April Corey Poirier My Authentic Life Magazine

MY

APRIL 2018

Authentic Life

magazine

THE BENEVOLENT MOMENTUM OF LIFE LIVE A LIFE OF JOY FINDING THE GIFT YOU DIDN’T SEE NATURAL PATTERNS

Corey Poirier

THAT SPEAKER GUY

Enjoy the Journey

Changing Lives with a Life Changing Magazine CALLING ALL • Entrepreneurs • Foundations, Organizations,

Non-Profits • Existing Publishers Our Mission is to create awareness by designing a customized magazine for local communities, organizations, or foundations through our publishing efforts. By highlighting true-to-life stories and articles that touch the hearts and minds of so many, we educate, empower and inspire readers. Making your publication a must have in any community, organization, foundation or non-profits.

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ofessionals to create a customized magazine ymediagroup@gmail.com • my-mediagroup.com

C O N T R I B U T E R S

Maria Rea As the founder of MY Authentic Life Magazine, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read our extraordinary publication. We aspire to empower and inspire you with articles written by our amazing writers. I believe we are all here for a reason greater than ourselves and to serve a divine purpose. It’s how we choose to react to what is placed before us that allows us to succeed.

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Andrew Savoy

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MY

Authentic Life

magazine

MY Authentic Life magazine is a monthly publication that encourages others to live their best life. MY Media and Publishing Group makes every effort to provide accurate information in advertising, editorial content and placement: however, we do not make any claims as to the accuracy of information provided by advertisers or editorial contributors and will accept no responsibility or liability for inaccurate information or placement.

No content can be duplicated without the permission of MY Media and Publishing Group. For inquiries e-mail maria.mymediagroup@gmail.com.

6 | MY Magazine

Mella Barnes

contributing writers

Kathryn Andries Patrick Andries The Dream Experts

Liz Bull

Sharon Carne

Annabell Cohen

Wini Curley

Tamara Green

Elaine Grohman

Dr. Nekeshia Hammond

Judy Lipson

Kate Sholonski

Dr. Kate Siner

Gary Stuart

Janette Stuart

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 7

from the publisher

LIVING AS A ”FREE SPIRIT” We have all heard the saying “Free Sprit.” When one defines a free spirit, typically they are talking about a person who lives free of limits, one who makes their own rules or follows the patterns they have created for their own life.

There are many times in my life that I aspired to be a “Free Spirit,” only be to held back by the value systems that were ingrained in my childhood, as well as the many facets of society that dictates how we live in one form or another.

When we dig deep into the “Why” of what is holding us back from being this “Free Spirit,” we uncover the all-encompassing fear factor. Fear stifles our decisions by giving us the illusion that we are not good enough, or smart enough, and places doubt that we could do it all. So why do we allow fear to have the power to make us conform? Why do we allow it to win, placing our dreams in a dormant state?

“Even the greatest was once a beginner.

Don’t be afraid to take that first step.”

Author Unknown

“Free Spirited” people have found the secret to living their best life. They understand that by living their passion, and their purpose, allows them to live in the moment, the moments that really matter.

Finding what lights us up, what makes us get out of bed each day ready to take on the world, allows us to live our creative life. We all have things we would like to do, having the courage to freely do it, is what makes the difference. We are here on this glorious earth to live the life we were meant to live. So go ahead and throw out the old rules of the past and make new ones, ones that are in alignment with who we really are.

If you want to start a business, then start a business. If you want to start a family, then start a family and if you want to take that promotion because you love what you do, then, by all means, take it. This is your life, your chance, your dreams, and you are the only one that can make it happen.

Life is beautiful, how we live it and what we do with it - is a choice.

Today I choose to live my life as a “Free Spirit”.

Founder of MY Media & Publishing Group Publisher of MY Authentic life Magazine Creator of Magazine Wisdom – Create a Publishing Company that Rocks!

Now open for summer 2018 enrollment - for more information on how you can create your own publishing company and become a leader in your community, Visit http://my-mediagroup.com/entrepreneur/

8 | MY Magazine

RELEASE THE BELIEFS THAT HOLD YOU BACK FROM LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE Have Maria speak at your next event!

Maria teaches others to stand in their power and to know their worth.

Topics such as:

• Making your mess your message

• Self awareness; ego vs. being uniquely you

• Manifestation; it’s not just a buzz work

We have it within us to become anything we aspire to be.

To learn more and to download Maria Rea’s full speaker bio visit my-mediagroup.com

IN THIS ISSUE april 2018

feature

page 12

Corey Poirier That Speaker Guy

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E

20 24 28

46

Commit to Success Being Easier Four Tips to Access Support

32 38 42

Give Your Pet Less Stress

Family Bonding When Your Child has Special Needs

Finding the Gift That You Didn’t See From Negative to Positive and Back!

Natural Patterns Talk To Tamara The Relationship Whisperer

48 54

56

58

62

68

72

Vulnerability The Dream Experts What Does Your Dream Mean The Benevolent Momentum of Life Maslow’s Hierarchy and the 7 Major Chakras You are Deserving of Living a Life of Joy Late Eating Could Be Keeping You Fat and Tired From Roots to Greens

Keeping Your Spark Plugs Clean

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 11

Corey Poirier

12 | MY Magazine

THAT SPEAKER GUY

by Maria Rea

C

orey Poirier is an award-winning Keynote speaker, a multipletime TEDx and MoMonday’s Speaker is the host of the top-rated ‘Conversations with PASSION’ Radio Show has been featured in multiple onehour television specials and is a columnist with Entrepreneur and Forbes, Progress Magazine, and our very own MY Authentic Life magazine, with over 900 articles in print.

As though that is not enough, Corey has also appeared on Global TV, CTV, CBC TV, and Radio, and has been one of the few leaders featured twice on the popular ‘Entrepreneur on Fire’ show. He has interviewed over 4,000 of the world’s top leaders, has enjoyed successful corporate careers and performed stand-up Comedy on more than 700 occasions. He is a surfer, a skydiver, a yogi and ‘Rock Recording of the Year’ Nominee. His most rewarding accomplishment to date is the birth of his beautiful 8-monthold son, Sebastian along with his partner in life, Shelley.

Corey’s journey to becoming a well-accomplished entrepreneur.

Growing up on a small Island in Canada, Corey was raised by a single mother for much of his childhood with his parents divorcing at the age of 9. With no siblings at his side, he and his mother had become an inseparable duo, which clearly played an integral part of who Corey is today, and how he feels around the feminine power in his life.

“I think in general a lot of men seem to struggle with their feminine side, which for me was just the opposite, not growing up with or being particularly close to my father, my struggle was more on the masculine side,” Corey Shares.

Witnessing a strained divorce, Corey watched his mother courageously take the steps to create a better life for the two of them. His father, playing a vindictive role, promised to make them go into bankruptcy if his mother didn’t give up the

house, then fought for custody (to no avail) out of spite, which led her to experience a mental breakdown. It was then that Corey went to live with his Grandparents for many months until she recovered. Corey remembers his grandfather graciously stepping into the male role providing him with the stability every boy needs.

Feeling close family ties to his grandparents has always put Corey in a place of gratitude.

It is no secret that our experiences shape our future.

What we are taught at an early age often times sets the tone for our lives. Witnessing an unhealthy relationship between his Father and Mother, experiencing their divorce, and watching the trauma play out in a manner that would be difficult for any child, has made Corey stronger. He cherishes the love he has for his mother and has always known that the lessons learned by witnessing his father’s behaviors would not become the fabric of his own life.

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“My mother is a survivor, no matter how financially devastated we were at times, her kindness never escaped me. I remember she bought me this jacket, one we really couldn’t afford. One day I went to school and this kid who came from an abusive home had the exact same jacket, but his was worn, beaten, and ripped. As he left school that day, he grabbed my brand new jacket and took it home. Not realizing it, I grabbed the other jacket, and when I got home I noticed I had the wrong one. I said to my mother, we have to go back and get my jacket. I will never forget the response she gave me. She said you know what, we will find you another jacket, he needs that jacket more than you do, let him have it, we’ll figure it out.

Her kind and the impact it had on my childhood, is what I will always remember most.”

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Corey’s mother spent most of her life struggling with mental illness.

Watching her bravery throughout, allowed him to be able to make mistakes, and learn from them, which played a substantial part of who he is today.

“Living with a mom who had a mental illness, a huge constant in my life was that I have always had pets around. Pets proved to be very therapeutic for her recovery as they exhibit unconditional love always. I don’t think there was a day in my life until I was in my 20’s that I didn’t have a dog in my life and often times more than one.”

Corey struggled through grade school and high school was no exception. A pivotal moment in Corey’s life was in his senior year when he realized there was a good chance he was going to fail his history class, which would

prevent him from graduating and going onto college. The minimum required to pass was 50%, of which Corey was unsure he could reach. Nervously he looked at the class score and with what he saw, it was clear the teacher showed him mercy.

He had given Corey a 49% and wrote in +1.

“That was my teacher’s way of saying, you didn’t earn it but I’m giving it to you anyway.

That was such an important life lesson for me. What he told me without saying anything was, in life you don’t always get what you want, you may get lucky once in a while, but you shouldn’t count on that, this was my once in a while. For me, it made me think; wow this could have gone so differently. If I didn’t have him for a teacher, if he didn’t believe in me or if he didn’t care, I would have had to take another half a school year

to make up those credits. I was already accepted into college so everything would have changed. I feel he gave me a real gift.

I honestly believe, however, the reason I struggled to pass that class was because it wasn’t my passion. I didn’t care about history, I love business and in my business classes, I got mostly A’s. I was rebelling against what I was not passionate about which has taught me the importance of not spending my time in the 49 + 1 areas of your life. I believe that if we are allowed to focus on our passion that is when real change happens.”

From high school, Corey went to a business college and went through an entrepreneurial sponsored program and started his own magazine as his first entrepreneurial adventure at the age of 19.

“Oddly enough, I never read my first book until I was 27

years old, Dale Carnegie’s, ‘How to win friends and influence people.’ Previous to that, I had the traditionally assigned books that didn’t interest me in school, books like, ‘How to Kill a Mocking Bird,’ ‘ The Death of a Salesman,’ and ‘Lord of The Flies, but never finished them. So the interesting part of this was, in High School, I got through English without reading the requirements, but as someone who didn’t have the greatest grammar, I actually ended up writing and editing a magazine and later wrote 12 books. I remember my mom jokingly saying; you know you should probably read a book before writing one. So the interesting thing about that is if people think they can’t do something or they don’t have the talent for it, yet have a passion for it, know that it is possible to master that skill no matter how late in life you may be.”

After the launch of Corey’s magazine and running it for a year, Corey admits he was ill-

prepared for success, but that it taught him much about the business world, looking fondly at it as a stepping-stone to where he is today.

The start of his speaking career Corey was asked to write a stage play for a festival that was scheduled to run for seven days.

A couple of days into it, one of the main actors sprained his ankle and no one knew the lines except for the writer/director, Corey.

“I was terrified of speaking and being on the stage, so I wrote a part for myself where I would walk out on stage with my back to the audience. I did that for the next 5 days and realized I had better get over my fear if I was going to continue to write this way. That was when one of the actors shared information about a stand-up workshop that the University was offering. So I said, that sounds terrifying,

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 15

I went to see Tony Robbins and I thought, this dude thinks like I do and he is getting paid to talk on stage?

I think I can do this! So after speaking part-time since Shelley, Sebastian and Corey 2002, in 2006 I decided to throw in the towel let’s do it. I completed the twoon the corporate world and week workshop, and on the began my transition into public third week, we were told that speaking full time.” we were invited to a comedy club to be entertained by their Passion - A strong and desirable talent. Unbeknownst to us, emotion. That is what Corey about five minutes before the felt when he decided to change show, and they announced his profession. Although in that we were actually going to the beginning, he was full of be the entertainment. Of the passion for topics he spoke on, fifteen of us that were there, he admits, he was not good eight walked out the front at it. And although he doesn’t door leaving seven behind. I recommend this, Corey learned volunteered to go first, and as he went along.

I totally bombed, I mean bombed, but I loved it, and “There is no reason that people wanted to get better so I kept have to go through what I went going back week after week in through. I had to learn through the evenings after work until trial and error. I went in the I got it right and ended up trenches, failing over and over doing 700 shows. It was soon again. I got beat up enough after that, that I discovered times that I finally learned professional speaking. from my own mistakes. It took 16 | MY Magazine

me a lot longer than it needed to. It was when I started studying at the feet of giants, watching people like Steve Jobs and Tony Robbins and what they were actually doing to be successful, that it really started to come together for me. I don’t recommend doing it the way I did, I spent way too much money and time trying to figure it out. A lot of people would rather pay in time and fall on their face than invest in themselves early on to move themselves forward faster. I wish I would have. There are so many nuances in the speaking world that you really don’t understand when you start, why jump into the fire when you can go over the fire.”

Corey offers coaching programs helping others to learn how to speak in general as well as how to become a TEDx speaker.

To learn the Secrets of the World’s Top Speakers From Multiple-Time TEDx Speaker, Corey Poirier visit http://www. thespeakingprogram.com to access your free video training.

International Best-Selling Author In Corey’s new international best-selling book, The Book of Why (and How), was written with the intention to help people uncover their core purpose and at the same time, discover how to use it to create meaning

Achievers. You’ll also learn directly from one of the world’s top new thought leaders, Corey Poirier.

in their personal and/or professional life. It has already been compared to The Secret and The Celestine Prophecy in terms of potential impact, and it’s story-based style, and exercise component makes it a book you cannot just read, but also use to help design the life you’ve been searching for.

Corey’s book helps you to discover your ‘WHY’ while revealing the Timeless Secrets of the world’s top leaders.

This book includes quotes and insights by close to 400 of the world’s most enlightened Super-

As a multiple-time bestselling author, Corey has dedicated his life to learning and teaching what the top thought leaders know in hopes that you can use it to better your life and crush your goals in record time.

The Book of Why (and How) is the result of thousands of hours of personal research, and yet you receive the exclusive insight Corey learned during these interviews with a small time (or money) investment by comparison.

To purchase The book of Why (and How) visit amzn.to/2uotqjL

Corey’s advice on “How to live your best life.”

1

worth it to put the work into it to find your passion.

2

This is advice I have heard over and over again when asked what I would tell my younger self. We need to stop living for the destination and start enjoying the journey.

What I have found is so many are focused on the destination of perhaps their retirement, for example, that when they finally get there, they pass away and they really never lived. So my point is that the journey should be just as fun and maybe even more fun, because who knows if you will actually get to the destination. So my best advice would be to figure out a way to enjoy the journey.

To learn more about Corey Poirier and the amazing work he is doing to change the world visit www.thatspeakerguy.com

Live your purpose. That goes back to my book, ‘The Book of Why (and How).’ It’s

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 17

Loving MY Authentic Life

GIVE YOUR PETS LESS STRESS

by Mella Barnes

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A

pril is Stress Awareness Month. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty aware of my stress at all times. I was going to write about human stressors. I looked up the top 10 stressors in our lives, and it was honestly quite depressing. Spousal death, divorce, and prison are not topics I’m qualified to write about. I was also going to write about how to deal with stress, but a). I’m not a psychologist, b). there are 3000 articles like this already, and c). we all have our own ways of dealing with stress, so there really isn’t a onesize-fits-all cure.

Instead, I’d like to talk about a subject I know really well: pets. I write about pets frequently here and pets can get stressed out just like we can. Some pets can even have clinical anxiety. I am not a vet, so don’t take anything I say as medical advice and definitely check with your vet before deciding anything. However, these are some tips I’ve used on my own pets and hopefully, they will help you as well.

Signs your pet is stressed:

1

Digestive Issues NOT Caused by Food

Obviously, if you’ve switched your pets food or they got into the garbage, you can probably rule out stress. If nothing has changed and they’ve been throwing up or something is different, you might want to look

at their stress level. Even peeing in the house can be a sign of stress (but can also be a sign of urinary issues, age, or they’re just jerks like my dogs are).

2

A Change in Normal Behavior

If your pet is normally active and they become lethargic, or vice-versa, you’ll want to get that checked out. Again this could be due to illness, but if you’ve been to the vet and they’re fine, you can consider stress as an option. If your pet has developed a new quirk or habit that seems out of the norm for their personality, they might be trying to handle stress in their own way.

3

Hiding

My dog has anxiety and whenever she has a flare-up, she hides under the couch.

Honestly, I relate to this. If I could fit under the couch I’d join her for sure. However, once she’s under the couch I can’t get to her to help her, so I have to pay close attention to her stress levels before she hides. Your pet might also just distance themselves from you or from other pets or family members if they can’t hide. Certain pets, like hermit crabs or hamsters, hide as part of their daily routine. This is not usually a sign of stress for them so you’ll want to look at other factors.

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5

Massage

How you can help a stressed pet:

1

Take Them to Your Vet

I’m putting this first for obvious reasons. I don’t want you to assume it’s stress when it might be something much more serious! If you’ve been to the vet already and everything is normal, the following steps might help.

2

Medication

Vets can prescribe anxiety meds for dogs, but there are also helpful over-the-counter supplements at any pet store.

Herbs like passionflower and chamomile can help as well.

You’ll want to research the correct dosage (and if your type of animal can even have it) or they are often in the pet supplements already.

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3

Exercise or Play

You’ll want to be careful with this because some exercise can add to a pet’s stress. If your dog hates loud noises, you probably won’t want to walk them on a busy street.

I don’t have cats, but I’ve heard that laser lights can cause anxiety for some. You know your own pet, so feel free to use whatever form of exercise they’ll enjoy.

4

Arrange A “Calm Corner”

This was a miracle for my anxiety dog, so much so that I now have them in several rooms. Whatever your pet likes, you can set up a small area in a room where they can go to find it. For my dogs, that includes a bed or pillow, a blanket or two, and a chew toy. If your pet is a cage or tank-dweller, you can create a calm corner within their space. Most animals love their personal space as much as people do, so it’s worth a try to give them a little hideout!

I think this is best for dogs, but a few gentle cats or rabbits might enjoy this as well. You can look up several videos on YouTube for how to massage your pet. You’ll want to make sure you don’t go too hard (but they’ll probably let you know what they do and don’t like). Just beware: they might really enjoy it.

My dogs are addicted to massage now and bother me constantly for one.

Above all, I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure your pet is healthy.

Stress is an important factor in health, so it’s worth looking into your pets’ life to find out what you can remove or add to help them out.

Also, apparently cat and dog wine is a thing, so maybe you can both de-stress that way if all else fails.

Mella is a session singer, songwriter and producer living in Nashville, Tennessee.

Also an animal lover, she has three dogs, a rabbit, and any number of foster animals in various shapes and sizes. She is the author of Way Less Cowbell, a book on communicating with session musicians. If you would like more information or to hire her onto your project, please visit www.mellamusic.com

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myauthenticlifemagazine.com 23

COMMIT TO SUCCESS BEING EASIER FOUR TIPS TO ACCESS SUPPORT

by Wini Curley, Ph.D.

24 | MY Magazine

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A

re you someone who gets things done, usually independently? Are you used to taking care of things yourself rather than asking for help from others? I certainly am guilty of having a big independent streak. Have you ever been told by someone you respect (or thought to yourself) that you should be more open to accepting help when it is offered?

Maaaaaybe, you could even consider asking for it once in a while.

Being independent and solitary can make things harder than they need to be.

Independence is a valuable quality, up to a point. You know you have gotten to that point when much of what you are trying to accomplish feels like a struggle, and progress gets bogged down.

You could wait till it gets that bad, or you could just reach out for support in the beginning. Commit to success being easier.

Today (really!) I had an experience that blew

26 | MY Magazine

me away, and clearly demonstrated that support surrounds us. Have you ever wanted to make a particular business connection, but were starting from scratch?

I have wanted to speak to a particular group for a couple of months now. My friend Gary is a member and recommended they would be a good fit for my Resilience and Teamwork topics. I looked the organization up online and set up a plan to attend some meetings. My goal was to observe how they operate, figure out who is influential in booking speakers, and establish a relationship. Not a quick path, but usually effective.

Today, in my inbox, was a message from a directly affiliated subgroup inviting me to speak – BEFORE I even attended the first meeting or met anyone new! Was it magic? No, it was the result of a conversation I had with my friend Sally just 4 days ago.

I mentioned to Sally that I wanted to speak to this particular group. Since she is a speaker too, I thought

perhaps she had a contact there. It turns out Sally and her husband are members of a directly affiliated subgroup.

The subgroup has outside speakers once every two weeks! Sally, unknown to me, recommended me to the subgroup meeting planner.

The email I got today offered me a speaking date on their calendar! On top of that, the meeting planner proposed inviting the event planners from the parent group to my presentation so they can see if I am a good fit for the bigger audience. I had not even dreamed of asking for that, and it was offered to me as easy as pie.

As part of my own personal growth (yes coaches have things to work on too!), I have been reaching out more and sharing my goals with others and asking for their help.

It can be scary to do that, especially when launching new projects. Perhaps you have had a similar conversation with yourself: “What if I fail? What if they aren’t interested in me? What if the topic/product/work isn’t successful? If I keep it to myself, then no one will know but me.” EXACTLY! No one will know but YOU – not just about the failure, but about the work or message you are trying to share! Keeping private what you really want does not move you forward.

Here are 4 tips you can use to breakthrough resistance you may have to be supported or

helped, and having success become easier.

1. Ask Specifically for what you want.

Be as precise as possible. Do your research to find out what options may be available to help achieve your goal. Then you can ask for connections to a specific group or person or skill you need. As an example, If you don’t want to keep up with your social media marketing, stop grinding away or complaining. Ask around for recommendations of someone who wants to do that and is good at it. If you want to connect with a person or organization, ask your contacts if they know someone there. You may be surprised by who and what pops up. I certainly was!

2. Share Freely - Don’t be too picky about who you tell.

You never know who they know or what idea they have that can make all the difference. I did not know my friend Gary was

a member of an ideal group for me to speak to. I did not know Sally would recommend me to speak to the subgroup.

Before our conversation, I did not know that the subgroup had outside speakers. That 10-minute conversation shortcircuited what could have been definitely weeks and probably months of effort on my own. Most people love to help others when they can.

Remember, it gives them a boost to help you.

3. Be open to something even easier and better than you hoped for to come back to you.

Don’t be so focused on waiting for the bus to come by that you miss the limo that pulls up and offers you a ride.

Things would be very different if Sally had asked if she could refer me, and I said, “Oh, no, that’s too much trouble for you. I have a plan and can work on it myself”. If that sounds familiar to you, then it is time to rethink that strategy.

What would your life be like if success was easier for you because you asked for and accepted support? If it is already easy, what would it be like for you to step up to the next level?

4. Show Appreciation Follow up on help that is offered.

Show your appreciation and gratitude to anyone who has supported you. A kind word or deed directed toward them may make their day. Sally is a gem, and I have thanked her, and Gary also. In addition, the next time I see Sally, she will get purple flowers (her favorite color). Gary got lunch already.

If you are like me, reaching out to others and asking for what you want and need as support may not be your natural tendency. However, I am here to say you can absolutely learn it! When you get the hang of it, magical things seem to happen. It is exciting and a lot of fun for success to be easier than you expected!!

Wini Curley, Ph.D. is a Resilience Expert, Speaker, and Executive Coach. She shows leaders and their organizations how to energize their next win - whether they are on a roll or in a hole. In 2002, Wini became an entrepreneur and left a 20-year corporate career cleaning up environmental hazardous waste sites. Now, she helps clients clean up toxic habits, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that contaminate their path to success. Clients say Wini’s keen intuition, judgement-free approach, and energy techniques all help free them to release frustrations and blocks and accelerate toward what they really want.

Wini has coached successful leaders and entrepreneurs across 3 continents. Clean up the toxicities big or small at the leadership level, and watch the business and its people grow and flourish.

Learn more about Wini and her programs at www.WiniCurley.com and www.GiftsFromWini.com

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 27

Family Bonding

WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS SPECIAL NEEDS

28 | MY Magazine

by Nekeshia Hammond, Psy.D.

F

amily bonding presents a unique challenge for many families that also have a child with special needs.

Routines are often essential with such families. However, the need for routines may also diminish opportunities for establishing and maintaining the emotional attachment with the family that is critical for a healthy, well-balanced dynamic.

Parents, as well as siblings, of the child with special needs strive to create a safe and accommodating environment that allows the child to thrive.

Appointments, assessments, and ongoing therapies often act as a deterrent for the essential bonding among the additional family members. Do we dare admit that the special needs of a child may impact the family’s ability to maintain positive interfamily relationships?

With the increasing demands of the child with special needs, parents often lose sight of themselves as people. Individuals have their own needs and desires that are equally important, and necessary for the well-being of the entire family. While self-care is essential for all individuals, caring for a child with special needs adds additional layers of tension and pressure to adhere to routines and responsibilities. myauthenticlifemagazine.com 29

Therefore, it is not surprising that these additional layers may create conflicts within relationships, or simply place the needs of the intimate relationship at the bottom of the daily to-do list. As such, couples with a child who has special needs may have an increased necessity for open and honest communication, free of judgment, for their distress regarding caring for their child.

Coping with the special needs of your child may prompt feelings such as denial, despair, guilt, and even depression.

It is important to remember that it is okay to experience stress and frustration with the child’s needs. You are not alone in these feelings, and being able to confide in your partner

30 | MY Magazine

regarding such thoughts and feelings may be essential in maintaining the bond that will allow the child to grown into a well-adjusted individual.

Too often we forget the emotional benefits of simply conversing with other loved ones regarding our thoughts.

This is especially true if such thoughts are seen as taboo, such as disclosing that your child’s needs have become overwhelming. Share the workload, listen to one another, and provide your relationship with the nurturing it requires.

It is easy to become fully immersed in caring for your children, and make them the center of your universe. On the other hand, the couple’s health is equally important and

requires similar consideration.

Developing and maintaining the emotional intimacy between you and your partner also facilitates bonding with the child. This heightens the family bond and attachment. Positive, secure bonding within the family also helps to facilitate strong self-esteem, a sense of security within the child, as well as the feeling of belonging.

While self-care is vital for the success of your parenting journey, it is also critical for parents and caregivers to build up strength to face negativity they may encounter from society. You may hear in the media, from your friends or families, or another source how you “should” be parenting.

The reality though, is that many

themselves to others. They may not be able to have the family time their friends have, but let them know that it is okay. You can still have happy and special memories with your family.

Keep in mind, the number one goal is to improve the lives of your children and family. The memories that children have with their families growing up will often last into adulthood, so it would be best to choose your experiences wisely.

people do not understand the unique challenges that come with children and require extra care.

Be careful of falling into the trap of listening to everyone’s expectations of what your family bonding “should” be like.

Understand that every family is different, and what matters most is to do what’s best to help your family thrive and grow as a unit. If you communicate differently, have “abnormal” family outings, and can only do “staycations” for example because traveling out of town is too difficult – that’s okay! At the end of the day, it is more important to give our children and families the love and support that they need.

In our practice, we have met a variety of families with

children with various conditions (some mental health-related, some physical concerns, and sometimes a combination of both). We have seen families learn the tools to have effective and meaningful family interactions, despite what society may see as a limitation.

Remember to be creative!

Just because you may have to approach your family time in a unique way, does not mean that it is wrong. Different does not mean defective! Not inferior, not less than, not imperfect, and not bad. In fact, different doesn’t mean any of those things. Different just means different.

So, during your bonding experiences with your child or children, make sure you let them know these things.

Children often will compare

Make a commitment today to do what you can to build family bonding time into your schedule. Everyone is busy, but this is a critical piece to helping your family unit. Do what works for your schedule.

Don’t put pressure on yourself that you “have to” do the same routine. If you decide to schedule in a “fun” time of 30 minutes a week, but you miss a week, don’t fret. Just continue the following week. Often as parents, we worry over the small stuff. Instead, focus on the bigger picture: creating an emotionally healthy family!

Nekeshia Hammond, Psy.D. is a psychologist, speaker, an author, and the owner of Hammond Psychology & Associates. Dr. Hammond has been featured on WFLA News Channel 8, Tampa Bay Times, Essence, Tampa Bay Parenting, CBS Boston, Ebony and other media outlets sharing her expertise on children and parenting. She is the TV show host of “Parenting Explained with Dr. Hammond” which is set to air on stations throughout the US in early 2018. To learn more about Dr. Hammond, visit: DrNekeshiaHammond.com.

Twitter: @Dr_Hammond FB: Dr. Nekeshia Hammond Instagram: @practicalparenting

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 31

FINDING THE GIFT THAT YOU DIDN’T SEE?

FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE AND BACK!

by Gary Stuart

32 | MY Magazine

“Everything you have ever experienced or ever known seen or unseen is a Gift” Gary Stuart 2018

M

any people perceive life and its challenges very differently, which is fine. Underneath those challenges and perceptions and beliefs is a force. Life creates movement towards fulfilling your destiny on your path of learning. Life itself is a path which we all agreed to take.

From conception to birth we’re propelled into an unknown destination that we can only hope is of our own making.

How could it be that millions of random and accidental events got us here to this place of physical existence?

Life itself is much more than a random or accidental coincidence. You could say life is a serendipitous experience or incarnational adventure into the unknown.

What if the greater force of creation consciously conspires and subconsciously drives us in a timely way helping us create our mission while manifesting experiences to fulfill our destiny.

We were gifted our lives and our bodies by our parents.

Lest we forget to mention the thousands of ancestors who came before. Some of us arrived intentionally but many arrived accidentally. Many of us arrived through random acts of sexuality where becoming

a parent was not the goal of the couple’s sexual experience.

Regardless of what we believe we exist at this moment in this time and place because of it. It’s much easier to accept “LIFE” as a gift or at the very least an accidental blessing that was passed on to you. Anything that’s not the gift can be left with your parents and ancestors or anyone else who you feel conspired against you this lifetime.

Everyone alive is an incarnated spirit who may or may not have had a choice in the matter.

Ironically, this is probably the secret of the ages! What I do know is that any baby randomly born with any experience is a universal act of abundance. You incarnated in the possibility that your presence was ordered and brought forth by the universe itself to create a unique new story.

Everyone embodies the universe expressing itself and manifesting itself through our physical being. As you know everything in life is about expansion or contraction.

Mothers certainly know this from giving birth. Fathers’ know this because what goes up must come down much like the stock market or a Viagra commercial.

Every child who ends up incarnating into a physical myauthenticlifemagazine.com 33

“UNCONDITIONAL LOVE” Loving the Dark as well as the Light is challenging to those who seek to judge or fight.

Many assume that they’re mostly right while NOT fully understanding the duality of humanities collective plight.

“All Darkness exists to add balance to Light” Earth gives us permission during each night because without evenings Darkness we wouldn’t know Daylight?

Light exists to SHINE on ALL things, as it brings clarity to Darkness and many other things.

One day soon people will stop fighting to see, that Darkness resides in you just as it does in me.

There is “NO OTHER” from within you and I, loving both equally helps us agree, that existing together makes us all WE. Loving LIFE in its wholeness helps us indeed.

Darkness brings Light reuniting love in our Hearts’ eliminating greed.

That’s true UNCONDITIONAL LOVE as you soon shall SEE.

34 | MY Magazine

being does so through his or her parents. At the very least the baby creates the mother and familial change by its mere existence. That innocent baby made a man and woman both parents and also made the parents of the parents’ grandparents and also made the grandparents of the parents, great-grandparents.

Everyone’s role is shifted by the mere birth of the next generation known to us as a baby. Even if a conceived baby doesn’t make it to its completion or is eliminated by a natural miscarriage or abortion many changes occur.

Who knows if that was the babies incarnational mission?

All creation manifests to transform things both internally and externally. Any couple can be deeply affected for the rest of their lives. It seems that every detail of our existence from cradle to grave is propelled by cause-and-effect.

Growth happens regardless, after all, that’s life. Life by its very definition is change.

Ultimately, everything whether it’s random or chosen it’s an adventure and consciousness regardless of the initial intention or outcome.

It seems that “Chi” or whatever force powers life demands our participatory action. Which in kind creates our will to survive and propagate in passing life forward as well. If you really look at it from an ancestral point of view “life as a gift” that shared by those who came before. Essentially, babies embody the Ancestral future emanating from the past to birth the present. Everyone has their time the sun and now

it’s our turn. It’s best to focus on the gifts you did receive rather than the generational suffering and struggle it took to get us here. We can choose to honor those who came before with appreciation and gratitude. It’s our divine right to move forward to make our dreams come true. In doing so our ancestors dreams come true through us. It seems that the full circle of life is a gift being passed from one to the other.

Life is a complete expression of expansion, birth, propagation, and death repeating itself into infinity.

I know it’s a big concept but they’re also very simple, yet we never take time to stop and think about what’s really going on. We tend to get so busy reacting to life we often forget to take a breath. Take some time to just watch and receive.

Try to witness how life’s gifts manifest in your life and those around you.

Maybe if we took that approach me more peace in the world. Coincidentally creating more joy and happiness in our lives. Simple acts of awareness can create more harmony between people, organizations, and nations across our planet.

Humanity and Earth herself is the whole. Imagine one people sharing one earth together at this moment in time. What if 9 billion humans consciously shifted the collective focus simultaneously! Everyone might just as well enjoy the journey while we’re here! The TIME is NOW! Remember that when physical life ends where spirit begins, the circle is complete Spirit to Spirit!

I urge you to take a minute to look at the gifts manifesting in your own life? What can you positively focus on to find your greater good? Try to find the deeper gift that’s hidden inside life’s drama. You can observe and learn to harness life’s’ power to create good in your life. Proactively spread that good to others you know too. It’s all about being positive and even unconditionally embracing the negative.

Imagine that the negative is a reminder to get you back to the positive. Everything is a full circle all aspects included making everything whole with everything belonging and nothing is outside the realm of possibility.

For the sake of argument let’s just say life’s purpose is good.

Everything experienced on this journey guides us in its own special way. Embrace both positive and negative equally which leads us to the place of making perpetual positive choices. We have the power to rewrite the scene of our lives even if in hindsight we made a big mistake. Remember, at that moment we made the decision that seemed like the right decision at the time, forgive yourself.

Life is always full of surprises as we have no choice about death which also is full of surprises. In many ways, we might as well be happy with what we do have choices about.

There are so many things that we should stop to enjoy. Try to look at everything as a gift and live from that place of gratitude and appreciation. We have the power to proactively and intentionally manifest our dreams come true. At the very least when we do it for ourselves then we do it for all those who came before too.

Use this gift and act accordingly.

Maybe your ancestors didn’t get that chance within their lifetime. It’s now your turn to bring that awareness to the front of your attention.

Stop for a minute and smile to see the good in everything.

Above all see the good in yourself! Believe it or not against all odds and impossible circumstances you’re here as a physical being. Consciously have the presence of mind with your awareness along with freedom of choice to make a positive change over negative choice.

Remember there is no wrong answer. Even if in your hindsight choices seem negative it was essential to guide you to a more positive place.

Everything is good in and of itself. You are good because you can now see the good in everything even the negative.

Remember “Once something is whole it’s no longer a puzzle”

Gary Stuart Speaker, Author, Constellation Facilitator, Teacher has been documenting his healing experiences over the past several decades. As a young student of Primal Therapy and Shamanism, his insightful writings provide a unique perspective on the correlation between the micro and macro-cosmos, between our inner and outer worlds. His first book on Constellations Many Hearts, One Soul set the stage for his latest book Master Your Universe: How to Direct & Star in Your Own Life on Kindle or paperback at www.Amazon.com He Speaks and leads healing workshops and training nationally and internationally and resides in Southern California. His Distance, Family or Organizational Constellations are his healing specialty! His FREE Consultation: www.testyourhappiness.com and www.GaryStuartPRessKit.com Contact Info: Gary@Chifield.com Office (888) 369-9980 Cell (310) 758-2052

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 35

Self-Growth

36 | MY Magazine

NATURAL PATTERNS

by Sharon Carne

38 | MY Magazine

T

he appropriate use of sound or music is a fabulous way to help you restore or reset to your natural patterns. What does that mean?

What is a natural pattern?

a song that makes you feel like melting into the floor. Or smelling a rose. Or standing on the shore and watching the waves flow in. Or gazing at the stars in wonder.

Your entire being was designed to perform in perfect harmony.

Your body, mind, emotions, and spirit know how to be healthy.

Every part of your being dances its particular rhythm and tone of health in a natural pattern. In our fast-paced busy lives, there are many situations that can cause your natural harmony, and your natural patterns, to fall out of tune.

Your soul needs this! So does every other part of you! When your soul is fed with harmony, your whole being responds with health and wellbeing!

Human beings are incredible harmonizers! We harmonize with so many things in our environment – like a co-worker who always complains. We harmonize with thoughts and beliefs, like – ‘everything is so hard’ or ‘I always get sick during the holidays’.

When you harmonize with being ‘Crazy Busy’, you end up with: •

sleepless nights

•

catching every cold and flu that comes around

•

muscle aches and pains

•

getting upset easily

•

and more…

This is the dark side of how you harmonize with what is around you. As you know, everything has its opposite.

On the light side, you thrive on harmony. Like listening to

And you end up with •

calm

•

centredness

•

presence

•

connection

•

happiness

•

peace

Natural patterns exist everywhere in the universe, from the natural patterns within the creation of galaxies to the patterns within an atom and everything in between.

Life would not function without natural patterns.

Examples of natural patterns at the physical level are your natural pattern of walking. Have you ever noticed how uniquely every person walks? On your next trip to the mall, take a few moments to notice how uniquely the people around you are walking.

If you are under stress, many natural patterns fall out of harmony. Here are only three of them: your heartbeat, your hormonal system, and your breathing rhythm.

Sleep follows a natural pattern. If you have difficulty sleeping, this is a sign that your natural pattern for sleep is out of harmony and this has consequences in immune system function, alertness and body repair in deep sleep.

Natural patterns can also be rhythms like how often your heart beats when at rest. Your brain has rhythms that change when you daydream, close your eyes or go to sleep. Your intestines contract in a specific rhythm. So does your stomach.

Your kidneys process your blood in a 24-hour rhythmic cycle.

At the microscopic level, your cells have many natural patterns as they go about their day. And all of this is just at the physical level.

At the mental level, your brainwave patterns affect your alertness or ability to relax. Your mental and emotional systems are deeply connected.

Many thoughts have emotional charges. You know the ones.

Like the ones, you think about the person who cuts you off in traffic. Like the ones, you think when you are engulfed in sadness. Like the ones, you think when you are playing with your children.

All of these thoughts with emotional charges are intimately connected to your endocrine system with an instant flood of hormones. In myauthenticlifemagazine.com 39

overall health and wellbeing.

The nitric oxide cycle in your cells keeps you healthy and natural patterns working as they were designed.

When you are stressed, overtired or ill, this natural cycle is deeply affected. The nitric oxide cycle is so important three research scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998 for discovering it. this way, every one of these thoughts affects every cell in your body.

At the spiritual level, natural patterns are your moments of silence and connection to your inner presence. This exquisite presence is available to you at the beginning and ending of every breath you take.

The human energy field or aura is also filled with natural patterns – from the rhythmic pulsations of the meridian systems and rotation of the chakras to the comfortable, peaceful frequency of your soul that lives there.

Natural patterns are healthy and coherent when you are in harmony and whole. In these turbulent times, natural physical, mental, emotional and spiritual patterns are deeply affected from moment to moment.

Sound is one of your greatest allies in restoring and maintaining natural patterns. It has the ability to change body chemistry, cellular function, 40 | MY Magazine

hormonal balance, create mental clarity, manage pain, calm or energize the emotional state and create a spiritual connection.

Two of my favorites for restoring natural patterns is an old Tibetan singing bowl and the perfect fifth tuning forks.

The many levels of wavering frequencies of an old Tibetan singing bowl act like the restart button on your computer.

When your computer is not functioning well, often a restart will get it up and running better.

The old Tibetan singing bowl works in the same way with you. Remember, sound goes through you. As you hold and play a bowl like this, the wavering sounds set every atom and molecule into a state of vibration. When the sound stops, your being is stimulated to reset to normal, healthy patterns.

The perfect fifth tuning forks stimulate one of the most important natural cycles for

The perfect fifth tuning forks, with frequencies of 256 Hertz and 384 Hertz, were found in experiments to stimulate the nitric oxide cycle in the cells in less than thirty seconds.

Completely naturally.

So here’s an opportunity to try it out for yourself. I invite you to copy and paste this URL to listen to these sounds and notice their effects on you: www. soundwellness.com/forks-bowls.

Have fun! And keep me posted on how they work for you.

Sharon Carne is an author, speaker, musician, recording artist, sound healer, Reiki master and consultant. Sharon is the founder of Sound Wellness and the Sound Wellness Institute. Through the Sound Wellness Institute, holistic health practitioners receive the highest level of competency training in using sound and music to support their practice. Sound Wellness programs are at the forefront of education in how sound and music can be easily applied to your everyday life - to reduce stress, help you concentrate, energize you, inspire you and support your health. www.soundwellness.com

Lynn Darmon PSYCHIC MEDIUM REIKI PRACTITIONER

Make 2018 Your Year!

Most recently featured on

Lynn has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, The Huffington Post, AOL, Yahoo News, The Oakland Press, The Detroit Jewish News, Eydis Magazine, MY Magazine, Body, Mind, Spirit Radio, the Lisa Bousson Show, and has been featured in the recently published book, “Everyday Oracles,” by Ann Bolinger-McQuade.

31224 Mulfordton • Ste. D • Farmington Hills • 248.860.1121 www.heavenswhisper.net • lynn@heavenswhisper.net Facebook: Medium Lynn Darmon SERVICES PROVIDED: In person • By phone • E-mail • Skype • myauthenticlifemagazine.com In home

41

Talk to Tamara Tamara, the relationship whisperer, is like a walking instruction manual for all of your love, dating. and relationship questions.

Ask her your burning questions and she’ll guide you in the direction that is right for you.

by Tamara Green

42 | MY Magazine

Hi Tamara, I need your help with making a decision. I’m in a partnership with a really great guy; he’s totally into me and I really like him, too. Part of me wants this relationship and part of me doesn’t. For some reason, which I can’t figure out, some days I’m 100% into him and some days I’m thinking of letting him go. Can you give me some insight as for why I’m so back and forth about such a warm and wonderful man?

Signed: Conflicted

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 43

with one another.

Each part is trying to convince you that its agenda should be your top priority.

That is, parts of you want a full commitment to this man while other parts of you don’t.

To get clarity on what may be going on, read The 7 Parts (Agendas) Of You listed below and answer each of the corresponding questions.

Dearest Conflicted, To help you understand your bewilderment, I’m going to share about the different ‘parts’ of you. These ‘parts’ can have contrasting agendas, which may be causing your confusion and inability to make a decision about this relationship.

Think of yourself as a machine, a tool containing parts that use energy to perform an intended action, which includes awareness.

Machines are usually powered by mechanical, chemical, thermal, or electrical means, but the machine that is you is powered by the needs and agendas of your different parts.

Right now, the different parts of your machine are in conflict

44 | MY Magazine

The 7 Parts (Agendas) Of You 1. Physical Body Depending on the day or whom you’re with, your body’s agenda is to be touched, caressed, pampered, rested, exercised, admired, lusted after, to have sex and fun. Questions: What are your body’s agendas? Is this relationship meeting your body’s needs and desires?

2. Conscious Mind This is your thinking mind, the part of you that you’re aware of: your values, which drive your thoughts and goals.

Based on your values, you consciously make decisions and goals nearly every day.

For example, your conscious mind’s agenda may include

being in a relationship with a warm and wonderful man who’s totally committed to you. Questions: What are your top values, thoughts, and goals? Is this partnership in alignment them?

3. Subconscious Mind Like most people, you may be unaware of what’s going on with this part of your being.

Your subconscious mind is where your inner-child resides, which desires and deserves love, acceptance, safety, understanding, nurturance, tenderness and affectionate care. (Note: Loving your inner-child is the same as being selfloving.) If your childhood experience showed you that relationships were wrought with emotional pain, your inner-child may be sabotaging any efforts toward your conscious mind’s goals for love. Questions: What is your inner child’s agenda within this relationship? Is she getting her needs and desires met?

4. Ancestors/Family This is the part of you that is programmed or ‘learned.’

Brain science shows that most beliefs are formed by the age of seven years old and did not originate with you. Also, some studies have revealed that 97% of your DNA is like storage units holding sound bites from your ancestors. Questions: What is your family’s agenda regarding relationships? Do you feel pressured to get

“A lot of what is most beautiful about the world arises from struggle.”

—Malcolm Gladwell

married? Do you sense that your family wants you to or leave or stay with this man?

5. Mass Consciousness You are one part of the whole human race.

Mass consciousness has collective beliefs, which are certainly on a grand scale. Much of the world population considers ‘coupling’ as desirable and even necessary. More and more people, however, are choosing not to be in a full-blown committed relationship, which is perfectly fine. It’s important for you to be clear about what you desire. Question: Imagine being in this relationship five years from now. Does this feel light (your truth) or heavy (not your truth)?

6. Soul Your soul makes contracts with your Highest Self to evolve. Therefore, your soul’s agenda is to reach personal goals and spiritual initiations within each incarnation. For example, through this relationship, your soul may be trying to release karma from past lifetimes, to set boundaries, to speak your truth, to let love in, etc.

Questions: What are your soul’s agendas? Is your

sense that this relationship is aligned or not aligned with your soul’s purpose?

7. I Am Presence (or HighestSelf) Did you know that you are a very intricate and multi-dimensional being?

Your I Am Presence is your highest non-physical dimension of you. It sees the big picture, and has since your very first incarnation. This part is the real you, your infinite-being self. It is not your ego, and therefore, carries no pain, attachment or judgment.

When your I Am Presence sees something that’s coming into your future, such as a relationship, it shows up to you as a passionate desire. Question: Do you, or do you not, have a strong desire to be in this relationship, even though you’re not sure why?

Good work! You’ve probably gained new insights and are therefore better informed to make your decision to leave or stay in this relationship. If you still feel conflicted, then every day for the next 30 days, repeat this mantra before going to bed: All parts of me come together as one unified agenda with ease. I am in harmony, being clear, and at peace. For best results, please

Copyright 2017, Tamara Green, LCSW. All Rights Reserved

stay committed to this mantra for the full 30 days. In the meantime, have faith that your questions will be answered.

For those who are going through a challenging experience, like cancer and other medical illnesses, feel calm in minutes by downloading the free Loving Meditations App. For more information, go to calmcancerstress.com.

Elle Magazine dubs Tamara Green, LCSW “The Soulcentered Love Expert.” She is an author, speaker and trainer, helping thousands of people to navigate the waters of love, dating and relationships – all while falling madly in love with themselves in the process. Trained as a Love Mentor® by Dr. Diana Kirschner, Individual and Couples Psychotherapist, Meditation Practitioner and Hypnotherapist, Tamara’s coaching is highly effective as she combines her many years of professional training with her gifts as an energy healer, intuitive and seer. As a result, Tamara creates an exciting catalyst for deep emotional healing, giving her clients greater success in life and love. She has devoted her life to helping women rise out of pain and fear so they can finally experience the long lasting and loving relationship of their dreams. As well as working 1-on-1, Tamara offers free weekly meditation audios that take you on a journey of love with ease and joy. Please follow Tamara Green, LCSW at twitter.com/tamaragreen4u Join Tamara’s community at tamaragreen.me; facebook.com/TGreenLoveExpert; and youtube at: youtube.com/channel/ UC9MqTnZEJYNEpKnwrjsZ40A myauthenticlifemagazine.com 45

KEEPING YOUR SPARK PLUGS CLEAN

by Kate Sholonski

46 | MY Magazine

M

y husband is a parttime motorhead. He often speaks in car language and over the past 44+ years of our marriage, I have picked up a few lessons on the art of automobile maintenance. One of those lessons is that you need to run the engine of an otherwise grounded car periodically so the carbon can be cleaned off the spark plugs.

This is important since the spark of the plugs ignites the fuel in the cylinder. From what I understand, this is an important part of the process of an engine running.

One Sunday afternoon in midwinter, my husband recommended I take my Boxster out for a ride to do some spark plug cleaning.

It was a cold, but clear day and there was no salt on the roads to threaten Grace’s body (Grace is my car’s name), so we took her for a spin to clean some carbon.

As I drove the back roads near our home and the spark plugs let go of their carbon build up, I was seeing the connection between spark plugs and the human spirit. What struck me was just as when a car is not used at its full potential and performance, carbon builds as compared to a human’s spirit becoming laden with worry and fears if it does not experience a cleaning through some sort of joyful activity.

Unlike automobiles, our spirits have more choices in ways to keep our spark burning. We can do it by actively engaging in some activity like a sport or game. We can also accomplish the task by being quietly present in the moment. We can meditate, journal, laugh, blog or talk with a friend. We can read, cook, sew,

knit or play music. We can take a bubble bath, play with a child, or love the work we happen to be doing. There’s an endless list of spark plug cleaning activities.....in short, it could be whatever makes you feel good. As long as you feel good, I believe you are keeping your spark plugs in tip-top shape so they can ignite the fuel of your spirit that keeps you running through life like a top.

Seems easy enough to do, right?

That is as long as we are aware of how our lives are running. If we accept sluggishness or struggle as normal, perhaps we wouldn’t realize our spark plugs needed to be cleaned.

If we want to be living at a highperformance level, then regular maintenance checks for the spirit would be in order. I plan on having my spark plugs cleaned daily...How about you?

Kate Sholonski transitioned from a 28 year nursing career to life coaching and as a personal fulfillment workshop leader in 2001. After many years of coaching people from all walks of life, she and her business partner repeatedly heard requests from their clients to combine joy and fulfillment with leadership principles.

It was that concept that led them to create their business, Triumph Leadership Group, where they focus on training teams from all sized businesses to build positive and productive cultures. Kate and her business partner, David Larson have co-authored two books, Wide Awake: Three Minutes a Day to an Inspired Life and Heartfelt Leadership: Creating a Culture of Connection. They believe when relationships don’t work, the business doesn’t work and that workers who share heartfelt connections will help business thrive on every level. myauthenticlifemagazine.com 47

48 | MY Magazine

Vulnerability

by Dr. Kate Siner

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 49

A

bout a year after stepping more intensively into my spiritual journey, a series of events happened that pushed me into an entirely different understanding of what it means to be on a spiritual path. I learned that integrity is the most important companion to have on this journey. I also learned that vulnerability is the foundation on which integrity stands.

To be vulnerable means to offer your unprotected heart and truth to others without expectation that they will offer you the same in return. When we are being vulnerable, we offer forward our flaws and limitations, we are the first to acknowledge our contribution to any disharmony, and we are willing to be wrong. We show ourselves in our imperfection as well as our strength.

Walking this path with our weaknesses front and center, leading by offering our humanity, ensures that we are doing the necessary work to be a worthy vessel for all of the blessings that we receive. It ensures that the power that is put in

our hands is put into hands that can truly use it for good.

It opens us to a level of spiritual teaching that is otherwise inaccessible.

It takes an exceptionally strong, psychologically and spiritually mature person to show up as vulnerable. When we do, people will, sometimes, project their ignorance and their own weaknesses on to us. They can blame us for their oversights and expect us to right their wrongs. Sometimes, to the untrained eyes, our vulnerability defines us as less than. To stay the course, we must know ourselves well and our connection to the spirit deeply so that we can allow for this misunderstanding, keep our heart open, and continue to offer ourselves fully.

Our expression of vulnerability is an opportunity for others to open up and be vulnerable themselves. When the invitation of vulnerability is received, it is possible for another person to meet us there in that vulnerable space and create a depth of healing that would otherwise be unrealizable. This potentiates both people’s growth.

As we are entrusted with profound spiritual insights that come from our spiritual seeking, it is exceptionally easy to trick ourselves into believing that our intentions are pure and altruistic when in fact they are actually highly sophisticated expressions of our ego. Vulnerability is the key to unlocking our spiritual development rather than developing a spiritualized ego—where

50 | MY Magazine

we only see our self in a positive light, identify our self with the spiritual gifts we have received, and place our shadow aspects onto others.

Being vulnerable ensures that we look at ourselves first before offering corrections, feedback, and opinions to others. It asks us to own our mistakes and approach with an attitude of learning. And, when we forget to do this, it reminds us to make amends as soon as possible. This prevents us from becoming righteous and, because of this, doing more harm than good.

For me, the most profound teacher of vulnerability, both its challenges and its power, is Jesus. Jesus said, “Let he among you who is innocent cast the first stone.” He said this to a group of people who had come to believe that they were morally superior and so their cruelty was justified. The teaching from this story is that when we lose sight of our own limitations, even if we are acting based on supposed spiritual principles, we are misguided in our actions.

Each day, we are presented with many opportunities where we can either be vulnerable or cast the first stone. Our choices release us from our burdens or add to them. The more weight we let go of, the more light we can let in.

I know that, at my current level of development, it often takes me time to remember to put my vulnerability forward immediately and without qualification. It is so much easier to make myself vulnerable after I have created security through being validated or establishing a feeling of control. Slowly, I am learning to trust the spirit

more and surrender more quickly without needing these compensations. As I do, my burdens become lighter and my spiritual insights more profound.

In the end, all we have is the truth of our heart.

It will not matter how many times we were right, if we were truly understood, or whether we had the respect and acknowledgment of those around us. It will matter that we have made amends where we have hurt others, owned our limitations, and—as much as possible—done no harm. To do this, we need to learn the lessons of vulnerability.

Join me for Integrative Transformational Coaching or my Integrative Healing Apprenticeship to safely step deeper into your vulnerabilities and find the spiritual gold within them. Find out more at www.katesiner.com/train-with-me Dr. Kate Siner is an award-winning Entrepreneurial and Personal Development mentor, speaker, author, and radio show host.

Kate has a Ph.D. in Psychology and years of both clinical and coaching experience. Her passion is to help people move past whatever holds them back so that they may embrace all they can be.

Kate has developed a series of successful personal development programs, newest of which is Group Healing Intensive. Learn more at www.katesiner.com or at admin@katesiner.com. myauthenticlifemagazine.com 51

SIMPLY Spiritual

THE DREAM EXPERTS What Does Your Dream Mean?

by Kathryn and Patrick Andries

Dear Dream Expert,

Dear Fun in the Water,

I am on an airplane going to some vacation spot.

I look out the window and can see the ocean and houses. As we get closer to landing I can see more details. Next, I am swimming in this hotel pool. There is no one when I get there, but then the pool starts to get crowded, so I want to leave. I decide to go into the ocean instead. I walk on the beach and then I get in the ocean.

You are using your thoughts (airplane) to get you to a place of relaxation (vacation) so you can connect to your emotions (water). You have awareness of your mind (houses) and your emotions (ocean). You are enjoying pleasant emotions (swimming in the pool), but then you become too emotional and want more peace.

You realize you can enjoy your emotional life (ocean) without it becoming too intense.

Sincerely, Fun in the water 54 | MY Magazine

Dear Dream Expert,

Dear Dream Expert,

I dreamt I went to my friend’s house and I brought a couple of pears with me.

Soon I felt something biting me. They were these little red fire ants. My daughter was also being bitten by these fire ants. I realized they came from the pears.

I told my friend the ants came from the pears. I was anxious because I thought my friend would tell his wife, who is uptight and might be angry that I brought the ants into the house.

I dreamt I was in this strange house, and part of it wasn’t finished. There were beams and open walls.

There were rats running around. I was thinking of ways we could get rid of the rats. I thought we could put poison out, or tell the apartment management to take care of the problem. I wanted to get away from the rats, so I started walking around the house. I found a door, and when I opened it there was another door behind it. Then I entered a room that was decorated with fancy furniture and had large windows. It was very large and had an open floor plan. There was a living room with a piano, and this room opened up to other bedrooms. I looked around for rats and didn’t see any sign of them. I went to lock the door to the other part of the house, but I couldn’t lock it.

I didn’t want anyone else to come in, so I pushed a dresser in front of the door.

Sincerely, Aggravated

Dear Aggravated, You have some good knowledge that you are sharing with a part of yourself (represented by your friend), however, you are unable to enjoy the knowledge due to some pesky habits (the fire ants). This habit is even interfering with a newly developing part of yourself (your daughter).

You fear how this habit will also affect a part of yourself that is uptight (your friend’s wife) and would not appreciate this habitual thinking.

Sincerely, Locked away Dear Locked Away, You are exploring a part of your mind that is new to you. This area of your thinking is still developing, and there are some habits that are bothering you (rats). You think of different ways to get rid of these habits (rat poison), and eventually, decide to think differently (going through the door). This new way of thinking is vast and expansive. This way of thinking shows you have self-respect and value. There is also the opportunity to create harmony (piano) when you think this way. You don’t want negative thinking to upset you, so you use an organized way of thinking to prevent this from happening (putting the dresser in front of the door.)

Kathryn and Patrick Andries are the dream experts. They are the authors of the recently released book from Ozark Mountain Publishing, Naked in Public: Dream Symbols Revealed, and The Dream Doctor. If you would like a dream interpreted, please send it in the body of an e-mail to: intuitiveschool@sbcglobal.net. Learn more about their books at www.ozarkmt.com. myauthenticlifemagazine.com 55

THE BENEVOLENT MOMENTUM OF LIFE

by Elaine M. Grohman

56 | MY Magazine

H

ave you ever stopped to consider all of the things that are working in Life? Or have you chosen to see only what you imagine is lacking or seemingly broken? There is an unseen Power that has everything under control. It is dependable. It is workable.

It is amazing. And - it is benevolent.

Benevolence, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means a “disposition to do good.” Life is benevolent, whether you know it or not.

What would happen in our world if we, as conscious Human Beings, also chose to be benevolent? Would we learn how to forgive? Would we move away from war and towards respectful resolution? Would we finally be able to solve real problems, instead of repeating old ones?

Since you and I are intricately a part of Life, perhaps it is time to know that we can participate in Life in a whole new way.

Consciously. Intentionally.

Immediately. Benevolently.

Gladly.

There are countless silent actions, interactions, and reactions that keep Life moving forward, constantly repeating benevolent processes in order to keep Life in working order. Without the need for Human attention, there are universes deep within us, removed from our conscious thoughts, deep in the quantum spaces that comprise our own atomic structures. There is an invisible realm of oxygenation,

exchanged seamlessly with the release of carbon dioxide, working flawlessly as we inhale and exhale. Then there is the invisible life of nutrients within the foods that we eat - the minerals and water extracted as we chew and digest that maintains the Life we so often ignore or take for granted.

We have cell division that keeps replicating its own perfect design, releasing cells whose job is complete and no longer function optimally. We have an autoimmune system that goes into battle without one single command from us; the command comes from the Intelligent Design that holds our Lives together. We have tissue growth and homeostasis silently working for our benefit in an ongoing exchange of elements, minerals, oxygen, electrical conduction through our nervous system and the capacity to intake and integrate information.

Life is Benevolent – By Design.

Benevolence is built into the System of Life so that Life can continue. So that Life can thrive.

So that Life can evolve to higher states of Being.

Millions upon millions of miracles are happening every single moment within your own Body, but we hardly ever take notice until something goes awry. We might have an ache or a pain, or we might feel run down and stressed.

Often we blame something or someone else for the problems we are experiencing – often forgetting one very important factor. Our own Benevolent

Momentum.

Imagine what would happen within your own Mind, if you chose Benevolent Momentum instead of a harsh thought.

Imagine what would happen within your own Body, if you chose to release any tension stemming from anger or judgment. If you chose the Benevolent Momentum of a different, more wholesome thought, word, or deed.

Imagine if we all stopped for one minute, then one hour and then one day to take only Benevolent Actions, following the lead of Life, so that everything could be workable for everyone.

It is possible. It really is possible.

Life has done it for a millennium.

And it truly can’t think of a good reason why we couldn’t give it a try. We just might find that it is wonderful. We might just find that we feel better.

We might just find that there is happiness around every corner, and kindness around every bend. Beauty is present because it is part of the Design. The Benevolent Momentum of Life is always showing the way. Let’s try harder to follow Life’s lead.

Elaine Grohman is a speaker, author, energy healer and angel reader.

She has a private practice in Farmington, MI. For appointments please contact Lainie Rubio at 248.320.6532 or visit her website at www.elainegrohman.com myauthenticlifemagazine.com 57

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY AND THE 7 MAJOR CHAKRAS

by Judith E. Lipson, M.A., LPC

58 | MY Magazine

M

aslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has always fascinated me. The premise is that you must have your Physiological needs (food, water, breath, sleep), and your safety needs (employment, health, prosperity) met before you have the ability to adequately experience Love/ belonging (friendship, family).

Once these three aspects of the hierarchy have been attained you can reach Esteem (confidence, achievement, respect of and by others, selfesteem), and ultimately Selfactualization (morality, creativity, spontaneity, life’s meaning).

Maslow believes everyone seeks self-actualization though it may not always be achieved.

Chakras The seven major chakras: 1st – the Root chakra is at the base of your torso. It is your connection to your tribe and relates to security, abandonment by the group, and physical survival.

2nd – the Sacral or abdominal chakra relates to your relationships with family and others, and financial security.

3rd – the Solar plexus chakra is just above the navel. This chakra deals with your relationship with yourself: personal power, honoring the self, etc.

4th – the Heart chakra is in the center of your chest. It is your connection to love – for self and others.

5th – the Throat chakra is in the front of your neck and deals with your ability to speak your truth. It also relates to

Educators recognize that basic needs must be met for effective education to take place, and that the brain’s mechanism for protection (the amygdala) decreases learning in a hungry, worried or frightened child.

To approach this problem systemically many districts are now creating trauma-informed schools, which provide a layered approach for safety and healing. (TraumaAwareSchools. org) These trauma-informed schools are appropriate for all socio-economic areas and also support neuro-sensitives who deal with the continuous “little t” traumas of sensory overload.

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 59

will. (Do you yield your power too willingly to others? Do you adequately support your own needs? Do you exert your power too strongly?)

chakras could better explain neuro-sensitives, and that when the chakras are lined up to correspond with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs we see that:

6th – the Third Eye chakra is located between and just above your eyes in the center of your forehead. This chakra is identified as your connection to intuition and introspection.

Self-Actualization = Heart chakra (4th) thru Crown chakra (7th)

7th – the Crown chakra is located at the top of your head and connects you to that which you call the Divine.

If you are interested in learning more about chakras, there are numerous books and websites.

Chakras and Maslow’s Hierarchy As a student of metaphysics I began to see how understanding

60 | MY Magazine

Esteem = Solar Plexus (3rd) Belonging = Sacral (2nd) Physiological & Safety = Root (1st) From a chakra perspective neuro-typicals begin more grounded in their bodies. They seem to more easily inhabit their 1st through 3rd chakras and then develop upwards thru the chakras developing their compassion for others and their intuition. As preschoolers they are often seen moving about their environment with ease.

They live in their bodies. As teens or adults they seek to

experience being out-of-body, often through meditation, as they long for the Oneness that they can feel while in that state.

Neuro-sensitives seem to live primarily from the upper chakras.

Their relationship with others is empathic (4th) and often telepathic (6th). They are more able to experience and live in Oneness (7th). They are less likely to see the separateness that many neuro-typicals see in the ‘other’.

As a result neuro-sensitives rarely sit in judgment of another. In fact, this honesty (5th) often gets them in trouble with others. They see a trait, and they speak it, without judgment. (“Mommy, that man is fat”, is not a judgment. It is a statement of observation.) This creates difficulties in effectively connecting with others (2nd).

They also have a more complex association with their body (1st) since it often has soft muscle tone,

depth-perception challenges, and a clear recognition of others’ energy patterns and emotions without realizing that they are not their own.

A succinct chakra description of a neuro-sensitive’s experience is that they have dense, uncomfortable lower chakras because: •

The Root is not grounded

•

The Sacral doesn’t distinguish self from others; they absorb others’ energies; they are often a mirror of others; they attempt to regulate others’ emotions; and have poor energy boundaries

•

•

The Solar Plexus can’t digest life issues (gut), and may have a weak sense of personal identity This results in an amazing sense of love (Heart), and connectedness to all of

humanity (Heart, Third Eye and Crown), but less connection to the physical body and a decreased access to being grounded.

For me it begs the metaphysical question: Are there a larger number of neuro-sensitives who tend toward oneness, compassion, empathy, and energy awareness, to off-set the vast numbers of individuals who still see the world in terms of separateness (me vs. other).

And is it any wonder that neurosensitives struggle to adapt to our educational, communication and employment systems?

•

Though there are meltdowns, anger, frustration, anxiety and discomfort, the body is not the enemy

•

Minimize sensory input and overload

•

Teach them how they are separate from others

•

Allow processing and response time

•

Appropriate nutrition (they may not digest and metabolize everything)

•

Teach grounding, relaxation and energy modulation

•

Learning strategies

•

Social skills

•

Explicit instruction

Focus on neuro-sensitives’ inherent gifts instead of on their challenges. Find ways to minimize their difficulties to ease their experiences. Reframe their world so that they too can experience the incredible gifts that they bring.

•

Understand and accept them

Judy Lipson Lipson is is aa licensed, licensed, Judy professional counselor professional counselor and educational educational strategist strategist and in West Bloomfield, MI. in West Bloomfield, MI. She helps clients of all She helps clients of all ages who who have have learning learning ages difficulties, work or school school difficulties, work or related anxiety, ADHD, Asperger’s related anxiety, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome or or Autism Autism Spectrum Spectrum Disorders.

Disorders.

Syndrome Contact Judy at 248.568.8665 and Contact Judy at 248.568.8665 and judylipson@spiralwisdom.net, and and visit visit judylipson@spiralwisdom.net, SpiralWisdom.net for more information.

SpiralWisdom.net for more information.

•

Help them better integrate with their physical body (i.e.

Sensory motor integration)

This article article is is for for informational informational This purposes and is not meant to to purposes and is not meant replace medical medical care. care. replace

You can help them to have an easier time:

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 61

YOU ARE DESERVING OF

Living a Life of Joy

by Janette Stuart

62 | MY Magazine

O

ften, we can feel like we don’t deserve the things we desire.

We have come to believe that we should take care of everyone and everything else before ourselves. Are you tired of treating yourself like an afterthought, precious one? The truth is that you are deserving of living a life of joy. You are worthy and deserving of so much goodness and grace. You are worthy of your heart’s desires.

You are deserving.

You are a precious gift of the Divine.

You are a beloved child of God. You are worthy.

Joy is your birthright.

How does it happen that we feel unworthy or that we don’t deserve to live a life of joy? It can stem from our well-meaning caregivers, teachers or the media who taught us not to ask for too much, to let others go before us, to wait our turn until everyone else has been served, to not to

get our hopes up, to not get too big for our britches. You may have heard or experienced many of these limiting beliefs and perhaps some even more painful ones. You may have thought that only other people are capable or deserving of living a life of joy. You may have felt you are broken, or that something is wrong with you which prohibits you from being deserving of living a life of joy.

We could have heard or felt that we are not good enough

myauthenticlifemagazine.com 63

your truth that, indeed, you are deserving to live a life of joy.

to deserve to live a life of joy.

We can carry those harsh words and feelings with us for years, decades or our entire life and assume they are the truth.

They are not the truth. They are not OUR truth. They could have been words spoken out of anger, out of fear, out of jealously, out of addiction; they are not spoken from love.

Take a deep breath and ask for Divine guidance to open your heart to see how deserving you truly are and that you are enough. Release those harsh words or feelings you have carried for far too long, those thoughts that do nothing but hurt you, those thoughts that only hinder you from living a life of joy. Let those negative words or feelings go. Step forward into

The truth is, dear one, that you are a masterpiece; a unique and wonderful creation. Your likes and talents are part of your Godgiven gifts. Follow the joy of the things in life which make you “light up” and make you want to “dance with joy.” Those are the things you should focus on. Those are the things you should say a wholehearted YES to. Those are the things that make you feel worthy and make you feel deserving of living a life of joy.

Those are the things that make you feel like you are enough. The beautiful truth is you are enough, and you are worthy. You are enough, worthy and deserving of living a life of joy.

My friend, Becky, Whispers from a Wise-Hearted Woman, and I held our first live event focusing on joy last month. It was an afternoon retreat called “Your Path of Joy” held in Castro Valley, CA. It was our vision that our attendees would experience an afternoon of loving connection, gentle movement, creativity, meditation, prizes and giveaways and be able

to define their personal meaning of joy, and cultivate and focus on joy daily.

After experiencing the “Your Path of Joy” retreat, our attendees left with tools, tips, and techniques to increase their level of joy daily. Visit us at http://www. angel-angles.com/events-yourpath-of-joy-womens-retreat/ for more information. We have other venues in mind for future events and presentations to bring more love, joy, and peace into this world which is desperately in need of it.

I trust (trust is my focus word of the year for 2018) that this article has given you loving encouragement that you are deserving of living a life of joy.

And so it is.

Each month my Facebook Page, Angel Angles with Janette Stuart, focuses on a word of the month and for March our focus was on joy.

Our focus word this month is favor. Favor ties in with deservedness and joy so nicely; such perfect timing. Come visit us at www.facebook.com/ AngelAngles11 for daily inspirations of love, joy, and peace.

I’m Janette Stuart, Founder of Angel Angles which is my labor of love. I have wanted to express my soul’s work in a more visible way and am now devoting more time to Angel Angles since my retirement in 2015. Angel Angles exists to spread more love, joy and peace into the world. I have always loved to write, I write every day. I write longhand in several different journals as well as type electronically. I have always loved handwriting, the sending of cards and notes, the keeping of a journal or diary. My first book, “On a Path of Joy” will be available in September. I am thrilled. My hope is that the book will help the reader develop or enhance their relationship with their Creator.

I am a grateful member of and core blogger for The Wellness Universe. The Wellness Universe is an evolutionary community of members who are positively impacting the world in one or more of the 7 areas of wellness. As a lifelong empath, I have experienced people’s feelings deeply. I have a deep compassion for my fellow man and love deeply. I choose to live a joy filled life each day and hope to help others do the same. Joy is my focus word for 2016. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband of 33 years, Mark, and our rescue boxer dog, Spike. We have a grown son, Max, who is happily serving in the Coast Guard. I am a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor as well as an angelic practitioner.

Besides writing, I am a lifelong learner, who reads daily, I also enjoy walking in nature, sky watching, cooking, RVing along the California Coast and visiting with friends and family. Some of my most requested recipes are Asian Chicken Salad and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

64 | MY Magazine

Life is an adventure, it’s not a package tour Eckhart Tolle

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Healthy Living

LATE EATING COULD BE KEEPING YOU FAT AND TIRED

by Liz Bull

W

hat is YOUR main meal? If you are like most Americans, it’s dinner. And you usually have it after 6 PM, right?

Well, it wasn’t always like that. For centuries, “dinner” 68 | MY Magazine

( the heavier main meal) was eaten mid-day...between 11 and 3. After 6 PM, we ate “supper”... from the French word “souper.” If you guessed that the later meal was soup, you’d be right!

For a very long time, this was a GREAT system! Why? Because it worked better with our bodies’ natural rhythms.

Ayurvedic tradition with its six cycles explains this very well.

similar rhythm. There are certain times of day when the body has more digestive fire; at other times it doesn’t. Eating a large meal late goes against your body’s natural rhythm! This can lead to weight gain...or difficulty losing weight. Late eating could be keeping you fat.

Here’s how it works: Between 6-10 pm is ruled by Kapha (earth and water). In this cycle, things are heavy and sluggish in your body. If you eat a big meal like steak and potatoes, or even a salad with nuts, raisins, and six other ingredients, your body is going to have a difficult time digesting. If you eat late on top of it, say at 7:30 or 8, your body will still be digesting that meal when bedtime rolls around.

What happens next?

Because your body is still digesting, it won’t be ready to sleep. You will either go to bed and have trouble falling asleep or you’ll go to bed later than you should.

It’s likely you won’t sleep as deeply. Next, because you went to bed too late, you’ll be tired the next morning.

To summarize: Our body functions in a natural rhythm much like the sun. In the morning the sun rises. At midday, it has reached its peak and is hottest. After that, it starts waning. Your body has a

If you hit the snooze button a few times, you’ll sleep past Vata time (before sunrise). Bad idea.

Getting up at Vata time (2-6 AM) would make you feel connected, alive and vibrant. Instead, you’ll get up at Kapha time (6- 10 AM) which will make you feel heavy, foggy and cloudy in your brain.

Sound familiar?

Next, because you feel groggy, you’ll want a boost of energy... like Starbucks! And because you got up later than you wanted to, you didn’t have enough time to do your morning routine, you’ll feel a bit disoriented. The truth is, you’ll be out of sync! The whole rest of your day will be off AND you won’t have as much energy. Now you’ll have two choices: reach for more coffee or sugar in the afternoon, or drag yourself through the day.

Finally, the workday will be over and you’ll get home. The bad news is that you’ll be wound up and exhausted at the same time. So you’ll reach for beer or wine to help you relax…..

Sound familiar?

Heavy, late dinners will also lead to sugar addiction, coffee cravings, brain fog, morning stiffness, emotional upset, lack of energy, etc.

What if it could be different?? If your body were in sync? What if you turned back the clock and ate SUPPER? Say you ate supper at 5 pm or 6 pm. A nice supper could be a creamy carrot ginger soup with a slice of bread and a small side salad.

That soup will be digested by 8 pm at the latest. Your body will feel light and comfortable. You will feel naturally tired earlier.

You go to bed at a reasonable time, say around 9 or 10 pm.

You get valuable hours of sleep in before midnight. Your sleep is likely to be deeper. myauthenticlifemagazine.com 69

What happens next: Because you went to bed earlier and you slept deeper, you will naturally wake up earlier. This gives you ample time to do your morning routine and get ready for your day. Getting up before sunrise will make you feel more plugged in, alive and vibrant (remember it’s Vata time).

You might LIKE your coffee or tea or whatever, but you won’t need it. You’ll get hungry for breakfast and lunch (dinner!) earlier. Pitta rules the period between 10 and 2. Note that around noon, the body has an immense amount of digestive power. It can handle large amounts of food, so take the time to tuck in and have a nice, civilized meal...as they do in other countries.

The dinner will give you energy 70 | MY Magazine

for the remainder of the day.

Forget the 3 pm slump! Overall your body will feel lighter. Your digestion will improve and you’ll have more energy. And all that from simply eating supper... a.k.a. an earlier, lighter dinner.

www.lizbull.com. We will talk about what’s up with your health today, how else you’d like it to be and how you can bridge the gap. You got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

And what could be easier than soup? Get out that crockpot in the morning. Arrive home to the delicious aroma of a nutritious soup. A simple mixed green salad completes the meal... drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice on top. Done!

With her innovative signature program she works with her clients to release their limiting beliefs, doubts, and fears, and helps them tap into their natural abilities and their bodies’ wisdom, making weight loss easy and safe.

Now you know you need to eat earlier, lighter dinners … the question is: Are you going to do it? All kinds of things may get in the way.... old habits, doubts, fears, scheduling? Ready to stop dieting but can’t quite do it on your own? You are not a failure.

We all need support. Set up a FREE Diet Freedom session at

A Medical Intuitive, Master Theta Healer and Certified Virtual Gastric Band Practitioner , Liz has long been fascinated by the important role mind, body, and beliefs play in our lives. Her other studies and certifications include EFT, Psych-K, Matrix Energetics, Access Consciousness, QiGong, NLP and Transcendental Meditation. She has transferred her successful healing/mind-set work with businesswomen to the arena of weight loss because she has experienced firsthand the havoc and misery that obesity creates not only for the sufferer but for their families. www.lizbull.com

BE UNSTOPPABLE & CHANGE THE WORLD

Have Maria Rea, The Publisher Of MY Authentic Life & CEO of MY Media & Publishing Group Speak At Your Next Event TOPICS SUCH AS: • The Power Of Living Your Courageous Life • Empowering Women To Let Go Of Self-Doubt & Fear • Living In An Ego Driven World

Contact Maria at maria.mymediagroup@gmail.com

From Roots

TO GREENS

by Annabel Cohen

72 | MY Magazine

S

pring, to me, means food from the earth.

And with Earth Day, observed annually April 22, falling on a Sunday this year, why not celebrate with a dinner featuring lots of spring vegetables.

In April, I transition from “roots,” as we ate all winter long, to greens; and lots of them. And light food – fish – in a wine tomato sauce that’s as clean and light as the long daylight hours we’re relishing. A quick salad and pasta pesto made with kale instead of basil. Since pesto can be made from just about anything, why not kale (the basil pesto we often think of is Pesto Genovese

and is always made with basil)? Kale (or arugula if you desire) is a surprise ingredient that’s ideal, pureed with garlic and Parmesan and finished with mild leeks and a bit of cream.

Add some crunchy, chewy bread and you’ve got all those great textures – soft, creamy, tender and crisp. Truly wholesome eating that’s always satisfying.

Of course, I always choose something sweet at the end of every meal just to let me know that dinner is over. Ice cream or sorbet is perfect. Pick your favorite. And drizzle something chocolate over.

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Asparagus Sesame Stir Fry

If thick asparagus is all you find in the markets, you may need about 3 pounds.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup slivered or thin sliced red or Bermuda onions 1 tsp. minced garlic

2 pounds thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-inch lengths 1 Tbsp. minced ginger 1 Tbsp. white wine

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

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Heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir-fry 1 minute. Add asparagus and ginger and stir-fry crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add wine and sesame seeds and cook for 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

Spring Salad with Mint and Olives Salad:

10 cups fresh baby greens (add fresh dandelion if you can find it) 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

½ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

1 cup frozen peas, thawed (or fresh peas, steamed Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss well.

Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6 servings.

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Paparadelle with Creamy Kale Almond Pesto, Bacon and Leeks To clean the leeks, trim the white-root bottoms and cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse with cold water and slice thin.

Pesto:

3 cups (packed) kale leaves (do not use tough stems) 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus shaved Parmesan for garnish 1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted Âź cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. fine sea salt Pasta:

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups thinly sliced leeks white and pale green parts 12 ounces dry (uncooked) pappardelle Âź cup half-and-half

1 cup chopped, cooked, thick cut bacon Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced leeks and saute for 3-minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, cover the skillet and allow the leeks to cook for 5 minutes more. Set aside.

Combine the pesto ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

Fill a large pot with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta until just al dente, firm to bite, stirring occasionally, according to package directions. Do not overcook.

Drain pasta (do not rinse), reserving 1 cup of hot cooking liquid in the pot. Transfer the pasta back into the pot with water, add the leeks, half-andhalf, bacon and about half the pesto. Stir and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add more salt and pepper to taste and more pesto, if needed, to taste. Serve hot with shaved Parmesan cheese, on the side. Makes 6 servings.

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Cod with Garlic Butter, Wine and Fresh Tomatoes 2 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces 1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 cups halved grape tomatoes

6 boneless and skinless Pacific cod fillets (about 2 pounds) 1 Tbsp. olive oil (not extra—virgin)

Flaked sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Add Tomatoes and cook for 3-minutes more.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the cod and cook until a “crust” form on the bottom and the fish lifts easily with a turner. Turn over and cook for 2 minutes more on the other side.

Serve the fish hot, with the sauce, spooned over and parsley sprinkled over. Makes 6 servings.

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Spring Roasted Potatoes

You may also use a fresh orange instead of lemon to give the potatoes a fresh flavor.

3 pounds small redskin or new potatoes, halved or quartered if large 3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, optional 1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup minced fresh dill or 1 Tbsp. dried

1 lemon, cut into wedges, garnish Preheat an oven to 425°F. Combine all ingredients, except lemon, together in a large bowl or disposable roasting pan. Toss well with a large spoon or your hands. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer (as much as possible).

Roast the potatoes, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Use a spatula to turn them over, and roast another 30 minutes or more until tender.

Makes 8-12 servings.

Annabel is a foodie. She’s a writer. A cooking instructor. An explorer. She’s a aesthete. She knows how to cook. Until fairly recently, Annabel only cooked for people she knows. Her catering, articles, blogs and ANNABEL COHEN COOKS DETROIT Facebook page have earned not just kudos, but awards as well.

She was chosen as a Crain’s Detroit Business Magazine “Most Passionate Cooks” and has been profiled in: The Paper, HOUR Detroit, The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, The Big Idea, Oakland Press, Royal Oak Tribune, The Detroit Jewish News, Style Magazine, “LIVE in the D,” among others. She won “Best Caterer” in 2015 in The Detroit Jewish News, and in 2014 in HOUR Detroit 78 | MY Magazine

magazine. She was voted “Best Brazilian Food” by Detroit Monthly magazine. Among countless television and radio appearances, Annabel was the deciding judge on the Travel Channel’s “Food Wars” for a Detroit episode pitting rivals Lafayette Coney Island against American Coney Island.

Annabel is an author. She co-authored “Eating for Acid Reflux” in 2003 and in 2013 created all the recipes for 2014’s “Fast Diets for Dummies.” As a stylist, Annabel has assisted in countless photo shoots and tested and styled recipes for ads, articles and even a few books she didn’t write.

She’s also a cooking instructor and writer/columnist with articles that focus on her favorite things — food, travel and lifestyle.

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