UP & COMING
SEPTEMBER 2018
EMPOWER HOUR Empower Hour is happy to talk with LLOYD CHAMBERS as he shares love, insight and the radiance of a clear mind. They say we all have a book in us and post de facto I have realised that this is information that the world is crying out for. In the words of Alfred Alder, I am grateful for the idea that has used me. Life just like our book is a journey. Simple beginnings, nurturing, conditioning, awareness, loss, recovery, wonder, adventure and above all a relationship with love and fear where ultimately there can only be one winner. I made a decision to do 2 things. Live in love and learn to make better decisions in life. This is not taught in school for whatever reason but I would like to go on the record to say I think it should. Here is my first excerpt from the book. This one is on ‘The Importance of Decision Making.’
____________________________ There are 2 Universal Truths I feel young people should know: 1) The Law of Diminishing Intent: The longer we take to act on information the less likely we are to act at all. 2) The Paradox of Choice: The more choices we have the less likely we are to make a decision at all, let alone the right choice (whatever that is). Decision making is the most important skill we can learn. And it is a skill! Most of us make Conditional choices. For example: » If it’s not raining I’ll go for that run. » If I can afford it I will go to that event. » If I pass the exam I will decide what to do next. Success in life depends on our ability to make Unconditional choices. For example: » Regardless of any circumstances, obstacles, or unforeseen eventuality I will succeed in my endeavour. » My goal will never move and I will move forward until it is achieved. » I will not allow my dreams to be compromised.
My choices in life took me to the ends of the earth and back again. I witnessed culture after culture on an endless quest to understand what unites all of us. I wanted to know how did I Design by PINCH
fit into this grand story we are all a part of?
____________________________ I am realizing more recently that when we get to the depth of our intention in life in all circumstances it comes down to whether we are choosing out of FEAR or choosing out of LOVE. I have chosen LOVE. But in order to make choices and send my intention out in LOVE I must be the embodiment of LOVE. And of course deep down we know this but it doesn’t get talked about a lot: we must love ourselves and commune with that feeling, that vibration, if we expect to send love to others, those around us, our communities and the wider world. You cannot send what you do not possess. Increasingly, it is becoming clear that THOUGHTS become THINGS. This book is a great example. What you hold on the screen of your mind with your will, feed with your emotions must manifest in its physical form. Why? Because it is based on Universal Laws. You must get emotionally attached to your VISION and you must be grateful for it as if it has already happened. To quote Neville Goddard, ‘Assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled and observe the path your attention follows’ In our book, we go into the mechanisms of how this is done. Carefully read the excerpt below. Please keep in mind, reading something and applying the principles are 2 very different things. It is important to read this below more than once. Repetition is the key to effective change. I would read this below twice a day, once first thing in the am before you eat or do anything else, the second the very last thing you do before you sleep. This will set up a very particular vibration in your thoughts and of course your thoughts determine your actions.
How to Use Future Gratitude There is a 3-step process: 1. Paint a picture in your mind in exact detail as you want it to happen 2. Focus on this picture first thing in the morning and last thing at night, getting those details as clear as day
3. Connect emotionally with that reality using gratitude as if it has already happened “Assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled and observe the route that your attention follows.” —Neville Goddard Gratitude is the fuel that governs your ability to manifest. It is the juice to your passion and is what ties you emotionally to your VISION and your LIFE PURPOSE. Giving gratitude and developing strong self-beliefs are the starting points of discovering your unique life purpose, the BIG why for all you desire to BE, DO and HAVE in this lifetime. Gratitude, like the universal laws of this universe, is not confined to a timeline. What this means is that it is not confined to feeling gratitude for what you have right now. You can also feel grateful for things that have happened in the future just as you can feel grateful for things that have happened in the past. Let’s examine this idea. Life is full of ups and downs and none of us have had a singular upwards trajectory. Most have had high and low points in personal lives and our careers. So when you look back at past events and feel gratitude for how amazing it was and how proud and full of contentment and gratitude you felt, even if you’re not in that situation any longer you can still connect emotionally to it every time you remember. You can do exactly the same thing with facts and situations in the future. This lesson above gives you a huge feeling of possibility and potential. Optimism doesn’t cover the feeling. When you go from the feeling of mere hope to the expectation that your goal will happen, you set up a vibration that will drive you in action and then just watch out, abundance is coming your way. I am eternally grateful to Bob Proctor for opening my eyes to this and for writing the foreword to our book. If anyone would like to contact me your can find me at www. facebook.com/MrLloydChambers Naturally if you would like to grab a copy for yourself we have it on amazon and kindle. See links below. http://bit.ly/VisualisationToRealisationKindle http://bit.ly/VisualisationToRealisationPaperback We also have a personal development course of the same name where we teach people how to effectively use visualisation to improve all areas of their life. Very few of us are where we want to be in life. Sometimes all we need is some guidance. Reach out. I’m open. In closing, I would like to share a concept they I recommend you tell yourself every time you look in the mirror. Put your hand over your heart and say out loud ‘Love lives here’. Soon enough you will start to believe it. 2 | NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2018
Karina Lynch Charles
opens up on the power of vulnerability.
How true empowerment is found in new thinking! My name is Karina Charles Lynch and I practice as a Neuro Energetic Kinesiologist. I am also an artist and a musician. When Saralee asked me to write an article for Empower Hour I was delighted. ‘The theme’ she said, ‘is empowerment’. So I began thinking about this word ‘empowerment’ and I looked up the definition. What popped up on our laptop was the following, ‘Empowerment: the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.’ The key ideas in this particular statement are becoming stronger, becoming more confident, having control over one’s life, claiming one’s rights and that these are all processes. Remembering that these are processes is important. Life is a process. To move from a place of disempowerment to empowerment will be different for every person. For some the shift can be dramatic and sudden while for others it may take some time to move into a place where you truly love yourself and begin manifesting and attracting a life that reflects this self-love. Self-love supports living a life of well being. It influences who you pick as friends or as a partner, the image of yourself that you project to the world, and how you cope with the events in your life. So often I act and react from a place of disempowerment. How does disempowerment raise its head in my life? When I talk to people I might say something like ‘Yes, I should do that’. What is my internal chatter? I feel guilty or ashamed that I haven’t done ‘this thing’ yet, whatever ‘that’ might be. I’ll support it by curling my lip or clenching my jaw. Another classic disempowerment expression is... I can’t. It is used when I think I don’t know how to do something or that if I try I’ll probably fail. Luckily my husband often picks up on this and says ‘yes you can’. Another disempowering word is no. It is important to set boundaries and say no to things we don’t want to do however, when this word is used as a protective
barrier, or as a subconscious form of self sabotage or self denial, it becomes harmful. It closes us off from new experiences and growth. A common Irish disempowerment conversation goes like this: ‘You look gorgeous’, ‘Oh it’s just a few old bits thrown together’. The word ‘just’ diminishes the strength of our statements and speech. What I’m really saying is I feel small or unworthy of receiving this compliment. Another disempowering term is... if only. Here I’m stating that I’m not willing to work towards, or not willing to allow, what I really want to enter into my life. One disempowering belief I hold when a block appears is ‘Why is this always happening to me?’ This is my way of saying I am a victim and powerless to control what is manifesting in my life. I appear to be the common denominator so now I can be further disempowered by blaming myself. Bruce Lipton is a scientist and author of the Biology of Belief & the Honeymoon Effect. After years of research both scientifically and spiritually he feels that it is our beliefs about ourselves, other people and the ways of the world that underpin many of our choices, actions and reactions which ultimately give us the life we have today. He goes on to say that our conscious thinking mind is creative. It says things to us like ‘Oh, I could paint that’ or ‘let’s put on this wonderful event’ or ‘I’d love a beautiful home and kids and a wonderful husband’. However the reality may be something like this: ‘I haven’t had a date in a year’, ‘I can’t seem to keep a man’, ‘my rented house which I can hardly afford is damp and my biological clock is ticking fast’. One of Bruce’s conclusions is that we operate from our subconscious mind, which is our programmed mind, up to 95% of the time. It’s the part of us which can drive the car through a town that our conscious mind wasn’t even paying attention too. Have you ever said ‘God, did we pass through Kildimo already?’ Our subconscious mind, it seems, is mostly running the show. It’s the habitual and instinctual part of us that remembers how to speak and walk etc. It’s the bit that was programmed from birth to around the age of 7. It is the learning networks in the body that absorbed like a sponge our parents’ or primary care givers’ behaviour towards themselves, towards each other, and towards us and their beliefs about the world, work, enjoyment, guilt, shame etc. We picked up their language, be it spoken words or body language and gestures. Have you ever thought ‘I sound just like my mother or my father’? If you experienced a parent who said things like ‘this is a nightmare’ or ‘why is this happening to me’, these attitudes were picked up and programmed in. Our parents were programmed by absorbing information from their parents, teachers and society so blame need not be attached merely an understanding of how this has also affected us. If you heard something like ‘you can’t trust anyone but yourself’ will you be empowered to go out into the world and be among all of these untrustworthy beings or will you protect yourself by perhaps closing in. Very often
our programming chooses how we see, hear or interpret things in our lives. There are always many ways to view what we may perceive as an obstacle. If your reality does not reflect the dreams you have for yourself you can probably be assured that you do not have the subconscious files needed to support living the life you really desire to create. I checked out empowering words and I asked myself how often do I include these in my speech and how often do I really feel these words in my emotional world. The first word I found was ‘worthy’ which denotes worth or value. Do I value myself? Am I worthy of enjoying life and having meaningful connections with people? Do I value what I have to say and my divinely given gifts? If I’m being honest, no I don’t. I had a file somewhere inside me that supported the comparison game and I always came out on the bottom. I was never as good, as pretty, as talented and the list was endless and draining. Thankfully, I became aware of this self sabotaging and debilitating tactic and I now I choose to operate from a place of understanding that no one else can do it like me. This is because I am unique. Another empowering statement is... I finish what I start. So often I begin a project with gusto and then at the final leg I lose energy and momentum. I think, feel and say ‘oh, who cares’ or ‘it’s not worth finishing’. I’m brought back to the worth belief again. I am now in the process of reprogramming new healthier ideas and beliefs around the value of my contribution in whatever area of my life I am looking at. Ask yourself often ‘what am I thinking or feeling in this moment and is it a thought or feeling that supports self love or empowerment?’ Talk to and listen to your innate wisdom and become friends with it. It’s probably not the voice telling you how awful you are. It’s the voice who tells you that you are safe, you are loved, you are meant to be here having this human experience at this time. Empowering statements and beliefs are those that bring growth, joy, self-loving actions, a greater understanding and acceptance of all the parts of me that make me who I am and that make you who you are. Empowering beliefs support internal changes that ripple out. Empowering ideals are flexible and are ideas that renew, release and forgive. They encourage and align you with trust in your personal process of understanding yourself and are all allowing. They are infinite, they have quality, they light us up and allow us to gracefully shine our light. They are all embracing and are a state of being rather than of doing. They are grateful for every little thing we have from the food on our plate to a smile from a stranger. So today I claim my right to empower myself and I say to the universe, to myself, that I will allow this process to begin to unfold in my world like the most beautiful flower I can imagine.
Pictures www.leadersmantras.com, www.wedbook.com and www.paragonroad.com
SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER | 3
Emilia Pal shares the wonderful whacky world of creative inspiration. How children are empowered through creativity. What does empowerment mean to you? Is it being able to work on your dream? To make a public speech in front of a crowd of people? To have the courage to live your life according to the rules and criteria you set yourself? Now imagine being able to install that feeling of I CAN DO THIS to your child from a young age; to be able to teach them the “habit of success”. Children absorb everything surrounding them like little sponges, whether it’s negative or positive examples. That’s why music is the purest, most fun and creative way to get them feeling on top of the world, like they can do anything they put their mind to, like they’re born winners. Which they are. But the gap between knowing “I’m good at this/I’m good enough/I’m worth it” and living these truths is quite big in children and adults alike. When a child is given a song they want to learn, they will put the effort into learning it, and with gentle guidance from the teacher, they will perfect it. Imagine what a wonderful feeling that is - to be able to look at random notes on the page and then be able to play a song that you like? This really inspires children to learn work ethic without even realising that’s what they’re doing. Whether it’s an easy song learned in a lesson, or a tougher song tackled over a period of a few months, learning gives them the feeling of empowerment. The process of playing, repeating, correcting, playing again lets a child take ownership of their learning and skill development. Also, teaching children the sometimes monotonous work of repeating songs over and over again builds the foundation of resistance, persistence and delayed gratification, which sometimes we even lack as adults. When a child gets to perform a song in front of people, true empowerment happens, magic takes place. We all know the fluttering butterfly feeling we get when in front of a crowd. Children have the ability to develop the mental strength and ability to deal with these situations through performance. It gives them a chance to say “well done, I was nervous, but I did it, I performed, and I did great!”. This, in turn, provides them with the feeling of confidence and helps their selfesteem grow, which is a great duo to have for the rest of their lives. Music lessons also supply children with independence and encourages them to have a strong, decisive voice, which helps with decision making later in life. To be able to say “yes, I want to learn this song, I don’t really like the other ones” seems like no big feat, but 4 | NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2018
sometimes for a small child to even be asked to make a decision is a step toward empowerment. They start trusting their opinions and are not afraid to say what they think and feel. Learning an instrument also helps children become resilient, and to take criticism constructively. Nobody is a fan of hearing “let’s try this again and let’s make it better this time round”, but in music, practice and repetition are the two keys to success. For a child to play, and know they have to repeat and improve the song, while not getting upset, is an incredible mentality to develop. It will help them in later life, when they are able to differentiate between steps necessary for improvement and critique. Resilience is a massive part of empowerment. Imagine being able to develop this skill from the age of five, or six! With my own students, I always have two levels of songs at the same time - something that suits their current level, so they are confident in their skill and never doubt their abilities. I also give them something a little ahead of their current adroitness, so they are challenged and continue learning and growing. The amalgam of “this is easy, I’m a master of piano” and “oh, I should practice to make this song sound good” really empowers children, gives them confidence in their current ability and also a chance to learn more, grow and improve, without any negative connotations. It is an incredible honour, to be given this opportunity to empower children through music, and watch them grow to be strong, independent thinkers, doers, go-getters, fear slayers, stage masters, creative geniuses. Emilia Paliulyte Director of Eden School of Music and Languages Author of Pooky Plays Piano
The power of change comes with a new approach. Gillian O’Gorman talks dedication to self!
innovative Wellness
i
For a better you, today
MY HEALING JOURNEY My name is Gillian O’Gorman and I am a Life Coach, a Heath & Wellness Coach and a Louise Hay “Heal Your Life” Workshop Facilitator, and just so we are clear, I am also in recovery for negative thinking, living in a constant state of worry, lack and stress as well as being extremely hard on myself. For many years I chose to look at my life from a place of fear and not love. Well, there you have it, that’s me in a nutshell. Now, I know what you are thinking, how can a Wellness Coach be in recovery from stress and negativity? Well, that is where my story begins WARNING: If you are feeling unhappy, stressed and disappointed with life, you may feel empowered to make some positive changes after reading my story. It is my hope that my experience will prove to you that you too can transform your life by changing how you think. Louise Hay famously once said “A belief is just a thought and a thought can be changed”. So, ask yourself today, are you ready to start changing yours? Having worked for almost 20 years at senior management level I have experienced first-hand the effect that stress can have on a person’s wellbeing. I was driven by what I perceived to be “success” and placed money as my number one value. I thought that to be happy, I had to be “successful” and held the belief “I have to work hard to be successful”. What ensued was the diagnosis of an autoimmune condition, Hashimotos, a stress disorder with chronic stress cited as one reason that can trigger the disease. However, looking back at that time in my life, I believed that I was doing everything possible to feel more content. I had little to no awareness that I was waking up almost every single day in a negative mindset, worrying about things that hadn’t happened and berating myself for things that did. As my personal life became more complicated my career was going from strength to strength, but at what cost? My happiness? My health? In 2015 my life imploded, I lost my mother, my apartment and my relationship in a 3-week period. Life as I knew it dimmed down for what seemed like a long time. I was walking around in an utter state of shock and confusion. The pain of my grief was indescribable, I had to accept it, but more importantly I had to learn how to cope with it. Rumi, a 13th-century poet describes this time in my life perfectly when he wrote “the wound is the place where the Light enters you”, and so the light slowly began to enter my wound.
Within 18 months I had left my full-time job and qualified as Life & Executive Coach, a Health & Wellness Coach and Heal Your Life Workshop Faciliator. During this time, I reassessed my values and beliefs and began to establish boundaries. I soon came to the realization that it was my purpose to support others in their healing journey. Through this process I discovered that happiness and inner peace starts with self-love, however, what can be a 5-month journey for some can be a 5-year journey for others. In 2016 I set up Innovative Wellness, a Transformational Coaching Service supporting others on their healing journey. I now offer bespoke programs to cater to the specific and individual needs of my clients through One2One Coaching and Transformational Group Coaching Programs such as “The Self-Transformers” and “Why Wait, Let’s Meditate”. As a Coach I believe that all the answers lie within you, and it is my job to empower and support you on your journey of self-exploration. Health & Wellness Coaching is a process that facilitates healthy, sustainable behaviour change by challenging you to develop your inner wisdom, identify your values, and transform your goals into action. For any of you who have recently received a diagnosis or have been advised to make changes to your diet, let me support you on this transformational journey. Don’t delay, become a better you, today and learn to accept that life doesn’t need to be a struggle anymore.
SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER | 5
BECKY STEELE
founder and owner of Hollytree Holistic Centre, Newcastle West opens up new worlds of health in West Limerick.
My Journey to health & Empowerment
By Rebecca Steele: Nutritional Therapist &Co-Director of Holly Tree Natural Clinic, wife & mother to 4 gorgeous Kiddies.
What was wrong with me? Why was I tired all the time? What was this foggy film over my eyes? And why did my joints ache at 33? These were all questions I had tried to get answered from my GP, through blood tests. Not that I wanted to be diagnosed with a condition, but an answer so I could get some medication to cure it; but every time the tests came back, the answer was the same ‘no, all tests are within the healthy range’. So, what was I meant to do? This is what I was going to do; I decided that nobody on this earth could help me apart from myself, so I started researching, reading articles, asking questions in Sonas Health foods (which I now work in BTW), arming myself with information. Natural remedies/food choices/herbs, now this was a complete 360-degree turn, as I am from a line of doctors in my family, so these choices of medicine were never considered!! So, at this time, my friend was also diagnosed with cancer, I remember reading all about wheatgrass and thinking ‘WoW’, not that that alone was a cure all for my friend Lucy, but it opened my eyes to natural treatments and remedies. Unfortunately, the Chemotherapy didn’t work & I lost my friend shortly after. I met a mutual friend through Lucy, who was training to be an acupuncturist, Dolores really helped me, not just through her treatments but also her friendship, which we still treasure!
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I decided now was my time; I was going to collage to study my new passion ‘Nutrition’. I had never been the academic type in school, so the thought of being away from my kids every other weekend and sitting in a classroom learning, frightened the life out of me, I had no confidence in my ability, but there was a driving force in me, I wanted so desperately to be able to not just help myself and my family, but to start helping others in there healing journey. After the 3 years studying at ‘The College of Naturopathic Medicine’. I qualified as a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist. Those 3 years were testing, financially, emotionally, Mentally, and a constant feeling of guilt, as I had to be away from my kids and husband, Wow, that was a marriage tester….But we did it!!!!! I had a longing, a dream to open a holistic clinic, my dreams came true! My dear friend Dolores and I, have just opened the first holistic health centre in West Limerick, The Holly Tree Natural Clinic, were therapies and classes can be under one roof, supporting each other, and where people can come and start there healing journey. We have a great team of 15 therapists and teachers including: Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Reflexology, Pranic Healing, Cranial Sacral Therapist, Massage, Indian head Massage, yoga, Yoga for mummies and babies, Meditation, Mindfulness for kids, Qi Gong, Traditional Chinese Medicine and more.
Very Exciting!!!!! We have been open for 6 months now, with our official open day on the Friday 12th October, from 7-9pm, this will be a great opportunity to meet myself and the team @ HollyTree Clinic. As you can see, over the last 5 years my life has changed so positively, I have met so many amazing people along my journey whom I am proud to say are my tribe, like minded, positive, beautiful people who I am blessed to have in my life. To all the questions I asked at the beginning; I feel healthier now than ever. If I can do it you can do it. Empower and educate yourself, We only get one life, we need to grab every single bit of it, take risks, come out of that comfort zone, and free your passions. Live for today!!! Nourish Nutrition@ The HollyTree Natural clinic: 0876679327 Facebook: Hollytree Natural Clinic Address: Bishop Street, Newcastle West, Co Limerick. Tel: 087-7071080
Happy Healthy Citters in your TumTums! Linda Barry talks to Empower hour about how the bacteria in out gut changes the way we think and feel! At Nature’s Hand, our truest intention is to provide our Customers with the best quality organic foods, natural remedies. WE promote cruelty, paraben, and sols free beauty products. We have a vast range of fresh and ambient foods including organic vegetables and fruits, sour dough breads and honeys, all locally sourced. We are delighted to have the support of several professional Practitioners who assist us with product selection, staff training and customer support. Nature’s hand, aim is to nurture the whole person, inside and out, and one of our core values in health promotion is the promotion of a healthy gut, which is often called: ‘The second brain’. There’s a bacterial population that lives inside your intestine called the gut microbiota.
Unique to everyone, the gut microbiota consists of tens of trillions of microorganisms and can weigh up to six pounds. We acquire much of this bacteria as infants when we pass through the birth canal during delivery, but other factors, such as antibiotic use or birth by Caesarean section, can influence bacterial levels. It’s long been known that the brain communicates with the gut—think of “gut-wrenching” moments or “following your gut”—but recent research suggests the brain-gut connection goes both ways.
the mice that consumed L. rhamnosusm researchers concluded the bacteria were affecting their brain chemistry. “Those pesky little critters might be the master puppeteers of our brain,” Rd. Cryan said of microbes (not mice!) during his 2014 TEDMED talk. Research shows that altering bacteria in the gut through specific diets may help to treat stress-related and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and hyperactivity. There is still much to learn about how gut microbiota influence the brain. Good gut bacteria can be found in some wonderful foods and drinks, including kefir, Kombucha and fermented vegetables, all which we have in stock. Come in for a consultation today! Linda Barry (Store Manager, Nature’s Hand, Crescent Shopping centre, Limerick)
In a 2011 experiment, Dr. Cryan and his team found that healthy mice who consumed a specific probiotic displayed more relaxed behaviour than mice who did not consume the bacteria. The illustrates how gut microbiota may affect Behavior and emotion. The probiotic bacteria, called Lactobacillus rhamnosus, contains a neurotransmitter called GABA that helps regulate brain activity and can calm anxiety. Based on the reactions of
Empower Hour is a single parents and parents support group without stigma. Empower hour hosts the first in a series from its cooperative support initiative, held on the 13 September, 2016. 7.30 - 9.30, Angel Times Limerick. ‘Alignment’ offers affordable education and experience from a cooperative of therapists in holistic, mental and social health. This workshop focuses on learning the therapeutic presence in craniosacral therapy with the wonderful Ann McDwyer.
Book now don’t miss out visit EMPOWER Hour on Facebook or call in to Angel Times our sponsors to ensure place.
PRICE €15 or €10 Euro for socially assisted SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER | 7
MOMS MEAN BUSINESS
is a networking group for busy working mums. Valerie Conway Talks to Empower Hour on how empowerment begins within the family. BE U Beautiful! Raising Confident Children – Valerie Conway As parents we are responsible for the emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual development of another human being (no pressure!) yet we don’t have any training or qualifications to do so! We are all just winging it! You are not allowed behind the wheel of a car without lots of lessons and training, but we are sent home shortly after giving birth to keep a tiny, completely dependent little stranger safe, loved and alive. The mind boggles, but we must be doing something right as the human species is continuously expanding. Although we are surviving as a species, so many people (apart from the highly enlightened) are suffering from anxiety, not feeling good enough and massive insecurity. Here I will share some tips on parenting in a way that your little loved ones won’t spend a lifetime recovering from. I am by no means an expert but having raised a 21-year-old and now raising a 1 year old (that’s not a typo. there is a 20-year age gap between my darlings) I have learned a few things and am still learning. No one gets it right all the time and each situation are unique but making a conscious effort will make life for everyone much easier.
1.
Our beliefs determine our behaviour! Instil positive beliefs in your children. Tell them how wonderful they are, celebrate all their successes with them. We celebrate their first milestones as babies like rolling over, sitting up, walking etc. but as they get older that stops. Be your child’s cheerleader for life and let them see you celebrate your own successes. Not just the big things, Get excited over little things too. Don’t stop at the successes, you can celebrate failures too. Can you imagine raising children who are not afraid of failing?! After all, our greatest learnings come from failure. Every night before bed ask your child what was a win for them that day and what was a fail? If they didn’t have a fail, reassure them not to worry, they will surely have one tomorrow that they can learn from. And if they do have a fail to tell, celebrate it with them and see what they learned from it.
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2.
If your child is acting up and not wanting to do something, don’t force them. There is nothing worse than feeling powerless and they are not trying to manipulate you. They are just learning and responding to life. To get to the source of the problem don’t ask WHY! It is too open ended and could take hours to figure out what is going on. Phrase your questions with WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO etc. to get to the source much faster and easier. Then you can begin negotiation. It is important to let them win every so often. This will give them a great feeling of accomplishment. Remember powerless kids will test you to breaking point, so put in the effort here for a much more harmonious experience whilst building their confidence.
3.
Let your child have a voice. When they talk to you. Listen! Put down the phone! If they stop talking, stay quiet and they will talk some more. Give them your undivided attention. If you are busy, explain that what they have to say is important to you, but you just must finish an email, message, phone call etc. first and then they will have your full attention. When you are done put down your phone and LISTEN. Remember that your child wants to please you and make you happy. Sometimes in their enthusiasm things go wrong and it feels as if the opposite is true, but these are learning opportunities. Never criticize your child!! There are enough people on the planet already lacking self-worth, don’t let your child be another one. Help your child feel important and safe. They don’t need to prove themselves to you. Acknowledge them for who they are and enjoy watching them grow up free from limitations to have an awesome life!
Moms Mean Business is a monthly baby/child friendly business networking event in Limerick For more info or to be involved please contact Valerie on 0876293399 Email momsmeanbusinessnetwork@gmail.com
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RAW WALNUT TACO INGREDIENTS: 2 cups Walnuts 2 tblsp Tamari 2 tblsp Olive Oil 1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano 1 tsp ground Cumin 1 tsp Chilli Powder Salt & Pepper to taste Simply blend all the ingredients in a nutri bullet/food processor until well incorporated but leaving some of the walnuts chunky for texture. Delicious served in a lettuce cup with sun dried tomato paste, a dollop of hummus and some chopped salad veg.
SERVES 4 Raw » Vegan » Gluten Free » Dairy Free In recent years the RAW FOOD phenomenon has become incredibly popular as it boasts eating only unprocessed, natural foods which are never heated above a certain temperature, therefore maintaining all their nutritional value. While that’s all well and good if you’re swinging in a hammock in Aruba basking in the heat, but we need to be a bit more practical here in Ireland as even the summers can call for fluffy jumpers and socks. Nevertheless, this Raw Walnut Taco is a great compromise as the heat from the chili powder gives the
feeling of warmth while still retaining all the nutrition and is something I make in both summer and winter as it is so delicious. It is a far cry from the rabbit food associated with vegan food in the 80’s. The blended walnuts are also really good at disguising themselves as a meat substitute and I’ve served these to many avid meat eaters who have gone home with happy bellies and the recipe tucked up safe in their back pockets. Not only that, but the nut that resembles the brain has a plethora of goodness to offer you. Studies show that if you were to eat any nut, then the walnut should be your first choice as it offers more nutritionally than any other nut, providing vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fiber. They are rich in antioxidants, omega 3s, decrease inflammation, promote a healthy gut, reduce risks of some cancers, may help lower blood pressure, support good brain health and lower risk to type 2 diabetes. The list goes on, and in fact, this little nut is so powerful that for the last 50 years there has been an annual walnut conference in the University of California where scientists and industry experts gather to discuss the latest walnut health research. Long gone are the days where my only exposure to the nut was when I was ripping it off my Walnut Whip while cursing it for ruining the chocolate. Now this humble nut is taking centre stage on my plate.
Valerie Conway 087-6293399 valerieclondrinagh@gmail.com valerie@mums mean business
VEGAN GODDESS
“Raw power Goodness!”
Valerie Conway SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER | 9