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Enlightenment, Encouragement, Empowerment

charlestonminx.com Volume 1. Issue 6. March 2012

KeepersOf The Key

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Over TherainbOw

The Three “e’s”

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Our Mission is to enlighten, encourage and empower women

with knowledge, wisdom, confidence, insight and strength.

Join us in embracing new ideas, uplifting our readers to reach their height of inner strength & creativity. We invite you to

advertise with us.

chasminx@aol.com843.814.8897

2 ∙ FEBRUARY 2012 ∙ MINX

MINXMany years ago I heard a pastor say that he had spoken at many funerals and not at one of them

did he ever see a U-Haul truck attached to the casket of the deceased.

On March 17th, many of us will be celebrating the day by drinking green beer, eating corned beef with cabbage and of course wearing something green in honor of St. Patrick, all while hoping to catch a little Irish luck.

In spite of the fact that recently my bank account balance is usually reflected either in one or two digits, this year I was able to capture my own “pot of gold”. I realized that money and material treasures will always come and go, however, finding my own true love buried deep within myself has been the greatest treasure of all.

Twenty-five years ago at this time I gave birth to my first child and entered the world of single motherhood. I was twenty-six years old and still had so much to do with my life. My goals included college, money to make, men to date, the world to travel...so many dreams that seemed incredibly far out of reach as I struggled from day to day just to buy diapers and formula. I began to build a social life for myself to escape the reality of what was really happening in the world around me. For ten years I jumped from one relationship to another and finally settled down in marriage--but that is exactly what I did: settled.

The marriage lasted for thirteen years before I finally threw in the towel and walked away. It felt as if I was running away from something but I was not sure what. I continued to run further when I suddenly got connected with a bohemian madman.

After things came to an end with bohemian guy, I was looking outside the kitchen window one morning when suddenly, the reality of what I was running away from became very clear to me.

I was running from me! Yes, I was running from truly loving myself and sharing that abundance of love with others, including with my own children. I began to see that this lack of self-love has been the core of unhealthy relationships and friendships.

When I became enlightened with this bit of insight, I realized how important it is everyday to wake up knowing that I am loved by me and those close to me. Most importantly, I began to see how all the silly little things that life brings to us really do not matter.

Let’s face it: after the fall of our economy over the past four years, many of us have come to understand that nothing material in this world is everlasting. But the gift of understanding the love we hold within can be freely shared with others. Not only is love everlasting, but it is the priceless pot of gold that waits for us all at the end of the rainbow!

Publisher's Insight

Cindy Jenkinspublisher and executive director

Lisa Moorerpublisher and art director

Denise K. Jameseditor

Kristina Hillart director

contributing writersDebra MoffittDoug WaltersMarla BollakGypsy Spirit

For corrections, questions or comments,chasminx@aol.com

Visit us at www.charlestonminx.com

MINX

dedicationsThis edition is dedicated to

J.w., Gloria & patrick Mills... May your spirit’s be filled with the music of the irish!

priceless Gold By Gypsy Spirit

May you live a long lifeFull of gladness and health ,With a pocket full of goldAs the least of you wealth .

May the dreams you hold dearest,Be those which come true,The kindness you spread,

Keep returning to you.

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At sixteen years old, Charleston Native Laura Davis found herself in Los Angeles, walking along Sunset Strip Boulevard and searching for the modeling gig that she was to audition for. Unable to find the location, she stopped to call on a pay phone and get directions, when suddenly someone out of nowhere grabbed her and tried to drag her into an ally.

The attacker knocked the breath out of her. However, if you are going to get mugged, why not get mugged in front of the studio of well known tattoo artist, Mark Mahoney...right? That is exactly what happened to Laura. Mark came out with his rock-a-billy look and mobster-like Jersey accent and rescued Laura from her attacker.

After making sure she was okay, Mark helped Laura back on her feet and invited her into his tattoo studio to pull herself together. He was a perfect gentleman and Laura was completely “star struck” over him. It was then that she decided one day she was going to have her own tattoo studio. She continued to visit Mark at his work often; her young mind was like a sponge as she absorbed his artistry and talents.

Shortly after planting her feet back onto the familiar territory of Charleston, Laura began to realize that she has a special gift herself: running a business. She began doing the things she enjoyed, working within the realms of the sub-culture scene which she is connected to, performing tattoos and body piercing. At the age of twenty-five she opened her first body-piercing studio on Savannah Hwy. in the Avondale area.

She had some initial issues with the neighborhood that sits behind her studio’s location, but she did not let that scare her away. She stood up for what she believed in and continued to work hard to make sure that her employees acted with the utmost respect towards the neighbors around them. In a short time, she won the neighbors over.

On a personal note, I have been friends with Laura since we met back in 2005. I owned a little vintage clothing boutique just two doors down from her Avondale studio. I was always amazed at how well she carried herself--a very businesslike manner for such a young woman. I was even more amazed at the cleanliness of her studio, even sometimes teasing her to be a little OCD in regards to being so organized and clean.

The best memory I have of my friendship with Laura is when one afternoon she and I were sitting behind her counter. She explained her new business plan with excitement and knew exactly what was needed to make it work out. I just sat in my chair very quietly and listened to her. I was never so proud to be associated with another human being. At one point I recall choking up a bit, nearly to tears (happy tears) as she was speaking a hundred miles a minute. Suddenly she stopped talking and asked, “Are you okay?” I expressed how proud I was of her and how I’d always think of her as my younger sister.

But things were not always so happy-go-lucky for Laura. She grew up in a very strict Roman Catholic background and attended Catholic school. There was a time in her younger life that she felt lost, and thus went on the road to search for some answers and find herself. She finally came to the realization that we choose whether or not we are going to play the role of the “victim” in life. She began to understand that adversity builds character and decided she was not going to be a “victim”. She began to perceive the obstacles that life throws at her as a form of strength to draw from.

I always half-joke around with Laura when I say to her, “By the time you are forty you will be a millionaire.” But at the age of thirty one, Laura

does not seem to be working on that kind of goal. She is just happy doing what she does at Museum Of Living Arts, a.k.a. MOLA, and working around the beautiful home she and her boyfriend, Wally, share together.

Laura’s favorite passion in her studio is coming up with new, inventive ways to sport her body piercing jewelry. She is proud to announce that MOLA is the exclusive store for Body Vision Los Angeles Jewelry (BVLA), the worlds leading body jewelry manufacturer in the U.S.A. which uses precious metals and gemstones for custom orders.

Recently, as we chatted about the new things going on in our lives, she began telling me of this very popular piercing style, Triple Forward Helix. Of course I did not know what that meant! She explained that it is three diamonds at the top cartilage of your ear. Each diamond graduates to a larger one. We immediately began to symbolize the piercing as Enlightenment, Encouragement and Empowerment. The small diamond represents where we are when we become Enlightened, then where we grow a little with Encouragement, and then finally where we are strong with Empowerment.

So when you come to visit Laura for a piercing, ask her about The Three E’s, she and her staff will be the only ones in town that know what you mean.

This March, let the world know that YOU are a woman of powerful strength when you sport the symbol of the 3 E’s!

EmpowermentEncouragement

Enlightenment

MuseuM of living Arts1734 Savannah Hwy 843.442.9578

charlestonpiercing.com

The Three “e’s”By Gypsy Spirit

MINX ∙ MARCH 2012 ∙ 3

4 ∙ MARCH 2012 ∙ MINX

Those are such powerful words, coming from a woman who has observed much greatness from others. With March being Women’s History Month, the Minx publishers felt that it was only appropriate to mention it in our publication. After all, that is what Minx is about: embracing our audience with challenges of Enlightenment filled with Encouragement to reach their highest potential of Empowerment.

I recall when, back in the early 70’s, the Virginia Slims cigarette ad campaign came up with the slogan, “You’ve Come A Long Way Baby”. At the time, women seemed to have conquered many obstacles that were standing in the way of their ability to freely express themselves. For one thing the pill was a huge step forward, thus allowing us to obtain more sexual freedom. The idea of being more sexual gave room for us to get out of the prim dresses and slip into some more revealing clothing! Oh, this brings back such memories of the fights my mother and I would have over my wearing midriffs and hotpants.

But getting in tune with our sexuality was just a part of the growing process. As time allowed it, more opportunities opened up for women to get more education. I have had the pleasure in observing some very powerful women of my time set the stage for others to act upon.

Without turning this article into a political agenda, I invite you to think about the feminine strides in our country’s political arena. It was four years ago that Hillary Rodham Clinton ran for president in The United States. That alone was a major breakthrough and I take my hat off to the former First Lady. But this story gets even more dramatic. Let’s talk about Sarah Palin for a moment. One day she is just a PTA soccer mom, the next day she is running Alaska as their governor, then we blink our eyes and before we knew what was happening, she was running for Vice President opposite of Hillary!

How exciting this time is for women all over the world. I dream to witness, before I leave this earth, two women running against each other for President of The United States. I have no doubt that it will happen!

Although women running for President and Vice President of the United States has been a major breakthrough, we ladies still have much more to conquer. Judy B. Rosener, PhD, recently reported in Forbes Woman that more women than men graduate from college. However, only 15.7% of board seats are held by women. Not only is that unbalanced, just think about how many women are currently holding office in our government. In the South Carolina legislature, there are 170 seats available between the House and Senate. It is suggested that 25% of those seats be filled by women. However, South Carolina ranks 50th for the entire country. For those that are challenged by percentages

and statistics, this means that only 8 women are serving between our House and Senate when there should be 43!

Why is it so important that we have more women in office? It is very obvious that women pay taxes just like men do, however, there is usually a difference in the pay scale between men and women. I recall several years ago when a dear friend of mine was the only woman, other than the receptionist, who worked very hard as an AutoCad designer for a reputable company right here in Charleston. I remember how upset she was when the day came

for pay raises. All the men in the office

got $1.00 raise; my friend got 25 cents.

You might be thinking that perhaps her work was not

as good as the other men in the office. Well, if that were the case, then why did they let her work there for twelve years? She was never late and was dependable in performing her duties. I must also mention that my friend was a single mother

and did NOT receive child support. Yet, my friend, like so many other underpaid women in this country, has to pay the same percentage in taxes as men do.

So the publishers of Minx invite our fellow sisters to ponder as you dream of reaching your pot of gold at the end of

your rainbow...Could you be the next woman holding one of those seats in our Legislature?

“Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.”

- Dorothy I. Height (leader in civil rights & women’s movements)

women Making historyBy Gypsy Spirit

Consider it done!

Kinetic Aid is a solution designed from the ground up to truly change the way the entire community thinks about charitable giving. Our services

boost the bottom line of businesses, provide discounts and incentives to consumers, and drive much needed aid to smaller nonprofits. How do we

do it? It’s unbelievably simple! Visit www.KineticAid.com today and join us in our mission to truly revolutionize charitable giving.

WhAt if We could simply hArness the poWer of the locAl economy to:

Benefit BusinessesBenefit consumers

Benefit chArities

New Spring Arrivals are coming in Daily!

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Debra Moffitt’s writing on mind body spirit, lifestyle, architecture, travel and design, appears in publications worldwide. Her new book, Awake in the World, explores spiritual practices from wisdom traditions around the world. She presents workshops in the U.S. and Europe.

Debra MoffittCreating SaCred SpaCe

debra will be doing a book signing at the MInX hosted event:

Saturday March 10, 2012www.possible1.eventbrite.com

I’m PossibleFinding Your Pot Of Gold

www.awakeintheworld.com

10% OFF (Dine-in Only *Excludes Alcohol)MARCH SPECIAL

Stop in for great satisfying food, reasonable prices, in a cozy neighborhood environment.Lip smacking good burgers, burritos and BBQ.

We Q dust our butts for a tender, juicy, eating experience. Craft beers, fine wines, daily and vegetarian specials to keep everyone happy!Mama Q's is available for private functions

We are wild, strong and hungry!

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Open for lunch Mon thru Sat starting at 11:30 and Wed thru Friday for dinner.mamaqs.com3157 Maybank Highway Unit E, Johns Island, SC 29455 843.559.0071

InSightful Healing ~ Tarot Reading w/Gypsy Spirit

843-814-8897 ~ gypsyspirit61@aol.com ~ www.insightfulhealing.weebly.com

...filled with discerning direction.

Uplifting & encouraging insight...

8 ∙ MARCH 2012 ∙ MINX

An ancient Hindu story tells of hiding the Divine and Her wisdom. It goes like this: When God created the earth, she gathered together the deities and playfully asked where she should hide herself so that humans might not easily find her. She liked to cavort and joyously play tricks. Shakti said, “Hide at the bottom of the ocean. No one will find you there.” But God said, “They will make machines that plumb the depths. That will not do.” Gaia piped up next. “Go up into the skies and hide there,” she said. But God said, “No, they will create technologies that will allow them to soar. And they will find me too easily there.” Then, God said, “I know. I will hide in their own hearts. That will be the last place they will think to look for me.”

This is the secret of the ancients. The gold we seek is right here in our own hearts, not outside in the things and people around us. At some point on the spiritual path we begin to wake up to this idea. Sometimes the awakening is prompted by crisis or despair or loss of loved ones. It shifts the seeking and yearning from getting more “things” in the world to acquiring inner peace and satisfaction. This is a big moment, one that should be lauded for its significance. It marks the point where the inner realm becomes the focus, and power is shifted from material world to the world of the spirit.

When the shift occurs, it brings a new sense of life and creativity. We can begin to create from the inside out and this is where real power resides, within the heart. How do you tap into that power? How do you find the God within you? The ways are different for everyone. But it requires a shift from head-directed decisions to heart-guides ones. The head seeks outward for the answers. It looks at logic and analyzes conditions. This is what it’s supposed to do and it’s a good instrument that needs to be used and called on at the right time. It can keep us out of trouble. But when it’s too much in charge, it stifles the intuitive and insightful vision of the heart and kills the creative spirit. It needs to be used in balance, not dominate and control as it often does.

The heart is the seat of that “still, small voice.” It’s called that in the Bible because it requires being silent and receptive to hear it. It’s so subtle that if too much mental noise is in the way it becomes hard to hear. Setting aside a time to pay attention to it will help you to listen to and decipher its yearnings. The heart requires a receptive space. It will not impose its suggestions or demand to be heard like the mind does. But

if ignored too long, it will send up discomfort and unease to you clue into its needs. Meditation at the same time and place every day is an ideal way to begin to

tune into it. For others, walking, cooking or doing repetitive tasks where the mind is focused, will allow a space to receive impressions and insights from the heart. The wisdom heart asks to be received. So being in a place where the mind is still enough to allow the heart

to be heard helps. Creating a home altar or sacred space for

meditation is like having a great room for the spirit to soar.

By setting focus, intention and defining values that are most important to the

direction you’d like to take, it’s possible to begin to create a new and different, heart-

based life. Asking some simple questions may give direction too. Questions like:

What’s my life purpose? What do I value?

Where am I going? What would I like to give to

others as a way to serve society?

Finding answers will help you to find the gold, or the God, within you and to discover the secret that the ancients knew – that you are Divine too. Go in search of the treasure inside of you. When you move into and create from this powerful place, you can transform your world.

Good as Gold insideBy Debra Moffitt

The heart gets inspired.

follow the heart.

Legend has it that St. Patrick freed Ireland of snakes by banishing them in the waters to drown. Many of us are scared to death of snakes. As a matter of fact, my belly dance instructor was raised in a place most famous for the slithery creatures, India. But just say the word “snake” to her and she nearly passes out.

But snakes can be symbolic to us in our journey of life. I recall a recent dream of being in a cave that was filled with water while swimming around with my youngest son.

There was a man showing us a larger than life turtle that had some baby snakes attached to it and we asked if the snakes were hurting the turtle. The man in the dream responded,

“No”. Suddenly out of nowhere, a gigantic yellow and white

snake arose out of the water with it’s mouth wide open showing off it’s six inch fangs. It began to slither in

the water directly

towards me. I was swimming as fast as I could to get away, but I was not quick enough. The monstrous snake caught up and bit me on the shoulder. At that moment, I was awaken by a phone call from my youngest son.

A few days later I was having a conversation with a dear friend that interprets dreams. I shared the odd snake dream with her. Although only knowing me for a short time, she observed some changes I have made in my life. She seemed to have that facial expression she shows off when she knows she is right while she explained to me that snakes are symbolic to change.

Perhaps as we begin to awaken out of our winter sleep, we will shed ourselves of the things that hold us down while we rise up and spread our wings to the warmth of spring.

new skin By Gypsy Spirit

Most of us are taught at a young age that we are separate from each other. We are taught that standing out and being something special are the most important things in life. And so begins the eternal race to build up our pile and to matter. Acquisitions, titles, income, roles, status, contacts, etc become a focus as we strengthen the ego and chase the illusion. We end up forever searching for the proverbial pot of gold, stopping at nothing to get it, not even to live.

But to enjoy the moment, to be happy and joyful right here, right now is the only thing that matters. It’s the only thing that’s real. Everything we think would bring happiness to us from anything external - a big house or the right job or a fancy car or a relationship or money - has always been inside us all along. But that is what we’re very rarely ever taught. The chase for these things only perpetuates the suffering. If we are “lucky” enough to ever attain any of these things we find out sooner or later that it’s an empty, joyless victory because there is no happiness in materialism. And because there is no satisfaction, or that satisfaction disappears, we become more focused on attaining more.

When is it enough? What happens when the gold runs out? The payoff becomes secondary in this distorted idea and the actual search becomes the center of our attention. We become addicted

to the chase. We spend a lifetime chasing something that was never there in the first place. And our egos and our greed get stronger and stronger, which of course, is no good for the soul. And most importantly, we forget to live.

Realizing that the rainbow and the pot of gold are within is freedom. Realizing that we are all one or at least all in it together (and separating yourself from the whole is cutting yourself off from the whole) is freedom. When you remember that you already have everything you need, you can finally start to live and be here in this moment. And that’s all there is. We trusted our teachers who taught us otherwise because we were young and impressionable, just like our teachers were when they were mislead by their own teachers. But eventually we have to step up and teach ourselves these things, and then hopefully teach and inspire others by our example. We are intelligent beings with these inherent truths built into us and we can break the cycle and change our perception about what is real and what it means to truly live. We are simply too smart not to. Holding on to the lies is just attachment, or sometimes just being lazy. It’s easy to do, but it’s a cop out.

Being here now as one with all is the true pot of gold because it is the only thing that is real. It is true health, happiness and joy. The best news of all is that it has always been there, and will forever be. Remembering this is much easier than chasing something that does not exist. Life can be exactly what you want it to be. So smile and be happy if you want to. It’s fun. And surprisingly easy.

It’s March, which means it’s time to greet spring and St. Patrick’s Day, a favorite of the Irish in all of us. Our thoughts turn to rainbows and to leprechauns pointing out pots of gold and granting our wishes--if you can catch them, that is!

The real treasure, of course, is not hidden by leprechauns. The real treasure lies inside each of us. You discover it not by capturing a mythical being, but by following your own internal rainbow.

You might think that following your rainbow is as hard as catching that leprechaun, but that isn’t true. If you couldn’t tune into your heart, you wouldn’t even be able to order dinner at a restaurant. When you look at a menu, something catches your eye. You turn inward and imagine what it would taste like. You ask

yourself, “Is this what I want to eat right now?”

Sometimes this process can be a challenge, sort of like the story of Goldilocks and the porridge. You have trouble choosing if you’re too hungry, because everything looks so good. You have trouble choosing if you’re not hungry enough, because nothing really appeals to your senses. Sometimes you can’t decide between two or three things. Something might sound like it could be good but you worry that it could be bad, and then you’d be stuck. I feel this way about roast duck. If it’s cooked well it’s great, but if not it can be really tough and unpleasant. I like duck but I rarely wind up ordering it.

It’s the same way with tuning into yourself for any decision. You have to be in the right state of mind and have the right

focus. If you have too much going on in your head, you can’t get past all of the noise. If you have too little focus, you might get distracted or even fall asleep. Sometimes you give yourself conflicting messages. Sometimes you may not feel confident in following your own intuition. Could it be fear disguised as intuition? You bet it can.

Finding that sweet spot of insight is well worth it. The more you do it, the easier it gets. While you’re practicing, enjoy this Irish blessing:

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,May good luck pursue you each morning and night.Happy spring and Bon Appetit!

For more from Marla, visit SageOfEnlightenment.com.

Cutting The Chase By Doug Walters

The rainbow insideBy Marla Bollak

Lucky stars above you,Sunshine on your way,

Many friends to love you,Joy in work and play-

Laughter to outweigh each care,

In your heart a song-And gladness

waiting everywhereAll your whole life long!

http://tacomaweekly.tripod.com/Irish

-Quotations.html

10 ∙ MARCH 2012 ∙ MINX

We live in a world today where just about everything is controlled by an electronic device of some kind. I heard someone say that it seems that our computers, cell phones and any other kind of electronics are attached to the back of our necks. But in the midst of this computerized-madness life style, thousands of people have lost their jobs and homes. The entire world has begun to take on a very fast shift that many of us are having a hard time grasping onto.

I too have had a difficult time getting in touch with reality. Since March of 2011 I have felt like I am living in the pits of hell. I left my husband of thirteen years, started a new publication with a woman that I hardly know, underwent an emergency surgery without insurance, had my heart broken by a man whom I believe is the clone of Charles Manson, and have never been so financially strapped in all of my life. Yet, with all sincerity, I have never felt so very blessed!

I would be lying if I said that I have not had moments of fear and worry about my future. Many times I hibernated in my bedroom for days, allowing my soul to cry out as I tried to make sense of what seemed to be a surreal life going on around me. There were other times I just tried to escape it all with alcohol and prescription drugs.

Recently, while I was in the throes of a dream early one morning, I heard a dear friend of mine say to me loud and clear, “I have something to tell you.”

When I woke up, I called her right away and asked, “Do you have something to tell me?” Her response, of course, was, “No. What do you mean?”. I found it rather puzzling that she did not have some sort of recent dramatic event in her life that she did not feel the need to share.

Our conversation turned into a few moments of catching up and then shifted to something more personal. She began to tell me how much I had helped her in her time of discomfort several years ago when she had lost her job and just really needed a friend to lean on. She expressed how much she truly loves me, in spite of the fact that sometimes I make her so angry she just wants to slap the hell out of me. She meant every word she said, even the part about wanting to inflict me with bodily harm. When we hung up, I

realized that her expression of love for me was what she had to tell me.

The following day my business partner and I ran into an important decision-making issue. During a lengthy conversation, she shared with me how she regards me as her “best friend”. For a moment I had to look around the room and make sure that there was nobody else that she was talking to. In all the months we have lived in the same house together and she has witnessed me go down a tunnel of self-destruction, I was never aware of how important I am to her.

Again, a few days later, another dear friend called me on the phone and towards the end of the conversation she expressed how much she loves me.

With all this happening within a weeks time, I started thinking to myself, “This is a little scary...am I getting ready to die or something?”.

But I began to understand over the next several days that the Universe was providing me with what I needed to hear at that time. I have been undergoing many overwhelming changes to make my world a better place for me, and it has been exhausting and a bit scary as I move forward into unfamiliar territories. Perhaps I needed the assurance from the people that are a part of my world to let me know that everything is okay and that they love me in spite of my shortcomings.

But it was about a week later that I found the key to unlock the door to my pot of gold.

I woke up one morning and did the mundane thing I always do...walked directly over to the coffee machine to prepare my morning cup of addiction. As I was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, I looked outside the window and noticed a tree in the back yard.

It was bare of leaves but was covered beautifully with moss. The water out on the harbor was quiet, the birds were fluttering around, and I suddenly got some insight about how awesome the wonders of the Universe really are.

I began to see that I had been so caught up in my daily drama of struggles and disappointments that I was not able to appreciate and fully experience the life that has been given to me. The little voice inside told me that all these silly human things will work themselves out and, like everything else, they too shall pass.

I have always heard that “God is love” and it sounds just lovely, but I never truly understood it. And it was at that moment of the moss-covered tree encounter that I finally got it. Humans are made in the image of God, and that means that we are made in the image of love. We are love! I believe this is something my grandmother always tried to tell me.

So then why is it so difficult for us to love ourselves if love is what we are? It is so easy to love something or someone else. But love myself, really? How do I do that when I know my own true colors?

You know the old saying, “We are our worst enemy.”? That statement could never be so true. I have been fighting me to love myself for many years. We are so programmed to say the words, “I love you” to others. Has anybody ever said to themselves on a regular basis, “I love me” and really meant it?

The key that opened the door for me is learning that if I expect to find true love in my life, I must start with truly loving myself. It is then that I will begin to share this love with others as I embrace the love they have for me.

Love is the key that will open many doors... we are the keepers of the key!

Keepers Of The Key By Gypsy Spirit

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into a barn. yet, God feeds them. aren’t

you worth more than they?”- Matthew 6:26

When I hear men talk about women being more sensitive than men I laugh. I grew up with four brothers and I can tell you that there were plenty of times that they were “sensitive”. Crying at movies, gossiping like women, worrying about their looks, acting like girls. Some of my best guy friends still surprise me with their “feminine ways”. Whenever I hear someone talk about the differences of men versus women I always say, Vice Versa. To every woman who is sensitive and gentle there is a man who is the same and to every rough and tough man there is a woman who is equally so. Men can have feminine traits and women can have masculine traits.

When I was younger I fought so hard to be like my brothers. I rebelled against being a girl because I thought girls were weak and emotional. I always wanted to be strong and independent, always trying to keep up with the boys to prove I was worthy. I refused to cry, took karate, played soccer, would NOT get dressed up, played cops and robbers instead of Barbie’s with my sister. I like playing sports with boys instead of girls because boys played rougher, ran faster, challenged me more. I envied boys.

When I was 15 I wanted to go to the skating rink with my friends but my Dad wouldn’t let me go. He let my youngest brother go and when I protested that I was older he said, “You are a girl, and girls don’t need to be out late at night, you could get hurt”. I was furious. Why should girls get treated any different than boys. I was strong, I could take care of myself. It wasn’t until I had a daughter of my own that I understood what he was trying to say.

I remember my disappointment when I found out I was going to have a little girl. I had always related to boys better than girls and was hoping I’d have a strong healthy boy to play soccer with one day. I kept thinking girls are so vulnerable, I don’t know if I can handle the worry. When voicing those worries to my youngest brother he said, “Look how you turned out! You wouldn’t let anyone mess with you. You always played rough and held your own against the other boys. Even now you are one of the strongest women I know. Why would you think your daughter would be any different with you as her Mom”. It was

the first ‘ah ha’ moment where I realized being a girl isn’t so bad. I knew then that I wanted to teach her how to be independent, smart, confident and strong. That being a woman didn’t have to mean being weak or inferior to men.

We are in a time when being a woman allows you to be whatever you set your mind to be. Be the girl in high heals that can throw a mean jab or be the quite shy girl who longs to be a Mom or be both! That is the beauty of being a woman.

MINX ∙ MARCH 2012 ∙ 11

TTbaacc, PPPee, HoTkkhe, RTRR YYYY OOO SYSSSSee, Ciggre & HYHeYpaaaii HHHbe

“WWHWW aWW AllHlnaaPaW WgW ie NaaYWW’e WgW.”

HoTkkk Niihh

Flidgye, 5-8S8

Jush $5 tc sgsSsW

ai hh tTbaacc!

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The highest form of happiness is contentment. Our media and our consumer society often play on discontent. They show us images of what life could be if we were something better or if we only had something more. But contentment is about being in the moment and being present with one’s Self and with the divine. God is everything already. When we connect with our divine nature, we are connected to the wholeness beyond fears, desires and the ups and downs of happiness and despair. As a practice, just for today, when the feelings of discontent begin to rise and the mind seeks out all that is wrong and could be changed for the better, find the contentment. This doesn’t mean to be satisfied and no longer put any efforts into growing and becoming a better person. It means finding a place of rest and not striving – just for a moment, just for today when the search for happiness starts to drive you to feel frustrated and angry, look at the good things around. Try on the phrase, “I am content.” When I lived in Switzerland, I recall often sitting at the kitchen table alone in the morning contemplating happiness. “Am I happy?” I wondered. I didn’t feel anything close to ecstasy. Nor did I feel despair. I felt lonely, but I had all I needed at the moment. A friend gave me some cards and one of them held these wonderful words of wisdom by Sathya Sai Baba,

“Contentment is the highest form of happiness.” That card sat on my table and I realized, “I am content. I can do and be content.” Over the years as the loneliness and the trials endured, I often recalled those words and reminded myself. “Yes, there are good things here. I may not be happy in the form that I see in those commercials with people smiling ecstatically over a new pair of sunglasses or a new mate, but I am content.” I like to explore the meaning of words to help me understand: content is defined as “satisfaction with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else” and contentment is “ease of mind.” Though I’ve done this practice for long periods, I have to keep coming back to it and reminding myself again and again. “I am content.” I may not be happy in the sense of the American TV commercial vision of happiness, but right now, I have what I need and my mind is at ease. “I am content.” Today try this practice: Focus on contentment. Be content with what you have and where you are. Check in with your feelings first thing and throughout the day. Can you find your sense of contentment?

The highest form of happiness - a Morning practice By Debra Moffit

The beauty Of being a woman By Kristina Hill

“Femininity is defined as womanliness and having qualities traditionally ascribed to

women, as sensitivity or gentleness.”