workshops

Pretty Versus Beautiful

Pretty Versus Beautiful
Photo credit: Shiloh Sophia

Recently I finished reading a book called, Wiser & Wilder – A Soulful Path to Visionary Women entrepreneurs by Kaya Singer. While this sounds like it may not have anything to do with my title post, Pretty Versus Beautiful, hang with me here. This is how my mind tends to loop.  🙂

Since discovering Kaya’s book I also found out about her podcasts. I’ve been listening to some pretty amazing and inspiring women. Listening to these women living from what is right and true for them has given my wings quite the magical lift.

Book cover artwork by Kaya Singer

My intention for the New Year is to hold more workshops for women to encourage them to pause more often, listen deeply to their soul, and capture what it is that their soul wants them to know. It’s my hope that Joyful Pause studio will be that safe space where they can open to their intuition, simmer in its wisdom and use that awareness to live a more meaningful life.

As I listened to Kaya interview Michelle Grace Lessiard, a shamanic teacher and healer, her departing words of wisdom had my eyes filling with tears. Michelle in part said that woman have to start honoring their intuitive guidance. And that women who are willing to stand up and listen to, and honor their intuition will heal this world.

Earlier in the interview she also talked about how women need to start being kinder to each other. And I believe this to be true also as we women can be awfully tough and judgmental about each other — though I will say, I have felt it is changing for the better.

This leads me to how my thoughts looped to pretty versus beautiful.  Thanks for hanging with me! When I think about a woman who is beautiful, it has nothing to do with her looks. Beautiful to me, is a woman who is clearly comfortable in her own skin, no matter what size, color, or shape she is. She is someone who exudes an inner peace and has done the work, and continues to do so. That is reflected as a beautiful light that shines from the inside to the outside.

There are many pretty women in the world, as society defines pretty, but sometimes it is only on the surface. And please know this isn’t about being catty or jealous, because that isn’t what I’m trying to convey. But there are women who aren’t pretty as culture deems so, but yet they are beautiful. 

One such person that comes to mind right away for me is Lizzie Velasquez, born with a rare syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight. She has endured some mighty painful bullying online and off. But she has taken that and turned it into a way to spread a positive message and is described as a Brave Heart. 

As I type this thinking about her, my eyes fill with tears… she is a Beautiful. Brave. Heart. She is truly one the most exquisite examples of what beautiful is to me. She stands tall in who she is. No. Matter. What. has been thrown at her.

And as I loop back to the conversation between Michelle and Kaya on the podcast, they are what I call two beautiful women also – for listening to, and following their intuition, even when it has felt scary. They are heeding the call to stand in what they believe they are here to do…to help heal this world.

While fear may rear its ugly head at times, I ask that my creator place before me more beautiful women — they are the inspiration that lifts me and feeds my soul to keep following my own intuition and do what it is I feel called to do.

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Message from Hippo. Welcome Home to Who You Are.

Message from Hippo. Welcome Home to Who You Are.

For over three years I’ve been giving thought to forming a women’s circle, which I’m in the process of preparing for, and gearing up to do, in the new year. I’m also collaborating with another young woman to offer a workshop on a Native American tradition about Talking Sticks. It will be December 21st, on the Winter Solstice.

As I move into this new space in my life I’ve been asking for guidance from the deck of Animal Wisdom Tarot cards and also from my deck of SoulCollage(r) cards I’ve created the past two years.

My question is simple as I shuffle the animal cards and my SoulCollage(r) deck: Please provide guidance for me around facilitating workshops for women.

Shivers ran up down and my spine when Hippo is the card that has revealed itself on three separate occasions in the past seven days when I’ve posed my question and Hippos wise message of Welcome home to who you are. Each time I think of this message it just makes me so happy.

And the SoulCollage(r) cards I’ve been drawing which have not been the same, but they have revolved around what I feel are reminders to follow my heart and are about the lessons I’ve learned around keeping myself grounded, going within often, and trusting in my intuition.

The first time I posed my question for guidance around doing workshops, the SoulCollage(r) card that came up was one of my spirit animals – the animal that came to me during a guided meditation in 2014 – Wolf.  The message I received at that time was to continue to open my heart and follow the fire within.

The other two cards that surfaced during two different occasions are reminders for me that no matter what I may do going forward, it is important to take time each day to refill my own well with time for reflection and meditation in some form.

And so it is. And I’m recalling when I decided to write my first children’s book – how I had feelings of fear and excitement all at the same time – and not sure where it would take me. And how I went on to write another children’s book and now two memoirs. I can’t say as I ever saw that coming or really ever planned it – but followed what felt right.  And oh, what a journey it has been!

And in many ways, I feel like it has led me to where I am today – venturing into somewhat new territory as I give thought to doing more workshops in my studio, Joyful Pause. I don’t know how it will all unfold, but trusting that if it is meant to be, I will continue to be guided.

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Riding the Positive Waves of Falls Energy

Riding the Positive Waves of Falls Energy
Kylie: My reflection of living life from the guidance of my heart.

I’ve got this extra bounce in my step now that fall is almost on our doorstep.

It happens every year around this time, really. I get this surge of energy that feels incredibly good.

This creative energy that comes up through me like an electric current and the trick for me is to not let it get too wild, and have me going in a thousand directions.

But at the same time, I don’t want to lose the momentum of what I see as divine order.

So what does this look like for me right now?

Well it looks like several different things.

It means I’m taking a leap of faith and I’ve decided I will soon be holding SoulCollage® workshops in my home.

I became a facilitator last November because I want to help empower other women to live into their authenticity. My original intent was to hold workshops online and in my home. While I’ve made great progress in creating my first online workshop (and giving thought to future workshops), I had some fears around holding them in my home.

I’m happy to say I’ve cleared those blocks and the ball is rolling in prepping a sacred space within my home to invite others to come and experience the power of creating SoulCollage® cards.

I also continue to work on getting my manuscript, “Finding Wisdom in the Pause” ready to send off to my editor which I hope to do by mid-to-end of October if all goes well.

And a shift on some personal things in my life that I’ve wanted to make for a long time are taking place, too. While I don’t wish to disclose exactly what those are, I’ve felt called to stand stronger in some belief’s of mine that I didn’t take action on in the past.

As I think of this creative electrical current charging through me, the bottom line of what it is, is that I want to continue to be a positive light in this world and I want to help others discover their light, too.

This, for me, means sharing my gifts and getting stronger each and every day in trusting my intuition, and living from the inside, out.

And speaking of positive waves, I’m so thankful and grateful for all the support of The Frankie Wheelchair Fund fundraiser last month. T-shirt sales and direct donations raised over $2,300! WOWEE! I’m looking so forward to sharing with you here future dogs that will be helped.

Thank you for visiting!

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