In today's world where women are redefining boundaries and shattering glass ceilings, the value of confidence cannot be overstated. But what is often missed in this narrative is the expansive freedom that confidence can bring into our lives. As women invested in health and wholeness, it's essential to understand how cultivating confidence can lead to holistic well-being.
Here's a glimpse into the freedoms unlocked by confidence:
1. Freedom of Expression
Confidence empowers women to voice their unique opinions, beliefs, and feelings. It paves the way for genuine communication, free from the constraints of societal judgments.
2. Freedom to Pursue Dreams
Every woman has dreams and aspirations. With confidence, the horizon expands, making it possible to chase those dreams, take calculated risks, and step into uncharted territories.
3. Freedom from Fear
Confidence serves as a shield against the fears of failure, rejection, or criticism. It emboldens women to act decisively and reclaim their narrative.
4. Freedom of Authenticity
There's a raw beauty in being genuine. Confidence lets women shed facades, encouraging them to embrace and celebrate their true selves.
5. Freedom from Regret
Decisions made with confidence, even those leading to mistakes, eliminate the burden of perpetual "what ifs".
6. Freedom in Relationships
Confidence builds the foundation for healthier relationships, enabling women to set boundaries, articulate needs, and foster mutual respect.
7. Freedom from Limiting Beliefs
Every woman carries the power to challenge internal barriers and self-imposed limitations. Confidence is the key that unlocks this potential.
8. Freedom to Learn and Grow
Instead of viewing setbacks as defeats, confidence transforms them into invaluable learning experiences, promoting growth and resilience.
9. Freedom of Self-Love
At the heart of confidence lies self-acceptance. It's about liberating oneself from relentless self-criticism and embracing self-love.
10. Freedom from Dependency
Confidence breeds self-reliance, reducing the constant need for external approval or validation.
11. Freedom to Innovate
Creativity flourishes in the face of confidence. It encourages women to challenge the norm, think unconventionally, and birth new ideas.
12. Freedom to Lead
Confident women often rise as torchbearers, inspiring and guiding others with their vision and passion.
The journey of confidence is deeply personal. While these freedoms might resonate with many, each woman's experience with confidence is uniquely her own. As we embrace health and wholeness, let us also open our arms to the incredible freedoms that confidence can bring into our lives, recognizing it as an integral component of our holistic well-being.
Karen Vaile is a Confidence & Life Coach and Founder of Karen’s Coaching Korner. She helps businesswomen create the confidence they need to take the bold action necessary to achieve all their personal and professional goals.
Karen's mission is centred on transforming uncertainty, self-doubt and apprehension into assertiveness and decisive ambition. Through her 1:1 coaching program “Create Your Confidence” she tailors her approach to each client's unique needs helping each one to reach her fullest potential, attain her goals, embrace boldness and embody confidence and grace in every aspect of life. Karen can be reached via DM.
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Karen is happy to be a Happy Healthy Women Toronto, ON Trailblazer.
Running a successful business is a bit like solving a puzzle, and understanding business law is a big piece of that puzzle. However, there are some myths floating around that can lead entrepreneurs down the wrong path. Let's unravel the truth behind five common business law misconceptions under
Canadian law.
MYTH 1: Once a Business Name is Registered, it's Protected Nationwide
Many entrepreneurs believe that once they've registered their business name, no one else in Canada can use it. This is not entirely true. Registering a business name at the provincial level, for instance, in Ontario, only protects the name in that province. To protect a business name nationwide, one needs to opt for federal incorporation or, for maximum protection, register a trademark.
Picture this--Sophia registers her business name "S. Accounting Success Strategies" in Ontario. She later discovers another business with the same name in Alberta. Sophia learns that provincial registration only protects her business name in Ontario. For nationwide protection, she needs to pursue federal incorporation or a trademark.
MYTH 2: Incorporation is the Best Structure for All Businesses
Incorporation can be a great choice with benefits like limited liability and tax perks. But it's not a universal solution for every business. Sometimes, being a sole proprietor or forming a partnership can be more advantageous, especially for small businesses. It's all about your business's specific needs and long-term plans.
Sophia incorporated her business from the get-go. After a year, she notes that her business expenses exceeded your business income by $20,000 during that tax year. Sophia learned that if she had structured her business as a sole proprietorship or partnership, she could have deducted the business loss from her personal income from other sources, potentially saving a significant amount in taxes.
MYTH 3: Incorporation Shields Personal Assets Unconditionally
Incorporation can indeed act as a shield for your personal assets against business debts or liabilities. But remember, this shield isn't invincible. In situations where personal guarantees for business loans are involved or in cases of director's liability, your personal assets might still be vulnerable.
Sophia, for instance, safeguards her $500,000 house by incorporating. Yet, a business loan requires her signature, holding her personally accountable. Defaulting on the loan endangers her home. Why? Because signing a personal guarantee takes personal responsibility for a corporate debt. Default, and creditors chase personal assets.
MYTH 4: Verbal Contracts Aren’t Legally Binding
Contrary to popular belief, in Canada, a handshake or a verbal agreement can be legally binding, provided it has the basic elements of a contract: offer, acceptance, consideration, and the intention to create legal relations. But remember, proving them can be as tricky as nailing jelly to a wall, so written contracts are always recommended.
Imagine Sophia agrees verbally with a venue to host a seminar for $2,000. But the venue double-books and cancels her event. She loses potential earnings of $10,000 from ticket sales. Sophia learns the hard way that while verbal contracts can hold up legally, proving them can be a real challenge.
MYTH 5: Businesses Can't Be Sued Once They've Ceased Operations
It's a common misconception that businesses become bulletproof against lawsuits once they've closed their doors. That's not the case. Under Canadian law, businesses and their directors can still be held liable for issues that cropped up while the business was running. Carefully wrapping up the business, fulfilling obligations, and addressing any potential legal issues before closing can help lessen the risk of post-closure liability.
Sophia decides to close her business and liquidate all assets. She uses the proceeds to pay off creditors and herself. But one creditor sues, claiming Sophia still owes money. Sophia learns that even though her business is no longer operational, she can still be held liable for debts incurred while it was running.
These are just a few of the many myths clouding the understanding of business law in Canada. As an entrepreneur, knowing your legal rights and obligations is as important as knowing your customers. And when in doubt, it's always a good idea to chat with a legal professional to ensure you're making informed decisions for your business.
Maryam is the Founder and Principal Lawyer of Venture House Legal. She understands that legal services are like oxygen for any business. That is why she established Venture House Legal, which offers a range of affordable legal solutions including flat fee services, bundled services, and a fractional lawyer retainer program known as Start to 7. With these services, startups, small businesses and entrepreneurs can receive high-quality legal support without having to sacrifice affordability or quality.
For more information, follow her on Instagram @maryamthebizlawyer_ or schedule a free discovery call on https://www.venturehouselegal.ca/
The journey towards achieving our dreams and aspirations begins not in an Instagram or TikTok reel, but within the quiet chambers of our own hearts. The expression of our desires and ambitions is nurtured in the garden of our hearts. The quality of our relationship with ourselves is where we plant, cultivate and grow our desires and ambitions.
Releasing The Patterns Of Conditioning
Our relationship with ourselves is partially shaped by societal conditioning, familial influences, and the patterns we unwittingly allow to govern our thoughts and actions.
As we grow, explore, and take in teachings, we're bombarded with the beliefs, values, and norms of the society around us. We absorb these messages like sponges, internalizing judgments, expectations, and standards that may not truly align with our authentic selves. Family, too, imprints their mark on us, sometimes leaving imprints of their own limitations and self-judgment that cast shadows over our potential.
It's crucial to recognize that these influences are not the final verdict on our potential. As we master the ability to step back and evaluate what serves our genuine dreams and what inhibits them, we are able to make our own decisions. This self-awareness allows us to disentangle the threads of conditioning, making room for our own beliefs and desires to emerge.
Creating New Paths
Unraveling the patterns that have long held sway over us requires a conscious decision to create new paths. As we release the grip of old behaviors and thought patterns, we open the door to the liberating expanse of possibility. It's within this space that the seeds of our true potential can germinate and flourish.
Remember, every ripple in a pond begins with a single drop. Similarly, the shifts we wish to see in our external world start as gentle vibrations within. By nourishing our relationship with ourselves, we cultivate the roots of confidence, resilience, and authenticity that will guide us toward our goals.
Just as a garden flourishes when cared for with love and tenderness, so too do our lives when we practice self-compassion. The wellspring of change is replenished by the nourishing waters of unconditional love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness – all extended not only to others but, crucially, to ourselves.
Our internal dialogue, the conversation we maintain with ourselves, serves as both the architect and sculptor of our reality. Replacing self-criticism with self-encouragement, doubt with belief, and fear with courage, we rewrite the script of our lives. This dialog shapes our thoughts, our actions, and the energy we emit into the world.
Healing Our Heart
To truly embrace the journey of self-relationship is to embark on a journey of healing. Just as a broken bone, when set right, grows back stronger, our wounds when acknowledged and healed, pave the way for resilience and self-love to flourish. The scars that mark our history are not signs of weakness but of strength – proof that we have endured, overcome and emerged wiser.
As the tapestry of our lives continues to unfold, we must remember that the most powerful catalyst for change begins with the love we extend to ourselves. Just as the warmth of the sun nourishes the earth, the warmth of self-love fuels our growth and transformation.
Rewrite Your Narrative
You possess the incredible power to rewrite your narrative. With every step you take towards nurturing your relationship with yourself, you sow the seeds of your dreams and aspirations. The old patterns that once held you captive are no match for the resilient spirit within you.
Let the unconditional love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness resonate within. Allow your internal dialogue to be a guiding light, illuminating your path toward a life rich with fulfillment and purpose. Embrace the process of healing, for it is through healing that you will discover the boundless capacity of your heart to love yourself unconditionally.
As you water the garden of your soul with nurturing care, watch as it transforms into a flourishing landscape – a testament to your journey of self-discovery, growth, and unwavering self-love.
Judith Richey is A Force For Transformation. She offers spiritual healing and guidance to women entrepreneurs seeking profound transformation and progress beyond the work they have done in personal development and mindset shifts.
Her unique and unconventional approach harnesses the power of energy healing and nontraditional techniques to help her clients become the best version of themselves, and to find fulfillment and abundance in all areas of their lives.
If you are ready to release the conditioning that has been writing the negative narrative that has controlled your life, then we should chat. You can schedule a time with me here.
You do have the power to create your own path! I can help.
By offering online courses and other learning opportunities, coaches and learning experts have a fantastic chance to share their knowledge with people all over the globe. However, putting together a top-notch online course involves careful planning, especially when using technology. Here’s what you need to consider.
Grasping the Heart of Your Curriculum
Before delving into the world of tech, it's super important to really understand your course's curriculum. What are the main things you want your students to learn? What skills and ideas do you want them to take away? Getting a solid grip on your curriculum's core helps you choose technology that works hand-in-hand with your teaching goals.
Picking Tech with a Purpose
The technology you use should be like a helper, not a boss, for your curriculum. When selecting tech tools, focus on ones that make learning more exciting and help students engage with your content. For example, if your course is all about teamwork and solving problems together, think about using platforms where students can collaborate online or work on virtual whiteboards. If your curriculum involves learning from videos, tools for creating and editing videos could be super useful.
Creating a User-Friendly Learning Space
The experience students have while learning is really important for the success of your online coaching course. Choose technology that makes it easy and enjoyable for students to learn. Having a simple and organized layout helps students move through your course materials smoothly, making the learning experience awesome.
Embracing Flexibility
The tech tools you choose should be flexible enough to work for different learning styles and preferences. Your curriculum might be great for people who like looking at things, listening to things, or doing hands-on activities. Your tech should be able to handle all these different ways of learning. Having options like video lessons, interactive quizzes, downloadable materials, and places to chat with classmates can work for lots of different learners.
Making Things Fit Together Nicely
When you add technology to your course creation process, make sure it fits right in with the way you're already working. You want to improve your curriculum without making things too complicated or causing problems. Look for tech solutions that can easily join your course platform and that don't need a lot of time to learn how to use.
Getting People Involved and Excited
Technology can really amp up how engaged students are in your coaching course. Look for tools that encourage students to talk to you and each other. Doing live webinars, having virtual office hours, and setting up places for discussions can make learning more interactive and interesting.
In the world of online coaching and learning, technology can be a powerful tool when you use it thoughtfully. Just remember that technology is there to help your curriculum shine, not the other way around. By knowing your curriculum inside and out, picking tech tools with purpose, focusing on making things easy for learners, being flexible, integrating tech smoothly, and getting students involved, you can create an online coaching course that helps your students succeed while keeping your educational goals front and center.
Tracy Sherriff is a Certified Director of Operations and Curriculum Expert who helps coaches, consultants, and industry experts successfully scale their business online with high-quality, high-impact courses and programs. She is the host of the Scale Your Course Podcast and the founder of Accelerated Learning, where she helps coaches exponentially scale their impact and income with highly effective, high value courses, workshops, and trainings without the fear, confusion, and overwhelm that prevents them from OWNING their expertise and making a BIGGER impact on the world.
You can connect with Tracy by visiting her website tracysherriff.com, or finding her on Instagram @tracy.sherriff
Have you ever stopped to think about the ideas and beliefs that guide your life? We all carry a treasure trove of thoughts, viewpoints and beliefs that make us who we are. Most of them have been there before our eighth birthday. But guess what? Some of these beliefs are not serving you, they are actually keeping you stuck and preventing you from creating a life you love.
Let’s dive into the world of programmed beliefs or paradigms – those habitual thoughts, housed in our subconscious mind, that shape our lives without us even realizing it. Let's explore how questioning these beliefs can be your passport to creating a life you love!
Programmed beliefs or paradigms are like the computer software of your mind – they dictate your thoughts, feelings, actions and results, often without your conscious approval. Some of these beliefs are moving you forward, while others are keeping you stuck. Because these beliefs have been a part of you since a very early age you think that they are set in stone but they're more like clay that you can mold and reshape. Many of the beliefs you hold are not even rooted in truth. They are things you have come to believe about yourself and the world, but they were actually put there by someone else. Your parents, your teachers, your culture, your religion, society, traumas or experiences you have had as a child have all shaped the beliefs you now hold.
These programmed beliefs that are housed in your subconscious mind, have incredible power in your life. They determine and affect every aspects of your life, creating a ripple effect:
The great news is we can reprogram subconscious beliefs! We can choose new beliefs, those that support us in creating the life we desire. We can transform our lives through rewriting our beliefs and making them a part of our subconscious program. Here are the steps to begin that transformation:
Embrace this journey of curiosity and transformation. Be gentle and compassionate with yourself as you may encounter some challenging thoughts and beliefs along the way. Continue asking yourself questions. Those questions will lead you to the new beliefs you need, to create what you desire. Remember, everything you need is inside you. As you peel back the layers of old ideas and beliefs, and begin to reprogram your subconscious mind, you're making room for all the potential and possibilities that live inside you!
Kelly-Anne Appleton is a Mindset & Manifestation Coach who helps women 40+ stop settling and create a life they love! Through 1:1 and group coaching Kelly-Anne helps women reprogram the beliefs that are keeping them stuck, rewrite their self image and amplify their results. She shares meaningful insights and tips to help you live a life you love on Instagram and Facebook.
As women, we traditionally experience a lot of stress and stressors, not only being responsible for ourselves but also for our partners, children, grandchildren and our vocation. Women ruminate, seemingly endlessly, on things out of our control.
As our spirit connects more deeply in our core, our human “monkey brain” experience works to make sense of what our true essence, our spirit, really wants. When we can calm, surrender and just BE, we tap into our truth, our connection to our inner guide, our spirit.
With so many distractions in life, it is often our last thought to just BE with ourself, to self care, to turn off and to listen to our inner guidance. Many women are in fight or flight mode with heightened stress hormones and with an overactive central nervous system. This sabotages the spiritual work we do, not allowing us to connect fully into our true self. We are too distracted by external factors unconsciously activating our physiological response.
The best thing we can do is consciously calm our physical body to be able to connect more fully to our spiritual and energetic or auric body.
10 simple ways to reconnect with our spirit and calm your central nervous system:
1. Hum, sing or chant. It’s quick and easy to do.
2. Breathe. 10 DEEP concentrated breaths or 4-7-8 breathing.
3. Meditate.
4. Ground in nature, literally. Stand on grass in bare feet, walk in a forest.
5. Listen to relaxing music such as meditation music or binaural beats.
6. Stretch.
7. Repeat mantras such as “I am safe and secure.”
8. Massage your ears
9. Go for a massage
10. Garden (play in the earth - grounding)
Do your best to do 3 each day and see what effect it has. And once done, LISTEN for your spirit. How does your energy feel?
“This is just who I am. I can’t change now.”
Have you ever said those words?
Is it true? Are you destined to be the same person, with the same personality forever? Most of us think so.
Well, get ready for a paradigm shift!
It turns out that our personality, our consistent attitudes and behaviours are not set in stone, contrary to what we've been led to believe.
Most of us believe that our personality is innate, like an unchangeable fingerprint, defining who we are and how we behave. It's as if we were assigned a fixed set of traits at birth and are stuck with them forever. We believe our personality is our real, authentic self. But hold on tight, because that view is being challenged by the research!
Our personality is not set in stone, it has been programmed and conditioned by our past. Each person and experience in our lives, especially as children, has shaped our thoughts, attitudes and behaviours and that programming has played on repeat in our lives. That programming has become so automatic that we have come to believe this is just who we are… We are just like our mom, or our grandma, and there is nothing we can do about it.
The research and my own personal experience is telling us that we can absolutely change our personality and create a new identity. We can choose to become more confident, more optimistic, more compassionate, more creative if we believe we can. Your personality is a work in progress!
For most people, the idea that you can imagine and create yourself and your own personality sounds like magic. It may feel like magic but it is possible!
Your personality can actually be chosen by you!
You can design your identity, behaviour and environment to serve the future you want to create. What goals do you wish to achieve? Who do you want to be? You can choose your personality based on the person you desire to be and the goals you wish to achieve.
When we set worthy goals that are fuelled by our desires, we have to grow into the person who can achieve those goals. Maybe you want to write a book… What are the personality traits of an author? Committed, determined, focused, ambitious, creative?? Ask yourself “What would an author do right now?” and then begin to act “as if”. The more you repeatedly choose a thought, an attitude or a behaviour, the more it will become a part of you and begin to become part of your personality.
“Your personality should come from your goals. Your goals shouldn’t come from your personality.” Paul Graham
In a nutshell, the idea that our personality is fixed is being challenged by a growing body of research. So, let go of the notion that you're stuck with the same old traits forever!
Embrace change, adopt a growth mindset, and believe in your ability to shape your personality. With intentional effort, open-mindedness, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone, you can unlock your full potential and become the best version of yourself. Get ready for an incredible journey of self-discovery and personal growth!
Kelly-Anne Appleton is a Mindset & Manifestation Coach who helps women 40+ stop settling and create a life they love! Through 1:1 and group coaching Kelly-Anne helps women reprogram the beliefs that are keeping them stuck, rewrite their self image and amplify their results.
She co-hosts a weekly show, Raw & Unscripted on YouTube and she shares meaningful insights and tips to help you live a life you love on Instagram and Facebook.
Earlier this year, I did a masterclass for Happy Healthy Women on the 3 Phases of Growth where I compared the mind to a garden and how our growth can shape shift and take on different nuances. In short, we are either in a Dormant, Rooting or Blooming phase, and depending where we’re at, our goals, thoughts, feelings and ensuing actions will look very different.
The Rooting and Blooming Phases are exciting in that this is where we step into our full potential and into a creative stream that changes our trajectory.
The Dormant phase, however, might look like something we want to avoid entirely at first blush because it looks like it’s somewhat counterproductive and even destructive. That’s true…and false.
Even though the Dormant phase might otherwise be known as the “Dark Night of the Soul”, or burnout, or irretrievably stuck, it’s also an amazing opportunity to regroup, review existing goals, and rewrite the next chapter.
Having been a visitor to this state a number of times, here are my top recommendations for maximizing the Dormant phase where you can come out of it the champion you were born to be.
Take Stock
It’s often easy to overlook what makes us truly powerful and unique, even in the best of times. This is where a journal and a pen (not a pencil - there’s a difference) come into play. Using a variation on the mind dump from The Artist’s Way (by Julia Cameron), write down everything and I mean EVERYTHING that makes you, well,... YOU. Don’t overthink, just dump out everything that pops into your mind in 5 minutes. The key here is to keep the pen moving
Ask the following questions:
Where Have I Seen This Before?
What lessons keep coming back, but in different clothing? For the better part of my career, I was riddled with Impostor’s Syndrome - sometimes in crippling proportions.
With every new job, the pattern was the same - euphoria at the start, learning everything I could, then making sure I was contributing to the greater good. I’d look like a rock star initially, then when the honeymoon appeared to be over (my own perception), Impostor’s Syndrome would creep in.
In hindsight, I can now see clearly how I was Upper Limiting myself (as per Gay Hendricks). Ultimately, I would go dormant - either leaving the job or being released - running away, essentially, only to wind up in yet another toxic environment. Rinse & repeat.
It wasn’t until I intercepted an email from a VP intended for my director at the time that I fully received and registered the final punch to the head from the Universe. Not surprising, since I had ignored every single nudge up until that point. Long and short of that email - “... I thought we agreed she doesn’t bring any value…”
Ouch… and thanks.
This was ultimately a gift because I had to look, once and for all, at what MY role was in this pattern. I took a hard look at what I could control and what I could not. I always blamed corporate politics and how I didn’t play well, but the fact of the matter was, I played an active role in creating that environment. I taught people how to treat me. It’s not their reaction I could control, it was my own self-image, my own self-worth - my self-talk. I finally had to get my head around the fact that no one does ME better than ME.
Ask the following questions:
What Is One Thing I Can Do Today?
Action - any action - kills doubt. The fastest way to start shaking up the dormant ground loose is to go do something nice for another human. Make the call, send the note, pay a sincere compliment, pay for the next person in the coffee line. Instant dopamine hit.
If you have daily rituals, make sure you keep them in a dormant phase. If you don’t, then start (slowly at first - you want them to stick). More importantly, make these non-negotiable. That is, if sweating it out at the gym isn’t your strong suit (hello, doppelganger), then make a simple daily walk non-negotiable.
Conclusion
Let’s get clear, a Dormant state is not a bad thing, it’s actually needed in some instances so you can step back and reassess. However, it can turn into a bigger challenge if it’s not appropriately addressed and you aren’t giving yourself the grace needed to uncover and move through the lessons so you can get to the Rooting, and ultimately the Blooming phase (your new normal).
If any of this is resonating, let me know. I’d love to hear about your own go’tos.
About Carole
Carole Filion is a Mindset Coach who helps women in or approaching their 60’s rediscover their magnificent selves and plan and live out their next chapter with excitement, grace and a whole lot of fun!
Follow her on Instagram @carolejfilion
Join her Facebook group Badass Revolution - Kicking Ass while Staying Heart-Centered
As more and more women awaken and embrace their spiritual selves, there are many blocks. These can be self inflicted or societal expectation of what is “acceptable” and “normal”. Our human experience tells us that moving into a more spirit connected being might not be accepted by many. This essential part of our being has been long ignored in our modern lives.
When you start to embrace or fully acknowledge the spiritual side of you, it is imperative to have a fully accepting support network. As we move into our more authentic and vulnerable selves, having a few trusted sounding board associates or friends is vital. We cannot expand into a different consciousness without this support.
The world at large is still getting used to the idea of a spiritual awakening. For the most part it is women who are experiencing it. Once awakened to spirit, the growth and expansion is rapid and full of unknown and perhaps frightening experiences. A supportive knowledgeable and trusted network while you have unusual new experiences can make all the difference.
Finding a support network that fully embraces you, allowing you to be seen as your raw, authentic and vulnerable self allows us to expand more rapidly and without hindrances. As your spiritual experience integrates into your conscience, it is a much more fulfilling and pleasant journey with empowering and supportive people around you.
The vocalization of all that is happening to and for you is an integral part of the journey. A welcoming and experienced group holding space for you during your expansion and hearing your vulnerable and authentic self speak your truth allows you to fully embody your spirit and live your truth.
Find your people. And if you have questions, I am always happy to listen.
Alison
About Alison
Alison Stuckey is an Energy and Spiritual Coach and Intuitive Healer and the Founder of Live Love and Joy.
Her many years of spiritual growth experiences, energy healing and intuitive knowledge offer a unique perspective to her clients. She is always curious and a life long learner. She embodies the work she does and strives to live each day with love and seeking joy in her life. As a student of energetic healing, she enters each day with the intention of living a high vibration and spreading that to those around her.
My son and I covet books, often each other’s. We hound libraries, beg to own each other’s books and haunt second-hand bookstores for treasures that can be found there.
I will share some of my all-time favourite classics for those of you still reading to your own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or borrowed ones.
The first full-length child’s “novel” we read “chapter by chapter” was Casey, the Utterly Impossible Horse. Clayten was four, and after that, we left Dr. Suess, Disney picture books and the Golden Books behind. We bought chapter books at garage sales, second-hand bookstores and always had one on the go. We laughed through Roahl Dahl’s BFG, and I won’t tell you what my adult foul mind imagined the acronym BFG standing for. Dahl’s book Matilda came alive and made us cheer for the heroine in that story before Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman ever hit the big screen with the movie. C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia gave us months of pleasure and in-depth discussions on metaphors and underlying meaning when he was six and seven. Consequently, his comprehension skills far surpassed all of his peers. His first and second-grade teachers raved about his ability to sit still and listen to stories, repeating the content almost word for word.
Our all-time favourite was Elizabeth Winthrop’s book Castle in the Attic. Now that was a book that guaranteed miracles. Clayten was very strong-willed to the point of it being a daily war to convince him to eat breakfast on most school mornings. Like most children, asking him to put his toys away enough to vacuum his rug on weekends also became an ordeal. A promised extra chapter in any current book was like offering free gold to a poor man.
It also meant that we both sat down amid hectic-ness for 15-20 minutes of quiet entertainment. Not to mention that carefully chosen books embedded with subtle morality lessons helped me convince him of many things without being a heavy-handed parent.
Books became my ticket to easy parenting. I only tried withholding a bedtime story once due to undesirable behaviour. I never again was so foolish. That resulted in a tantrum full tilt for destruction, the likes I had never seen before and never witnessed after that.
Books were the one constant that Clayten and I could rely on as a bridge if we were at odds with each other. Discussion starters, morality builders, door openers to the world, zoos on paper and history lessons that went beyond reading. The topics became subject material for long drives and our walks to school.
Sound perfect? Well, except for one thing. In grades one and two, being at the top of his class in comprehension did not spare him the discomfort and frustrations of delayed reading abilities. Experts on child literacy cite early picture books as an essential reading stage for literacy development. Deciphering 2-5 lines of black dots and squiggles on picture book pages defied him.
Sixteen years after he crawled into my lap with Dr. Suess Put Me Into The Zoo, I can still recite the first eight pages of that book by heart. That was the first book he ever sat still for. He was 20 months old. After that, books were magic. They could dry tears better than a pacifier. Change a mood faster than Alberta weather. Books could see morning chores done in a jiffy if that meant there was time to read an extra chapter before school. We once were both so enraptured with Winthrop’s book that we read it while walking to school, Clayten guiding my footsteps if there were obstacles on the sidewalk. We both yelled aloud when William used the medallion in a way we never imagined. Winthrop deserved the multiple awards her book won.
Cultivating A Reading Habit for Yourself
Now, how can you train an adult to read? You can’t unless you are the adult you want to train. We can only change ourselves. How do you create a reading habit for yourself?
First, you need to have a why for motivation. If any of you are familiar with the book Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod mentions the acronym SAVERS. Each letter stands for the habits of successful people.
S - Silence
A - Affirmations
V - Visualizations
E - Exercise
R - Reading
S - Scribing
These are the top things in common with the most successful people in the world; most of them do all six things every morning. You can listen to the podcast/YouTube with Elrod interviewing one of my favourite people, Dr. Mindy Pelz.
If that fails to rev up a reason for you to develop a consistent reading habit of non-fiction, one of the following may inspire you. You can also use my reading habit of five to ten pages of non-fiction in the morning. Much like you eat an elephant or accomplish a big goal, one bite at a time and break up the big goal into manageable steps and processes.
My favourite book on the emotional and mental aspects of the various common illnesses is by Dr. Gabor Maté. His chapter on the good girl disease of breast cancer blew my mind when I was going through chemotherapy in 2003. I still like saying the longest word I know that I learned from his book: PsychoNeuroImmunoEndocrinology meaning that every emotion and thought is a biological chemical event in the physical body. When the Body Says No, The Hidden Costs of Stress. The rest of his chapters were excellent and highly readable.
My favourite book on writing is by Dorothea Brande: Becoming a Writer. Written in 1937, she is brilliant on how anyone can become a writer with practice. Watch this short Ted Talk on how this speaker debunks the 10,000-hour myth, says you can learn anything in 20 days, and then demonstrates his skills at one thing he tackled and learned well.
My second favourite book on writing and the resistance we all face when creating something is by Steven Pressfield, The War of Art. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott will make you laugh out loud about the travesties and joys of writing. I could go on. Just ask me if you want more of my favourites.
My favourite book for simplifying your life (bonus, I have three here that I read in tandem that inspired my last blog on “Living for Less, Relaxing More.”
An interesting science trivia book that is quite readable and will provide valuable tidbits on a wide variety of subject topics for random conversations is David Bodanis’ The Secret Family.
A classic on the manifestation of health and wealth is As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. It uses archaic language, but don’t give up on it. I believe it may be more valuable than Wallace D Wattle’s book, Bob Proctor's work on The Science of Getting Rich, or even Maxwell Maltz’s book Psychocybernetics, which I reread occasionally.
My current night read is a memoir of a Morrocan woman about her mother and five siblings imprisoned for twenty years. Malika Oufkir’s La Prisonniere: Twenty Years in a Desert Gaol. I know it isn’t fiction. Memoirs can read like fiction and be fascinating.
Debbie Ford’s The Dark Side of the Light Chasers is my morning non-fiction read for self-development.
I enjoy fiction or a riveting memoir at night, reading every genre except horror or nightmarish content. Our brains are more receptive to taking in knowledge when we first wake. We all have 365 mornings a year. At an average of 5-10 pages a morning and the average book at 200 pages, we can polish off 18 books a year in digestible bites that enhance retention. Often, when a book is inspiring, I will read more. You can think about, absorb, apply and insert into conversations in your day, riff off your learnings for your blogs or social media, further cementing your new knowledge deeper.
Reference links in the body of the story above:
podcast/YouTube Elrod interviews Dr. Mindy Pelz.
Dorothea Brande: Becoming a Writer.
Ted Talk debunks the 10,000-hour myth Steven Pressfield
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life by Cecile Andrews
Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
The Joy of Not Working by Ernie Zelinsky
David Bodanis’ The Secret Family by James Allen.
Maxwell Maltz’s book Psychocybernetics
Malika Oufkir’s La Prisonniere: Twenty Years in a Desert Gaol.
Debbie Ford’s The Dark Side of the Light Chasers
Learn more about Rusti:
Rusti L Lehay, a global editor and book and writing coach, created over 40 articles guiding writers to authordom. Witnessing writers find and speak in their own voice to serve the real boss, the audience, not the editor, is one of Rusti’s greatest joys. She offers bi-monthly online writing STAY-Treats and monthly lounges and teaches weekly creative writing classes. Her primary mission is to inspire, provide value and make writing fun and easy.
Links:https://msha.ke/rustilehay.info
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We all have a flow of energy in our bodies. This flow is known as chi, prana, or life force, and it plays a crucial role in our overall well-being and contributes to stress levels.
When energy flows harmoniously, we experience vitality, balance, and well-being. However, blockages in the energy pathways can disrupt this flow and lead to increased stress and tension.
You can recognize signs of blocked energy by being aware when you are restless, irritable, or have physical symptoms like muscle tension. By understanding the connection between energy flow and stress levels, you can proactively take steps to clear these blockages.
Practices like meditation, breathwork, Reiki, releasing trapped emotions, or even deeper work by releasing wounds at the soul level can help release stagnant energy and restore balance, promoting a state of inner peace and emotional resilience.
Techniques for Clearing Energy Blockages
Various techniques are available to clear energy blockages and restore balance.
Meditation allows us to quiet the mind, focus inward, and create space for energy to flow freely.
Breathwork, such as deep diaphragmatic breathing or alternate nostril breathing, oxygenates the body and releases stagnant energy.
Reiki, a Japanese energy healing modality, channels universal life force energy to facilitate the release of energetic obstructions.
Movement-based practices like yoga or Tai Chi combine physical postures, breathwork, and mindful movement to release tension and enhance energy flow.
Learn how to muscle test so that you can identify what energies are trapped in your body, and then use specific releasing techniques that will allow you to practice good energy hygiene to keep your energy highways clear and flowing.
Exploring and incorporating these techniques into our lives allows us to develop a personalized energy-clearing practice that resonates with our needs, fostering a state of inner peace and well-being.
Create an Energetic Sanctuary
Designing a peaceful and harmonious space at home supports energy clearing and stress relief. Utilizing natural elements and colors that promote a calm environment, such as earthy tones, can enhance the energy flow.
Incorporating sacred objects, crystals, or essential oils further amplifies the energetic atmosphere.
Establishing daily rituals, like smudging or lighting candles, helps maintain the energetic sanctity of the space.
Regular decluttering and organizing contribute to a clearer energy flow.
By consciously creating an energetic sanctuary, we provide ourselves with a refuge for rejuvenation, healing, and maintaining inner peace.
Integrating Energy Clearing into Daily Life
Incorporating simple energy-clearing exercises into our daily routines is key to managing stress and maintaining balance.
Finding moments of stillness and mindfulness throughout the day, redirecting our attention away from stressors, allows us to recalibrate our energy and restore balance.
Identifying triggers and stressors in our environment enables us to develop strategies to mitigate their impact, such as setting boundaries or practicing visualization techniques.
Understanding the connection between energy flow and stress levels empowers us to take proactive steps in clearing energy blockages.
Utilizing techniques such as meditation, breathwork, body movement, and trapped energy release, move stagnant energy out and restore balance. Creating an energetic sanctuary at home enhances the environment for energy clearing and stress relief. Integrating energy clearing into daily life through mindfulness, identifying triggers, and establishing consistent practices allows us to manage stress effectively and maintain a state of inner peace.
By prioritizing energy clearing, we pave the way for reduced stress and a more balanced, peaceful, aligned, and harmonious life.
Judith Richey is A Force For Transformation.
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