November Edition 2021

just begin ISSUE NO.18

NOVEMBER 2021

COVER PHOTO BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS PEOPLE WHO JUST BEGIN

Iris Rogers of Homestead Hemp 1787 The Founders of Girls That Invest The Founder of Sunkissed Babe

SUSTAINABILITY

Easy Ways to Reduce Waste in 2021 Your Mini Guide to Zero Waste Grocery Shopping How to Stop Microfiber Pollution

HOLISTIC LIVING

Stay Grounded, but Dream On. How To Love Yourself Genuinely Monthly Horoscopes by The Tarot Queen A Beginner’s Guide to Ayurveda

WORKPLACE WELLNESS

Daily Gratitude: Rethinking the How Managing Workplace Stress &Wellness Are You Ready to Just Begin?

MENTAL HEALTH

What I Learned When Writing in a Gratitude Journal Every Day

TRAVEL

Beautiful Spots to See the Fall Foliage in the Smokies

BE INSPIRED

We Are Doing a Disservice to the Homeless Population Around the World: The Hope House Explains How We Can Solve This and Do Better

MEET THE TEAM Melly Diaz

Editor in Chief

Samantha Diaz

Chief Designer & Photographer

COVER EDITORIAL

Miriela Diaz

Executive Director

PHOTO

ALEJANDRO

Dr. Claire Muselman

Content Writer

Barbara Estrada

Content Writer

Content Writer Lindsay Francois

Content Writer

Melissa Cancio

Content Writer Rachel Greve

Content Writer

RAUDALES

Dorian Ash

Creative Photography DO YOU WANT TO INTERNSHIP

Ruth Orellana Delcid

Creative Strategy Anailis Diaz

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Isabella Canizares

Creative Strategy

Daniella Hakim

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WELCOME to the 18th edition of Just Begin Magazine. In honor of this issue's theme of gratitude I would like to share that I am so grateful for all our readers and the community we've built.

If it wasn't for all of you who continue to read every issue I'm not sure where we would be!

I want everyone to know that Just Begin has been the creative outlet I have been seeking for a long time and I am so fortunate to continue seeing the Just Begin team and community grow.

I hope you enjoy the November Edition and never forget that you can always begin again.

Melly

Editor in Chief

SIWOD NILTIAK YB TRA

FLOWER OF THE MONTH PEONY

The Peony is best known by its scientific name, Paeonia. This is only the name of the genus – individual varieties of Peony feature different individual Latin names.

The Peony takes its name from the mythological Greek character Paeon, who studied with the god of medicine known as Asclepius. Zeus had to transform the student into a beautiful flower when he showed more promise than his teacher and incurred his wrath.

The peony flowers have a great deal of meanings. Not only can it symbolize prosperity, good fortune, and happiness, but it can also be used to encourage a happy marriage or to symbolize honor and compassion. It can even represent bashfulness!

PEOPLE WHO JUST

BEGIN PEOPLE WHO JUST

MODEL TURNED FARMER

MEET IRIS ROGERS THE FOUNDER OF HOMESTEAD HEMP 1787

Where do you think Elbert hid the missing deed? — If you haven’t heard of Iris Rogers and her viral scavenger hunt on TikTok searching for her family’s 234 year old farm’s original deed, where have you been? If you have not had the pleasure of hearing about this incredible story, no worries I had the opportunity to speak to Iris Rogers myself and learn more about her incredibly interesting story.

Iris Rogers is a model turned farmer and currently the owner of Homestead Hemp 1787 a CBD business she runs in her family’s 200 plus year old farm. However, before going into the CBD business Iris was a model who was actually scouted in a gas station while she was pursuing a professional singing career with a Bachelor’s in Music from Purchase College.

“I wasn’t sure about my plans and I thought if I passed up the opportunity to model, I would regret it later in life. So once again, I dove in head first to an industry I knew nothing about. While modeling was something I had always dreamed of, my continuous struggle with anxiety started to take a toll the further I got into the heart of the industry.”- Iris

However it didn’t take long until Iris realized that the anxiety and stress from such an intense industry was taking a toll on her body and mental health. Since leaving that world and becoming a farmer in the CBD business it has led her to find a natural plant-based way to stay grounded.

What I find SO inspiring about her story is that she really didn’t know what it took to grow cannabis but decided to learn everything about the industry to make her business thrive. As an entrepreneur you definitely need to have the skill set of “figuring out” and Iris certainly has that muscle. Along with Iris’s motivation to have a successful business she also is very passionate about the quality of her products.

“What I love about my brand is that it is small batch. We only grow an acre and I push that acre to its maximum potential instead of growing 40 acres of hemp, very low quality, and huge mass processing.” - Iris.

She also created a cult-like following on tik tok because one day she decided to share the story about her family’s farm original deed that had been missing due to her great grandfather, Elbert Rogers, who hid the original deed in an old milk can somewhere on the property

Unfortunately, in the CBD industry there is a lot of “white labeling” and very little education about the plant. What Homestead Hemp 1787 does much better than their competitor is educating their customers on how to properly use CBD and make it a part of your daily routine.

“I feel like CBD brands have to be responsible in educating their customers on how to use it. Because that's the only way you are going to get sales back as if it’s working for that other person. That's the whole point.

You want it to work!” - Iris Iris prides herself in being very hands on and educating her customers as much as possible on social media and encourages her customers to reach out if they have any questions to find the right dosage for them to have the results they need.

Although Iris is very determined to educate her customers on the power of CBD.

Due to the pandemic and having more time on her hands then usual Iris found herself on a scavenger hunt which is documented in two series on tik tok. It was there where I found Iris because one day I was scrolling through Tik Tok and came across one of her videos and was immediately hooked and needed to know the answer to this mystery. Iris takes the audience through a multitude of searches while she continues to find more clues in every video and it’s so captivating you can’t stop watching.

In our conversation she shared with me that season three should be released very soon and maybe we will have the answer to the mystery and finally know where Elbert hid the missing deed.

To learn more about Iris listen to our full conversation on the Just Begin Podcast.

GIRLS THAT INVEST MEET SIMI & SONYA THE FOUNDERS OF GIRLS THAT INVEST. Did you know that only 15-25% of women invest? As one of the women in that statistic I ask myself “Why Haven’t I?” and I realized It’s because I’m not educated in the area and I don’t know where to begin.

Luckily enough I stumbled upon the instagram account Girls That Invest ran by globally recognized investing experts, Sim and Sonya. Instantly I was amazed by the graphics and knowledge they share on their account daily.

I realized that I really want Just Begin Magazine to share more on personal finance especially because most of our community are young women entrepreneurs and people who want to learn more about money.

written by melly diaz

People Who Just Begin

So I decided to reach out to Sim and Sonya of Girls That Invest to have an open discussion on their money journey’s along with advice on growing their business.

I learned that the two of them are both on a mission to make the world of investing less intimidating. Their podcast, Girls That Invest quickly became the world’s #1 investing podcast for women who wanted to learn about investing - without the jargon. Their 50,000 strong Instagram following quickly demonstrated the need for more investing education tailored to help tackle the wealth gap women are facing.

“I had so much doubt in my mind- is this even going to work? Is anyone going to listen to it? Why would anyone care what we would have to say? And then I spoke to Sonya and we had such an authentic conversation and it just flowed so well and it was like a light bulb moment for me. And I was like can we do this podcast? Is this a crazy idea? We have never done any kind of business together. Let's give it a go.” - Sim. However, it’s important to note that the two didn’t launch Girls That Invest that long ago; it was only in 2020!

Since Sim and Sonya decided to JUST BEGIN they have now created a 6 figure business offering an online course for their community to learn how to invest.

“We have launched in becoming a six figure business and if you would have told us this a year ago we would have been laughing.” - Sim. When I learn about business stories like these it always makes me so excited because I love when people find a need in a market and can actually help people with what they offer.

In the world of finance as we all know it is very male dominated. So when you see two women of color in their mid 20s take over a space and teach other women about investing and make it seem less daunting is so empowering.

Click here to listen to the full conversation with Sim and Sonya on the Just Begin Podcast.

SUNKISSED BABES Lupus Diagnosed Female Entrepreneur, 25, Who Founded Swimwear Brand SunKissed Babes While Learning to Sew on Youtube Talks Over-glamorizing Hustle Culture and Mental Health

WRITTEN BY LINDSAY FRANCOIS

People Who Just Begin

Nya, 25, a serial entrepreneur diagnosed with lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, who founded online swimwear brand SunKissed Babes while earning to sew on Youtube says social media’s perception of running a business is skewed and destroys the reality of what it is truly like to run a business.

The swimwear designer, created by 25year-old Nya Hughes in 2019 after she was diagnosed with Sjoren’s Syndrome, explains that the exposure she received by being tagged on social media by Frankies Bikinis early on, left her no time to prepare for a proper launch but did in the end help her gain a “loyal following on Instagram.”

January of 2019, Nya who then worked in retail, decided to hand make her own bikinis despite her then inability to sew. Nya spent the last 2 years learning how to sew via Youtube and focused on creating designs she hoped to find at popular retail brands but could not find or afford. “I realized that I could never find cute bikinis at a reasonable price for a broke college girl. So I told my mother that I was going to learn to sew. She thought I was joking but I wasn’t! I saved up, bought a Singer sewing machine at Joann’s and started practicing January 1, 2019.”

Also in 2019, she found out that she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's Syndrome, which is similar to lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. This illness left Nya’s skin sensitive to the sun and scarred her lungs. As of this article, Nya is preparing to get on a list and receive a double lung transplant.

During lockdown, a ton of social media users were tagging small business owners and Black-owned businesses to their pages in hopes of helping them reach many more customers.

At the time Nya explains that she had no intention of actually launching her brand but was simply posting for her friends and family until she was approached by the Frankies Bikini who instantly realized the designer’s talent. With high demand, Nya launched her line to the world, surprised at the response of customers miles away from her small town in Fort Myers, Florida. “ I was so shocked to see people from Hawaii and Canada like my designs! I mean me? There are so many more established brands out there and you purchased my bikini!” Although being recognized by a bigger company pushed SunKissed Babes forward, Nya explains that it did not mean she was constantly receiving orders like often advertised by other business owners on social media. Once last year’s “ tag a black-owned business” trend subsided, Nya says it would be weeks before she gets any orders if she gets any at all. A challenge millions of first time entrepreneurs faced in 2020. Nya however decided to branch outside of social media and present her products at pop-up shows to increase brand awareness locally. “ You could have the best products and still get no sales.” Despite the challenges this female entrepreneur faces, with difficulty breathing and working, she’s been transparent with her followers and customers about her struggles and “ they respect it.” Nya explains that she strives to take care of herself first by practicing self care, which to her means sleeping, reading a book, simply “going at my own pace”. “ It’s okay to be lazy and take your time. I feel like people always think that in order to practice self care you also have to be constantly active, you don’t have to” she explains.

Nya is part of the 51 million Americans who struggle with mental health which can increase when running a business. Social media, she explains, glamorizes running a business as if success happens overnight. According to Nya, her journey has been anything but glamorous and sometimes finds herself depressed and unwilling to go on. Having the support of her fiance, Mom and aunt ,who is a breast cancer survivor, reminds her that she can get through adversity and thrive. Being inspired by her aunt’s hustle, excitement to live and travel, Nya describes as motivation to do the same.

The Sunkissed Babes designer emphasizes the importance of other female entrepreneurs such as herself to do the best they can and show up as themselves. “ No matter what, keep going, even when you have no sales, keep creating” Nya advises. Nya’s hope is to soon undergo a lung transplant surgery as well as expand her business to other products to continue to grow her business. In the face of adversity, Nya inspires us all to pursue our passions and always try our best.

To continue to follow Nya and her story, visit @shopsunkissedbabes on Instagram and to shop her latest designs visit www.sunkissedbabes.com/ If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for you, a friend, or a family member.

Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255); En español 1-888-628-9454

just begin LISTEN TO THE JUST BEGIN PODCAST TODAY AVAILABLE ON ALL PLATFORMS.

SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY

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EASY WAYS TO REDUCE WASTE IN 2021 written by samantha diaz

While working toward reducing plastic use is vitally important, it isn’t enough to tackle the waste epidemic we have around the world.

Fortunately, it’s effortless to reduce waste once and for all when you make these simple swaps.

just begin magazine

Why Reduce Waste?

While we all have a general sense that waste is out of control in our world, I think it helps see the numbers to get an idea of just how bad the problem is.

The average American creates over 4 pounds of trash EVERY DAY. This equals up to 56 tons of waste a year.

Every year, more than 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into oceans around the world.

All sea turtle species and nearly half of all seabird species have been found with plastic in or around their bodies.

The past five years have been the hottest ever on record.

I usually don't like to state such blunt and scary facts because I know eco-anxiety is accurate, and hearing stuff like this doesn't help. However, if you're on the fence about the need to reduce your waste, I think you realize that now is the time to act. Fortunately, these are some of the most accessible and affordable ways to reduce waste to live a greener and more sustainable life.

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Ditch the Paper Towels One of the easiest ways to transition to a less wasteful life is to get rid of paper towels and switch to reusable alternatives. We use these cloth napkins for dining and these organic unbleached cotton unpaper towels to clean your home. Once you get the hang of cutting back your paper towel use, consider making the switch to eco-friendly toilet paper to help save even more trees.

Give Up Plastic Bags When you realize how often you use plastic bags, you'll understand why this is a critical swap to reduce waste. First, you can bring reusable grocery bags and reusable organic cotton produce bags to the store to eliminate the need for plastic bags there.

Make the switch to using reusable snack bags and reusable food storage bags at home, so you no longer need to buy those plastic bags that you use once and throw away.

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Get Rid of Plastic Wrap

When you're making the switch from plastic bags to reusable bags, don't forget to swap out that plastic wrap for beeswax food wrap. You can use beeswax food wrap to cover bowls and wrap up cheeses, breads, fruits, vegetables, and more. You can use beeswax wraps or organic cotton beeswax wraps. Since both options come from zero online waste shops, you can be sure you're making a truly sustainable choice that's also good for the environment.Reusable silicone covers are another option you can consider to get rid of plastic wrap. These flexible and durable covers come in numerous sizes to stretch over your bowls and preserve your food.

Shop at Zero Waste Stores If you're trying to reduce your waste, you'll likely need to change your shopping habits a little. Most of the big-box stores out there don't cater to low waste or zero-waste lifestyles. For that, you'll need to shop at a zero-waste store. These stores sell zero-waste versions of all of your household essentials. Unfortunately, not every community currently has a local zero waste store. A quick online search will tell you if you have any nearby zero waste shops.

Change Where You Buy Your Food

Shopping at a zero-waste store isn't the only buying habit you'll need to adjust to reduce your waste. It would be best if you also considered changing the way you buy your food. Shopping at a traditional grocery store produces A LOT of waste. Every single thing you buy is in its own package, and that package is typically plastic.

If possible, see if your community has bulk food stores where you can do zero-waste grocery shopping. Doing your grocery shopping at a farmers' market is another excellent way to reduce waste and reduce all the plastic packaging you bring home. If you don't have any bulk stores or farmers' markets in your community, you can still cut back on your waste when shopping at traditional grocery stores. Look for items packaged in cardboard, glass, or aluminum cans since these materials are easier to reuse and recycle. And, as always, don't forget your reusable bags!

Start a Garden

Another way you can cut down on waste from grocery shopping is to start a garden and grow your food. Having a garden offers an incredible variety of benefits aside from reducing waste. Even better, pretty much everyone can grow a garden. I used to think I was plant-care challenged, but I figured things out with a bit of practice and a lot of trial and error. Now I grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year for my family.

Plus, you don't have to have acres and acres of land to grow a garden. Even if you have outdoor space the size of a postage stamp, you can find plenty of plants that grow great in pots.

If your goal is to reduce waste this year, it won't be hard to do.

IAll you need to do is start implementing a few of these simple swaps every week.

Before you know it, you'll be on your way to a zero-waste or low-waste lifestyle!

just begin magazine

YOUR MINI GUIDE TO ZERO WASTE GROCERY SHOPPING You’ve made great strides to reduce waste in the kitchen, but let’s be completely honest here: You’ll never have a low waste kitchen until you tackle zero-waste grocery shopping.

Admittedly, zero-waste grocery shopping was one of the last changes I made in my journey to live a more eco-friendly life simply because it seemed so overwhelming.

Grocery stores are filled with single-use plastic items, and I wasn’t sure if it was even possible to go zero waste grocery shopping without a bulk grocery store. However, once I started making minor changes to how I shop, I realized zero waste shopping at a regular grocery store is possible. If you’re interested in zero-waste grocery shopping without a bulk store, these simple tips and tricks can help!

Grow it Yourself

The first step in zero-waste grocery shopping occurs before you even step foot in a grocery store. Growing as much of your food as possible immediately reduces your waste because you do not need to bring home fruits and vegetables in plastic containers and plastic wrap. Even better, it will help you save A LOT of money!

Make it Yourself

In addition to growing plenty of your food, it's also effortless to make various homemade foods. Instead of buying plastic bottles of herbs and spices, make your own! I grow basil, oregano, garlic chives, rosemary, and sage in my garden. When I need more dried herbs for cooking, I pick some straight from the plant and use this dehydrator to dry them. A mini food processor is a perfect size to chop up the dried herbs. Then I store them in glass spice bottles.

Choose Plastic-Free Packaging

Reusable shopping bags and reusable produce bags aren't the only things you can use for zero waste grocery shopping. You also want to choose as much plastic-free packaging as possible. Some types of plastic are impossible to recycle, and other types might only be recycled once. If plastic is recycled, it's often "downcycled," which means it's turned into a non-recyclable product, such as clothing or toys.However, you can recycle metal and glass again and again without ever degrading their quality. That's why you should always choose a metal or glass container over a plastic one.

Cardboard containers are another excellent option since they can also be recycled. Just keep in mind that you should avoid mixed-material cardboard packages. Mixed-material packages contain different types of materials in one package. Pasta boxes are a typical example you'll often see in the grocery store. While the boxes are typically cardboard, they'll usually have a plastic window so you can see the pasta inside. The problem with these boxes is that the plastic contaminates the cardboard and makes the box impossible to recycle.

Instead, look for boxes that are cardboard and cardboard alone.

Go to a Farmers Market

This last tip isn't always easy. However, when possible, it significantly helps you reduce waste when grocery shopping. If your community has a farmers market, try to do as much of your grocery shopping there as possible. There are several benefits to shopping at a farmers' market. First, most of the vendors at the market are local farmers, which means you're putting money right back into your community.

This also means carbon emissions from transporting the food are significantly decreased.I also find that these vendors are more willing to let me use my containers and bags when I'm shopping for food, and I ask them if it's OK for me to transfer the items from their containers to the ones I bring with me. They're almost always agreeable because it saves them a little money since they don't have to buy new containers, and it helps me reach my goal of zero waste grocery shopping. Plus, you'll be able to find fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, spices, eggs, meats, and more at a farmers' market. Depending on how big your local farmers market is, you might be able to do all of your grocery shopping there!

Eat More Plant-Based Meals

Zero waste grocery shopping isn't just about the items you bring home from the store; it's also about the environmental impact of everything we eat. The unfortunate truth is, how we grow, get, and eat our food is a significant cause of climate change. A UN climate change report estimates that 23% of greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock.

Even worse, we're clearing whole swaths of the very trees we need to fight climate change to open up land to raise livestock. Eating a plant-based diet is one of the most significant ways to reduce greenhouse gases from the agriculture sector.

just begin magazine

HOW TO STOP MICROFIBER POLLUTION Microfibers. They’re tiny things that are causing big problems. But is there anything we can do to solve the problem? Absolutely! If you’re wondering how to stop microfiber pollution, these tips are ready to help.

What Is Microfiber Pollution?

Every time we wash synthetic fibers — such as polyester, fleece, nylon, and spandex — tiny microfibers break off and flow down the drain. These microfibers are so tiny that water treatment plants can’t catch them, and they end up in our waterways. Once the microfibers get into the waterways, they act like sponges and soak up everything around them. This includes pesticides, fertilizers, motor oil, and industrial chemicals. Fish end up ingesting the microfibers and all the toxins they soaked up. From there, the microfibers and their toxins start moving up the food chain as the fish are consumed by birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. And yes, that even includes humans! This is a big problem that will take all of us to fix. So what can you do? Here are seven steps you can take right now to stop microfiber pollution.

Switch to Natural Clothing Fibers

One of the easiest ways to stop microfiber pollution is right at its source: synthetic clothing. While you obviously can’t go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe right away, you can start making the switch to clothes made from natural fibers one piece at a time.

Look for clothing made from cotton, wool, linen, silk, and cashmere. While these items still shed fibers in the wash, they’re biodegradable natural fibers.

Fortunately, it’s easy to find clothes made from natural fibers for everyone in the family. Plus, don’t forget, it’s not just clothes that release microfibers. If you use microfiber cloths to clean your house, they’re also contributing to the problem. That’s why it’s a better idea to switch to organic cotton unpaper towels.

Don’t Wash as Frequently.

Many people habit of immediately tossing clothes into the laundry hamper even if the clothes aren’t dirty. The more you wash clothes, the more they break down and release microfibers. Before automatically toss your clothes into the wash, look at them and see if they need to be cleaned. If they don’t smell and are not dirty, you can get a few more wears out of them. This is a great way to make your entire laundry routine more ecofriendly because it also reduces the amount of water you need to wash clothes and the amount of energy you need to dry them.

Use Cool Water When you have to wash your clothes, make sure you use cool water instead of hot water. Hot water causes clothing fibers to break down more efficiently, which means more microfibers will get released in the wash. Using cool water makes almost no difference in how clean your clothes get. Plus, it’s just one more way to save money since you don’t have to pay to heat your water.

Use an In-Wash Microfiber Filter Tossing an in-wash microfiber filter into your washing machine is another way to help stop microfiber pollution. Two easy-to-use options to consider are the Guppyfriend washing bag and the Cora Ball laundry ball.Both of these options work slightly differently.

Install a Microfiber Filter While the Guppyfriend washing bag and Cora Ball laundry ball help prevent a good amount of microfiber pollution from going down the drain, they can’t capture all of it. To do that, you need to install a microfiber filter on your washing machine. This microfiber filter is straightforward to install if you have access to your washing machine’s discharge hose. It captures the microfibers before they can enter our waterways and keeps them out of the animals that live in and around the water.

Wait Until You Have a Full Load Another simple way to stop microfiber pollution is to run your washing machine when you have a full load. The friction that occurs when clothes rub together is what causes microfibers to come loose. If you wait until you have a full load, you reduce the amount of friction that happens and cut down on the number of microfibers that fall off. Reducing the rotation speed during the wash can also help cut back on friction.

Use a Front-Loading Washing Machine While this isn’t a tip you can implement right away, it’s something to keep in mind for down the road. When your washing machine breaks down, and you have to get another one, choose a front-loading machine instead of a top-loading machine. Because of how they’re designed and wash clothes, top-loading machines produce seven times more microfiber pollution than front-loading machines.

Easy Ways to Stop Microfiber Pollution Microfiber pollution might seem like an overwhelming problem. However, when you start implementing these simple tips on stopping microfiber pollution, you’ll discover it’s a problem we can tackle by making a few adjustments to things we already do.

HOLISTIC

LIVING HOLISTIC

LIVING HOLISTIC

@justbeginmagazine

DATE

Mood

YOUR DAILY CHECK OF SELF-LOVE

Say "I'm Beautiful" In Front of The Mirror

Take A Bath

Listen to Your Favorite Music

Use Face Mask

Take An Afternoon Nap

Eat Your Favorite Snack

Try Different Style of Clothes

Doodle Anything On A Paper

Gaze At The Afternoon Sky

JUST BEGIN MAGAZINE

STAY GROUNDED, BUT DREAM ON. written by melissa cancio The idea of feeling grateful can entail so many different things; whether it be small or large. I truly appreciate the little things in life because they make life grand, but maybe that’s just me.

While we do have lots to be thankful for, there are always a few constant values that continue to impact my life in so many ways. I’ll name a few… maybe you relate!

Being humble. I know there’s so many ways to be humble in the pursuit of growing up, but it all comes down to how it’s instilled in you and what you want out of life. The idea of being humble to me not only means mentally, by just being kind on a day to day basis, but also physically, by helping people out when you think they need it most. I love to give back to those less fortunate and I think that has allowed me to try placing myself in other people’s shoes. From time to time, it’s nice to just take your mind off things and relax in your own way. The act of humility comes in many shapes and sizes, so I think it’s a value I hold dear to me in so many ways.

Family Oriented. Growing up in a large family has its perks. We had a birthday to celebrate every month, a milestone to share, and just overall gathering together to hang out.

I love hearing stories from my family member’s experiences and just vicariously living through them every chance I get. It also comes full circle when you need professional advice, when you need a shoulder to cry on, or when you just want to laugh until your tummy can’t hold it in any longer. My family is my rock and I don’t know where I would be without them.

Growing Up Healthy. I’m very appreciative that even after so many asthma attacks from when I was little, I am still able to do what I set my mind to do. Life has so much to offer and I absolutely love that I get to experience different cultures in a variety of ways; whether it be through travel, through all kinds of food, and how they just live their daily lives… It's a rewarding experience.

I have always been that person to dream big. My dad always told me that I needed to get off the clouds (a saying in spanish: Quitate de las nubes) because I needed to look at life in a somewhat realistic way. I get it… but to this day, I still dream. I dream of my wedding day, my home, future family, and just everything I’m grateful for now in life. So I say, never stop dreaming! You’ll never know where life will take you if you do.

Dream on, but stay true to your roots.

Xoxo, Mel

HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF GENUINELY Even if self-love seems to be the most automatic emotion a person should have, other people seem to struggle with it. They are the people who tolerate shits over and over again. They are the people who are afraid to communicate what they want, and they are scared to show other people that they are essential too.

There are possible reasons why you might stop prioritizing self-love, and I won’t blame you as I’ve been in your shoes too. But growing up, I had this knowing that I was not doing the right thing and myself was suffering. Loving yourself is a continuous process, and we should be patient and committed to it. It is not too late because I know you want to be happy, and it starts the journey. How can you genuinely love yourself? Start with these actionable tips:

Believe that you are enough.

If you have self-love, you will look at the mirror and admire the person you see yourself. You don’t need a title, a person, or an event to make you feel worthy because you believe you are enough.

You viewed your career, job, and partner as an addition to yourself, and you think that they are not here to complete you but to improve you. Painful experiences, heartbreaks, and traumas may have shaped your mind into believing that you are not enough. Those bad memories tricked you into thinking that it happened because you are not worth it for anything good. It would help if you broke those bad memories by doing something different and by replacing them with happy memories. We may not be given a chance to choose the circumstances of our birth or where we will be when we are born, but we can do something about our journey. Let go of things that make you believe that you are not good enough and see how your life changes.

Stop listening to people who don’t love you sincerely.

We need to shield ourselves from energy vampires, no matter who they are. Other people will always have a lot of things to say about you and your choices in life, and we must be selective of which words we will entertain. It will be an extra task if the people calling out on you are the essential people in your life, they may deliver the words harshly, but deep inside, they sincerely love us. How can you know if they sincerely love you? You will feel it. If you think that behind those hash truths and words lies a concern or love, then it is time to look at them and their words at the position of love. Another tip, if they are just concerned, will always feel peaceful, and you won’t feel betrayed despite their way of delivering their words.

Don’t put other people on a pedestal.

Your needs and well-being matter too. If you want to say no, then say it- not only will it validates your self-love, but it also teaches them to respect you and your time. I know you understand this, but there are underlying reasons why you find it hard to prioritize yourself. It may be because you feel that putting yourself first is selfish, or they might leave you if you do not put them above all else.

You, putting other people above yourself all the time, will not make you happy. Self-love is not about being selfish or narcissistic; instead, it is a type of pure love that everyone deserves because, after all, how can you pour from an empty cup? If you don’t have self-love, how can you give love back?

How can you stop putting other people on a pedestal? You can do this: When making a decision, always ask yourself: will this make me happy or at ease?

Don’t say yes when you want to say no! or have healthy boundaries Stop giving your all to people who are not sincere and don’t have good motives for you Recognize that your needs are essential too I’m not driving you to be selfish and to be a person who honors their gains all the time. Instead, I’m encouraging you to understand that as other people have needs, your needs are valid and must be met too.

Unconditional ground for self-acceptance and self-love

If you love yourself, you will not put conditions on why you do. You will not say if I got that job, amount of money, or lover, then I will accept and love myself. Self-love bound by conditions is meant to fall apart anytime, and it will create additional stress for you. For yourself or another person, conditional love is not the perfect love as it is weak, and once the conditions are not met, you will see it crashing down. Be your own best friend. You still love your best friend even if they sometimes fail, right? Could you do it for yourself too? We commit mistakes and stupidity all the time, but we should not be harsh on ourselves about it. The best way to deal with it is by accepting who we are-the the whole package of ourselves. Always talk to yourself on the position of unconditional love and concern, like how you will speak to your dear friend.

Love yourself by improving your intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.

Loving yourself is the best motivation to push you to be the best person, and you will have this urge to impress yourself if you believe that you are enough. One must improve themselves for themselves and not for other people because you will always think that you are worth it after all. Nurturing your mind, body, emotion, and faith are all necessary processes to strengthen your self-love. Because you, taking care of your well-being will validate how much you give importance to yourself. This is a vast topic to discuss and must be in a different blog post, but I believe that you know what it means exactly.

Don’t let yourself suffer.

Not letting yourself suffer is, without a doubt is a crucial one because, like how we love another person, we want them always to be happy. We owe it to ourselves to be satisfied and to not let ourselves suffer in any situation.

Sometimes, a lack of self-confidence puts us in the spot where our decisions and actions are based on fear instead of love. Don’t disappoint yourself by being in a situation or people that harm your self-worth. You will be much happier alone than with circumstances and people who only fill your heart with fear, doubt, and loneliness.

A final note on loving yourself It is all about the mindset; if you think it is wrong to love yourself and prioritize your needs, you won’t be able to do the things I’ve discussed above. Don’t let others brainwash you into believing that putting yourself first is terrible, and remember that you are not here to impress them. True, you are here to associate and be a good human being- but realize that you have a responsibility for yourself. You will know and feel who are the ones that will respect you and love you sincerely, and they deserve your love ultimately. But for now, you need to impress yourself first.

A Beginner’s Guide to Ayurveda WRIITTEN BY MARI DIAZ

I was in the depths of my health journey and exhaustingly navigating the overwhelming confusion of the health and wellness industry, back and forth between visits to Western medical experts, hospitals, and waiting rooms.

My love grew more every time I learned, practiced, and reaped the healing from its wisdom. I couldn’t believe something so simple could be so powerful. It is not an easy road and my healing path has taken me down many wild terrains, it takes time, patience, and dedication to heal with the laws of nature. But to watch your Self unfold and transform in ways you never thought were possible is unbelievably empowering.

Thanks to Ayurveda and the power of mother nature I see the world through new eyes and I was able to restore my health, happiness, and wellbeing, and for that my love will always continue to grow. As each day passes the healing reaps deeper and more profound, and in return, you have the freedom of health to fulfill your life’s purpose, everything that Ayurveda is about.

It is a combined medical and spiritual science of prevention and realigning balance, not just with the goal to be healthy, but so you have the health to give back to those around you, to be of service to humanity, the earth, and walk the path of life with joy, peace, and happiness.

My love for Ayurveda evolved the first moment I began learning about it, sounds cliche but it really was love at first sight! I remember being so intrigued by the word when I first came across it, but instantly my spirit lit up and I had a deep sense of knowing that everything was about to change.

My first piece of advice is to read this article with an open mind, heart, and full faith in your body’s innate power and ability to heal.

Secondly, surrender everything you think you know about health and wellness. More than likely if you are reading this article you are in your own journey to wellness and beginning an Ayurvedic journey means you have tried many other paths which have not worked; this results in a mind overloaded with confusion, contradictions, and skepticism if anything will ever work at all.

Give yourself the ease and permission to let that all go, and with humility start your journey on a new path that welcomes gentleness, simplicity, and true nourishment, which is the opposite of what we have been conditioned to believe wellness is in the Western world. Be willing to try new concepts that your ego might initially question, to let go of attachment and embrace it all with open arms. The more willing you are, the more Ayurveda will gift you her healing.

Thirdly, start small and remember that patience, dedication, and trust in yourself and the process will be your most powerful allies.

Rebuilding your lifestyle or reversing imbalance does not happen overnight, it truly takes all the above to blossom into a new way of being. This is not a fad, quick fix, or trend, it is a road of empowerment to build a sustainable way of life to last an entire lifetime, that which takes time, but that is what the journey is about!

WHAT IS AYURVEDA? Ayurveda is the world’s oldest medical system —it dates back more than 5,000 years! Its roots lie in taking a holistic and integrated approach to healing: body, mind, and spirit. It says that our body and mind are made up of certain elements and that by balancing these elements through food and lifestyle we’ll be able to live our happiest, most fulfilled life.

Now I get it: when you hear the whole “bodymind” speech it’s easy to think you’re in the realm of the mystical and switch right off. But the link between body and mind isn’t hocus pocus. We experience it every day. As human beings we are unsure of foreign concepts because it is the unknown, naturally fear doesn’t want us to try anything outside of what we know.

Especially in the West many are skeptical of anything that uses the words mind or spirit, as a society we have been deeply conditioned with the ‘if you can’t see it it doesn’t exist’ mentality, but it is this damaging way of thinking that has seen a global health epidemic in mental and physical dis-ease like never before.

There are an extreme number of adults, teenagers, children, and elderly across the globe suffering with chronic illnesses and mental health issues, being told that they must spend the rest of their lives dependent on pharmaceuticals with no other way out when the answers truly lie within your diet, lifestyle, human connection and nature.

As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet “Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.

In other words, things happen to us physically, but it’s the way our mind decides to react to them that determines whether they are good or bad.

For example, you’re heading out for the day and forget your phone. You can either see this as 1) a disaster of unmitigated proportions (will your day out even have happened if it’s not posted on social media?!) or 2) the perfect opportunity to leave phone calls and social media behind for the day and really enjoy being in the moment.

In both examples, the mere act of thinking will produce a physical reaction. In number 1) it’ll be stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, whereas in number 2) it’s more likely to be feel-good chemicals. Ayurveda is all about balancing out that relationship between the mind and the body so that we experience a lot more of the good stuff.

WHY AYURVEDA? “When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need.”— ayurvedic proverb In Ayurveda food is medicine. To understand this concept, one has to understand the basic principle of Ayurveda: The five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, exist in all matters of life. They manifest in the human body as the three Doshas – Vata (Air & Space with the principle of movement), Pitta (Fire & Water with the principle of metabolism), and Kapha (Water & Earth with the principle of structure). Every man, every flower, every animal is, therefore, an expression of an individual Dosha. In the same way, every food also has special properties. Through eating certain foods a person's Doshas can increase and decrease and so can have either a positive or a negative effect.

CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS 1) The six different tastes (Rasa): sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent.

2) The attributes (Gunas), divided into ten pairs of opposites: heavy/light, slow/oily/dry, or cold/hot, soft/hard, static/mobile, slow/sharp, slimy/rough, dense/liquid, subtle/gross and cloudy/clear.

3) The effective power on human metabolism (Virya) is divided into categories: hot, cold, light, pungent.

4) The effect within the body after actual digestion (Vipaka), independent of the original taste: sweet, sour, or pungent.

By using this system of classification, you are able to pinpoint the effect on the Dosha of a person through foods and spices that are put together individually and thereby prevent illness or even heal it.

In addition to creating a diet that is specific to your Dosha, considering the digestive power (Agni) also plays a decisive role in maintaining strength, health, and vitality. If the Agni in your body is too weak and if the metabolism is disturbed, then you may have a build-up of wastes and disease as a result. Toxins and waste materials (Ama) deposit themselves in the body and can trigger various illnesses. The ultimate goal of Ayurvedic nutrition therapy is to strengthen and support the digestive fire. In order to do this add specific spices such as ginger, turmeric, coriander, or cumin and choose foods that are suitable to your Dosha.

The body should also be cleansed by removing Ama that has already been collected in the body and so prevents the formation of new wastes.

To support this process, drink hot water regularly.

Also, the occasional day where you only consume liquids can help. The common goal of both approaches is a strong and healthy Agni.

The body's optimal processing and transformation of food that has been eaten into healthy Exploration, discovery, and growth. There is no one end goal destination, but an infinite path of learning, transforming, and rising in subtle and great ways. Start by introducing one new practice a week, integrate it slowly, and begin building the foundation of your lifestyle from there. Also doing it with a friend for support is a great way to keep you accountable, and to make the journey fun, joyful and liberating. Life is not meant to be so serious all the time!

I wish you a wonderful journey into Ayurveda.

November 2021

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*pro tip- read your rising sign before your sun sign*

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SCORPIO October 23November 21

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SAGITTARIUS November 22December 21

It's prime time to plant new seeds on this year's only new moon in your sign on the 4th. Because of la nueva luna's promise (if you water and tend to them, they WILL grow) you can manifest anything! Remember, be ready for harvesting by the corresponding Scorpio full moon six months from now. Venus swoops into Capricorn and your expressive third house. You'll be drawn to people who are eloquent and comfortable sharing their opinions...

Take it easy my fire friend. This year's only Scorpio new moon on the 4th lands in your twelfth house of rest, healing and spirituality. Tune into your inner brujita and conjure a self care ritual. The next day Venus enters Capricorn and your second house of sensuality and security till 3/6/2022. This long transit can help secure a stable partner for the singles and for taken Sags a strong foundation for the next level in your relationship.

CAPRICORN December 22January 19

AQUARIUS January 20February 18

PISCES February 19March 20

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

TAURUS April 19-May 20

The year's only new moon in Scorpio (on the 4th) bust in your eleventh house of group activity. If you’ve been looking for a new squad or want to broaden your circle la luna is here for you! On the 5th Venus swoops into your sign and might send you on a social and dating spree. For singles, anything can happen for love and new bonds. If you’re in a relationship, take the lead in keeping things fresh and….

Considering new career goals? The new moon in Scorpio on the 4th lands in your tenth house of professionalism and career. Get crystal clear about your goals because la luna can manifest major changes between now and the corresponding Scorpio full moon six months from now. The following day Venus glides through your restful twelfth house until March 6, 2022. Take time to rest and recharge your heart. Maybe art therapy can help since Venus rules creativity too!

Have you been thinking of your next evolution in your journey? The year's only new moon in Scorpio powers up your expansion ninth house, setting the stage for development. Take time to visualize the growth you’d like to experience over the coming six months. The next day Venus enters Capricorn and your eleventh house of socializing and technology until March 6, 2022. If you’re looking for love, maybe dating apps can work in your favor! Get real dreamy and creative with how to connect with...

Ready to get sexy back? This month's new moon in Scorpio lands in your eighth house of seduction. Soltera rams could meet a worthy match of our feisty love. If taken, you can deepen the erotic energy.

The next day 11/5 Venus enters Capricorn till March 2022 because it lands in our career sector we can test new waters. Pero this is also a fantastic transit to manifest a stable relationship!...

On the 4th the Scorpio new moon enters your seventh house of partnerships. This vibra can manifest the perfect fun partner you dream of. Then on the 5th Venus is in Capricorn for 4 months!

Landing on your worldly ninth house aka can on a dating app and find love anywhere in the world! Venus is also connected to creativity so you might be open to pick up a new...

GEMINI

This year's only new moon in Scorpio activates your sixth house of healthy living. Therefore new workout classes, changing our eating habits and boosting our energy. Then on the 5th Venus enters Capricorn and your erotic 8th house till 3/6/2022. Mucho mucho amor and long journey for you to explore your sexual healing and discover what you need in a relationship to feel…..

May 21-June 20

CANCER June 21-July 22

LEO July 23-August 22

VIRGO August 23September 22

LIBRA September 23October 22

November 4th we have this year's only Scorpio new moon. Which fires up your fifth house of love, passion and creativity. Entonces you have options my watery friend! Are you craving a new life path or a new love partner? Let this luna inspire you. Either way amor is in the air for you!

Venus embarks on a four-month journey through Capricorn and your seventh house of committed partnerships….

The only Scorpio new moon of 2021 gets real comfy in your domestic fourth house. If you’ve been trying to move or la familia is driving you crazy then la luna can help you get out! You can definitely find a new home or even the perfect roommate. Then on the 5th you continue to remove las malas vibras and make conscious decisions when Venus enters Capricorn and your wellness sector. Get ready to implement new self-care rituals….

Let’s get involved thanks to this year's only Scorpio new moon on the 4th sitting in your 3rd house of the local community. If you've been looking for a worthy organization to get involved with, start talking to local business, nonprofits and get an insider's take on everything that's going on. On the 5th Venus enters traditional Capricorn and your fifth house. What brings you passion for life? This 4 month cycle can be...

Scorpio powers up your second house of finances on the 4th this month. If you need to turn things around financially then la luna can launch you on your own personal six-month economic recovery program. On the 5th your loving ruler, Venus, enters your domestic third house, inspiring cozy vibes to your romantic life. This transit is occurring for 4 months which does not happen. It can also be a time to redecorate your home!

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WORKPLACE

WELLNESS WORKPLACE

WELLNESS WORKPLACE

WELLNESS WORKPLACE

DAILY GRATITUDE: RETHINKING THE HOW Written by Dr. Claire Muselman

A few weeks ago, a post crossed my social media feed that stated: “Please remember: Your job is the dream of the unemployed; Your house is the dream of the homeless; Your smile is the dream of the depressed; Your health is the dream of those who are sick; Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from negativity. Find something to be thankful for.”

Perspective is everything in how we look at life. Where you stand says a lot about what you see. Thinking in terms of the very granular aspects of our lives can help improve health and overall wellness. The mind is mighty powerful, and the first place to start is through understanding the benefits of gratitude.

Greatness is small things done day after day… gratitude should be one of those things.

Positive Visualization- Taking the time to visualize prior moments positively can help trigger memories resulting in increased happiness. One way I have found this to keep me smiling during the dark times and reflecting with gratitude is by creating a visual repository. You can save and start a digital photo album or a collage of moments to set to the locked screen on your phone. I like to utilize Instagram to take photos of moments in life I feel are beautiful, and I am grateful to experience them. When I reflect and observe the feed I created, I am flooded with gratitude as these moments trigger memories and experiences I relive and feel all over again. The virtual representation can be powerful and instantaneous. Try taking a few photographs this week and create an album of grateful moments. The next time you feel yourself entering a funk or a dip in happiness, take a moment to review the photos and relive one experience.

The Gratitude List- Creating a list when you are not feeling overly joyful can improve your psychological state.

A research paper produced by Emmons and McCullough, which showed listing out five items or situations in which you are happy about life could change your subjective well-being. There are so many things in our lives that we can be grateful for in life, both large and small. Think back over the past week and write down five things you are grateful for, then do it again tomorrow, the day after, and the day later. Or try reflecting on five things in your life, even just once a week for a few weeks.

See how your perspective shifts over time while working on this simple gratitude practice.

Many times in life, there are hassles and irritants we discuss with others because they annoy or bother us.

They can occur in many different aspects of our lives, including relationships, work, school, etc. Could you think of five hassles that happened to you today? How likely are you to share the hassles and annoyances versus the happy things going on in your life?

Want to score extra psychological well-being points with yourself? Take gratitude to the next level. Sharing gratitude can be extra powerful. You should especially share your five things when you are grateful for other people. “I’m thankful for you” means something because it acknowledges another person in a capacity that illustrates I see you, I hear you, You matter, I appreciate you. The acknowledgment of gratitude is powerful for the self to boost your happiness, and sharing it increases the happiness of others. Win:Win!

The Gratitude Letter- We know that telling someone why they matter and we appreciate them can make an impact. Where do we go from here?

What if we started with something simple? This week, write a letter of gratitude to someone you care about. For this request, think of one living person who has made a big difference in your life but whom you never properly thanked.

Take 30 minutes to find a quiet spot and write a heartfelt letter explaining how they have touched your life and are meaningful to you. This letter can be as long as you want but try to make it at least 300 words. Write this out versus putting it in an email.

The handwritten skillset of writing a letter shows the time, effort, and love going into this moment of appreciation from one person to another.

The Gratitude Visit- Take your gratitude letter to the next level. As sharing gratitude with others increases happiness even more than purely writing it down, drafting a letter to deliver to the person in question boosts these factors even more. Take the letter from the activity above and deliver that letter to the person in question.

Start by saying you want to talk to that person without explaining why. You could read the letter to your chosen person over the phone or Skype, but for an extra huge happiness boost, schedule a time to visit this person in person to share your letter.

The most important piece of The Gratitude Visit, read the letter aloud. It makes all the difference. Try it!

Do note, you may need some tissues handy when you read the letter aloud. A gratitude letter is one of the most powerful tools for increasing happiness because it can forge social bonds and change someone’s life. Reading it aloud makes it even more impactful. The projection of gratitude orally to another human being not only increases your happiness, but it also increases the happiness of who you shared this special moment with too.

Take the time to reflect on your life. There are so many wonderful ways to express gratitude for yourself and for others. This is an easy way to experience heightened happiness. Start now.

Start today. Just begin!

Experiencing gratitude is like a muscle we can strengthen. There are a few ways to enhance your gratitude capacity through various items if you have a few moments. Your health will thank you for taking the time to do this!

Negative Visualization- Pause for a moment and present this day as your last and you must think about why everything in your life is excellent. Think about specific situations in your life. What if these specific situations where going to end in a real way, never to happen or be experienced again? What if, for example, tomorrow you would never be able to take your dog for a walk again because your dog passed, and you lost this relationship and this activity you loved so much?

What is gratitude? We define gratitude as a quality of being thankful, being appreciative of the things you have. Gratitude is not only noticing the things you have, but you feel a sense of thankfulness that you have it.

The benefit to our health and wellness, gratitude, has incredibly powerful psychological effects.The science behind gratitude can be found in the field of positive psychology. Positive psychology studies the positive influence on people’s lives of the systematic cultivation of gratitude, explaining how the practice of grateful thinking can increase one’s chances for happiness.

In addition, the method of grateful thinking can help someone cope more effectively with stress, recover more quickly from illness, enjoy better physical health, improve relationships, and other benefits. To read more on the science of gratitude, check out Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, by Robert A Emmons, Ph.D.

This is the practice of being just about to lose something, theoretically letting a balloon go. At this moment, before releasing the balloon, you can simulate the activity or situation to frame your mind in a new light. If you are back in school, what about thinking of graduation? What feelings are you having? Are there things you will miss? What would you think about that? I recently had the opportunity to walk for my doctoral hooding, and all the feelings came rushing back. The friendships, the stress, the collective late nights, phone calls, the person I once was starting a five-year journey.

You get a funny feeling when you are about to leave a place like you will not only miss the people you are with and the experiences you have shared, but you will also miss the person you have become because you will never be this person again.

Take ten minutes to reflect on a situation and what if it was the last time. Let thoughts sink in and write so you can take step one into appreciating the life you have. What will happen, you will have to think about all the good things about your situation or activity from your friends and so on. What will happen psychologically is that your subjective happiness will increase.

This gratitude practice is a negative visualization exercise that focuses on what it will be like to have the experience no longer. Then, all the good things come to the surface because you worry about losing them.

ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN? BUT NOT SURE WHERE TO START...

JUST BEGIN QUIZ

workplace

wellness

Write out your personal strengths below. For each strength, ask yourself these questions: What opportunities are out there for me?

How could I use this strength more in life or work?

What is underneath this strength?

How could I turn this strength into an opportunity?

What ideas have I had that I've been putting off?

Where could I use this strength to make a difference in my life?

My Personal Strengths are:

I could boost them by:

What personal qualities do you like the most about yourself?

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Do your strengths make you stand out from others?

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What are your greatest strengths?

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How is your workplace wellness? Workplace wellness is essential to the happiness and productivity of employees.

While we all know how important diet, exercise, and sleep is, there is a lot more we can be doing to help reduce stress and maintain our mental health throughout our workday.

Table of So here are a few easy tips to help improve your Workplace Wellness

SMILE!

Moods are contagious, so give a grin and mean it when you say good morning to your colleagues.

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

After you sit at your desk each day, write down three things you are grateful for. Don't let yourself have your coffee before you've completed this each morning. When someone asks how you are, really think about how you are feeling at that moment. You don't have to launch into a great chat, but it's a good habit to help you switch off your autopilot. Ask someone how they are doing and be genuinely interested in their reply.

INCORPORATE MINDFULNESS INTO YOUR DAY

Just a minute of concentrating on your breathing will help calm and focus your energy. Download a mindfulness app and escape somewhere private, even if it's the bathroom! (Don't forget to plug in your headphones).

GET OUTSIDE!

A few minutes of fresh air can significantly improve your mood and productivity and even better if you can add in a short walk and some mindfulness.

Use aromatherapy oil, either in a diffuser or an oil burner If you work in an open-plan office or customer-facing, pop a few drops on a tissue and inhale deeply throughout the day. Our favorite is lavender and sandalwood. It's fresh, and these aromas are very calming to the body and mind.

RECOGNIZE THE PHYSICAL SIGNS OF STRESS Sometimes you will think that your fine, but your body will tell a different story.

Skin issues, stomach upsets, and muscle pain can be symptoms of stress.

TALK! Find a colleague that you trust and can go to with a problem. And remember, nobody ever made a problem worse by talking about it.

This isn't about adding more things to your to-do list but instead of acknowledging you need to maintain your mental health and improve your workplace wellness. But if you find you are struggling, please reach out and ask for help. Mental health problems don't magically fix themselves. Would you expect a broken arm to heal correctly without a cast?

MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL

WHAT I LEARNED WHEN WRITING IN A GRATITUDE JOURNAL EVERY DAY. Written by Olivia Guthrie

Last issue, I put out a challenge at the end of my article for the Just Begin community. It was a month-long challenge of gratitude for October. I, along with members of the staff, participated in this challenge alongside the readers. Here I will talk about the results, the good, the bad, and the beautiful.

The specifics were very loose and adaptable. The main objective was that at some point each day, you would carve out a small amount of time to write down three things you are grateful for. This could be in the morning or evening, in a special journal or randomly in your notes app on your phone. For me, I set out to do it every morning in a specific gratitude journal I had previously bought.

Intention is important, and I had full hearted intention to be very diligent and consistent with this task. When you make plans, God laughs. Life got in the way quite a few times. There were many days where I ended up writing at random times, in my phone or sometimes just in my head, or sadly not at all. I say that to say, it is easy to go into a new habit with ridiculously high standards for yourself, a rigid outline of how it will go, but it’s important to be forgiving to yourself when things don’t end up how you pictured it. The important part is that you are doing it, you started and are committed to continuing regardless of the bumps in the road, and that in the end you reap the benefits the task can offer you.

My oh my what benefits I got from this challenge.

Whenever I took the two minutes it takes to sit down during my tired, rushed morning to write in my gratitude journal I felt a heaviness come off my shoulders, and a spirit of peace entered me. It was an amazing feeling, very similar to the feeling I get when I meditate in the mornings. It forced me to take a second and be present. Life can feel like it's going and going. It is easy to get overwhelmed and to get caught up in the rat race of it all. But taking a second to breathe and think consciously about what matters to you and what you are grateful for can be very calming.

Like meditating, the longer I did it the stronger the benefits I got from it.

I started to realize I was becoming more present in general. Because I knew I had to write something down that I was grateful for, I became more aware day to day of what I had in my life. This conscious acknowledgement of the good in my life forced me to be more present and brought me a lot of happiness. More than once I caught myself smiling at a realization of some silly everyday thing that was a small blessing.

This all made me emotionally stronger. When bad things headed my way I was able to withstand it more. Through the bad I was able to push past and see the good. Easy said, very hard done, but truly life changing. Of course there were days when even gratitude couldn’t uplift my mood (thank you PMS for this) but even then I had a sense that this too shall pass. Perspective, that is what gratitude gifts you. A lense outside of the feelings or situations of now. A step back at the full picture, and oh what a beautiful picture it is.

WANT OUR GRATITUDE JOURNAL TEMPLATE? click here to download the template.

STPMORP LARNUOJ REBMEVON

JUST BEGIN MAGAZINE

What is your favorite book of all time and why?

Write down your top 5 favorite inspirational quotes.

Write down your top 10 travel destinations.

Write out 5 positive affirmations for self-love.

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BEAUTIFUL SPOTS TO SEE THE FALL FOLIAGE IN THE SMOKIES

WRITEN BY SAMANTHA DIAZ

Travel

Oh autumn, My favorite time of the year, the best time to to visit the Smoky Mountains is in the fall because the air is crisp, the leaves are changing colors and fall festivals are in full swing. Travelers come from all over to see the Smoky Mountains fall colors from deep greens to beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange. Planning your trip when the fall color peak can be tricky, you don’t want to come too early before the colors change, and you don’t want to come too late when the trees have already shed their leaves for the year. So, I want to help you experience the Smoky Mountains fall colors at the best spots in Tennessee.

FOOTHILLS PARKWAY Avoiding vehicle congestion along the parkway is paramount which can cause miles and miles of cars backed up along the parkway. Traffic is the last thing you need while trying to see the Smoky Mountains fall foliage. Once you arrive you will be rewarded with a beautiful and stunning drive that is filled with autumn colors of red, orange, brown, tints of purple and yellow. While Cades Cove is one of the most popular spots I suggest taking the Roaring Fork route and make a few stops to see the fall beauty of the Smoky Mountains which includes a selfguided nature walk, 2.6-mile hike to Grotto Falls.

CHEROHALA SKYWAY & THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON Slightly south of the Smokies, this famed 43-mile driving loop features scenic views and the Tail of the Dragon, a section of highway that attracts motorcyclists from across the United States. The Tail of the Dragon is infamous for its 318 curves in just 11 short miles.

NEWFOUND GAP ROAD Newfound Gap is only one mile high which this the first stop along the scenic route to see the fall colors in the Smoky Mountains. The color palette is just as stunning at the beginning out the route as it is at the top of Clingman Dome but I do suggest arriving early because traffic is absolutely horrible as the moring progresses.

CLINGMAN'S DOME The highest point in the Smoky National Park offers a phenomenal panoramic view of the entire Smoky Mountain landscape. Clingman's Dome sits 6,643 feet above sea level and you will be surrounded by beautiful fall colors if you visit mid to late September. The road to Clingman's Dome is filled with tons of photo opportunities and you will be tempted to stop over and over again but don’t stop too many times because you will not make it to the top. So, make sure you dress in layers because it will be super cold.

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WE ARE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE HOMELESS POPULATION AROUND THE WORLD: THE HOPE HOUSE EXPLAINS HOW WE CAN SOLVE THIS AND DO BETTER

WRITTEN BY BARBARA ESTRADA Homelessness will never be fully solved because homelessness is not a choice, it’s a disease. At the beginning of 2021, a fundraiser page came across my social feed collecting money for this non-profit organization, The Hope House, that provides shelter and rehabilitation to women experiencing homelessness, incarceration and addiction.

What captured my attention, besides the powerful story, was who it came from and that was someone I studied with during my university years in journalism school. Brittany Hope opened up about her dad’s struggle with addiction and how he dealt with homelessness before he passed away. She reflects on the women she saw throughout her formative years and the impact that had on her life.

“Seeing them navigate their own relationship with their addiction, families, and lives is what made me understand my father’s own struggles,” states Brittany in the GoFundMe page she set up to raise money on the passing of her dad’s two year anniversary. “When my father was living in a similar shelter for men when I was in high school, he was able to stay sober, get a job, and pick me up from school. It was the best two years of my life, having my daddy by my side.”

This provoked more curiosity into how The Hope House is changing the conversation around homelessness and addiction so I spoke with the woman who is doing, what she calls, “God’s work”.

And that’s Brittany’s mom, Beth Hope.

Beth opens up the conversation on a personal level. When you speak with her, she makes you feel comfortable, seen, and heard. She immediately dives into her personal story of addiction to drugs and realized she needed to eliminate this pattern that she herself couldn’t stop, but it didn’t take long before she sought out help.

“People want to be a part of something that they feel is something good. I think that’s human nature at its core.”

Once she was 7 months clean, she felt this eagerness and excitement towards life that Beth was looking to find ways to help people in similar shoes feel the same.

The neighbors were very nervous at first and then they very much embraced it. The house that was bought next door from the owner became friends with Beth and asked her if she wanted to buy her house because they believed in The Hope House and the work.

“Most people pick up stray dogs, I was picking up stray people. During the 7 months there were a few people that I had tried to help informally in my own home.

I’d tell them to come into my home… sleep on my couch, sleep on my floor. Eventually someone robbed us and, my then husband said, “I think this is admirable, you want to do this but not in our personal home.”

Six months after starting The Hope House in November 1989, she ran into the woman who did her admission into the hospital when she was sick. She told her she needed some help [with The Hope Hope] and she said that she wanted to check it out. This woman told her, “I can help you make a difference” and moved in, which has been her right-hand since 1990.

Currently, The Hope House for women has two homes in Reseda, California. The first house was an elderly facility and completely runned down.

Some of the money raised from the GoFundMe was used to support a girl in the house that had nothing as well as maintaining these homes because Beth has established the houses to feel like a second home to these women.

Beth emphasizes in the conversation how, “the house has to be nicer than the street,” and she wants to make it better for the girls.

There are no bunk beds like in other homes in America dedicated to homeless people.

Everybody has their own identified space.

It’s been a three woman team effort to the date.

A total of 22 women (including the house manager) live at The Hope House. House 1 has 12 girls (plus the house manager) and house 2 has 9 girls.

Beth’s efforts eventually began to take notice and people heard what she was doing so they began to donate items at the house - furniture, bedding, kitchenware, linens - from people she knew and people she didn’t.

Beth looks at helping people understand how to conform in today’s society and become self-supporting through their own contributions because it worked for her when she was just like one of the girls in her homes.

She laughs and says, “It’s a lot of rules. It’s funny that people will leave the house and say, ``I never thought I’d miss the squares.” The squares is a weekly sheet of certain things the girls are expected to do and turn in every Thursday at the meeting. Those squares include, Seeking Mental Health Support. What did you do for your mental health with another person that can help you? It consists of activities they did like physical activity, therapy, IOP, and 12 steps.

Be Productive. Did you go to school, work and/or volunteer work? You have to do something to be productive.

Finding a Solid Support System. What fellowshiping have you done? Who have you reached out to so you can develop a net of people that you can go to and talk to when you move out of The Hope House?

Everyone has something they’re responsible for the community [the house they live in].

The girls are rewarded at the end of the week by going out of the house for the weekend, if they complete all these things.

With the thousands of changed lives since 1989 that the women behind The Hope House have positively affected, this topic of homelessness and addiction sheds the raw reality on this disease.

“We’ve had our share of heartbreak. We’ve had unfortunate overdoses intentional as well as accidental.”

Now, how does one put an end to homelessness?

An insurmountable task that is as comparable to resolving World Peace.

After listening to Beth speak on the topic, homeless people are not a monolith

The conversation wraps up with this lingering thought on solving the problem, “How can I change somebody’s life when they aren't ready or willing to have their life changed?

My audacious goal is to line up people who really want a place to live. The government is giving money to people that have homes to stay in their home and that’s a good thing. What if there was a line of people that said they don’t want to live on the street anymore and please help me.

There’s that whole group that we can help right now because there is money, housing, and opportunity. It’s there. The challenge is the cities are trying to clean up and find places for all these people to live so things don’t look bad.”

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