August 2021

Part 1 of a 3 part short story written by Jennifer Nicole

It was a hot afternoon in New York City and my soul was tired from Cindy’s bitching and my boss being a total control freak all day. The only thing on my mind was a smooth Cosmo Barbie Cocktail to settle my aching spirit, but with it being 11 in the morning, I guess I’ll settle for a standard Vanilla Coco Mocha.

Evelyn was a beauty editor who always struggled to keep up with society’s beauty. It was time to go out into the world and see the beauty all around me. Evelyn proclaimed.   

With the entire office now looking her way, a standing Evelyn said the one thing, all editors know too well. “Coffee?”. 

Of course, nobody really cared, but at least they understood her slang for I need a break and I’m having one. 

As Evelyn arrived at Heaven Gate Coffee Shop, she noticed a bell hanging on top of the door, which rung every time someone came in or out. “Ding!” 

The noise made her feel almost regal, a celebrity even. But the thought of everyone staring at her as she walked in, kind of made Evelyn feel uneasy. You could say it was the imposter syndrome or the scam artist of her ego, presenting itself again.

Once Evelyn stood in the queue, she noticed an intoxicatingly beautiful woman standing tall in her power. The same one who always ordered her favourite, Vanilla Cookie Dough Latte and she was there, standing right in front of me. It was only 6 feet away which I suppose was okay, given the current circumstances of the world.

“Oh, Colton dear, you forgot the Extra Hazelnut Syrup”. She slyly requested, standing there smiling. 

“Oh apologies, I’ll fix that right away!” Colton replied.

She even had the barista hooked in awe. 

This woman turned to look around and little by little, Evelyn saw her beauty, sharp like a crystal which was glistening and glowing in the sun. Her summer Tennis dress was pristine, kind of an off-white colour and she was rocking it. Evelyn thought to herself. Her green eyes sparkled like the green earth she walked on, this woman, who ever she was, seemed just as powerful as the universe. 

Her silky Irish tones were smooth like honey and her hair was Auburn Brown which matched her fiery attitude. God, Evelyn was hooked! And she stood in this mysterious woman’s presence, noticing that time seemed to stand still.  

Evelyn admired this woman’s impeccable beauty, she wanted to be that girl. Whatever confidence food she was selling and eating, Evelyn definitely wanted to buy. 

“Evelyn Summers… Vanilla Coco Mocha with Coconut Milk, an extra shot of honey and Caramel Syrup?” The Barista called out. 

Hearing the Barista call out her order, felt like school over again. When Mrs Doors used to call out her personal business every time she acted up in class. 

“Thanks”. Evelyn replied as she reached out to take her coffee.

Evelyn took a seat opposite this mysterious woman. Who was she? Evelyn pondered this question while sipping on the luxurious velvety taste of her mocha.

Just then, the Red-haired beauty noticed Evelyn staring and proceeded to walk over. “Excuse me, I just had to ask, where did you get your Jacket from? It’s so chic and ever so classy. I love it!”.

“Ahh Thank you, it was a gift from an old friend from the UK”. Said Evelyn as she touched her Jacket like it was this year’s runway look.   

“UK?” 

“Yeah… London specifically” Evelyn replied grinning ear to ear as if she morphed into the Cheshire cat in that split second. 

“Well, it’s so beautiful… I’m Mavis. What’s your name?” Mavis asked as she proceeded to sit down besides Evelyn. 

“Evelyn, I’m just here on a coffee break”. 

“Oh, me too”. Mavis beamed. 

As we sat in this Coffee Shop, talking about Crystals, meditation and Chakra Music of ocean waves splashing across the rocks. Which let’s face it, it really is the perfect lullaby for a child to sleep to. It was hard to accept that she was talking to me. Could this be the day I discover what real beauty is? Would this be the day, my Editor-in-Chief finally likes my work? With all these questions swirling around in Evelyn’s head, it really was no surprise that she didn’t hear Mavis’s question. 

“Did you hear me?” Mavis asked. 

“Erm” Evelyn replied unsure of whether to tell her the truth or a little white lie.

“I said how did you get so beautiful? What products are you using? Because I was looking at you from the waiting area down there admiring how gorgeous you were and of course saw that your Jacket was really nice and I had to come over here and talk to you”. Mavis said

Evelyn was astonished with what Mavis had said. Whilst staring at Mavis, pretty hard. It was in this very moment that Evelyn realized she was looking everywhere else for beauty when it was within her the whole time. 

Just like Mavis, asking her about products and beauty, she understood that she had been that girl. Trying to find the next best thing to make her beautiful, from serums to Make up to even Hydrochloric acid regimes. It never was about the products or the notion to drink more water and eat right, it was all about choices. Choices to what makes us feel good as women. Choices to how we can look good for us and not for anyone else. 

Evelyn finally got it! The beauty that she had seen radiating out of Mavis like some Goddess, was radiating out of her too. Seeing Mavis standing tall in her divine power meant that Evelyn’s divine power must have been there too when she was standing tall in front of Mavis. 

“I have to go”! Evelyn said as she grabbed her coffee and coat and bolted through the door. 

I have a story and a bloody good one. Evelyn thought to herself 

Now back at the office, Evelyn understood the assignment… Finally! 

Rushing back to her seat, almost falling over, Evelyn had to get these thoughts on the page before they escape her memory. 

“Chapter 1”! She wrote.

What is beauty? Is it inner beauty or the beauty placed on from societal standards? 

Typing away, Evelyn was in the flow and her story about beauty was finally gaining momentum. 

Maybe the fresh air helped her or meeting Mavis. But whatever it was, it definitely was needed for Evelyn to see that beauty is not sometimes on the surface using fancy products but rather beauty is skin deep to a soul level and as women, we determine how beauty should look and feel.  

Stay tuned for part 2!

Meet Jennifer:

I grew up watching Aladdin with my dad, and it was, in this very moment, that I felt I was travelling on a journey with these Disney characters. Ever since then, all I have ever wanted to do is write stories that have purpose, meaning and storylines that matter. My main goal is to write stories that give people hope and inspiration in some way, and after excelling in the Real Estate Industry for +3 years and even gained an R.I.C.S (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) accredited Degree in Commercial Real Estate, I made the bold leap to turn my passion of creative writing into my profession. 

When I am not creating a world where readers are fully immersed into the journey of my stories, I usually spend my time in my favourite coffee shop, Starbucks or I am busy cooking new recipes from the hit reality show, MasterChef. I also enjoy catching new shows to binge watch on Netflix and is very much enjoying the hit period drama Bridgerton. I can usually be found travelling the world exploring different cultures and their food. 
I love to write mysteries full of drama and plot twists and my motto is. “A good storyline must have some intrigue in it, otherwise is it even a good story worth reading!”

Article Written by Erica Standley

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough” –  by Aesop, Greek Fabulist and Storyteller

In a world where there is always a clamor for more than what we already have acquired, I think that sometimes we lose sight of what we already have.

At the core of our culture, we frame our successes on what we look like, where we live, what we drive and so many other things, that at the end of the day mean nothing if we don’t have substance or valuable relationships. I have learned that for me the most important thing is in my life, that who I am is not what I have.

My identity is not found in stuff. I am not here to shame anyone else. Yet I want  to make this point very clear, that when you are down and out, what will matter most will not be how much money you have or the things it can buy you. The most valuable things in your life should be: the people that you love the most, your health, peace and things money can never buy. 

My Story Personal Story

In November 2016, I was diagnosed with 2 types of cancer: a topical skin cancer and a rarer form of cancer that had attached itself to my muscle tissue underneath a large growth where the skin cancer had formed. When I went to the dermatologist for the growth, initially I just thought that this was a routine procedure and the growth was benign.

Little did I know, after they ran some tests that this was something far more complicated. I had never experienced such shock or dismay. I was still so young. I had so much life left to live and my fear was that I may die from this cancer. I had never done drugs, smoked or even drank alcohol because of my belief system. I wondered, “Why me? What had I done to deserve such a life altering situation?” I ended up having a procedure done that was more like a surgery as the doctor insisted it be removed immediately.

Ultimately, in this circumstance the wound had gone septic and landed me in the hospital for over a week. I felt like my life couldn’t get any worse. It was a terrifying experience and not really something I would ever want to relive. I was traumatized. Then I was put on a wound-vac in the hospital and assigned in-home nursing visits so that she could monitor the wound properly.  I ended up losing my job for taking too much time off of work. I was told that I was replaced. I was also dealing with a chronic illness that had started in my late 20’s. 

As my life spiraled downward in what seemed to be out of my control, I began to loop into a headspace of depression. I was plagued with thoughts of, “How could I get in a better frame of mind when all these things were happening to me?”  I needed help. I sought out Psychotherapy and I clung to my faith more than I ever had. I have a very strong faith in God and am a devout Christian. I believe that faith heals and I am a huge advocate for mental health practices in tandem.

Once I found a therapist, I  began regular therapy sessions to try and wrap my head around what was happening in my life. As a cognitive behavioral therapist, she began to give me things to think about and homework assignments to go along with it. She told me that I had to change my thinking in order to be more healthy. She told me that even though depression was partly the fault of my current circumstance, the prescriptions I was taking, and my health- I could help my situation by being more mindful. I was interested to find out how. She told me to start looking at what I could be grateful for in my crisis. I was taken aback at first, because everything around me seemed to be hopeless. I was jobless, living with my parents, and was newly married, but this was straining our marriage and he was unable to work due to his work visa. We had no money, my insurance had run out, and we were literally living on the kindness of strangers. 

My therapist encouraged me to begin journaling. This was a habit in which I was familiar with in the past, but this time specifically for gratitude. She said that I needed to become more mindful of the positive things that were happening in spite of the negative. She instructed me to write down 3 things everyday that I was grateful for before I went to bed every night. She advised that even if it was the same 3 items daily, to journal them consistently for at least 6 weeks. She told me that I would start to see some improvement in my overall mental health. She also proposed that showing more gratitude to those who had been helping me and my husband get through this difficult time would make me feel better, and make them feel more valued. Gratitude was and is a 2 way street.

What she had coached me to do aligned with my own value system and I realized she was right. There’s a verse in the Bible that says: “In every thing give thanks…” (1 Thessalonians 5:18a KJV). This was something that my parents taught me growing up. Now all I needed to do was to begin applying this practical skill to my life.

This was a teaching moment for myself. There were countless amazing things that happened while I was down, that I had overlooked. There were countless people in my life who had stepped up to show me love and support during that time. People had donated time, money, food and anything else to me and my family. Slowly, I began to see, that even though things weren’t ideal, I was still in a much better place than many in my situation. 

After a little more than 6 weeks, I saw improvement under the guidance of my therapist. I even was able to write a book about what I experienced in hopes of helping others. Suffice to say, gratitude has become something very near and dear to my heart. I have had many ups and downs since that happened, but I am still mindful and journal nightly about what I am grateful for. Why? Because the wealth that I have in my life goes beyond material possessions. I am more mindful as I communicate with my family and friends, remembering to tell them how much they mean to me.

Above all, I have learned that I have to make everyday a day of gratitude.

About Min. Erica Standley

Min. Erica Standley is from the Kansas City area. She is a Minister, Self-Published Author of The Courage to Beat Depression, Founder and CEO of Sisters of Faith Prayer Fellowship International, Vlogger, Conference Host, Teacher, and Certified Life Coach. She currently is working on her second book set to be released by Dec. 2021 and to host the Sisters of Faith Prayer Summit in Oct. 2021.

Find Erica Here:

Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

Article Written by Skye McKenzie

Here we are… in a world full of adventure and wonder, people and experiences, and our ability to navigate our way through the twists and turns of life is determined by the compass we each hold within us. For many of us, this compass may have been misaligned as we have travelled through life, or perhaps we are still using the coordinates set for us by others (either our parents or other influential people we had in our lives as we were growing up).

Thus, we find ourselves on a path we never intended to be on and need to adjust our course. To do this, we require a new set of easily navigable tools that will eventually put us back on the course that aligns us with our soul.

Currently, we are experiencing a situation that we have never seen before in the history of our world. Many people have spent the past 18 months in their homes. As the world is opening up, some may be returning to jobs they have known before, others who may have lost their job during the global pandemic, may be facing a time of great decision. Where do I go? What do I do?

As William Wilberforce said, “We change by degrees.” One small change at a time will eventually lead us onto a different path. One small change in the way we think, in how we speak, and in how we act today will create major changes in our lives and cause us to experience joyful, loving, peaceful, calm tomorrows.

We are today the product of all we thought about, spoke about, and did yesterday. If we are not happy with where we are in life—if life is not a place of joy, peace, love, and happiness for us—it is possible to change it and the way we do that is to begin right now to change the way we think, the words we speak, and the things we do.

For many years I lived in an endless cycle of pain and unhappiness. The problem was I had no idea how to change this cycle. I was not taught life skills at school or in my home growing up. I was not taught tools and techniques to help me make it through difficult times. I was not taught how to make the best of this amazing beautiful life we have all been given. I was not taught how to believe in myself, to set goals, to plan for a successful future, and especially how to manage my emotions or adapt in times of change.

By the time I left home at the age of eighteen I had a broken spirit, low confidence, and zero self-esteem. Over the last thirty years I have spent a lot of time dealing with my past trying to make sense of it all and changing the way I thought and the way I spoke. These were huge for me. I had no idea how bad my self-talk and internal thinking was until I tried to change it.

Through this process I have come to understand that it is important to deal with every aspect of oneself—the body, mind, and soul—in order to live a happy life. We must experience health and well-being in all three of these areas, but addressing them one at a time can be a long process. Not long ago I finally came to the place where I realised I didn’t need to take any more courses. I didn’t need any more programs to tell me what my skills were, what talents I have, or whether I am an introvert or an extrovert. I had done enough of those, and after hundreds of courses and thousands of dollars, I still wasn’t living a life I loved. Actually, all I felt was a sense of total frustration. I had all this knowledge about myself and yet I had no idea how to organise and apply it so it could help me.

Throughout my life I have experienced many difficult times, such as moving to new countries, divorce, starting (and closing) my own businesses. I knew that hard work was not the key to success because if there was one thing I knew how to do, it was work hard. So what was it? What was stopping me from living that life of abundance, happiness, and peace I heard so much about?

Radical changes came when I realised I needed to stop searching in the same way I had been searching for so long. I had to change my focus. I decided instead of searching for happiness outside of myself, I needed to search for peace and I discovered that there is only one place to find peace. It is within us. We don’t have to strive to find peace. We simple have to access it. It is already there waiting for us to tune into it. When we seek it we find it, and once we have this complete and total peace in our hearts, we enter a place where all the things we need (and have been searching for) are simply added unto us. It took me fifty-two years to discover this. Fifty-two years of searching and painful striving before I eventually discovered what was already there, within me.

Choose To Change With Intention

It takes great courage to acknowledge that if we want to experience something different, we must do something different to what we have always done before. Perhaps right now you are in a situation where your circumstances are requiring you to make changes. Times of difficulty allow us the opportunity to look at what we do every day, at who we are, and decide what we want to become in the future. Like it or not, through difficult times we change and become different people. It is deciding who we want to become, and taking the steps to change with intention, that is the challenge. Changing with intention means that we are deciding on our future path. We are deciding who we want to become and what we want to do.

We cannot change our world by changing others. In order to change our world, we must change ourselves. And if we do not actively and consciously change ourselves, we will land up allowing others to change us.

You are not alone on this journey.

It’s never too late to start on a journey that will align your inner compass with the intention of your soul and ultimately allow you to discover a life filled with peace and joy. There are many who are on this journey with you. You are not alone. Embrace this time in your life. You are on the verge of the most extraordinary and exciting future. Be true to yourself, be kind to yourself and enjoy the journey.

Find Skye here:

website | instagram

Meet Skye:

As a professionally trained and experienced life coach, trauma care worker and energy practitioner, Skye has the tools and understanding to help you create the life you want whilst gaining a deep sense of self-worth and value.

There is a difference between knowing that path, and walking the path. Knowledge is not power. It is only potential power. Applied knowledge is power. I help people bridge the gap between knowing better and doing better.

Skye is a passionate believer that there is infinite potential inside every one of us and we have within us all we need to create a miraculous future. 

Our only limitation is ourselves.

Article Written by Jennifer Redden

As a Lady Boss who is running a successful business, how often do you think to yourself, “there’s gotta be a better way, right?! 

Is this really the way it is?!”

You are not alone. This is a common thought for many women entrepreneurs, even I myself still have moments this creeps in. Even though you have achieved a lot in your business, it can still feel like you struggle to make it work with flow and ease. And you are just tired of the struggle. 

This struggle is layered in emotional overwhelm. It’s not just one thing, not just one emotion; it feels like all of them are happening at once; that is why it feels so overwhelming! Emotional overwhelm can feel like the world is coming at you.

Underneath all of those layers are usually expectations; A lot of external expectations you have been trying to live up to. 

And yeah, it has worked thus far… Look around you and how much you have achieved as this amazing successful businesswoman!

But despite all that achievement, you feel like nothing is fully yours. It’s this feeling that with each success you experience, it still lacks the joy you crave. You are constantly giving into these expectations with the hopes that it will relieve your internal struggle and anguish. 

Your struggle is not from serving others; it comes from not actually enjoying it! I believe that it is possible to achieve anything while at the same time liberating yourself from the cycle of overdoing! Your ability to consistently achieve so much is grounded in your desire to serve and show other women what is possible when you expand beyond your comfort zone.

Leaping out of this state takes resilience and a lot of courage. It doesn’t just happen overnight, but once you have mastered your way of authentic BE-ing, it will feel like you just Quantum Leaped like Scott Bakula. (One of my favorite TV shows as a kid was “Quantum Leap.”I love how the universe always shows you the way).

Self Acceptance feels a little overwhelming at first. If you have been trying to “fit in” and constantly meet the external pressures of your business, you don’t just wake up one morning and tell yourself in the mirror, “I accept myself,” and skip out into the world. 

Yes, affirmations can be a part of the process, as long as they’re YOUR affirmations that feel aligned with you and that point that connects your little self with your authentic BIG self. 

Self-acceptance takes practice and commitment. 
You repeatedly choose YOU!

Self-acceptance is a lifelong process of embracing who you are right now and then embodying who you GET to BE-come. Constantly creating a new way of BE-ing and aligning the point in your life where the external world and your internal world overlap. 

As a Quantum Breath Activator and a Personal Transformation Mentor with over 17 years of experience in respiratory therapy, transformational healing, and non-linear awareness, I always start clients with the process of self-acceptance. By guiding them to accept themselves fully, they are then able to release the overwhelm, the over do-ing, and the over-giving, and feel free to “show up” for life in their authentic way of BE-ing. 

To connect with a deep level of self-acceptance, you get to create ways for your mind to believe it; using the tools below are small steps to take action on today.  

✨Activate YOUR Awareness: 

When you hear yourself saying “There has got to be a better way!” out of frustration or disappointment…

STOP! 

Ask yourself one of the following questions:

1. Which part of me feels ignored?
2. Which or whose expectations am I trying to live up to?
3. Which emotion feels the most overwhelming right now? 

Give yourself some space to hear the answer. Not allowing yourself to listen fully can continue the cycle of emotional overwhelm. Allow yourself to receive the answer. 

✨Breathe in LOVE for yourself: 

Here is where you get to connect with all the possibilities. An opportunity to feel safe in your body.

• Find a comfortable seat
• Close your eyes
• Place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart
• Connect with your breath – ride the wave
• After the 3rd or 4th breath, gently ask, “what do I need to do to care for myself”?
• Stay here for 3-5 minutes or longer if you desire. 
• When you are ready, you can open your eyes and let yourself bask in this feeling.

✨Create a New way: 

As someone who is hell-bent on doing it my way and finding a method that works for me, I must create my own structure. 

I guide my clients to activate a perspective shift within. 

In order to fully accept yourself, you have to start by being committed to yourself. We love to make this step grandiose but in reality, accepting yourself is an everyday commitment – through micro-commitments. And you’re going to keep these ridiculously simple. Why?

So your mind starts believing you love and accept yourself. 

Pick one thing you are committed to doing for yourself each day, something small and potentially something you are already doing. 

Here’s where the shift happens, pick showering, for example – you already shower every day. Still, it’s kind of that expectation that you should shower. When you make this micro-commitment to yourself, a shower no longer is an expectation – it becomes an act of self-love and acceptance. 

You are giving this gift to yourself as a way to feel good and create joy in your life, not because of an external expectation. 

This is a small and powerful shift that is creating 

a new way of accepting yourself! 

You get to choose which micro-commitments you get to make to yourself, and as you evolve and grow, it will become second nature. 

These are the 3 steps to Quantum leaping out of emotional overwhelm and landing in self-acceptance, so you create a better way – a New way of BE-ing in your life that allows you to live joyfully and free. 

1. Activate your awareness to bring the layers of emotional overwhelm to the surface of your mind
2.  Breathe in love for yourself so you can connect to the possibilities of living without overwhelm, overdoing, or over-giving. 
3. Create a new way to love and accept yourself at the deepest level of your soul. 

Each step is a powerful stand-alone practice in your everyday life; when you bring the three together, you create a whole new opportunity to BE-come a person who intentionally lives her dream life. 

To me, BE-ing intentional in my life is the key to my success; This is why I specialize in helping professional women who are externally successful but internally feel disconnected and trapped in the cycle of DO-ing. I guide them to liberate themselves from external expectations and pressure and become masterful at a new way of deep, authentic BE-ing.

If you are ready to release the struggle of meeting the expectations of your external world and you want to discover a new way of BE-ing in your life that allows you to make decisions with ease, stop the cycle of self-betrayal and connect with the limitless possibilities of the quantum field of creation; you are invited to contact me for a free possibility activation call. 

It is my deepest joy to see how these 3 Quantum Leaping steps are working for you so you can finally create joy and deep, unwavering self-acceptance!

About Jennifer:

Jennifer is a Quantum Breath Activator and a Personal Transformation Mentor with over 17 years of experience in breath therapy, transformational healing, and non-linear awareness.

I specialize in helping professional women who are externally successful but internally feel disconnected and trapped in the cycle of DO-ing, to liberate themselves from external expectations and pressure, and become masterful at a new way of deep authentic BE-ing.

Follow Jennifer on Facebook, Instagram and visit her website.