wildsister
ISSN: 1839-2318
salute the sun wildsister of the month
open mind, open heart, open soul
miracles
WILDsister│June 2013│1
June 2013
#24
What’s inside 3
Editor’s Note
Contributors
4
5
Tell Us What You Think!
Miracle Maker: How to Make Your Own Dreams
6
Wild Sister of the Year Award Nominations. Also on pages 14, 22, 32, 38 and 49
8
21
9
Patient Miracles
15
The Miracle of Manifestation
36
45
Quotes of the Month
26
Affirmation of the Month
29
The Miracle that Is You
40
The Beauty of Bali: How Letting Go and Showing Up Brought Me to My Dreams
47
Card of the Month
52 WILDsister│June 2013│2
Contribute
Cover image: Connie Hozvicka of Dirty Footprints Studio
Salute the Sun
13
Wild Sister of the Month
18
Angels & Miracles
22
My Miracle Meal
27
Open Mind, Open Heart, Open Soul
33
Do You Believe in Miracles?
46
Latest on the Blog
50
Advertise Connect with us
51 54
June Love:
editor’s note 1
Hello Gorgeous, I’ve mentioned before how the topics for each edition always synchronistically intertwine with my life. This month’s topic; Miracles, was decided months ago, but is so perfect for where I’m at right now at the time of putting this edition together. Not only am I giving thanks for the miracle of my life every single day, but I recently began reading May Cause Miracles, by my spiritual guru Gabby Bernstein. Her book Spirit Junkie changed my life, and now working through this new book is changing my life even more. I used to think miracles were once-in-a-lifetime phenomena or simply the stuff of Christmas movies. Nope. Miracles occur naturally, every moment of every day.
2
All you gotta do is open your eyes, heart and soul and be willing to believe. A Course In Miracles defines a miracle as a shift in perecption from fear to love. So every time you decide to follow your heart, every time you smile through the tears, every time you choose to believe in hope and love and happiness...you’re creating a miracle. You see, beautiful soul, you and I...we were born miracles, and we were born into a life of miracles.
3
1. Celebrating miracles. 2. Rescuing butterflies. 3. Writing with a view. WILDsister│June 2013│3
Believe it.
wildsisters
{May 2013}
Editor Assistant Editor
Creative Director Jen Saunders Wild Sister
Dani DiPirro Positively Present
Danielle Tate-Stratton danitatestratton
Writers Dani DiPirro Positively Present
Jess Carlson Jess Carlson
Anne-Sophie Reinhardt AnneSophie
Cinda Stevens Lonsway
Roar With Cinda
Jen Saunders Wild Sister
Guest Writers Jess Morrow
Ina Sahaja
Brenda Rodriguez
Susan Brooks Dammann
Want to join this amazning group of women by contributing to WILDsister? Click here to find out how. Loran Hills
WILDsister│June 2013│4
Donna Morin
let us know
what you think...
instantly
Take a photo of you reading this issue, post it on instagram + tag it with #wildsister. I’ll re-post it and give you a shout-out on our Facebook page!
Tweet it! Here are a few tweetables you can send out right now {I’ll re-tweet it!}: Making Miracles with the latest edition of @wildsistermag http://tinyurl.com/b7426lo #imawildsister {clicktotweetthis} I’m ready for Miracles! @wildsistermag http://tinyurl. com/b7426lo {clicktotweetthis} Learning about Miracles with @wildsistermag http:// tinyurl.com/b7426lo #imawildsister {clicktotweetthis}
pg 8 pg 16 WILDsister│June 2013│5
pg 42
Image: by Susan Brooks-Dammann
Miracle Maker: How to Make Your Own Dreams Come True by Dani DiPirro
I’m
a believer in miracles. I’m a believer in wishes coming true. And I’m also a believer in making your own miracles. In the past whenever I felt a wish I’d made—a miracle I’d longed for—had come true, I used to rejoice, thinking how lucky I was. Only now do I realize that many miracles happened to me because I worked towards them. Whatever wish I made, I realized in that moment that it was something I wanted and I began looking for it and working towards it without even knowing it. Such, I suppose, is the true power of miracles. Wishing for something makes you see things clearly, makes you see what it is that really matters to you. The act of wishing brings the shooting stars—your goals, your dreams, your ideas—down to earth and makes them something tangible, something you can act on, the kind of thing miracles are made of. The act of wishing for a miracle is just the starting point, the small spark that sets the ideas in your
WILDsister│June 2013│6
mind on fire. Leonardo da Vinci once said, “He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.” It can be like that when it comes to wishes. If you make a wish and choose to focus on it, your mind will be connected with it and your actions will reflect your desire. You will, whether you realize it or not, work toward creating a miracle. Actions might speak louder than words, but it’s the words in your wishes that you should pay attention to in order to uncover what you really, truly long for. The trick to making miracles happen is to taking those wishes and making them reality. Here are some ideas for taking your desires—those shooting star dreams that appear as distant flashes of light —and turning them into real-life miracles. How to Make Your Own Miracles Validate your desires. One of the key things holding people back from actually believing in and working towards what they want is that they don’t think they should have what they want or they don’t
If you want something, go after it. Believe you can have it. Know that you—yes, you!—can make miracles.
{clicktotweetthis}
think it’s a worthwhile wish. If you want something, you deserve to want it and you deserve to have that desire validated. That validation might not come from anywhere but you, so give your wishes a fighting chance by accepting them as valuable parts of who you are. Put it into words. Sending out a wish into the universe is great, but it’s also easily forgotten. I cannot even tell you how many wishes I’ve made in my life and how few of them I actually remember. For this reason, when you want something that really means something to you, find a way to keep that desire at the forefront of your mind. For me, writing something down really helps but you can also share your ideas in a tangible way by telling someone else about what you want. Create a plan of attack. Once you’ve validated your desire and made it tangible in the form of words, you can now create a plan—a plot to make your miracle a reality. It’s hard to say exactly what the best way to do this would be since the concept of a wish is so, so general, but I’d advise starting small. Choose little goals that you can tackle and before you know it you’ll be making strong progress towards making your own miracle. Look for opportunities. After you’ve created a plan, you can work on it, but don’t let yourself be limited by it. There are all sorts of opportunities and ideas that you may not yet have thought of and if you close yourself off to them, you may miss out on a great way to make your miracle. Be open-minded and take notice of what’s happening all around you. It may not be obvious, but if you look hard enough, opportunities for making miracles happen! Believe in yourself. Believing in yourself ties in strongly with the first point I made. You have to believe you deserve to have miracles happen to you, and you have to believe that you have the power to get what you want out of life. If you don’t believe in that, your lack of confidence is going to bring you down and it’ll make it a lot harder for you to follow through with your plan.
WILDsister│June 2013│7
If you want something, go after it. Believe you can have it. Know that you—yes, you!—can make miracles. It might seem impossible to create a miracle—but if you give it a try, you might be surprised by what you have the power to do. And, perhaps more importantly, you will be surprised by what you actually want when you give yourself the option of infinite possibilities. Whatever your desire might be, pay attention to it and give it the credit it deserves. When you’re faced with the opportunity to ask for anything you want, you’ll find that your inner voice will quickly speak up. If you listen to that voice inside of you—one that really knows what you want and isn’t distracted by the doubts and fears created by world outside your mind—you’ll find out what you really need. And once you find out what you really need, you’ll be surprised by the miracles you’re able to make.
Dani DiPirro is the author of Stay Positive: Daily Reminders from Positively Present and Live Happily Ever After Now: A Guide + Workbook for Living in the Present Moment. She is also the founder of PositivelyPresent.com a site dedicated to helping people live positively in the present moment. To check out Dani’s latest book, and watch the Stay Positive video, visit StayPositive365.com.
We profile six finalists Six amazing women are profiled through this issue, and one of them will become our WildSister of the year! Read all about them over the coming pages, and then click here to find out more and vote for your favourite!
Finalist 1: Tracy Pepper What makes you a Wild Sister? I’m a wild sister because I have always danced to my own tune. I never follow the crowd. I have always been the Wild Child in my family. I AM the wild sister. How are you changing the world? I moved to New Zealand from Canada and set up a well-being centre called Magic Hands. It was a big decision. I knew there was a need for the sort of work I do in this part of the world. I could have stayed in Canada and made a lot of money but that’s not why I do what I do. When I am called, I follow that calling. Now I want to set up a Charitable Trust to provide affordable treatments, workshops and classes for everyone. I also want to bring my services into hospitals and work with cancer patients specifically. I currently volunteer with an organization that supports young people living with cancer. There is a gap that I’d like to fill. There are organizations supporting children and teenagers. I would like to set up a scholarship fund and a business start up fund to help a WILDsister│June 2013│8
young survivor build their dream that would benefit the community. I’ve volunteered for most of my life. Most of the organizations (apart from the Canadian Cancer Society) weren’t around when I needed them. I don’t want anyone to feel lost. I recently said YES when Ovarian Cancer Canada asked me to join their expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa this coming September. It will help raise awareness for Ovarian Cancer and money for their organization. I am writing a book about my life—what it was like having ovarian cancer as a child and now how it has affected my life almost 30 years later. I’ve also found a documentary film producer loves the story. How will being named Wild Sister of the Year change your life? How will you use the $1,000? I will use this money to help me get to Mount Kilimanjaro, contribute to Ovarian Cancer Canada and to help me set up my charitable trust. I need $30,000 to get there and produce the film. Facebook Blog
watch the video to get the scoop!
SUBSCRIBE + SAVE! Join the Wild Sisterhood online community + you'll receive:
• Every issue of Wild Sister Magazine – these back issues are not available ANYWHERE else! (a total of $100 value!)
• 12 month subscription to Wild Sister Magazine – a new inspiring edition will arrive in your inbox each month! (total value of $60)
• Learn the 4 steps to stop feeling stuck, scared and uninspired in just 21 days with the 21 Days of Abundance eCourse. (valued at $49.95!)
• The Wild Sister Guide to Changing the World eBook (valued at $9.95!)
• A community of Wild Sisters from all over the world to learn from, mastermind with and make lasting friendships with. (worth $400)
• PLUS a ton of surprise BONUS goodies added regularly that you'll score FREE! (worth $200)
Click here Our mission is to inspire women to love themselves, follow their bliss + change the world. We'd love for you to join us. WILDsister│April 2013│12 WILD SISTER MARCH 2013 | 10
to see more!
Finalist 2: shai smith What makes you a Wild Sister? Growing up, everyone expected me to do something ‘big’ with my life. You know, be a lawyer, doctor, or something of the sort. In high school, I found a passion for art and the majority of my family and friends encouraged me to follow my dreams of being an art professor. For several years, I busted my tush in college to become a teacher and had my eyes set on graduation so I could get a ‘real job’ and make my family proud. Then, I took an elective Philosophies of Peace course, and absolutely fell in love. I found a passion for peace, compassion, and environmentalism. Despite the cries of nearly everyone I know, I changed my major to Political and Social Philosophy with a minor in Peace Studies. Instead of working the 9–5 my family insists ‘everyone has’, I run my own business, three blogs/websites, and spend my time waging peace and sustainability throughout the world. I walked away from everything I ‘should’ have done, and started living a life of which I am proud, and this has led me to be an incredibly happy, positive person with an intense passion for life, compassion, and encouraging others. How are you changing the world? First, I started an eco-friendly lifestyle blog, which was named the Number 7 Eco-Friendly Mom Blog of 2012 by Circle of Moms. Through this, I reach thousands readers with eco-friendly tips, tutorials, and information to make our world a more sustainable place. I also have an Etsy shop of the same name, where I create and sell eco-friendly, upcycled wedding bouquets to brides all over the world. The Vagabond Studio blog and Etsy help me support my family while allowing me the time and schedule to pursue my other goals. I realized that the blog just isn’t enough, and I am in the middle of building a peace organization/
WILDsister│June 2013│14
movement through social media, and transfer to real-life opportunities and mini-organizations across the world. Also, through a self-named website that I am almost ready to launch, I will teach women how to become fearless, overcome abuse, set and obtain goals, and live happy, positive lives. Second only to my children is my passion for peace—I eat, sleep, and breathe spreading happiness, sustainability, and peace throughout the world. How will being named Wild Sister of the Year change your life? How will you use the $1,000? I will use the funds, first, to offset the cost of a Peace Leadership Workshop in Santa Barbara this summer. I was one of only twenty-five people worldwide accepted into the program, where I will be trained by world-known peace leaders to be a peace leader, but the opportunity was unexpected and didn’t quite fit my budget. This is a huge opportunity for me, and will allow me to become a better, stronger peace leader in order to advance peace, sustainability, and social justice farther than I ever thought I could. After offsetting the costs, the funds would go directly toward building paintpeace.org into a peacerelated resource with mini-organizations on college campuses and in cities across the nation (and hopefully, worldwide!). I was actually inspired by The World Needs More Love Letters when creating and designing this organization, and will use a similar, social-media based approach for the most part. However, I also plan on having t-shirts, stickers, etc. designed with the proceeds going to a different non-profit or movement each month, and will physically provide the start-up materials for the first 10-15 campus programs. This is a huge, huge dream for me, and one I know will be a huge success. The Vagabond Studio
The Miracle of Manifestation by Loran Hills
We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden. —Joni Mitchell
WILDsister│June 2013│15
Before
writing this piece, I sat on my porch swing and noticed the every day miracles that surrounded me. The breeze was gentle, a little cool, and the wind chimes played softly. Prayer flags sent out blessings for all beings to be happy and free from suffering. There will never be another moment in my life exactly like that one. Whenever I stop to consider my place in the universe, I can barely breathe from the awe that overwhelms me. The utter magnificence of the cosmos cannot be described in words. And yet, the miracle of language exists as well, and I feel compelled to try to express myself. When I sit in stillness, I connect to all that is divine. It’s difficult to wrap my head around the fact that this marvelous planet whirls through space at 100,000 km per hour. I know we are made of stardust; the same elements exist throughout the
WILDsister│June 2013│16
universe. I’m electrical energy in atomic form. And, so are you. Change is a natural process. Life and death is a constant dance. The miraculous manifests in physical forms that we experience with our senses. We plant a seed. We have an idea. The seeds grow with the help of sun and rain. We need support to grow. We need compassion, understanding, love and emotional connection. Sunlight warms the earth and calls out to the seed, “Come dance with me.” I can’t hear the voice but I know it’s there. I feel it. Possibilities emerge through thoughts and dreams, fed by creativity. A blank canvas becomes a painting. A sheet of notes becomes music. Nourishment is given and received. I drink it all in, harvesting these gifts with great gratitude. The never-ending cycles of life and nature are intertwined. We are the seed, the plant, the fruit,