Hat Trick Magazine August 2015 by Hat Trick Magazine

ISSN 2058-198X

BETTER DECISION MAKING

DE-CLUTTER YOUR HOME & HEART

LIVING FOR THE MOMENT

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE

ON LABELS, GENDER & EQUALITY

Volume 4 • Issue 8 • August 2015 £3.00 GBP | $4.50 USD | €4

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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Hat Trick Strategies

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

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 Michelle Fitz

Food, Home & Family Tanya Jackson Cherie DeBurger

We love hearing from youâ&#x20AC;Ś content@hattrickmagazine.com

From the Editor Dealing With Difficult People..............................................................................8

Cover Story Rain Dove: On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights..............................................10

Business & Tech 7 Key Steps to Better Decision Making............................................................26 Mindset for Success ..........................................................................................30

Career & Learning Face Your Fears: De-clutter Your Life & Home...............................................36 Life, Reality & The Past.......................................................................................44

Faith & Self Help Karen Salmansohn.............................................................................................50 These People......................................................................................................52 Right Here. Right Now.......................................................................................58 Lil Nipper Snapper Cartoon..............................................................................67

Style & Beauty Things We Love..................................................................................................68 Summer Sun Safety Tips.....................................................................................70 Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist...................................................................76

Lifestyle & Wellness Kyla Richey: Professional Athlete.....................................................................84 Your Zodiac Predictions For September 2015.................................................92 School Reunion Dilemma.................................................................................98 What We’re Reading......................................................................................104

Food, Home & Family Parmesan Twists...............................................................................................106 Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Kill Them..........................................................108

From the Editor

Dealing With People Lou Holtz famously once said “If you burn your neighbor’s house down, it doesn’t make your house look any better”. That is fortune cookie style wisdom, bite-sized and sweet, but applying it is actually pretty difficult. When we fail to vocalise our beliefs and wishes, it creates passive aggressive tendencies and plants seeds of resentment. It is important to stand in your truth, all of it, though we might choose to sugar coat it just a little or reveal it one chewable mouthful at a time. With that said, not everyone around us will be “awake”, meaning spiritually aware and able to step back from the dots and see the Picasso. These are the people who live their lives in a state of tunnel vision, with very prescribed and often self-curated projections of reality. And frankly, they can be a nightmare both in terms of the emotional anguish they cause through their meltdowns and in the way they force us to go into our shell, avoiding our truth, for the sake of avoiding their psychosis. The sweet spot is finding and speaking your truth anyway, despite their meltdowns, in the face of the abuse they bring you, and to stand firm as you allow their venom to fall like water on a duck’s back. No 8

• Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

one can define you but yourself. Reject their comments, even if only in your heart and speak up for what is true. This is a hard, trying, character-building exercise. This is especially the case when it comes to people we cannot simply weed out of our lives. Whether that is because of previous marriage association (and children), or quite simply too much shared history. They say that the truth is hard and this is why most of us avoid it if possible. It’s just easier to avoid the fall out. But friends, it will consume you. The better advice is to realise that you can’t do anything about their reaction, but you can do something about your own. In these instances, diffusing the emotion, attempting to see all angles but sticking up for your desires and needs are paramount. More importantly, see them for what they are – abusers. You may not be able to change your exposure to them but you certainly can control the ways in which you allow them to have influence over your life and emotions. Things like drawing and enforcing boundaries are hard first steps, but once you are in your own truth, life is so much better and these boundaries reinforce and protect your emotional stability and happiness. You will enjoy life again. The best advice I can give to anyone who is being forced to deal with someone who is mentally unwell or quite simply difficult and irrational is to think of this person as though they are disabled. Rationalise the behaviour as attention seeking from a person with an emotional disability that cannot be controlled, and it puts every ounce of anger at bay and opens up the door to compassion and perhaps sympathy. Will it take away the reaction of how truly messed up they are when they have the melt down? No it won’t. You will still say “DAMN that was insane”. But it does put you back in your own power and diffuses the fuel your emotional reaction might otherwise add to their flame.

By Michelle Fitz, Editor-In-Chief

Michelle

Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •

Cover Story

On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights By Michelle Fitz

“My life is driven by volunteer work – it’s my yoga! Every month, I pick a cause to support and work hard to help spread knowledge about their awesomeness as much as possible.”

RAIN DOVE

is the monarch of androgynous fashion, a humanitarian who lives the talk she talks, and is exactly the type of person you would want on your team. She is the ultimate Hat Trick girl. At six-foot-two, this 25 year old Vermont farm girl, who models as both male and female, effortlessly navigates from ‘blonde bombshell in a dress’ to ‘strikingly handsome man in a suit’. But there is more than just fashion to Rain – there is a perfect balance of soft compassion and work ethic, evidenced through her many low-key efforts in the community. Rain first came to my attention through mutual contacts in the NYC fashion industry, as an up-and-coming Agender model using her platform for good. If you follow Rain’s public persona, you will see there is so much

more to her than just another model. You’ll catch her power washing garden areas for the elderly, helping artists who just need a launch pad to crash and pursue their talents, lifting heavy furniture for a friend in need, etc.

“My life is driven by volunteer work – it’s my yoga! Every month, I pick a cause to support and work hard to help spread knowledge 12 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

about their awesomeness as much as possible. I also work odd jobs for low-income businesses and donate the funds towards hiring someone to do volunteer work. I have a loft called Roxbury Studios, which houses low income artists and people who need a chance to pursue their art. I’m constantly doing construction work in it and you can find me here and there with a saw or a screw gun in my hand on Instagram or Facebook, covered in sawdust and sweat. When I get a free moment, you might find me out on the town either clubbing, eating massive amounts of food, attending a nerdy engineering seminar, or doing a bit of graffiti art.” Rain Dove: On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights •

THE

physical aspect of Rain’s strength, the way she is just as apt at picking up a spade, a paint brush, or tapping into her physical and emotional strength as she is walking a catwalk or mingling with some of the hottest designers today, made me think about gender, gender roles and what limitations I place on myself as a girl. I think myself a strong female – unafraid and unlimited. But the truth is that Rain holds a mirror up to all of us – not as a confrontational challenge on our authenticity, but through her example of what it means to simply be “human”. As Rain says “the gender thing doesn’t exist; it’s a social construct you don’t have to fit into”. Rain asks us to think about what we are excluding ourselves from, on the basis of the messages we have received about our genders. This rich picture of Rain is one of amazing strength and character. Poised, statuesque and strong, Rain’s confidence in who she is and the way she conducts her life stems from a childhood spent completely unaware of cruel teasing – rationalising her playground nickname of “Tranny Danny” simply stemmed from her interest in trains.

•

Rain Explains •

“My parents called me Danny throughout elementary school because they worried I would be made fun of for having such a different name. Then, I had lice in third grade and my mom shaved all my hair off. Basically I had no hair, no boobs, and big muscles — Rain Dove: On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights •

“Whenever someone called me Tranny Danny, I would be like, ‘Choo choo, all aboard, motherfuckers!’” I was so tall! I had a pretty masculine face and so my mom had me in a dress and everyone nicknamed me ‘Tranny Danny.’ Now, I didn’t know what a tranny was — I was just a kid and we didn’t have television. I didn’t know these things and I thought it was somebody who was into trains. I actually had my mom buy me a conductor cap and I wore that for three years. Whenever someone called me Tranny Danny, I would be like, ‘Choo choo, all aboard, motherfuckers!’ I had a nickname so I thought I was popular. I thought everyone was calling me this thing because I was the shit, essentially. I went into high school not knowing anyone and I had such high self-esteem because I thought I was popular. I actually ran for class president! Halfway through my freshman year of high school I found out what a tranny was and I realised that my entire childhood had been built upon people laughing at me and I didn’t even know. It was a little hard to swallow for a minute; I never thought I was masculine. There 16 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

are sorority girls and then there are girls that are in action movies like Sigourney Weaver. I just thought I was an action kind of woman.”

THIS

tiny window of her life epitomises why Rain and people like her are so important to our culture and our children right now. She is an example of a person who, by default, is just living her life. She teaches through her example, despite attempts at character assassination, how to navigate in a world where difference is both celebrated and criticised. They say it’s not your circumstances, it’s how you react that adds the difference in the way it will all play out. This is a woman who embodies the idea that attitude is everything and that bringing backbone and humility is sexy. Yes – I find Rain Dove extraordinarily sexy.

So, how did she go from Vermont farm to a model so connected that John Paul Gautier takes notice? These kinds of stories are never told in a straight line. Like all of us, Rain experienced her own challenges and numerous opportunities which led to a door opening which, on first glance, perhaps she would not have sought in her own right, all those years ago back in Vermont.

First off, she’s always felt more comfortable in men’s wear. Rain Dove: On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights •

"I’m six foot two and have 32DDs. There are so many oddities about my body and I could never justify buying a $5,000 skirt or wearing frivolous make-up." Rain is, by all accounts, a survivor. Her gender bending abilities have come in handy where work is concerned. Whether it was seeking work as a nanny or taking up an opportunity to do hard graft as a firefighter in Colorado, it was always less about what was between her legs and more about what she felt able to offer as a human being. This is her message and her life’s work. 18 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

RAIN

now lives in Brooklyn, New York, and as we’ve mentioned, she runs a loft called Roxbury Studios, which is dedicated to helping low income and homeless artists pursue their work in the city. Homelessness is something that Rain knows herself, having spent three weeks living in a Planet Fitness shower stall because she couldn’t afford the cost of staying in the city during a fashion event. Her career was a complete fluke, designed by destiny. “I lost a bet during a football game to a DKNY model and they were the reason I went to the fateful casting call that booked me as male. I didn’t know I could make a career out of this, at all. I took it seriously because I realised it was unintentionally a form of activism. I also realised that if people could afford what I was wearing, they could afford to make a difference.” This led to New York modeling agency Major Models adding her to both the Male and Female boards.

In June 2015, the US Supreme Court passed judgment on marriage equality, ruling that gay marriage is, well, simply marriage in every state in the United States. Following on from the recent Caitlyn Jenner transition from male to female, a fair few mirrors are yet to be held up in our cultures. That is the beauty and importance of difference in our societies. Difference serves as a reminder that reality is purely interpretation, directly influenced by cultural tradition and individual perception.

Rain reminds us that gender can be false, divisive, and clouds the issues in the human condition that bring us together. Rain Dove: On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights •

Hat Trick Says What does it mean to you, to be Queer?

Rain It means nothing to me. It means I’m human. I believe all people are “queer” to an extent. We are all shifting and evolving as we experience more time and life. I believe it’s silly to make a definitive statement about something as fluid and growing as ourselves. Why would you limit yourself as to how you always will identify or who you will always love … if you haven't met everyone on earth yet and you haven’t been in all environments? If more people dropped labels like lesbian, gay, or straight and just took on an acceptance of their human individualism they would find that their options are endless as is their life journey.

Hat Trick Says You’ve alluded in other interviews that your gender identity is that of a woman but that your sexuality is fluid, but refrain from calling yourself any particular label. Why is that, and why do you think or not think that things like pronouns and classifications would be relevant in the first place?

Rain Queer. Previously we have used labels to help organise our society linguistically, biologically, and culturally. I personally don’t believe these types of labels are relevant in today’s society unless there is a potential baby to be made in the situation, procreation can be costly! I believe the minute we call anyone a he or a she we divide that 20 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

person’s social expectations in half based on our cultural teachings of what a he or a she is capable of. Are all he’s the same? Are all she’s the same? Why does it matter if a person is male or female? Especially casually? Are we truly, truly interested in the sexual aspects of all people? If so, why? Are we planning to date them, sleep with them, or matchmaker them? I understand our society has a need to organise the world around it so that there is less chaos. But I choose not to be part of that organisation because I choose not to be limited. I want to refer to all of my friends with a neutral pronoun that allows them to be seen as simply human. And their actions to be seen as individually characteristic of them – not their sex or “gender”.

Hat Trick Says Do you feel that labels are becoming irrelevant, and do you consider this a part of your life’s work? If not, what would you like to leave in terms of legacy to the world?

Rain I believe as long as there is language there will be labels by default so people can describe the world they live in. The key is creating descriptive terms (labels) that are not limits for ourselves and those around us. My intent is to live my life authentically – and by default that means that this topic is indeed a bit of my life’s work.

Hat Trick Says The US Supreme Court recently made gay marriage fully legal in all 50 states. What was Pride like this year? Rain Dove: On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights •

Rain Pride this year was incredible and bursting with joy and hope. It was potentially the most historic Pride of our time and marked a huge step in acquiring equal rights. It’s important to note that gay “marriage” should've never been illegal to begin with. Separation of church and state. All consenting adults regardless of if they are in love or not in the USA should be allowed to enter into a legally binding contract that allows for them to be accountable for each other’s assets, financial burdens, and medical responsibilities. When two people make this agreement of mutual accountability in the eyes of the government they should be allowed benefits as they would be seen as a “safer” bet for tax purposes and decision making. This is all Marriage should be to our government. Religious ceremonies and sentiments should be left to religious groups and private parties.

Hat Trick Says For some conservative people with deeply held religious beliefs, support of gay marriage or even exposure to those within the LGBTQ community has been very taboo. Yet, my observation is that events like Pride, helped people in these belief systems become more aware

"I would tell them that their life is precious and limited and should be spent celebrating this gift. Not wallowing in hatred for a creation God made." 22 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

of the numbers of people who actually have a part in this community. It also helped bring awareness that they were just like themselves, and actually the LGBTQ community was quite simply just a part of the main community. Is this the right way to interpret the strategy behind the origins and intentions of Pride? Do you see a place for Pride in future generations, and if so, what place, context and role would you envisage for it both as an event and within the context of culture?

Rain

I think Pride will always have a place in society as a cultural experience celebrating a “free to love movement”. For me, I personally think it should be the LGBTQS/Human Love & Sex Rights group because I believe that with education and the eradication of hateful practices amongst extremist cultures – that the issue won’t be the “straight” community. It’ll just be the human-hater individuals. The Human movement is coming! For now though, Pride is a great way to celebrate and drum up positivity and awareness for these historically oppressed groups.

Hat Trick Says If you were given opportunity to console or life coach a person with these beliefs, who was perhaps struggling to reconcile a deeply held fear of hell and redemption with exercising love for their fellow man, regardless of their sexuality, what would you say to them?

Rain

I would tell them that God is love. I would tell them that their life is precious and limited and should be spent celebrating this gift. Not wallowing in hatred for a creation God made. (Another individual who is sexually immoral). The best way to thank someone for giving you the gift of life, is to live it well! Rain Dove: On Labels, Gender & Equal Rights •

Hat Trick Says Rain, there is a child or young person out there with a similar back story to yours. They may be struggling with identity, acceptance or simply trying to apply the right ‘label’ as defined by society and annotated on a form, in their conversations and in their daily life. If you had literally 60 seconds to make an impact on this person, what would you say?

Rain Stop trying to label yourself in order to describe yourself. Simply use your name and your actions. You may not be in a society who will understand you, or who will show love for you. But your microcommunity is not the only community there is. There’s a whole world out there of people who can love you, understand you, and accept you. I am in that world, and I can be one of those people. Never be afraid to reach out!

You can find out more about Rain Dove on social media by clicking the links below

24 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

"Stop trying to label yourself in order to describe yourself. Simply use your name and your actions."

Business & Tech

KEY STEPS TO BETTER DECISION MAKING FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Andrea Sullenger 26 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Do you find yourself stressed out when you have to make a difficult decision? I’m glad to say I find it much easier to make decisions now that I’m more experienced in my business. Being an entrepreneur is great because usually you have more flexibility to make choices. I’ve learned a lot about making decisions both from my own experiences and those of my clients. Here are my seven key steps to help you get where you need to be when faced with a challenging decision.

Brainstorm: Make a list of every possible

choice you could make in dealing with your current dilemma.

Sort: Draw a line down the centre of a sheet of

paper and make two headings; Pros and Cons. Write your brainstormed ideas in one of the two categories.

Online: Search your problem on the internet to

discover what other people have done in similar situations. Even though you likely think of your problem as being specific to you, it is surprising how online searches can help trigger solutions you never thought of. 7 Key Steps to Better Decision Making •

Discuss: Talk over your

written thoughts and your pros and cons sheet. When you wake situation with a trusted friend up in the morning, lay in bed with and make notes during your conversation. Jot down even the your eyes closed for five or ten minutes, just thinking about your most random thoughts. Read them later and they may take on possible decisions. When you open your eyes, read over your a different perspective. notes again. Be sure to record any new ideas that have popped Take paper and pen into your head. and begin to write your thoughts about the problem. Write down If your opinions on the various you still haven’t made your final ideas from your pros and cons decision, go for a relaxing walk idea sheet. Let your thoughts in a calming area where birds, flow freely onto the page, holding trees and natural surroundings nothing back. will help your thought process operate at its best. Before you Just before going go, determine that you’ll have a decision by the end of your walk. to sleep, read over all your

Write:

Decision Time:

Reflect:

These seven steps will move you toward your best decision, but if you’ve made a decision before step 7, that’s even better. Just remember, once you make your decision, decide to stick with it and never look back.

That kind of confidence will help you feel good about whatever decision you made. 28 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Click ch t a to W ine! Onl

WITH MICHELLE HOLMES

MINDSET FOR

Success

FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse 30 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

There's no denying it, business success is 80-90 percent about your mental game. This is something I see every day because I’ve worked with people and coached them through the mechanics of building a successful business. They know what to do, however, but they’re either not doing it, or they’re not getting the results they really want.

Take an example of someone who wants to expand her reach and start blogging for her business. However, six months later she’s stuck on having the “right” thing to post. This is not about lack of topic ideas or even about knowing how or why to blog, but really about committing to the process and pushing past the fear of judgment and criticism from family, friends and colleagues. Another example is someone who just launched a great product or service, but is afraid to reach out to others and share it. They are Mindset for Success •

so consumed with fear of appearing pushy, “salesy” or intrusive. As a result, they sit on their great offering and do very little with it. This is why I believe 100 percent in working on the mental game with my clients, because without that, no matter how much I teach them about marketing, business financials etc., they will not get the results they’re looking for. Maximum results occur when they’re able to break through blocks and the resistance that holds them back!

Another side of the coin is seeing business owners pushing really hard to make things happen. Sometimes, yes, this is needed, but there’s also another side of “allowing” for guidance. We often don’t speak about this in business, but this has been the foundation for all the success I’ve personally experienced and want to share with you.

“Identify how your subconscious mind is keeping you from getting the results you want. When you’re able to do this, your work will flow better…” It’s very common for me to send my clients links to EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique aka Tapping) videos and ask them to tap when I know they’re overcome with fear, anxiety and overwhelm. Sometimes, when I see they’re stuck financially, even though they’re doing the work, I send them forgiveness exercises to do, because I know there’s a huge correlation between resentment, grievances and anger to financial struggles. This is something we don’t discuss in most business training and education, but it’s vital for the success of your business. 32 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

I like to think of it like striking a right balance of taking action, and also turning inward, and getting connected. You also need to identify how your subconscious mind is keeping you from getting the results you want. When you’re able to do this, your work will flow better and you’ll begin to see opportunities and resources to help you achieve your goals. Start to become conscious of how you feel about your business. Are you in a constant state of doubt, worry, and fear? These feelings will repel the success and financial abundance you want. Focus on feeling positive, confident, and expect positive results. This feeling is more powerful and important than any activity you’ll ever do for your business!

So I challenge you to focus and add mental activities to your business strategy. Start cultivating a success mindset that will give you the results you truly want for your business! Mindset for Success •

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Career & Learning

De-clutterYour Home & Life

FIND ME ONLINE HERE

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

I am sitting here at my desk today with a certain amount of smugness. Sorry, but it’s true. You can actually see clear space on my book shelves; there’s a Zen-like air in the room; and I am reminded of those beautiful, minimalist, home offices that get featured in style magazines. A sense of calm, order and unstoppability is finally re-entering my world. You see, one of the things I used to pride myself on was my ability not to accumulate lots of useless ‘stuff’. To be honest, it was largely out of necessity. At one point, I was moving job, house, city, or country (usually a combo) about once a year on average – so it

always helped to keep my load relatively light. I bought only the things I needed – new clothes were allowed only if I could dump something old; unwanted gifts (sorry, folks) went to the charity shop almost before the wrapper was removed. I did have a box of very dear and cherished items, but I always tried to keep it small enough to be portable.

Back then, the prospect of making a major life or career change was never a problem – in fact I relished it. I loved the feeling of going somewhere new, starting afresh and discovering different places and people. I was free, light-footed, fast-moving and unafraid, always knowing that whatever happened, I’d be able to Face Your Fears: De-cluttering Your Home & Life •

pick myself up and move on. You could even say I developed a certain mastery around it. Fast forward that movie, and for a few years now, I have been more or less settled in one place. In many ways it has been a welcome period of stability and re-grouping. And to be honest, it has brought untold benefits for me, both personally and professionally. So what has this got to do with clutter?

The clutter build-up effect Not long ago, I started to notice that something had happened to both my home and my office. They felt ‘full up’. Cupboards, corners and shelves were crammed with an undeniable accumulation of clothes, books and other objects, most of which I never even looked at, never mind use. Now, I am not referring to my most valued possessions nor the items that provide for a comfortable quality of life. I am talking about the kind of possessions that serve little or no purpose. And they provide no particular pleasure nor meaning. We just have them … because we have them. Those empty ring-binders will come in handy when I start a new project; all those HBR articles I once printed off might be useful to some of my clients; I might find that “Starting Your Own Small Hotel” book useful one day; and I’ll probably need all those spare computer/mobile phone cables as soon as I’ve thrown them out. It started to bother me, in an irritating kind of way. It wasn’t until I started to consider making another major change in my life that it eventually dawned on me: my new clutter habit was holding me back. You see, the more I 38 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“It wasn’t until I started to consider making another major change in my life that it eventually dawned on me: my new clutter habit was holding me back.” wanted to figure out the answers to where, what, when and what if, the harder it became to make a decision and just go for it. I felt paralysed. Immovable. Weighed down. Okay, I hate waste (and yes, I know, I am also a Scot. It’s almost genetic) and I realise there might be logic in storing things away, just in case. In the end though, I do think that hoarding pointlessly for years is just another form of waste. And at some level, I don’t know why, maybe it’s the same reason why other women mount an attack on their kitchen cupboard, I thought it would help to start clearing the decks. Maybe I’d feel lighter, freer, easier, so finally, I found the impetus and got to work.

How de-cluttering helped Now I am not going to suggest that all my barriers to taking decisive action about the future were suddenly dissolved the day I decided to have a good clear-out, but I’d read a bit about this de-cluttering malarkey and I was starting to feel a lot better in myself once I’d got started. So, in the spirit of research and experimentation, I decided to monitor what was actually going on for me, while steadfastly filling up my wheelie bins and brushing off the dust. Face Your Fears: De-cluttering Your Home & Life •

Here are the six main realisations that left me totally enlightened – and delighted! De-cluttering is moorish (and it doesn’t make you fat)! The day I cleared the first book shelf, was just a beginning. The difference was small, but noticeable – and immediate. So I decided to do it again the next day, and then the next. It was a 10 minute job – merely a short break from my working day norm, and a real mood booster. I wanted more of that! I started applying it to other areas too: meetings that had no purpose, relationships that drained me, diary commitments I’d agreed to in haste, ways of thinking that sabotaged my progress. After a relatively short time, it was becoming a habit, and I could see signs of improvement emerging in how I ran my business and my life. De-cluttering helps you see what’s really going on. Before you think I live and work in a hoarder’s mess, let me point out that my space has never looked terribly untidy. So for a long time, it was easy to kid myself that all was well. In fact I’d merely mastered the art of outward order and inner chaos! To my great surprise I was hit by a home truth: my reluctance to ‘get rid’ was in fact based on fear. I had no idea what was stored in these boxes – I’d stopped even seeing them, but keeping hold of ‘stuff’ in an orderly looking fashion helped me preserve my situation in tact, and ready for any eventuality. I got to feel like I was sorted and in control but in fact, deep down, the very opposite was true.

40 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

De-cluttering makes space for new possibilities to emerge. Yes, you could say there is now room to swing a cat and I can dance around whenever I want, but there’s more to it than that. Cardboard boxes have made way for greenery. Piles of paper are now banned. Pictures from my travels that I bought ages ago (and that were stored in other cardboard boxes) now adorn the wall. My dog has a new bed in the clutterfree space under my desk (which she loves). The soul-less, slightly dishevelled office is now gone and has been replaced by an attractive, creative workspace with a great energy to it, where I feel more inspired than ever to produce my best work! De-cluttering clears the mind. It is said that your desk and office space is an outer manifestation of your mind’s inner workings. So if your mind, like your desk, is crammed with an excess of useless junk, then it’s a lot more difficult to think clearly about the challenges or problems you’re faced with. Consequently it becomes harder to de-stress and manage anxieties. And you are unlikely to generate the inspiration and ideas that will help you to by-pass these obstacles and enable you to move on ahead.

Face Your Fears: De-cluttering Your Home & Life •

“Getting rid of old belongings from your past life can help you to cut those energetic cords once and for all…” Whilst things are not crystal-like for me yet, I have found that I do feel less anxious and at peace with my situation. It’s easier to accept that I’m just going through one of life’s processes and I now have a lot more faith that the clarity I am seeking will indeed unfold. Now if that’s too woo-woo for you, try this instead... De-cluttering energises you and lets you take back control. Since I began this ‘getting on top of my clutter’ gig, I noticed how I began to feel less like a victim to all the crap and nonsense that was clouding my vision, and suddenly, I was much more in charge of my situation. Especially great was that with every item I allocated to the re-cycling, I realised I was making a small but positive choice about letting something go. It was so liberating, and great practice, might I suggest, if you’ve also been stuck in limbo for a while and lost touch with the art of decisionmaking. Furthermore I was doing this in the knowledge that all the resources I’ll ever need to do my work and to live my life are permanently at my disposal, whether or not they are sitting in files or clogging up my inbox. I can’t tell you how great this is for putting you back on top, boosting your confidence and recognising your own capabilities, especially as you face the possible prospect of making a big, life or career-altering move. 42 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

De-cluttering lets you move forward. Anyone who has ever changed career will relate to the psychological separation that, simultaneously, can affect you and your sense of identity. Getting rid of old belongings from your past life can help you to cut those energetic cords once and for all, so that you can fully inhabit your new life and step into being a different version of ‘you’. As a former brands marketer and corporate employee, I confess that it’s taken me ten years to throw away the marketing manuals and CPD course books that have long outgrown their usefulness and relevance. Hanging in my wardrobe are suits that once made me feel quite ‘the business’ but now feel like they belong to someone else. How I’ve managed to hang on to them for this long, I really don’t know. So, guess what’s next on the to-do list? I’ve unblocked my fear and the clarity I need will finally be allowed to emerge. And at least with some newly created space, I know I am ready to move on.

What kind of ‘clutter’ is holding you back in your life or career, and what do you need to let go of in order to move to the next moment? Face Your Fears: De-cluttering Your Home & Life •

Life, Reality & The Past

FIND ME ONLINE HERE

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

Life just is. And will continue to be so… As time progresses, one of the continuing trends I’m becoming more aware of is how what used to be called ‘hippy tree hugging bullshit’ is finding more and more business relevance.

these initiatives were introduced. What helped the cause was a scientific look at the effects of not being environmentally friendly on the planet. Once that became hard to refute, most people and most organisations saw that Take views on sustainability being environmentally friendly and being green. Ten years was a good thing. ago, recycling was restricted pretty much to paper and cans/ bottle recycling. At home, I now have to separate food, plastics, paper, card, glass bottles, and keep separate those that aren’t Mindfulness as a meditative recyclable in a different bin. Local technique has been practised Councils now mandate that if for more time than the Internet I don’t do this, they won’t clear has existed and certainly longer away my rubbish. I mean that’s than the radio and photography one hell of a nudge if I ever saw were a thing. And now with modern science we are able to one. understand that the capacity of Ostensibly, though, these things the brain to work better when in were being argued about by the a calm state and achieve more environmentalists long before gives more gravitas to this thing. Life, Reality & the Past •

Both of the above sound like I’m making a certain point. I’m not. Because at the same time there are quite the very many who staunchly believe that natural remedies are a better form of medicinal intervention than using modern medicine. That is absolute total and utter nonsense. If that were true, life expectancy of circa anytime before 1800 would have been equal to life expectancy of today. One of the biggest factors that has improved this is that modern medicine can combat most diseases and medical conditions. Not homeopathic remedies, modern medicine. For sure some people will continue to believe in homeopathy because of the ideological resonance. Just as there are those who doubt negative impacts of industrialisation on the climate of the planet. And there are very many who argue that life was simpler when we didn’t have modern technology. Well, yes. Of course that’s the case. If you have an absence of something, you don’t seek to have it if you never had it. But life being simpler and less excessive is little to do with the availability of modern technology. I wouldn’t give up modern technology for anything. It allows me access to creativity in its many forms from music to drama to art itself to images of the planet we live on. It allows me access to people’s 46 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

thinking, debate on topics I don’t have the time to think on myself, learning at my fingertips and access to writing I may never know about.

Life wasn’t better in the past because they didn’t have access to or had technology. It isn’t necessarily better now either. Indeed we have excess in most parts of the western world and scarcity in many parts of poorer countries.

On my train carriage currently, one person has earphones in, one person is sitting with closed eyes, one is sitting with folded arms, and one is on their smartphone. Who’s to say if any of them are living a good or better life than any other?

Life just is. It will continue to be and it will continue to be better for some and not enough for others.

Life, Reality & the Past •

Faith & Self Help

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By Karen Salmansohn

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These People

magine a time and a place where People will only love themselves, their money and the things they can acquire. Imagine a place where everyone is boastful and proud. A place where people mock God and the things of God. Imagine a time where kids are disobedient to their parents and totally ungrateful. FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Katie Clifton, Christian Columnist 52 â&#x20AC;˘ Hat Trick Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ hattrickstrategies.com

“Move past the milk. He has prepared a feast … He will comfort you. Life will get messy. He will anchor you.

othing would be off limits to these people. They would be unloving and unforgiving. They tear one another down and have no self control. The people hate what is good and they are rude and mean. They turn their backs on one another and lack any sort of loyalty. The people are filled with pride and lust and they crave their own pleasure and lack any sort of passion for the Lord, the I am. The people will be “religious” and even claim the title of Christian, but they refuse to submit to the Power that sanctifies their hearts and glorifies their Creator. These kinds of people should be avoided! These are the kinds of people who captivate those women whose hearts are blind to the Truth and are quick to seek out new teachings. These counterfeit teachers have deceitful, evil minds. They desire to lead others down the broad path and through the wide gate. Some day—perhaps one day soon— these people who hide behind their masks and smoke and mirrors, will be exposed as they stand naked in the shadow of the cross. (2 Timothy 3:1-7, Katie’s version) These People •

are taught in 2 Timothy 3 to avoid these people, but these people are saturating our culture. We are these people. Precious Body of Christ, we have to stop excusing behaviours and actions that the Bible never has and never will excuse. Instead, we seek out a religion that feels good and inoffensive. We sugar coat, omit and edit a genuine relationship with Jesus. We don’t want God’s Word to sound too convicting, so we rephrase it, redecorate it and rename it to make it comfortable and appealing.

But the gospel is convicting. Jesus’s audacious, crazy love for me makes me uncomfortable at times. He came for the sick, the dirty, the sinful and spiritually disgusting – and I am one of the filthiest people I know. As a mother, I adore watching my babies grow and develop. I imagine our Father adores watching us grow and mature, too. When Mercy was born she had issues eating and even one ounce was an accomplishment in the first few hours of her life, but now the baby who needed to be trained to eat, chugs down milk like a hungry pig. All babies love milk because it meets their needs, satisfies their appetite, and takes away the hunger and ache inside them. But as babies grow, so do their appetites and they require more and more to fulfil them. Somehow we have become a society and generation who is just spiritually content with the “milk.” There is so much more the Lord has for you and I, and we were created for more. 54 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“Knowledge is the weapon that destroys deception. We have become this generation of women that seems to be content with riding the comfortable, culturally mainstream current of convenience” There is nothing transformational about being stagnant. You can not move staying still and you can not grow if you are not planted in Christ. Friends, go back with me to 2 Timothy 3:7: “Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.”

nowledge is the weapon that destroys deception. We have become this generation of women that seems to be content with riding the comfortable, culturally mainstream current of convenience rather than to allow ourselves to be pounded, reshaped and made new by the fountain of living water. Our Creator is a pursuing God. He interferes with our lives in beautiful ways. He meets us in our brokeness, rebellion, shame, and pride and interjects Himself into our lives. He barges into our lives because He is full of love and absolute righteousness. The Lord is pursuing a generation of women who will not follow Christianity. He is calling out to These People •

a generation of women who will love the world He created, with reckless abandon while being anchored in His Holy Word so that they will live among the lost, yet not live like the lost. Sweet friends, it is time to give up the milk because we have been made to crave the bread that was broken and the wine that was poured out for us. We cannot serve two masters. There is a deluding influence in our lives and the stench of the enemy upon us … lingers.

are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make “Don’t waste your time on useless the most of every chance you work, mere busywork, the barren get. These are desperate times!” pursuits of darkness. Expose (Eph 5:11-16 MSG) these things for the sham they

Move past the milk. He has prepared a feast. It takes surrender. He requires your obedience. The passionate gospel of grace will hurt your feelings. Your toes will get stepped on.

He will comfort you. Life will get messy. He will anchor you. 56 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Right Here. Right Now.

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

It was the first week of school. My oldest was in second grade at the time. I was balancing motherhood with a crumbling marriage and a time draining soul-crushing job as the head of a digital fashion magazine. My son, 8 years old, had just come in the door from school to find me frantic at my computer. We were shooting in LA that day. There was money on the line, a lot of people involved, a mansion rented and my phone was blowing up because as random un-luck would have it, it started to pour rain in southern California. I was in Pittsburgh, simultaneously trying to control the shoot crew, the model, the editor and the weather. My son was excitedly telling me something that had happened to him in his class. I made the obligatory sounds we make when we want people to think we’re paying attention. “Uh huh … great honey!” Suddenly he trailed off mid-sentence. He stopped talking, walked away, head down and shoulders slumped. My son gave up on me.

My heart broke that day

Right Here. Right Now. •

Time honestly stood still. I also trailed off mid-sentence. “I have to go,” I said to my frantic fashion editor. I didn’t care about the money. I didn’t care about our reputation. I didn’t care that a designer dress was being ruined by a freak California thunderstorm. My son had given up on me. I hadn’t heard a word he said. At that moment, all that mattered was his heart. I said a quick prayer to God, went to my son, asked him for forgiveness and shut down the magazine the next day. Dani Shapiro, author of the beautiful memoir, Devotion, wrote, “I wasn’t hearing my own breath. I was always either stuck in the past, or obsessing about the future, while the present heaped its gifts on me, screaming for attention.”

The present

was heaping its gifts on me. My children, their desire to share their lives with me, my family, my friends, my healthy body, my warm home. I was surrounded by beauty. I just wasn’t seeing it. Blessings were pouring down like warm and welcome rain. I just wasn’t feeling them. That day, when I shut down the magazine, any fear I had about failing vanished. I was failing as a human being and as a mother and that was far worse. I made a commitment that day to change. I began what would become a commitment to radical change and massive spiritual transformation. I learned to master my mind as a bridge to staying in peace. And in peace, we are practicing the Miracle of Presence. 60 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

This

is the most challenging of all the miracles because we are at constant war with the barrage of distractions and shiny objects, the worries and the maybes, the ‘what if’s and the could be’s’. The to do lists pull us like a magnet away from the now. They vie for our attention like children. Look at me! No look at me! All the while the one thing we should be looking at is dwarfed and pushed away and silenced.

We have been conditioned to focus on what should be and what could be instead of what actually is. We worry about what’s next. We worry about “what if.” We look for bigger and better and more, all the while the present stands there, all perfect and beautiful, pounding on our doors.

Don’t fight what the present asks for. I won’t lie. I struggle with this sometimes. After all I am running a company from home. People depend on me. A lot of money is on the line for both the client and for me. So sometimes I forget that Right Here. Right Now. •

pausing for 30 seconds to help my son find his favourite toy will not result in mass chaos, missed deadlines and lost income. It’s usually a few seconds we are talking about here. A quick hug and a kiss. A quick story they want to tell about the perfect cartwheel they just did. A ten second call for “mommy look at the picture I drew.”

So stop. Look. Be there. Yes. What you are doing might be important. But nothing is more important than peace. And when we are the cause of anyone we love feeling un-loved, we cannot be fully in peace and most certainly, neither can they. It’s interesting and wonky that presence is probably the most natural, innate state yet it’s the one we find the most difficult to achieve. Any time you feel a lack of peace, it is likely because you are not heeding the call of the present moment. What is the present moment asking you for? A breath? A moment to think? A kiss and a hug? 10 seconds of eye contact with your partner? Heed the request that the present moment makes. It’s rarely a large request, but the rewards are immeasurable.

Make Eye Contact The best way to be present for and with another person is to look them in the eye. Honour their spirit and bear witness to their lives. That’s my woo woo esoteric way to tell you to put down the freaking phone. 62 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Case the Joint. When you feel yourself being pulled out of the present (and you’ll know immediately because you will feel anxious, depressed and frustrated,) take a look around you. Make note of each thing you see. There’s my book. There’s my table. There’s my TV. There’s his little dinosaur. Not only does this exercise summon a little gratitude for all that you have, but it reminds you that you are not in the past, not in the future, but right here in this room with all the stuff you’re blessed with!

And now I am… You know a system is broken when the idea of multi-tasking is considered an attribute. A lot of people go into a job interview and proudly proclaim that they are great at multi-tasking, assuming that the boss will be impressed and will draw the conclusion that they can get a lot of work done and done quickly. If I were a boss and a candidate told me they were a great multitasker, my first thought would be, “OK so what you’re telling me is that nothing ever gets your full attention and you will make loads of mistakes.” Just because we are capable of doing more than one thing at a time doesn’t mean we should make a habit of it. Whatever you’re doing, that’s what you’re doing. Period. One thing at a time. Start thinking “And now I am…” as you go through your day. Cooking dinner? Just cook dinner. And make it awesome. Putting Right Here. Right Now. •

laundry away. Just put it away and do it with care because no matter how small the task at hand is, we should still show up for it, honour it, and give it our best. So start practicing a “one thing only” rule. And now I am enjoying my coffee. Period. It’s the coffee’s moment. The moment belongs to that alone. And now I am hugging my husband. And now I am looking at my child’s new drawing. And now I am… And now I am…

Look Where Your Feet Are My best friend of all time is a recovering drug addict. She’s been clean for a few years now and is hands down one of the most courageous women I have ever met. (And the funniest!) I spoke to her once during the first attempt at sobriety and I asked her how she was doing. “I’m doing great,” she said. “Some days are tough, but on those days, I just remind myself to look where my feet are.” That statement never left me.

“Wherever your feet are, that’s where you are. Not in the past. Not in the future. But right here in the kitchen. It’s the only moment that’s actually happening.” She looks where her feet are. It reminds her to be grateful. It reminds her that she is no longer living the dangerous life she was 64 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

before and it keeps her from worrying about what might tempt her in the future. For the present moment, she is in her living room. Clean. Sober. Doing pretty damn OK.

“I’m totally stealing that,” I told her that day. Sure, the deadline might be looming. You might be late. The tough conversation you need to have may go wrong. But for the moment, where are your feet? Where are you right now? In your home? At a café? In your car? Wherever your feet are, that’s where you are. Not in the past. Not in the future. But right here in the kitchen. It’s the only moment that’s actually happening. The only one that’s actually true.

The extraordinary life is not the one filled with mountains climbed and awards won. The extraordinary life is made of single moments; moments fully witnessed and deeply appreciated by the receiver of their magic…

Right Here. Right Now. •

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

Style & Beauty

3 By Michelle Fitz

4 6

TROPICAL PRINT SILK DRESS – CAMILLA SWIMSUIT – LE PERLA

DUNES MESH PANEL

TRIM THONG SANDAL – LANA

THERMAL SPRING WATER SPRAY – AVÈNE THE METHOD FOR BEGINNERS

TRACY ANDERSON:

NU DERM MATTE SUN SHIELD

SPF 50 – OBAGI

Sun Safety

ADVICE

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By Rachael Pontillo 70 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Recently I talked about how I believe the topic of sun safety has gotten a bit out of hand. There’s so much conflicting information. First you see doctors and government agencies recommending constant application of super high SPF-containing, chemically-based sunscreens anytime you ever set foot anywhere near the sun. Then you see the more holistically-minded doctors and other professionals who say no! – all this overuse of sunscreen is what’s caused the rampant Vitamin D deficiency seen in people of all ages, and that it’s necessary to spend some time in the sun sans sun protection because for the sake of Vitamin D production. This camp also typically believes that the chemicals in sunscreen are toxic and might actually contribute to skin cancer, rather than prevent it. And then there’s a huge gray area in the middle. Though we have many different opinions on what’s correct in terms of sun safety, there are some evidence-based facts that everyone seems to agree on. Click the link to read those 22 undisputed facts now. Based on my own research and work on this topic (which has been lengthy), and based on the information compiled in a recent article, I do have some

Sun Safety Advice

•

advice that I believe is quite logical, common sense advice. Here are my 9 top tips on Sun safety advice.

Here are my top tips on sun safety advice. I agree with the holistically-minded doctors that we need small amounts of sun exposure on a daily basis. Go for a walk outside, let the kids play outside, do some gardening, and enjoy a book and cup of tea outside – it’s important for so many reasons.

If you’re going to be outside at any time of year in the sun for longer than 30 minutes, wear some form of sun protection. This could be protective clothing or accessories, topical natural sun protection products on exposed skin, or try one of the newer internal sun supplements as long as it’s from a trustworthy source. If you choose to use a sunscreen product, use a natural cream or lotion with zinc oxide or (non-nano) titanium dioxide as the 72 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“All you get with higher SPFs is a higher concentration of the active sunscreen ingredient – which can be toxic. Just use SPF 15 and apply it more often.” active ingredient, and containing as few inactive ingredients as possible. Avoid sprays and powders. SPF 30 doesn’t offer a significantly higher level of protection than SPF 15. All you get with higher SPFs is a higher concentration of the active sunscreen ingredient – which can be toxic. Just use SPF 15 and apply it more often. If you are going to be in the sun during peak sun hours, it’s important to reapply sunscreen every two hours, wear protective clothing, or go in the shade for part of the time to avoid sunburn. Eat a healthy, balanced, whole foods-based diet with a large variety of raw, fresh fruits and vegetables. These raw plant foods naturally contain antioxidants that counteract free radical damage to the body from the sun. Protect the skin’s natural protective barrier on a regular basis with a healthy skincare regimen. Use products containing Sun Safety Advice

•

plant-based oils, natural emollients and humectants, and antioxidants. The stronger the barrier is, the less chance there is for permanent damage to collagen, elastin, and melanin-producing cells in the deeper layers of the skin. Certain supplements such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants give the body additional ammunition against free radical and sun damage and can also help remove damaged tissue and rebuild stronger, healthier tissue. Stay hydrated! Dehydration weakens the skin’s immune function and decreases its resistance to the sun’s rays.

Don’t be afraid of the sun We need it for health, warmth, growth, and happiness. Our kids long to run around and play outside. Just like anything else, too much of the sun can be very damaging—so yes, please take precautions when outside in the sun for long periods of time—but let those precautions be sensible and based on fact and common sense—not marketing hype.

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natural

health & beauty.

Find simple tips & recipes at VintageAmanda.com

DENIM LOVE FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Marina BerBeryan 76 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist â&#x20AC;˘

ately I have been obsessing over denim. Whether it’s pair of jeans, shirts, shorts or even skirts, but you probably knew that all ready by reading my blog or following me on my social sites. As seen on the runways of Balmain, Gucci and Saint Laurent from the Spring 2015 Collection denim is a major trend! I mean, anything from shredded to dark-wash, low-slung, or high-waisted, and even patched or bedazzled has been on the style-watch of every celebrity!

So here we go, one of my favourite Hollywood Street Style looks consists of a short high-low denim skirt that I’ve purchased from Marshall’s in Las Vegas, NV, with a plain white shirt. I’ve paired the ensemble with open-toe boots and topped off the look with one of my staple-hats. The perfect fashion recipe for a casual day in Hollywood, CA!

To learn more about me visit Marina BerBeryan and LA Fashion Judge

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DENIM LOVE

Skirt Cloth and Stone, Marshall’s

Sunglasses Celine

Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist •

Lifestyle & Wellness

CHARLENE SANJENKO

INTERVIEWS

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By Charlene SanJenko Photo Credit: Maggi Woo photography

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“I am a big believer in that everyone you meet in your life will have a direct impact on you as a person.”

MANY

people have helped shaped who I am as an athlete, but more importantly as an individual. I am a big believer in that everyone you meet in your life will have a direct impact on you as a person. We are constantly learning from each other, even through the negative or tough encounters and experiences. Being a professional and national team athlete, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day process. Most of my days are spent running back and forth to the gym (or just staying there from 8:30am – 7:30pm) for on-court sessions, weight lifting, lunch breaks during physio sessions, hanging out with our sports psychologist or nutritionist, meetings with the coach, meetings with our head trainer, running errands, and grabbing coffee (again). It gets really busy to say the least, and that’s only when we’re actually in Canada. More likely than not, I’m living out of a suitcase, traveling the world with the national team or living in Europe for 6-8 months of the year. It’s really grounding for me to look back and see how far I’ve come.

Kyla Richey: Professional Athlete

•

Ever since I can remember, sports have been my backbone. My identity. In Grade 5, I made the Gold 1 West Vancouver soccer team and played with them up until grade 9, when the travel to and from games on the mainland became a little too much (although I just ended up doing the same thing for five other sports). My mum coached me in volleyball and my dad in cross-country running, track and field, and soccer. Through sports, I have made some of my best friends, and I continue to be grateful for all of the people I meet along the way. Throughout the whole of high school, I took part in basketball, soccer, volleyball, and track and field but in my Grade 12 year, I really focused on my main passion, volleyball. I was named to the Junior National team in my Grade 10 and 11 year (there was no program in my Grade 12 year so I had the opportunity to train 86 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

with the Senior National A team for a couple weeks after I was finished with Team BC). In the summer before Grade 12, Hanna Anderson and Trina Borley were killed in a car accident – best friends and also volleyball and basketball teammates. We had an extremely close group of friends throughout high school, and this devastating loss not only shocked our school, but the entire Sunshine Coast BC. I was training in Regina with the Junior National Team at the time. It was their passing and the struggles we went through before the school year and volleyball season had even started that made me realise that I needed to follow my heart and go where life takes me.

There isn’t time to have regrets – I learned to trust my instincts and embrace what life is presenting to me. I was recruited to UBC where I played my whole five years. It took me a while to decide what school I wanted to attend; it was either University of British Columbia or the University of Washington, right after they won the NCAA finals. It was an amazing program down at UW, but in the end I knew that I wanted to stay in Canada. It was also a little easier to focus on having a (larger) role with the National Team in the summer.

Kyla Richey: Professional Athlete

•

SOME

of my best memories are from my years at UBC – a big part in that was winning five consecutive national championships and receiving Canada West and CIS Player of the Year in my final year. Before we won our first championships in my first year, UBC had not won since my mother played there. I continued with the Senior National Team every summer – sometimes coming in late to school (so I would take online courses or just do the first month by distance) – in order to compete at the last tournament which was usually in September or October.

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In 2010, I missed the whole first half of school/my UBC season in order to compete at the 2010 World Championships for Canada. A lot of sacrifices have been made along the way, but I have no regrets. I believe that things happen for a reason, and the path that my life has taken me has given me the opportunity to meet some lifelong friends and travel the world to give me a global perspective. Volleyball has given me so many things to be thankful for and still to this day – after so many years – I love what I do. After I graduated from UBC with a Bachelors in Human Kinetics, I went overseas to live life as a professional athlete.

Since then, I have played in Potsdam, Germany, Istanbul, Turkey, and this past year I started my year off in Urbino, Italy but ended up switching teams due to financial problems of the club, and finished my year in Vilsbiburg, Germany. Having the opportunity to live abroad and play is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s a lifestyle that is certainly not made for everyone, but you learn so much about yourself as an individual and an athlete.

Click here to read the exclusive Q&A with Kyla Richey over at powHERhouse.com Kyla Richey: Professional Athlete

•

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 There is a benevolent and life-giving force shining down at this time. You can respond favourably to this and grow and bloom under its heat and light. A real sense of stability can be found in your work life today as you feel yourself moving towards bigger and better things and brand new opportunities. Everything you have done and learned is paying off big time. Take a moment to relax and enjoy your wealth. Even if you’re single you may feel more hopeful than you have for a long time that love is on the horizon for you. There may well be a feeling of peace within your relationship today as you feel a real potential for happiness.

Favourable Dates Sep 2, 9, 11, 18, 20 & 29 Favourable Colours White &Yellow

Taurus

20 April – 20 May You have developed a healthy, productive relationship with your natural impulses and it has groomed

you for kingship. You new found sense of purpose and power will also help you find creative and effective ways to solve long standing as well as new problems. Trust your instincts, as they have been so finely tuned that they lead you from one stellar success to the next. It is important to be adaptable and versatile. Now is the time to act spontaneously, give yourself time to be like the Chameleon and change your colours to match your environment. You are giving too much of your energy to carry out the relationship you have with your partner. Make sure your partner appreciates it.

Favourable Dates Sep 5, 8, 14, 17, 23 & 26 Favourable Colours Red & Blue

Gemini 21 May – 20 June

If you are about to get into a business with someone else, or are going through legal issues; this period will help you to shed light on all that you are not aware of. Expect clarity and certainty in matters of business. This period will guide you to seek out the truth in a relationship. If you have concern in your relationship it is exceptionally important to follow your instincts, but to do so in a way that is not Zodiac Predictions For September 2015 •

a detriment to you or the relationship. You are going to be receiving help in what is worrying you, and much in the form of cooperative energy. This is going to be an energy which moves you past the relatively emotional and young form of possessiveness or jealousy.

Favourable Dates Sep 1, 2, 10, 11, 19, 20 & 28 Favourable Colours Yellow, Purple & Blue

Cancer 21 June – 22 July

The sheer force of your will make you capable of doing literally anything you put your mind to. Now is the time for you to manifest all of the dreams that you have ever wanted and make them into a reality by focusing on what they are and then connecting to your image of God who will help make them come to fruition. This period will encourage you to begin practicing deep levels of intrinsic desire focused meditations. 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. If you want a partner, then you have to set goals for the type of person that you want and then you would be blessed with the same. 94 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Favourable Dates Sep 1, 2, 10, 11, 19, 20 & 28 Favourable Colours Yellow, Purple & Blue

Leo

23 July – 22 August You would be on exploration and expansion that will guide you on a journey that you are about to take or one that you may possibly have already started. It is 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 your stress. . Make sure that you are rationing out your efforts at this time. Pulling ahead too quickly will fatigue you and you will become too tired to complete your task. There is very little that consistently confuses you because you are so good at figuring things out, and when others need assistance creating a plan, they come to you to help them organize their life.

Favourable Dates Sep 2, 7, 11, 16, 20 & 25 Favourable Colours Black & Blue

Virgo

23 August – 22 September All of your actions are going to come to light and anything that you are trying to hide or be deceitful about will not remain hidden. Now is a time to come clean before others find out your secret in their own fashion. You are likely to be having a tough time in a relationship and either judging or being judged harshly. The accusations or suspicion around you at this time are not wholly emotionally based and they carry a heavy burden with them. Be mindful of your state of mind in your relationship right now. Allow time to contemplate before making a choice but don’t allow yourself to run around in circles. Once you have made your decision, act on it. Do not linger in the indecision phase.

the attributes of determination and patience. There would be stability, satisfaction and fulfilment in personal, physical and/or material terms, and a sense of total contentment with the present situation. You will feel upsurge of energy directed towards material gain. Great drive and enthusiasm would be felt for monetary aspects, creating financial wealth and stability. The correct energy and external circumstances will come together to create fertile ground for a venture or new enterprise. If you are employed, your efficiency will get admiration from your seniors.

Favourable Dates Sep 1, 3, 10, 12, 21 & 22 Favourable Colours White & Yellow

Scorpio

Favourable Dates Sep 5, 9, 14, 18, 23 & 27

23 October – 21 November

Favourable Colours Red & Brown

You would be building a strong foundation for years of future successes and growth. This period indicates a sense of harmony and balance as well as fruitful initiation of a venture, and thus symbolises a time of peace and joy in life that come as the result of challenging efforts. .Established love relationships will become even more thick. For those who are searching a soulmate, a new important love affair will start.

Libra

23 September – 22 October You will have the ability to endure trouble and unrest in business through

Zodiac Predictions For September 2015 •

It will be a strong relationship filled with warmth and fun. However, to be truly loved, deeply treasured and valued highly by others, you must first and foremost strive to create those feelings for yourself. That is, when you work toward loving yourself, you hold your inner spirit in high regard, treating it with deep respect.

Favourable Dates Sep 2, 4, 11, 13, 22 & 24 Favourable Colours Orange& Blue

to further duress. You may receive material rewards - but spiritually, you are floundering at this time. To regain inner-peace you should try to be more generous to others, both emotionally and materially. Material success is far more rewarding when the rewards are shared. This stressful time will not last too long, and you will be glad for the benefits achieved.

Favourable Dates Sep 3, 9, 12, 18, 21 & 27 Favourable Colours Brown & Blue

Capricorn 22 December – 19 January

Opportunities are soon to be quickly approaching, particularly in the areas of creativity and career. These may also be connected to relationships nurtured previously, and are likely ideas you’ve been pursuing for some 22 November – 21 December time. Further growth of your ideas will occur, while some previously You are not at peace with yourself, developed will start to bear fruit. This and you are acting in a selfish and period heralds status, success and thoughtless manner. You are over- recognition. You will have an earnest burdened with responsibilities and desire to be recognised as a strong commitments. Your pride may be figure of unquestioned achievement standing in the way of delegation. and authority. You will want to be If this is not addressed and the known as the dominant force, the workload is not shared evenly, then leader and the ‘expert’. Focus your this may prove too much, leading attention completely on your goal

Sagittarius

96 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

and be very careful not to reveal any weaknesses or personal doubt. Be wary of persons who are in the habit of back stabbing.

Favourable Dates Sep 3, 5, 12, 14, 21 & 23 Favourable Colours Red & White

Aquarius

20 January – 18 February You are involved with someone who is detached and determined in his thought and action. This will prompt you to set forth on a new journey, one that is completely unknown and will take you to uncharted territories. On your journey you will relish new experiences, personal growth, development and adventure. Public recognition, honour or a celebration is in store. It may also imply a small promotion or winning a lottery. This is a time when you need to truly ‘believe’ and have faith in where the Universe is taking you. You need to trust that you are a spirit born into flesh to enjoy life and grow in experience. Take a chance and see what happens.

Pisces

19 February – 20 March It is time to maintain balance in your life. Do not be hasty or rush things at this time. Show inner-strength and patience and you will find success in your endeavours. Adopt moderation, management and economy, as it may be necessary to live frugally and manage your affairs carefully. You are entering a time of recuperation, both spiritually and physically. It is important to keep distractions to a minimum in order to complete the process of healing. Balance and caution may be required in a situation that may involve arbitrating between two other parties. Things should not be rushed at this time, as there is a need to take things one step at a time or/and within due course.

Favourable Dates Sep 1, 5, 10, 14, 23, 28 & 30 Favourable Colours Yellow & White

Favourable Dates Sep 3, 9, 12, 18, 21 & 27 Favourable Colours Yellow & Brown. Zodiac Predictions For September 2015 •

SCHOOL REUNION DILEMMA

FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Kate Spencer 98 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

LAST WEEK I SAW SOMETHING ON FACEBOOK ABOUT A SCHOOL REUNION.

he thought of going back to my old high school and meeting up with pupils and teachers stirred up all kinds of feelings! Yes, it would be exciting and interesting to see how people had turned out and changed, or not, as the case may be … but what would people think of me? I have friends that love me, that encourage me and lift me up and I choose to have these people in my life. I want to be around these people, they nurture me and I hope I do the same for them. There are however people from my past that I choose to have nothing to do with, and they want nothing to do with me either! We are not in alignment as individuals and we just don’t mix. End of. This is simply a part of growing up and evolving. Its discernment, and it’s totally OK to be selective about who you let into your inner circle. I don’t want to have a drink and a walk down memory lane with someone that I wouldn’t talk to in the local high street.

I know

that I have changed hugely since I was at high school, there have been so many life lessons for me and so much School Reunion Dilemma •

growth that I am completely different. So what if other people have gone through the same process or their version of it? They will have changed and evolved as well and they are not likely to be the same person that they were back then. Maybe I need to stop looking at this through the eyes of my old self and appreciate that life takes each of us on a journey to mould and shape who we become through our own experiences?

A Facebook

group has been created for the event and some people have posted that they are sorry if they ever upset anyone at school. I guess that shows regret, or maybe the fear of being judged by others for their past mistakes? Maybe becoming a parent has shifted perspectives and the school bullies now look at their own child and hope that the world doesn’t kick the shit out of them, like they used to do with others. Who knows what others have been through since we were all together in those formative years, and who knows how life has changed us or not. It is interesting that the chance of revisiting your past, and the possibility of being judged by people you will probably have nothing to do with in your day to day life, still strikes fear in us.

WE ALL WANT TO PROJECT THAT PUBLIC PERSONA OF BEING SUCCESSFUL, ATTRACTIVE AND LIKEABLE. 100 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

A reunion could be an alcohol fuelled disaster as a spotlight is shined directly on your own perception of your failings and mistakes, cringing with the thought of who you could have been, or it could be a chance to just show up with an open heart and mind and see how it goes.

I guess

like many things in life it depends at this stage how much work you have done on yourself, and how you feel about you. As we know everyone is a mirror and that room will be full of reflections of your former and current self that you may or may not want to embrace. Of course I am human and will have human moments like all of us. (Does my bum look big in this?) But I know in my core I have nothing to prove. I am OK with who I am, eventually. There is still a whole lot of room for improvement, but I am good with that.

I am going to buy a ticket and keep it until October. I will see what is going on in my life and how I feel that week and then decide. Like every other day I will intend to be as conscious as possible, and take along an open mind and open heart.

LOVE KATE School Reunion Dilemma â&#x20AC;˘

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LIGHT IS THE NEW BLACK REBECCA CAMPBELL KINDLE EDITION £7.31 Light Is the New Black is a guidebook for a new breed of women who are here to be bright lights in the world – modern day lightworkers, who agreed to be here at this time in history. In order to thrive in this new age, everything we do must be an authentic expression of who we truly are. Light Is the New Black will guide you back home to the callings of your soul, so you can light up the world with your presence.

ENOUGH ALREADY MIKE IAMELE PAPERBACK £11.99 By Michelle Fitz

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About a Homemade Year

Food, Home & Family

Parmesan s t s i Tw

Fix it & Freeze it & Heat it & Eat it, the cookbook from the editors of Southern Living has given me hope. I bought it so I could help my mother with her meals (she’s at a point where she just doesn’t want to cook these days). The premise of the book is that you make two sets of the same dish – one to eat now and one to freeze for later. What a great idea time saving idea! The Parmesan Twists were the first recipe I tried. There will a batch ready to use later stored in the freezer. All I have to do is remember I have them in the freezer. I can do that. Right?

! y o j n E By Tanya Jackson 106 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 (8-oz) container sour cream

2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning 1 egg yolk 2 tbsp sesame seeds

METHOD 1 Preheat oven to 350

degrees. Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer until fluffy. Add cheese and sour cream, beating until blended.

2 Combine flour and Italian

seasoning. Gradually add to butter mixture; beat at low speed until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

3 Turn dough out onto a lightly

floured surface; knead 3 or 4 times. Divide dough in half. Roll half of dough into a 12 x 6 inch rectangle. Cut into 6 x 1/2 inch strips. Stir together

egg yolk and 1 Tbsp. water; brush over breadsticks. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds. Twist strips, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, egg wash, and sesame seeds.

4 Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.

5 To freeze: Place baked

Parmesan Twists in a labelled airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature, and reheat at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Paremsan Twists â&#x20AC;˘

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Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Kill Them

By Cherie DeBurger 108 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

For centuries men have been trying to figure out women … and women have been trying to figure out men. For centuries men have been trying to figure out women and women have been trying to figure out men. It’s obvious that we are different on many levels both physically and mentally. This topic has been pondered and discussed since the beginning of time and I don’t think we are any closer to figuring it out. It has become the motive of crimes, the plot of movies and there are even books written about it, for example Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus by John Gray, Ph.D. I think it’s safe to say that this debate is nowhere near to being over.

This

phenomenon doesn’t start when we reach a certain age like puberty or when we enter high school or even graduate university, it begins the moment we enter this world kicking and screaming. I have known that there are differences my entire life but watching from a mother’s point of view I find the differences to be absolutely ridiculous in some cases. I have two girls and three boys and each of them has their very own distinct personality. Often I find it is impossible for my mind to grasp the fact that each child was pushed (by the fifth one I should say walked) out of my body. Although it only takes one good sneeze or a hard laugh to remind me that my body has been stretched far past the point of ever returning to it’s original form and function. Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Kill Them •

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“Shortly it’s me who is staring out the front window begging for the little girl to get here so Lisa will have something to keep her busy…” I proudly wear my stretch marks that I have accumulated over the past twenty years and consider them “tiger strips” and proof that I am tough enough to carry a child for nine months. Okay who am I kidding, that’s nothing but drama folks, honestly if I could get rid of these stretch marks I might seriously hurt someone in my rush to get to the doctors!

There

are always kids coming and going from our house as well as friends sleeping over and now that it’s summer it has turned into hyper drive. It is amazing the difference I observe between when the boys have someone over compared to when the girls have a friend stay over or just visit. My daughter Lisa will excitedly watch out the front window and after a few moments—emphasis being on moments—she will look out the front door. Then come the questions that are shot at me in rapid fire ... How long has it been since she called? Where is she? Do you think they’re just late? Do you think they forgot where we live? Should we call them? Do you think she changed her mind and doesn’t want to come over? Shortly it’s me who 110 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

is staring out the front window begging for the little girl to get here so Lisa will have something to keep her busy, other than driving me to the point where I would like to rip off my ears.

When

the boys want someone to come over it plays out a little differently. After they hang up the phone they go back to their video games and once again immerse themselves so deeply that when the knock on the door does finally happens they don’t hear it or have a clue their friend has arrived. Unless I yank the ear buds out of the ears or there is a power outage they are quite content to stay in the zone.

After the girls scream and hug they run up to Lisa’s room which now has only minutes left of remaining clean. They are past the age where quiet equals trouble, most of the time, so as I continue to enjoy the sofa and drink my coffee I debate how badly do I want to know what they are up to. Lisa comes down the stairs saying “Don’t look mom! We are having a fashion show and want you to judge who is the prettier one.” Yeah, crush some little girls self esteem that’s what I wanted to do this afternoon. I diplomatically tell them they are both beautiful and I couldn’t possibly choose one over the other then at separate times I whisper in each ear that she was the prettiest but not to tell. Will my kids need therapy? Probably. But doesn’t everybody these days?

It’s only

a matter of time before one of them doesn’t want to do what the other one wants to and I will start to hear phrases like “well it’s my house!” or “I’m the guest!” Next thing I know it will escalate to a full blown melt down with tears. On the other side of the coin the boys will barely speak to each other but not because they’re mad it’s because they’re in the middle of a battle to the death in the virtual world they have

Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Kill Them •

111

created. The game will be paused if and only one of them needs to eat or use the bathroom. On the off chance that one of them wants to do something else—yes it does happen intermittently—there are no hurt feelings, they just do their own thing for a little while. It doesn’t seem to matter what age we are or what stage of life we’re in the valley remains deep and wide between the male and female human being. Through out our teenage years we are not only confused by the opposite sex but we don’t even understand ourselves.

Then

into adulthood we are still just as clueless just a little better at covering it up. We just tell our significant others that we really do understand even though most of the time we are shaking our heads thinking maybe it’s time for some lithium. Most of the time we don’t have a clue why people do what they do and maybe that’s how true love is defined.

I do know that no matter how much time goes by I don’t see anyone coming to an understanding or even an explanation that will clear up the confusion. So each day we do our best to be kind to ourselves and others. I think I saw the saying on Facebook that pretty much sums it up for a lot of us…

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and have people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” 112 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

If you have any comments then please feel free to email me at lifes.moments@live.ca

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