United Colours of Design • Coral Edition • October 2021

That’s correct, folks! Even with all my training and intimate knowledge of each colour, I still believed coral to be a bit of a secondary colour that didn’t warrant a dedicated edition. My original thought was to skip it and move right into the creative energy of orange.

As a designer, creativity is my jam, my safe zone, my go-to space; so, I figured orange would be the next logical step on the magazine’s journey. However, I am a student of the energy of colour so rather than blindly jumping over coral, I jumped in it instead.

I started my investigation with Moira Bush’s book 8 Colours of Prosperity. Moira is my colour mentor and has focused on the colours of prosperity and shadow work for over fifteen years. She has led many love and money bootcamps around the globe, helping her students to break free from their prosperity blocks through the lens of colour. Here are her opening paragraphs about coral:

“When you mix pink and yellow, you make coral. Yellow is the colour of joy, and pink is the colour of love and money. To achieve true financial freedom, you need to attain a state of both love and joy. When you have fun your love and money have the capacity to expand beyond all limiting beliefs.

Coral is often the colour you feel drawn to when you seek to break your glass ceiling.”

SNAP! There it was! Could I possibly have a fear of breaking through my own glass ceiling? Wait, is my fear of success actually strong enough to stop me from wanting to do a coral edition? The very colour of expansion, leadership, and growth? How could that be possible? I started this magazine because I wanted to leave a legacy for my children and impact the creative community. I wanted to grow it and expand it into a flourishing hub of inspiration and valuable information to help creatives thrive. I wanted to be an example to others and personally show them that, no matter their age, they could leap into something new, have a blast, and earn a fabulous living doing what they love.

Where is there room for a “fear of success” story in that mission? I certainly didn’t devote an entire year bringing my vision to life just to run full force into a wall of doubt now.

But there I was, contemplating leaving out what I now feel is the most important colour of them all. Hmmmm, interesting.

I have mentioned on several occasions that we—those that read, purchase, write, advertise, or sponsor this magazine—are in fact entering into a healing contract with each colour. By virtue of participating with it in some way, you are directly or indirectly impacted by the energy of the colour. Myself included.

So, I have a few questions for you:

• Am I the only one who has started out on a mammoth mission?
• Am I the only one who faced fear and doubt while trying to achieve success?
• Why do some entrepreneurs attain huge success and others struggle to get out the gate?
• Why are some people excited to bust through their glass ceiling and others are paralyzed by fear when an obstacle presents itself?

Over the last three months have you found yourself:

• Up against a wall in your business?
• Wondering where to go or what to do next?
• At a plateau and wanting to get to the next level?
• Having a growing ball of excitement in your belly knowing that something HUGE is about to happen?
• Confused at the time it’s taking to reach your goals?
• Getting nervous enough to, perhaps, give up on your mission and start searching Indeed for job opportunities?

Coral is using the voices of myself and my columnists to answer these questions for you. We all realize that accepting, leading, and expanding can be difficult stages to go through. This is why we have dedicated this edition to providing you real-world solutions. We’re including exercises, meditations, business advice, and industry tips that you can use to remind yourself that having fun is what activates the law of prosperity.

Unconditional Self-Acceptance

This means loving every single part of you, your shadows, and your light. Easier said than done, am I right? You have to love your inner unmotivated couch potato as much as you love that ambitious go-getter side of you. Judging your inability to get motivated with a rampage of negative self-talk is just going to keep the destructive cycle of unworthiness spinning. Accept, surrender, and enjoy your rest time rather than beating yourself up about being lazy.

What I came to understand from re-reading my colour text books is that the shadow part of coral that resides in each of us wants to keep us small. It will create situations, illnesses, injuries, and blocks to stop us from reaching our full potential. Not because it wants to hurt us, but rather it wants to protect us from the perils of success. Protect us from those limiting beliefs that were implanted in us from day one by media, parents, teachers, bosses—you get my point.

It takes courage to shut down your shadow. You have to have enough faith that your shadow feels safe with you driving the bus. You have to have that deep self-acceptance to keep your little devil in check. If it has any doubts in your ability, it’s not afraid to turn into a very loud backseat driver and, if you’re still not listening, it’ll grab the wheel right out of your hands!

If you’re having trouble with self-acceptance and find your shadow taking over the conversation, you can always reach for the Colour Mirrors Coral Dragon essence. When I can’t seem to come up with the answers, she connects me to the wisdom of divine feminine power. Plus she can help find solutions with almost magical speed!

Leadership

Great leaders know their limit and play within it. They fully accept that they don’t know the answers to everything and bring in subject matter experts to help them get to their next level. As I entered into season two of this magazine, I recognized that my skill set had been exhausted in some areas of my business. Rather than beat myself up about what I don’t know, I brought in support to help me grow.

The next time you find yourself needing to make important business decisions, I invite you to try wearing coral- coloured clothing to amp up your confidence. I also suggest investing in a Colour Mirrors essence bottle called Coral Angel. Coral Angel assists you in instant manifestation and keeping the fun factor alive. It also reminds you that you are beautiful and perfect as you are. If you’re needing an additional boost, you can get yourself a bottle of Rose Gold which helps with bringing love, abundance, and joy into your life.

Massive Expansion

When I start a project there is only one way to go—UP! UP! UP! The excitement of starting something new is absolutely intoxicating to me. Everyone is supportive and excited. There’s congratulations, hype, and joy coming in from all directions. My addiction to this feeling led me to starting tons of amazing projects since becoming an entrepreneur but my follow-through rate was extremely low. I always stopped after the rush of newness wore off and reality set in.

I believe the reason I wanted to skip the coral edition was because I still held the belief that I had no idea how to expand and grow a business, and I was fearful of judgment and embarrassment.

Looking back, I believe my shadow implanted a “quit now—this isn’t fun anymore” message in my head to save me from another shadow message that I wasn’t smart enough to make it work. (See how they gang up to make sure you don’t reach your full potential!)

For a brief moment my shadow was driving the bus. It took over because it could tell that I was heading into an expansive phase. It was afraid that expansion equaled risk and risk was not safe.

When you have fun your love and money have the capacity to expand beyond all limiting beliefs. With that sentence from Moira’s book echoing in my heart, I had a little conversation with my shadow. It went something like this: “Thank you for trying to protect me but we’re going to be just fine. You can hand me back the wheel and enjoy the ride.”

Essences to support you on your coral journey.

Coral Dragon

• Access your true power
• Activate your Divine Feminine
• Speedy manifestation
• Self acceptance

Coral Angel

• Instant manifestation
• Connects you to your inner child
• Reminds you, you are perfect
• Boosts self esteem and confidence
• Helps stop bullying and abuse

Rose Gold

• Brings love, abundance and joy
• Activates the Divine feminine
• Reminds you, you are never alone,
you are on track and you are always
loved and supported

OUT & ABOUT in Toronto

As the season turns and Autumn takes flight, it’s time to explore the heartbeat in Toronto with hope towards a brighter future. I am blessed to be born, raised and rooted in Toronto. I love my city! The Culture, People, Development, Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Film, Food, Festivals and Fashion to name a few, are the influencers that have made Toronto one of the greatest cities to explore in the world.

A recent 2021 editorial written by the Economist ranked Toronto, as the second safest city in the world, behind Copenhagen.

When was the last time you spent a weekend in Canada’s downtown? I am referring to Toronto and I would venture to guess, not for quite some time. You’re not alone, but if you want to reconnect this fall, I have some great new tidbits to share about all the noise and excitement taking place in this ever[1]growing metropolis.

OUT & ABOUT Travel

The Great Escape: Pack your overnight bag as our first stop is 1 Hotel. This eco-luxe space, designed by the Rockwell Group NYC, was a collaboration of like-minded locals who embrace the city’s diverse natural environment. The hotel takes sustainability seriously as seen in its impressive biophilic design which uses existing structural and reclaimed materials gathered from the local community, including timber, driftwood and local limestone. The living wall installation curated by Lauren Wilson of local studio Timberlost, sets the tone upon entry and throughout the lobby and bar. The breathtaking paper installation behind the bar by internationally acclaimed artists Moss & Lam will have you ordering a cocktail in no time just to gaze at it. If you enjoy the sunset, stop by Harriet’s Rooftop, surrounded by a 360’ view of the city. I give this a 10 out of 10. Located at 550 Wellington St. W.

A Smart Balance: If you have experienced Airbnb, but have not experienced a virtual concierge, then what are you waiting for? Sonder is leading the way in disruption on the accommodation front. This is a hybrid meets Airbnb rental property. You must be app savvy to stay here because this is your communication on everything and anything. This is the fifth Sonder property in Toronto but certainly not the last. The trend towards hybrid hotels is stronger than ever and certainly a people-centric experience for millennials and tech savvy individuals. I spent a night at this hotel back in 2018 and found it comfy and cool. No dining here, just a roof top communal bar and coffee is available, anywhere along Queen St. This hotel is part of a macro trend that will see thousands of these types of properties worldwide. You will love the price.

Are you an A-Lister? Among the new hotels scheduled to open in 2021, is the first Canadian outpost for the Ace Hotel chain from California. The 13-story, 130 room luxury hotel at the southwest corner of Camden and Brant Streets designed by Shim-Sutcliffe, is inspired by the multi-cultural amalgam of the city. Built on our rich traditions and history of materials, this space will house a restaurant and bar while my guess is that the arcade like ceilings will draw the eye to the wow of the property upon entry.

But, if you want to see this when it opens, sign up to the A-List found here. Located at 51 Camden St.

OUT & ABOUT Food

Fashions Kitchen: A collaboration set in style and taste is the latest venture for Joe Mimran (aka) Joe Fresh & Club Monaco fame and Tony Luongo, hospitality veteran, food and restaurant purveyor. There are no barriers when it comes to fashion and food and these two stylish men are interested in finding the visual components, the colors and contrasts that create the ultimate experience for the guest. Quadro Ristorante aptly named for its rich Italian cuisine is set in a modern environment that is engaging, welcoming, fresh and noteworthy. Knowing these two well dressed, stylish men, you can bet that reservations will be needed long before you decide to go there. Located at 577 College St.

Show The Love: Thanks to John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, CaféTO in the city’s Junction area has become a home to 52 different patios, which has helped transform the neighborhood and brought a variety of multi-cultural food experiences for all to indulge. This outdoor eatery is open until November 1st. All of the local restaurants are participating, like ATA1 Bistro, Indie Alehouse, Kanto by Tita Flips, Deco Ristorante & Wine Bar, Isaan Der and many more. Try eating an appetizer in one place, your main in another and round it out with dessert from any one of these food purveyors. Register at CaféTO sidewalk café at Dundas Street West between Indian Grove and Quebec Avenue.

Chung Chun Rice Dog: If there’s two things Toronto loves, its good food and popular trends. That’s why it should be no surprise that Chung Chun Rice Dog, a famous Korean brand has taken the city by storm. The chain’s success comes from a combination of fusion cuisine alongside easy to eat street food. Choose from a Chocolate dog, Gamsung (potato) dog, Ramen Chip dog and the original Chung Chan dog to name a few. With several locations in Toronto and now streaming across Canada, this is for the foodie on an adventure. Fall is all about comfort food and warmth, so put this on your ‘must-try’ list. Ten locations in the GTA.

OUT & ABOUT Art

Not Your Average Joe: Have you been to the Bulldog Coffee Company yet? If not, then this is what you’re missing out on. Rainbow Latte’s, award winning Espresso’s by a champion barista. Blue Matcha tea, whipped cold brew, the perfect cortado and you can smell the baked goods from across the street. See you there for a caffeine injection followed by the best homemade biscotti. Located at 89 Granby St. at Church.

Boozy Ice Cream Flights? If you live in the burbs, you may not have been exposed to the latest ice cream parlor called, S’Cream in Yorkville. The buzz here is all about the 4 flights of boozey ice cream. Get ready to try Mango Aperol, Raspberry Limoncello, Peachy Vanilla Vodka, and Jack Daniels Chocolate known as Coffee Baileys. The latest flavor dropped is Maple Vodkow, made with Ontario Maple Syrup Liqueur, caramel and sliced almonds. Stop the car but be careful how many you have as the alcohol content is generous. Located at 126 Cumberland St.

The Must See… Toronto is Canada’s largest little city according to Jean-Louis Brenninkmejer the founder and president of the city’s newest exhibit known as “Little Canada”. This passion project came to life this past August after ten years in the making, with a vision for entertaining people of all ages. An opportunity to celebrate a country full of sights, sounds, culture, landmarks, skylines, and energy. You do not want to miss this celebration of all things Canada. You can find this diamond in the rough at 10 Dundas St E.

Love Letters to Toronto: Luminato, Toronto’s International arts festival returns live and online October 13 – 17. Five days of art, music, film, podcasts and digital magic. This festival will be full of love letters to Toronto from culture creators across all neighborhoods, who challenge, inspire, and delight.

The Art Mindset: The Toronto Art Fair is back live and ready to host you in-person as well as online. Mark your calendars for the in-person experience October 29-31 at The Metro Toronto Convention Center. Online experiences begin October 29 and run through to November 7. I have waited with patience to attend this show live after a long hiatus, because the ideas and vision of the curators are impactful, genuine and fabulous. Sign up here. Toronto Convention Center

“I could write a book about the sights and sounds of Toronto, but for now I hope that this is enough of a reason to explore the city if you have not yet felt like going downtown. The city is safe, clean, and thriving. All public activities like sports, theaters, convention centers, etc… will abide by government protocols as set out for the Province of Ontario. Toronto is a people-centric city and the human element has never been more important than now.”

Welcome to the Coral edition and the second season of the United Colours of Design Magazine.

In this article we will explore how to use feng shui and the energy of coral to—harness and attract auspicious chi and good luck into your life.

The colour of coral is a combination of pink and yellow. Pink is associated with feelings of love and nurturing, and yellow is associated with wisdom and joy. Coral is sometimes referred to as peach, salmon, or apricot. In feng shui the color of red and pink are associated with the fire element. Pink is a yin (lighter) shade of red. The earth element is associated with the color of yellow and earth tones.

Feng shui theory equates the five elements (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood) with a form of chi (universal energy). For example, the fire element is associated with an upward-rising chi that is strong, expansive, and fanning out in many directions.

The earth element is associated with wise and grounding chi to the core of Mother Gaia. Earth chi is protective and associated with the center of our home and the center of the Bagua.

How is the energy of coral utilized in feng shui to create a balanced environment? Coral energy is recommended for enhancing and expanding a business, finding love, meeting new friends, and accepting and loving ourselves. Coral energy also reflects a sensitive and delicate energy to our environment like living coral growing on the reefs in the oceans. Coral is struggling to survive in today’s world.

In feng shui and Chinese culture, coral is the colour of choice for promoting longevity, prosperity, attracting partners, friendships and business associates. Peach blossom luck is a calculation and formula originating from the Four Pillars of Destiny, a branch of feng shui practice. The peach blossom luck is associated with the twelve animal signs of the Chinese zodiac. The zodiac animal signs are grouped together and each animal sign has a dedicated peach blossom direction (north, south, east, or west) which, when activated, can harness and collect chi (universal lifeforce energy) for attracting love interests, friendships, business partnerships, and increasing the overall likability of an individual.

Feng shui, auspicious chi, five elements, colour, setting intentions, and implementing the law of attraction are the catalysts behind the mystery and magic of the peach blossom luck remedy.

PEACH BLOSSOM LUCK INSTRUCTIONS

You will need to know your Chinese zodiac (animal) sign before performing this ritual. To find your Chinese animal sign, see the chart below. If you were born between January 1st and February 5th, please subtract one year from your birth year. For example, if you were born on January 9, 1940, then please find “1939” in the chart below. The chart is based on the Chinese lunar calendar.

Use flowers that are fresh and preferably just starting to bloom. You may also use blooming houseplants like orchids. Once the blooms are wilted the chi is no longer active and the flowers or flowering plants must be replaced. Change the water in your vase or bowl frequently to keep it clean and fresh. Use a vase or planter bowl with a large opening rather than a small one as the chi needs to be harnessed and collected here to activate the remedy in your specific peach blossom direction.

You can use the center of your house or the center of a room such as your living room to find your corresponding direction for the activation of attracting a partner or increasing your social life and likability status. You may use your cell phone’s compass app although I prefer an actual compass. You may also place the vase in your office on your desk in the stated direction of your peach blossom direction to activate partnerships for marketing and improving sales and business relationships.

*If you are in a relationship or married, be careful as this may bring in a third party. Use this remedy only for the highest good. I have seen it take up to three months for peach blossom luck to manifest. I also have had clients who have found life-long partnerships using feng shui’s peach blossom luck.

CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMAL SIGNS:

SNAKE, OX, ROOTER

Stand in the center of your home with a compass and find your peach blossom direction. For ox, rooster, and snake your peach blossom direction is south between 172.5—187.5 degrees. Add water to a green or red-coloured vase with a large opening and place it in the southern area of your house, living room, bedroom, or office. Place three, four, or nine flowers (green, red, or purple) in the vase. Keep the vase clean and change the water frequently. I suggest using a wooden bowl or vase for the south direction.

PIG (Boar), SHEEP (Goat), RABBIT

Stand in the center of your home with a compass and find your peach blossom direction. For rabbit, sheep, and pig your peach blossom direction is north between 352.0—357.5 degrees. Choose a white, gold, blue, or black vase of water and place one, six, or seven flowers (blue or white) in the vase. Keep the vase clean and change the water frequently. I suggest using a glass or metal vase or bowl for the north direction.

RAT, DRAGON, MONKEY

Stand in the center of your home with a compass and find your peach blossom direction. For rat, dragon, and monkey your peach blossom direction is west between 262.0—277.5 degrees. Add a yellow or beige-coloured vase of water in the west area of your house, living room, bedroom, or office. Place two, five, or eight flowers (yellow or white) in the vase. Keep the vase clean and change the water frequently. I suggest using a ceramic or stoneware vase or bowl for the west direction.

HORSE, DOG, TIGER

Stand in the center of your home with a compass and find your peach blossom direction. For tiger, dog, and horse your peach blossom direction is east between 82.5—97.5 degrees.

Add a blue or black-coloured vase of water and place one, three, or four flowers (green or blue) in the vase. I suggest using a glass or wooden vase (bamboo) or bowl for the east direction.

Good luck to everyone that activates their peach blossom remedy. SB

“I paint big to be intimate.” (Mark Rothko—abstract expressionist)

“The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them.”

We all experience the association of colour with emotions when one with nature. Our mood and energy vary under white clouds floating in clear blue skies versus a canopy of dark clouds looming in a gray sky. The water bodies reflect the colour of sky and the journey of the sun over the course of the day. Rays of sunlight dance on the ripples, bathing the water in light.

The soft glow heralding the dawn turns to blinding flashes in the afternoon, gradually softening into a mesmerizing dance of warmth at sunset, before being enveloped in darkness under the blanket of the night.

Similarly, our emotions run the gamut of innocent hope in the morning, energetic enthusiasm in the afternoon, followed by the mood in the evening night, as the day ends in either grateful acceptance or disappointment and turmoil under the coral skies. This association of colour with emotions is stored in our minds and is brought back by the expressive power of art. A subtle wash of colour in the background or bold accents in the foreground define the intensity and urgency of memories.

The experience of walking into an art gallery—to be confronted by an expanse or layers of colour on large scale canvases expanding across entire walls is—impossible to describe in words.

Mark Rothko, famed for his colour field paintings, said in an interview, “The fact that a lot of people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I can communicate those the people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them. The Coral Book October 2021 • 33 basic human emotions. The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them.”

“Here are some images of Rothko’s colour field paintings, using coral in juxtaposition with similar and contrasting colours.”

These reactions can only be explained by the psychological properties of colour. Coral is one colour that is hard to define. Vulnerable, sensual, and sensitive. Expansive in a way that fills a heart or breaks it with its emotional energy. If all our memories were rooted in association to a particular colour, coral could encompass most, if not all, emotions. Take equal parts of the passion of red and orange, add in brilliance of yellow, and stir in the unconditional love of pink. There is your recipe of a colour that represents the energy of connection, expression, and expansion.

Here are some images of Rothko’s colour field paintings, using coral in juxtaposition with colours that are at times similar in hue, or in contrast. The proximity of colours is similar to feeling different emotions at the same time. Notice how the edges and corners are not sharp, but soft and blurred, making the shapes appear to be floating. Every shape varies in its size and position. Beneath each, we see the details of a moment in time—ingrained in memory, by association to an emotion.

Now do you see how an artist can use swatches of colour in a way that triggers an emotional response? That is abstract expressionism in its mature form. And the power of colour at its most sublime. The link between connection, expression, and expansion. The moment art and life are one. SR

An Interview with: MARY SAMOLI, Founder & Managing Director, A Jewel Made in Greece

I’m very fond of the work of jewelry designer, Mary Samoli, whom I met in Athens, Greece many years ago. Little did I know that she would become my idol, and I would have the privilege of becoming a designer in her initiative, “A Jewel Made in Greece.” This is a combination article encompassing a brief biography as well as a question and answer portion. It’s extremely difficult to sum up this amazing woman’s accomplishments in one column but I will do my best to give you a picture of her as an artist as well as her contributions to the arts community.

For about 20 years, Mary worked in cinema, mostly as the Head of Production. Meanwhile, having a strong sense of social responsibility, she was engaged in a wide range of social activities.

For eight years Mary was a Municipal Counsellor at Filothei. This gave her the opportunity to serve her neighbourhood as Vice Mayor of Environment and Culture, as President of the Cultural Committee, as honorary member of the Filothei Center of Fine Arts “George Karidis”, and as President of the Municipal Kindergarten.

Athinais, November 2003: “Where Matter Turns into Spirit.”

Mary’s wanderings in art began in 1998, when she decided to experiment with the concept of recycling. Making use of worthless, precious or semi-precious (but always signifying objects) she created wreaths, made out of “forgotten” objects.

Athinais, May 2006: “Sea Sentiments”.

For her next journey, she wandered through Water. The sea became her color palette; She used glass as a canvas, equipped herself with sand and clay, borrowed wood and ironware from wrecks and used up the stock of pebbles from her summer wanderings, to finally “sculpt” mirrors.

Athinais Museum of Modern Art, December 2009, “Shine”.

In 2009, she decided to make the molds herself, creating jewelry and sculptures.

Museum of Arts and Design, New York, USA

In September 2015, Mary participated in the LOOT@MAD exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, together with 50 artists from 30 different countries around the globe.

A Jewel Made in Greece

Since 2013, she has established the platform A JEWEL MADE IN GREECE, with the purpose of promoting modern Greek jewelry in Greece and the rest of the world as well as supporting and highlighting the uniqueness of each creator, respecting their personality.

Through the platform, for the fifth consecutive year, the Greek jewelry has travelled to The World Trade Center in Dubai, the emblematic building of the European Parliament in Brussels, at JCK LUXURY, Las Vegas, WHO IS NEXT, Paris, Shanghai, and recently the Museum of Art’s & Design MAD in New York, some of their most important stations until now.

Mary is an extraordinary creative artist and entrepreneur who raises the bar in everything she does. Her creative approach in highlighting talented jewelry designers and promoting her Greek heritage in contemporary wearable art is remarkable.

I was intrigued with how Mary entered into designing jewelry and where she is at on her entrepreneurial journey. Here is what she had to say.

When did you discover your love for jewelry design? In 2003 I decided to follow my instinct and make a major change in my professional life. Leaving behind film production—I followed my passion for jewelry design. I attended a specialized course in jewelry design, which made me realize even more how much I love to create jewelry.

What is the best thing about your job as a jewelry designer? The most exciting aspect of being a jewelry designer is watching an idea transform into a real sculpture and work of art.

Where do you draw your inspiration from and how would you describe your collection? My primary inspiration derives from Greek culture and mythology. Each collection has a different story behind it and depicts diverse elements of nature.

What materials and techniques do you work with? BRINGING TO THE WORLD Greece The Coral Book October 2021 • 37 I mostly work with gold, silver, precious stones, as well as pearls and corals. The technique of my work is the method of “lost wax,” which gives me the ability to materialize my ideas.

You have worked with corals in some of your collections. What does coral represent to you? For me, the vivid colors of corals represent optimism and travel in the endless blue seas of Greece.

Who do you imagine wearing your pieces when designing your jewelry? A dynamic and sensitive woman who is confident to express her true self.

In recent years you stepped out to help other jewelry designers and artists by founding “A Jewel Made in Greece.” Tell us how it all started, the idea behind it, and your most important achievement so far. The idea started with my ambition to create a platform that would present and promote the image of modern Greek jewelry in Greece and all over the world. “A Jewel Made in Greece” was created by engaging unique designers of contemporary art jewelry from all over Greece. In 2018 we included inspiring international designers and invited them to join our exhibition in Athens, Greece. Through the platform, for the fifth consecutive year, the Greek jewelry has traveled to the World Trade Center in Dubai; to the emblematic building of the European Parliament in Brussels; to the Luxury by JCK expo in Las Vegas; to the Who’s Next trade show in Paris and Shanghai; and recently, to the Museum of Art & Design in New York. These are some of our most important exhibitions to date. We also have had several exhibitions in Athens.

How did you pivot in your business in this different and unprecedented time? Did you participate in online exhibitions and provide interviews with artists? Optimism, decisiveness, and flexibility are the key principles that drive our business. In this unprecedented time, flexibility is of high importance. In this framework we developed the first B2B jewelry platform in Greece. More than 100 designers participated.

What is your advice as a leader in your industry to young designers or anyone planning to start a jewelry business? I would highlight the importance of being authentic and urge them to follow their creativity and passion without limits.

Coral in beauty and fashion is typically associated with summertime and sunny vacations. The word doubles as both an energetic and fun colour, as well as the name for extremely important underwater ecosystems that grow all over the world. A mixture of pink and yellow, the light-hearted, bright, (historically) socially implied feminine tones of the colours come through in the beauty realm.

Hues of coral can be deeper, with more deep pink giving it a “hot” coral effect that is sported on beaches all over the world on hot days; or they can be much softer, pulling more of its yellow side and found in the latest swimwear—both trunks and bikinis—and vacay accessories. In beauty, particularly during the pandemic, we have seen a rise of influential personalities online and in print experimenting with bolder colours. Neon, pastel, and true versions of coral can be seen swiped across the lips, eyes, and even cheeks of beauty influencers all over the world, and I am here for it!

“I have heard time and time again clients claiming that certain colours are off-limits because of their complexion, and that is not true.”

One aspect of coral that makes it so perfect any time of year for any complexion, to me, is its ability to warm up or brighten colours around it. A more vibrant, deeper coral on fair-skinned redheads will instantly brighten and even their complexion, make their eyes glow, and create the illusion of having great sleep for the under eyes. Alternatively, a more neutral or yellow-centric coral can give the appearance of a healthy tan in seconds, helping to disguise or blur hyperpigmentation or dark patches on people with medium to deeper skin tones. Even on fair skin, this type of coral can amplify bronzing products and add to the beauty of the overall look. Coral is definitely not just for the beach, people!

I would advise a person whose skin has pink undertones, or whose skin is quite fair/translucent, to have a properly applied base prior to using coral that pulls pink on their eyes (especially versus a person with more yellow, olive, or deeper skin with blue undertones). The effect of the colour on eyes that already easily get red when tired/after crying can give the appearance of that unintentionally! We definitely don’t want our clients walking around like they’re in the thick of the flu.

I personally love a coral blush on most people, again with proper skin prep and making sure their skin tone has been effectively evened out with base products, even lightly. Coral can make for a gorgeous touch on the skin that looks natural, but different enough to be a fun and welcome change to their typical beauty routine. Try suggesting coral to your next clients getting new headshots, having a bridal trial, or to talent in commercial work. It translates beautifully on camera, and for fair skins it does not exacerbate the inclination to turn red the same way an ordinary rouge or straight-up pink might.

Your confidence to utilize colors that are not commonly reached for will upgrade and open up new horizons for your clients. No one is too fair or too dark to wear coral, and it is incredibly important that we educate (with our expertise and assistance) our clients on all that their faces and bodies are capable of. Throughout my years in makeup, I have heard time and time again clients claiming that certain colours are off-limits because of their complexion, and that is not true. Are there colours that compliment individuals more than others? Absolutely. But with guidance from professionals like us, our communities can discover HOW to wear the other colours that have been written off (and particular shades and hues of those colours), so that they work for them.

In this digital world where beauty has come so far that a small handheld machine can print our nail colours onto our hands or scan our cheeks for our undertones in a moment, there is no reason our clients can’t find a coral that works for them.

Included here are two examples of coral being used on the face (as blush) and on the lips. As you can see, the coral on our beauty in blue pulls more to the yellow side, and our before-and-after bride is wearing a deeper, “hot” coral. Both are the perfect switch up from traditional pinks or dusty mauves, and really amp up the bronzed, even effect the rest of the makeup is engineered to create. Even so, the colour is not “entering the room” before the rest of the face, and pairs so well with both an ultra-natural eye like on our beauty in blue and a softer bridal look with a light touch of cool, smoky grays and browns at the ends of her big blue eyes. Colours like coral that are comprised of two other colours can be altered to suit anyone. So, let’s get out there and get this highlighting, complimentary, and energizing colour on everyone! AR

“Your confidence to utilize colors that are not commonly reached for will upgrade and open up new horizons for your clients.”

Case Study: Airbnb & Tesla

We’re shaking things up in season two! For the last four issues Moira Bush has been our resident ‘Colours of Your Shadows’ columnist. But as you can see, we are teaming up for season two!

Just before the coral edition deadline I (Amy) went to visit Moira so we could chat about the upcoming season. Maybe it was the beautiful sunny day or perhaps it was Moira’s newly Feng Shui’d back patio that inspired us, but we both agreed it was time to change the shadow conversation.

As we sipped our cool drinks and reminisced about our past experiences we were reminded of our shared history in marketing and our passion for the psychology of colour, numerology and astrology. We both particularly enjoy applying these three elements to famous companies to see what interesting colour stories pop up for them. And there it was, our new column!

Together, Moira and I are going to be providing you case studies on large companies so you can see how their choice of branding colours and business philosophies match up to our colour analysis.

What Moira and I have both come to discover is that our clients are wanting more from us. The world is awakening and we need to meet them at their new level of awareness. They need to feel connected to the products and services they decide to use. They want authenticity in their messaging and heart and soul in their branding.

By using well known companies as examples we will show you how discovering the soul of their brand, through name and date colour analyses, can reveal hidden information about their business.

As we make our way through the rainbow in upcoming editions your own brand colours will most likely be examined through our case studies. We invite you to see your business through these influential companies and use the information to support you in:

• Choosing branding colours for your website, packaging, campaigns and marketing pieces
• Building company messaging
• Creating sales messaging
• Providing service ideas
• Discovering your mission and vision statements (Your why!)
• Developing pricing
• Shaping value propositions
• Constructing policies and procedures
• Setting your Intentions and goals
• Generating more profits and for larger companies:
• Designing effective employee engagement programs
• Cultivating the perfect team of staff members, partners or contractors

Join us now, on the following pages, as we explore the colours behind the brand for Air BnB and Tesla!

The charts on the following pages, created by Moira, are a snippet of the process we use to generate the foundational information about a company. We use the Pythagorean numerology system to get our numbers and then we convert those numbers to colours using the Colour Mirrors system. Colour Mirrors is a system of energy-infused oil bottles that contain a top and bottom colour fraction. Each bottle has a message that relates to a person’s or business’ conscious and unconscious patterns. When colour and numbers are combined we can begin to build the story!

Behind the Brand – Air BnB

Air BnB did not start off with coral as their brand colour. The concept started in 2007 when two of the founders decided to have someone stay at their home and pay for it. Within a year they ran with the idea and became one of the largest disruptors on the planet.

To quickly sum up their past brand story we looked at both the pink and turquoise logo, first appearing on their website on 11/08/2008

Note the double 8’s and double 1’s in their launch date – signifying double abundance energy and partnerships where two parties work together to earn an income. The 11 also relates to portal or doorway energy. Think how they have literally taken us through millions of doorways, showing us that there is a more economical, fun way to travel.

These numbers and colours show us their journey from inclusive, playful, innocence (pink/turquoise), to needing the (blue) masculine energy during their structured growth period and then returning to their roots in a more sophisticated, powerful way through turquoise’s complementary colour – coral.

They changed their logo to coral in 2014. Coral is the new grown up pink. It’s where pink gets her groove on and steps into her power. As we can see, from the company’s incredible success since 2014, coral’s expansive energy not only took hold of them but also expanded and created new side industries who are also profiting from this game changer.

Interior designers have a new line of business, décor companies have new product lines, insurance companies are charging higher premiums and BnB coaches are popping up all over social media charging potential hosts for specialized courses and tutorials on how to create luxurious, intimate spaces. And as Moira cheekily reminded me, coral is the colour of sex and bedrooms! I wonder if they knew that already?

Air BnB is an organization that says you can take your home and turn it over to the public. Essentially your most private, intimate space is invaded. However, their new coral logo says – you can feel safe doing this with us because coral is the colour of feeling in charge. And what’s the payoff to allowing your private space to be invaded by strangers? Money. In numerology the number for having it all: money, success, love and joy is 10 and called the Wheel of Fortune in the Colour Mirrors system.

Behind the Brand – Tesla

Tesla is interesting because the numerology of their name brings up coral (3) energy but they don’t feature coral in their branding. So how does the coral energy influence this company?

From a numerological perspective Elon is the perfect CEO for this company. His birth numerology comes to a 7 (turquoise) and the company comes to a 3 (coral), these are complementary colours. Coral can be expressed as uncontrolled ego in the company but when combined with Elon’s turquoise, higher heart energy he will serve to balance things out.

During a recent numerology course that Moira gave, she dug into Nicola Tesla’s theory on the numbers 3, 6 and 9 and how important they are to our lives here on Earth. What was really interesting is that Tesla’s name numerology contains the 3 (coral) and 6 (pink) energy. (See chart above). So what we could determine from this is that the reason for this company’s existence, their motivation, is that it really does want and need to make a difference with regards to energy and resources used on this planet.

Turning to Tesla’s logo, its official colours are black and silver, however they have recently taken to adding red in their marketing. Red is about survival and perhaps this is sending that exact message to the public. In order for our planet to survive and for you to survive on the planet, we need to work together and here’s our car that will start the journey of healing the planet’s resources. What we didn’t mention above is that the 9 (red) energy from Tesla’s theory is missing in Tesla’s name numerology. Perhaps this is why it’s showing up in recent marketing material – to complete the sequence of “3, 6 and 9”.

Looking at the vision energies in the chart above this is where our coral (3) energy shines. It comes from the number 12 (1+2=3) which translates to creating heaven on earth. The 12 holds violet (spiritual aspirations) and red (material aspirations) and says it’s ok to have both. You can be spiritual and support the planet, and you can also enjoy your ride in a beautifully designed car. You can’t bring heaven to earth in an ugly car, (coral insists you surround yourself with beauty, fame and luxury) in order for us to believe the 12 energy. The 3 numerology energy says this company is destined for success and it will happen through 3 different channels or products. Coral combined with the number 3 pushes companies into triple avenues of expansion. For Tesla, cars won’t be enough which is perhaps why they have expanded into making the Powerwall battery cells to power an entire home, and solar panels and roof tiles.

How to EXPAND Your Network Virtually?

Whether you are a fine artist, an art director, or somewhere in between, we all need to network. It is essential to our success.

I can hear the groans now as you think about how labor-intensive old-school networking feels. And how does one network effectively as we continue to work remotely, with this seemingly endless pandemic upon us?

Well, first, let’s talk about why we need to network with intention and make it a year[1]round activity. At its core, networking is simply building relationships, which is something humans must do for survival. We’ve seen the importance of human connection during the last year[1]and-a-half, as we all went into our own safe spaces and stopped interacting with others in person.

Although in-person events are not an option for everyone yet, what IS readily available to all of us is virtual networking, which has many benefits. Consider this: we can attend online events and meet people all over the world without travel, we can explore new topics with ease, and we can expand our network safely and effectively.

“Having a rich and trusted network can be an excellent source of professional opportunities, allowing us a chance to refer others while also increasing our own visibility.”

Networking allows us to create relationships with people in our areas of interest and beyond, to keep us up-to-date on what’s happening in our industry, and to hear different points of view. Having a rich and trusted network can be an excellent source of professional opportunities, allowing us a chance to refer others while also increasing our own visibility.

Much like dating, you cannot sit at home and expect someone to call with the perfect opportunity. No matter if you’re in your studio creating art or conducting a job search, you need to get out there and connect with people. Take advantage of opportunities to get exposure even if they are unpaid. You can volunteer your time which will allow others to meet you and see how you operate on a professional level, with little risk. If you’re an artist, you can share select pieces of your work to gain exposure in a new arena. Remember, no one can buy your work if they don’t know you exist!

So, how does one start networking in a virtual environment? The fastest ways are to join online groups on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Slack; attend virtual webinars in your industry or something you’re interested in; and attend events found on platforms like Eventbrite or MeetUp. If you’re unfamiliar with these platforms, just do a Google search and see what events come up! Once you’re at the virtual event, strike up a conversation in a chatroom! Perhaps you can look up the speaker prior to attending a webinar and connect with them on LinkedIn. That will allow you to keep the channel open for future conversations. Additionally, don’t forget to post your work so you have an online presence, using tools such as Behance, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram. You can always hire a student if you don’t have the technical know-how to create your own website or post on social media.

If you’re feeling adventurous you could host your own virtual event on a platform like Google Hangouts or Zoom. Pick a topic you’re excited about and share it with your industry network. Then plan some questions and have a discussion afterwards, much like a book club. This will instantly endear you to the group and make future discussions much easier. Oh, also, don’t forget to have the participants take a moment to introduce themselves so you can all connect again at another time.

Finally, it is important to remember that networking is not about asking someone for a job—it’s about building a relationship. Be genuinely interested in the other person and offer to help them before you consider asking them for a favor. People will respond positively if you give them something versus asking them for help before they even know you. It could be as simple as sending them an article of interest or connecting them to someone you know.

It has been a challenging time to connect with new people but you can do it. Start by joining one online event. Focus on meeting two like-minded people, then watch your network begin to grow. Feel the power of Coral, expand your network, and share all that you have to offer! MS

An Interview with: SHANNON FRASER

Worthiness—Worthy Because I Am: A Story of Leaning into Self-Acceptance

Be your truest self. We are born as our truest self and then conditioned to not be.

When we become business owners we hide all these parts of ourselves. My message to entrepreneurs and business owners is step more into yourself, alignment with who you are. This will attract your soulmate clients, and it will attract abundance because you’re living in truth and our truth is abundant. When we have self-acceptance of who we are holistically and unconditional self-love for ourselves and our business, that’s when real success comes in.

And that’s when we start to feel that ease and joy for our business.

About Shannon Fraser

Leadership Alignment Mentor Shannon Fraser has over 20 years experience in coaching, adult learning & customer experience. She is a 3x top rated coach, 2x leadership award winner & holds an award for public speaking. Her mission is to help entrepreneurs fall in love with their businesses by creating sustainable, heart-centered incomes that can be shared with communities. She fosters self empowering relationships with her clients by focusing on individual core strengths, guiding the implementation of supportive business structures & creating self awareness around brand messaging.

Why did you choose coral?

It was an easy choice for me when you asked me. Coral, it just came to me. I think for me, it came from self-acceptance and self-love of who I am, and what my gifts are. That has helped me make more money, make money in an easier way. The next step is actually having that acceptance that I am worthy and that I’m valuable. And then comes, “What am I going to do with this now?” Self-acceptance of my gifts, and what I am meant to do, and I’m worthy of it. Self-care and acceptance of my money was the final step. Knowing this helps me earn money, and I am able to be more loving with my money— getting my taxes done on time and paying my bills on time are two examples. I feel like within my business, my ability to make money and also what I do with my money, it all centers around unconditional self-love and acceptance.

What was one of your early beliefs about money?

I only came to realize this three years ago: earning money was hard work and if it wasn’t hard, then it wasn’t valuable. Now I work with ease which is different then saying my work is easy. When things start to feel hard, I ask myself, “Is this still in alignment with me?” Sometimes, it’s a tech thing that I have to learn and it may not be easy but I get to it with ease.

Where did you learn about money?

I did not learn about money or finances. I actually remember in my thirties coming into financial craziness. I went to my parents for some help. I had a house and I was behind on the payments. I was in debt, and I was treading water trying to figure out how to get out. I went to my parents, and their response was, “We didn’t teach you to be like this.” At the time, I took it personally. It’s not to place blame on them by any means. They didn’t teach me about money. They didn’t teach me to squander away my money. At the same time they didn’t teach me how to be good with money either. My parents were quite secretive around money. It was rude to talk about money. It was rude to talk about bills. Money was something they did not talk about.

Not talking about money and not being purposeful in their teachings were the two things I learned about money from my parents.

“Money questions will be treated by cultured people in the same manner as sexual matters, with the same inconsistency, prudishness, and hypocrisy.” (Sigmund Freud, 1913)

“Your relationship with money is one of our longest relationships. It starts when you were in the womb with the conversations of your parents, and continues till after you die with your funeral and your will.” (David Krueger, Your New Money Story)

How has your relationship with money changed?

Worthiness, I had a spiritual awakening. Before that, I was unaware. I’m not sure what it was, but through the work I’ve done on myself, spiritual work, I’m understanding how most of my life I have lived from a place of not feeling worthy. And how much that dictated even into my old story of making money, and it had to be hard. That is what I believed, whoever worked the hardest, and worked the longest was the most valued. That was how I would prove my worth, versus the new belief of just being inherently worthy because I am.

For me timing was everything. I was given different business opportunities. They kept falling into my lap, opportunities to grow. I was hopeful and I felt worthy. I started to make money. It was little things where somebody said, “Hey, I’d love for you to work with me on my program. I’m not sure how but I love all of your thoughts and ideas.” What changed was accepting that a person thought I could help them. I’m going to choose to believe them, rather than me coming up with a million reasons why I’m not the right fit and somebody else is better.

Change continued to happen the more I leaned into acceptance.

As I was doing the spiritual work, and the business opportunities came at the same time, I started to feel worthy. The first time that happened, because I was so aware, I was like, wow, okay, so I just kept pushing myself to make it happen on bigger and bigger scales. Each time it was uncomfortable, and I feel that is most important. There is a misconception that I felt worthy. To start, I was feeling 75 percent believing “I am worthy,” and 25 percent “I will believe it after I take action.” I remember the first time I got my first private client. It was our first session and for three hours before the first session I prepared. I don’t know even what that means. I meditated. I pulled some cards. I researched their social media — I’d already seen it, but I really researched it. I sat there and thought of questions they might ask me and things I could bring up to them. They showed up. They asked me things that had nothing to do with the three hours I had prepared for. I gave them my opinions and thoughts. They were blown away. They’re still my clients to this day. They’ve been my clients now for two years. That’s me with the action through believing in myself. I was trying to make that hard work for myself. And meanwhile, what they really wanted was me to just show up clear and available.

When did you discover you could be “the business”?

I still wake up and can’t believe I get paid to be me. I would say I actually resisted it. So it was when I started to notice that I was resisting the opportunities that were in front of me.

I taught customer service for America’s top 1 percent of The Coral Book October 2021 • 55 wealth—how to nurture relationships through these affluent businesses. As a corporate trainer I taught people about messaging and what to say to people and how to do things on the computer. When I left my corporate job I said I would never coach again, and I would never help people get rich again. I was over that life. I vowed I would only do things that made me happy. I didn’t know what that was. So I got a job at a chocolate store, and then a cheese store, and then a wine store. Every time in those businesses, because I’m just being me, I would offer to the owner some thoughts or suggestions. They would say, “That’s an amazing idea.” I kept feeding them ideas, and they loved them. The ideas would help the business grow, and then they would want me to manage the store. It found me. I was already doing it in my jobs.

I realized I could probably do this for a living rather than having it be my side hustle. I stayed open. I was in a transition in my life where I was looking to live my best life. I started to see these patterns every time I got what I considered to be a part-time, no responsibility job—within six months, the owners wanted to give me their business.

By the time I decided to work for myself and go all in and do this for a living, I was already doing it. I hadn’t really made the conscious decision. I was still holding on to some part-time jobs that weren’t serving me, per se. I was holding on to them out of fear. I made that decision to stop being afraid and go all in on just being me in 2019.

Fear of failure or I could be successful!

I never thought I was worthy enough to own the business. I never thought I could go buy a franchise and do it myself. For some weird reason that thought never crossed my head. That’s what other people do. I’m just here to work for other people. Feeling worthy.

Why not me? No reason!
Anchor your worthiness.
Write it on a post-it note and put it on your mirror.

What are the biggest challenges for your clients?

It’s funny, because I think our clients are reflections of us in some ways. There are two parts. It starts with feeling okay to be themselves in their business and how that manifests for different people. For some clients, that’s how they structure their business, how they set boundaries, and how they communicate with their clients. They’ve been doing it one way because that’s the way it’s supposed to be done, but it doesn’t feel right for them. I help them identify and accept what they actually want, and then put in place the structures that will support them and their business.

The s e c on d part is the messaging of their business. How are they attracting their clients? It comes from them being themselves and letting their true selves shine instead of trying to talk about what they’re supposed to talk about. That way they attract their soulmate clients. It’s the structure behind the scenes that will help serve them the best and then also, the messaging to their clients to attract their soulmate clients.

What do you love and what makes you happy?

I haven’t thought about this before. I think I find great joy and it does feel like a sharing of love when helping my clients feel heard and seen. It is a huge thing, because as entrepreneurs, it’s a lonely road, and we put on a brave face for our clients. We feel like we have to be on all the time and the pity party has to happen behind closed doors, especially for some of my clients who are super successful. And they feel guilty about feeling any other way than grateful for their business. You can be grateful for your business and still find some of your clients annoying. That’s okay, we live in a world of duality. One of the things I just love about my business so much that does bring me joy is creating that safe space for them to feel seen and heard as business owners, but then also, how that translates into their business. The love part of it for me is I’m not just helping this one business owner in their business, I’m actually helping a whole community. When my clients create an income for themselves, because they are nurturing, they take that money back and nurture their community. We’re spreading that love and money through more than just that one person. And that means a lot to me. It gets me excited and I am grateful when I fall asleep at night. I love watching my clients’ success, that brings me great joy. Specifically, when they come a little bit more into their own and they’re making the sales that they want and they’re attracting their dream clients and things are really falling into place with them. That brings me great joy. DR

When I think of wealth, I can relate it to coral larvae naturally expanding into a beautiful reef. Imagine, just imagine expanding your wealth, taking your business to the next level, and stepping into your own power to do this.

Can we all do this? Yes, absolutely what we think about, we bring about. As a wealth strategist for the past thirty-five years, there are behaviors, techniques, and levers to pull to get you to the next level.

In this series on building wealth, all the ingredients and processes have been described in The United Colours of Design 2021 series. Here is a recap on the previous three issues:

• How to build a positive cash flow
• Becoming profitable
• Make the money, keep the money

Our final chapter is expansion.

The natural flow in business is to build it bigger. We are in business to serve; we are in business to make a profit; and we are in business for growth and to build a family empire.

Our final chapter is expansion. The natural flow in business is to build it bigger. We are in business to serve; we are in business to make a profit; and we are in business for growth and to build a family empire.

MINDSET

Visualizing the outcome of what your business looks like.

If you can’t see it, you can’t do it. Here are two different examples.

1. In 2022, I would like to help and onboard 100 new clients into my process of “money inflow,” stress-free, wealth-building management; add to my existing 3,000 clients; and increase my revenue by 15 percent to _____ with overheads at 28 percent.
2. I would like to have clients who buy again vs. the one time. In 2022 I will service 100 annual clients and onboard fifty new clients. My service sees far beyond the one sale and fills ongoing gaps for clients. I intuitively know what they need.

80 percent of your business will come from 20 percent of your clients. FOCUS on a goal that allows for repeat revenue—something that is needed annually to refill what they have purchased from you. This way we are not looking down the same black hole every January searching for sales and new customers. When there is a flow of incoming money each month, it will naturally flow even more.

This is a CLEAR MESSAGE and mandate for 2022. It tells us we are looking for:

• renewal income each year from the existing client base
• limitless possibilities
• money inflow
• constant flow of sales
• gross sales
• profit goal of 72 percent (This is a non-tangible product; a tangible product will decrease this percentage.) Decide on your profit margin!

Love your service or product entirely, knowing that people will suffer without your package! I truly operate from this space. People cannot build wealth and avoid the tax pitfalls without the guidance of a wealth strategist. Every person in this space needs to turn for help, no matter what lever. I never have to sell myself— they come.

GROWTH MARGINS

Winning Ratios

Let’s review our ratios, 40-35-25, as shown in the Copper issue. We sell a service or item…

40% Owner Revenue
35% Overhead (Cost to do business)
25% Retained Earnings

When this model is followed, we are now ready to expand. We have the magic formula and find that the more we sell, the 35 percent overhead reduces which increases our retained earnings. And when we increase our retained earnings, we build wealth and enter into the mode of expansion.

This is the best state to work from. This is when the wheels on the bus are oiled, and it picks up momentum.

We can invite clients to see us. We are no longer in that “struggle mode” that emits fear and negativity. We are now coming from a place of flow and passion. Here is where the sensuality lies in coral. It flows; it grows. Business flourishes in the same way when healthy and vibrant.

We are NOT healthy and vibrant when our finances are messy and unclear. Our message, our mindset, our profit margin, our outlook for growth MUST BE CLEAR. If we don’t know where we are going, then clients will not follow us.

Systems

This is the biggest lever to pull. Designing and creating the system(s) that will allow you to roll out your services more swiftly and accurately with efficiency. This is where the pedal hits the metal.

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME

Leverage

How can I get bigger and faster to bring in more revenue and lower my overhead? Is this possible? Yes!! There is a cost to leverage, but with increased revenues, the overheads (costs of goods) go down and profits go up. Leverage means to gain an advantage through the use of a tool or the use of debt (borrowed capital) in order to undertake an investment or project.

• What levers do I have to pull to make the results happen?
• What funds are needed to reach the outcome?
• Who is needed on the team to make it all happen?

The most common question is when do I hire? Having a team will, of course, increase production and free up time to build on other money-making opportunities. When do I expand and rent space? Another tricky question. If I had more funds, could I reduce inventory buying costs? Could that money be used as leverage to hire an assistant?

Use a ratio model—40-35-25 (as reviewed in the Black issue). Here is where the magic lies; this formula always self-checks profitability. Start with a part-time helper and work it up. Leverage will not resolve all problems. Remember, every problem that is solved in business creates another. With a new hire, orders will increase, quality control will now be needed, and so on. This is business.

As entrepreneurs and artists, we started our businesses to share our passion, share our knowledge, and share our ideas. Allowing ourselves to grow and flourish allows many, many more people to share our fruits in life. As mentioned in our first column in the Black issue, “money is not the root of all evil.” Money is simply a tool for us to trade for better ideas, for better experiences, and for better growth all- around. Expansion is the natural growth, the natural evolution of where a business will go should we choose to:

• focus on it
• leverage resources
• grow by margin
• build sustainable systems

And look at you grow!!! WH

TIMELINE FOR FORECAST: October, November December 2021
COLOUR FOCUS: Coral
PHYSICAL ENERGY: Expansion, Leadership, Sensuality
NUMEROLOGY: 2021 = Number 5 Year
RULING PLANET: Jupiter, Expansion.

Earlier in the year I talked about Uranus squaring Saturn, and that “freedom” is the word of 2021. Where do you need to free yourself in your own life? All over the world the collective is fighting for its freedom, and it’s the dark against the light. We have seen this almost daily. It’s good and bad because it’s the way it’s meant to be; so, we need to fight it right.

Freedom means something different for everyone—free to love how you want to love, and free to live where you want to live and work. This started March 2020 when the whole world shut down—massive karmic healing, out with the old, and in with the new.

October is a wild ride with Pluto going direct on the 6th, Saturn on the 10th, and Mercury and Jupiter on the 18th. So, things are slowly moving forward once again. What did you learn about yourself in the last few months? Mercury retrogrades September 27th to October 18th in Libra. I would not buy anything at this time, especially beauty products or things for the home.

Romantic relationships from the past may surface. If you are starting a new relationship, maybe meet up after October 20th.

November and December will be a bit tough. There will be a partial eclipse full moon in Taurus at twenty-seven degrees on November 19th. Venus, planet of love and money, will retrograde in Capricorn from December 19th, 2021 until January 29th, 2022. I would do my shopping early and watch your spending.

Love or money problems from your past may come calling so just think long and hard about why you split in the first place. Then the next big hit in 2021 is December 24th even though Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have very nice influences. This will really aggravate us all. Hopefully we don’t feel this till after the holidays. Jupiter is back in Pisces on December 29th. How the summer was for you will be the energy for 2022. Coral is all about Jupiter and expansion. I wish you all happy holidays and a new year full of coral, joy, love, and money.

ARIES: The month starts with the Sun, Mars, and Mercury in your seventh house and trine the moon in Leo in your fifth house. Romance is good for your marriage and business partnerships get a lot of your time and energy. Venus in the eighth is sexy time or inheritance matters. There will still be push and pull energy till the end of the year between Uranus in your second house of money squaring with Saturn in the 11th house of friends, creating a clash to break down and build up energy. Very confusing, right? Please don’t resist the changes. It’s very uncomfortable energy. On November 19th there is a full moon eclipse in your 12th and sixth house—your mind should be on your physical and mental health. Also, a work project may come to an end. The full moon solar eclipse is December 5th, a very powerful new beginning in a spiritual practice. Or maybe you are planning a trip to a spiritual place for next year. The beautiful thing about having Jupiter in your 11th house is that this spiritual guardian angel energy is still looking over you and helping you with the difficult decisions. Be careful that you see the bigger picture and not the end result. Being in coral will help you see your joy and love in what you do again.

TAURUS: The month starts off with Venus in Scorpio in the seventh house of relationships. Have you found your one true love? The conjunct of the Sun and Mars is in the sixth house of health and fitness. You are on the move, working out, and eating healthy. With Jupiter and Saturn in your tenth house of career expectations, what do you value? Career is very important this year. Did you find “what makes me happy” yet? I truly hope so. What an amazing year you are having despite all the craziness. All the dreams you dreamed last year are hopefully coming true, with more energy, feeling fresh, a ready “let’s go” energy. You have now re-evaluated your career and public reputation, and hopefully you’ll see all your hard work pay off by the end of this year; big changes are here. On December 5th the solar eclipse is in your eighth house—a new beginning to do with other people’s money. This is inheritance or maybe a loan from the bank to buy your dream house. With this new life you have built, make sure you don’t bring the pain from the past with you. Use the healing power of coral to heal what needs to heal. Maybe add some coral in your bedroom décor.

GEMINI: You start the month off with the Sun and Mars in your romantic sector or vacationing with the kids. Venus is in your sixth house in Scorpio — you could be experiencing good health. This year was a good time to get in touch with your spiritual side, to go deep. Did you start painting or playing music to get your feelings out? September 27th to October 17th in the fifth house—will this bring an old love from the past back? If you broke up before, has anything really changed? Only time will tell. It’s best to meet them after October 20th and see if they are still in your heart. In November the good health routine is moving you forward. Maybe you are helping others with their struggles and motivating friends and family to get healthy as well. As the year is winding down, we look back at 2021. The Sun is now in your seventh house of partnerships. Marriage—I really think you are in a great place even if you don’t think so. You will look back at 2021 with fond memories. What changed this year for you? With the North Node and eclipses in your sign, did you move? Get married? It’s possible that you found a new way of communication for your business—maybe online? No drought—it was fated (whatever happened). So, keep up the good work, Gemini. Coral is a great colour to work with during the holidays. Use it in your home décor to keep a sense of love and joy around the house.

CANCER: October—hmmm. Cancer with Neptune is in your 10th house. Is there a mystical, magical, and illusion-type of energy happening in your career? 2021 has been a detoxification throughout the year, with heavy amounts of energy in the eighth house of your deepest fears and transformational sex. Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius squaring Uranus in your 11th house—you must be exhausted. Planning a long trip in 2022? This has been the year to be breaking away from things from the past. Now that you have broken free from toxic energies in the last few years, your new life should now be in motion. A lot of thinking this year and turning your dreams into reality, reading some self-help books. Meditation is a great way to do some healing and mending of relationships. Uranus is still in Taurus, healing friendships through the year. Mercury retrograde starts on September 27th to October 17th in the sign of Libra in your fourth house of home. Are you doing some long-awaited renovations? In November, the Sun, Mars, and Mercury are in your fifth house of romance. Did you find the one, Cancer? I hope so. I’m a Cancer—so as I’m writing this, I have a glimmer of hope in my eye. I love November for you very much. As Venus enters into your seventh house, could marriage be on the table? December will be very interesting. Venus is sitting near Pluto and Saturn. Did you get money from an inheritance? Or divorce settlement? Interesting times. 2022 can’t come fast enough for me—I don’t know about you. Hello, Jupiter in Pisces. December 29th and all of 2022 are in the fifth house of romance. The colour coral is my colour, my life. Number is three—Jupiter, love, and joy.

LEO: On October 1st the moon is in Leo in your first house of self. You are looking good, kitty. Has this been a big year for career, healing, and letting go of people, places, and things that no longer serve you? I hope so, because you don’t need that energy following you into next year. This will be most apparent during the times of Mercury retrograde—September 27th till October 17th. Saturn and Uranus are squaring your 10th house of career. What are you known for? And your seventh house relationships will affect you by bringing changes. Get out of your box. Change your thinking, Leo. Please don’t resist—try to go with the flow. The last time this will be here in 2021 will be December 24th. The Sun, Mars, and Mercury in Libra are in the third house of communication—wow, what a powerhouse! Don’t miss this big opportunity to get your message across, but be careful what you say. Get all the facts straight because of that retrograde time. On November 19th there will be a partial eclipse in the area of career. Make sure you close all business deals now. Don’t wait till the end of the year. The next solar eclipse on December 4th is very romantic or perfect for a family vacation with the kids. I don’t recommend long-distance travel till 2022 but a road trip sounds fun. Enjoy the holidays. Leo just knows that being home is the best place to be this year. The colour coral is so beautiful for you—so much joy and love. Getting some long-stemmed roses for the dining room should set the stage.

VIRGO: October starts off with the Sun, Mars, and Mercury all together in your house of money—your energy and focus will be here. With Mercury retrograde, make sure you paid all the bills from last month. So, was your big focus with home and work? Did you make big decisions, did you lose control, think big, or find out what you are known for in the world this year? The sixth house of physical and mental health was squaring your ninth house of what we think all year. Do you think you still know it all? This energy clashed with “push-pull” energy. This would have taken place throughout the year. Things needed to change and, if you didn’t move forward, you won’t feel good going into 2022 at all. I hope you got more creative with your problem-solving and more flexible. This certainly was not an easy year for the earth signs. November starts off with the moon in your own sign; the emotional expression of yourself is there for everyone to see. December’s solar eclipse in your fourth house of home is lovely. Happy to be at home or a new home? Or something new coming into the home? Adding some coral pillows with silver sparkles to the sofa would give the ambiance for the holidays.

LIBRA: October starts off with the Sun, Mars, and Mercury in our first house of self. You are looking so beautiful and you should have all the energy you need to get things done. Please don’t get a haircut or lip injections at this time—with communication going backward, it’s not the best time. This would be a great time to shine and get some physical exercise in. Did you say what you needed to say this year? After all the seclusions of last year and this year, I hope you are reconnecting with people on a social level. You are the social butterfly and biggest flirt. The Saturn-Uranus square probably pushed and pulled you all year long in your fifth house of self-expression—taking risks, fun romance with the eighth house of intimacy, finance, and fear. The full moon eclipse on November 19th will happen in your finances in your second and eighth houses—other people’s money or inheritances. Eclipses bring chance and endings. The solar eclipse (powerful new beginnings) is on December 4th in your third house of communication. Have you started your own radio show, or opened an online business where you are front and center, making videos to get your message across? Whatever it is, it’s exciting and fun with possible travel for 2022. Libra and Libra rising are very well-known for their elegance and the way they dress. So, coral will be a fun colour to add to your holiday decorating.

SCORPIO: October starts off with Venus in your first house of self. You are looking extra beautiful. The Sun, Mars, and Mercury are in your 12th house of rest and recuperation, and it’s ok to feel this way. Money could also be on your mind. With Jupiter in the fourth house of home, what is your property worth? What can you do to make it more profitable for the future? There has been a tense square between Saturn and Uranus all year. How has this played out throughout the year in your seventh house of relationships and fourth house of home? Did you have some unhealthy relationships that needed to be shaken up? Did you finally let go? Or move to a new house? Did you allow the harmony and expression that you so desperately need into your life? I hope you did not fight against it and tried to be as flexible as possible. On November 19th the full moon eclipse will be in your first and seventh houses. How are changes with how the world looks at you and your closest relationships? This could be very grounding for you. On December 4th the solar eclipse is in your second house of finances. The Sun, Moon, and Mercury may bring way more money than you expected with a six-month influence. Sweet! Coral is not a colour I would see for you so try to bring it in with a black dress, or maybe some flowers around the house during the holiday season.

SAGITTARIUS: October starts off with the Sun and Mars in your 10th house of career. This is giving you wonderful energy but Mercury is there as well in retrograde motion. Are there some business deals from the past that need looking at or revising? Were the papers signed or documents finished? Take a second look. Otherwise, things should be looking very good at work. The big theme for you all year especially after the eclipses was “my thoughts become my reality,” with Saturn in your third house of communication and siblings squaring Uranus in your sixth house of health of body and mind. Your health was your wealth for this year. How can you get grounded as a fire sign? You have had some significant endings and new beginnings last year with the eclipses in your sign. Now, it’s someone else’s turn. It’s still all for the better. With Venus in the 12th, I would not spend much money or invest in much right now. On November 19th the eclipse will be at twenty-seven degrees in Taurus. How is your physical health? If you have health concerns, please go to the doctor and find out what’s going on. The solar eclipse is on December 4th in your first house of self; so, all eyes are on you, front and center. Starting something amazing will be three times bigger and better than you ever thought. Good luck! You deserve it after everything you went through the last few years. Let the colour coral bring the joy, love, and money back into your life with the most beautiful dress with gold sparkles in it for the holiday season.

CAPRICORN: This month starts off with the Sun, Mars, and Mercury in the 10th house. So, your big focus will be career and you will have more responsibilities. Mars will give you the energy to put your plans in place. Mercury is retrograde so fact-checking everything you say will be important. During this year did you show up with new maturity and spiritual self-awareness? Saturn was in your own sign for what seemed like forever. Now it will leave a gift. Did you get your gift? It has moved into your second house of income and self-esteem. How can I grow my money and my sense of value? Uranus in your fifth house will mean you will be expressing yourself by taking a risk in romance or something to do with children. Has there been a sense of freedom back in your consciousness and daily life? You can’t live for others because, if you do, you will have no energy for yourself. Then this isn’t any good for anyone. On November 5th Venus is in your first house. You are looking beautiful and more social. You may feel more romantic. It’s a great time for self-expression, dancing, art, and music. On December 5th the new moon solar eclipse is in your 12th house of all things hidden and deep dreams. Write down your dreams. You may get an important message. Also, it’s a great time for helping others through volunteering. Add the colour coral and add a little joy and love into your holiday decorations or with a beautiful new outfit.

AQUARIUS: The month of October starts off with a lovely moon in Leo in your marriage house. This may be a perfect night for a date with the one you love. Venus is in your 10th house of career. You are getting recognized at a very favorable time for promoting your business. All eyes are on you. This started in September. Were you waiting a very long time for something to come to light? Mercury retrograde might help bring it from the past. If so, it’s here. Thank goodness—I can hear you saying these words. Throughout 2021 Saturn and Jupiter are in the first house of self-discipline. Did you raise your vibration, did it shake things up? Did you get to the next level of maturity and break free? Mars in Taurus in your ruling sign is in your fourth house of home. Did you delegate responsibilities to others in the family? Or are you still taking on too much responsibility? Family structures are changing and so is your role in it. Saturn in your first house of self and personality was squaring Uranus energy in the fourth house all year long. Did this energy play out through the year “as a shake-free feeling” from the family? Did you resist the change that will give you that space of freedom you need so much? I hope not and, if you do, next year will come in with amazing energy for you. In November with Pluto and Venus in your 12th house, your dreams are very deep and transformational. So, write them down. On December 4th the solar eclipse in your 11th house of new beginnings can bring new friendships or a new appreciation for and how you do friendships. As the holidays approach, there could be some sadness attached to them. Did you lose someone close to your heart this year? I wish you joy and love. Use the colour coral around the house to remind you that you are loved.

PISCES: October starts off with giving a lot of energy to your relationship with partnerships, business, or love. It really isn’t the best energy for making big decisions at this time. Are you still working from home? Are you still hiding? Did you say what you have needed to say for a long time? Do you believe things that are not really there? This year has been about changing your thinking process. Your third house has Uranus squaring Saturn in your 12th house. This can definitely bring up depression; so, if you need help, please ask for it. Hopefully you were freed from ghosts from the past. Meditation is a wonderful tool for this. If you used your voice this year to break down boundaries using your intuition, you realized how good you are at this gift. If you did the work this year, you will be ready to bring the plan you put in place for luck and expansion for 2022-2023. This is truly something to look forward to with Jupiter going into your first house of self all next year. The lunar eclipse on November 19th is in your house of home and family. Was your home life stressful? Maybe you were working from home and now you are getting back to the office and you are relieved. The solar eclipse on December 5th is so amazing for a new start in your career or a new job or promotion. Whatever it is, it’s going to make you very happy. Then Jupiter goes back into your first house on December 29th—luck is on your side. Coral is all about Jupiter—more love, joy, and money. So, get out the most beautiful coral sparkle dress you can find and celebrate.

Opening the heart, chest throat with open arms Tasha opens her whole body in ‘starfish’pose.

I have had the privilege of editing, proofreading, and contributing to United Colours of Design since the inaugural edition in October 2020. It has been such an incredible journey so far. Love Blooms (Instagram: @love_blooms), a poetry and art co-creation with my talented friend, Yana Banzen, was birthed through this magazine, and it is also where I have been able to write about my love for yoga and how it can weave (on and off of a mat) in and through our lives in many different ways. With this coral edition I am being called to truly hone in on my offerings, creativity, and how I show up in this world. Coral is a colour of expansion, sensuality, sensitivity, and self-worth, and this edition will usher in a new focus along my journey as a writer and practitioner. My passion for supporting others holistically, tending to the mind, body, and spirit is a multifaceted experience. Full embodiment of my education, training, life experience, and gifts is blending diverse modalities together. So with this edition Colours of Yoga flows into the Colours of Embodiment to reflect the wide range of practices that have inspired change in my life.

“Expansion in our life is created by expansion and movement in our mind and bodies.”

Allowing for freedom in movement through dance means letting go completely and allowing your body to open in whatever way feels good.

Yoga, Reiki and energy work, birth work (birth and postpartum doula experience), mindfulness and meditation, dance and mindful movement, counseling and therapy, as well as poetry and creative writing have all influenced my life in profound ways. These are the same tools I use to initiate positive change and growth in others. As humans we are unique beings and we cannot be defined in one way and that is why a holistic approach to self-care and self-expression is so important. Expansion in our life is created by expansion and movement in our mind and bodies. Feeling “stuck” energetically and physically or feeling stuck in a career or relationship is best managed when we shake things up (literally and figuratively). Moving our bodies through shaking, exercise, and dance, as well as speaking our truth and communicating openly in places where we may not have in the past, sends a message to the universe for change and growth. When we open up to different ways of being, responding, and existing in this ever-changing world, we are saying yes to potentially big and bountiful life-changing shifts.

I am excited for you to join me on this journey as we explore in upcoming issues all the different ways we can live a more holistic lifestyle, all while embodying our full potential. We will talk about how we can become more present and mindful in our daily life and turn what was once a mundane routine into life-altering rituals. We will get creative, we will think outside the box, and tap into tools that bring health, happiness, healing, and harmony. So, open up your mind to new possibilities. Open your arms wide, dance it out, and shake it off—small moves can make space for big change. Ultimately, remember that you are a unique, magical being that deserves to take up space and expand into the best version of YOU. TB

Tasha dances with her son Mason. Having our children see us dance and inviting them to join us, helps them to connect to their own body and freedom of expression.

Well, here we are again. Again, with a colour that really isn’t in the energy centers as a colour per se; or is it? Where does coral fall within our chakra or energy centers?

When you see a colour and it doesn’t sit within your primary colours (red, blue, etc.), it’s the perfect time to take a look at things a little bit more deeply. When I began writing this article, I sat and stared at a blank screen. I thought that maybe it’s the EMFs from the computer that are causing me to have brain fog. LOL. Then I really sat, literally sat with the word CORAL. What does coral mean? What exactly is coral? What does coral have to do with our body, and how does it function within our own lives?

The first thing that a lot of people think of when you mention coral is jewelry. When you ask people what coral is, they talk about the living being from the ocean. But how about looking at coral, the colour itself. Some people see it as being a colour of very flowy chiffon dresses or roses. It all depends on where the person is within their own energy at that time as to how they will perceive coral.

When you look at coral and see that beautiful colour, you’re looking at three parts red and one part yellow. Some people may disagree with that, saying coral comes from a combination of red, yellow, and orange. Well, it does in a way. However, orange is a combination of red and yellow as well, so they’re not too far off. But to get coral as a true colour, three parts red, one part yellow.

If you don’t happen to have yellow and you want to mix up some paint or whatever you’re doing, take some orange, take some pink, take some red and mix it all together and you get coral. Really, when you come down to it, it doesn’t matter how you get to the colour as long as you get to the energy of that coral.

We’re going to dive in a little bit deeper. We’re going to get away from the beautiful sea creature that it is away from the jewelry you see people wearing and away from the flowy chiffon dresses. I’m going to get to the heart of the matter on things. Don’t worry – we will get into some fun stuff to help balance this coral and what it does for the body.

What is Coral?

Coral is a warm colour. It’s a nurturing colour that helps those that are having a difficult time accepting themselves unconditionally.

It is a positive colour. HOWEVER, here we are again. Many will see it in a dark, foreboding way. Why would that be? Let’s look at the colours coral is made up of—red and yellow or orange, pink, and red. Either way, they make coral. Where does coral lie in our body or in our energy centers? Think about the colours of chakras beginning at the bottom? Yup—root, sacral, and the solar plexus! This is where it might get a bit confusing, so I will try to keep it as unconfusing as possible.

If you use a colour chart of the three parts red and one part yellow, you are referring to the root chakra and the solar plexus. However, if you use orange, yellow, and red, you are referring to the root chakra, sacral chakra, and the solar plexus.

When you see this colour of coral with those colours brought together, it’s a very friendly, open colour. When you have the essence of all three of these colours together to make coral, it gives the energy and assists you in getting rid of old baggage. Red can be very aggressive, so it is there to help kick crap to the curb. Yellow helps to alleviate the stress that may come forward with kicking things to curb and orange, well, it helps bring in the creative way to make the getting rid of easier and more fun! So when you put all three of those together, you take the worst of everything and the best of everything and you mix it up together. And you get the perfection of moving forward with fun, walking in your power, and standing firm on your ground! BOO-YAY!

Let’s Break It Down, Shall We

• When we look at the root chakra, we have to also take a look at what it is all about. In the Red edition of the magazine, you would remember that the root chakra is quite important. Within the red of that root chakra, it is all about support, and it’s giving us something that’s solid, grounding, and also part of our physical identity. The demon, if you will, in the root chakra is fear. Also, do you have pain in your lower back? Feeling a bit depressed? Now, let’s look at orange.
• The sexy orange sacral chakra. Are there times you feel you’re just super needy and don’t know why and need everyone’s approval? Is your creativity hitting an all-time low? Do you have a tendency to feel guilty about the smallest things? Well, that’s all part of orange. Once again, I will not dive too deep, or I won’t have anything to write about when the Orange edition comes! Let’s move to yellow.
• The yummy powerful yellow solar plexus. That is our power source! If we have something going on that isn’t right, we’ll feel it there. That’s also one of the main areas for the intuitive part of you. Having issues with your kidneys or feeling stuffy? What’s going on with your solar plexus? I’m not going to do anymore because I won’t have anything to write about in the Yellow edition. The solar plexus is all about our will, our power. It’s also an ego identifier.

So when you take all three of those colours and mesh them together, you have a recipe to begin healing.

What Does Coral Heal?

Do you feel the love that you’re giving out is not being received back?

Are you feeling that you are being super needy and are shying away from doing things with people?

If either one of these sounds familiar, you’re sitting in a coral healing colour. These are just two examples. Bring coral into your life in order to help heal those feelings. When three energy centers get out of whack, you will feel it!

Coral will help bring you back into balance by revving up your support system “root chakra.” It will help shift the cobwebs and doubt out of your creative center, and coral will get you back into your power! When we have a not too healthy root, sacral, and solar plexus, you will know it.

Remember, you can use anything that is coral coloured. It is the frequency/vibration that heals.

Crystals/Gemstones/Colour Vibration

Okay, enough of the serious stuff. Since there aren’t really many coral-coloured crystals or gemstones, you can always find anything with a coral colour! Need a bit of sexiness? How about some pretty coral-coloured underthings? Yes, men, you too!!! Coral flowers, a pillow, a sticky note, even a sunset picture. Anything coral will have that healing vibration to it.

Let’s get to some crystals that will help with all of this and more. Since there are no actual coral-coloured stones/crystals, I have found two that look like coral when you get them in the lighter colour of the “orange/red.”

Carnelian:

This yummy stone will help to get things stabilized. It will help get the creative juices flowing again because it also helps to get your mojo pumping! Carnelian also helps you to trust yourself again by overcoming negativity or feeling unstable. It helps with concentration and mental fatigue (great for exams or writing columns).

Coral:

Coral helps to calm the emotions and helps to bring peace. It also helps to strengthen your intuition, so it is a great gem to meditate or just sit with! It is said that coral helps strengthen the bones in the body, which makes sense because when dried, coral becomes just like a bone.

Growing up, fall meant a fresh school year. This continued when I became a teaching assistant. I still get excited and, to be honest, a tad nervous about the challenges of a new year. New has been a theme in our family in 2021. My nephew and his fiancée got married in an intimate backyard wedding. My oldest grandson got a job. His five and seven[1]year-old brothers joined new classes, their baby brother started at a new daycare, and their mom started working at a new job location.

The first time that I dropped my oldest off at nursery school was a fall day, years ago. She was three and had been at home with Mom except for occasional babysitters. We had prepared her—talked about going to “school” and shopped for new clothes, a backpack, and a cool lunch bag. We met her teachers while touring the building during open house. She walked in confidently, holding my hand, and all was good. She met her teacher, hung up her backpack, and was invited to take a seat in the circle. It looked like she was settling in.

I said, “Bye Sweetie. Mommy will be back for you later.” This caused an immediate reaction. My daughter began to cry, ran over, grabbed me around the leg, and held on for dear life. She wailed, heartrending sobs. Her distress was so obvious that I got teary. She grabbed my neck in a death grip when I picked her up and comforted her. I felt like the worst mother ever! Her teacher, a lovely, warm lady, said, “It’s okay, Heather. I’ll look after her. She’ll be okay. Feel free to call and check in later.” So, I gave her my crying child.

I walked out feeling like I was making a terrible mistake, with “Mommy, Mommy” ringing in my ears. Tearily, I sat in my car and wondered if I should go back in and get her. But I didn’t. I was concerned that if I did, we would face the exact same scenario next time. I didn’t want to make it worse by prolonging her adjustment period. I took a deep breath, started my car, and raced home. I called the minute that I got in the door. Her teacher reassured me that she was playing happily in the home center. She sat beside her teacher during story time and then got interested in some big toys that she didn’t have at home.

What a relief! I’d made the right choice and she was enjoying a new experience. When I picked her up, I congratulated her on being so brave and stated that I knew she would have fun at school and asked her to tell me about her morning. In retrospect, I realize that this was my first lesson in how overwhelming school can be at times. I see it repeatedly, particularly in the fall, with students of all ages.

If you have concerns, talk to your child’s teacher about a “Handle with Care Message!” (see the image). Teachers appreciate getting these types of messages from parents/family. A message like that always makes it easier to deal proactively with a child and structure things for a more positive day. Emotional regulation can be hard for children of all ages who are concerned about something that originates at home. Advance notice gives an opportunity to check in with the student, offer/give the child a break, distract with a positive one-to-one visit, and provide a calm, safe space to the child.

When talking to your child, acknowledge and name their feelings; emphasize they are brave and they CAN manage. Help them but have confidence in their ability to do it independently. Ask what they need to help refocus and calm themselves down. Various suggestions to offer are reading a book, drawing, puzzles, building materials, and movement such as walking or exercises. Or do they prefer being left alone to decompress? Then give some time and space to settle after instructing them to let you know when they are ready to talk about what’s bothering them. If a child wants to talk, ask about the issue. If they want to converse but not about the issue, chat about something else.

When supporting a student at school we follow the same process. I check in periodically to see if they are ready to try class. Eventually they feel ready to join in again. Later in the day, I’ll check back in to see how the day is progressing. We reaffirm how brave they are and congratulate them on how well they are participating now. Later the teacher and I may consult and create an appropriate student method of signaling that class is getting stressful and a break is needed.

A multitude of things can affect classroom performance, interrupt learning, and trigger behaviors. I ask parents about their child’s schedule and sleeping habits as it can have a positive or negative effect on a successful day of learning. Out of curiosity, I googled how many hours of sleep children required (see chart). Restful sleep helps children (and adults) be positive, manage emotional self-regulation, and promotes health. Long[1]term sleep deprivation can lower resistance to physical ailments, manifest in anger management issues and ADHD-like behaviors, and slow down learning and mastering new skills.

Various habits kept us organized when I had three young children. Maybe these will work for your family. We kept a schedule posted in a prominent place to refer to for events at school, family, and in the community. On school nights we did as much as possible to get ready for the next morning. Homework, projects, show and tell, library books, and gym clothes were packed in schoolbags. Lunches and snacks were prepared and stored in the fridge. My primary-aged children (JK – Grade 3) could pick out their outfits for school but only if they did it the night before. This made a big difference for my fashion-conscious children. If for some reason outfits weren’t chosen, then Mom or Dad picked out the outfit—no arguments. This minimized stress and fashion drama. Children from Grades 4 and on were given the freedom and responsibility for choosing their clean clothes and getting their lunch ready.

Outdoor apparel and backpacks were laid out in designated spots where each child was expected to get ready. That eliminated last-minute clothes and shoe hunts. One strict rule we followed was no TV before school. In 2021, this rule might be adapted to include devices. These strategies minimized distractions and emotional meltdowns (including my own), ensured my children had everything, kept them focused, and eased leaving the house. The result was relaxed children and parents who arrived at their destinations in a good mood, ready to start the day.

Ultimately, every day is a chance for growth, independence, triumphing over new challenges, and expanding horizons. As Dr. Suess wrote, “Oh, the places you’ll go!” Explore, learn, have fun, and end up somewhere you love being. My daughter doesn’t remember her rocky first day of nursery school like I do but her love of school started then. Now she is a teacher, encouraging children as they attempt, learn, and master new skills.

We are working with the coral colour in this edition. There are so many things I went through this month as I worked with the coral colour. In this article I am going to focus on the feeling of being unworthy— how this is developed, how it manifests in our lives, how we can work through it, and how to resolve and remove this belief.

As I began working on this article and working with coral, I attracted people to me that wanted to discuss their feelings of being unworthy. I had someone connect with me that I had not had any contact with in over fifteen years and did not think I ever would again. She contacted me to seek guidance regarding her feelings of being unworthy from early in her childhood that have continued to affect her adult life. She had heard that I resolved my own feelings of unworthiness from my childhood through my experience with hypnosis. We had some shared childhood experiences and, up until now, I had no idea her feelings of being unworthy were so strong. When we work through our own limiting beliefs and negative emotions, as Amy Bell stated, we are a beacon of light for others.

Hypnosis is an extremely powerful tool that can assist you to move forward and create a solid foundation and instill new beliefs that can redesign your life to be fulfilled and worthy.

So, let’s dive in and find out what is this feeling of being unworthy/having low self-worth; why it is an issue; how it is expressed in our lives; how and why we internalize the feeling of being unworthy; and how to increase our self-worth and the feeling of being worthy.

Definition of Feeling Unworthy

According to Collins Dictionary, the definition of feeling unworthy is “if a person or thing is unworthy of something good, they do not deserve it.”

What does it feel like to feel unworthy?

• Being overly critical of ourselves
• Trying to be perfect and proving our worth to others
• Lacking boundaries, always saying yes to please others
• Not liking who we are, thinking if we looked different, were more articulate, or better at all things we would be better people and more worthy
• Thinking we don’t deserve good things

How to begin to remove the belief that you are unworthy

• Believing that if people need us, we are worthier
• Sometimes feeling taken advantage of
• Giving to someone else what we will not accept for ourselves
• Difficulty in accepting compliments or kindness from others
• Worrying about what other people think and constantly second-guessing ourselves
• Difficulty in making decisions because we are afraid to make the “wrong” choice
• Often thinking that other people’s opinion of us is how we should define ourselves
• Being jealous of others, feeling less than others, insecure about our skills and abilities
• Always feeling like you need to do more If the above resonates with you and you can identify with more than three of these, you are suffering from the feeling of being unworthy. I will explain how to begin to heal this feeling at the end of this article.

How and why do we believe we are unworthy?

Repetition is how we program our subconscious mind, both negative and positive. To learn more about how our subconscious mind works, please visit Simplewellness.ca and connect with me for a free session.

So, when you were younger, maybe you were told you couldn’t have that bike, dress, toy, person, or something else you felt you needed—you may have decided at that time that you were unworthy of things that you want. Then maybe someone says something to you about your abilities when you are in kindergarten, or someone comments that they don’t like your hair, or they don’t like you in first grade and so on.

You may have been with someone who had decided they are not worthy and therefore may have imparted this on you, and they may have told you that you are not good enough, smart enough, strong enough, pretty enough, and whatever else not enough of. I could go on forever here. Now let’s say that person was in your life everyday expressing these things in a variety of ways. This is now programmed in your subconscious mind and now the negative talk about being unworthy begins. As this negative self-talk continues, this feeling of unworthiness manifests in our lives.

According to Scientific American, it’s natural for humans to care what other people think of us. So it is natural to care about what our parents, siblings, friends, and teachers think about us and tell us about ourselves.

You may have started to believe you are unworthy at a very early age and then continued that conversation internally as you moved through your life.

Our beliefs dictate our internal conversation and manifest in our external lives and behaviors.

You have heard the expression “You are what you eat.” Feed your body fattening food—become unhealthy. Feed your body fruits and vegetables and healthy food— become healthy. The same rings true for “We are what we think we are.” Feed your mind negativity and you will become negative. Feed your mind positive things internally and externally and you will become positive.

So it looks like we give other people the right to get into our mind and dictate how we will feel.

Maybe, just maybe, all of those people are not the experts on YOU. Did you think about that? Who are they to have an opinion about you? Or who are we to care about what others think? As Deepak Chopra says, “It is none of your business what other people think of you.” Are they the experts on what you want in your life or your skills and abilities? No, they are not. So who is? YOU, you are you, and you are the expert on your awesome skills and abilities. Yet we have been programmed to not toot our own horn, be modest, don’t be conceited. Okay, we don’t all need to walk around every minute of the day saying aloud, “I AM AWESOME. LOOK AT ME.” Blah, blah. Yet we do need to say it to ourselves and demonstrate this through our actions. When we feel worthy we treat others better, we give more, we are more compassionate and understanding with others, and, best of all, we manifest awesome things in our lives. What you focus on expands!

How can we develop a feeling of worthiness?

You were born worthy! So, something along the way got in the way of your knowledge about this fact. This belief of being unworthy has been programmed in your subconscious mind and is now manifesting in your life. You are looking through the lens of being unworthy, and therefore may not be able to see some wonderful opportunities that are available to you. You are not what happened to you or what people said to you. You are what you choose to be.

What if you woke up feeling worthy of everything you want and desire? What would life look like? How would it feel? You made a decision or decided to believe at some point in your life to feel unworthy; or allow outside influences to dictate how you should feel about yourself. You have the power to overcome this. You don’t need to be the product of your environment—you have control over your beliefs.

“Discover your awesomeness!!! Remove the belief you are worthy”

If you would like to remove other limiting beliefs quickly and effectively, along with removing negative emotions with a very powerful and effective technique, Quantum Hypnosis, visit me at simple-wellness.ca and book a complimentary call. Hypnosis is an extremely powerful tool that can assist you to move forward and create a solid foundation and instill new beliefs to redesign your life to be fulfilled and worthy. Move from unworthy to expansion.

Three Keys for Staying in the Creative Flow of Life

Below the surface of our thoughts and emotions is a subtle life force energy that is pulsating within us. This energy allows us to be co-creators in this world. It allows us to receive intuitive impulses and creative inspirations. It gives us a sense of abundance, expansion, love, joy, and sensuality. This life force energy, flowing freely within, directs us and guides our path.

The unfortunate thing is that far too many of us are completely cut off from this flow. Or we may only get a glimpse of it and find that it quickly diminishes. With the incessant chatter of our mind and the negative thoughts and doubtful beliefs, we find ourselves stuck in our head with no access point to this subtle energy deep within.

We all want more love and joy in our lives, but we may feel that this desire will never be attained. It is a nice thought to want happiness, connection, and intimacy. But will that ever become our reality?

The truth is love and joy are your natural birthright. You are worthy of living the life you desire to live just because you are alive. No one can keep that from you. The problem is that we are so disconnected from the truth of who we really are that it seems like those states are out of reach or become only fleeting experiences.

To begin the journey within and rediscover the love and joy, I invite you to do an embodiment practice for awakening your sensuality. Your sensuality and your creativity come from the same flow of energy. The more you can embody these states—meaning the more you can live and experience these in your daily life, not just have them as a desire or a thought—the easier your life will flow.

There are three keys to this embodiment practice:

1. Presence—Bringing Awareness and Attention to the Moment

To begin the practice, choose a time of day when you can have a few quiet moments to yourself. You do not need a lot of time, but you do need to make a commitment to yourself to do this regularly. With practice you will be able to get into these states more quickly and easily. Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply. You do not need to change anything, just begin to become aware of what is going on inside. You may notice your thoughts buzzing around with a never-ending to do list. You may notice tension or anxiety. You may notice pain or discomfort within your body. Whatever it is, allow it to be there. Now begin to bring your awareness more and more into the present moment. All you need to do is focus on your breath. Notice as it comes in through your nose. Notice your chest expand and relax with each breath. All you need to do is hold your attention here. Anytime you catch your mind or thoughts beginning to wander, gently bring your awareness back to each breath.

2. Feeling—Meeting your Emotions with Loving Presence

The next part of the practice is to welcome any emotions, feelings, or sensations that present themselves. As you begin to relax and quiet your mind, you will become aware of the feelings and subtle sensations underneath the chatter. These feelings and emotions bring more truth to you than your thoughts. Thoughts are always moving through you. Many of them do not even belong to you. You are picking them up unconsciously. Allow them to flow through you without becoming attached to any of them.

When you can sense the emotions and feelings under the thoughts, this will open a whole new dimension to you. This is a doorway to your soul. As you go deeper and deeper within, you will begin to FEEL the love and joy that is already there. It is just being blocked by all the noise. As each feeling, emotion, or sensation arises, simply send it love. Allow it to be in your loving presence. You can also see if it has a message for you; ask your emotion what it is trying to tell you. Meet each emotion with love and allow it to also pass through you. You do not need to hold on to any of it.

3. Movement—Embody the Flow of Life Force Energy Within You

With enough practice you will begin to quiet the incessant chatter in the mind. You will be able to feel the emotions rise within you. Allow them to simply move through you rather than suppressing them or creating a story about them. You will allow your body to communicate with you through its sensations and the felt sense within. As you release and let go of all the noise, you will begin to sense the flow of life force energy within you. When you can tap into this and use it to express your creativity and your desires, you can create the life you want to live.

As you feel this flow within, it is fun to move your body with it—to express it and allow it to move through you. This is called moving meditation and it is very powerful for expressing your higher states of being. What would it FEEL like to express sensuality? Allow your body to move with that energy as you hold the intention to feel this. What would it FEEL like to express love, joy, or abundance? Allow your body to move with that energy. Stay with it for as long as it feels good and do this as often as you can to stay in these states.

In my coaching work with couples, I find that most people want more love and intimacy in their relationship. Of course, this is a desirable goal, but they are looking to their partners to fill a void within them that can only be met with their own presence. You will never find love, joy, or intimacy outside of yourself—these are all states that come from within. To have more love in your life, you need to feel more love within you first. You must do the work to release all the thoughts, emotions, programming, and whatever else is blocking you from connecting to the truth of who you are.

You are already love, you are already joy, you are already deeply connected and sensual —you have simply been distracted from this truth. Imagine the sun for a moment. It does not stop shining just because there are a few clouds in front of it, causing the sky to turn gray. The same goes for your soul, your truth, and your divine essence. It is there; you simply need to allow the clouds to pass to reveal the light and let yourself shine once again. JL