Volume 3 • Issue 12
December 2014
The Thing About The Feeback Sandwich Is There A Negative To Positve Thinking? INSIDE LA Fashion Week
Be A Walking Success
about Hat Trick (noun): 1. A sports metaphor for three achievements by a single player in a game. 2. A magic trick. We happily accept both definitions. Hat Trick Magazine is a special project targeted at sharing spiritual and professional growth with likeminded people from around the world. We share strategies that truly will change your life, business and career (with a little help from some pro friends). We’ve all been there: under/un/employed, in a bad situation, in transition, wondering what the options are and not knowing the skills we would need to get us there. We won’t lie to you. Coming out the other side isn’t easy, but we can show you what we learned along to way and help you get the confidence to turn that leaf over and pursue that which is your destiny. Knowledge is power. Not everyone fancies themselves to be an entrepreneur but the truth is, even when seeking employment these days, pulling together your resume requires some sly articulation to showcase your skills, be keywordoptimized and with a strong, personable presentation to get noticed. We feature inspirational people who have great careers, amazing businesses, tips and a host of amazing stories will inspire and amaze you. Our editors and contributors are some of the most connected in their industries and specialisms. Hat Trick Your Life! Take control of your lifestyle, your career, your dreams and your journey. We’ll share what we know and we invite you to join us. If you or your business would like to be featured or simply would like to contribute a feature in an upcoming issue, please email us on content@hattrickmagazine.com
Hat Trick Strategies cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited coverage made by our contributors including reviews, articles, manuscripts or photographs of products, services. While every care is taken, prices, details or availability of items are subject to change and we cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit letters or correspondence received via email, social media or other communication. All advice is given in general terms or as a matter of opinion, for entertainment purposes only, and may not be exhaustive nor suitable for all situations. Always seek specialized professional advice, specifically suited to you or your business needs. Absolutely no part of this magazine should be taken as medical, professional or other advice - always seek the advice of a qualified practitioner. © Hat Trick Strategies, 2013 All Rights Reserved
Make Somet hing Magic al Happe n TM
Published by
Hat Trick Strategies
TM
Unit 4 Vista Place, Coy Pond Ingworth Road, Poole BH12 1JY, United Kingdom Registered in England and Wales Number 07819796 UK: +44 1383 279 879 US: +1 501 588 2248 clientcare@hattrickstrategies.com
Editorial Team
Michelle Fitz Editor-In-Chief, Page Design
Michael Hartley Associate Design Editor
Michelle is originally from Arkansas and the head of Hat Trick Strategies, a UK firm for Emerging Technologies, Business Change and Corporate Strategy. Her firm has served US and UK household names, government departments and a portfolio of business coaching clients, based globally. Michelle produces all page layout, custom graphics and ad designs for this publication. She holds professional qualifications in LEAN Six Sigma, PMI PMP, is a Practitioner in both PRINCE2 and MSP and is a leader in digital synergies linking content, the customer journey, social media and customer care words/SEO.
Michael is a British entrepreneur based in Manchester, England and is an expert in graphic design, digital artistry, branding and design management. He is a trained violinist, and brings a tremendous breath of creativity to projects. His firm, Michael Thomas Designs, are experts in brand research for target demographics, image and the production of a consistent brand identity for mid-sized companies. Michael understands how to get at the heart of a firm’s offerings and customer base and works closely with select web designers to implement a consistent look and feel across digital, print and online platforms.
Eleni Sofroniou Illustrator
Andrea Sullenger Business & Tech Editor
Eleni is an illustrator based in London and owns Fall Into London.
Andrea is a mix of “kick butt” sales/marketing coach and inspirational possible-i-tarian. She has been working with solo-entrepreneurs for the past 16 years, helping them build their own thriving transactional businesses all while creating streamlined and successful digital products to maximize and leverage their income streams.
She produces the majority of the illustrations which appear in Hat Trick Magazine (which compliment and give our magazine its distinctive look and feel). She has previously created pieces for ELLE Magazine, Essex Style Magazine, and The Female Entrepreneur Association. As well as creating personalised illustrations, Eleni’s illustrations can be purchased from her website.
Andrea shares many of her strategies via Hat Trick Magazine, but to get the latest, subscribe to her list.
Editorial Team
Sandra Cunningham Career & Learning Editor
Shalanda Turner Style Editor
Sandra contributes to the Careers column for the Financial Times and is the owner of Outside In Coaching and Communications, where she helps mid-career women make a successful transition from a soul-sucking, dead-end job to a meaningful and fulfilling career, while creating a lifestyle they can afford and enjoy. Sandra truly believes it’s possible to be wildly successful doing work you love whilst having the work/life balance most people can only dream of. Visit her website for free articles, resources and to sign up for your free e-booklet “21 Pointers to Sharpen Your Career Edge.”
Shasie has a B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering and works as a Project Engineer for a Specialty Chemicals company in Houston, Texas.When Shasie is not at work, she moonlights in the Fashion Industry. She is the creative voice behind the top Fashion Blog; Live Life in Style, Founder of Houston Fashion Bloggers, Style Editor for online media site FashionMingle.net, Fashion Brand Ambassador for Monarch Magazine, Owner of Shop Shasie’s Closet and Houston Fashion Examiner for Examiner.com.
Charlene SanJenko Wellness & Learning Editor
Rachael Pontillo Beauty Editor
Charlene SanJenko is a serial entrepreneur with a successful lifestyle and fitness practice serving Canada. She is an accomplished figure competitor and has served her community in local government.
Rachael Pontillo is the creator of Holistically Haute™, and is the bestselling author of Love Your Skin, Love Yourself, and The Sauce Code. She’s also an award-winning AADP-certified holistic health and image coach, licensed aesthetician, natural skincare formulator and educator, and has just launched the new online course, Create Your Skincare™: a comprehensive 6-week online course where students learn to design their own custom products for luminous skin using all-natural and organic ingredients.
As a social entrepreneur, she believes there is an intrinsic link between physical and emotional fitness, leadership and excellence. She is a thought leader whose emphasis is in helping transform ordinary ladies into “HIP”, High Impact Performance women www.powHERhouse.com
Editorial Team
Tanya Jackson Food, Home & Family Editor
Karen Salmansohn Faith & Self Help Editor
Tanya is the author of our popular Southern recipe column and the editor for our Food & Home section. She is married to a pastor, her high school sweetheart, and is a proud Southern mother and grandmother. Tanya has lived all over the US, but wherever she has lived, she has brought her love and curiosity for local foods and flavors. Tanya believes the best aspect of having cooked in the four corners of the US, was learning to cook what grows around us; because it is our families that make a difference in our lives and sharing our love and enjoyment of good food together goes hand-in-hand.
Karen is an ex-Senior VP, award winning ad writer/creative director (at age 27) who left her successful advertising career (having worked as a writer/creative director/ image consultant for numerous household names), to pursue her passion of writing. She owns notsalmon.com, is an Oprah columnist and a best selling author and book packager with over 1 million books sold. Some titles: How to Be Happy Dammit; Enough Dammit; The Bounce Back Book; and many more. Journalists call Salmansohn “Deepak Chopra Meets Carrie Bradshaw�, merging empowering psychology/ philosophy tips with edgy humor and stylish graphics.
Contributers
Lorraine Hill Head of Global Planning
Michelle Holmes Business Contributor
Sorelle Amore Style Contributor
Mina Muirhead Health Editor, Lifestyle
Gina Hussar Lifestyle Contributor
Manuela Wahnon Lifestyle Contributor
Mellissa Mallaya Lifestyle Contributor
Dara Avenius Career & Learning
Suzanne Perry Faith & Self Help (Victim Support)
Katie Clifton Faith & Self Help (Christian)
Cherie DeBurger Home Contributor (Life & Family)
Sukh Pabial Career & Learning
Marina Berberyan Style Contributor
Lisa Wynter Style Contributor
Joey Phelps Cartoonist
Amber Hamilton Henson Associate Home Editor
Ann Pissard Graphic Artist
Michael Phelps Cartoonist
Kate Spencer Lifestyle & Wellness
Nathalie de Ahna Lifestyle & Wellness
Katie Geddes Business Contributor
18 From the Editor
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Business & Tech Tips
30
Boost Your Business With...
30
Are You a Spiritual Entrepreneur
Career & Learning
This Thing About the Feedback Sandwich
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44 44
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Cover Story
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Style & Beauty Shasie’s Picks
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5 Ways Herbs Can Save Your Skin
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Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist: LA Fashion Week Double Feature
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Faith & Self Help 48
Karen Salmansohn
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Christian Columnist: Confession & Mission
60
A Negative Side to Positive Thinking
Lil Nipper Snapper Cartoon
Lifestyle & Wellness
96
Sandy Kay: Creating a Magical Life One Magical Moment at a Time
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Make Positive Change Last
112
Acceptance
120
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Food, Home & Family
128
Xmas Banana Pudding
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Christmas Around the World
We love hearing from you… content@hattrickmagazine.com
Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com •
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From the Editor
Physical Activity
& Success
This month’s feature story is all about the benefits of working with a walking coach and how one such coach, in particular, has had a surge of clientele specifically seeking a better business and life through physical activity. First off, let me clarify that whilst engaged on a client project or programme, I am your typical business traveller i.e. over a period of many years, taxis, restaurant meals and dreaded
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fast food have been a creature comfort born of convenience and bred on a perceived lack of energy, time and willpower on my part. In the past, whenever I would find myself between client projects, I would slip into a routine of late night films, American time zones and hermit-cabin-fever mayhem. Recently, I decided to change that and incorporate physical activity into my daily routine, despite the groans and time-poor excuses. I would like to share with you what I have learned as well as some of the benefits I have experienced: 1. Rising earlier and forcing yourself out of bed is only difficult for the first week. After the third week, I found my body actually craved this part of my day and the benefit of getting out on the pavement in them morning was an increase in energy – even though I felt I had none on rising. 2. I had to change my mindset. You see, exercise was something I needed to do and often simply didn’t bother with purely because it was another task on my already exhaustive schedule. My mindset change was purely down to seeing the time I would spend walking, on pavement or in the beautiful Scottish countryside, as my time to relax. 3. Expanding on point two, I learned to be “in the now”. Sometimes, I would allow myself to use the time to work through thoughts, concepts and frustrations, but, over time, I found that by giving up the need to control and perfect, I was able to benefit from a deeper transformation in my stress levels. I noticed things around me, from brooks Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •
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and streams, birds and trails, enjoyed the sun and rain, and generally found myself feeling more alive and in the moment. 4. I taught myself small lessons, which clarified my understanding for what I was capable of achieving – in all aspects of my life. Possibly, you have snickered at this one but it is very true! It started with getting up earlier and moved into taking the stairs but then quickly realising that, actually, my knees need the stairs every day. I realised that I felt and was, indeed, a strong person physically – something that could be developed and improved. I also realised that I had undersold myself on a few other aspects which were completely unrelated to my physical achievements – things that used to intimidate me such as passing the UK Driving Test, rising to bigger challenges in my career and mastering new skills in my domain. 5. I began to accept that I am capable and deserving of “more” and worked through a mindset of “lack”. A long time ago, an adult in my life told me I was worthless. Despite my best effort to overcome this and numerous other adults in my life who built me up, praised me and acknowledged my achievements and aspirations, I inherited a mindset of “lack”. I was living my life at 23 as though I was “past it” and in my 30s, began to carry a presence of lament rather than joyful hope for the future. It’s funny how something as silly as achieving physical milestones will help you see how many other areas of your life previously thought to be set in motion and defined as “your lot” are up for redefinition. I don’t want to go all Madonna on you, but I realised that I can change everything I wish to change and deserve the changes I choose to pursue. 16 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
6. I met others who were assets to my network and to my personal life. Successful people quite simply accept that physical activity is a part of living well. Moreover, it is an essential component to ensure that you “work to live” instead of the default “live to work”. When I “lived to work”, I was left to toil relentlessly alone as I navigated various creative, career, skills and networking concepts. When you work as a team or simply bond through physical activity with people on your level as well as from other walks of life/ industries, you quickly gain access to a knowledge base with rapport that Google cannot match. I found I was able to give and get feedback, get invitations to social events, leverage my local connections (often previously untapped) and work through personal and professional challenges, goals and obstacles. I also made some excellent friends and amazing allies.
So, if you are stuck, whether it is writer’s block, life rut, or simply unhappy with your “lot”, I recommend that you consider expanding your mind and horizons. All simply by taking a walk.
By MICHELLE FITZ, Editor-In-Chief
Michelle Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •
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Cover Story
Burnt out, fed up and ready to bail out? Perhaps it’s Time to
Take a Walk! With Sandra Cunningham 18 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Amazing things happen to us when we walk. It’s possibly the most natural action that we can take: it’s what we started out doing in our early days on this planet and, now, it’s what our bodies, minds, and hearts are telling us to do once again. Why? Because we in the western business world are suffering. One of the major costs of today’s fast-paced, hi-tech existence, is that our smart, talented, ‘have-it-all’ generation has become more disconnected and lost than ever before. Our priorities have become distorted and confused. The rewards of outward success are often short-lived or meaningless – even damaging.
High achievers in career terms, yet unfulfilled in ‘whole-life’ terms. A growing number of us are waking up to the risks and costs of continuing in this way - at personal, organisational, societal and global levels. 20 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
But if we want to create a different world around us – within our families, our communities, our organisations, our society - then it starts with us, as individuals. Every one of us has the capacity to realise their full potential and to lead creative, healthy, whole and purposeful lives. When we are able to do this, we bring our full range of gifts, our unique talents and our greatest capacities to the rest of the world, and in order to become more receptive, more open and to fully appreciate our immense capacities, we need to get off our bums and go outside! Since 2009, our coaching and development experts at Walking Coach, have been encouraging their clients, many of them business executives, to get up from behind their computers and take their coaching into the open air. We believe that walking in the outdoors and consciously connecting with nature, awakens potential in a most
Everyone can benefit from walking, whatever your age, size or shape and whatever phase or stage of your life. Take a Walk With Sandra Cunningham •
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powerful and empowering way. It lets us touch into the fullness of who we are, and bring greater meaning and satisfaction to our everyday lives. Walking is widely reported to be the simplest, most accessible and most effective form of exercise for all. Everyone can benefit from walking, whatever your age, size or shape and whatever phase or stage of your life. A good 30 minute walk at a moderate pace of 3 miles an hour can relieve a 12 stone man of nearly 200 calories. It’s not only free; it fits easily into most people’s day. However losing weight and getting fit are not the only reasons for taking a walk. As champion walking athlete, Mark Fenton states in The Complete Guide to Walking,
“Burn calories and build muscle all you want, but remember that your brain and soul may be the pieces of your anatomy that benefit most from walking” Here are some compelling reasons why: Take a Walk With Sandra Cunningham •
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Boost Your Brainpower Walking, like all exercise, increases blood flow to your brain. A 1999 research study (and several studies since then) found that walking 45 minutes a day at a pace of 16-minutes a mile improved cognition. Walkers started by walking for 15 minutes and steadily built up their time and speed. Subsequent mental agility tests showed that the same people were sharper at the end of the study than they had been at the outset. Simply walking for its own sake can also increase your creativity. Once you establish a walking rhythm, your body starts to relax letting your mind wander freely. If you are in 24 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
the outdoors being able to observe your surroundings from a different perspective is enough to stimulate imagination and creative thought. A growing number of our clients agree that getting outside and walking does quite literally, “blow away the cobwebs.” Afterwards they feel fresher, energised, more focused and able to see their problems and challenges with far more clarity than if they had tried to stew things over back at their desk.
Walking Back to Happiness So walking can make you smarter, but can it make you any happier? Mind, the mental health charity, campaigns regularly in favour of “eco-therapy”, or “green” exercise. Its research has shown that walking in green spaces can be equally as effective as antidepressants in treating mild to moderate depression. One study indicated Take a Walk With Sandra Cunningham •
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that 71 per cent of sufferers felt their mood lift after a walk through a park or the countryside, while 22 per cent felt their depression worsen after a stroll through an indoor shopping centre. For those of us who don’t suffer from mental health problems, but do sometimes relate to feeling low, listless or less than enthusiastic about life, walking is a mood booster extraordinaire! It provides a fantastic outlet for blowing off steam and, as an aerobic activity it releases those ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins, reducing feelings of tension, anxiety and stress. This also enables us to get a good night’s sleep – and for many of us, that has to be a good thing all round.
Walking or Journeying? Walking is man’s oldest method for getting around and for centuries it has played a central part in the evolution of civilisations all over the world. Ancient cultures and religions developed their teachings from tales of walking in wilderness. 26 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Rites of passage for young men frequently involved taking off on foot for lengthy periods to live in solitude amongst nature, so that they would eventually meet and recognise their true, adult self. And even in our modern, relatively ‘de-sensitised, western culture, it is possible, when we walk, to appreciate a real sense of “connected-ness” between ourselves and our environment. With this more spiritual orientation, we can access our deeper values, we come to know our true selves and we build an appreciation of our place in the world. Walking allows us to perceive nature’s beauty completely differently to what’s possible from a car. Walking slows Take a Walk With Sandra Cunningham •
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The spiritual aspects of walking are not related to any specific religion or belief system. Put simply, walking can give us precious time to contemplate. down time, especially if we take our time. And, if we want, we can even experience meditative walking. Walking that brings delight every time we are attracted by a shrub, a tree, a flower, a bird, an animal. The spiritual aspects of walking are not related to any specific religion or belief system. Put simply, walking can give us precious time to contemplate. Just ‘being’ in the outdoors, away from the busy-ness of the day to day, allows up to experience the sheer joy and stimulation of being alive, enhanced even further by the vibrancy and elation that comes from being physically fit and well. I truly believe there is no therapy on earth that can take the place of walking in nature and bring us back to balance. Perhaps it’s time for us all to take a walk.
By Sandra Cunningham, Walking Coach 28 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
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Business & Tech Tips
Boost
Your Business With a Pipeline Packed Full of Referrals
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Andrea Sullenger 30 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Want more referrals but not totally sure how to go about getting them? What would having strong referrals do for your business? Do you know how to get them? Let me share with you a referral blueprint that will keep the pipeline full of fresh, strong and eager referrals coming into your business every single day. First however, let me share with you the top two fatal mistakes entrepreneurs make when seeking referrals.
1
They think if they do great that work referrals will just automatically happen.
2
Asking for the referral at the end of the conversation.
This is a myth. While it’s true that some clients may come your way, it is unlikely that you will fill your pipeline by doing just great work. I wish that were enough but it often isn’t. A large portion of those you serve will love your work and be grateful, but it just isn’t in their nature to tell everyone they know about you unless they are asked to do so. So guess what happens…they don’t.
This can signal the death of a referral conversation. Let Boost Your Business With a Pipeline Full of Referrals •
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me explain. If your initial conversation doesn’t end in a “yes” from this new potential client, then you have now set yourself up to go into a referral convo with what feels like a cold shoulder being turned upon you. It is also unlikely that a ‘maybe’ or a ‘no’ potential client will feel generous in sending others your way. So how do you ask for the referral and embed that into your sales conversations without sounding salesy, pushy or making yourself feel icky?
>
One of the simplest things to do is to ask upfront.
I know, if you have never done it, it may feel off or scary, but if you do it right it can really work to your advantage. If you are in a business where you often offer up free consultations, strategy calls or something similar, then giving this a go will be a piece of cake. It will also take two GIGANTIC things for your consultation and result.
1
It will set up this initial consultation as one that will deliver big results. This is a win, win, win. Your new potential client wins because they have great expectations, and yet are open and eager to see what you
32 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
can help them achieve. You win because they are excited and open, and will be more forthcoming with what they need and what their challenges really are. Your referrals win because the testimonial that comes from ‘client A’ to the referral is strong.
2
You set up the convo to have permission to actually ask for the referral at the end.
Let me give you an example of something you could say at the beginning of your free consultation with potential clients; “You might be wondering why I do free consultations/ strategy sessions. I actually do them because it is my way of contributing to as many people as possible. I love meeting fellow entrepreneurs and helping them gain clarity and seeing them have a breakthrough moment. If in today’s session you gain a lot of value from our time together, could I ask you to do me one favor? (They say yes, they always say yes.) Would you be willing to invite three of your entrepreneurial colleagues to a free strategy session with me?”
“Give them all you’ve got and then follow your word and ASK them if they got amazing value...” Boost Your Business With a Pipeline Full of Referrals •
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Now the main things is…do your best work! Give them all you’ve got and then follow your word and ASK them if they got amazing value, and if they already have in mind whom they would like to refer to a free session.
If you implement this into your regular practice you WILL see the pipeline begin to get fuller and fuller, and working from a place of abundance. Knowing that you have loads of potential clients to work with is a freedom feeling like nothing else!
WITH ES M L O H E L MICHEL Click to Watch Online!
34 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Embody Your Sexy Geek Quick Techie Tips to Let Your Sexy Geek Shine
Are You a Spiritual Entrepreneur? FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Katie Geddes 36 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Do you consider yourself a spiritual entrepreneur? Or does the phrase intrigue you? Recently, I was featured on Blog Talk Radio as a Spiritual Business Designer guest expert for promotion surrounding Kathleen O’Keefe-Kavanos’ book “Surviving Cancerland.” Below are key points from our discussion for those of you who may be interested in bringing your own greatness into your dream business and wanting to operate from a place of spiritual integrity. Above: beautiful “Patriot” radio designed by my grandfather, Norman Bel Geddes. Embody Your Sexy Geek •
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What’s a spiritual entrepreneur? You’re heart-centered. You’re authentic. You care about others. You believe that you’re here on this earth for a reason and that reason is not totally selfish or self-focused. You have FAITH. You believe in the unseen world. And like all successful business people, you have a drive to share something with the world and you enjoy figuring things out.
What are some of the most common pitfalls of trying to create a successful spiritually-centered business? Lack of marketing focus on your message, clarifying your message. A clear plan of action. Trying to serve too diverse people, incredibly common. Self-doubt — you have to believe in yourself or how can you expect others to. 38 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
How can you increase the belief that you can make money doing what you love? Community and systems will serve you well. This is a time like never before for you to build a customized business perfectly suited to you. And you can take baby steps. It’s true that you have to have certain things in place or your overall effect won’t be what it could be but there are simple, jumpstart things you can do that will bring you encouraging results fast. And then you can build from there.
Is social media a good venue for spiritual entrepreneurs? OMG, yes. I’m a FB marketing expert and it’s amazing the opportunities that are out there. There are countless special interest groups and entrepreneurs itching to connect with and support like-minded souls. I get almost all my new clients directly or indirectly through Facebook. Plus, social media reaches internationally so there are no regional barriers and this is a huge point for spiritual entrepreneurs with unique messages. The global nature is exhilarating and means you stand a much easier, better chance to find your ideal clients faster.
Do you need a big budget to start the business of your dreams? Embody Your Sexy Geek •
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Absolutely not. I love this saying: Start where you are. Use what you have. Make what you want.
Whatever you’re passionate about can set the world on fire. And that’s way bigger than any budget you could ever have. I heard this years ago on the radio. And I’ve heard variations on it since. I know this to be great advice. It can keep you grounded when you wish you had a big business budget or exposure and you’re not there yet. That expression, “it takes money to make money” is not unfounded but the most important thing you have is your passion. Whatever you’re passionate about can set the world on fire. And that’s way bigger than any budget you could ever have.
Free Gift for You I have a free gift for all of you who want to either start or increase your amazing business. It’s called “Manifestation Gamechanger” and it goes over easy and real ways for you to manifest your heart’s desire. It works because it’s taken from real-life people and examples I know who have used these simple techniques to manifest what they wanted and 40 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
specifically money because as a business designer, I’m all about helping people bring in good money. And there’s plenty for all of us, by the way. Grab your free copy here:
n o i t a t s e f i Man r e g n a h c e Gam Anything else you’d like to share? Yes, I’d like to encourage everyone to listen to your own heart, to know that you are uniquely valuable and that the world really wants what you’re about. And if you have that entrepreneurial streak, you can make a beautiful, thriving business that’s authentically and uniquely you and you can make a fortune sharing it with the world. And if you feel so inclined, I’m here to help you do that. I love helping you share your amazingness.
Lovin Bytes, Katie xx Katie Geddes can be found geeking it up at Embodyart.org, where she’ll show you how to profit from your passion. Katie designs thriving businesses for playful, spiritual entrepreneurs. E-mail Katie at sexygeek@embodyart.org to say hi, ask a question, sing a song or apply for a FREE discovery session that’s worth a friggin’ fortune.
Embodyart.org
Embody Your Sexy Geek •
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Email Lindsay@LindsayMarino.com
Sign up for my free newsletter at WWW.LINDSAYMARINO.COM
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Career & Learning
This Thing About
The Feedback
Sandwich
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Sukh Pabial 44 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
For a while now I’ve been meaning to write something about the feedback sandwich. What is it you ask? It’s that cowardly act of not having a difficult conversation. Sorry. That didn’t explain it at all. It’s that “technique” often delivered as being an effective way to give someone bad feedback. 1) Tell someone the good thing they’re doing. 2) Tell them the bad thing they’re doing. 3) Tell them another good thing they’re doing.
There. All better? Let’s unpick this thing. First of all what message is the person supposed to listen to? You’re giving them three clear pieces of feedback, but in reality only want them to focus on the negative feedback. But that message is hidden in the positive stuff. So, how is it clear which message they’re meant to listen to? People have selective hearing. They’ll hear what they want to. If you’re trying to give some negative feedback, they’ll (mentally) protect themselves by not paying attention to This Thing About The Feedback Sandwich •
45
the negative thing. Because you’ve given them two bits of good, they don’t need to pay attention to the negative. If you try to focus only on the negative, even though you’ve given two positive messages, you completely negate the impact of those positive messages. Instead, what the person thinks is you were lying about the positive messages. So, there was no point in giving the two positive messages to begin with.
In truth, this is not about giving the person feedback in a compassionate way. It’s about protecting the person delivering the feedback. The person delivering doesn’t want to feel bad because they’re not skilled enough to give bad feedback on its own. That has nothing to do with the person receiving the feedback at all. What it comes down to is this. We’re adults. Yet the old ways of working mean we treat each other in ways of hierarchy and power and control which are long gone now. They’re old. But, there are plenty of us holding fast to tried and tested methods, “because they work”. The problem is, they only work because there’s nothing better that has been tried or practised. The brilliant thing is, there are skilled people who can deliver bad messages well, and we need to learn from those people better. I’m a firm believer in dealing with reality. If someone’s doing 46 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
a bad job, be clear and unequivocal about it. That’s not to say you have to be horrible, rude or nasty. It means help someone know exactly why something didn’t go the way it should have, support them to do better, and be respectful enough to treat them as adults.
I’m also an advocate of building people’s strengths. If someone is awesome, tell them, in clear, unequivocal terms. Shout about it, let others know, reward that behaviour and make a song and a dance about it. We don’t do that nearly enough (particularly us Brits and our stiff upper lip nonsense), and it’s rubbish that we don’t.
You Roc k!
Don’t muddy the two, though This Thing About The Feedback Sandwich •
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Faith & Self Help
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By Karen Salmansohn
Confession & Mission
I am sitting at my kitchen table, staring out the window. The blue sky is filled with thick, wispy, white clouds, moving as if the very breath of God is gliding them across the sky. I am basking in the spiritual peaks I saw glimpses of this past weekend. Looking at creation and just filled with gratitude at the goodness of our Lord.
Ladies, God is
doing something big among us. I can see it and I can feel it. There is a new chapter in His story that is unfolding before us and we have been written among the pages. We FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Katie Clifton, Christian Columnist 50 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
have been called to take center stage. There is a glorious unfolding that is happening right now among women of faith. My prayer is for you, precious sister reading this, that you would step into the light with me.
We have a hunger for honesty. We have a thirst for truth.
We ache for transparency.
rd. o W s i H g n i We are crav
We are being awoken in understanding and mission.
We have an urgency for bravery . I believe that the passion pulsing through our veins is ordained as a gift from Jesus, “the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) I believe Christ is calling us to be women of diligence. I believe we should be daughters of action for the Kingdom. I believe we are to “love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” (Romans 12:10Confession & Mission •
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11) I believe the Lord has called us, friends, to be faithful to intentional, missional, living. We are to “go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28: 19)
I can believe these beautiful, biblical truths
all day long, call myself a Jesus follower, and never apply them. But, James has some words for us who claim faith while clinging to our comfort and our security: “Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17) Faith and actions work together. It is our actions that complete the faith that Jesus perfects.
Ladies, Christ made you brave. He said His
“righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” (Hebrews 10:8) I am seeing His bravery unfold all around me right now. Even in my own life. I am learning to rely more and more on His strength and not my own. He called me to go and make disciples and He commanded me to be ready to give the reason for the hope that is in us. (1 Peter 3:15-17)
“Even in my own life. I am learning to rely more and more on His strength and not my own.”
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Here is a big dose of truth for you today: I am much more comfortable in sharing the hope that is in me, than the need for that hope. Did you catch that? Did you hear the confession? I do not like sharing my transformation story. I don’t like it because it requires me to poke the scars of the wounds that He healed. But scars can be so tender and painful, can’t they? I do not like the vulnerability sharing my testimony brings. I prefer to keep walls up to protect the glass house of my salvation. I can’t even believe my fingers just typed those ugly words. “The glass house of my salvation” …that is not the reason Christ died for me.
Not for glass houses. Not for selfish comfort and false perfection. Not for idealistic outcomes or neatly written stories. Not so I can pretend I am not a filthy sinner in desperate need of a righteous Savior. My salvation was a sacrifice given to me
when I will always, always, be unworthy of the offering. And sweet friends, the story we get to live, it belongs to HIM.
I opened an invitation on
Facebook for ladies to join me in my home this past weekend. I made promises of food and truth. And women responded. Most of them, I do not even know well. Most of them, did not even know one another at all. I am not sure what reasons we all would have given for wanting to gather together, but I do believe that it is because deep down we are seeking transparency and a place to experience it.
“It was glorious. It was beautiful and tangible. The Holy Spirit was among us and we could feel Him.” The ladies arrived and I could tell each
one of us, myself included, was a big ball of nerves. I know that our time together was bathed in prayer by seasoned warriors and like the layers of an onion, God quickly began to peel away our fears and discomfort. After eating dinner, 54 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
we gathered in my living room, prayed, and I began to share the sin that captivated me before I found my pursuing Savior. I shared the pain of my sin, the destruction it caused, the depth it took me, the shame, regret…all the ugly. I told my new friends about the power it took to pull me loose from the grasp my lostness had on me. I told them where my Jesus found me and just how much He loved me.
Can you just imagine this scene with me for a moment? A room full of women. Mostly strangers. Filled with anxious curiosity as none of you really know what to think or expect. And one woman, you don’t even know well begins to cry and break and share the tucked away, ugliness of her sinful life before Jesus. This could have been a recipe for disaster, but the Lord takes obedience and makes it so sweetly beautiful. I wish I could paint a word picture to unfold the gift of what happened after the anxiousness and fear were divinely lifted from the room. It was glorious. It was beautiful and tangible. The Holy Spirit was among us and we could feel Him. We felt FREEDOM. One by one we wept and opened up and shared and hugged. Women set aside pride and grasped tightly to humility as they shared. We prayed over one another. We wrapped each other with love and comfort. We listened. No one judged. No one even gave a glimpse of disgust or surprise. It was intimate and precious. There was love dripping out of the mouths of women who were Confession & Mission •
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strangers only an hour before. Tears of empathy soaked our clothes. We ached with one another for the sin we each once knew. We celebrated the victory Jesus has over us now. There was so much confession. There were tender moments of comfort and healing. In James 5 we are told to “confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed” (vs 16). We had gone directly to Christ for our forgiveness, but I believe we witnessed the Lord’s healing power and assurance through the new tender faith family that surrounded us.
The spiritual war that rages
around us daily is no match for the spiritual weapons the Holy Spirit has equipped us with. There is power in our testimony. Revelation 12:11 says Satan accuses us “before our God both day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb (the sacrifice of Jesus) and by their testimony.”
THEIR TESTIMONY… OUR TESTIMONY Our testimony is like a throat punch to Satan.
Our testimony is our firsthand account of what God, through Christ, has done in our lives.
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You, dear sister, I don’t know where you are geographically or spiritually. But I know that the power of Christ is constant on every corner of this beautiful world we live. I am praying for you. I am praying that as you hunger for honesty, thirst for truth, ache for transparency, crave His Word, awake in understanding and have an urgency for bravery, that you would simply share what the power of God has done in your life.
His glory is revealed through our
lives when we become unashamed, totally surrendered and authentically aware that we are living His story and not our own. Your life is His story. I am praying now for your boldness as you share truth with your corner of this world. I am praying you kick down the walls built around your glass house. I am praying, that above all, The Lord is glorified as we share His transforming power.
“And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere. For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. May He, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father Confession & Mission •
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when our Lord Jesus comes again with all His holy people. Amen.” 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 2:4, 3:13 Who will you be called to share your story with this week? Where is Jesus in your testimony? How are you living out the Great Commission?
or maybe... Do you have a relationship with the One who is gloriously unfolding your story? Have you experienced the weight of your sin? Have you experienced the forgiving grace of our Savior?
All the glory is His. 58 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you can never see the shadow” Helen Keller
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A Negative Side
To Positive Thinking
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By Gina Hussar 60 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
A
few years ago I hit the emotional equivalent of rock bottom. On the outside I looked like a cross between a Maybelline ad and a catchy sitcom. Kinda cute, mid 30’s, fit, three kids, devoted-ish husband and the two story home on the cul-de-sac. Because this is an article and not a ten book series I’ll spare you the details, but the story includes a failed business, a dipping self-worth, an uncertain relationship with my spouse, a questioning of my faith, a widening gap between myself and my confidence as a mother, and the general feeling that everything was sinking and no one was noticing my frantically waving hands or my smoke signal. In true “triumph over adversity” style, I visited a convent, walked a meditative labyrinth, experienced an incredible spiritual shift and set out to change my life. Rock bottom turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.
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Once I said “yes” to getting happy, everything changed. It was as though I had stood on a chair and yelled “I’m ready!” and the universe rolled its eyes and said “FINALLY.” I learned how to master my mind and my emotions, wrote a book, started a successful coaching business and now teach hundreds of people how to get happy by leading with their inner power. But all of this magic did have some unexpected side effects. I found that there is indeed a... challenging side to positive thinking and to the path of growth and enlightenment in general. Here are three things I discovered that no one warned me about:
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Many of the people I care about aren’t happy and there might not be anything I can do about it. You see as I learned how to process life in a way that served me, I honestly never had a bad day. I find beauty, miracles or education in pretty much everything that happens to me. A side effect of this is that my spidey senses are ultra sensitive to the fact that most people don’t live that way. I recently had lunch with a friend of 30 years. She complained about the food. She complained about the temperature of the place. She complained about her
There is a super fine line between an offer of help and unsolicited constructive criticism... 62 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
husband, judged the waitresses shoes and threw a mini fit when her iced tea spilled. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized how unhappy she was. I had always attributed the complaining to a personality quirk. Now I see it as a sign of discontent. And my heart aches because she isn’t one to accept help of any kind. I hear things differently. Anytime someone utters a complaint, it sounds loud to me. Beneath every negative comment, I hear cries for help, deep longings for something more. Beneath every tedious worry I see crippling fear. And I wish I could bippity boppity boo it away for everyone in my path. But I know for some, pain, fear, worry are all part of their journey. This line of work, this opening of my soul has heightened my awareness, my empathy, my intuition. I wouldn’t trade this for the world, but sometimes it’s a lot to carry. There is a super fine line between an offer of help and unsolicited constructive criticism. I dance on that line every day.
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A LOT of people I know are completely full of crap. As I deepened my quest for authenticity, beautiful things happened. I connected to my truth, to my soul’s desires. I also found that my bullshit-ometer is quite sensitive. You can’t come to lunch because your car is acting up? BEEP BEEP BEEP. I should buy your product now because you are absolutely closing the doors A Negative Side to Positive Thinking •
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at midnight and I will never again get it at this price? BEEP BEEP BEEP!
I get it. We often fudge the truth not because we enjoy
lying but because the truth is hard for even us to swallow! When I hear a little white lie, my compassionate antenna perks up. I know that when we cancel something it is usually because our energy is down, or we are feeling a bit inadequate or fearful or a host of other sucky emotions. I also know that it’s almost never because the car is acting up. And I know that when I get an email that wreaks of manipulative marketing, the person is probably wonderful, spiritual and fun at parties. But a fear of scarcity has them pulling out all the stops. Some really do close the doors at midnight. I have! But some close the doors at midnight every night for three weeks. And I “x” out feeling...icky. We hide our insecurities behind things like false bravado and canceled plans. It makes me sad. Because we are all whole; and we are all enough.
3
Haters gonna hate. Perhaps the most unexpected side effect I have experienced so far was a narrowing circle of friends. Here’s the abridged reason. Misery loves company. Gossip loves company. Judgment loves company. Sadly, we live in a world where it’s a bit odd for me to go around quietly blessing people and cultivating love. Several people dropped out of my life when I stopped participating in the drama and gossip. I guess I wasn’t fun to them anymore, which is ironic because I am loads more fun now that bliss is a non-negotiable part of my daily routine! Another old
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friend sent me a very direct email that said my positive outlook was “a little much.” She suggested I needed to come back to reality. I suggested she build a new reality that allowed for more love and less dissatisfaction. But I can’t will the people around me to change. I can only change myself and hope they are inspired by it. Some will be blinded by the light and turn away. Others will allow the light to lead the way. Both are out of my hands.
At the end of the day, the challenges that
come with striving to live a happy, healthy life are far overshadowed by the incredible blessings and opportunities that have come my way. I know there may be whispers, raised eyebrows and maybe a few snickers from the front table at Panera. I’m ok with that. Part of the beauty of this journey is this: when you follow your soul’s compass, stand up for your life, lead with love and choose happiness, your need for approval disappears. Judgment is replaced with compassion. Self-doubt is replaced with clarity. And positive thinking isn’t a concept...
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By Joey Phelps & Michael Phelps Lil Nipper Snappers Cartoon •
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Style & Beauty
Chris
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By Shalanda Turner
s k c i P stmas 6
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Vesper Asymmetric Pencil Dress With Origami Sleeve
Cosmetics Mineral Lipstick 4
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E.L.F.
Michael Kors Rabbit Fur Pom Keychain
Christian Louboutin Debout Translucent & Glitter Cap Toe Pump 5
Fountain - The Hair Molecule, Food Supplement
Cleanance Gel Cleanser 8
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Royal Nectar Original Honey Facemask
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Why You Should Use
Affirmations To Heal Your Skin
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By Rachael Pontillo 70 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
It’s a known fact that people learn by repetition–that repeating information in the conscious state programs that information into the subconscious mind. This isn’t just about remembering a bus number for the rest of your life, or memorizing math facts, or important dates in history though. It’s about having the ability to self-program–to choose– what information becomes part of your subconscious mind–whether it’s a mundane fact or a deeper intention like a mantra or positive thought programming affirmation. Why is this important? The subconscious mind–the one that performs functions, acts on impulses, and makes decisions that we’d attribute to instinct or intuition rather than conscious choice– actually governs 90% of our conscious thought processes and behaviors. Did you know that? So, by choosing our thoughts and setting intentions on the conscious level, we essentially program how our subconscious minds direct us in our thoughts, actions, and reactions.
90%
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Sometimes these thoughts, actions, and reactions stay within the realm of our own personal thoughts and emotions, and other times they manifest physically as behaviors or even physical conditions. Thoughts create reality, and affirmations are a powerful tool to help make sure your thoughts create a positive reality.
What are affirmations and how do they work? An affirmation is a positive sentence or phrase that you repeat to yourself aloud several times throughout the day which states clearly that what you want is already yours. It can be done as part of a meditation or it can be a simple pause in your day where you take a deep breath, simply read or repeat it to yourself, and carry on. While at first it might seem silly, corny, or even a little bit delusional, if you keep it up you’ll then begin to believe that your desired
“...energetic frequencies are attracted to each other (like attracts like). If your thoughts are negative, then what manifests in your reality will be negative in turn.” 72 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
results and feelings are already so. And when you add gratitude to the mix–give thanks for what’s already yours–it magnifies the positive vibrations even more. How affirmations work has a great deal to do with metaphysics and The Law of Attraction–what you put out energetically is what you get back. Everything that is and ever was is made of energy whether it’s something physical that you can see and touch or whether it’s a thought. Science has already proven that different thought patterns–negative and positive– vibrate at different energetic frequencies. These energetic frequencies are attracted to each other (like attracts like). If your thoughts are negative, then what manifests in your reality will be negative in turn. This affects everything–stress, relationships with others and how they see you, your levels of satisfaction at your job, your finances, your appearance and your health. Fortunately, the opposite is also true. If your thoughts and intentions are positive, then what manifests in your reality will also be positive. It’s not a fluke that people with consistently positive mindsets are happier, healthier, and more successful. They created that for themselves. Many believe (and that’s often because society conditions us to believe) that positive people are successful because they are healthy, wealthy, lucky, etc. That happiness and Why You Should Use Affirmations To Heal Your Skin •
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positivity is the byproduct of circumstance, not something that was chosen by conscious action. These same people also believe that people who have a negative outlook on life do so because they’ve had challenges in life–issues in family, trauma, financial difficulty, health issues, etc. As difficult as it is to believe, life doesn’t have to be a product of circumstance. Society conditions us to react positively to positive influences and to react negatively to negative influences–but unlike multiplication, two negatives don’t equal a positive. They only attract more negativity. The way to stop this pattern in its tracks is to learn to react positively to negative influences. I know it seems counterintuitive, but it’s easier than it seems.
“These practices aren’t just for spiritual practice though, they benefit us in everyday life and improve everyday concerns too.” According to Dr. Paul Leon Masters, founder of the International Metaphysical Ministry and University of Metaphysics, “to react is human, to control is divine.” Reactions are governed by the subconscious mind, but with practice through mindfulness, meditation, and by repeating positive affirmations consciously, we can program 74 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
the subconscious mind to reactive positively to negative influences or circumstances. These concepts aren’t just teachings of metaphysics– Eastern philosophies that utilize mantras have been doing this for millennia. Even Western prayer-based religions believe in the practice of repetition for a specific goal whether it’s out of devotion, to be one with the Divine, for forgiveness, or salvation. These practices aren’t just for spiritual practice though, they benefit us in everyday life and improve everyday concerns too.
How can affirmations heal your skin? As I’ve written in previous posts, I view the skin not only as the covering of the internal organs and systems of the body, but as something very spiritual indeed. For people with acne, rosacea, eczema, or other skin conditions, the appearance of the skin governs how they feel about themselves, the words they use to think about and talk about themselves, and how they relate to others. I remember when I was in holistic nutrition school, one of the teachers, the glorious Iyanla Vanzant, gave a lecture that included a section about the importance of the words we choose to describe ourselves or direct towards ourselves. I don’t remember her exact words but she said something like “you are the first person to hear the words in Why You Should Use Affirmations To Heal Your Skin •
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your head before they even come out of your own mouth, so they’d better be positive.” I remember when I used to look at myself in the mirror and think to myself “You’re fat.” “You’re ugly.” “You’re flawed.” And those thoughts set the tone of my mood about myself and towards others that day; and if those thoughts happened at night, they often disturbed my sleep and carried over into the next morning, when I’d look in the mirror again and re-confirm those same thoughts. It was a vicious cycle, and the only way out of it was to break it. Another poignant memory I took from nutrition school was a lesson from Geneen Roth. Again, the topic had to do with the effect of one’s thoughts about oneself, and she offered a question to ask yourself whenever you catch yourself talking smack to yourself in the mirror or thinking negative thoughts about yourself in your mind. Three words: “Is that true?” Whoa. When I started practicing that, it occurred to me that most of what I was saying to myself in my mind in essence had no basis in reality–it was the power it had over me in my thoughts that made it real. The only way to break that cycle of negativity was to choose to think positively instead, as unnatural and weird as it felt for me to do so. I began replacing those old negative phrases with kind, compassionate, and loving ones. I also began to understand that the power to heal was already within me–I’d already begun changing my diet, lifestyle, and skincare regimen and if I could change a physical routine I certainly could change a mental/ emotional/spiritual one.
So I started writing little phrases down on pieces of paper that I’d keep in my purse, car, at my desk, etc. It started out simply with phrases like “You’re beautiful,” or “You’re whole,” or “You’re already perfect just as you are.” It then evolved into full-fledged affirmations which included goals and feelings. It’s a practice I still keep to this day. My skin’s not only clearer, but I now think I’m pretty awesome. Are there still physical things about my body that aren’t “perfect?” Sure. But I no longer care, because there’s much more to me than a dimple here or a scar there–and I know it sounds cliche, but every dimple and scar tells a story, and those stories are a part of who I am. Affirmations changed my life.
e r ’ u o Y tiful! u a be
Don’t believe me? Try it. You’ve got nothing to lose. I’ve been practicing affirmations for several years now, and I’ve been incorporating them into my holistic health and image coaching programs for nearly as long as that. I often create customized affirmations for my clients that they can write on an index card, or post as a sticky note on their desktop so that it’s always handy. They work with that affirmation for one month, and then we revisit it and Why You Should Use Affirmations To Heal Your Skin •
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see what progress has been made. Sometimes they stick with the same affirmation for another month, other times we create a new one together. I call these Spiritual Skincare Affirmations.
You can create your own, or if you’d like, I can create one for you–either way, choose to make it a practice every day. Do you want to learn more about using affirmations in your daily skincare regime? I teach an in-depth, interactive, 6-week online course called Create Your Skincare™ that teaches you to design custom products for luminous skin using all-natural ingredients including–you guessed it–herbs! Click HERE to learn more about the course, take a free sample class, and find out when our next class begins!
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What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. HENRY STANLEY HASKINS 79
LA FASHION
WEEK 2014
DOUBLE
FEATURE FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Marina BerBeryan 80 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
EMILY DACCARETT DOLL VALLEY SS15 COLLECTIONS FRONT ROW FASHION REVIEW
During LA Fashion Week, Concept Los Angeles showcased Emily Daccarett’s Doll Valley Spring/Summer 2015 Collection. The fashion event was held this year at Ace Museum in West Hollywood, C.A., also known as WeHo. Doll Valley Collection was all about high end contemporary designs featuring a variety of colorful bohemian high-low dresses to floral two-piece sets. Rompers and jumpsuits were also major on the runway, which is my current style obsession. Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist •
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Daccarett’s inspiration for Doll Valley comes from the “Valley of the Dolls” movie. Sharon Tate greatly influenced the tone and mood of the collection. Additionally, Daccarett incorporated a lot of her ideas from the stylistic 1950’s film noir tone, such as dark shadows, blacks and sheer fabrics, which was clearly reflected in these contemporary designs. Emily Daccarett’s designs are made with love in Los Angeles, California.
Since it was a Saturday evening invite-only event and two of my celebrity friends were not able to attend due to last minute cancelation, I decided to take my little Fashionistas along with me to the fashion show. My eldest daughter, Katrina Magzanyan and youngest daughter, Isabella Magzanyan, were extremely excited to enter the fashion world with their mother and eager to view Emily Daccarett’s new collection.
They were nervous about their looks so I helped them out with their styling. My 10 year old Katrina looked extremely chic wearing her Paris-Street-Style look. She wore black H&M studded spike knee pad leggings with a white Chanel casual t-shirt. She paired it with black Coach flats, Street Level bag and a cat-ear headband, as seen on Ariana Grande. My 8 year old, Isabella Magzanyan, was looking quite fashionable as well. She wore H&M Kids kittyknee pad leggings and a bejeweled top that I bought from Nordstrom. Isabella finalized her ensemble with a cute Neiman Marcus hat and a pair of red Gap Kids highheels. The girls’ sense of style is apparent and fashion is already a huge part of their lives. As for me, I opted for a Fall 2014 essential double denim trend. I wore 1970’s inspired flared jeans from True Religions along with a Gap long-sleeve denim shirt. I added a beige spiked belt with black Nine West heels and my vintage Anaconda handbag.
ART HEARTS FASHION L.A. Fashion Week is a city-wide series of twice-annually occurring fashion events in Los Angeles, C.A., with multiple producers including Art Hearts Fashion, founded by fashion designer and producer Erik Rosete. The event consisted of three days of runway shows from October 12th to October 14th, 2014, exhibiting designs from some of the most talented fashion designers across the world. Art Hearts Fashion was presented by the Aids Healthcare Foundation, supporting charity, and produced by ParkerWhitaker Productions at the magnificent Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood.
Some of the designers that showcased their Spring/ Summer 2015 collections on Monday October 13th, 2014 include Viggo Fashion, Dan Richers, Noia, Courtney Allerga, Consor 62, Kami Shade, Crystal Hefner, Tumbler & Tipsy, Hallie Sara, and Jun Escario, closing with Zhang Jing Jing from Runway Archives and Showroom. There were a variety of designs featured throughout the show, from ecofriendly streetwear, swimsuits, menswear, cutting-edge styles and Hollywood Glam red carpet gowns. Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist •
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You’re going to see a lot of really cool outfits, a lot of street wear, a lot of wearable things, but also mixed in with some really cool spikes and surprises. Erik Rosete
Some of the fashion and art world’s most influential figures were on hand for the 2014 Art Hearts Fashion. The event kicked off LA Fashion Week in style and featured a red carpet walk, glamorous reception, live dance, and DJ performances. Celebrity guest attendees included sixtime NFL Pro Bowler Terrell Owens, comedic actor Gregg 88 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Wayans, international model Carissa Rosario, actor/ stuntman Romeo Williams, and Crystal Hefner. U.S. Veteran Marine and amputee Alex Minsky also made a special guest appearance. My own celebrity guest was my dear friend Carissa Rosario, national and international Maxim and Vogue Model.
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In celebration of LA Fashion Week I showed off my style credentials in a bold Black Halo navy maxi-dress. The asymmetric cut-out detail on the right side of the shoulder gown featured a high-side slit-up on both sides of the dress, exposing my H&M black leather shorts. For the final touch I matched a thin lizard skin Judith Leiber belt and paired it with Michael Kors heels.
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Lifestyle & Wellness
Sandy Kay Creating a Magical Life One Magical Moment at a Time FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Charlene SanJenko 96 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
“Life is fast. We often miss the small moments, the obvious, the people on the sidelines. We become unseeing of the common views… I focus on these, capturing something in my paintings that might otherwise be missed in our fast-moving world.”
Meet Artist, Teacher and Creative Facilitator, Sandy Kay. Sandy intimately understands the feeling (and anxiety) of a very full life. As a former graphic and greeting-card designer, publisher and theatre-set costume designer, Sandy has experienced tight deadlines, juggling multiple priorities and the never-ending quest to find the seemingly elusive balance between a fulfilling personal and successful professional life. Sandy became a full-time painter in 1993. Since that time, she has always had her own studio/galleries, one of which was on the beloved Granville Island, in Vancouver, Sandy Kay •
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BC. Sandy now lives and paints from her home gallery in Halfmoon Bay on the beautiful Sunshine Coast as well as Southern California during the winter months.
Sandy, how would you describe your work in one sentence? I strive to create a feeling rather than a picture. Life is fast. We often miss the small moments, the obvious, the people on the sidelines. We become unseeing of the common views… I focus on these, capturing something in my paintings that might otherwise be missed in our fastmoving world. I invite those viewing my work to pause and experience emotion – truly experience it. To experience emotion is to evoke a response from deep within that sometimes we have forgotten. Our emotions are our link between life and feeling fully alive. While my work spans a broad range of subjects and styles, from portraits to landscapes and seascapes to large abstracts, the commonality can be found in the stories.
You are a teacher and facilitator as well as a painter, what is your greatest reward in this role? When I work with other creators – whether they’ve been creating for a month or a decade – my greatest joy comes from watching their creativity breakthroughs. We leave our baggage at the door, create a supportive, fun and nurturing 98 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
environment and just let it flow! Sharing with others my technical knowledge, passion, insights, views on creativity…is my way of “paying back” to the Universe for what I have been given. So many of us desire creative expression through painting. I help people find their own way – it is so gratifying to see people progress. Most of us think we can’t do it so we yearn from the sidelines when all we really need is someone to show us how! An important aspect of my Mission as a painter, an artist, is to help others.
Fall Staccato
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What is your greatest reward as an artist and teacher? Years ago, when I taught plein air painting in the Florida keys, I entered a competition with a water colour painting, and one of my students won first place over me…I was elated! I have mostly women students, and am focused on giving messages that encourage self esteem and empowerment, joy in their own expression. I believe we can individually contribute to saving our world and healing many ills with LOVE and PEACE. Learning to release and express our creative selves can lead to more of both of these in our world.
We hear a lot about ‘Trusting the Process.’ How has your painting career and the creative process helped you to learn this valuable lesson and apply it to the other areas of your life? I have an attraction to technical aspects of painting and always strive to work in an archival way. I also have strong drawing skills. Often I can “trick” myself into entering a very creative space by utilizing these skills to start a painting then allow myself to expand from within it. As an artist, I have experienced the blank canvas paralysis…and I approach it indirectly. I start applying an under-painting and then begin to move paint around in random patterns. 100 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
“A master painter once told me that an artist should spend an equal amount of time looking at the work in process as they do actually working on it.” Often the painting will start to emerge and become itself. If I am painting an intentional painting, and maybe working from photo references and know what it is before starting, I work out a series of sketches (thumbnails) and develop my value studies. These are very important, sort of a road map, and help guide the painting process. It releases me from being tied to the reference and turning the painting into an illustration. After the drawing is complete, I work from the thumbnail, not the photo. That’s where trust comes in for this kind of painting – my groundwork (done with intention) is solid, and I can trust in myself and in that part of the process to continue creatively and joyously
Wow! Sounds like many substantial life lessons as well! Sandy Kay •
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Spanish
Musician
Courtney’s Easter Bonnet
Joyous
Do you work on one painting at a time or do you have multiple paintings happening at once? Again, what lessons or tips can you offer that tie into our daily lives regarding time management or balancing multiple priorities? Artists work in many different ways. My paintings are done in multiple styles and mediums, and I always have many paintings in process at the same time. I do work on one painting or several in the same series at a time, however I often put these aside and work on something else for awhile. A master painter once told me that an artist should spend an equal amount of time looking at the work in process as they do actually working on it. I have adopted this work habit and find it very helpful to my process. My water colours are quite detailed, and I always have one on my drafting table in process. I will often take a break from my acrylics and oils and work quietly on these paintings. The one I am working on now has over 40 hours of work on it, and it’s probably only half complete. Very time consuming but I love the results!
Again, some powHERful life lesson comparisons. Love it!
What projects are you working on now? I am excited to start on two landscape series. I may end up combining the two into one West Coast series when I get into the meat of it. That’s all part of trusting the process. Here are two examples. Do YOU see these styles combining in the future? #creativeinput
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What is your ultimate dream for your work/ Mission and where you’d like to take it? To provide a window for people to see things they might not normally see, to heighten awareness of the world we are living in – sometimes this is a happy joyous thing, sometimes reflective and full of angst – but always striving to capture a moment in time or an energy of place for people to stop and focus. To just stop.
As you well know, Sandy, at PowHERhouse, we strive to provide solutions for women to help them stay strong, positive and 106 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
powHERful in their bodies, businesses and lives. Much of that strength initiates at the physical level and ascends from there. Can you tell us what components of your Practice are most important to you? How do you keep yourself strong and powHERful on a consistent basis? I have had some health challenges for the first time in my life over the past two years. I have always been healthy and strong so this was a new experience. I approached these challenges the same way I approach any challenges Sandy Kay •
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in a my life – through intense research and learning and committing my resources to solving the problem. I have learned my own physical limits and am now kinder and less critical of myself in certain ways. I have added a meditation practice to my day, and am even more conscious of my daily eating. I am ready to step up my physical activity now. My painting practice keeps me focused and energized. My journey has led me to this time and place. I have all I need to now realize my true potential and distinct message through my painting, and this really makes me excited and happy!
We look forward to following Sandy’s journey to her most PowHERful sense to self as she continues to let her light shine and her work spread her message of hope, joy and empowHERment. Sandy welcomes connection. You can find her at sandykayart.com or on Facebook. Her goal is to become more active on Twitter in 2015, so please follow her at @sandykayart for quick tips, tweets and creative inspiration for your art and your daily life!
M O C . T R A Y A K Y SAND 108 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Charlene SanJenko is the Founder and CEO of PowHERhouse, a digital platform that provides solutions for women to keep them strong and powerful, evolves the role that we allow to fitness to play and our lives and celebrates positive, natural female role models in fitness, sport, business and community.
12 Ways To Make Positive Change
Last
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Nathalie de Ahna 112 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
A
s an orthomolecular nutritionist and mindfulness coach trained in naturopathy, I show people ways how to live happier and healthier. I’m convinced that anyone’s biological clock can be effectively turned back through vitamin cures and holistic lifestyle strategies, and that irresistible radiance is possible for all of us. If we really want to simply live better, there are countless ways to do so, and here are twelve often overlooked ways for you to make a start.
1
Think big but start small. When we want to
change, we’re often incredibly motivated in the beginning, but quickly lose momentum because we want it all NOW, which isn’t possible.
To make sure you really make your dreams come true, split your big final goals into small interim goals. This way, you never bite off more than you can chew, and you stay driven.
2
Visualize every day. Once you’ve set your
(interim) goal, visualize it daily. Write it down, describe exactly what you will feel like and what 12 Ways to Make Positive Change Last •
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your life will look like once you achieve what you want. Put everything that comes to mind on post-its and stick these reminders all over the place. It’s a simple trick, but very effective!
3
Find an accountability partner. Getting
used to new routines can be tough in the beginning. You theoretically know you will benefit, but it might take a little while before you see the first results. Teaming up with an accountability partner or a support group is a great way to stay motivated.
4
Take your music everywhere. I’ve made it a
habit to take my mp3 player with me wherever I go. I listen to a visualization exercise both before getting up and before falling asleep. I meditate while running. I play my theme song to cheer me up and have put together short workout sessions I can listen to whenever I need a break from my desk. The power of audio stimulation is enormous. We just need to press “play.”
5
Get yourself a “vitamin C shaker.” Vitamin
C is an incredible nutrient to boost our overall health and looks. Since it’s a water-soluble vitamin, it has to be replenished several times daily. You can do so by putting a salt shaker filled with vitamin C powder on your table and using it whenever you have something to eat or drink. You’ll feel fitter and look better, too!
6
Consider taking a vitamin D supplement.
7
Use magnesium oil. According to Dr. Carolyn
8
Find your way back to simple and real food to detox your body and mind. Detox
About 75% of people living in the US are deficient in vitamin D. Symptoms of deficiency include depression, fatigue, a weak immune system, obesity, back pain, or hair loss. If any of this sounds familiar, consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Personally, I take 2,000 IU in summer and 4,000 IU in winter.
Dean, a naturopath and author, magnesium has a healing effect on today’s leading illnesses. When I was suffering from painful leg cramps and exhaustion, I started applying magnesium oil on my thighs every night before going to bed. My symptoms disappeared quickly, my energy levels were increased significantly and I have stuck with this routine ever since.
programs have become very popular lately.
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I follow my own cleanse about four times a year but a little bit of detoxing every day will also get you far, if you want to simply live better. Start by replacing ready-made snacks with simple and real food. Fruit with plain nut butter, for example, is delicious and reduces the load of artificial ingredients which are contained in regular food and can poison your system. Other great snacks are olives, nuts, green smoothies, and you can make the most delicious crackers and veggie chips with a simple dehydrator.
9
DIY for your household and beauty.
Chemicals in household and beauty products are tough on our system. Of course, our body can handle a lot, but why burden it unnecessarily? You can make your own all natural toothpaste in a jiffy by mixing equal amounts of coconut oil and baking soda with a few drops of peppermint oil. Need a good deodorant? Mix 3 Tbsp of coconut oil and baking soda each with 2 Tbsp of shea butter. Apple cider vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner and baking soda does a terrific job in toilet bowls. There is so much we can do ourselves in little time and for little money. The effects on our health, however, are huge and priceless! 116 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
10
Get a pedometer. We all know exercise is
good for us. It helps us manage our weight, prevents blue moods and so much more. 10,000 steps a day is recommended for a healthy body and mind, but it is easy to forget about this when we are busy with life. A pedometer is a great reminder and incredibly motivating. I got a wristband for my last birthday and walking the extra mile I need to reach my daily goal has never been easier.
“Staying in the moment and enjoying what’s happening now is what mindfulness is about.”
11
Practice mindfulness. I’m a mindfulness
coach and when I tell people that mindfulness exercises are incredibly effective in helping you to simply live better, they often say: I have no time to learn a new skill. However, it doesn’t take much to be mindful: Next time you eat something you really like, simply enjoy slowly. Smell your food. Savor every bite. When you are done, don’t get back to business as fast as possible, but stay seated for another minute and let the feeling of indulgence linger. Staying in the moment 12 Ways to Make Positive Change Last •
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and enjoying what’s happening now is what mindfulness is about.
12
Keep a diary. Keeping a diary is such an
effective tool to simply live better that I asked all participants of last year’s 50 Week Program to give it a try because: A) It’s another way to write down, remind you of and manifest your goals. B) It’s generally motivating and keeps you going whenever you feel a little stuck. C) It’s a mindfulness exercise that allows you time just for yourself, and D) It’s fun—and so much more!
Yet I’m telling you there are many ways to simply live better again...
...we just need to look for them!
natural
health & beauty.
Find simple tips & recipes at VintageAmanda.com
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Acceptance. You Can’t Fix Other People You will find that as you transition and move into a life that is more conscious, that you will look back on your old way of thinking and being and see that there truly was a time when you experienced an Awakening. FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Kate Spencer 120 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
IT
is upon awakening that we become hungry for information and knowledge. You will seek out books, websites and resources that can start to sign post you towards a whole new and vast subject of consciousness, attraction, healing and enlightenment. As you learn more you will find that your experience of life will change in positive ways. You will start to learn spiritual and soul lessons and align with your greatest and highest good. Over time you will adopt a more ‘higher self’ perspective on life and lower vibrational emotions such as jealousy, anger and hate will not be with you for long periods, if at all.
My awakening was both rapid and profound and it
felt from that a world that had been in black and white my whole life was suddenly in glorious Technicolor. I armed myself with all of the new information I’d found, and set out to rescue as many people as I could. I believed that this had to be my mission in life and I was going to fulfill it no matter what. People needed to wake up and I was just the person to help them. Thank God I’d arrived! What I didn’t realize at this early stage was that the more people I tried to save and rescue, the thicker and faster the reflections and lessons came in for me! And I wasn’t ready to notice them one bit. My ego blamed everyone else for Acceptance: You Can’t Fix Other People •
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being so negative and totally missed the point that the real lesson here was that I couldn’t fix anyone else and I only had responsibility for my own journey. All of these people were doing me a great service by rebuffing my attempts and turning their back on my message, in doing so they were giving me the real message that I needed to see - You Can’t Fix Other People. Cosmic irony that I was not prepared to accept.
The truth is, people awaken when they are ready, and some never will. That however is no one else’s responsibility; it lies entirely with that individual. There may have been soul contracts made by some to not awaken in this lifetime, in order to experience certain lessons or feelings that will help them to grow. They may have agreed to help others to experience lessons or reflections in order to expand their consciousness. For instance someone may be living a life that we consider to be inappropriate or dark in some way, but they may have agreed before coming to earth to do this to help others to work on judgment issues. Therefore there is nobility in their cause and we should not allow our ego to push us into arrogance and feel superior.
You will know if you have slipped into ‘fixing’ mode 122 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
with others or judgment because life will start to match this up vibrationally and send you people that react this way to you. Instead of getting annoyed, thank the universe for the reflection and go within, ask yourself whom you have tried to fix or been in judgment of and how you can release this.
If you are coming from a place of being able to fix people then you will attract people who are unwilling to take responsibility for their own healing and progress... It is especially important if you are working
as a healer or a therapist, holding the intention that you are there to help and support people to help themselves, rather than you fixing them is very important. If you are coming from a place of being able to fix people then you will attract people who are unwilling to take responsibility for their own healing and progress and this could end up in a whole lot of different scenarios. They may blame you for not helping them, or they may keep returning time after time for the same or similar issues and leave you frustrated and drained. Make sure you let people know that you are a catalyst for their own change, a support to their own healing and transformation. This will empower you both and often means that the healing is more profound and happens quicker. Acceptance: You Can’t Fix Other People •
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You may find that as you live a more conscious life
and your resonance changes, that you don’t feel as much of a connection with some of the people and situations in your life as you once did. When you awaken and during your spiritual journey your energy signature or vibration will change. This means that there can be less resonance or attraction between you and what used to feel right. If you have had a dramatic shift in your vibration you may find that you suddenly experience energetic dissonance between you and some others, this can feel like a type of repelling when you are in their company. You may find that you experience irritation, anger and resentment more readily than before.
It’s important to know that when this happens
it’s perfectly alright to allow relationships to start to drift or evolve to a different way of relating that gives you more space to be the newer version of you, as discussed in the lesson Old Stuff Keeps You Stuck. You may find that situations such as your place of employment or family gatherings start to feel challenging for you as there may be less resonance now. Know that You Can’t Fix Other People and find a way to relax in your own self, knowing that you are doing what is right for you and so are they. Part of your evolution will be to attract more people that are in resonance with 124 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
you. Your peer group may change as a result of your new experiences, don’t resist this, hold the intention that all is well and things are unfolding as they should be. Focus on your own inner work and know that You Can’t Fix Other People. Who have you been trying to fix? Why do you feel the need to fix them? How are you going to work on yourself to stop being a fixer?
“I AM responsible for myself and my own journey. I can support other souls without being in judgement or trying to fix anyone. We are all equal and where we should be on our own life path.”
Love Kate Acceptance: You Can’t Fix Other People •
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About a Homemade Year
Food, Home & Family
Banana Pudding
For Christmas There is nothing more fun than eating spray whipped cream from a can. When the pumpkin pie is gone and everyone is walking around the house looking bored, make this fun and festive banana pudding! If you think this is just for kids then watch out, ’cause a little boy lives in every man…and remember, all fights are to be taken outside! As my mom said, “It’s the law of the west.” I won’t say celebrating Christmas is always easy, but here is my white-out verse I use all the time, “…love covers a multitude of sins.” Enjoy the lights, but mostly each other.
By Tanya Jackson 128 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Method!
• In large bowl combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix and beat well. Chill for 5 minutes. • Fold in whipped cream. Let set for 45 min (at least).
INGREDIENTS 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed Milk
(preferably Eagle brand, not evaporated milk)
11/2 cups of cold water 1 packet of instant vanilla flavor pudding mix (4 serving size)
2 cups (1 pt) whipped cream 36 vanilla wafers 3 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice Several cans of spray whipped cream
• Now for the fun bit. Layer on rest of ingredients until all used up…or do like I do with this non-traditional Christmas treat...
• Make the pudding as steps 1-2. Dip bananas in lemon juice and fold into pudding. Have the wafers to hand and get ready for spray whipped cream from a can! (Desert will keep in fridge with plastic wrap.)
! y o j n E
Christmas Around The World
Cherie began as a weekly columnist for the main local newspaper in her area. Her articles focus on a humorous look at married life with five children and the ups and downs we can all relate to. She has won 2 international short story contests as well as being published in Our Canada magazine. Cherie is a breast cancer survivor and a huge advocate of self-exams.
By Cherie DeBurger 130 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
The season is upon us, around the world people are celebrating. The Earth is full of people who have their own beliefs, traditions, and holidays. Even though we celebrate differently it seems everyone is celebrating in December. Christians are getting ready to observe one of the most recognized holidays in their faith called Christmas. Mexicans rejoice and prepare for Las Posadas, whereas the Jewish get things put in order for Hannukah. Buddhists arrange for Bodhi Day and some Native Americans plan for Soyal. These along with many other cultures and creeds have their own way of celebrating. Different countries have varying traditions and ways that they carry out their holidays. Even though we may think some of the things they do are strange I’m sure they are thinking the exact same thing about our ways. Swedish tradition involves what they call “Burning of the Goat”. This event started over forty years ago in Gavle, where a giant goat was made out of hay and erected in the Christmas Around The World •
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town. Mischief makers tried to burn it down and keeping it safe until Christmas Day has become one of the most interesting traditions. Since 1966 the hay goat has only made it to Christmas Day ten times.
Slovakia and Ukraine have quite a unique way of celebrating Christmas Eve dinner. At the beginning of dinner the head of the family takes a spoon full of Loksa and throws it at the ceiling. (Loksa is a traditional dish made from bread, poppy seeds, and water.) It is believed the more Loksa that stuck to the ceiling symbolized how much success he would have from the crops. Spain celebrates Caga Tio, loosely translating into “empty your bowels”. Children take a log cut from the trunk of a tree and put a face on it, as well as a little red hat and wrap it in a blanket. The log is then placed on top of a small pile of gifts. When the kids wake up they strike the log and sing songs that order the Caga Tio to loosen it’s bowels and drop presents. Usually small treats like nougat and chocolates are found under the log.
Venezuela will close the roads to cars in Caracas, the capital of the country, on Christmas Eve morning in order for the citizens to roller skate to mass. Instead of 132 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
sending out Christmas cards people will just beat their drums at midnight and shout from their windows “Jesus is born!” and set off firecrackers. Mexico holds a famous Christmas Radish Festival. Radishes are grown not to eat but grown to be as large as possible, so they are pumped with everything the growers can get their hands on. Then on December 23rd, which is also known as “The Night of the Radishes”, competitions are held where the growers carve nativity scenes out of the giant vegetables.
In the UK some believe that if you make a wish while mixing Christmas pudding it will come true only if the ingredients are stirred in a clockwise fashion and by each member of the family. On Christmas Eve day in the Czech Republic single women place their backs toward the house door, they then throw their shoes over their shoulders towards the house. If the shoe lands with the heel toward the door she will stay single for another year. If the front of the shoe is facing the house then the girl will start making plans to move and get married.
In Germany they used to hold what was called “Knocking Nights”. The Christmas Around The World •
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three Thursdays that fell before Christmas saw kids traditionally put on masks and bang lids and clang cow bells as they walked through the neighborhoods. They would knock on doors and recite poems and in turn receive a treat. Norwegians were known to hide all the brooms on Christmas Eve according to a very old Norwegian tradition. People used to believe witches and evil spirits would come out looking for brooms to ride, so they would hide them in the safest places. Some superstitious Norwegian women still hide their brooms, mops, and brushes before going to sleep.
I think most people will agree that kids love Christmas the most. The adorable letters that they mail to Santa, the sheer excitement that builds everyday once the calendar page turns to show the magical month “December”, and the infinite possibilities of what presents they are going to get. I ran across some cute letters that support the old saying “You can’t make this stuff up!” A little boy pleaded for Santa to please make him a dragon, and if he couldn’t do that could he have one for a pet instead. He then wished Santa a 134 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
“Happy Valitians”. One little boy left a note warning Old Saint Nick about the cookies his mother had made. He mentioned that he thought the cookies may be poison because his mom went wrong somewhere and they tasted awful. He went on to tell Santa that he was probably aware that Millie had died so not to leave anything for her, or his mom would break out sobbing again. A little girl was worried because they were moving on December 25th. She wrote a note telling Santa that they needed to have Christmas on the 24th instead, so could he please deliver her presents on the night of the 23rd. The reason being that it would make Christmas not so busy for him if he got one house out of the way.
Another little boy simple stated “Text my dad he has my whole list”. Someone was definitely thinking ahead when they requested that if Santa was going to bring presents that required batteries would he please remember to bring the batteries too. There are children all over the world that worry because they don’t have a chimney, or that the one they have is too small for Santa to fit down. Christmas Around The World •
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One little girl asked Santa to bring her five feet of long hair. Some kids think their sisters and brothers have pulled the wool over Santa’s eyes but this little boy made sure Santa knew the truth. His letter to Santa asked for a new football game and football because his little brother always tries to steal his. He said “My little brother may look sweet but he is the devil”.
No matter what you are celebrating this Holiday Season my family and I want to wish you much happiness and health. If you have any comments then please feel free to email me at lifes.moments@live.ca
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CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON FOR KINDLING THE FIRE FOR HOSPITALITY IN THE HALL, THE GENIAL FLAME OF CHARITY IN THE HEART WASHINGTON IRVING Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com •
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