Hat Trick Magazine July 2015 by Hat Trick Magazine

ISSN 2058-198X

Volume 4 • Issue 7 • July 2015 £3.00 GBP | $4.50 USD | €4

A T E GE L A GI W O C

SUPER SIMPLE GOAL ACHIEVING TIPS

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 like-minded 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 keyword-optimised 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 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 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

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Editor-In-Chief Michelle Fitz

Design & Illustration

Michelle Fitz Michael Thomas Hartley Eleni Sofroniou

Business & Tech

Style & Beauty

Andrea Sullenger Michelle Holmes Ucheki Ezurike-Bosse

Michelle Fitz Rachael Pontillo Marina BerBeryan

Career & Learning

Lifestyle & Wellness

Sandra Cunningham Sukh Pabial

Faith & Self Help

Karen Salmansohn Katie Clifton Gina Hussar Joey & Michael Phelps

Charlene SanJenko Manish Kumar Arora Kate Spencer Ashley Jack

Food, Home & Family Tanya Jackson Cherie DeBurger

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From the Editor The Thing About Pressure....................................................................................8

Cover Story Geeta Cowlagi: The Journey of Joyful Living.................................................10

Business & Tech Success in Failure...............................................................................................28 Super Simple Goal Achieving Formula ...........................................................32

Career & Learning Will a Career Change Make You Happy?......................................................36 Positive Psychology...........................................................................................44

Faith & Self Help Karen Salmansohn.............................................................................................50 Truth.....................................................................................................................52 The Miracle of Purpose......................................................................................58 Lil Nipper Snapper Cartoon..............................................................................65

Style & Beauty Things We Love..................................................................................................66 Beauty Enhancing Nutrient Must-Haves..........................................................68

Lifestyle & Wellness Powerful Women Speak Up..............................................................................78 NEW Your Zodiac Predictions For August 2015...............................................88 Happiness After Loss..........................................................................................94 What We’re Reading........................................................................................99

Food, Home & Family Fresh Corn on the Cob....................................................................................102 Martha Stuart, I’m not!....................................................................................104

From the Editor

The Thing About I work best under a deadline or quality standard. It’s just something to do with the way I tick, I guess. Pressure can be a great motivator to achieve things we never thought possible. That’s the thing about rough waters. You can drown or you can ride that wave, tread water harder and at times simply float from exhaustion to places you never dreamt possible. The difference in your outcome is quite simply a combination of your outlook and the audacity you carry with you, which drives you to succeed. So as healthy as pressure can be, and a fuel in times when it is hard to self-motivate, it is also easy to find yourself in the habit of pressure, for no good reason. In my case, too much pressure for far too long caused a certain conditioning to stress. I became a “helper” who too often accepted additional burden, or even abuse and exploitation, from others who only brought trauma in the name of “love”. Why? Because I could see that I was strong. 8

• Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

The thing about pressure is that, in many situations, we have direct control over the valve. It’s great to have goals and important to set the milestones to ensure that we are on track to manifesting the outcomes we want in our lives. Action is what brings about a result, no matter what you read about mantras. Sometimes life hands us other plans and constraints, which knock our milestones right out of sync. In these moments, it is best for us to simply acknowledge the limitation and back off from pressuring ourselves. You are not your own slave master. You are the pilot of your destiny and when we are given turbulence, we will crash if we ignore the challenge at hand and attempt to keep our original course. A smart captain will fly with the grain of the storm where it is smart to do so. Back off. Give yourself time to achieve the minimums for a while. Allow yourself time to get through the constraints and challenges and to re-plot your course once the route is again clear. Nothing is a failure unless you stop. A bump in the road, a glitch, a financial set back, an unexpected event, these are just a part of life! Your journey is not about simply ticking off achievements – it’s about the road you follow and the way you breathe through every season and storm. This is life. Don’t allow anyone, especially yourself, to give you any negative messages otherwise. If you feel yourself a freak, know we freaks are legion. It’s not just you. I believe in you. I love you. Don’t give up.

By Michelle Fitz, Editor-In-Chief

Michelle Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •

Cover Story

The Journey of Joyful Living

“Mindfulness” is popping up everywhere - heads of state, celebrities, news anchors and more are now some of its biggest advocates. It is transformative when practiced with dedication and care. And it is so popular because it works.

should let you know up front, I’m biased. I teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with my company Joyful Living and I am transformed because of it. I moved to the United States from India when I was 17 years old as a high school exchange student. I lived in Newton, Iowa with amazing host families who taught me incredible lessons in generosity and kindness when they opened their homes and hearts to me. I received a full scholarship to Grinnell College which I gratefully accepted. Eventually I met my wonderful husband who has been my best friend for over twenty years and I found a dream position at the University of Texas at Austin. I worked in the Department of Educational Psychology and the Counselling and Mental Health Centre to create a revolutionary program, Voices Against Violence.

In this work, I presented interactive workshops and trainings to over 50,000 students and professionals around the United States. 12 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

My focus was how to prevent violence and support survivors, so the core of my approach was always “heart-centered.” That approach invited people to explore life’s challenges in a safe and supportive environment – and really was the foundation of my mindfulness journey.

And I should tell you, I dealt a lot with trauma. I dealt with my own trauma, and the trauma of the people I supported. I know and saw first hand the effects trauma has on a person. You see, trauma is a body and heart experience. When something happens to us, or against us, it affects us on a cellular level. Traditionally, to treat trauma, we focus on addressing the mind alone and attempt to think our way through it. But what I know is that embodied traumas must be addressed in an embodied way. It has to be viewed with the whole of ourselves – mind, heart and body. So while I managed trauma, a stressful life, and a hectic job, I started finding refuge in meditation. This allowed me to tap into my body, my heart, and

my mind. It was the start of joyful living.

While I was working with trauma and violence, Jon Kabat-Zinn was writing, teaching, and speaking about Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Jon started MBSR at the University of Massachusetts and used it with patients who had chronic pain and stress related illnesses. He saw unprecedented success across a range of individuals and problems because MBSR is so comprehensive and compassionate. Geeta Cowlagi: The Journey of Joyful Living

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indfulness Based Stress Reduction combines meditation, mindfulness techniques, and body awareness practices in an interactive group setting. It is rooted both in ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience. MBSR also focuses on heart strengthening practices - fostering compassion, kindness and supporting self-awareness. All of this adds up to make an amazingly effective program that truly allows us to live more nourished, connected, and stress resilient lives. Stated simply, mindfulness is being aware of the present moment with kind attention. (Yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that easy to say but complex to accomplish.) Before I share a personal story with you, I want to give you a taste of MBSR. Settle in, and try this out:

Breathe in. As you exhale, relax your forehead, cheeks, jaw, neck, and shoulders. Invite softness into your eyes, heart, and belly.

Invite your attention to the rising and falling of your chest or abdomen with each in-breath and out-breath. Repeat this 10 times.

Thoughts may come up. Gently notice that you are thinking and invite attention back to your breath with gentle care. Let go of judgment if possible.

Give yourself permission to rest your mind-bodyheart for just this moment with kindness and curiosity. Geeta Cowlagi: The Journey of Joyful Living

â&#x20AC;˘

Congratulations. You’ve just practiced mindfulness.

we know, sometimes life offers the greatest lessons through the most heartbreaking experiences. The most profound for me was when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2006. This was the start of my own journey in mindfulness and MBSR. My mother lives in India with my father. My siblings and I are scattered across the world. We began visiting her for longer periods of time, to help care for and really to be with her. We all started going through the stages of grief and loss in slow motion - as is typical of the nature of Alzheimer’s. We could do nothing except offer the best care possible and love our mother with our whole heart and body. And such love was hard to offer unconditionally and for long periods of time. It depleted me and all her caregivers. I started to look around for resources and practices that would support me and my loved ones through this tremendously difficult time and I found mindfulness, kindness, and MBSR practices to be my pillars of strength and support.

This journey needed incredible courage and patience and love.

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“What does it mean to befriend yourself and each moment? It means to be a friend - and to be a friend means to really listen with your mind, heart and body.” I learned that I really could not control anything. I had so much attachment to so many different desires, ideas, emotions, and outcomes. And yet, I could practice being present, through everything. When something happens to us, there is a story that usually follows. If I spill a cup of tea, I don’t just spill the tea. Immediately, a story begins to play – you’re so clumsy, you should pay more attention, this is another reason today isn’t going well and on and on. But if we can catch the story – and can be in the moment – then there is just tea in the cup and tea on the table in that moment. I was truly amazed at how much freedom there was in understanding – there is only that cup of tea! The rest of it all is just a long tedious story that uses so much of my energy and depletes me constantly! Geeta Cowlagi: The Journey of Joyful Living

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he healing and strength I found in accepting my mother’s illness intrigued me and I began turning fully toward the suffering with love and compassion. It was amazing to learn how to allow whatever was present to be welcomed with kindness and care, and see it for just what it was without the story. In letting go of reactions of resistance, anger, and control and my stories of “should and would,” I found grace and tenderness carrying me through the days. Instead of falling apart and shutting down, I found myself becoming more resilient and kind. In the middle of sorrow was so much joy. I understood that everyone of us will pass from this world and have our own unique journey. This particular illness is my mother’s path. As I practiced MBSR and learned to bow to things I cannot change, and changed my attitude instead of wanting to change the circumstances, something started transforming inside me. The moments when I held my mother and rocked her to sleep, the moments when I fed her and bathed her, the moments of support and care with my father – these became gifts of joy that I will treasure for the rest of my days.

I began more extensive trainings in mindfulness – silent retreats, workshops, reading and listening to anything I could get my hands on. I learned that there was another way to navigate through the “ten thousand tears and ten thousand joys” of our life. I found that there is a way to train the heart-mind to not cling to the past or fear the future. It 18 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

became possible to live joyfully in the present moment – even if the present moment is meeting my mother’s Alzheimer’s with full acceptance. Alzheimer’s became my greatest teacher. With Alzheimer’s, there is no memory of the past and no being in the future. So when I was with my mother, I realised the more I could tap into my heart, to be fully present, the easier it became to transform the suffering with compassion and kindness.

The gift of Alzheimer’s is that there is only the present moment. And so I practice now, “Can I be with my mother in this exact moment?” Looking, really looking into her eyes. Taking her hands in mine and feeling her slowly come to recognise the touch of kindness from an old muscle memory she has? Can I put my head on her chest and allow her to remember in the deep, deep parts of her heart that she once held and nursed me with so much love? Amazingly, when I let go into these moments of connecting she comes out of her fog of forgetting and I feel her gently rocking me, patting my head, and responding back! I let tears flow freely when I am with her. She is my greatest teacher, because she reminds me that she is now. And this is her greatest gift to me. Geeta Cowlagi: The Journey of Joyful Living

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I’ll tell you this one last story.

have been fortunate to attend silent meditation and mindfulness retreats under the guidance of incredible meditation teachers including Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzburg, Kamala Masters, Rodney Smith, Steve Armstrong, Mark Coleman, Christina Feldman and Howard Cohn, and MBSR teachers including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Saki Santorelli, Bob Stahl and Florence Meleo-Meyers. Their wisdom and care continue to guide me every step of the way. In fact, during my mother’s roughest times when she would not sleep for several nights on end, she and I listened to guided meditations and talks by Jack Kornfield. For some reason she connected with his words and his energy, and she would calm down from her extremely agitated

moods. So when I was at a retreat that he was leading, I mustered up the courage to approach him. I saw him greet people, talk and connect. Once it was my turn, I shared the story of my mother, her Alzheimer’s, and how he had supported us. I thanked him from the centre of my heart.

And then, I’ll never forget what he did.

Jack Kornfield extended his soft warm hands and held mine. And with the most tender voice and deeply loving eyes, he asked, “Geeta, what is your mother’s name?” I wept with the overwhelm of my heart meeting his – the power of my heart being held in nothing but unconditional love in the present moment. 20 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

This is the power of mindfulness and compassion in relationship. Trusting that when your heart meets another person’s heart, something will happen. Jack Kornfield’s heart was open to meet mine, and mine was open as well. And in that precious moment, something happened. A healing, a relief, an acknowledgment, a vulnerability. It was at the end of my retreat with Jack that I knew without a doubt that I wanted to share these incredible teachings with others and offer them the possibility of healing and freedom that Jack offered me. It is with his blessing that I turned toward teaching MBSR. It has been such a wonderful love affair with this practice since then.

“How many moments of lightness and laughter have you enjoyed? The goodness is around us, we just have to choose to turn to it. “ And so my work to this day continues to be to meet each individual – whether it’s in class or on the street – and open my heart so that I may meet their open heart as well. With that same sentiment, I want to gift you with a practice I do myself and offer to my students: Geeta Cowlagi: The Journey of Joyful Living

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you go about your day and you interact with your children or spouse or co-workers or even the bagger at the grocery store, can you pause (mindfulness) and really notice the colour of their eyes? Observe their eye colour, perhaps recognise that they too have the same dreams and aspirations, joys and sorrows as you have, and wish them well (compassion) either in your thoughts or verbally. You may even invite a little smile to your eyes or lips. It’s a wonderful little exercise to continue to strengthen mindfulness and compassion in your life.

Thank you for taking the time to explore this journey with me. I wish you and your loved ones ease and well being. May you know kindness and care in your life.

For a free download to cultivate Mindfulness in Relationships, visit www.joyfulliving.us 22 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

24 â&#x20AC;˘ Hat Trick Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ hattrickstrategies.com

“Without judgment, we watch ourselves start living our lives with grace and gratitude.” Geeta Cowlagi

Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com •

oday I was talking to someone and suddenly remembered to look directly into their eyes and notice their eye colour. So I did. Not only did I stop to notice the eye colour, but I was truly surprised by how much more aware of them I seemed to be, and wondering what in the world I had been looking at before I noticed their eye colour. I couldn’t tell you what I had been looking at. I don’t think I could have told you even what colour shirt they were wearing. I was just strolling through the conversation, I guess. So I tried it again with the man who made me a sandwich at a store. Same thing. I noticed his eye colour and at the same time I felt like I noticed more about our conversation. But, afterwards, I couldn’t help but wonder how much I have been missing when I speak with people. It did feel like a very different experience to just stop and notice their eye colour. The more I do your practice, the more I feel I learn. Now I know this isn’t exactly earthshattering news or even a huge leap in my “meditation practice.” But it does make me more aware of being in the present moment. And it is not at all like learning from a book, all nice and orderly. It is more like a bunch of little surprises that pop out of a toy jack-in-the -box. I’m just kind of rambling and stumbling along,

26 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

when, bam! I look into someone’s eyes and realise I have probably missed a lot over the years ( and I am not just talking about eye colour). Not that I didn’t already figure out I had missed a lot, but I think I might have been off by a few orders of magnitude. So, thanks for telling the story about looking for eye colour. And, I am not dwelling on it in the past or thinking about changing it in the future. Well, I probably will do both, but only in the interest of trying to be more present in the moment.

“I will carry this practice with me forever. In how I deal with my child, my husband and close family. In how I cope with my thoughts and how they influence my life. Especially in always giving me the “space” to choose how I react.” Class Participant, Spring 2015 “Geeta was and is amazing. Her presence, communication and energy complimented the class. She is articulate, wise, compassionate, genuine and warm with a wonderful smile. She enhanced experience with attentiveness to each individual’s needs. She conveyed the transformative power of mindfulness in her teaching and personal experiences.” Class Participant, 2015 “I have been able to meet myself with much more compassion than usual. My emotions have been more easily accessed instead of being stuffed.” Class Participant, 2014 Geeta Cowlagi: The Journey of Joyful Living

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Business & Tech

Success In

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By Andrea Sullenger 28 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

When you say the word fail, how does it make you feel? If you’re anything like me, you’ll be thinking some negative thoughts right now that you’ll want to turn off right away. The words fail or failure bring up distressing thoughts for most people. about American heroes and it said Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times. Most of us think of Babe Ruth as a totally successful baseball player. The article said Thomas Edison had a thousand failures when he was attempting to invent a light bulb that could be mass-produced. I love his answer during an interview: “I have not failed 1000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 1000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will The fact is, many successes find the way that will work.” have happened strictly because of failures. Of course it depends Most of us would have given on what you consider a failure to up long before we reached the be. The other day I was reading thousand mark. Personally, I What if you thought of failure as success? Say the word success five times. How does that make you feel? Success is a word that makes most of us feel fantastic. Play a little trick on your brain. Decide to think successful thoughts in response to the word failure. How does it feel to say the word failure and have your brain think of success? Are you able to do it? Try it again. Try it with a friend, family member or colleague.

Success in Failure! •

strive to be more like Edison and think positively, even about situations I might previously have considered to be failures. Edison came up with a lot of useful, life-changing inventions, even though he must have felt some big-time discouragement along the way. Without failure, success would have no meaning. For most of us, our successes are rated in relation to our failures. Think of your failures as steps in the stairway to success. Each failure will take you a notch closer to where you want to be. Think back in your business and make a mental list of a couple of

failures you experienced. Did they move you toward success? Most entrepreneurs will recognise that their so-called failures helped move them toward success. Is that true for you? Find a way to subtly suggest to your employees or business colleagues that there is a different way to look at failures. Share some of your ‘hiccups’ in your business and explain how you feel they helped you move forward. Talk about valuable lessons you learned from failures and how, as a result, some new, positive attitudes became part of your philosophy. Sharing these thoughts can help others and as a bonus, you’ll move forward too.

Who knows? Your positive outlook in regard to failures is likely to help someone else become wildly successful in their business. Before long you’ll be a mentor, helping other entrepreneurs achieve remarkable professional goals. 30 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Click ch t a to W ine! Onl

WITH MICHELLE HOLMES

Super Simple

Goal Achieving

Formula

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By Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse 32 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

I love

finding and sharing new information and insights with you that I feel will truly benefit you and help you to achieve success in all areas of you life. This happened to be the case recently when I came across a new teacher, Rishan B. I was listening to an interview he gave and he spoke about a formula to success. Now parts of this formula I have heard before, but I loved how he put it together in a cyclical format and I feel this process will be so beneficial to you as you work on achieving your goals. Seeing that half the year has almost gone by, and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like most people, you may have already given up on your goal of making 2015 your best one yet. If that is the case, I want you to revisit your goal, and let this be your sign that it is possible and that you can make it happen!

Check out this mini lesson below and re-commit to making the last half of the year the best one yet!

Super Simple Goal Achieving Formula â&#x20AC;˘

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Career & Learning

Will a Career Change Make You

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By Sandra Cunningham 36 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Many people assume that the answer to a miserable job lies in finding a new career. But is it realistic to pin all your hopes for happiness on making such a change? Will it actually make a difference to how you feel? From time to time, I meet up with friends, ex-colleagues and former clients who, just like yours truly, have made a career change (or few) over the years. For many of them it was a good move. But for some, it was a very different story. Sadly things didn’t work out as well as they’d hoped.

to make a real success of their careers, taking them in a new direction, doing work that challenged them and made them excited, but once the shiny, new polish of the first few weeks wore off, they found themselves struggling, demotivated and completely uninspired in their new role. And in fact, there were On paper it might have seemed many similarities with the job like the ideal job: a new opportunity they’d just left.

~ Why do some people find career happiness, while others stay stuck? ~ The most common reasons cited for dissatisfaction about work include problems like an unreasonable boss; feeling under/ overstretched; toxic colleagues; having to work ridiculous hours; not receiving recognition, encouragement or feedback; being passed over for progression. It’s usually a combination of factors Will a Career Change Make You Happy?

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“…the problems rarely go away. Why? Because we’re barking up the wrong tree.” like these that people blame for their unhappiness, often leading to a decision eventually to move on, find a new job or change career altogether. These problems are real enough, and they also have a damaging knock-on effect to other areas of our lives. So they can’t be underestimated, but, unfortunately when we react to difficult and challenging circumstances like these, by effectively running away from them (i.e. finding an alternative job), the ‘problems’ rarely go away. Why? Because we’re barking up the wrong tree. And we’re not tackling the real cause of our unhappiness.

~ The reason we can’t find happiness ~ We humans are creatures of habit. In spite of wanting to create change in our careers, we tend to seek out situations, people, jobs and organisations that bring with them an element of familiarity. Even if we consciously decide to throw ourselves into the unknown, we will respond to our new challenges and opportunities in ways that have long become second nature to us. As a result, we will re-create pretty much the same patterns and cycles as we’ve experienced before, and we’ll do it over and over again. 38 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Finally, we might realise that it’s not our career circumstances that we need to change – it’s the way we approach our career as a whole and the manner in which we respond to those circumstances. But until then, it can be a case of continual trial and error. If we are smart and self-aware, we’ll eventually work it out for ourselves. But if we don’t, our working lives will be filled with the continual, fruitless search for the elusive career that WILL make us happy, or we’ll just give it up as a waste of time.

So, if you think you might be looking in the wrong place to find your career happiness, but you know it must around here somewhere, where should you look instead? As Gretchen Rubin writes in The Happiness Project, “I can build a happy life only on the foundation of my own nature.” The more your life—and work—reflects your real interests, values, and temperament, the happier you are likely to become. Could it be time to look inside yourself—get to know you again before taking a leap? Okay, it’s easier said than done. Finding out who we are can be a tricky one. This is partly because we are not always comfortable with that true self that lies deep within us.

“I can build a happy life only on the foundation of my own nature.” Gretchen Rubin Will a Career Change Make You Happy?

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Instead we lead our lives trying to be the person we think we ought to be, who we wish we were and who we think others want us to be, not our true selves, so we get caught in a perpetual trap that suffocates us, diminishes our self-worth and robs of us our power to deal creatively with the challenges presented by our work and relationships. At best, nothing changes. At worst, we just get more and more unhappy, but, read on – there is hope!

~ Change your approach before you change your career ~ In his classic work Flow, on how to achieve happiness, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes: “The fulfilment we all hope to get in our lives comes about when we can create from who we are. Call it full-blast living.” Full-Blast Living. I love that! If you want to build a successful, lifeenhancing career that brings you happiness, then you have to take the courageous step of showing up as you more often. That means you’re going to start:

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Asking for what you want Saying what you mean Trusting your intuition Taking a stand for what you believe in Knowing what makes you tick (or ticked off) and acting on it Spending time with people and activities that energise you

40 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“The fulfilment we all hope to get in our lives comes about when we can create from who we are. Call it fullblast living.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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Choosing a career because you want to, not because you ought to Playing to your strengths more of the time – stop worrying so much about your limitations Being part of a business where you can honour your values and thrive as yourself

Did you get goosebumps when you read that? A bit scary? Yes? Good! You’re ready to do the work, and I can help you! You’ll be amazed at the results. Now, once you have discovered who you are and what you really want, and you’re getting into the swing of being the new you, it’s possible that your next step is not to change career, but to ‘lean in’ to your current job. They say there is a gift in every situation, and this might be your chance to grow and develop in preparation for the bigger opportunity, that no doubt lies ahead, and you may even find that the happiness you want is available to you, right where you are. In any case, you can be sure that a new clarity will emerge. Will a Career Change Make You Happy?

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What if it’s time for a change anyway? When all is said and done, sometimes you just know it is time for a change. Apart from anything else, a new environment (chosen wisely and away from old ghosts) can be the ideal place to reinvent yourself as the new, wiser, more empowered version of you. The important thing to remember is that, in order to be successful and sustainable, the choice to change career should be made from a ‘clean’ place, so first, make a determined effort to learn from the past, learn about you and redefine your career strategy from that basis. Then be sure that from day one onwards, you’re able to leave your old wounds and self-limiting beliefs locked away in your brief case.

If you’ve been in a vicious career circle for rather too long, remember a change of career is not always going to cure your unhappiness at work. Real happiness in life comes when you are able to enjoy being ‘you’ as you live your life – and that goes for your career too.

42 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Positive Psychology

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By Sukh Pabial 44 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Creating feelings of good & strengthening resilience. Positive psychology is all about how to strengthen experiences of feeling good. We spend so much time living, that sometimes when good things happen we forget how to cherish those experiences and elevate the relevance they have in our lives. Positive thinking is not the same thing as positive psychology. Positive thinking is useful for helping to reframe when something has happened to you and you need to think better about it. It is the wrong type of intervention to use when something serious has happened. It is definitely the wrong intervention when experiencing something traumatic. Traditional psychology and therapy have focused on helping people move from a place of feeling depressed and needing support to a place of feeling neutral about those things. In and of itself that is not easy and can often take years of therapy, counselling and sometimes medicine. Positive psychology is about techniques that help create lasting feelings of feeling good, improving wellbeing and strengthening a persons resilience. Where traditional psychology and therapy are about supporting a person to feel more in control and live their life, Positive Psychology â&#x20AC;˘

“In learning how to deal with these situations we increase our resilience and improve our chances of managing those situations better in future.” positive psychology aims to help people learn how to feel vibrant and thrive. It helps a person focus on their strengths and consider what is going right. Carrying out a daily reflection of three good things helps a person to learn how to appreciate the good moments and experiences they have had over their day. The importance of this is to cultivate appreciation of yourself and of others. Research has shown that couples who have strong relationships have a ratio of 5:1 positive to negative statements. This helps us to understand that some conflict is healthy in a relationship, however what is more important is how partners share their appreciation of one another. In the workplace this reduces to 3:1 for a healthy and effective team. Positive psychology is not about dismissing difficult or challenging situations or denying they happen. We learn a lot about ourselves when we are faced with these types of situations, and they force behaviours which we may not be comfortable with nor understand. This is reality and helps ensure that we have a sense of perspective of what good really looks like when compared to 46 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

bad. In learning how to deal with these situations we increase our resilience and improve our chances of managing those situations better in future. Importantly, we learn that these situations are rarely permanent and we can find a solution which works.

Hope and optimism are important tenets of positive psychology. They help people feel that they are in control of what happens to them, that difficult times are transitory, and that they can feel good about the future. When we have hope and optimism we find the drive and motivation to do and achieve more. When receiving good news, how we respond to the other person can either strengthen or weaken a relationship. Imagine the statement “I got a promotion”. There are four response modes:

Active constructive

We acknowledge, ask further questions, support and celebrate with the other person “That’s really good news! How are you feeling about it? Let’s go out for a meal!”

Passive constructive

We acknowledge with cursory words “Well done.” Positive Psychology •

Passive destructive

We don’t acknowledge and instead bring the focus to yourself “I think I’d like to go out shopping at the weekend.”

Active destructive

We acknowledge and seek to take apart the statement and find fault in it “Well that means you’ll be working harder and they’re only going to give you more work than you can handle.” Most of us go to work and have a home life. These two things tend to be our first and second place. We can all consider how to find a third place where we carry out an activity which we are fully engaged in, helps us feel rejuvenated, we don’t notice the time passing, and we have no judgement or criticism about the activity. For me its skiing and when I’m not doing that it’s writing. This can feel like an indulgence. It might be. Final thoughts will be on summarising the above, encouraging everyone to find a way for the different techniques to work for them and keep practising.

As with most things in life, if something is worth doing then you have to take the time to learn how to make it work well. 48 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Faith & Self Help

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By Karen Salmansohn

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Truth We

don’t always like the truth. We tend to expect others to be open and honest and truthful with us, yet when it is our turn to be truthful, little “white” lies often look prettier. We think the truth looks ugly. I have a confession: I am a liar. Scripture speaks to us about

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By Katie Clifton, Christian Columnist 52 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.” Acts 13:50 saving grace for all kinds of sinners and I read them like a check list. I compare myself to these listed sinners and tend to think I must look pretty good to God. “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshippers, and all liars...” (Rev 21:8) Murderer? Nope. Not me Lord. Witchcraft? Safe again. Blasphemer? No. You can add a gold star there, Jesus. Liar? Ouch. God doesn’t see these differently. John says in Revelation that all of these have

fate in the lake of fire. Me being a liar does not bring God glory but thankfully Jesus came for all of us messed up people. Grace and forgiveness waits for us all. But it is time to confess our sin, die to it and walk in truth. I think if we are honest, lying plays a part in everyone’s lives. There is just no such thing as a good lie.

An earlier article of mine, Crazy Girl Rant, apparently hit home for many. I was shocked and overwhelmed at the response, messages and words of “I am right there with you, girl”. There is a large portion of grown women who are aching for friendships and they Truth •

are struggling with loneliness. Thank you all for speaking up and making me feel less alone in my rant. Several days after that article I really began to pray for all of you who shared your struggles and hurts with me. I knew there was something that the Lord was calling me to do but I was fighting it. After great encouragement and truth from a mentor, I knew God was calling me to begin a bible study in my town for women who are seeking to know the Lord better and desiring to make and build friendships. I made a status about the bible study and prayed that just maybe the Lord would send a few women to join me on this journey. (I urge you all to pray about this is your own lives. If the Lord is leading you to step out in faith and connect with other believers, please do it). I am sharing all of this with you, to tell you this:

I am scared… That is the truth. As I have begun working through the Bible study book, God has revealed to me that one of the many ways I shut people out of my life is by hiding the truth. Transparency can hurt. Vulnerability makes me feel naked. I really don’t find joy in exposing myself to others. I am scared to be judged. I am scared my secrets won’t be kept. I am scared I will be talked about. I am scared someone will think less of me. I am scared to disappoint God. What I have failed to remember is that the Lord already knows everything. I stand before Him fully exposed. He sees me for all 54 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

that I am, good and bad. There is no where we can hide from Him. There is no place we can run where He can’t reach us. So, why do I spend time lying to God and to others? When my kids lie to me it looks so ridiculous. Our nine year old has a tell-tale sign that she is lying. First she talks, then she sticks her tongue in her cheek and can’t make eye contact. She will promise she is telling the truth, but looks like she has a giant gum ball in her mouth. I can assure you, I see right through it.

“These women may have been religious but they were not Christians. They didn’t want to accept the truth. The truth seemed ugly to them. Truth would have changed them.”

This

is how silly we must look when we lie to God. He sees through us. As I study Acts 13:50, I can’t help but notice how it was the “religious women and the leaders of the city” who ran Paul and Barnabas out. We women can talk a good talk, build up followers to stand with us and we can trample on people all too easily and run them away and shut them out. These women may have been religious but they were not Christians. They didn’t want to accept the truth. The truth seemed ugly to them. Truth would have changed them. All too often when truth is shared with us we refuse to listen. We can even fight the truth so much and run from it, that we run so far away the truth no longer affects us. Truth •

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8: 31-32, 34-36. Jesus tells the truth. Jesus is truth. Truth sets us free. Just saying that out loud makes me want to curl up in truth and find comfort. The religious people didn’t like the truth and unfortunately sometimes I can be more concerned with religion than love and grace. That is the truth. That truth hurts me to share it. I want to ask you:

What truth do you not want to hear from Jesus? What truth hurts you?

What truths do you attempt to hide from God? What truths do you hide from those around you?

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I am asking the Lord to prepare me for this study with new friends I am becoming so aware of my need to rely on the Holy Spirit. I am asking the Spirit to expose truth and open my eyes to truth. John 15: 26 says, “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”

I want to encourage you to cry out to God with me. I want to be on my knees begging for the hard truths that I need to hear. I want to hear and respond and be changed. Beginning a Bible study in your community may be something God is calling you to do as well. If so, let the truth of the Spirit equip you. Maybe the Lord is urging you to die to the former life of sin that you have clung to. If He is, surrender and walk in freedom.

Truth •

The Miracle Of

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By Gina Hussar 58 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Mark Twain says that the two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out. And this miracle is what he was talking about. There is a question that haunts millions of people. Some people go their entire lives thinking they never found an answer. And not knowing the answer is a catalyst for depression, soul fatigue and even anxiety. People go to great lengths to find this answer. How

many stories have you heard of people backpacking through Europe to try to find themselves? Pilgrimages are taken. Decades spent wondering. Entire lives devoted to the quest to uncover this one answer. And the question?

What is my purpose on this earth? What we’re talking about here is the work we’ve been divinely appointed to do. It’s what’s in our DNA—Divine and Natural Attributes. Everyone is born with these divinely given gifts and then of course what happens is pesky little things like mortgages and adulthood take center stage. Our gifts never go away but they are buried deep by obligation and we begin to live a life that we think is required rather than the life that speaks to our soul. And we forget. We forget who we are at our core. We forget the little gifts from God that make us…us. The Miracle of Purpose •

I can tell you that one of the biggest peace disruptors is the realisation that life is short and that we are living a life that is not in-line with our soul’s purpose. It is frustrating, stressful, and even depressing for a lot of people when really the journey to your soul’s purpose should be full of joy, peace, and relief. Purpose is one of the most misunderstood concepts of all time. And the failure to understand it properly can honestly ruin a life! For years my inability to discover my purpose haunted me. I spent thousands of dollars trying different things, each time certain that I was on the right track. And then of course, once I was knee deep in it I would realise that I didn’t want to be there and was back to square one. And then all sorts of fun things set in. Sadness for time wasted. Regret. A pinch of shame. Fear of the unknown. But here’s the truth. Read this carefully because I am about to blow your mind. At least I hope.

Your purpose is not something you find, it’s something you decide. Your purpose is not your purpose because it’s pre-destined. Your purpose is your purpose because you say it is. Period. You say it 60 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Desire There are 4 elements to a Service compelling Priority purpose Action is and then you make it so. So you don’t need to trek to a foreign land. You don’t even need to put pants on. Because the answer isn’t “out there.” Let’s say you are currently a lawyer, but one day, you are visiting a friend’s house and you spot a beautiful painting of their dog. You are drawn to it. Inspired by it. You start to dabble in painting and you fall in love with the craft. You may be kind of terrible at it and just dabble as a hobby but it’s truly the thing that you love to do most. You can decide at that moment that your purpose

on this earth is to be the best pet portrait artist in the world. You desire it more than anything. You love to make pet owners happy as you capture the character and heart of their beloved animals. You commit to consistent training so that you master your craft and then you do whatever it takes to keep your name out there and share your work with the world… BOOM!

Never in your life did it occur to you to paint. It wasn’t some predetermined, fore-shadowed thing that’s been whispering to you since childhood. It was simply a choice. The Miracle of Purpose •

Purpose is a choice. This is about choosing something that makes you happier than anything else. There is no great mystery. You know what you like and don’t like. There is no text book that needs to be referenced here. We all know what we enjoy more than anything else! We all know what it is like to feel happy and we can certainly name a few things that bring forth that feeling. While I hope you can see that purpose is a choice, you may still be a bit unsure about how to choose. Which parts of you are pointing to or related to your purpose? There are clues as to what truly makes us happy and those are the clues that help us choose wisely. And of the four listed, the most powerful, is desire.

Desire My extended family is from a small town in northern Pennsylvania that is notorious for freezing temperatures and frequent bear sightings. I loved that little town, but as a teenager I was scared to death to make the three hour drive by myself. Even as an adult, I couldn’t stomach the thought of driving through the thick Allegheny forest on my own.

Then, on one particular trip to visit my grandparents, I fell in love.

He lived there and invited me to visit again the following weekend. Suddenly the dark, heavy forest wasn’t scary at all. Suddenly I was quite brave. Hell, I’ve made that trip a thousand times since I was 62 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“Desire. Not knowledge. Not money. Not connections. Desire is the bridge to success, to abundance, to happiness and most certainly to purpose.” a toddler. I could drive it with my eyes closed! The bears were still there. The route hadn’t changed. The forest hadn’t changed. What had changed? My level of desire. My level of desire cancelled out the perceived obstacles and ancient fears. Nothing was going to stand between me and my new (short-lived, not all he was cracked up to be) boyfriend. Desire. Not knowledge. Not money. Not connections. Desire is the bridge to success, to abundance, to happiness and most certainly to purpose. The question we should be asking isn’t “What am I meant to do?”, it’s “What do I like to do?” Period.

like to feel. (Hello again nonnegotiables!) Desire will make you brave. Desire will carry you through doubt and resistance. Desire will lead you home.

The answer to the age old “what is my purpose” dilemma is woven into whatever it is that makes you feel good. Whatever it is you most desire to do with your time. And however it is you most The Miracle of Purpose •

By Joey Phelps & Michael Phelps Lil Nipper Snappers Cartoon â&#x20AC;˘

Style & Beauty

By Michelle Fitz

CRYSTAL SCOOP NECK BLOUSE – COLOURS APPAREL 2

SCANDALOUS EAU DE PARFUM – VICTORIA’S SECRET 4

WOMEN’S YOGA BLOOMERS – MODAL SPORTS

SILVER ANGEL WING/STAR STACKABLE RINGS – 925

SACRED SPACE BODY MIST – FINDHORN FLOWER ESSENCES

Beauty Enhancing Nutrient

MUST-HAVES

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By Rachael Pontillo 68 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Looking good isn’t just something current pop culture is obsessed with. If historical evidence is anything to go by, even our ancestors took a lot of pains to stay on top of their beauty game. What was different though at that time, was that they relied on nature’s gifts to enhance their physical charm and to fight Father Time. With the growing impact of modern media today, people’s fascination with looking good has risen. However, the solutions many turn to in hopes of boosting their beauty have experienced a massive shift from the natural route that our foremothers took. Today, after many years of economic progress and clinical research, beauty giants and cosmetologists have introduced many “beautifying” products, treatments, and surgeries. Many of these measures, however, have serious safety concerns and can even impact your overall well-being and health, making you susceptible to premature aging, allergies, and even cancer. Luckily, we’re amidst a paradigm shift where time tested beauty traditions are making a comeback and more people are understanding how the nutrients you ingest via the foods you eat affect how you look. Beauty Enhancing Nutrient Must-Haves

•

HERE ARE FIVE BEAUTY-ENHANCING NUTRIENTS THAT YOU CAN OBTAIN FROM FOODS – EASILY, SAFELY AND NATURALLY

Biotin – When you put in many weeks of effort to grow your nails, it’s rather disheartening to see them crack and chip, especially when you’ve spent a bomb on your fancy manicure. You may blame the nature of your work for the constant nail breakage and may try many nail-care products to strengthen your nails. What you must know, however, is that instead of looking for temporary solutions, addressing the nutrient deficiency from within will ensure that the problem comes to a halt. Biotin, a B vitamin is found in foods like bananas, raw dairy products, mushrooms, tuna and peanut butter. Biotin not only helps aid nail growth but improves hair growth as well, reports the Linus Pauling Institute. Biotin even regulates metabolic function and keeps glucose levels in check.

Iron – If you notice chunks of your hair falling out, on your pillow, the bathroom sink, or even when brushing your hair, the reason behind it could have to do with your diet! A diet deficient in iron can lead to anaemia, which is one of the most common causes of thinning hair. This is because a lack of iron in the body can cause a reduction in the levels of red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering nutrition to the cells. It can thus reduce the flow of essential nutrients to the hair follicles, making them dry, dull and

70 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

brittle. Try adding iron-rich foods like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, lentils, whole grains, and even delightful, dark chocolate!

Vitamin C – Whether you’re concerned about premature wrinkles or discolouration caused by sun damage, vitamin C can help. Vitamin C boosts the production of collagen, the skin’s structural protein responsible for maintaining and improving elasticity and tone, thereby giving you smoother, firmer, and youngerlooking skin. It also improves skin healing from scars. Vitamin C’s tyrosinase inhibitors also prevent excess production of melanin and can protect the melanin-producing cells from sun damage, thus post-sun hyperpigmentation. This antioxidant even helps fight inflammation and free radical damage that can make you susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and premature aging. You can get your daily dose of vitamin C from citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lime, and vegetables like leafy greens, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids – No matter how much you slather your skin with moisturising creams and lotions, dry skin won’t heal unless you also focus on moisturising at the cellular level. Including omega 3-rich foods such as oily fish, chia seeds, walnuts and soybeans in your diet can work wonders to help keep your skin moisturised and supple. Omega-3 fats contain natural emollient properties which seal in cell moisture and have a revitalising effect on dry skin. According to a clinical study, those who take omega-3 supplements show better response against UV rays with appropriate topical application of sunscreen. The antiinflammatory properties of omega-3 fats help reduce swelling, redness, and skin Beauty Enhancing Nutrient Must-Haves

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irritation, thereby increasing clarity and texture. Omega-3 fats also help repair the skin’s damaged cell membranes.

Flavanoids – Starting your morning with a cup of green tea daily, apart from improving your metabolism and mood can also improve your skin. The intake of the green tea increases the flow of blood and oxygen delivery to the skin. The polyphenols in green tea help protect the skin against harmful UV radiation and improve overall skin quality, a study conducted by The Journal of Nutrition reports that eating chocolate rich in flavanols (dark chocolate) also has a photo-protective effect on the skin, a study conducted by the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology suggests.

By including these beauty-enhancing nutrients in your daily diet, you won’t need pricey and potentially toxic creams or cosmetic procedures; nature serves up all the solutions you need!

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natural

health & beauty.

Find simple tips & recipes at VintageAmanda.com

Lifestyle & Wellness

Strong Women

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By Charlene SanJenko Photo Credit: Maggi Woo photography

78 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail, female leadership isn’t strong in Canada. Why is that? At PowHERhouse, we’re asking the question, and we’re taking action to do something about it. Our PowHERtalks speaker series will gather 1,000+ women in six communities (plus a strong online component) to find their voice and make an impact.

Of the 47% of women who make up Canada’s workforce, only 3% are CEO’s.

ww ww ww ww

Less than 16% of women are in executive board seats. 40% of companies have no women at all on their boards. Only 16% of Canada’s small to medium-size enterprises are owned by women. 46% of women (almost half!) feel that women are portrayed in stereotypical ways and do not believe they have adequate business skills. Strong Women Speak Up

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So what is it that women need in order to move forward in their business and lives? We believe that it boils down to three things:

It’s easy to see that women are being challenged or blocked by their lack of confidence, connections and capital, but not quite so easy to address. Where do we begin? With slow and steady baby steps, creating a process to break the cycle and build women’s strength (literally), both internally and externally. PowHERtalks is the process we are using to take action. Much like committing to a 5k or 10k run, we are setting a goal and providing a pathway that allows women to ‘train’ for it. Our focus is not only on the high-calibre lifestyle and leadership events, themselves running October 2015 through May 2016, but also to create a simple framework that provides tools, support, mentoring, motivation and inspiration – all needed in order to develop a powHERful talk. 80 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Sharing Your Mission with Clarity Many women ‘dance around’ what it is that they do. Clarity is the first important step to achieving your Mission, and we’re going to help you access it.

ww ww ww

What is it all about for you? What is the impact you are looking to make? What is the legacy that you want to be remembered for in this lifetime?

Once clarity is found in your words, the next important step is finding your voice. Owning it. Finding your voice includes your tone, articulation, diction, pitch and projection. It is the ability to inflect your energy and passion into what you say and convey it authentically. This ability begins (and ends) with your body and your breath. Your body is your vehicle to communicate, and we want to help connect you with it in a whole new way. Strong Women Speak Up

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Portraying a Concise Message with Confidence 93% of our communication is non-verbal (55% body language, 38% tone of voice). We’ve learned to ‘dress for success’ but have we learned to master our ‘Power Stance’? Have we learned to harness courage from way down deep in our core? Do we know how to ground ourselves, starting at our base and connecting up from there, projecting confidence through our posture and absolutely ‘owning it’ without saying anything at all?

Amy Cuddy TED Talk: Your body language shapes who you are

Learning to align and engage the strength of our entire selves, our whole beings, everything single inch and ounce of ourselves – all of us, including incredible our physical bodies is the pathway (our “powHERpath”) to harness our greatest power and optimum performance. 82 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“It’s not about the content of the speech, it’s about presence… People are bringing their true selves.” ~ Amy Cuddy Evolving the role that we allow fitness to play in our lives as women is the key to moving us and our missions forward, collectively.

Providing a Clear Ask In order to put some muscle behind your mission, you must ask for it. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. The challenge is, most women are afraid to ask. Whether it’s asking for help, capital, referrals, mentoring, introductions or someone’s business … it’s easy to choke. I know, I’ve done it. I don’t believe that asking ever gets easy, but here are three lessons that I’ve learned to make it easier:

Practice, practice, practice! And, practice. Know what you want, and create a win-win situation for both parties. Strong Women Speak Up

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Read biographies of those you admire. It’s comforting to learn about their failure upon failure until finally they began to win. Persistence pays off.

Understand that it’s a numbers game. The more pop flies you hit out there, the better chance you have of achieving a home run.

We want to encourage you to speak up. The way forward for Canadian women – and our friends worldwide – is to remember our own true greatness, to step into our confidence with clarity and concisely communicate what we need to move our missions forward…

“Once clarity is found in your words, the next important step is finding your voice. Owning it.” 84 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Photo Credit: Maggi Woo photography

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.

Predictions

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By Manish Kumar Arora

Aries

21 March – 19 April A new beginning in work or career is indicated. You should now have the energy and enthusiasm to start a new venture or project, and have the optimism to be quite bold in what you decide to do. Do not concentrate too much on immediate returns; pay heed to the development of your skills. Pay attention to intuitive messages you receive from time to time as it may happen that best instincts are being repressed by too much logic and intellect. You are on the brink of achieving a lifelong dream. Drive and ambition fuel your passion so all this hard work feels like less of a burden. If you are searching love, you may find compatible match soon.

Favourable Dates August 1, 8, 10, 19, 17, 28 Favourable Colours Blue & Brown

Taurus

20 April – 20 May Your insights and accomplishments have prepared you to take some bold, but calculated risks. Initiative,

courage, and foresight will allow you to accomplish your goals. You are ready to take the creative spark of inspiration and ignite it. Right now, you’re in very good shape, and the outlook for the future is promising. But where things will actually go depends on you. Working out all the details and keeping the big picture in mind will do much to tip the scales in your favour. If your vision of greatness is still just a vague idea, you will still need to spend more time hammering out the details. If you are single and attached, the time to take the next step is now, or you’ll stay in the “friend zone” forever.

Favourable Dates August 2, 7, 11, 16, 20, 25, 29 Favourable Colours Yellow & Red

Gemini 21 May – 20 June

This is a time of steady work and development, which is great if you have lots of work that needs doing. However that energy can quickly become slow, boring and stagnant, leaving you wanting some excitement. Fear not, this is just a temporary phase so make the most of this diligent energy. Do not count your chickens just yet though; be careful not to boast or celebrate just yet, Zodiac Predictions For August 2015 •

Favourable Dates August 2, 5, 11, 14, 20, 23 29

in place, you should start choosing your successor. Under your care, people are prospering, and they have every reason to feel safe. You’re a great parent, a wise counsellor, and a fair boss. You have a smart head for business and a keen eye for detail. Others take pride in seeking you guidance on professional and financial matters. Make sure you’re not working too hard and neglecting your love life.

Favourable Colours Green, Yellow & Red

Favourable Dates August 5, 14, 19, 23, 25, 29

wait until all the results are in. Your business plan is unfolding exactly as you have predicted. If you’re ready to settle down, you can look forward to a romance without games or unpleasant surprises. There are responsibilities and there is work to be done but some days, you have to step out and enjoy the sunshine.

Favourable Colours Green, White & Red

Leo

23 July – 22 August

Cancer 21 June – 22 July

You have a smart head for business and a keen eye for detail. Add to that a deep understanding of how all the pieces fit together – no matter how complex the puzzle may be. Your prospects for advancement look good, and once everything is 90 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

You have probably been working hard and pushing yourself and this is where exhaustion and doubt has come in your life. You may be questioning whether this has been worth it and if you will ever reach the end. You are almost there and give that final push. This is not the time to give up as the end is within site. Keep going and you’ll pass it sooner than you think. If things have been feeling stuck and stagnant in love and relationship, you may finally decide to talk to your partner and make the changes necessary to get your relationship back on track. If you’re single, it may

be the day you let go of those thoughts and fears that have been holding you back and move forward into the love life you desire.

Favourable Dates August 2, 9, 11, 18, 20, 27 Favourable Colours White & Blue

it’s the end of the contract, and you will be rewarded for your efforts and for a job well done. Take this time to enjoy your achievements because very soon a new phase will be begin . If you’re already in love, watch as your relationship feels sweeter and more committed today. There could also be news about a pregnancy.

Favourable Dates August 3, 8, 12, 17, 21, 26, 30 Favourable Colours White & Red

Libra

23 September – 22 October

Virgo

23 August – 22 September You are brimming with ideas and creativity. It will become very important for you to be working in an environment that you find pleasing. You’re going to be in great demand as everyone looks to you for inspiration and guidance, and you’re more than up to the task. You’ll have the right words or advice for everyone. This period may see you being rewarded for your efforts in some real way. The project may be complete, or maybe

You can celebrate in your own right. You are the master of your own destiny and your actions alone have set you on the correct path. There is strong emphasis on what you have done correctly. Now is a time to be proud in yourself but not everything is roses. Understand that your success may attract negative attention by others who are jealous or envious of your achievements. The battle that you have faced is over and you have succeeded. Allowing your exuberance to knock you off your guard in other areas can be detrimental, especially in court or legal battles. Now is a great time to think about what you want out of a relationship and to vocalize it. Zodiac Predictions For August 2015 •

Favourable Dates August 2, 3, 11, 12, 20, 21, 29, 30 Favourable Colours White, Blue, Purple & Red

Scorpio

23 October – 21 November This is the peak time for you to choose your direction and that you have the full control. If you are pondering an investment, then see that endeavour working out in your mind’s eye and it will. Pursue the drive and act on opportunities that arise. Connect to the image in your mind or spirit of your higher self or higher source energy and this connection will bring you a higher perspective that will transform your desires into truth. When you are presented with a decision that you feel you absolutely cannot or do not know how to act on, do not waste your time in considering your possibilities.. Rather than wallowing, allow yourself to meditate on the manifestation rather than wondering how it will come to fruition.

Favourable Dates August 2, 5, 11, 14, 20, 23, 29 Favourable Colours White & Brown 92 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Sagittarius

22 November – 21 December These are positive energies coming your way and you will feel their effects soon. Be prepared for good news and inspiration in your life. You are ready to move on into a new phase. Allow for joy and celebration but also be prepared for the next big step in your life. Problems in your life are on their way out and easier times are ahead of you. Be prepared for good news and inspiration in your life. Now may be a good time for you to announce to your partners or to others what your true feelings are in your relationship. If you are single it’s a good indicator that a lasting relationship is coming your way.

Favourable Dates August 2, 5, 11, 14, 20, 23, 29 Favourable Colours White & Brown

Capricorn 22 December – 19 January

This period symbolizes success against opposition and a certain victory through courage. Right now you are gifted with added perspective that your opposition does not have.

You are under a certain amount of pressure, but you have more flexibility than those that are putting that pressure on you, You are capable of pushing through any adversity due to your inner strength and force of will. Because of your intense bravery and willingness to fight for what you believe in, you are already enlightened enough to understand that the environment and everything in it is all a part of one life spirit. If you are in a relationship, this shows a potential for a struggle to keep the authenticity and morale of the relationship which can at times be exhausting and challenging.

Favourable Dates August 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 25, 30 Favourable Colours Blue, Purple & Black

Aquarius

20 January – 18 February You may notice that there is too much pull at work, causing you to lose focus on things at home or vice versa. Be prepared to lie down and sacrifice one aspect or the other based on where your true need lies. If you feel that things are falling apart in a relationship or with your family and your attention is needed but you also have to work and perform well at your job then the best course of action may be that you need to cut back where

you can. Cutting back in one specific area is going to be more beneficial to you than having it all crumble on top of you.

Favourable Dates August 2, 9, 11, 18, 20, 27, 29 Favourable Colours Blue, Yellow & Green

Pisces

19 February – 20 March It is a great time to explore options of expansion and promotion. Work will require unexpected travel that will also come with prestige and increased revenue. While the work front may be offering more opportunities, there are likely unexpected expenses coming your way that you need to be prepared for. It is a time to think about getting back to the basics, lessening your load, and simplifying your life before you engage on the road ahead. Now is an excellent time in your life to consider what you can do to cut back. Pulling ahead too quickly will fatigue you and you will become too tired to complete your task. There would be sweetness and harmony in committed relationships.

Favourable Dates August 1, 5, 10, 14, 19, 22, 28 Favourable Colours Blue & Brown Zodiac Predictions For August 2015 •

HAPPINESS AFTER

LOSS

FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Kate Spencer 94 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

I WAS

recently invited to be interviewed to speak about “happiness after loss” by a lovely lady called Lois. She had found purpose because of a huge loss in her life and hoped to help others at the point of loss in their own journey. After exchanging emails with Lois and having a chat on the phone I knew that she was my kind of lady. The project had the kind of energy that I wanted to support – so I jumped in!

THEN I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ON EARTH I WAS GOING TO SAY… There were people being interviewed that had experienced massive losses in their lives, huge things that had rocked their world but they had somehow dragged themselves through it and made good. They had found that elusive silver lining, or received the wonderful gift of wisdom that comes with deep trauma and the kind of pain that you feel you are never going to recover from. And what about me? I’ve been through stuff…but was my stuff big enough to call loss? I get messages and emails from people everyday about their situation and how they are struggling, perhaps how my book Twelve Lessons came to them at the right time in their life, or how they may have resonated with a blog. Happiness After Loss

•

THE

thing is that everyone’s stuff is different – and we may look at other people’s stuff and think that it’s not as derailing or terrible or as heart breaking as ours…but it is big stuff to them. I looked back over my experiences and actually much of what I have gotten through was marked by loss. I see now that those losses were to make room in my life for growth and what I needed to come in, I couldn’t see this at the time, and most of us can’t. I got to thinking about what I had learned through the various losses in my life, and here are the key points that came up:

wwI

learned that life situations

keep changing, its fluid and the bad times feel like the end, but they

are not.

wwScars

start to heal if you are a willing spirit to look at how this can happen.

wwHearts

can be mended and you can love again.

wwYou

can forgive yourself and you can work at forgiving others.

96 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

wwYou

can get through some big stuff, and when you look back, 100% of the time you have already. You have a great track record.

I know that it can feel like the end of the world when horrible things happen to us, and I know that life can be very unfair. I can’t pixie and unicorn and law of attraction it up for you – sometimes shit happens. It’s happened to me as well.

SO HOW COME I AM HAPPY NOW? I processed the stuff, I got help from others and I made a commitment to myself that I would not get stuck in that old story. I couldn’t change the past but I could change how I looked at it, and it was not going to hold me hostage any longer. Even if I had to claw myself up the rock face of forgiveness, I knew that the view of my new life from the top would be magnificent. It wasn’t easy and it took time, tears and temper tantrums. But I just about got there. And that’s why I know that you can too…so whatever it is that you have been dragging around in your shit-cart all of this time, whatever has been bogging you down and stealing your joy, whatever has been stopping you from loving yourself and letting the past go – find a way now. Happiness After Loss

•

It wasn’t easy and it took time, tears and temper tantrums. But I just about got there.

AND

if you want some help and support in that then my club is a place of awesomeness that can help you so much. July is Law of Attraction month and we are working on healing old wounds and feeling more worthy of receiving all of the goodness that we deserve. If you could do with a side order of that then jump in and join us, there is no financial tie in so you are good to go when it suits (but I am guessing you will love hanging out with me and my tribe and you will grow and heal so much you will want to stay). Here is the link to find out more:

LEARN, CONNECT, GROW.

LOVE KATE 98 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

RUNNING LIKE A GIRL ALEXANDRA HEMINSLEY KINDLE EDITION £5.98 Very funny, very honest and very emotional, whether you’re in serious training or thinking about running for the bus, this book will make you want to put on your trainers. Alexandra Heminsley had high hopes: the arse of an athlete, the waist of a supermodel, the speed of a gazelle. Defeated by gyms and bored of yoga, she decided to run Her first attempt did not end well. Six years later, she has run five marathons in two continents.

THE WRITINGS OF FLORENCE SCOVEL SHINN PAPERBACK £12.98

JOHN OF GOD: HEALING THROUGH LOVE KAREN LEFFLER HARDCOVER £14.99

By Ashley Jack

Click images for synopsis and purchase information.

About a Homemade Year

Food, Home & Family

h s e r F

Corn on the Cob Is there anything more delicious than fresh corn on the cob? I don’t think so. I live where I can get fresh, picked-that-morning corn on the cob from a home farmer that needs to sell the extra supply. It is ready to eat with just a little cooking. Butter ‘n’ salt; fresh home grown tomatoes; watermelon for a salad; and pickles to cut the grease from all that butter. It’s perfect with freshly made sweet iced tea and delicious cornbread cakes, fried up on the iron skillet. Now that there is as southern as it gets. You don’t have to have meat, just lots and lots of corn on the cob!

By Tanya Jackson 102 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

INGREDIENTS Just plain old corn on the cob (the fresher the better). Can be eaten alone or with a delicious fresh salad!

! y o j n E METHOD I pull the shucks away from the cob at the top and remove the silks. Rubber band the shucks together. I do two together, so it stands the corn up. Boil the water in a tall pan then stand the corn in the pan with the hucks at top. When the water begins to boil again set your timer for ten minutes. Use the hucks as a handle to hold the corn. My favourite part is when all the corn is gone and I roll my cob in the butter and suck the juice/butter out. Just, wow! Encourage your kids to enjoy summer food. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a gift! Fresh Corn on the Cob â&#x20AC;˘

103

Martha Stuart

I’m Not!

By Cherie DeBurger 104 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

I have dabbled in many things over the years, some of them good and some of them not so good. I have discovered that I have a knack in a few areas, one of them being my ability to get pregnant. Even though my name wouldn’t rhyme as well as Fertile Myrtle, I know I could give her a run for the money. It came to the point were I could not take any chances and so after the birth of my fifth child I would not even allow my husband to take his pants off when he was in the same room with me until I was able to have my tubes tied, cut, burnt, clipped and whatever else could be done. Something I am not good at is cooking. I mean no one is suffering from food poisoning over here but if I don’t have a recipe to follow then it’s not going to happen. I have watched friends and family just throw in a dash of this and a pinch of that into the main course, basically throwing the cooking instructions out the window only to find that the masterpiece now taste’s even better than it did originally. When I try to experiment and add what I consider to be some flare to dinner the only one who actually enjoys eating it and will do so voluntarily is the dog. A couple years ago I started to hear more and more people talking and even raving about an internet site called Pinterest so I decided it was time to check out what all the hype was about. This website is to craft making and do-it-yourself’ers what the Bible is to Christians. There are endless examples and ideas of things you can make, Martha Stewart I’m Not •

105

ways to make cleaning easier, party tips and life hacks. Some are easy and some are more challenging but the site even gages the difficulty for you. I felt like Popeye after he ate his spinach! When the kids would go off to school I would log on to Pinterest to look something, up but within minutes some other posting would catch my eye and I would begin to scan and skip and post and pin in a frenzy comparable to a kid in a free candy store. When I took a second to glance at the clock I was amazed to discovered hours had gone by. You could find crafts to do with the kids, things to create for the house, nail designs and techniques, gardening containers the list is endless and so was my ambition. I had to fight the urge to run to the dollar store and grab item after item needed for crafts and creations that I knew could be accomplished because I had seen it on Pinterest.

I was going to decorate the entire house and make gifts and even the paper to put the gifts in, all of this for just pennies. Right now shabby chic is all the rage in my small corner of the world and the older and rougher the piece of furniture looks the most it costs. I am not what you would call a slave to fashion and there is even less of a chance that I would be called a trend setter but if I can save or even better, make money itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually a no brainer for me. 106 â&#x20AC;˘ Hat Trick Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ hattrickstrategies.com

I have recently been trying to create my own masterpieces but of course with purse strings tight and my husband Mike’s wallet even tighter, I have had to search for what I like to call “bargains”. Yes I have become that crazy lady who leans so far out of the car window that I almost fall out all the time yelling for my husband to stop. “Back up!” I yell as he looks at me (and not for the first time) like I have lost my mind. I jump out and lovingly run my hand along the stained, warped and broken diamond in the rough. The quick and futile discussion will ensue as Mike tries to talk me out of shoving the item into the back of the vehicle. Fast forward about five minutes and he is loading my treasure into the car.

“That’s when I move into stealth mode and drag my wonderful parents into becoming my partners in crime. They generously let me stash my finds over there.” There are many times I run across something when Mike is not with me and with no one to “reel me in” I find myself not as choosy. I have taken over the front room in our house so that I can transform my little beauties in the winter or summer and it’s not that big so I quickly run out of room. At that point my husband will indiscreetly suggest I sell some pieces before I buy any other ones, but he has to understand that if I find a deal I have to jump or someone else will. Martha Stewart I’m Not •

107

Once or twice I haven’t been able to resist and have picked up a piece of furniture I do not have any room for. I know Mike will not see this as a great bargain that I couldn’t pass up and he is not going to be happy once he finds out. That’s when I move into stealth mode and drag my wonderful parents into becoming my partners in crime. They generously let me stash my finds over there. We don’t always share the same taste either. I remember once I had a beautiful solid oak secretary desk that I had refinished with chalk paint and sanded to look rustic and old. I replaced the hardware and even decoupaged some details on it. I had spent hours painting and sanding to bring the desk to my opinion of perfection. I was so excited to show my dad what I had accomplished. So the next time he was over I told him I had a desk I wanted him to look at. We stood there looking at my creation and after my dad asked me if it was oak or not he wanted to know how I was going to refinish it. What! I stared at him and then started to laugh as I told him that I had already finished the make over and that this was actually the finished product.

It only reaffirms that fact that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. If you have any comments then please feel free to email me at lifes.moments@live.ca 108 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

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