested things as quickly as I’ve put them up and have also manifested

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Too Much to Lose

Have you ever been

By Abigail Teixeira

at a place in your life where you knew you had too much to lose if things did not change immediately?

Well, my story begins when I found myself in that very same place, I just spoke about, 6 years ago. I had hit rock bottom and not the kind you picture when you think about somebody’s lowest point in their life. You see, my rock bottom was an internal one, because on the outside looking in, my life seemed great. I had a flourishing 55

To o M u c h To L o s e

career as a nurse, I was newly married to the love of my life, we had a nice home, new cars, and were traveling often to places like Europe, south America, USA, and all over Canada. On the inside I was slowly killing myself, I was in so much emotional pain and was carrying around a heavy load of deep shame, guilt and dark depression. At the time, I had not learned any healthy ways of coping with it all, so I had long turned to self medicating with substances, mainly alcohol. As a second-generation immigrant, my upbringing was turbulent, and I experienced a lot of traumatic events in my childhood. My parents were young and new to the country, their main focus was to provide food and shelter for me and my two sisters. They both carried a lot of generational trauma as

well from what they experienced and witnessed during the civil war back in their home country of El Salvador. Naturally, with no kind of help or healing themselves, they transferred that trauma down to us as their children. The first time I tried alcohol at age 15, I felt like I had finally found the solution to my problems. That “solution” quickly became THE problem, and I began a downward spiral that would leave me shattered and broken, a shell of a person by age 29. Here I was, at a crossroads, knowing that I had one of two options, quite simply and terrifying, either change or die. Author and life coach Tony Robbins has a famous quote that says

“Change Happens When The Pain Of Staying The Same Is Greater Than The Pain Of Change” I love that quote because it embodies where I was that fateful summer of 2014. I had reached the threshold of pain in my life and knew it was time to

system to be able to flourish as a wife, mother of two beautiful young children, entrepreneur and mentor. I have been sober for 6 years and I am proud to have broken generational chains. Hav ing struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety after the birth of both my babies, who are 2 and 8 months, and using my newfound coping resources, I have also now become a Maternal Mental Health Advocate , with a heart and passion to serve women in recovery, immigrant/refugee women and moms struggling with perinatal mood disorders. Truly miracles do exist, and they come in the form of massive change and transformational work. I found a way of turning my pain into gifts, to be shared with others in order to inspire, relate, heal and change. Let’s discuss how I can help you set up the right plan for you to begin your healing journey & transformation. I would love to chat and get to know your story on a complimentary discovery call.

Please go ahead and book a time for us to connect. Calendly.com/abbyteixeira Whatsapp: 780.231.4790

make some major changes...and my healing journey began. For the next 6 years right up until today, I have dedicated myself to a tremendous amount of inner work and personal development. I now have a treasure trove of tools and healthy coping skills and an incredible support

Abby is a second generation Latina Canadian whose parents immigrated from El Salvador. She’s had a successful career in nursing for the past 13 years and volunteers her time to several organizations in the city with a focus in helping immigrant/refugee women and children, ending gender based violence as well as facilitating peer support groups for moms facing perinatal mood disorders and leading new moms groups. She is a wife, mother, entrepreneur and mentor.

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The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Iquietly sitand here tell

By Susan Binnie

myself I am not good enough; I am not worthy… I cannot do this… All the words burst out of past stories… Stories I believe, and I start to spiral down the words, like a scary ride that has come to the end and I am lost and alone!

As I sit and cry and reflect, I realize it is my inner child who is running the show. She was told many times that she can not write, she has nothing to say. She talks too much, she says too much, no one wants to listen to her stories, no one wants to hear her! The stories go on and on… Echoes of all the voices from the past are so loud in my mind like thunder crashing deep inside of me as the flashes of memories burst through my mind like a lightning storm in my soul. The tears falling fast from my eyes. The storm is big, bigger than I have ever imagined it could be… Then the next thing I know I am wiping the tears and the deafening thunder stops, the lightning flashes of nightmares 57

T h e S t o r i e s W e Te l l O u r s e l v e s

go away, and I can breathe. What just happened. I went from a scary, dark place to a sunshine filled room in the blink of an eye. I hear the words – “Mom are you ok, mom can I help, Mom…” I look around and realize that it is not me hearing the words, it is me saying the words. Words from past memory. I speak the words to my Mom or perhaps it is my little girl saying them to me and I am remembering a story of a time I was needed.

Wait, did I say “I was needed” … I am needed… We all are! We are all here for a reason. My reason is to tell stories, to write stories, to teach story, to inspire, to motivate, to empower through stories! I have been telling stories, communicating through story, helping others tell themselves a different story for years. I have helped many, out of the kindness, the knowing, the love I have within me! I never saw this becoming my life purpose and certainly never dreamed it would be the thing I would get to do to support myself… I also never in a million years dreamed I would be asked to help Create the Ripple, literally this Magazine! What? wait… write a story, but I am not a writer, I am a speaker, a coach, an empath, a guiding light… What do I know about writing

a story! Then I listened closely and heard I get to help others write their stories, I get to edit stories, I get to be Managing Editor… YES, I CAN do that. Just do not ask me to write, I can’t do that! Ha ha ha and here I am writing a story! It is now a bit of a standing joke… you see not only do I get to do all of that, I also get to write and share my stories, once a month, really, every month… do I have to?, “No, you get to, get to share you with the world”… Yes, I guess I can do that I am after all a 2 times, #1 international best-selling author… Okay, okay I know that sounds ridiculous. But seriously I wrote 2 different chapters in compilation books. No one bought them because of me, it was the collective. Or was it?… again I am telling a story, so many stories and I get to choose where to share them, how to share them and why I want to share them. Any time I have a story that can help others see things in a different light, it is worth sharing. Any time I can help someone share a story in a powerful way, I jump at the chance!!!

Stories are meant to be shared, meant to be heard, meant to be read… If you have a story that will help someone else and possibly change their life, isn’t it worth sharing? I say it is! You were given a voice for a reason, use it! Communicate, Inspire, Motivate, Teach, Empower! Do whatever you are called to do, we are all here for a reason and we all have gifts that are meant to be shared. When we tell ourselves a positive story about all the things we can do, all the things we will do and who we are, we can stand strong in that story and be, do, have anything we desire!

Will it be easy? Not always… Will it be scary? Yes, any time you are stepping in and stepping up, it usually is… Will it be worth it? Yes, absolutely!!! If I Can do this, You can do this… Let me Help you Today! To find out how you can; tell yourself a different story, align your story with your purpose, what story to share when, how to speak from stage or write your story… contact me!

SusanBinnie.com Susan@SusanBinnie.com

Aligning your story with your purpose… I empower woman to take the word can’t out of their story and make it a more positive one. When you learn to stand in the power of the story you tell yourself, you CAN step up and step into the story you tell the rest of the world to connect to your ideal clients and live the life you deserve. Yes YOU Can… Yes YOU Will… Yes YOU Are!

Powerful Women Unite | Susan Binnie Coaching Phone: 780-904-7893 Facebook.com/susan.binnie.33 Instagram.com/susanbinnie susan@susanbinnie.com | SusanBinnie.com

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WHAT IS YOUR B.S.?

YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM, AND HOW TO CHANGE IT!

Ithewas born in small town of

Fort St. John, in northern BC. I grew up with a loving and supportive family. Your everyday, run of the mill, typical family. My dad was a welder in the oilfield, my mom stayed at home until we were in Junior High. I followed in my by Kelly Wheadon fathers footsteps of working in the oilfield, and started a career as a Part Technician. This led to a bit of travel from Fort St. John to Grande Prairie, AB to Edmonton, AB, on to Fort Nelson BC and back to Edmonton in 2006 where I have remained. I have always dreamed of more... more time, more travel to exotic places, experiences, money, deeper relationships, being a better person. You name it, I was probably dreaming about it. I felt empty in my career as it was not fulfilling me anymore... Have you ever felt like that?

W h a t i s Yo u r B . S .

Then in 2010 I felt I had a purpose, I started with a company building Light Armoured Vehicles for the Military or LAVs as we called them. True purpose, I was providing safety, a machine to save lives for our Military.

My life came crashing down in 2014 when a life altering event happened, my sister passed away, at the age of 38. I was struck with loss, grief, and frozen to my path in life. I wanted her back, but there was nothing I could do. I wanted to be with my parents, but I had to go “back to work” because I only had 4 days bereavement. I felt I couldn’t “financially” take more time off. I was lost, scared, and angry. To avoid dealing with the pain, I dove into work, working as much as I could. I also started back in school to fill more time and have more income, a back up plan!

In 2016, the company closed the Edmonton Branch.

I bet you can guess what happened... Yes, I was laid off. But Wait! I was in school, my back up plan. In 2017 I graduated from MH Vicars School of Massage. I would be able to be a Masseuse! That dream was shattered due to a car accident when I was told I could not do massage. My back up plan was no more... I kept asking, praying, “What now?” “What do I do?” “What is my purpose?”

Life is short, you never know what can happen tomorrow, when you least expect it!

Do you believe in destiny? In signs? In divine intervention? I remember when my sister passed... She had no life insurance, I saw the emotional and financial impact there is when a family member passes away. I was 36 at the time, I didn’t have insurance, I never thought about it really. Yet I was starting a family, about to get married. Where does one go? Who does one ask? I was thankful that someone referred a financial agent to me. Someone put my name on a list and said, You should speak to Kelly. I started part time in Financial Services in 2016 as an educational piece to understanding business and to assist with my massage career. When I realized I wasn’t going to be able to massage and couldn’t go back to labour jobs, I realized I didn’t have a choice and I needed to make this Financial Business work. Now it’s 2020 and there is COVID.... leading to layoffs, fear, illness and more. People are financially struggling and don’t know where to turn. For me, I have changed my story, a path that could have gone down a dark road… I became licensed in the Financial Industry!

I chose to learn how to protect families, to reach out and connect with people, something I wish someone would have with my sister. To educate people to not just rely on “My job has me covered” - when I was laid off I lost all coverage.

What do I do?... • I help people protect themselves and their families with the right insurance • I help families get into better financial shape • I help parents set their kids up for their future • I help people retire early • I educate, I support, I listen, I care

I may inconvenience you, but it’s for your own good… Who knows what a phone call could lead to… • What if we sat for a coffee and I could save you a few Hundred dollars a month? • What if I could help you lower payments? • What if I could help you retire early?

Wouldn’t it be worth the time to educate yourself?

My team and I, we are different by design. Our innovative approach enables us to succeed together. You do not have to question nor fear your financial future. We envision a world in which everyone has the knowledge, a strategy and an action plan in place to reach their goals and achieve financial independence. We take a holistic approach, focusing on you, your needs, your goals and objectives. We strive to help families and businesses create a sound strategy, focusing on reducing debt, saving money, protecting those things that are most valuable to you, and helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams

For a free no obligation call to see how I can help you, fill out the form at https://bit. ly/KellyWheadon or give me a call or send a text to 780-298-7426

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CHILDREN’S AUTHOR TAMARA THOMPSON

TEACHES MENTAL HEALTH IN A FAIRY TALE TO HER FIVE YEAR OLD SON

Being a mental health

advocate, a children's book fairy tale writer, and a Mom is sometimes no easy task. I say this in all honesty, as my Son and all of his life concerns and all of his precious moments, his playtime and his happiness always comes first & foremost. My writing always Tamara Thompson Author and Poet: takes a happyback seat to his learning and growth. Our time together is always treasured, rather than pounding away at the keyboards. Time with my son and watching his delight as he grows is what this mom writer loves to do. Of course, my story is his story and as my boy is learning all the beautiful wonders of life, the storybooks that I wrote, are a backstory to his growth, his health, and wellness. For me, I am his

Ta m a r a T h o m p s o n

proud mom, his biggest fan and the first person that he will one day turn to if ever needing a mental health advocate. The reason for my first book, goes back now many years... it was a kids' book written in 2008 and published two years later in 2010. It is about Mommy Frog who lives in Lilly Pad Pond; where meeting a Prince in a castle, who is a Froggy counselor just three miles up the marsh. He helps Mommy Frog, setting guidelines for her to, overcome depression. Mommy Frog becomes a great chef for all of "Lilly Pad Pond, making fly stew for all to enjoy and savor". In the end she has a heroic tale of hope and awareness in mental health to share with her son Jack. The story is light and fun, with a lot of hopping around as Mommy Frog learns to ease her depression. Personally, this story is truly significant to this mom of a bright, smart, well adjusted, and tender-hearted five-year-old boy. I suffered greatly in my 20s from Bipolar illness, I almost gave up so many times, pleading night after night to take away these horrific feelings of dread, doubt, and suffering. This seemed to never end, it wouldn't let up, it wouldn't quit, as I prayed for strength, the emotions were wild, it crashed hard most days causing extreme moods of worthlessness, mixed emotions, paranoia, hallucinations would come on suddenly, delusions

were a heavy track playing wickedly in my mind. It went on until my mid-thirties. Bipolar, BOY did this illness sting and man did it bite hard, it gripped its teeth in, and oh dear lord, did it ever have a frightening growl. I prayed for years for God's help in just feeling well again, this practice in prayer was steady for many years. Bipolar at first is fierce, at first it is relentless. For many years, as I just really had but one chance, just one choice and that would be to gain a healthy mindset. Once I made my mind up, that choice became my destiny, and also it became my family, somehow it became my manifested Legacy. As a writer, we write what we know and well, throughout almost 15 years, all I knew was the struggles of Mental Illness. To tell that story as a kid's fairy tale was my creative sword as I wrote forever, coming up with variations of writing. I learned that if Bioloar was a character though, in a fairy tale, it would have definitely played the villain. I made up my mind to take charge of gaining my positive mindset, I used my pen to make it all happen. I suppose what it means when we hear the saying, "Recovery Is A Choice." My pen became that choice for me, I wrote every day in a journal and I never let it down, pen to paper was my new motto and mojo in life, page by page, however personal, however sad, scared or hurt, after many years, I started to feel well again. I started to notice changes in me, I was learning to let go, I was noticing that the pain and fear were dissipating after years of writing. I became aware of this and more determined than ever to beat bipolar's butt! It was the Dr's that I had in my corner, the different psychiatrist that would gear this method of healing. Visit after visit, from the early onset of the crashes of bipolar, they would say, "Why don't you write?" Listening to Dr's advice and guidance through writing, healed this once a very confused young girl. I had to learn day by day and second by second how to overcome this overpowering illness, honestly unbearable most days, many days not even really getting out of bed. I feel I overcame so much in my mental health to honor my son. A son that I would pray for but having a terrible time conceiving as Bipolar took center stage. I knew through the pain that the joy of being a mom was still a dream to hold close to my heart. One day a family doctor asked me, "So you want to have a baby?" As I leaned in heavily towards her in the chair and said to the nice Physician, "NO, I want to be a MOM!" Being in my late thirties I was about to lose faith. They believed in me with this and we started working towards a chance for me to be a mom. I was 21 when Bipolar showed up in my life, but I was still a woman, still a young woman, still

with all the feminine desires of creating a family. Bipolar though came roaring through my unsteady life, crashing down my chances for a sustainable life, as I fought it fiercely giving it no mercy. When I turned to journal at 21, page by page, I would jot down every bipolar episode. I wrote about every upset, every shedding tear, every torment, all onto pages of writing diaries. Wanting a family was my driving force, not just to have a family, I wanted so deeply to be a loving and nurturing Mom. Even though the strifes of bipolar were permanent, scarring, and sometimes more determined than I thought I was. Fighting this illness took up all of my energy, time and my focus was on healing, though I spent my spare time writing, this did heal and my words became my power. Later on in my healing, in my mid-thirties, I became attracted and curious to the thought paradigms of the LAWS OF ATTRACTION and the different ways of manifesting, visualizing your dreams, wants, and desires. I studied this relentlessly for years, as I wrote more and more about healing. As quickly as Bipolar rushed in to carry me to the depths of an almost skid row, was as quickly as I had an idea to create a fairy tale about my story. To write and publish a book, with years of writing in personal journals behind me. My

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not only kindness and proper manners, I wanted to teach him how to develop a healthy mindset, one that could never be affected by the letdowns of mental illness. Mommy Frog from the fairy tale book Before You Were Born, as the heroic character that I created did a great job of exploring this. I realized years later, that if I were to be a mom, I would have to follow my own characters' ways into health and healing. This book somehow manifested just as I secretly sought out to do in my health and wellness, my recovery, and my blessings in having a beautiful son, born in 2015. Now if that doesn't reek of the law of attraction, and dreams coming true to fruition, then I don't know what does?

ideas of this book came soaring in and I welcomed my story to hopefully one day share with the world and with my family and son. I manifested like I never manifested before and believed fully in the power of positive thought, and the law of attraction. I not only wanted to be a mom and have a beautifully healthy family, I secretly had the desire to be an accomplished writer one day. I had to believe in this and in myself first and I had to accept help and guidance from my Doctors in counseling sessions. I then learned to listen and practiced their methods of wellness in every single method of healing that the doctors offered me. To this, there would be no other way to heal, I was glued to the patient's chair as they guided me through therapy. I published my first book called Before You Were Born in 2010, I had my son in 2015. Healing, manifesting, visualizing, self-care, self-love, gaining confidence, believing in myself became my new mindset. Secretly to myself, I had some personal thoughts and ideas for my own manifesting in writing… I wanted to write my son into my life through the laws of attraction. I told no one as I was sure people would mock this lofty idea right down the toilet. Throughout my years of healing and personal writing reflections.. .my family would be born through a manifested fairy tale, called Before You Were Born. ONE DAY, I would have a beautiful story of healing to share with my son, offering him his own mental health guidance if he ever did need it. Through my story Before You Were Born, I had visual dreams about teaching my son, about developing strong moral codes and ethics, teaching how to care for his emotions to ride waves. I wanted to teach him

In 2015 Logan Paul Mann-Thompson was born, I was one month from turning 39, my husband Jason Mann was just turning 42. We met each other late in life, but like I said, I had a lot of healing to master. The tale of my life woke up readily and it seemed to carry on a life of its own, page by page. My son is five now, with all the eagerness to live life with the biggest and purest heart. Questions came to my mind. When do I express to my fiveyear-old, about Bipolar and all of the ways of healing, so that he knows that he can come to me, with every upset, every hurt, every pain, so that he doesn't have to bottle up any torn inflictions cast upon him throughout life. Just as Mommy Frog had a story to share with her son, I wanted to share it with Logan, but when? How? Is it too soon? Will he be able to grasp healthy habits even when speaking of mental health? I proclaimed that one day, when he was ready... I would share my story, offering him a way to gather strength if ever challenged in the same way. I would be his "Mommy Frog Buddy" if he needed one and I wanted to let him know this. It was sometime in April 2020, Covid-19 was spreading rapidly, we were as a world sharing in the stories of a pandemic lockdown, as we sit tight to stay home, well and stay safe. Sitting with my son at the kitchen table, both in great spirits, even on a long day of lockdown. We began to speak and connect. Having a few tender heart to hearts through the pandemic, and there it was, the day I dreamed of since I was locked up behind the walls of a psychiatric unit. The talks I was dreaming of since I fell into Bipolars ashes when I was only 21. My son asked a few questions about feelings, and I felt that he was ready for his first talk about health and wellness!

I was surprised, because Logan was completely glued to his seat, intent on listening to my personal triumphant tale of healing. I read him my book already a few times when he was still just two or three, he knew even as a three-year-old that this was "HIS" book. One day at a store, the book Before You Were Born was sitting on a shelf. Logan and I walked past it, Logan pointing out to the book calling it HIS BOOK over and over, in his three-year-old excitement and to his Mom's surprise and filled heart, I knew that he was possibly waiting for me to gain in health and wellness to be born to me. Then that day in April in lockdown, the time presented itself to me to finally divulge in my challenges of having bipolar, a mental illness as I told him that "once I had a broken brain" but I am all better now! Logan seemed glued as my little audience full of wonder like I was a character on one of his favorite YouTube gaming channels. What occurred then was fantastic, and a memory that I will forever cherish. Every time I began my real to the life fairy tale, Logan would jump up and dash out of the kitchen, each time I began he would interrupt and stop me in mid-sentence. "MOM HOLD ON, WAIT" as he scurried out of the kitchen. He said to me, calling out from his toy room, "We need an audience", he said delightfully. Logan then comes back with a stuffed toy, he says to me; "OK Mom, you have an audience, tell me the story." I began my sharing again. It is hard on parents and caregivers of a young five (or so) -year-olds to speak about some of the harsh realities in life. As parents we often wonder, when is there a good time to teach about safety, or the more dangerous realities in life? Again, just as I'm in mid-sentence, "HOLD ON MOM", you need an audience! Logan storms out, gathering more stuffed toys to sit and listen to storytime. As I shared Mommy Frogs' adventure into health, my story of hope, and how I really did have him in mind when I first began to create with writing, working so hard to one day be well again. He must have had 15 stuffed animals sitting upright on the table as I prepared to deliver my carefully developed mental health story that had a happy ending of him, my son, who now sits before me with 15 stuffed toys as my best audience to date. I will always remember that the pains from mental illness are real, and fighting it is hard! Accepting it even harder, it is not easy to accept nor understand even for the ones that suffer. Though that day, my son got it, the message, the meaning of acceptance was given to us that day and a grateful heart for having a child with a wondrous soul. Logan as the perfect audience that he is, sitting

with his 15 plushies, decided that he had a few questions, like "How did you break your brain, Mommy?" I tell him, "Since you, it's not broken anymore, having you Logan fixed it." Not only did I hurtle past Bipolar, in a constant state of motion, I was still riding the waves, with some good days, and some bad days. I followed my character Mommy Frog's story as if it was my own, and realized that it was my own. I owned that story with full conviction to conceive one day, to have a family of my own. Manifesting, visualizing, praying, begging, pleading became my favorite pastime. I Promised myself that if I could gain mental health, that I would protect my family from the strife of mental illness through storytelling. Only so that my child would be able to live happily ever after. With the 15 stuffed toys and my son as my audience that day, I think we did just that!

Before You Were Born and other titles by Tamara Thompson’s can be found on Amazon, Chapters/Indigo and Barnes and Noble Published by Chipmunka Publishing an England based mental health publisher’s (published as a book in 2010) Chipmunka Publishing is now a self-publishing agency. Titles by the Author • Before You Were Born • Happy Birthday Jack • Busy With Bee • I Dream In Poetry • The Forwards • Poems of a Codependant --------------------------------------Tamara can be reached @ i. Blog Your Business Tamara can be hired as a High School-Speaker and Podcast Host.

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Stop Hiding…

un r comm Join ou

ity!

Stand in Your Power 2017 I Started my Business

Susan Binnie Coaching. In 2018 Powerful Women Unite was founded. It is a group to help Women not feel alone in their entrepreneurial world while climbing to reach new heights. Helping them unite to a community, unite to By Susan Binnie their vision, their story, and their ideal clients… Together we Rise. A community that joins together to Collaborate not Compete with others. Life is too short to be worried about what everyone else is doing. I was on a path and was steadily moving forward. In January of 2020, on a Marketers Cruise, in the Caribbean, I had a truly clear vision of what the year was going to hold. In person events, live Vision Board workshops, live Storytelling workshops and live multiple day events. I was going to ramp up my visibility, speaking from other stages, doing summits, and writing for Books.

S t o p H i d i n g S t a n d i n Yo u r P o w e r

I had a very eye opening self-love photo shoot opportunity in early March with Coach Kayla Marie. She helped me see myself through a different lens. (See profile pic on page) We arrived at the Kananaskis Nordic Spa to experience hydrotherapy. She helped me get in the ice-cold water, as this is the end of the experience. I focused on my breathing and submersed myself up to my neck. It was invigorating. A silence came over me and in that moment the voice of God, My higher self, Universal spirit spoke to me… Susan YOU CAN do anything you set your mind to… Yes You Can, Yes You Will, Yes You Are… At that moment I knew it was going to be my year. That which I was teaching others was being taught to me! The next day, I had fun and looked amazing, from the inside out, at my photoshoot. Kayla and I were hearing more and more about this flu thing, Covid-19. What was it and how was it affecting so many people? Days later quarantine was announced and life as we knew it would change. Will it be the worst of times...? So much uncertainty, nobody knew for sure. I was wondering how I would run my events, my business, and the life I had created for me and those around me. I am an in-person, hugging, kind of Woman. What does this mean for my business? I had a few things booked so I, like so

many others, moved them online. Something amazing happened as I could finally see how I would grow Powerful Women Unite into an international event for Women everywhere. It also came with a feeling of overwhelm and uncertainty. I like so many I know have spiraled up in a time that could have been (and has been for many) devastating. Everything was going well and I changed my focus to self-development and helping others that were stepping out and running programs online. I reached out to help a friend with his course “Confidence on Video”. I say help him because I would be a dream participant and do all the homework, as I did not have confidence issues. At the same time, I took another course to help another friend and participate in her “Secrets to Self Confidence” course. To give feedback… like I said I was totally confident and did not need help. Timing is a funny thing... Funny in that the moments I said I was helping them; I was actually helping myself. Self-doubt, uncertainty, lack of confidence, not wanting to be seen online… it all came crashing down in front of me. All I wanted to do was hide. I always told myself a positive story about showing up confidently, feeling the fear and doing it anyways… This time was different. This time I was scared, my inner child was scared. She was not confident; I was not confident. People would see me online and see right through me! They would see the selfdoubt; they would doubt my abilities the way I did... Imposter syndrome was appearing and was taking control…

you had to learn. You learned to walk falling several times in the process, you had to learn how to talk, eat, tie your shoes, wipe your butt, take care of yourself and BE the person you are meant to be. Stand in your truth, be strong. Stand in the power of your story and make the difference you want to make in your world and the world around you! It is not important always knowing how... What is important is to know where your community is and where the people are that you can talk to. Reaching out and asking for help takes effort, but you are strong, you can do it! It is ok to fall down, that is how you learn. Get back up, get help and keep moving forward. Yes you can, what will you do… write it down and declare it. Yes you will, what will you do to get there… write it down and declare it. Yes you are, who are you… write it down and declare it.

Rise and Stand in the Power of YOUR Story

Then as if by Miracle I thought what would Susan Binnie do? She would tell me to get to the root of the story, where was it coming from. At that moment I knew what to do… I could actually stand in the power of the story... my story and be vulnerable, be transparent and truthful and break through my feelings of not enough once and for all. I was scared, but I was not alone. I have built up a community around me. A community that is there to help one another. I would reach out and get help and that is just what I did. Together we can be strong, we are strong, and we are all in this together! I work on my confidence every day. I am human... and so are you! You were not born knowing how to do everything,

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Being an Empath Do you tune into other

people’s emotional states and find yourself feeling what they are feeling? Have you ever felt someone else’s pain momentarily in your body? Are you drained by being surrounded by lots of people and prefer alone time to recharge? Have you By Juey Anne MacLeod found yourself sensitive to the energy of people, places, and events to the point that you may avoid them? Would you consider yourself extremely emotional and sensitive to the point of being distressful to your state of being? If you can relate to these qualities, it is very possible that you may be considered an empath.

Empaths are highly sensitive individuals, who have a keen ability to sense what people around them are thinking and feeling and the energy they carry. It was not until I was forty-years old that someone identified me as an empath. This realization was an absolute game changer for me! Not only did it explain my own life experience, but

Being an Empath

helped me to take charge of this gift in my life and the lives of others.

The truth is, being an empath is a blessing often disguised as a curse, until you learn how to manage it. Some days it can feel like the weight of the world on your shoulders draining you of vitality combined with being slammed by unrelenting waves of emotional intensity. Inconvenient tears may inexplicably well up in my eyes or flow down my face without much warning. A flash of insight into someone’s experience may leave me ungrounded. I realized that I needed to manage being an empath rather than being an empath managing me! Looking back, I can see how I was an empath at a very young age, and this quality was further honed by being constantly hypervigilant for my survival and protection of my mother and siblings, in a family with an abusive father. I needed to be able to read my father and his ever-changing moods like looking at the prairie sky and forecasting the weather. Not all empaths have that start in life, but I know it was my training ground for some really bad habits as an empath concerning boundaries! I may realize someone is carrying a burden and want to help ease their load with the best of intentions, but without proper consideration of

boundaries. You see, my personality was good at being the people-pleaser, chameleon and ‘fixer ’, but often at my own expense and the disempowerment of others. On one hand, I was a great friend and listener who was so tuned into being present with someone in pain, but at the expense of taking that pain on myself and assuming that they needed help. My urge to fix people had to be kept at bay by the golden word: permission. We live in a freewill Universe that honours choice. What I learned is that when you give somebody a choice, you acknowledge and see them as powerful enough to take care of themselves. It is a mandatory lesson for every empath who identifies as a healer or takes on any nurturing role giving so much of themselves at their own expense.

Join me in my FREE community group where I offer feedback, connection and coaching. It's a safe place, moderated by a Theta healer who is empathic herself (ME!)... a place to come home to and feel safe to be yourself. Your truly empathic self. You are safe. You are held. See you inside

Permission became my one-word mantra. I needed to develop a different relationship to myself and to others. I needed to give myself permission to put myself first rather than behind everyone else’s needs. I also needed to give myself permission to not feel everything, all the time, by creating energetic boundaries and protection and also selectively choose when to tune into someone (a lifesaving skill I teach people in my workshops). I needed to give myself permission to say the word no and to disappoint others for the sake of my own wellbeing. The more I mastered these skills of intentional boundaries and permission, the more energy and joy came into my life. This is what I want for you! Empaths are at a high risk for burnout and compassion fatigue if they do not take care of themselves with daily practices. If you are an empath working in a challenging public environment like a mall, hospital or school, or working with at-risk populations like a social worker, it is critical that you learn and practice the skills that make being an empath a blessing to both yourself and others. I suffered the consequences far too long of being a ‘disempowered empath’ rather than a ‘joy peddler ’ and I know that if your heart is nodding reading this, then you may just be an empath ready to come into your power. Perhaps it is time to give yourself permission to receive mentorship? With your permission, it would be my joy!

Meet Juey Ann MacLeod SPIRITUAL MENTOR & LIFE COACH Juey Ann McLeod is an intuitive, engaging, experienced Spiritual Mentor and Life Coach. She successfully supports and guides others to joyfully master saying “NO” so they can find their voice, own personal power, establish boundaries, create safety and increase energy. Due to mental, emotional, physical and sexual abuse Juey Ann personally knows what it is like to have no permission to voice her needs. Over the last 20 years, Juey Ann has enriched the lives of countless people as they seek to remove painful patterns/blocks and replace it with Confidence, Peace and Joy. Juey Ann teaches people how to embrace their whole being and guides them to discover the answers within. Clients and students leave feeling like a burden has been lifted and empowered by the power of saying no.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A CALL TODAY CALL: 403-358-8789 https://jueyann.com/

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By Ryschell Dragunov

IEssential wasOils. asked why I liked I discovered

Patchouli oil in my early 20’s and have loved it ever since. I can’t wear perfume as all I can smell is the alcohol... Patchouli oil though … it’s so earthy and divine. I know it’s a Hell Yes or Hell No kinda fragrance, but isn’t that the same with a lot of things in life! I started selling doTERRA Essential Oils about two years ago. My main reason for getting into the doTERRA oils was just one product, I didn’t care for the expensive oils, I could get nice cheap oils at a grocery store. But I could not buy On Guard Beadlets. These little gems helped me to ward off most colds. I have diabetes and

Why I Love Essential Oils

with that I tended to get any cold going around. I was introduced to these little gems about 6 years ago and it seemed to me that I didn’t get sick as often. It took me a few years to find a doTERRA rep, and when I did she was my best friend. I had been trying to replicate the effects of the On Guard beads with any old clove essential oil that I could find. Clove is only one of the main ingredients in that product. When I told my best friend that I was adding a drop of clove oil to my tea, her first question was... which brand, and then was it pure and did it have no added synthetics.

Say what? I had no idea there was any difference in oils. I have learnt so much since that conversation. Did you know that

lavender is an oil I keep in the kitchen as well as the bedroom? Why right?! That sounds nuts! Well lavender has a calming effect on the skin just as it does with our emotions. But here is where quality is really important! A pure lavender is amazing to support your skin in the event of a minor burn! BUT if you were to put an adulterated oil with lavandin (a highly used substitute because it is cheaper) you would experience a worsening burn sensation. This is because lavandin is high in camphor which is the culprit for that reaction. Purity and knowledge are important and I am glad I have learned what I have!

and trusted essential oil company. There is a batch number on the bottom of every bottle of essential oils they produce, that you can look up to review the third party testing any particular oil has gone through. This is doTERRA’s exclusive promise of purity. If quality, purity and integrity rich products are important to you, like they are to me, then doTERRA is a great choice!

I mostly just love the smells of the oils. Rather than using synthetic air fresheners I use oils in diffusers. Not only do they smell amazing, but some oils energize, which is great to get the morning going. Some oils help me focus when I am designing, some are wonderful for calming me down at the end of the day, and others are super for reducing odors. (I have three cats so odor reduction is a good thing!) On top of all that I feel like a mystical alchemist creating amazing fragrances by mixing oils to diffuse.

I post daily diffuser blends on my Ingenious Oils Facebook group because I like to go back and use them again. I try different diffuser blends every day, it definitely makes the day more pleasant. Every time I get up from my desk and walk into another room I can smell the oils, it’s fabulous. These diffuser blends and information about the oils is available for anyone who is a member of my group. I know there are several places you can get your oils, doTERRA has really earned my trust, it is the most tested

Not only am I a designer, I am a wellness advocate and when I help you it helps me to supplement my income. I would love to work with you!. It makes a huge difference in the lives of small businesses when you show your support. You can reach me at IngeniousKisses@Shaw.ca or join my Ingenious Oils Facebook group.

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Our Life Our Way...

Photo by Luemen Carlson on Unsplash

By Angela Banks Matt Sullivan (Head Craftsmen) Matt is 29, a craftsman in nature since the age of 10. He has ADHD & realized he needed to keep busy/focused on something. He tried all the things little boys do... Nothing took, so because he was a natural scavenger/rare object finder and observer, he chose to turn the things he found into other masterpieces. The journey of creating things with his hands began. In high school it was an easy decision to join shop class when he realized that he didn’t do well in other classes as teachers wouldn’t accommodate his unique learning needs. Soon after highschool he took up wire wrapping metaphysical stones as a hobby. He worked for many retail and labour jobs.

Our Life, Our Way

The physical demands on his body took their toll, not to mention the mental mind games employers played. In 2020 when keeping/finding consistent work was a challenge due to Covid, he went back to his hobby, but knew that it could turn into something more... This is when Lonewolf Jewellery was born. Even with decreasing eyesight and arthritis he still manages to make gorgeous pendants, and is committed to giving metaphysical crystal/stone lovers and people with personal health issues uniquely manageable casual/formal products you can feel good wearing. Angela Banks (Small Gift Guru & Social Media Administrator) I am 25 & have been very artistic since I was little. I had to find a different way to do things due to the fact that I learn in a different way than society deems normal. In the eyes of society, I am considered mentally disabled. Truth is, I am very smart/knowledgeable. As a baby, I was diagnosed with Mild Cerebral Palsy - a condition where you can not control certain parts of your body. I was also diagnosed with hydrocephalus - a condition where your system can’t regulate on its own the amount of cerebrospinal fluid it distributes throughout one’s body. These issues make two-handed activities very hard. It was instilled in me at a very young age that Can’t was not a word that

existed in my world. I have learned things in a different way because of limitations and CAN do anything I set my mind too. I realized a long time ago I did not want to work for anyone else, there is just more freedom and not as many rules and restrictions when you work for yourself. I believe you should feel comfortable in being yourself when you earn money and I just can't do that at a regular job. Having your own business allows for you to be yourself, which is very important to both Matt and I. How can you ever enjoy what you do when you can’t express yourself. Even though I still have these issues it has gotten to the point now that if you didn’t know you wouldn’t know. This is why I have chosen this craft form to incorporate and showcase my passion for being creative and artistic to our business. I’m also striving to be a mindset mentor in all areas of life. As a team and a couple we have put our talents together to create a business to

educate all things metaphysical and how their properties can help decrease and maintain mental and physical ailments. We also strive to create a personalized experience for our customer base by putting together not just the jewelry to support one's individual needs but other products that intertwine, highlight, and maybe even amplify how the jewelry works to give the individual a full experience to live their best life. We chose this path because we have had a rough go at life and want to create a life where we don’t have to live by someone else's rules. We want to be able to have time and financial freedom to live out our dream lives and to hopefully one day raise kids without the stressors of everyday life. We also want to be able to help others accomplish any dream they have. This is why we have created a network of people to help them in their endeavors and also to help people overcome their health obstacles maybe a little faster/easier than we had to.

When people have the knowledge and mindset to help other people we think they should. “No one deserves to suffer” In any aspect of life. Please feel free to join our group or contact us for Jewelry options and more information. We make online shopping fun!!! Click on the VIP group image to join Group By request

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S tripped to M y V ery S oul about the pain and sorrow of losing a young husband, a father, mother, step mother, sister in law, young brother in law, and recently my brother and young nephew. Not to mention health issues, financial issues and many other trials.

By Jan Stefanic

There is something about going through the fiery trials of adversity that

not only changes us but draws us to the very heart of God. Difficulties challenge us, overcoming them builds selfconfidence, teaches us self-control and we have a far better understanding when others around us are hurting. As much as I would love to avoid it, because there is nothing really pleasant

St r i p p e d t o M y Ve r y S o u l

We all will face them, we all will have them, it’s learning to survive and overcoming them that creates in us our resilience, our strength and adversity develops our character. It creates a deeper trust in God, draws us closer to him, it stretches our faith and dependency on him. I have walked through many trials, I assure you it wasn’t by choice, and there were times that I thought I would never get up again. In fact there were plenty of times I didn’t want to. I felt stripped to the very

core of my being, raw, broken and wondering why… Why did such suffering happen to me and my family? Sometimes God seems silent, in our sufferings, there were many questions I had, and I always didn’t get an answer to those questions. I sometimes think life is like an onion, with multi-faceted layers, it takes a lot of stripping away to get to the very core or heart of the onion. We are complicated human beings, sometimes those things that we thought would break us, actually created in us the very character of God. It is understanding how to overcome our trials, I’m not sure I have any quick insightful answer for you. I know when I have gone through adversity, I had to examine my own heart, I learned to meditate on God’s word and hold onto His promises. It grew my faith, and renewed my mind. That didn’t mean I haven’t doubted, I haven’t got angry, I haven’t wanted to quit, because I have! I wasn’t running around doing a ‘happy dance’, there were times I didn’t want to get out of bed, I wanted someone to come rescue me, I just wanted the pain to stop. There were times God did pull me out of painful situations and there were plenty of times He did not!

But, it was in those times, when I learned to depend on Him totally. He is true to His promises, and He has sent some wonderful people into my life to walk beside me. There are times in those valleys of adversity we walk alone, He is never far behind or in front of us. I heard a great sermon today about different seasons in our lives, we have to be able to recognize each season, I’m not sure I always clue in right away. But, I’m sure glad when I come out of those painful ones, the ones when we get to stand on the mountain tops again. I appreciate even more the blessings that God has given me, my family and friends. My faith was made stronger, maybe on those mountain tops we can look back and see how far we have come. I know there will always be those valleys, but I also know I serve a God that has

never changed. He loves us, He never will leave us, His word and promises will remain forever. He wants to get to our very core (heart) of who we are so we become more like His son!

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8. ‘Be strong and bold, have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed’. Trust Him, He has already overcome. Shalom

My passion is to see people succeed in their business endeavors & in their personal growth. As a life and grief coach, I have worked beside young widows, helping them process their grief by giving them a safe and healthy community of support. As a team Member for Marketplace Chaplain’s Care Team Canada I helped many people in various states of life crisis and trauma. My training, and experience allow me to offer my Christian clients a variety of tools to move through their experience and return to a place of wholeness and stability. My goal is to support and help you rediscover your joy and passion for life once again. I treasure my time with family and friends, especially my two beautiful grandchildren. Regardless of how tough life can be, I savor each and every blessing.

CONTACT If you want to live authentically & handle any situation with confidence and peace: I invite you to call me Jan Stefanic - Life Purpose Coach 780-239-7212 or stefanicjan@gmail.com Joy, Happiness & Freedom Awaits You!

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Photo By ZeSaiphio Design

by Donna Eriksson

E x p l or e What S p ir it W a nts to Share

It was a nice morning, for Edmonton in January anyway. It

wasn’t minus thirty or blowing snow. Just dull and overcast. I had just parked outside the salon I was going to make a sales call to. My cell rang. I looked at the number. I thought it was familiar. Is this my brother’s number? I think so. I answered. “Good morning! What’s happening that I get to talk to you this morning?” Extended pause followed by strangled sobbing and choking sounds! Instantly my stomach clenched!

“ She’s gone ” in a barely

recognizable voice wracked with emotion and tears. 75

Explore What Spirit Wants to Share

Who’s gone? I frantically wonder in my mind. Now I’m scared. Who is this? Who’s gone? I wait for the person on the other side. Briefly quiet from sobbing I ask again “Who’s gone?”

I hear

“ Mom ” !

It takes a second or two for this to work its way into my head and then...... SLAM! I know what this means!

The intense sorrow suddenly puts my heart into a vise. I can barely breathe. I try taking a breath while the tears flow down my face that is now covered by my hands.

cont. pg 54

promote promote Photo By ZeSaiphio Design

Noticeably. You see, I had been listening to my “gut” with always great results. But now, more and more messages came and made themselves known.

And so began my search to better understand the questions I had. Questions like “Why don’t I remember my childhood? Why did I have the upbringing I did? Why does it upset me so much when someone says certain things?” These and more.

I barely notice and certainly don’t care that I’m sitting in my car with people walking by going about their business. The feeling of being knifed in the heart while your stomach has turned to stone begins. It turned out that it was my brother calling. He had indeed discovered our Mom passed away in her bed. Unbeknownst to me, this would be the year that the REAL work on me, the new path on my healing journey would begin.

That was almost ten years ago now. Only five months later I made the first change. I quit the job I’d been at for thirteen years and began my second business working from home. It took a while to get used to and at first I didn’t like it. It wasn’t an option though to continue what I had been doing. You see, the intense grief I was working through created a shift in me, in my soul. In a way it literally woke up my ability to hear my soul.

The “instinct” I always listened to and co-incidences were increasing.

SO, as the Universe does, it sends me those people with the therapies that would assist me in working through these questions and help me heal. The last decade has had me do Emotional Freedom Technique. EFT Tapping, Meditations and Healing Circles with energy practitioners and Master Crystal Therapists, Access Bars, Access Energetic Facelift, Craniosacral treatments and Chiropractic with Trigger point Therapy.

I became a practitioner of Access bars and Access Energetic Facelift as I loved the shift and healing they created for me. I was also led to learn about Akashic Records and began doing Akashic Record readings. From that very first class, the messages received have brought me great understanding of my journey and much healing to my “Little Donna”.

She now knows she is safe, she is loved and she is here TO LOVE. What are the Akashic Records? The

Akashic Records are a dimension of consciousness that contains a vibrational record of every soul and it’s journey.

Everything that every soul has ever thought, said and done over the course of its existence, as well as future possibilities. Because of this, your records are a wonderful resource to get confirmation and guidance on living your best life now. Readings flow on the spoken word so responding and having a great conversation during the reading get the most benefit. The information that is shared from the keepers of the records is always for our highest and best good. Revealing what it is we need to hear the most in a layer by layer way that enables us to

understand and work with. Coming to the reading with one or two questions, that are most important at the time, is the best way to be prepared to hear the next best steps on our journey. When you find it’s time to work on your own healing, there are many wonderful modalities to guide you through the process. Connect with me, I can put you in touch with the people who have helped me along the way. The other option is to start and discover together what you might do best with.

nnovative mentor, Donna Eriksson has been a driving force in the local beauty industry for over 35 years. Beloved by her clients, valued by her students, and respected by her peers, this premiere esthetician, technical instructor and salon owner stands for excellence, integrity and superlative customer service.

Recognizing the need for all of us to be proactive, not reactive with our health, Donna now provides the mindset along with best product choices for nutrition both inside and out. Her clients’ progress to better overall health has become her passion.

But all that didn’t happen overnight for this successful, self made entrepreneur. It was a long road of learning along the way. Now, this many years in, Donna has the experience along with a passion to empower others to know how their body works to take care of them. Our body gives us signs of imbalance, both physical and emotional and Donna works with her clients to get to the root cause of that imbalance so that healing can occur.

For those of you that are ready to explore what spirit wants to share with you, mention this article and until the end of January 2021, get your Akashic Record reading for $55.00 (Regular value $90).

As Donna succinctly puts it, “I teach the ‘Beauty of Your Body’ to those that she works with, although certainly her expert insights on physical, emotional and spiritual healing are valuable to those who connect with her whether in person, or through online and in person public speaking events too.

Contact Donna today; 780-995-9629

promote Photo By ZeSaiphio Design

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Articles inside

WHAT IS YOUR B.S.? YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM, AND HOW TO CHANGE IT!

Vision, Inspiration and Purpose

Explore What Spirit Wants to Share

Our Hidden Gems

Stripped to My Very Soul

Why I Love Essential Oils

The Echo of Yes

Tamara Thompson

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Too Much To Lose

Stop Hiding Stand in Your Power

Rapt in Love

Trust the Niggle

Embodied Sound for Unshakeable Peace

Monikas’s Art Boutique and Studio

Carol’s Quality Sweets

What Brings You Joy

Qigong Club

CAFFIEND

Social Media Survival Guide

Give Yourself a Break

Practical Ways to Add Value

Why Is Gratitude Such A Powerful Practice

Ask Lonnie

Food is Love

Shifting Retail

The Law of Value

Being True To Yourself

Ditch the Shoebox

Gratitude