United Colours of Design • Pink Edition • July 2021

A few years ago I participated in a workshop put on by our very own Samantha Timbers. It was a new program she created called “Cloud Goals”. In the weekly sessions she encouraged the group to think of a goal and then imagine how it would feel to live that goal full on.

The goal I wrote the “feelings” for was something totally different than this magazine, however, what I wrote ended up being the pillars for it. In this editorial I am going to go over the pillars and explain them a bit more so you will begin to understand the magnitude of my mission. These tenets run deep in my cells and my wish is that we all incorporate them daily.

We are perfectly in tune with our spirits

We are aligned, we are purposeful, we are free. Sometimes it doesn’t always feel like that though. Like right now I am wondering why the hell my Spirit feels it’s necessary for me to have “frozen shoulder” right in the middle of production? I spoke to my mentor, also a columnist, Moira Bush and she reminded me that when there is restriction in our arms it points to us “carrying” something heavy around. Like guilt or burdens of life in general. I have been over and over this in my mind and it’s my feeling that this Pink Edition, being about love and money, has me working through some serious shit right now. Which leads to our next tenet.

We are completely connected to our souls

I don’t believe if I was completely connected to my Soul I would have this shoulder issue. I think being connected to Soul is directly connected to the amount of self-love we’re giving ourselves.

For the last three years I have been working my ass off. Long, long hours at the computer, hunched, tensed up and basically an ergonomic nightmare lol! I supposed this in itself wouldn’t be so bad if I was doing yoga or stretching every day, but that wasn’t me. I felt that if I took time away from work, I wasn’t contributing to the finances of the household. In an attempt to be productive and financially stable – I completely neglected my Soul’s desire for F UNDER LETTER FROM THE AMY BELL Click for audio version The Pink Book July 2021 • 15 love. I forgot to take care of me. Moira also reminded me that our self-love factor is directly related to the balance in our bank accounts… she says… show me someone who doesn’t take care of themselves and for sure their bank accounts will be in trouble. When you’re in love with you, you’re automatically connected to your Soul.

We are of service to humanity

Yes! My goal with this tenet is that no matter what we do, arts, design, photography, chef, or any other career choice for that matter, is that we make this planet a little better than when we got here.

Creating beauty is a huge service to humanity. Creating in general is why we are here. “Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe, It Can Achieve.” Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich. Everything is created in the mind first and then as a service to humanity, we birth it out in the hopes that it brings joy.

We are fully supported by a kind and gentle universe

This one is especially challenging at the moment. With all the craziness happening around the world it’s difficult to believe that we are fully supported by a kind and gentle universe. BUT WE ARE! As you may or may not have guessed, I am really into numerology and colour. My Soul path number is 34/7 and my day of birth number is 25/7. It doesn’t matter if you know what this means or not, what matters is that my life path is all about TRUST. Trusting friends, colleagues, partners and the universe having my back.

In order to live this life path, my tests show up in the form of betrayal (Of course they do) Can I be “betrayed” by the universe and still have faith that it is kind? Can I be betrayed by those closest to me and have faith that they too are working through their life path? Generally speaking, I do believe the universe has my back and this is why I have this as a pillar to remind me daily.

We are fully supported by a kind and gentle universe

This one is especially challenging at the moment. With all the craziness happening around the world it’s difficult to believe that we are fully supported by a kind and gentle universe. BUT WE ARE! As you may or may not have guessed, I am really into numerology and colour. My Soul path number is 34/7 and my day of birth number is 25/7. It doesn’t matter if you know what this means or not, what matters is that my life path is all about TRUST. Trusting friends, colleagues, partners and the universe having my back. In order to live this life path, my tests show up in the form of betrayal (Of course they do) Can I be “betrayed” by the universe and still have faith that it is kind? Can I be betrayed by those closest to me and have faith that they too are working through their life path? Generally speaking, I do believe the universe has my back and this is why I have this as a pillar to remind me daily.

We are incredibly safe on this planet

Another benefit to studying the psychology of colour and numerology (or any personal development that goes beyond surface conversation) is that I have learned that as a Soul I actually wanted to come to this planet. I believe there are angels up there that are in awe of our courage to leave our weightless, all-knowing spirit selves to be weighted down in these physical bodies. So why would we so willingly do that if this planet wasn’t incredibly safe to come to? Of course there are shitty things that happen but the experience of that is where the nuggets of gold are hidden.

We have extreme gratitude for our gifts

Sometimes I forget that other people can’t do what I do. In the past that “forgetting” led me to under-charge for my services. It lead me to second guess myself. It lead me to feel unworthy of compliments. When someone would say how much they loved my work, I would blow it off with a comment like “It was nothing.” I am really aware of letting others know how special their gifts are but at one point, I forgot how special my gifts are. Being in gratitude for what I can do, not only speaks to self-love, but also the money part. Once I wrote this down and really lived it, my bank account started to show it’s gratitude to me!

We have deep love for everyone our hearts and this magazine touches

Kristina Leis interviewed one of our Design Mentors, Luma Qusus Awad this month. Luma has a huge heart and deep love for humanity. Currently she is Zooming a workshop to women in Yemen. She is showing them how to make jewelry, a skill that will empower them to earn an income for themselves. This is a story that means something to me. This is the arts community reaching past their front doors and really supporting their fellow humans. (Story on page 144). Much love to you Luma!

I also have a deep love for a reader and contributor to the featured artist gallery, Nadine Mackie. By participating in this magazine she was inspired to collect all of her photos and poems into a book. A real book that is now in my hands and available on Amazon! Congratulations, and thank you Nadine! Nadine is not the only person who has written me that this magazine has inspired them. I had no idea when I started this journey that it would touch so many lives, for that, I am deeply grateful.

We are honoured that people seek our guidance

Having said above that I had forgotten that people can’t do what I can do, leads me to this tenet. I am truly and deeply honoured to be a part of a new entrepreneurs branding efforts. I am honoured to use my gifts and talents to guide them on the daunting marketing journey. There are thousands of designers out there, so when a person signs on with me, I remember this fact. I remember that they could have gone anywhere else but they chose me and that is something to be honoured in of itself.

We are authentically aligned with our purpose

Last year I was having an existential crisis about what the hell my purpose was. You think by 53 I’d have that down… but no. How do I incorporate all my loves into something that also ticks off all of these pillars? If you’ve seen me in an interview you may have heard this, but long story short… I was feeling a little old, a little used and a little out dated last year. The search for a job will do that to a girl. In retrospect I am happy that other people reminded me (via rejection) that taking the position would put me out of authentic alignment with my purpose. My purpose is to take all this juicy experience I have, combine it with the juicy experience of all these contributors and support the arts community from this platform. Here I am not old, I am a mentor. Here I am not over qualified, I am a business owner. Here I am not at the end of my career, I am just getting started!

This Pink Edition has to be my favourite so far. It was a bitch to get out but I am so pleased with how every columnist and mentor took to the theme and really dug into the psychology of this colour. Unconditional self-love and how it relates to wealth is brilliantly connected in Whitney’s article. Working with the shadows that come with this light and airy colour are covered in detail in Moira’s column. Want to learn the benefits of nurturing your inner child? Check out what Elvira has to say.

There’s so many great topics covered in this issue, Revenge Travel (Janice Cardinale), the power of pink in Feng Shui (Sherry Brouzes), a crazy pink disturbance in the art community (Sonal Raje), the beauty of loving yourself (Anastasia Kravtsova), how to make 1 pink dress turn into 4 different outfits (Antonina Koval), words of wisdom to his younger self (Ari Weinberg), pinking up your makeup application (Annika Rayman), the different pink stones used to create wearable art (Luma Qusus Awad), when I client says “I love it” but has a ton of changes (Chris Sorichetti), FOR REAL if you’re a new entrepreneur you have to read the steps to starting a business (Monica Beffa), OHHHHHH, creating a killer portfolio (Marion Sadavoy), an interview with a self made woman (Dwayne Richards), stop being afraid of the “S” word! (Tish Times), seeing the world through the eyes of a child brings new joy (Ayse Hogan).

Woohoo! Can’t forget the quarterly astro predictions (Ann McVeigh), healing stones and how to choose the right one for you (Kathryn Dzsudzsak), is love all you need when raising respectful children? (Heather Bain), a free self-love hypnosis session (Samantha Timbers), 2 connection exercises to increase intimacy (Jennifer Love), John Lennon is ruled by Venus? (Hayden Crawford) happy baby and butterfly – yoga poses for self-love.

Thank you for an amazing Season 1, contact me if you would like to become a contributor in Season 2!

“We are living in a Boredom Economy.” Boredom is often a sign that something does not feel meaningful. Therefore, feeling bored can result in various kinds of behaviour that increase risk taking and impulsivity. But as humans we rationalize and tell ourselves what we need through reward sensitivity. People want to feed their inner child. This is because, human-centricity is at the heart of how we come out of this pandemic.

Consumers are looking at travel experiences as a possible prescription to the pain and suffering they have endured during the pandemic. Revenge is a powerful emotional trigger that tends to mobilize people into action. This very pervasive experience has often been triggered by the unknown.

Having been bound and trapped over the last year has given rise to the mental toll on our society. Missed vacations last year or cancelled trips, felt like an involuntary travel detox. Everyone is suffering from vacation deprivation, so what is next?

The Binge

All signs point to this summer being filled with luxurious, lavish, and over-the-top trips continuing into the fall and holiday season. Time is precious and we can expect people to book extra trips or splurge on bigger ones, because we have been cooped up for so long. There is an urge for those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like family vacations, adventure travel, experiential travel, and boutique experiences that provide wholesome and organic environments that are authentic and genuine and fill our pent-up demand for relaxation, fresh air, water, and scenery.

Recent studies have shown that Millennials value the experience of travel over goods, services, and bonuses. It is no surprise since the world has witnessed how fragile life can be. Our values have changed over the last year or so and we have recognized that we are much more resilient than we thought.

But are you ready to pack a bag and fly off just yet?

The messaging from governments all around the world were different from one country to the next. We all anticipated our future based on what we heard and what others were doing. But the differences between Asia, Europe, and North America were as different as night and day.

The ultimate travel will be experienced through the right protocols, procedures, and mindfulness for travellers. Some businesses are already poised for that and others have not arrived at their destination yet, so to speak. Let’s be honest, travel, on the leisure side is already back and growing in leaps and bounds. Corporate travel is another beast that will take more time to recover, as senior leaders have seen the opportunity to save money and take less risk. What I believe, is that smaller group travel will succeed and dominate as companies look to create very special experiences for the ultimate achievers and maintain a hybrid experience for the rest. This will result in the unification of both experiences in the future. The human element has never been stronger than it is today. There is only one way to survive the future. Relationships and Trust.

Revenge is Bittersweet.

The Covid-19 lockdowns have been the catalyst for undue stress on individuals, families and our communities. Businesses have shut down due to bankruptcy, schools are closed and employees are working from home. Family members are spending time within very close proximity to one another. Many people have been feeling overwhelmed with feelings of frustration, agitation and irritability. A loving and harmonious space can help us diminish these low and negative energies.

Implementing Feng Shui theory and pink energy where we dwell, work and play will be beneficial for achieving a calm and loving environment.

The energy of pink in Feng Shui Design is equated with unconditional love, mothering, nurturing, compassion, affection, kindness, love and romance. Pink has been proven to calm nerves and reduce agitation, anger and even violence. In Switzerland, prisons cells are painted pink to decrease a prisoner’s aggressive and violent behavior. Pink outdoor lighting is used to deter gangs and criminals from illegal activities in high crime areas in some major cities.

Pink is considered the “Yin” shade of red. It is a lighter version of “Yang” red. White is added to red in various amounts to create tints of pink. Who would not enjoy the loving energy of pink in their spaces?

PINK creates an amorous sanctuary for romance and rejuvenation

The Southwest area is associated with the “Kun” Trigram. This sector of the Bagua is the most “Yin” trigram depicted with 3 broken lines. The broken lines (Yin) or solid lines (Yang) originates from the ancient Chinese Divination text called the “Yi-Jing” (I-Ching) also known as “The Book of Changes”. This area of the Bagua (energy map) is associated with the matriarch, mother, receptivity, nurturing, love and romance. The “Love and Marriage” sector is represented by the Earth Element. It is appropriate for this sector to be associated with the colour pink in Feng Shui. Pink is Fire element in Feng Shui theory being a lighter shade of red. In the productive cycle of Feng Shui, the Fire element ‘produces’ Earth (ashes from fire). The colour of pink therefore supports the Earth element of the Southwest sector of the Bagua in Feng Shui.

Pink energy is an excellent choice to use in the bedroom for its soothing and relaxing qualities. Pink has many different shades from delicate pink to intense bright fuchsia. The intensity of a colour will express either Yin or Yang “Chi” (energy). I recommend items of Yin energy in bedrooms such as pastels and pink especially for a child’s bedroom. Pink toys and decorations feel safe and secure to a child.

In the adult boudoir, the colour pink evokes an amorous sanctuary for romance and rejuvenation. I suggest using soft, pink fabrics in your bedding and linens for a sensual experience. Soft lighting with pink lampshades can enhance the ambiance in the bedroom with a tender glow. Pink activates youthful and vigorous energy!

Activate couple energy with peonies for two

In Feng Shui, to activate love and romance luck place two pink peonies in a vase and place them in the Love and Romance (Southwest) area of the Bagua in your house or a room where you spend much of your time. For the Western Bagua place in back right== corner of your house or space.

The peony is the national flower of China. It is known as the “Mou Tan” and called the “Flower of Riches and Honor”. The peony signifies feminine beauty, amorous feelings of love and affection which is an ideal representation of the Love and Marriage sector of the Bagua. It is also beneficial to place items in pairs in the Southwest sector (back right area for Western Bagua) such as a pair of swans, mandarin ducks or cupids. Placing items in pairs will activate the “couple energy” luck in Feng Shui.

*Please note if you place fresh flowers in your bedroom do not have them too close to your bed. Flowers and plants are Wood element in Feng Shui with upward and rising Chi energy which may affect your sleep.

Magical Rose Quartz

Rose quartz crystal (known as the “love stone”) is excellent for use in Feng Shui to activate affectionate energy. A beautiful bowl or vase of rose quartz crystals are lovely for activating romance, self-love, generosity and friendships. Rose quartz is known for healing the heart. Self-love is an integral part of our well-being. We must have a healthy self-esteem to enjoy a mature, stable relationships with our partners, friends and people in the workplace. Pink is a good colour for creating harmony in a business environment as it can soften nervous tensions. I suggest wearing rose crystal jewelry to calm anxiety if you are expecting to be in a difficult or confrontational meeting with others.

Activate financial energy

To activate the Wealth and Prosperity area of the Bagua in the Southeast (left, back corner for Western Bagua) very dark pinks such as Fuchsia, Hot pinks and Magenta are excellent to activate financial energy. The colour of pink heals inner-child issues that may be holding us back from achieving our financial goals in life. In Feng Shui, intense (Yang) shades of Pink activate energy while softer tints of pink (Yin) anchor the energy already in a space.

Happiness and Calm at the dinner table?

In Feng Shui, good health is associated with a good night’s sleep and nourishing food to eat. The kitchen is one of the 3 most important rooms in the house in Feng Shui. When our physical body is nourished and healthy, we feel “In the pink.” Pink energy is excellent for creating a soothing atmosphere in the kitchen or dining areas. Pink table settings and linens will exude a sense of warmth and happiness, calm tensions and ease digestion after meals.

Using colour in Feng Shui

The Colour Mirrors energy system is an excellent modality to support and nourish your “Inner” and “Outer” Feng Shui. Colour Mirrors is a system of colour analysis based on the spiritual psychology of colour that uses dual-coloured essential oils and essences.

Film, like any creative field, or entrepreneurship in general, can sometimes be more about WHO you know, than WHAT you do.

Meaning, the wealth is in your network. You can be wildly talented, but not necessarily know how to get your work seen or how to bring a project to fruition. Even as an entrepreneur, you can be highly skilled or qualified, but not know how to book clients or customers. One of my film mentors says that we have to redefine success. Just making the film in itself is success. Period. The very first short film I produced, I had zero budget as I was a student transitioning into my career. I dove in head first, reaching out to people I knew, asking for introductions, working WITHIN my restrictions and using them to my advantage. This expanded my network so that when the opportunity arose to enter a local film festival, I befriended one of the organizers and created a professional friendship. (Don’t get me wrong, he made it abundantly clear that the films will be chosen out of merit, and not preferential treatment!)

My film did end up getting selected for the festival and was screened in front of hundreds of people! This same friend also invited me several times to walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival.

“The very first short film I produced, I had zero budget to work with.”

In my last article in the Red Issue, I talked about ‘Inner Visibility’: the belief and passion in your work. This edition of Pink represents passion, playfulness, nurturing money and love. (All a recipe for success in film!)

PASSION: It starts with the love for your script or project. This energy of conviction and determination will carry you through all your pitches as you create your team, find financial backing and engage with the audience who could most benefit from your message.

PLAYFUL: This goes hand in hand with mindset. While it’s easy to become hyper rigid with our eye on the prize, it’s essential to your sanity to approach the process of pre-production, production and post production (writing, casting, building a team) through a playful lens. Have fun. Be open to all experiences (and miracles!) Try not to get so attached to who can give you what. Also know that film is like one giant problem solving process. There is ALWAYS going to be things going wrong. (You were planning outdoor shots, and it’s a torrential downpour? Totally normal!) It’s about being creative and navigating those challenges, in the name of your project. Usually, we are driven by the underlying message we want to convey to an audience. Use this as your guiding light.

Avoid relationship building with a blatant agenda, as people will always feel that insincerity.

NURTURE: This leads me to knowing how to nurture authentic relationships. My acting coach once taught me that most people go to Hollywood with the attitude: “What can Hollywood offer me”? This is fundamentally flawed, according to him because it is self-centered and self-serving. He suggests approaching it as “What do I have to offer Hollywood?!” Avoid relationship building with a blatant agenda, as people will always feel that insincerity.

To quote John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

(Replace “country” with film, project, network, industry or relationship)

Whether you consider yourself an extrovert or introvert, I believe we all have the skills to network and build relationships because human connection is innate. The following 4 aligned action steps can be applied in any relationships building situation, whether it be on social media, on set etc.

1. Introduce yourself. (Here comes that inner visibility again. Do you believe you and your ideas are worthy?)
2. Ask questions and take an interest in the other person.
3. Stay in touch. Social media is a great way to follow someone’s work and slowly build connections.
4. Offer to help. Being of service and a giving state will get you more noticed, then asking or demanding.

I was on set for a music video the other week and I met an amazing photographer and music composer. I showed up feeling intimidated, not knowing anyone. I started conversations with people, introduced myself, asked them questions about their journey, I even offered to help a bit with the setup of equipment. Most importantly, we exchanged social media handles and are in touch.

REPUTATION: I think one of the most challenging things about bringing a film or project to life, is cultivating the dream team that will bring the vision to life. Some people are motivated by the paycheck, while others are fueled by their passion.

Whether you are an independent production company or part of a larger company, trust and reputation can be a defining factor. Imagine you’re casting a film with a room full of actors you don’t know, and therefore you don’t know their work ethic or people skills (in addition to their talent). The same applies when you’re hiring part of the technical team. It’s easier to build a network of industry professionals through word of mouth, referrals and a shining reputation.

This is why the wealth is in the network.

TICKLED PINK!
Yes! And you will be
too when you hear
about this feud that
has been making
waves in the
art world.

It all started with British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor coming up with a super black pigment, that absorbs most of the light, 99.96 to be exact. He named it “Vantablack”, the world’s blackest black pigment. The catch was, he had exclusive rights over the usage on the pigment.

At an art installation in Portugal, “Descent into Limbo”, the artist painted an eight foot hole with the extreme black to make it look like a flat surface. A 60 year old Italian man fell into the hole, while trying to figure out this strange “Art”, causing more ripples in the already stormy waters.

In retaliation to this, British artist Stuart Semple launched a PINK pigment, Pinkest Pink, a colour that reflected most light, making it almost florescent, with the rights of usage to any one BUT Anish Kapoor!

Okay, so this news starts a flurry of pink in my mind.

I usually have a palette of blues when I paint. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and introduce the colour pink to my palette. Hesitant at first, using a mellow rose, corals, blush, and gradually building up the courage to brighter and bolder hues of hot pink and fuchsia. The mild fragrance of pink roses, cherry blossoms, peonies and water lilies float in my mind. I am reminded of the soft touch of the pink booties on the tiny feet of my baby daughters. The comforting feel of a smooth rose quartz in the palm of my hand.

Where does pink take you? What memories dreams and hopes do you associate with this colour?

It is said a picture speaks a thousand words. Join me in these creative explorations of the language of colour permeating our senses, creating unforgettable experiences of Connection, Love and Bliss, through the dynamic process of fluid art. Pouring paint, embellishing with crystals and glitter. There is no room for any feud of hue and shade. Only a sense of gratitude for the gift of creation. As I play with this colour, I feel a childlike joy, and at the same time, a deeper stirring of the senses. Wow! Is this the energy of LOVE? Unconditional, Pure and Passionate? YES YES and YES!!

And the war continues, with Semple launching World’s most Glittery Glitter, made of glass flakes, reflecting light and giving a diamond like effect. Again prohibiting only Anish Kapoor from purchasing the super sparkles!!

The online checkout process includes a legal declaration confirming that: “you are not Anish Kapoor, you are in no way affiliated to Anish Kapoor, you are not purchasing this item on behalf of Anish Kapoor or an associate of Anish Kapoor. To the best of your knowledge, information and belief this paint will not make its way into that hands of Anish Kapoor.” Yet this did not stop Kapoor from illegally acquiring the Pinkest Pink pigment jar, and he posted this photo on Instagram!

There is a saying that goes something like “you can’t give what you don’t have”. When it comes to the pursuit of love, kindness, happiness, friendliness, or even compassion I couldn’t agree more. After all, how can you love someone unconditionally if you don’t love yourself first? How can you be compassionate to others if you can’t be compassionate to your own needs? While I don’t have the answer to these million-dollar questions, I do have a flower for that: pink peonies.

Peonies are a fragrant flowering plant with huge round blooms, each with numerous delicate petals (most commonly pink) and have a very, very short growing season here in North America. Flower lovers patiently wait 10 long months for the first bloom to arrive in May. By the end of June, they are gone. Was it worth it? Totally. So worth it that we’re willing to wait another long 10 months in anticipation of seeing those coveted fragrant blooms once again. It is this lifecycle that makes pink peonies the quintessential reminder of how a long-term investment is required to experience a healthy and steady return. If you put in the time and effort, it will pay-off. Every time you see a pink peony, it’s a reminder to believe.

Pink peonies symbolize love and prosperity. It’s no wonder why pink peonies (or any pink flower for that matter) are commonly used for weddings and other celebratory events. From a floral design perspective, including pink peonies in arrangements throughout May and June is an absolute must. Like a chef capitalizing on the seasonality of texture, aroma and flavour, floral designers have the same luxury with peonies. It is a seasonal treat.

Giving someone a bouquet of pink peonies, or even a single stem, is a sentimental way of showing your compassion. Keeping in mind the saying “you can’t give what you don’t have”, the gift also conveys the message that you care for yourself and are therefore authentically in a position to be compassionate toward your loved ones.

Never underestimate the power of gifting these blooms to yourself. In the ultimate show of self-care and self-love, experiencing the presence of pink peonies on your kitchen table, for instance, demonstrates and reminds you to love yourself. When you can do that, you are increasing your ability to love others wholly and unconditionally. Who wouldn’t want a reminder like that? It is beautiful, it is fluid and it doesn’t criticize or lecture you as you pursue new paths!

“Consider pink peonies in your workplace to keep negative energy at bay”

Finally, consider pink peonies in your workplace to keep negative energy at bay. Pink peonies are great to stare at when you can’t concentrate. Take a mindfulness moment and just stare. Keep a vase on your desk and fill it with pink blooms when you need a boost. Let Mother Nature’s beauty serve as a reminder of what is possible, or more specifically what you can produce, when you believe. If you are in front of a computer all day, especially if you are in a creative role, often the pink blooms can serve as inspirational colour. Why not include a pink font, image, or background detail in your next presentation? It is rarely done. It’s very unique. Given the right topic, incorporating pink into that important presentation or report (or even your shirt, socks or tie) can convey just the right amount of calmness, compassion, and diplomacy you need to execute successfully.

Pink peonies pay off big time when you open your eyes to the symbolism they represent. Though their season may be short, it doesn’t mean their effects have to be. It is all up to your interpretation and willingness to believe in yourself and persevere.

Huge ‘Coral Charm’ peony in the centre, surrounded by pink ‘Hermosa’ roses, purple stock and white tulips.

As a creative professional, how many times have you heard the infamous “I love it! It’s perfect, it is exactly what I’m looking for, but can you make this one change?” Being someone who manages creative and produces public facing pieces, I hear it a lot. Love it? Do you love it if you need to change it? Love is subjective and so is design. One person loves the look and feel and sees the message where another has a totally different idea in their head and rejects what you love from the get go. Finding that balance of what you love and what you know your client would love is a fine art. You need to put your passion aside and work on what’s right for the client. It is something I’m not a fan of doing, but it’s essential for success.

Defining love can take many different turns: “Like or enjoy something very much”, “a great interest and pleasure in something” or “an intense feeling or deep affection” – I can honestly say, I pour many emotions into my work. In my field, some jobs have less than a day turn around and have less love, but love is present nonetheless. Love needs to be part of your job; it ignites your passion and with passion comes excitement and the drive to succeed.

If you saw my last article, you would have read about me losing my job of 4 years. It was a job that I poured a lot of time and passion into. Did I love it? No. It was apparent in some of my work. Don’t get me wrong I put my time into each job and made sure it was brief and to my level of quality, but even though I got the “I love it” statements, there were always changes. Maybe my passion wasn’t in line with theirs? Maybe their vision for the business was different, but I was brought on board to bring change and to make a difference. You can’t make a difference when you can’t trust someone else’s passion for their job. My new role is different. I’ve expressed how my passion for design will help make a difference and they support it. Yes there are changes upon changes and that is the nature of the business. It’s about how those changes are brought forth. We collaborate and discuss and debate what’s best for the job and that works. As of now, we’ve successfully redesigned close to 10 different campaign messages with a lift in sales. I’d like to think my direction helped with that success.

You will not be as successful as you could be, without love. Your love and passion is what drives you. Do you have passion for your career? For what you create? For what you do? If you don’t, find your passion. That love brings you through the toughest times and helps you find the success you need to find in the end. During my brief hiatus, it was that passion that kept me thinking about my work and how it changes the world, how it allows more customers to remember a brand or see a price or enjoy a retail environment. If you can’t drive your passion through your full time job, maybe a hobby or side hustle will help ignite that flame. Though I’m a full time employee of a specific brand, I keep my own work going, maintain my site and network with a bunch of designers throughout the world. It helps keep me sharp and helps me keep my flame burning.

“As a creative professional, how many times have you heard the infamous “I love it! It’s perfect, it is exactly what I’m looking for, but can you make this one change?”

Thinking back a few months, that career break maybe also helped me love myself a little bit more. It allowed me to truly understand my value and realize I was being severely undervalued where I was. Though being laid off wasn’t my doing, it was a big help in allowing me to advance myself in what I do. At the time it was devastating, but it was a blessing in disguise that I needed. It has also allowed me to rediscover my love for design and being able to help people discover how design will improve sales, experience and growth. It is amazing how in times of darkness, there is always some sort of light that guides you through it. Do what allows you to discover your love, keep your flame burning or reignite your passion and allow it to guide you to what you truly should be doing. You will be amazed on how your world will change.

Throughout the centuries, pink has assumed a range of guises, from Barbie’s dresses to the saris of the Indian vigilante group, the Gulabi Gang. The way it is perceived by society has also changed over the years, at various times being considered feminine, erotic, kitsch, sophisticated and transgressive.

“A colourful history”

In the West, pink first became fashionable in the mid1700s, when European aristocrats, both men and women, wore faint, powdery variants as a symbol of luxury and class. Madame de Pompadour, the chief mistress of Louis XV, loved the colour so much that in 1757, French porcelain manufacturer Sèvres named its exquisite new shade of pink, ‘Rose Pompadour’, after her.

Pink was not then considered a ‘girls’ colour, infants of both sexes were dressed in white. The tint was, in fact, often considered more appropriate for little boys because it was seen as a paler shade of red, which had “masculine,” military undertones.

The more recent association with women and femininity started around the mid -19th century when, according to Steele, “men in the Western world increasingly wore dark, sober colours,” leaving brighter and pastel options to their female counterparts. The meaning of the colour pink is unconditional love and nurturing.

Loving yourself truly comes with facing what you may hate most about yourself.

Maybe it is a body part or multiple body parts, or the way you treated someone, or guilt or shame about a situation. The thing is, until you can really shine a light on your insecurities, you will never be truly accepting of yourself.

Here are some tips on loving yourself first before searching for love in your life:

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.
2. Don’t worry about others’ opinions.
3. Allow yourself to make mistakes.
4. Remember your value doesn’t lie in how your body looks.
5. Don’t be afraid to let go of toxic people.
6. Process your fears.
7. Trust yourself to make good decisions for yourself.
8. Take every opportunity life presents or create your own.
9. Put yourself first.
10. Feel pain and joy as fully as you can.
11. Exercise boldness in public.
12. See beauty in the simple things.
13. Be kind to yourself.

The colour pink represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing. A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits. Pink is feminine and romantic, affectionate and intimate, thoughtful and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red, replacing it with a gentle loving energy.

Pink symbolizes youth, good health, and playfulness. It’s the flush of first love and stands for nurturing femininity. It is used as the symbolic colour of the movement to support breast cancer research, and we think of pink as an innocent, cheerful colour. I personally associate pink with the self-love. What does self-love mean? Is it a bubble bath, extra piece of cake or new lipstick? It might be a manifestation on the surface level, but self-love starts within.

Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others.

There are several names you must have heard of when it comes to shades of warm Gold. “Rose” gold, “Red” gold and “Pink” gold are all gold which exist in the market. But what is the difference between them and which one is the most popular?

All three are basically the same. Many goldsmiths use all three names in the market. Yet, “Rose” gold has a more romantic marketing sound to it. All three are basically the same. It is the composition of metal and percentage of copper and silver which creates the shades of pink that can be seen in gold.

Gold itself is a yellow metallic colour in its pure form. It is very soft to be used in jewelry as it is, although some cultures prefer it pure and that requires it to be heavily made and carefully crafted. In order to uphold its shape, copper and silver are added in different percentages to gold.

To achieve the reddish gold alloy, all that is needed is to increase the proportion of copper in the mixture. To maintain the correct proportion of gold in the alloy, this requires less silver content. Silver is more expensive than copper and in the past, goldsmiths would increase copper content to save cost.

Between yellow gold and rose gold, yellow gold is more hypoallergenic. If you are allergic to certain metals, it’s advisable to use higher karat yellow gold as it has less alloy mixture that can cause allergic reaction.

I enjoyed working with some pink coloured gemstones in my “Primavera collection. The theme I worked with was feminine and romantic inspired by nature. I found these stones through my travels and they were Rose Quartz, Pink Opal and Rhodochrosite.

Pink Opal is a beautiful creamy pink stone that is valued for its unique pink hue and pleasing luster. It is considered a healing stone that cures insomnia, stress, anxiety and heart related disorders. It’s an affordable gemstone to use in jewelry.

Rose Quartz is another pretty pink stone that ranges from light pink to a rich shade of pink. Usually cut into cabochons, faceted stones and beads. It is a popular stone to gift for new and expecting mothers. It is considered a stone for unconditional love and infinite peace. Although it is a humble stone, it has powerful energy that can awaken the heart chakra and can dissolve boundaries of isolation, mistrust and encourage self-love.

Another pink stone I have used in my jewelry pieces is Rhodochrosite. This stone is known to be the national stone of Argentina and the gemstone of love and compassion. Its colour ranges from lighter shades of raspberry red to pink. Rhodochrosite is relatively soft and is very difficult to cut, so it is rarely found in facetted jewellery.

It’s said that Rhodochrosite can help you find or reunite with a lost loved one. It also helps easing depression and encourages a positive mindset. It improves self worth and soothes emotional stress.

As a jewelry designer, I always preferred using yellow gold plating over using silver and mixed gemstones when it came to adding colour to my pieces. Here are some photos from previous collections that were displayed in different exhibitions and Events.

In this issue, we honor the colour pink, which in of itself is an institution in the beauty world in all of its forms. From fabulous fuchsia to bridal blush, pink is socially known worldwide to signify new or unabashed love, sweetness, positivity and hope (think Valentine’s Day). Soft pinks such as salmon, light rose, and blushes come off as calm, caring, and are commonly associated with youth, whereas brighter or deeper pinks like orchid, fuchsia and hot pink can exude passion, assertion, confidence, and individuality.

Being a mix of red and white, the aforementioned descriptions of various pinks come as no surprise. Even so, as artists we must be aware that for each event and each client, their own perceptions of this colour can directly affect our creativity and use of it. Pink’s common association is with femininity. Femininity and feminine energy is often not being portrayed as a universal trait, it is changing but remains present always. We have the power, particularly with creative projects such as branding and marketing, character creation and development in film and television, to neutralize the use of pink and allow it to be seen for its values which can exist in any person. Our influence and education on pink needs to create fluidity of use across beauty products, branding and applicability for all consumers.

Soft & Subtle

Starting with a blush tone on the lips, this type of pink falls into a “nude” category. Though the lip shade is soft and subtle, the client’s beautiful full lips are still a noticeable part of her features, but now make way for the lovely work on the eyes to really stand out. There is a pink nude for everyone, sometimes it just takes a bit of ingenuity! Using multiple products to layer i.e. liner with liquid lipstick then a satin lipstick to finish as I did here, can help your client achieve that perfect blush nude they may have felt in the past they were not able to find in a single tube.

Wedding Inspiration

Here we have a perfect example of a dusty rose, whichhas been a shade that has dominated both bridal andnon-bridal beauty for the past few seasons. As this clientgets her hair done, she is captured having an effortless moment of equal parts shyness and confidence. I remember remarking that I would need to add her to my payroll because I knew the beauty of her wedding look was going to bring me a lot of business, and while looking down as her photog @crista_lee_ photography expertly advised, she cracked this gorgeous smile. And the results? 6 years later and I still have client’s screenshot this image and send it to me for their wedding inspiration. Called it!

Barbie gone Bollywood!

I love this softened, cool-toned take on hot pink we chose to really elevate the fun colours and vibrant atmosphere of this South Asian wedding. I started out with a very cool, lilac liner which I feathered the lips in with, and topped it with a creamy hot pink lipstick mixed with the slightest touch of the client’s concealer. For the client’s colouring, her outfit, and the rest of her makeup, we wanted to maintain some of the brightness of the colour but cool it down by neutralizing the stronger presence of red that makes hot pink, well, hot. The completed look along with the gorgeous pop of matching blush and the lightest smidge of pink sparkle on her eyes was stunning and went amazingly with her scheme and colour theme.

“Unleash the passionate and playful power of pink”

Pink often carries connotations of health and wellness as well – rosy cheeks, hydrated pink lips, healthy pink gums, and so forth. The correlation between good or better health and youth is subconscious to us, and dates back to our nomadic days when life expectancies hardly passed 30. Take this with hope and also with a grain of salt – there is no colour which is 100% not ‘appropriate’ for any person. Aversions to colours based on age and other factors is learned, which means it can be unlearned. Additionally, health and wellness can be universal, which could help you as a starter “selling point” when encouraging the use of different pinks with your clients or talent. Together, we can unleash the hopeful, passionate, and playful power of pink!

Most people around the world consider pink to be truly feminine. Since they were born, most girls have been dressed in this colour and pink is even connected to gender-specific toys can be found more often in pink for girls.

Pink is bleached red, in other words it is soft, gentle red.

In the modern fashion world, pink is hardly used in men’s clothing, unless men’s work is related to creativity or fashion. At the same time, women are eager to adopt this bright and noticeable colour, which is often associated with youth, health, tenderness and beauty.

“How to style one dress 4 incredibly different ways “

Depending on the saturation, pink is divided into 7 main tones: pale pink, purple-pink, salmon, crimson, fuchsia, coral and magenta.

In cold tones of pink we can see purple shades. Pink becomes warm after adding yellow and orange.

Pale pink or the colour of ‘tea rose’, ‘camellia’ – these names are related to pastel, bleached red. Soft and gentle tones in clothing will always remain a good option for women of all ages. Combined with burgundy or a ripe cherry colour, pink can be used even in a business smart look. In its light powder version, it will especially suit women over 40. Moreover, this tone can be a great alternative to a wedding dress as it can replace the traditional white colour, without losing the tenderness, femininity and purity of the look.

If you add a bit of gray to pink, then the shade of ‘faded rose’ (muted pink) will become a manifestation of elegant and refined style. A set of clothes in this tone looks noble and expensive, although it does not suit everyone, especially older women.

Salmon pink is distinguished by its orange backlight and it is recommended for women of autumn colour type. Its variety can be shrimp-pink and so-called ‘pink flamingo’.

Berry, rich crimson colour will suit young women who want to stand out from the crowd, to emphasize their sexuality. A crimson jumper or dress will become a great background for accessories’ that play or bring bright details to the look.

In contrast to crimson, ‘explosive fuchsia’ is one of the complex shades of pink for a successful combination. This colour should be neutralized by achromatic colours (white, gray, black), so as not to turn into a bright spot which absorbs the individuality of its owner completely. Fuchsia suits girls of contrasting appearances even in portraits, but if you have delicate facial features and you do not like focused makeup, you’d better use it in certain details only. One should wear this colour on the lower body, like trousers, skirts, or shoes.

Coral colour is similar to salmon, because they have the same orange base. However, there is a bit of brown in the salmon colour. It can be perfectly combined with beige, nude shades and gold jewelry.

Pink goes well with blue, if these colours do not compete with each other as to which is brighter in the same look. The combination of pastel pink and blue looks great. For example, a pink top and light denim make a refreshing and gentle look, and such a combination will be a great background to emphasize the depth of your eyes and sensitivity of your lips. For those who want to neutralize a sweet, soft and too delicate taste of this outfit, it is worth adding some brown accessories.

The harmonious combination of pink and green can often be seen on flowerbeds. However, it is not so easy to find the right shade of green in clothes, so that it does not look too provocative together with pink. Peppermint shades in combination with soft pink make an ideal pair. A combination of pink and grass-green makes a win-win situation. Light green, which contains a yellow tone, should not be combined with pink in the same look, or should only be used in small details.

In order to combine pink with yellow, you can add an additional third colour to your outfit, which will calm down the bright combination. In addition to achromatic colours, you can choose a tone of brown. Coral and mustard form a noticeable, but at the same time elegant pair, and pink can be combined with gold for a festive outfit.

I do not recommend combining pink with red, because the risk of failing in choosing a harmonious outfit is very high. The more pink or purple tones there are in pink; the easier it is to combine them with a detail of purple clothes.

If gray in combination with pink is able to tame even active fuchsia or magenta, then black will act as a catalyst and enhance even more colour saturation. White in small details will always be helpful. In general, white and pink can be considered as a universal combination, as it evens out the radiance of different shades of pink.

Designers have concluded that gentle, powder, pastel accessories in tones of pink have serious longevity in your wardrobe. If you’re choosing deep pink shoes, make them the focus of your outfit.

For men, adding a pink tie or shirt to a dark brown or black suit adds a fresh, bright pop of colour for attending informal events. Pink will add radiance to their face and looks great with a tan in warm weather.

With the help of pink in your wardrobe you can add some tenderness or elegance, to your look. The only thing you should remember is that there are no colours that do not suit us, however, there are shades that depend on your skin tone. Feel free to experiment and add pink shades to your life, paying attention to the individual characteristics of your appearance. Let your pink dreams be bold and come true! Although reality often forces us to take off the rose coloured glasses, I am sure that sometimes it is the only way to deal with the gray of everyday life. 

 In 2015, having just turned 31 and in my first few months as the Artistic Director of the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, I was asked to write a letter to my younger self as a theatre practitioner. Here’s part of what I wrote:

“You are not everyone’s cup of tea, and that is okay!”

Dear Younger Self,

It’s all going to happen. Really. In ways, you had hoped for and ways you never dreamed, so breathe. Enjoy the quiet moments. Find the quiet moments and appreciate them. You don’t need to try so hard. Those gigs you really wanted but didn’t get, let them go. Please don’t fret about them. Coulda, woulda, shoulda? Nah. They weren’t meant to be. Remember what Marie said: “You get the gig you’re supposed to get.”

But you also get the gigs you take because you needed the money, and the ones where you feel like shit because people try to steal your gold or squash your spirit…yeah. Let the shitty feelings go but don’t lose the memory. That’s where you learn how to be a leader. That’s how you learn to treat people the way they should be treated. Humility and respect – always strive for them – and you will fail at times, but recognize it, forgive yourself and move on. Ever striving for humility and respect.

Don’t squash your spirit. Ever. Though there are times where you feel it’s too big for a room…don’t squash it…find a bigger room. Or find people who get it, who get you. They are out there. They are mentors, peers, family, and friends. Their spirit meshes with yours – you learn from each other.

Your brain is busy trying to please everyone, trying to do what’s right, trying to make people like you. Don’t worry about pleasing people, don’t worry about right. Look at the big picture, do what’s honest. Treat people with respect; if they don’t respect you, then move on.

You are not everyone’s cup of tea, and that is okay.

Not everyone is your cup of tea, and that is okay.

Celebrate something every day: a failure, tripping on the sidewalk, noticing something you haven’t seen before in a place you visit every day, a friend’s accomplishment. Celebrate.

Do something every day for your career:
Write a thank-you note.
Edit your resume.
Draft a cover letter.
Set a goal.

Don’t over-plan, though, cos it’s not going to go the way you’d like it to or want it to or hoped it would. There are surprises every day- positive and negative- celebrate them. Learn from them. Be open to change. Revel in the unknown. Own up to your mistakes; you make a bunch every day. Own up to them and move on…a little wiser.

Six years later, having just turned 37 and having run WJT throughout the pandemic, here’s a letter to 31-year old me:

Dear Younger Self,

You’re stronger than you know. You can move mountains and make your dreams come true. But you are also going to feel alone in ways you never knew. Leading can be lonely at times. The decisions – so many decisions – small ones, large ones, and those in-between that are invisible to most people-weigh greatly on you.

“This, not that.”
“This because of that.”
“I have to let go of this to accomplish that.”

Leading is hard. Decisions are hard, especially when sometimes you make the wrong, but the right decisions come at a cost, too.

Own it all, the failures, the successes, the in-betweens. Own it all and let it go. Find the space, the time, the courage to exhale.

And don’t forget to dance. You love to dance. Times will get hairy, and decisions will mount, and you will forget to dance. Don’t. Tell Google play to put on some disco, throw on your tutu and get your groove on. Try and do it every day. And it doesn’t have to be on Instagram; it can just be for you.

Take time for yourself every day. Work will run you over if you let it. There will always be decisions and emails, so carve out your personal time and protect it.

Paint your nails. Pink, purple, turquoise, or glittery green, you can still be a boss with nails and your tutu, though some people may raise an eyebrow, NUTS TO THEM. You do it to feel good, to be yourself.

11 must-read steps for opening your first business:

1. Select Your Business Structure

Before you start your new venture, ensure that the chosen business structure is right for you. You need to ask yourself some questions: is the Sole Proprietorship appropriate for me or should I start another type of business? Choosing the right entity is the key to your future Startup’s success. The business’s legal structure impacts everything starting with the registration, daily management, taxes, and risk distribution.

Opening a sole proprietorship is the simplest and straightforward way to start a business. If the company has a single owner, the sole proprietorship is the recommended legal structure.

If you are operating under your own personal name i.e. John Smith, as a single business owner you are not required to register the sole proprietorship.

2. Find A Business Name

If you have decided to start a sole proprietorship, you will need to choose a name for it. Opt for a distinctive name that describes your business and shows the type of brand that you want to build. The right business name will differentiate your company by describing the activities that your business carries out. In the long haul, your business name will become a significant asset. This brings appreciation, loyalty from clients, and valuable goodwill.

The name chosen for your small business cannot suggest other types of entities, such as corporations or partnerships. It cannot be composed of the following endings: Incorporated, Corporation, Limited, Inc., Ltd., or Corp.

3. Check If the Business Name Is Available

Before you register the selected business name, you have to determine if the name is not used by another organization. You can use the Enhanced Business Name Search to check online if someone else is already using the elected name.

To register the name of your company, you should carry out a name search by using the NUANS (Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search) tool which lets you search business names across Canada to see if your name opinions are already taken by other organizations.

NUANS databank lists sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and trademarks within several provinces, including Ontario.

In general, you should avoid a business name that is similar or indistinguishable from your selected name. While identical names are not prohibited under the legislation in Ontario, you may get into legal disputes.

Keep in mind that the business name does not offer you name protection. If the protection of your sole proprietorship name is essential for you, you may consider incorporating your business. You must register the business name if the name is different from your legal name or if your business name expired and cannot be renewed.

4. Register Your Business Name

You can register your business name online, by email, or in person. You will be required to provide the following information: name of business; business address; business mailing address; the legal name of the owner; address of the owner; business activity (a brief description of the activity being carried out). You can search, register, or renew a business name online using the Integrated Business Services Application tool.

You can also search, register, or renew a business by mail or in person. If you mail the form, you can send it to the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, Central Production and Verification Services, 393 University Avenue, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5G 2M2.

Further, you can submit your application in person at 375 University Avenue, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M5G 2M2. You must renew your business name every 5 years and you need to do it before the expiration date. There is a renewal fee payable. 1. Select your business structure 2. Find a business name 4. Register your business name 3. Check if the business name is available If there is a change to your business registration such as address or activity, you must notify Service Ontario.

Once your business is registered, you will receive a Business Identification Number (BIN). This number shows that your business is registered in Ontario. You can use your BIN number to open a bank account, and to engage in any business relationships.

5. Register for Permits and Licences

You will have to operate your business under Ontario’s provincial regulations. That may require you to collect HST for your business, so you will need to open a GST/HST account with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). You may also need to register for Workers’ Compensation Insurance.

Although you are only operating as a sole proprietor, you should find out if you require any other licenses or certificates to legally operate in Ontario.

The fines for not having the right license or permit can be daunting for your new startup. Make sure you apply for the correct federal or provincial licenses or permits. Some examples of permits and licenses needed in Ontario are as follows:

• Food or liquor license
• A health and safety license
• Home occupation permits
• Sales tax permits
• Zoning permits
• Environmental permits.
• Police and fire permits; and,
• Signage permits.

6. Open a GST/HST Account With CRA

When you start your business as a sole proprietor, you may need to set up a tax account. If your business will earn $30,000.00 or more within the first year, you may wish to set up the GST/HST account right from the start.

Payroll is only required when you have at least one employee working for you. You do not need to set up a payroll for yourself. Also, WSIB is mandatory only if you have employees working for you who could become physically injured while working.

7. Open a Bank Account for Your Business

In Ontario, there are many banks to choose from when it comes to opening your business bank account. To make sure you get the right banking solutions, you can set up a meeting with the banks’ small business advisor who can help you in choosing the right banking options for your unique business.

When you go to your local branch to open a bank account, you need to bring your Master’s Business Licence and your driver’s license. Your bank may request further documents or information, depending on the bank and banking services required.

8. Get Business Insurance

It is important to recognize that owning and operating a small business in Ontario puts you at risk of being sued. Another factor to consider as a sole proprietor is that the business’s liability falls solely on you, as an owner. Unlike corporations which are separate legal entities from their shareholders, as a Sole Proprietor, you have no personal protection from your company. It is recommended that you secure business insurance to protect your personal assets.

9. Sign a Commercial Lease

As a new business owner, you may need a space to run your business. If you rent a space for your business, you may choose to enter into a commercial lease agreement with a commercial landlord. Office rent could be the largest expense your Startup incurs. Making sure you have the best negotiated commercial lease may save you money that you can use for other initial expenses.

There is no standard commercial lease as businesses are diverse. Most commercial leases will include the following terms: rent, deposit, insurance, repair and maintenance obligations, renewal or end the lease, length and type of tenancy, and other details. It is strongly recommended that you speak with a lawyer about how to prepare and negotiate a commercial lease for your particular business.

10. Get Your Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

There is no standard commercial lease as businesses are diverse. Most commercial leases will include the following terms: rent, deposit, insurance, repair and maintenance obligations, renewal or end the lease, length and type of tenancy, and other details. It is strongly recommended that you speak with a lawyer about how to prepare and negotiate a commercial lease for your particular business.

11. Start Your Sole!

There is no standard commercial lease as businesses are diverse. Most commercial leases will include the following terms: rent, deposit, insurance, repair and maintenance obligations, renewal or end the lease, length and type of tenancy, and other details. It is strongly recommended that you speak with a lawyer about how to prepare and negotiate a commercial lease for your particular business.

You are ready to start your business now! GOOD LUCK!

***This article is written from a Canadian perspective, please consult a professional in your own country for specific steps to opening a business.

Unleash the Power of Pink through Portfolio Design!

What do portfolios and the colour pink have in common? They both have the potential to help you improve your financial situation and bring in more money. Create a well-designed portfolio that represents your authentic self and watch the money flow in the door.

Whether digital or hard copy, your portfolio needs to represent you and your work in an organized and consistent manner. Here are some are key steps to follow when designing the layout of your portfolio.

PERSONAL BRANDING:

Announce yourself and set the tone of your portfolio in your ABOUT section. Start by writing a brief description detailing who you are as an artist, what you do, and your philosophy. Then top it off with an engaging and joyful picture of yourself. People don’t like to read too much text when reviewing a portfolio so keep it concise; 2-3 short paragraphs will do the trick.

Remember to include a CONTACT section if you are creating a digital portfolio. This will allow people to connect with you. By including a section where you ask the reader to fill out a contact form, you create an easy way to collect their information for future newsletters and events. It is an instant contact list made up of people who already know who you are and have expressed interest in your work.

PRO TIP: Keep the overall design layout clean, consistent, and inviting. Not only will it attract the eye, but it will also allow for easy navigation of your portfolio.

PROJECTS:

List your projects under CATEGORY HEADINGS. Start by selecting your best or most successful work to demonstrate your versatility, or depth in a particular area. There is no need to include all your work, just a selection of work that truly represents you and your brand.

Curate your pieces so they tell a story about the type of artist you are, why you are unique and where you would like to take your work in the future. When you review your pieces, see what themes are repeated, for example perhaps you have used various mediums, or focused on different topics. Once you have found your themes you can turn them into Category Headings. Arrange your categories any way that makes sense to you, but always keep the reader in mind. Ask yourself who you are trying to attract and build from there. If you don’t want to work in a certain area, do not showcase pieces that will draw in that type of client.

“Create a well-designed portfolio and watch the money flow in the door”

Whether you have created your portfolio to find work as a graphic designer, or to send to a gallery, you will need to organize your projects according to the category headings.

When creating a digital portfolio, follow these best practices:

• Format: use galleries to allow people to choose a project to explore.
• Categorize Projects: use industry-friendly terms and showcase enough variety to demonstrate your breadth of relevant skills.

PROCESS:

With each new project include a brief description or outline, depending on the type of project you are showcasing. Get started by presenting information about your process to intrigue and inform the reader. For portfolios that focus exclusively on art projects, write clear and concise labels, including the name of your work, the date and your medium if relevant.

Use high resolution images of your work, and only submit an edited version of your portfolio. Submitting an unedited portfolio could ruin your professional image before you even get started.

It goes without saying that you need to have permission from any former employer if you intend to use work that you completed for them. Be sure to confirm they are ok with you sharing ideas that they paid you to create.

Keep your summaries brief and highlight these aspects if you are showcasing digital projects:

• Outline: briefly describe the project; articulate any challenges you solved for a previous employer, if relevant.
• Articulate the Process: show your research and insights when relevant.
• Context: keep your audience in mind and remember your reader is a potential employer. Keep your context relevant to the needs of the reader.

Your well-designed and thoughtfully curated portfolio will amplify your voice and broadcast your unique talent to the right audience. Get ready to feel the power of pink, and welcome the flow of money that follows!

Did you forget to remember how miraculous it was seeing the world through the eyes of a child? Do you remember that you could be anyone, be anything, be anywhere and be at any time? It was easy as just wanting it and poof there you were.

Before drifting deeper into this, I would like to share something so important. You may or may not even know this, and if you do, perhaps you forgot, and this is an AHA moment for you. Our imagination is powerful because, our subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Period. It doesn’t know if something really happened or if we imagined that it happened.

When EVERYDAY was the BEST Adventure EVER!

So why do we care about this? Because our subconscious mind is our supercomputer and it runs pretty much everything in our mind, body and energy systems. For example, you know when you play a “what if ” scenario in your head and you start to imagine some worse case scenarios? Suddenly you start feeling the feelings that you playing in your imagination, and you begin to feel emotions and it completely changes your state of being? OK, that is because the subconscious mind believes this to be really happening and is behaving accordingly, creating neural pathways, flushing your system with the chemicals required for this scenario etc.

The other thing our subconscious doesn’t consider is time, it does not know the difference between past, present and future, everything is NOW. This means, if you keep playing negative past scenarios in your mind, you are virtually retraumatizing yourself, over and over because your subconscious believes that this is happening to you NOW. That is frightening and if it doesn’t scare the bejeezus out of you, it should!

So back to why you should see the world through the eyes of a child. Children are very present, very NOW oriented and they see the amazingness in the world. Remember the first time you saw a bird or witnessed this with a child, or snow, or flowers or rainbows or grass? You saw it with freshness, with wonder, with awe, with the eyes of a child. Everything was unspoiled, appreciated, and simple. Wouldn’t it be nice to see the world with that naivety again? Seeing a sunset or a sunrise for the first time was thrilling, and what if you could look at them every time as unique and beautiful and new. Seeing the world again as you once did would be a beautiful miracle. It would change your state of being, your energy, the feelings in your body and the way you think about things. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were as simple as being present, playful and noticing the miracles that are going on around you every day?

What if?

Here is a “What if…” Scenario for you. What if you could look at every cloud, feel every breeze, become aware of your breath, notice the colours in the world, the details in the flowers and the trees and all the beauty that we forget to sense to its fullest because we have become so wrapped in our lives, our “to do” lists, our tragedies, and our fears. Children understand the value of this, and we have forgotten to remember this as adults.

What if right now you shifted your thoughts and understood that happiness or unhappiness are due to the thoughts we have, the words we use and the limiting beliefs we have in place. You have the power to shift your thoughts, to see the positive aspects of everything, even the challenges and obstacles, to be more aware and to change situations that you have control over. You have the power to do this without frustration or being bothered. You have the freedom to sense the world like a child again!

From this day on, choose to live more fully, moment by moment. It takes practice, like anything. When a baby learns to walk, just think of how many times the child falls, and keeps getting back up until he or she is running wildly and freely.

The life we live is a combination of choices we make in every moment. It is time to get off auto-pilot and choose differently and freely. It is time to get back into the driver’s seat and imagine your life to be all the wonderful things you want it to be and notice how that changes your state of being and all the happy chemicals being flushed your system.

Many of my clients first words to me are, “oh that is so easy to say but I have responsibilities”. My answer is, your first priority and responsibility is to yourself, and all the others in your life come after you. We have been conditioned to do things backwards in this world for decades and centuries. Consider this, when you are happy and enjoy your life, how much better can you be for all the others in your life? How much more joy will you find in each day? IMAGINE THAT!

Hello beauties!

Here we are again. Can you believe that we have completed a WHOLE YEAR of this magical magazine?

We have finished with my FAVOURITE COLOUR…PINK! YAAAYYY!

OK, all that fun and excitement aside, I was guided to speak on a serious topic that is really important to me and I hope you care about it too, “Healing Our ‘Inner Child’”. For many of us on a journey of self-growth and the healing of our inner child, it can be a lifelong experience.

Inner work will set you free

It was 11 years ago when a unique system came through me and truly saved my sanity and life. This system which incorporates daily ‘Inner Child’ work is designed to aid in personal growth, especially for creative and heart-centred people. I truly believe if we want the best lives we can possibly imagine, it is imperative to mother ourselves and our ‘Inner Child’ on a daily basis, where we are naturally surrounded by those that honour our boundaries while we honour theirs.

I am actually writing this article on Mother’s Day. I find it fitting considering I grew up not with the mother I wanted, but with the mother I needed to help me become the fierce yet sensitive badass coach, healer and artist that I am today. Thank you, momma! I am not being sarcastic in the least. On the contrary, I am truly grateful. Over 25 years ago, when I myself became a new mom, I was very anxious and found myself in 2 years of therapy. It was my therapist who taught me the importance of ‘mothering myself ’. It was up to me to meet my own emotional, physical and spiritual needs as an adult in the way my own mother may have wanted to but wasn’t able to do. My mother was not mothered the way she would have liked. Her own mother lost her mother when she was only 10 years old. Their relationship was very rocky. She also had a tumultuous relationship with my father. They uprooted their young family and immigrated from Italy to a new land (Canada) when I was only 5 years old. All of these circumstances contributed to how she mothered me. She really did the BEST she could. You see, not every mother has the capacity to love as madly and as deeply as we wish for or watched play out on television shows. We CAN however, learn to give ourselves the ‘perfect love’ we always desired. We need not rely on anyone for this sacred love, not even our own mothers. It is a bonus if we have it, but not necessary for our own happiness and success. There is much freedom in not being dependent on anyone but ourselves as sovereign beings.

So, after two years of navigating my “mommy issues” with my kind and patient therapist, I was able to say and truly mean/embody this statement: “My mother did do the best that she could from her state of consciousness. If she had KNOWN better, she would have DONE better.” From this realization came the warm flood of forgiveness. I believe that when we go deep to do our ‘Inner Work’, making it a daily practice of loving and honouring our ‘Inner Child’ as we would have ideally been loved and honoured as a little one, our relationships and lives can heal. This healing allows us to become ‘Miracle Magnets’, attracting that which we DO WANT, as opposed to becoming ‘Crap Magnets’ that attract that which what we DON’T WANT.

In my signature program, ‘The VIP Mindset Reset Online’, I have a simple & beautiful ‘Inner Child’ practice which includes acknowledging and honouring our precious ‘Inner Child’ each morning as we start our day. This sacred practice works hand in hand with ‘Self Love/Mirror Work’. Both of these practices combined are a soothing yet powerful combo for raising our vibration and attracting great things to us each morning. They set the tone for our day! In essence, we are activating our ‘High Vibe’ divine feminine by honouring our ‘Inner Child’ AND our ‘Grown Self ’, protecting our ‘Little Self ’ so that we may attract that which is valuable to us, our true desires…MIRACLES. Having done this sacred work myself, one of the best things to have happened for me is witnessing the shift in the relationship with my mother. Our relationship today is now filled with mutual love and acceptance for each other, completely opposite of the arguments and screaming matches we had as I was growing up. Back then, I lived unconsciously, not aware there was another way to be. The ongoing work of healing myself brought us both much peace and understanding.

She doesn’t ‘do the work’. I do. It doesn’t matter. It only takes one person to change in order to transform a relationship. My brother is quite fascinated by how my mother and I no longer argue, despite all the battles he witnessed growing up. His relationship with our mother is very different. He has not ‘done the work’. It is rocky. I cannot overstate the importance of healing our ‘Inner Child’ to raise us to a higher vibration and keep us there, attracting ALL that which we truly desire.

Reach out if I may serve or support you and your beautiful journey…this is my specialty.

A spotlight interview with my client Brittany Lynn Budd, a mindset and business coach who’s passionate about helping as many women as possible… make 6+ figures from home.

Who is Brittany Budd?

I’m passionate and excited about empowering female entrepreneurs to become exactly who they are meant to be and who they WANT to be! I’m a wife and mother of 3 beautiful children, and I’ve got one sweet child up in Heaven smiling down on us. Trust me when I say, I not only know how to walk the walk and talk the talk when it comes to mindset, positivity, and attracting what you want to you, but I’ve experienced many situations that caused me to put my teachings into good use!

I have been through some of the darkest of days, like losing a child, and I have come out of that feeling even more sure of my purpose in empowering women.

When did you decide to use the colour pink in the branding of your business?

“I accidentally fell into pink being part of my brand.”

When I was young I remember watching fashion television. It was on Sunday nights with models walking the runways. I remember one of the designers had the girls dye the bottoms of their hair in red or blue dye. I was like Oh mom, you have to let me do this, I want pink. She said no. When I got old enough to not need her permission to dye my hair I started doing some weird things with my hair. Four years ago, I was pregnant and I said let’s do some pink in my hair. I did and everyone said I love your new rebrand. Oh, okay, so I guess I have pink hair for the rest of my life, which I’m totally fine with.

What was one of your early beliefs about money?

“I think for me growing up, the belief was “there wasn’t enough money.”

What is enough?

That’s a great question. What is enough? I think it’s different for everybody. I’m currently reading a book by Rachel Rogers. It’s brand new, and it’s called, We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power. She talks about how six figures really isn’t enough anymore. When I was young, I remember my dad talking about making six figures, and I thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I had no idea what it meant but I knew that I wanted to make six figures. Today a lot of people can make six figures and it’s not enough, we all should be millionaires.

I think enough is subjective; it’s more of the lifestyle that you want, not being afraid that your bills aren’t going to be paid, or you’re not able to afford groceries until further into the month when you really need milk now. Enough is the comfort and security that everything is taken care of.

Who taught you about money and personal finances?

My background is in investing. My dad was an investment advisor; he still is. I learned a lot from him. I love my dad more than anything in this world but he shows love with money. There were some lessons that I could have learned the harder way and I didn’t, because my loving father bailed me out. It wasn’t until I got out on my own, got married, bought our first house, and started having kids, that I really opened my eyes. That’s when I started to learn about how to spend money, how to invest money, how to be comfortable holding on to money, what my threshold for spending was, and should be, what amount I should hold on to so I don’t panic, and when I should start spending. We have this desire to start spending it when we have it.

“I learned about personal finances and how I envision my money when I became an entrepreneur.”

What changed for you and your relationship with money?

“One of the biggest shifts for me was investing a lot of money into the business coach that I’ve been with for a year-and-a-half.”

I did investing for seven years and I’ve been a business coach for coming up on three years. The early stages of my business were not profitable. Now it is starting to really blow up [in a good way]. I am a manifesting generator. I am a quantum leaper. The way I think about my business, and the way I think about money, is what helped me make a lot of it in a short amount of time. I look at money as a tool. A lot of people look at money, not as a tool but rather a finite thing that they have to hold on to. I look at money as this infinite thing. I can make it anytime I want. I can make as much as I want. I just put in those actions to make it happen. I don’t worry about how I’m going to do it; I just keep working towards doing it. I’m just going to make this work for me. I’m going to invest it properly; I’m going to invest in my business properly. I’m a big researcher. One of the biggest shifts for me was investing a lot of money into the business coach that I’ve been with for a year-and-a-half. That made a huge difference. It forced me out of my little comfort bubble that I had going on. It pushed me to show up in my business differently because I was investing at a higher level. I need to show up as… “Oh, yeah, that girl that makes a lot of money!” Instead of waiting to become her. I need to be her now. Without the money.

When did you decide you could be a coach as a business?

Yeah, that’s such a great question. I was in direct selling for a few years, and I had really hitched my trailer to a woman that was very high up in the company. She started transforming into coaching and I thought, “Oh, my goodness, what a cool life she lives!”

“I could never… but it’s cool that she can.” She was the one that planted that seed of, why can’t you? You have all of this knowledge, you have an extensive background. You are already coaching your team; you’ve coached other people’s teams, why can’t you do this for money?

I sat on it for nine months in fear before I actually made the decision to step up, because it is scary to go out on your own and say, “Hey, world, I’m going to do this. Don’t tear me to shreds. Don’t judge me.” There was a huge fear of people thinking and saying, “Who does she think she is?” I sat on it. It wasn’t until September—nine months later—that I very awkwardly went live on my personal Facebook page and said, “I’m a coach now. Okay, bye.” I didn’t know what kind of coach I wanted to be; I just thought, “Let’s just try and see what fits?” It’s a good way for people who are unsure about their brand and what they should be doing to do research. The people that follow you already have an idea of what they expect of you. When I was taking on my first clients, they were free coaching clients – we did three months. I just said I’ll do whatever you want to coach on. A lot of them came to me about business and social media marketing. They already knew that this was my thing. I was just blind to it, because I was too close. Once I started checking out some of those free clients, then I realized, “I have to do Business Coaching.” It’ll be three years this fall.

What is the biggest challenge for your clients?

I see two. I see worthiness and I see fear, which kind of go together. But women, in my experience, tend to really struggle with, “Am I worthy of the success that I desire? Am I good enough?” And then the fear of what happens if they publicly fail. Those are the biggest blocks they have to overcome and the first step to breaking through those obstacles is understanding that you determine your worthiness; nobody else does that for you. “You only fail when you quit.”

How can readers learn more about you and how you help your clients?

My thoughts on pink.

Did you read last month’s article? Last month’s issue looked at the colour red and the Colours of Money article discussed the importance of tracking your expenses. Most of my new tax clients only review their expenses once a year when it is time to file their taxes.

Red + Light = Pink

By adding light to red we get pink, a more enlightened approach to money and how to manage it. 5 Steps to shift from Red to Pink

1. List three past or current beliefs about money
2. Pick one new habit to start and do it for the next 30 days
3. Create a basic budget
4. Start tracking your spending
5. Schedule a monthly 30 min “Date with your money”

I want to talk with you about something that many people struggle with and I hear about it frequently from clients. Sales can be scary, right? We say things like, “I will do anything except pick up that phone.” You then find yourself shuffling papers, cleaning your office, doing research, any non-profitproducing activity to avoid picking up the phone and making sales.

Well, guess what? If you don’t have sales in your business, your business will cease to exist. Either you must do the necessary sales activities in your business, or you must hire someone to manage the sales activities.

The way to get better at making sales calls, is to MAKE MORE SALES CALLS!

If you don’t have sales in your business, your business will cease to exist.

Here are a few tips that will help you take the scary out of your sales calls:

Tip #1: Research

Even though I am not a proponent of doing research as opposed to doing sales I am an advocate of doing research in preparation for your sales calls. Sales calls do not have to be cold calls. As a matter of fact, I highly recommend you find some ways to warm them up so that they do not feel so cold.

Some of the questions you may ask yourself to aid in preparation are:

• What is going on in the industry?
• What might the competition be for the people that I am calling?
• What might they be doing that I might want to talk about with the person that I am calling for?

Do the research, but do it in preparation for, not in lieu of your sales call.

Tip #2: Call party

There is nothing wrong with asking some of your colleagues to do calls in tandem. Personally, I enjoy doing sales call parties. Some days I approach my team saying, “Okay, I am going to make calls today and you are going to make calls today. Why don’t we make them together? Let us jump on a Zoom call (with muted lines) and let me hear how you are making your calls.” We might be able to give each other feedback such as, “Hey, I would have said this,” or “You know, that was fantastic. I am taking those notes and I am going to do that on my next call.” A good idea is to partner with others who share the same or higher skill level, have call parties, and not only learn from one another but also encourage each other.

Tip #3: Build a plan

Build a plan. In the sales profession, we can find ourselves stuck and feel as though we do not know what we are doing.

What is your sales plan? What are you trying to accomplish? How many calls are you going to make? How many calls does it take for you to get 10 connections and then how many of those connections will turn into a sale? Having a plan in place and being prepared helps reduce the level of stress that such questions can induce.

Tip #4: Warm leads

Have a full pipeline full of warm leads. These are people that you have already warmed up through your networking. Maybe through speaking or social media conversations so that by the time you have that conversation it does not feel like a cold call. You need a viable pipeline to make it easier to have fruitful sales activities.

At the end of the day, the way we get better at making sales calls is to make sales calls. You have to keep doing it even when it is uncomfortable. Do not allow your profit-producing activity time to boss you around! Do not believe that you are going to fail… that people are going to reject you… that no one wants to talk to you because when you do that you have lost the sale before you ever pick up the phone.

Summary:

Do your homework, schedule 90 minutes of business development time, create some workgroups so that you can have accountability around sales calls to get it done.

If you still have questions about how to warm up your calls and make them more effective during that 90 minutes a day shoot me an email at tish@tishtimes.com.

And once again, if you just do not have the team or the time to get this done on your own, let me know because that is what we do. We can help you with that. I will talk to you next time!

When we think of money, who would connect this to unconditional love, mothering, romance, sensuality, compassion, and the rest of the fabulous attributes of pink? I would.

And so would many others, although they may not have this in the forefront of their mind, but more so in their subconscious.

Men listen up (and women you are next!) I divorced 3 times by the time I was 36 and have remained single for 21 years. Why? Certainly not because I do not love men, I do. I greatly admire them and aspire to be more like them as they THINK BIG. This helps me to think bigger.

Being a tom boy at heart, we cannot change genetics. I am a woman and I look for “the nesting and safety” of my family. I am loaded with intuition and compassion, but when it comes to mothering, I have an unconditional love that roars like a bear and I will ruthlessly cast out anything that affects the contents of my nest: my family.

This brings me to finance. With all these firm qualities, many women are looking for financial safety in order to feel complete and sensual in our relationships. Money can break down the best of relationships.

I love co- creating with you!

Rule #1. Make the money

Many times it has been said that “women will marry for money.” I am sure some will, but most will marry for love, affection and family.

• Look at both incomes and add them together.
• Decide your BURN RATE, yes, your budget. (For example: if your joint income is $8000/mo. and your monthly budget is $6000/mo. Together you will need to decide what you would like to do with the $2000/mo.)
• You can blow the $2000/mo. However, at some point, there will be no nest egg, no family formation, stress, arguing about who spent what and then sooner or later, someone will bail out. • Make a joint family goal, and watch the passion come alive in the relationship. Couples love to co-create! Wealth is honestly built one dollar at a time. The get quick rich schemes do not exist. Ask anyone with sustained wealth, like myself, it is built one dollar at a time with shrewd decisions as to what to invest in.

Rule #2. Keep the money

How did that family do it? How did they get the family home, the 2 cars and the annual vacations? A family who plans together, stays together. In my 25 years of experience in my financial practice and working with hundreds of families, I can count the number of family breaks up on 2 hands. Why? It is true, the people planning together stay together.

• Keep the money. Assign each dollar to the family goals.
• Decide on an annual amount to be invested into RRSP’s.
• Create family buckets: Trip bucket, house savings bucket, short savings bucket.
• Marriage is a partnership. Partners make decisions together.
• Create a business plan of family goals, net income, and dollar amount needed to save each year. • The only difference between reaching these goals and not, is the lack of your joint focus of your family outcome.
• Compare this to aviation: Make your flight plan, fly the plane, use your rudder. The rudder steers the nose of your plane. Yaw the wrong way and both of you will be off course, the nest egg goes, the safety goes, and so does the passion. It’s all out the window and downhill from here.

Rule #3. Build the family empire. Let’s take a look at each one of these.

Now for the women. Men LOVE TO BUILD. It is in their DNA to build. They will take chances. They can build, fail, land on their feet and rebuild again. Here is where the partnership can jilter. Women are focusing on the nest egg, so much so, that they may want to avoid taking the risks that allow for substantial empire building results.

• Review the family goal, upgrade it if need be.
• Focus together on the outcome. When in agreement, it will come.
• Dream big, take calculated risks that you both agree on the downside.
• Buying into something that seems too good to be true, will likely be, too good to be true.
• There are 3 long term avenues to wealth that have proved themselves overtime: hard work, buying real estate, and investing in the stock market. Here is the recipe.
• Mentor with others who have done it.
• Hire an investment planner. Ask them their net worth. Choose a wealthy person to show you the ropes. I have built significant wealth over the years, and I can tell you, it works.
• The more you accumulate, the more that will show up building that family empire. Wealth accumulates from one generation to the next, mentoring children to become educated, responsible, moral, and dedicated to building their family and legacy – it all runs in the family!!

Living on this planet you experience the nature of duality and the spiritual laws that govern it. Male and Female. Good and Evil. Prosperity and Poverty. You cannot change these laws or the nature of how they work. What is in your power, is for you to become conscious of how these laws operate in their light and in their shadow side, and the role you play in using them to create a good or a bad outcome for yourself.

Your powers of creation have dual sides too, a light side and a shadow side and both have equal power to create what you wish for. When you make an affirmation such as ‘I am abundant already’ your light side is commanded to get into action and use the Law of Attraction to create circumstances for your desired abundance. And sometimes this affirmation works and most times you are just as poor as you were before. So what went wrong?

You had forgotten about the laws of duality. You forgot that your shadow side exists as the opposing force to your light and also has equal ability to create. Shadow creates without you being aware of it!

Why are you not aware of this? Because more than likely you were taught to fear looking at your darker side as that is where monsters, evil and the devil resides, forces beyond your control. Instead you were taught to look only to the light and when things go wrong you could blame others for your bad luck.

Not looking at how your shadow creates the other side of your dual life experience, is the most disempowering thing you can do to yourself. Ignoring your shadow keeps you from taking full responsibility of what you create. Understanding your shadow will help you to create consciously the life you really want to live.

Here are some examples of how your shadow side engages unknowingly with the shadow side of the Law of Attraction to create poverty instead of prosperity for you:

• How many times a day do you think or say ‘I can’t afford it’? 102
• United Colours of Design Magazine
• Are your buying habits to wait for the sales season?
• Do you negotiate deals or ask for discounts when you purchase?
• How often is the word ‘cheap’ in your conversations?
• Do you get a drug-high feeling of satisfaction when you get a bargain?

Every time you engage with this type of energy by speaking it, feeling it or thinking it, you are asking the Law of Attraction to keep you poor. The Law of Attraction has no option but to respond to your commands, whether you are doing them consciously or unconsciously – the Law cannot tell the difference if you mean it or not. When you say you want a deal, or cheap or cannot afford, this Law has to bring you more of that same energy. The results of what you attract can come in all sorts of ways as a response to the underlying beliefs and judgments you have, for example:

• I don’t really deserve wealth – attracts debt situations.
• I am guilty for something I did or said – attracts punishment, usually struggles with health and wealth. • Rich people are selfish – attracts opportunities to judge more rich people and cannot create you to be rich while you are busy judging the rich.
• I have to work hard for money – attracts low paying jobs, perhaps you end up working two or more jobs to survive.
• I am not lucky – attracts a repelling energy to not experience the magic of winning competitions, receiving gifts or inheritances.
• I fear being betrayed – attracts someone to steal your money or reputation.

So many of the commands you give unknowingly to your shadow to engage with the shadow side of the Law of Attraction are habitual for you, and you are not even aware you are doing it. Most of these habits are inherited from your family and part of your daily routine. My husband when I first met him, attended my Love and Money Boot Camp and in class identified one of his shadow habits. He shared that he would drive from one garage to the next only fueling up his car when he found the one selling the cheapest gas per litre. He realized that this action was constantly telling the Law of Attraction that he could not afford to buy fuel. He was unknowingly using his shadow to un-manifest his ability to live a life of prosperity.

A Pink Conspiracy Theory or Pink Truth?

Strategies to create success using the shadow side of the Law of Attraction are used by businesses. Some of these sales tactics have now been used so often that they are considered standard practice or a legitimate industry – Advertising and Banking come to mind here. However, the world is awakening and as more of you demand transparency and higher ethics, these types of industries will be forced to change or stop existing. The more aware you are of your shadow’s ability to create, the more aware you will be of the industries and systems around you who purposefully tap into your shadow side to sell you stuff you don’t really need or want.

In the future, you will demand integrity and authenticity in your dealings with other businesses, as well as setting up your business as consciously as you can. You will not be drawn into creating ‘deals or bargains’ to entice clients based on your fear of failure in business. Instead you will create a business that sets an intention of prosperity for all, you and your clients.

I am very aware that if I offer a ‘discount’ in my own business, I am making a statement to the Law of Attraction that I feel sorry for potential clients who cannot afford my work. The Law of Attraction hears this command as: these potential clients have no power to find a way to create the money for the products and services, they are victims and therefore need a deal to rescue them. Understanding how the Law of Attraction in its shadow works, has been a big revelation in my business. I choose to not see my clients as victims or powerless to create money to partake in my offerings. So when I do offer any special sales or launch offers, they are done with the intention and energy of gratitude! I am so grateful for your interest and support of my business, that this lower price is my way of saying thank you for being my client.

What is shocking is that most businesses do not have that intention underlying their sales strategies. These habits keep the global consciousness in a mentality of thinking and speaking ‘not enough’ and keep the poverty ratios higher than prosperity. This perhaps explains why 2% of the planet’s population owns 90% of the wealth!

Pink is the colour to help you awaken and become conscious of how you create your money, both the habits in the shadow and the positive affirmations in the light. Change your habits and dare to pull into the first gas station and without looking at the fuel price, just fuel up and pay.

1 Pink: Victimhood is your shadow’s most favoured pattern to have you experience powerlessness. This pattern plays out with you as a victim and someone else rescues you from your abuser.

You can get caught in the cycle of victimhood; first you being the victim, then turning your abuser into the victim when you become their abuser by dishing out punishment using legal systems or passive aggressive behaviour. While you as the victim stays in judgment of the abuser, you will continue to unconsciously attract more dramas to feed this cycle. You can end this cycle when you decide you no longer need dramas and instead want to use your power to create a life of love and joy.

You will also, because you have known suffering, focus on rescuing others from the same dilemmas. This pattern may become the blueprint of your life, forever defining you as a victim and you seeing others as victims needing to be rescued and abusers needing to be punished.

Stop rescuing others, instead rescue yourself first. Turn your resources and energy towards transforming your wounds. Embrace the benefits and wisdom your experience gave you and consider becoming an empowering life mentor.

2 Pale Pink: You worry more about money than you do about your spiritual, physical or mental health. Shadow is aware of your money concerns and uses the fear of ‘not enough money’ to cause you stress, power struggles and keep you locked into addictive behaviour and a poverty mind-set.

Your mind-set around money is based on beliefs you have around your own personal value as well as judgments you have around money. Do you believe money systems are evil and corrupt? Do you blame others for abusing the power of money?

Consider how much time in the day you spend energizing your shadow with those negative thoughts and feelings, fueling your shadow with yet more energy to create opportunities of lack and limit. A need for money, creates more need for money. Also notice how you speak about money, if you say ‘you need to clear your debt’, your shadow creates more debt for you to clear. Stop being in need!

The colour of money is pink, also the colour of love. Decide to love yourself, step into gratitude for what is already abundant in your life and – yes – fall in love with money and more money will effortlessly be attracted to you.

3 Rose Gold: While you are inauthentic, your ego has to make someone else small so you can feel big. Your undermining tactics and need to imitate power masks your fear of being discovered as a fraud and this shadow game is exhausting you and depleting your resources.

To be authentic you have to be transparent. To be transparent you have to be honest. Your addictions stop you from being authentic and your refusal to admit your addictive behaviour means you are living a lie and if you cannot be honest with yourself you cannot be honest with others. You have become spiritually bankrupt.

Authenticity is a presence of grace that emanates from within you as a knowing and acceptance of who you are. Integrate and align with your dark and your light, your power and your fear and claim the magnificence of you. Who you are right now is the perfection of creation, a most precious valuable human being who forgot for a while that your true power is your ability to love yourself and others unconditionally.

When you turn up authentically conscious in every moment, you will have discovered that it is easier to love than it is to be right.

TIMELINE FOR FORECAST: July, August & September 2021
COLOUR FOCUS: Pink
PHYSICAL ENERGY: Love and Money
NUMEROLOGY: 2021 = Number 5 Year
RULING PLANET: Mercury, Green, New Space

Do you ever wonder how we tell the time? We look to the Sun for the answer, the Moon tells you the day and the stars tell you the month. All the answers are there when we look up, I see magic, stars and Galaxies, and what do you see in the most beautiful clock in the sky?

Having Jupiter in Pisces till July 28th should be giving us a much needed break from the drama and hardships we have all gone through all over the world. I saw masks coming off November first when I was doing my own yearly reading; I thought that seemed far away at the time. As I am writing this in April I’m hoping you are enjoying summer in the Northern Hemisphere at least.

On July 1st Canada’s big Day, the Moon in Aries and Venus conjunct Mars in Leo. The King and Queen of the jungle, we just might feel like we want more from our life at this time.

Are you dressed up? Pink energy might be giving you that loving feeling, perhaps walking hand and hand with the one you love.

ARIES: Fire is your element Mars is your planet, love and romance is very hot right now for you. If it isn’t, get out there and let yourself have a great time. Venus and Mars are together in Leo in your 5th house of love and fun, key dates are July 10th to July 14th. The way you love is fast and hard, if someone cannot keep up you should not wait, keep dating till you find your match. This is the year to come out of hiding and really start to live your fullest life. If anything or anybody tries to hold you back maybe you need to reconsider the attachment. You are very tuned in this year on what is going on in society, social media and what we all need as a community. August starts off with some tension as the Moon is conjunct Uranus in your second house, this has you feeling conflicted about your finances. I did say at the beginning of 2021 to be careful, is there an unexpected bill you had not anticipated? Jupiter went back into 10th house of career and so summer will feel short. Mars and Venus are in Virgo and so the 6th house of work and health are getting benefits. September is way better and you have Venus and Mercury in your 7th house of marriage and positive communication in relationships. Venus loves being here and it is such a Pink Planet, so don’t hold back when it comes to expressing thoughts and conversations of Love. On the 10th Venus moves into your 8th house of Scorpio for some increased sexual energy. Mars will follow into the 7th and your partner and you are talking about the future. Use the colour Pink in your wardrobe all summer long, a Pink beach bag and hat sounds about right.

TAURUS: Earth is your element Venus is your planet so love and money are on your mind often. As far as career with Saturn in Aquarius it becomes more meaningful, and for the greater good for humanity now. It was conjunct Jupiter till mid May but will be back on Jul 28th. Jupiter there gives opportunities for inspiration and Saturn is the hard work, being completely committed. Birthing a new career is never easy; staying open minded, flexible, but slow and steady will win the race as they say. In July have some fun with siblings, Venus and Mars are in your 3rd house, Jupiter is in the 11th house of friendships. Hopefully restrictions are lifted and it’s a great time for getting together with people you haven’t seen in a very long time. I love August for you with Venus & Mars in your 5th house for some much needed fun & romance. Then Mercury will join the Pink party on the 11th for amazing conversations around love and money. September has Venus in the 6th house of good health, you will need this great energy for that new job you just got. The Sun is in your 5th house so this will shed some sunshine on what happened in your love life from August. Pink is not really a colour you have in your wardrobe, but use some Pink accents such as lipstick or bandanna in your hair.

GEMINI: Air is your element and Mercury is your Planet, how was the last month for you??? From Mercury retrograde and just off the two Eclipses things should be getting very interesting from now till November. Let’s see how your life has, will change, expand and heal the past. You have done amazing work on yourself, I’m very proud of you, you are definitely sparkling. Get yourself out there and this can be a very good time for stability. Did you get rid of past relationships that just don’t have a place in your life anymore??? July has Mercury in your sign in 1st house of self. You are now projecting communication front and center. Sun in your second house of money can be a hot topic, did you receive news of money? Jupiter is in the 10th from mid May till end of July then it will go back to the 9th house. You are now spiritualizing your work in a way that will serve you well next year. Venus and Mars are in the 3rd house of deep conversations with siblings, your mind is very active and a few short trips to the beach or lake might do you good. Venus enters your 4th house July 22n, are you decorating or beautifying your home? Mars will follow Venus on August 1st to help put the plans in place, add some Pink even if it’s a painting or pillow with Pink in it, this will add Love and Money for prosperity. September, well all summer, we were dealing with a lot of retrogrades so it’s been a time of reflection and cleaning up the past. With Venus now in your 5th house of love & romance you can relax a little at home with the decor the way you like and the love of your life beside you enjoying all the Pink surrounding you at home.

CANCER: Water is your element and Moon is your Planet, Happy Birthday to my fellow Crabs. Because the moon moves so fast that’s why your emotions get the best of you sometimes. This is a great time to get back to fitness and focus on you looking your best. You maybe shopping this time, add some Pink to your outfit and new shoes to match. Jupiter went into Pisces mid May till the end of July in your 5th house of romance and this is a wonderful place for you. The New Moon in Cancer is July 9th time for starting something new. This will send some luck your way, growth, expanding for the June Cancers at this time, are you moving to a bigger house? Venus & Mars are following each other in the 2nd house of money and investments this can be money coming from inheritance. Or are you trying to get recognized on social media? great time for this. Once Jupiter goes back into Aquarius try your luck at the lottery tickets till the end of the year. If your Birthday is on or around; July (2, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 24), you will get sweet aspects on these days. August has your Venus & Mars in 3rd house of siblings and short trips, maybe going to a cottage or local beach. On August 16th Venus is in your 4th house so adding some beauty to your home with the colour Pink, would really brighten up the place to make it more profitable just before selling your home perhaps? September starts off with the moon in Cancer; Mars will enter the 4th house on the 15th and with Mercury there as well tells me that a lot of energy through communication is going on in the home.. Venus is now in Scorpio heating up romance for you finally. Break out the pinkest dress, shoes, purse and lipstick you can find. Or if you are a man get your love some Pink flowers and go on a super fun date.

LEO: Fire is your element, your planet is the Sun, how wonderful to start this month off with Venus & Mars side by side in your first house of self. You now have the Love, Money, Energy and Clarity to make big decisions in your life. New job, selling your house and making major investments are all moving forward. Jupiter in Aquarius most of 2021, relationships are ending and beginning. It’s now in your 8th house in Pieces till the end of July, how is your budget working out? Are you spending more than you make? Getting along with family may be a healing and more peace there, also luck may increase. Do you feel like you are being pulled in two different directions after July 28th? Watch how you keep it all together like a superhero. Happy Birthday and I hope it’s a good one as we enter August Venus and Mars are in your second house of money and finances. A time for improving your material status and Mars will help with the energy you will need to make it happen for your future security. September Venus is now in the 3rd house so you are interested to be with people that stimulate your mind and attracted to someone that can carry a conversation about whatever interests you. Then Venus will go into 4th house in Scorpio with the moon, wonderful time to entertain family in your home, get some Pink flowers and spread the love Leo, you always do it best. Mars will then enter the 3rd house “You Have Something To Say” your mind is more active, so if you were feeling stuck earlier in the year you are not anymore, so Powerful. Hot Pink lips and gorgeous sundress is just the thing you need to put you in the mood for love.

VIRGO: Earth is your element, your planet is Mercury, the start to July Venus and Mars are in your 12th house, you are showing love in a private way, more romantic, creative self expression through music etc. With Mars here you might be in need of more sleep so money is not really on your mind. Going to the beach for the weekend, also reading a really good romance novel sounds about right. Jupiter is sitting in your 7th house of Marriage and partnerships till the end of July, such big changes to how you show up in the world. So keep your mind on your partner at this time, this will be big throughout 2022. You might feel like looking up distant relatives to get to know yourself better and with Saturn in the 6th house look at the Cooper issue for more clarity about your health and more like your sign of Virgo being organized. In August Venus & Mars are in your first house of self. You are looking, feeling amazing with a lot more energy. You want to be with people socializing, letting people know how you are doing and what’s new in your world. Enjoy that much needed vacation coming up and get your fun in the sun mojo back in full swing. On the 16th Venus goes into Libra your 2nd there may be a conversation about a pay raise, new job or position in a current job and since mars will join Venus there in September this will bring this forward. On September 11th Venus will be in your 3rd house in Scorpio. You might travel now if you can, that is and meaningful, intellectual conversations. You might need to shop for some new accessories for your trip don’t forget to add some Pink to keep things fun.

LIBRA: Air is your element Venus is your planet, the moon is in your relationship, July 1st, could be an emotional day with your partner. Mercury is now direct. It was in your 9th house so you might have been dreaming of a long distance trip you always wanted to take. Now that it’s moving forward, go for it, in 2022 is best. Jupiter is now in your 6th house in Pieces mid May till end of July, bringing your joy to the service of others. Venus & Mars are in Leo in the 11th house, you will want to get together with many friends this month you haven’t seen in so long. This will definitely make you feel wonderful, Libras need a good social life on a regular basis or you just don’t function right. August Venus and Mars is in your 12th house, you are showing love privately in your home, feelings of romance, creative self expression through music, art and reading a good book. On the 16th Venus enters the 1st house of self; you are looking and feeling so beautiful. Shopping for a new Pink sundress or a Pink shirt for your man, have fun. In September Mars is still in our 12th so try to catch up on some much needed sleep. On the 11th Venus goes into Scorpio, your second house of money check all your bills are all paid up? Mars is now in our first house on the 16th your energy will get a big boost now and you might want to join that hot yoga class that was canceled so long ago. You are feeling fresh and maybe want to fill your house with Pink flowers all over the house, why not it has been a very long year.

SCORPIO: Water is your element Pluto is your planet, with Mercury moving forward from being in the 8th house of intimacy, did you go over what needs were not being met with your partner, Sex? No Sex? Jupiter is in Pieces from Mid May till end of July hot romance could come your way or kids stuff, maybe family vacation time. Venus and Mars are in the 10th house of career, are you working on stabilizing your daily work? Mars is giving you the powerful focus and energy you need to make realistic long term plans now. In August Venus and Mars go into the 11th house of friends, socializing really getting out there, it’s been a long time since you have done the big friend & family BBQ. Make sure you have some Pink table cloth and fun Pink drinks to liven things up. On the 16th Venus goes into your 12th house of secret rendezvous in the bedroom, Scorpio this is your favorite place to be at the moment. Pink negligee with black lace is mostly on your mind, and why not. September is here and things are moving forward, on the 11th Mars is entering your our 12th house. You might need some down time or just more rest at this time. Then Venus enters the first house of self, you are out and letting everyone know who you are and what you need. Sparkling and coming first, shopping could be on your mind, new Pink sports attar could have you excited to get back to the gum.

SAGITTARIUS: Fire is your element Jupiter is your planet, July 1st moon in Fire conjunct Chiron together make an emotional day of healing. 2020 till early 2022 has and will be very Karmic for you. You will be facing things you don’t want to see and learn how to move past them. So much healing is happening for you now, but, there is always something good to show for it in the end. July starts off with Jupiter in your 4th house till the end of July, what’s expanding about your home life is someone moving in or are you moving out? Venus & Mars are in your 9th house of spiritual growth, higher learning or meeting someone from a spiritual background. This could be you going on a trip to fully understand God, learn something new and the role of your belief system, what does it all mean to you. In August our focus will be Venus and Mars in the 10th house of career, are you putting the fire back into stabilizing your daily work? Mars is giving you the powerful focus and energy you need to make things happen the way you want. On the 16th Venus and Mercury as well sitting in the 11th house of friends, parties and social groups for some much needed fun. Venus is now in Scorpio in our 12th house of secret sex and being quite about your love life. Mar will join in and for some much needed rest. Pink is definitely the colour for Love and Romance in the bedroom, maybe new bed sheets? Enjoy.

CAPRICORN: Earth is your element Saturn is your planet. July starts off with the Sun in your 7th house of relationships and marriage, what’s new here? Venus & Mars in your 8th house so this is interesting, Venus here might hand you an extraordinary business opportunity through your social circle. Not to mention very pleasant energy, intense sexual encounters with your sweetheart. Then add the energy of Mars and so something old will be made new again, a revival of what was hot made hot again, sweet. Jupiter is now in your 3rd house till the end of the month, are you learning a new skill or talking with siblings more often? Whatever it is, you are more open to expressing yourself with people now. August is interesting for you Venus & Mars are in your 9th are you going on a spiritual adventure or starting to learn Reiki or join a meditation class? Whatever it is, enjoy it and anything to do with getting closer to the divine is a great idea now. On the 16th Venus will go into Libra in your 10th house, you are looking to bring a pleasant energy to your work environment. If you are looking to be an authority figure this is the time. September has Mars still in your 9th house with Mercury putting energy into whatever you learned in July. September 11th Venus is in the house of friends, group activities on the 16th Mars will join her and hopefully you are connecting with friends you haven’t seen in a very long time. Pink is not really a colour you wear often but if there was ever a time to break out to wear something fun and Pink this would be it.

AQUARIUS: Air is your element and Uranus is your planet, Jupiter is in your 2nd house of finances and earned income it’s here till the end of the month. Yes it will be back here for the year of 2022 that’s some very good news for you. Venus & Mars are in your 7th house of Love and Marriage giving you some much needed harmony. Could this be the commitment moment or deepening it farther you have been waiting for? If not you could be commenting to yourself in some way to a business partnership, so add some blue with your Pink outfit this month to add trust to the love. Whatever it is, don’t miss this moment, good luck. August starts with some down to earth very hot sex with both Venus and mars in the 8th house of intimacy in an earth sign. September you have Venus in the 9th of spiritual love with Mercury helping you communicate how you are feeling. On the 16th Mars is helping you put the energy into expanding your business or relationship in a global way. There might be unexpected traveling to foreign places or selling to people all over the world. On the 16th Venus is now in your 10th house. This will help you attract people that can assist you in a work situation, a very positive and pleasant time. The sky’s the limit now so put that Pink colour of Love & Money to work for you.

PISCES: Water is your element Neptune is your planet, well now, with Jupiter in your first house of self since mid May, how do you feel? It’s here till the end of the month to give you a sneak peek at 2022 because it will be in your sign all 2022. This should have you feeling optimistic about your life, more confident and feeling good. You might gain a bit of weight so keep up the walking and healthy eating regime, also Venus and Mars are in your 6th house of health. Are you going back to the gym or doing yoga in the park? Good for you. I think you might really enjoy time at the beach in your Pink bikini and sun hat. In August Venus & Mars is in the 7th will bring fantastic energy to enjoy with your partner. . September brings more sexy energy when Venus is in the 8th deep romantic sexual energy will put you both back on track. Venus will then go into the 8th, your mind is on lovemaking and how to spice up things in the bedroom. Mars will follow into the 8th so sexy time is still the hot topic of conversation with you sweetheart. Venus will enter the 9th you could be taking a class on deep spiritual healing? On the 16th are you corresponding with people all over the world? If you are single, get yourself out there with your Pink sundress and find that special someone, this summer is definitely the time for Love.

What I love about writing for this magazine is the fact that I get pushed outside of my comfort zone. AND, at the same time, I get to go into those crevices that people may not want to go to. I get to learn what I don’t already know and understand and pass it forward to you. I then research more because there is always a darker side to pretty. I really was struggling with this edition and then, I figured it out. Always ask, and you shall receive divine guidance when needed and, well, even the not so divine. Insert shoulder shrug here. Here we go.

Pink? You would think that this would be easy, but it’s not! Everything has a positive and negative side to it and, that includes pink. So, yes, this warm, fuzzy, lovey colour does have a negative side to it.

What is pink?

In reality, pink is just a higher vibration of red remember this as you read. So all I’m asking here is to wipe your mind of any preconceived thoughts about pink and just allow it to be a neutral colour.

The name “pink,” no, not the singer, actually came from a flower. The colour pink is named after the flowers called *Pinks*, which is a flower from the dianthus family (small version of carnations).

It was never meant to be gender-specific, but somehow or another it turned into that. Back in the 1700s, pink wasn’t even a “girls” colour. Babies of both sexes were dressed in white up to the age of 8. There was no gender differentiation. When pink became a “colour,” it was a “tint” and was considered more appropriate for little boys. The reason for this was, it was classed as a masculine colour because the military uniforms were red and when it rained and sunlight, the colour washed out/faded to pink. So, boys were dressed in the “paler” shade of red. Even as late as 1918, pink was still considered the colour for boys!

I was having a bit of time figuring out how I can fill an article about pink that did not pertain to the usual mushy, gushy stuff so, I began to ask people how they felt when I mentioned the colour pink. I asked them to give one word that would describe the feeling. I was sad to hear that not many were of positive energy. The one that stood out to me was the answer from a young man who, when he told me he didn’t like the colour and I asked why, he said, “when I was a kid, a friend had been beaten up because he wore pink.” From that moment forward, pink brought back a trauma memory for him. Some people, when asked, said things like “ugly, weak,” so there you have the negative side of pink.

Pink is now is the symbol of feminine energy, the heart chakra and just plain mushy, gushy love! The Heart Chakra is turning PINK? 120 • United Colours of Design Magazine In the chakra system, pink is associated to the heart chakra. Yes, most will say, “the heart chakra is green,” which is true but, as we begin to raise our vibration or transition to higher frequencies, the chakra colours are also shifting to higher vibrating colours.

When I look at the energy centers of a person or an animal, I see the colours differently from the traditional colour “scheme” of the chakras or energy centers. So, yes, there is pink.

Pink is associated to love. To the more “tender” areas of our heart, however, it can also indicate fear or a place in the body that requires healing. Take the root or base chakra for instance. When I am working with a person, and the red begins to get lighter (transitioning to pink) at that moment, a trauma is beginning to heal. When it begins to clear and go into the pink vibration, I know the person is beginning to shift out of a fear mode, and they’re shifting into an energy that suits them better. When a person is shifting away from really heavy negative vibes and into a more positive light, the colours begin to shift. Loving who you are is the key. Bring on the pink!

Let’s talk about how the energy of pink can get you into that higher vibration. We all need help at times, and there are tools that can assist us to shift our energy gears. There are many tools but, I am going to play with crystals!

What is the energy behind pink?

As mentioned in previous articles, everything has energy. I’m over 60 and I still get all excited when I see new ways to feel energy. At times if I feel out of sorts, I will grab a crystal. If I don’t know what it is I need, I focus on my current feeling or issue and ask, “what colour is it I need to help me at this time” and then BAM, there it is! There are other times when I simply close my eyes and let my energy do the choosing.

What crystals, gems or stones, whatever you want to call them, are “pink”? Well, let me help you with that. There are a few different pink crystals, and they all possess different properties. However, they are pretty much all the same. Once again, it’s finding the one that is right for you. Here we go.

Rose Quartz is the most popular and “famous” pink stone that people know of. Rose quartz is all about healing the heart. It dates back as far as 7000 BC. That’s old! It has been said that Egyptian and Roman women used rose quartz face masks to clear their complexions and prevent wrinkles. Rose quartz is all about love, joy and emotional healing. Well, not all pink is about healing a broken heart, you know.

I like having different options, so here are some examples of pink crystals that may help you.

Morganite:

It has been associated with the heart chakra and could help with opening and balancing your heart. It has been said that it can help to balance an irregular heartbeat. This crystal can help reduce stress and elevate your mood. The cool thing about morganite is, it emits a sense of relaxation and joy. It is a stone of power, and morganite is associated with physical healing. Apparently, it helps to relax the muscles and lower anxiety, which in turn helps with breathing problems. Wow.

Morganite may help prevent us from doing things that are simply unnecessary. It helps to remind us that our body, most often, will heal itself. Apparently, morganite is useful as a natural appetite suppressant, and the energy can help in the area of weight control! It is also said that it can oxygenate the systems of the body. I’m getting a nice piece of morganite to test this out.

This is such a cool and complex crystal! However, I have to stop here because my entire article will be about morganite!

Lepidolite:

Now, it’s a little bit different because it’s a form of mica. It has only really become popular in about the past 20 years. This stone is found in Brazil, Russia, California, and in Africa. It’s sometimes known as the “Peace Stone”. Here’s the cool thing about this stone, it allows events to unfold without a challenge. If there is something in your life that you are struggling with and you can’t seem to get things to go right, bring in lepidolite and let it do its work. Life isn’t a contest, and this crystal will help you to understand that. It’s great for removing anxiety. It will help remind you that you are right where we need to be at any given moment.

Pink Opal:

Ooh La La! Could you imagine wearing or carrying that? Pink opal is a power stone for healing the emotions, especially for subconscious pain. It helps with emotional balancing and also healing for matters of the heart. Pink opal also helps to dissolve stress and anxiety. It also helps to persuade you to stay calm and centred when you are going through a really rough patch. Are there some days that you wish you could just wear a whole suit of these?

Pink Tourmaline:

So yummy! If you are a humanitarian, then this is a stone for you. Pink tourmaline represents love of humanity and humanitarianism. It’s worn to help promote sympathy towards others. It’s a wonderful stone for healers. It also carries the energy of unconditional love and friendship. Pink tourmaline also helps to release emotional pain.

It is said that it will help balance you mentally and to help calm your energies. This sounds like something that would help people with insomnia. If you or your kids have trouble sleeping, pink tourmaline to the rescue! Put it next to your bed or under the pillow.

How do you know which stone/crystals you need?

When you are shopping for stones/crystals or even if you have them, pick up each one individually and ask yourself, “is this the stone I need for my healing/ balancing?” You will either feel the answer or “hear” it immediately when asking the question. Once you have the stone/crystal you need, sit or lay down.

Take a couple of deep breaths to relax your entire body. Focus on the stone/crystal. Allow yourself to feel the vibration of it and be aware of where you are feeling it. The healing energy of the stone/crystal and colour will go to where it is needed.

If you already know the area of your body where the stone/crystal is needed, lay down, put the crystal on or around that area, then focus on the stone/crystal, sending the energy to that area.

Crystals are great to use with your meditation. Meditating can be as simple as saying, “the energy from this stone/ crystal is healing my body.”

Allow yourself at least 15 minutes when relaxing with a crystal/stone. 30 minutes is even better. If you feel you need immediate help from the colour pink and do not have any crystals, find something pink. A towel, pillow, even a picture of the stone/crystal will work as long as it is pink.

Do exactly the same steps for the colour as you would with a stone/crystal. Remember, the colour is the healing energy at this time. Just allow the energy of the colour pink to do its work. Pink is all about universal love. It’s about the emotional love you have for yourself and others, friendship, harmony and inner peace. So if you are struggling, get the pink out!

The Beatles song “All You Need is Love” by Paul McCartney and John Lennon popped into my head and stayed there the entire time I was thinking about this article. I heard it frequently on the radio when I was a girl and the chorus played in an endless loop in my mind.

“All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need.”
I looked up the song and played it again!

Love in its many variations is vitally important in family life. As I pondered the idea of love being all you need, I realized that in my opinion, love is NOT “all you need!”

Healthy boundaries are equally as important for a happy life. Think about it. Not setting limits about how much food, alcohol or drugs you consume can have major effects on your physical and mental health. Strapping your beloved child into a car seat or insisting upon seat belt use, protects them, lessening the harm of a possible accident. Saying “no” appropriately can be empowering. Children, teenagers and adults who can confidently say “no” to peer pressure, refusing to take part in bullying, drinking, drug or sexual experimentation and dangerous or illegal activities have learned to enforce healthy boundaries. Setting and maintaining boundaries is an important life skill. So the questions are, when do we learn how to do it and how do we teach boundary setting?

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Empower your children to resolve their own challenges.

My daughter posted the following conversation on Facebook between my oldest grandson, Lucas (19) and his baby brother, Leo (14 months).

Lucas: “Leo, do not shut my door, I want it open.”
Leo: Closes the door.
Lucas: “Leo I want the door open.” (Opens the door)
Leo: “Bad. Bad.” (Slams the door)
Lucas: “Leo, I want the door open. Leave it alone.” (Opens the door again)
Leo; “Bad! Bad!” (Slams the door) and repeat…

I predict, based on his behaviour, that Leo is going to keep his parents busy! It is a funny example of one brother trying to impose his will on the other. According to my daughter, Leo’s loud and emphatic persistence won the day. Eventually Lucas decided keeping the door open wasn’t important. However, the situation changes if Leo’s safety was affected and Lucas would have followed through by keeping the door open. My advice is to pick your battles carefully. Never compromise on boundaries that involve endangering or neglecting physical or emotional health and safety. Set a limit, explain why and stick to it despite tears, yelling, aggression or meltdowns. In my example, Leo may not be able to answer yet due to his limited vocabulary but he can still understand “No Leo, danger. You could get hurt.”

With older children, developing empathy and talking through possible scenarios will help develop this skill. Try these sentence starters using your child’s real life experiences to help expand your child’s point of view. For example “Remember when your brother wanted his bedroom door open? How did it make you feel when he kept closing yours today? You told him to stop but he didn’t listen. What can you do differently? What would you like him to do? How can we solve this problem?” Ask them to predict how their actions might affect others -“How do you think your brother would feel if you got hurt because you kept slamming his door?” “How would you feel if your brother got hurt when you slammed his door?”

Some behaviour characteristics are innate while many behaviour patterns may be learned in childhood. There is a definite difference between being a nurturing parent with healthy boundaries, a neglectful parent who waffles or doesn’t enforce adhering to boundaries, an enmeshed parent with few or blurred parent/ child boundaries and a rigid parent imposing stifling limits and expectations upon their child. The nurturing parent offers a solid base encouraging their child to explore the world. The neglectful one lets their child take control so boundaries become unimportant. An enmeshed parent has difficulty separating themselves from their child thus limiting their independence while a rigid parent imposes unrealistic expectations that are hard to meet. Good boundaries make a child feel safe.

Children grow up and eventually have to learn to navigate life’s choices and challenges on their own. As much as we want to protect our children, life happens. As your child matures, seize the ongoing teachable opportunities to talk over how to handle new situations and choices. Negotiate a workable plan with your child when and where you decide it’s appropriate. Talk about potential issues with possible options for dealing with the scenario beforehand.

Maybe a code word or phrase during a check in phone call with parents will help your child or teenager extricate themselves from a situation that has begun to feel questionable or unsafe. It allows them to call on parental assistance without losing face in front of friends or potentially escalating a situation. Encourage your child to trust their own judgment and think for themselves. “Oh man! I am missing out on pizza?” could alert you that your child is seeing dangerous or illegal behaviour and wants to come home. Rehearse ahead of time so it sounds like casual conversation. Another option I have heard of was informing friends that parents are insisting on the child coming home for a specific reason. “Oh I forgot that we have to do that early in the morning!” Parents get the blame for the child leaving early. Pick up your child and ask questions later. Acknowledge their wise decision and courage in asking for help.

When your child does make mistakes, calmly discuss it, while encouraging them to take responsibility and do what they can to repair the relationship and harm caused. Asking what they have learned from the experience cements new learning, confidence in making good decisions, establishing boundaries and trust in their ability to problem solve independently in the heat of the moment. Here is a bit more wisdom from “All You Need is Love”

“Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you, in time. It’s easy!”

Your child does need love to learn how to be. Boundaries too!

Pink, I love this colour for so many reasons. I think of it as of the colour of love and peace. When you look at pink it has a relaxing quality to it. The rose quartz is a light hue of pink and represents universal love and encourages unconditional love. The Rose Quartz is known to purify and open the heart and promotes love, friendship, peace and unconditional self-love.

What is Unconditional self-love?

Unconditional self-love means loving our whole selves not just what we find convenient or easy; like the things that other people like or love about us. What other people like or love about us is constantly changing and may not really be what is on the inside of us.

Unconditional love means loving “the good, the bad and the ugly” about ourselves, it means that no matter what mistakes we make or the decisions we make we continue unconditionally love ourselves. Please note that we could only make the decisions we have made in the past with the resources we had at the time. Be gentle with yourself.

Having never actually looked up the Webster’s definition for self-love I ventured onto the Internet, as we do to find out, the meaning of Self-love.

The definition of self-love

The first definition I came across William Sweetser defined self- love as mental hygiene. Webster’s dictionary defines self-love as: proper regard for and attention to one’s own happiness or well-being; an appreciation of one’s own worth or virtue.

What is it not?

Our society has improved the way we teach our youngest to behave, and the expectations we have of members of our community. Such that we teach and hold in high esteem, how to give to others, how to be respectful to others, how not to judge others, how to be considerate to others, have compassion for others amongst other wonderful attributes we are teaching people about how to treat others. This is an awesome way to live and teach and something I strive for in my life.

Yet we seem to be missing something…. Where is the “me” in the “others”? As a society we do not teach our children or adults how to unconditionally love ourselves or to believe that it is okay. While preparing to write this article I asked around and discovered that many people do not know exactly what it self-love is or how to get it.

Many people confuse self love and selfishness… The definition of selfishness Webster ’s dictionary: selfishness – stinginess resulting from a concern for your own welfare and a disregard of others.

Although selfish and self-love both reference concern about your own welfare the difference here is selfish definition includes the disregard for others.

Many confuse unconditional self-love and selfishness or conceit. So let’s clear that up! Treating ourselves with respect, reserving judgment, compassion, being nice to ourselves and giving to ourselves is not selfish. Generational beliefs, parents, teachers, and society all have a part to play in our formed limited beliefs that it is selfish to love ourselves first. I am not here to lay blame or sort out how or why this is embedded in the fabric of our society. I am here to shed some light, so we can begin to create balance within ourselves.

You can have self-love and a regard for others as well as yourself. They do not need to be exclusive of each other.

What can it do for us and why would you want it?

If you learn how to unconditionally love yourself….what do you think could happen? I will let you know it will be a very positive domino effect!

Let’s start with how you start your day. You love yourself!

• You wake you drink some water to hydrate this fantastic body of yours
• You look in the mirror and find all the fantastic things you love about yourselves
• You smile and get ready for the day. When we feel good about ourselves we talk different we walk different and most fantastic of all we treat others with the same respect we have for ourselves. Imagine the confidence you would start you day with?
• You wake you drink some water to hydrate this fantastic body of yours
• You look in the mirror and find all the fantastic things you love about yourselves
• You smile and get ready for the day. When we feel good about ourselves we talk different we walk different and most fantastic of all we treat others with the same respect we have for ourselves. Imagine the confidence you would start you day with?

Who do you listen to the most all day long? …. Answer….The other person inside your head (who is actually you) what is that voice was loving and positive and spoke word of unconditional love?

Now think about the negative things you say to yourself. Could you imagine saying those to a child, a friend, a stranger? I have asked this question to a number of people and the answer is always “no I could not imagine saying the negative things I say to myself too another human being.” Then I ask them why it is acceptable to say to yourself? There is often a pause and an eye raise while that sinks in……….is it sinking in?

So how can you practice selflove or learn how to self-love?

There are many ways you can begin to love yourself. Over the past decade there are books articles and podcasts teaching you how. All of them are great resources for you to look into and read, watch and listen to. I am here to tell you about how Hypnotherapy can assist you in beginning the journey to unconditional self-love.

Hypnotherapy (Hypnosis)

There are many definitions of Hypnosis, in a nut shell; Hypnosis is a tool that Hypnotherapists use to access the unconscious mind through guided relaxation, focus and intense concentration, to induce a state of awareness that allows for an increase response to suggestion. There are two parts to our mind, the unconscious and the conscious mind and they have different jobs. The conscious mind is the rationale part of our minds where our conscious desires, aspirations and goals are located. The unconscious mind runs our bodies and stores memories and if full of programs (our beliefs and ‘truths”) that have been put in there throughout our lives that influence our behaviour. Because hypnosis works with the unconscious mind Hypnotherapists can assist in changing the way we think and therefore the way behave through Hypnosis.Hypnosis has been documented to be an effective method to increase your belief in yourself, become more positive and increase your self-love, decrease worry and increase self-esteem. To quote Yapko, PhD, a psychologist and fellow of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. “….a growing body of scientific research supports its benefits in treating a wide range of conditions, including pain, depression, anxiety and phobias. Hypnosis works and the empirical support is unequivocal in that regard. It really does help people,” For the purposes of this article I am focusing on selflove and Hypnotherapy. There are a wide range of uses for hypnosis that is so extensive it cannot be listed here.

What Hypnosis it isn’t?

There are a few misconceptions about Hypnosis, so to clear that up: it is not sleep, or mind control, it is not a truth serum, or brainwashing, you are not under someone else’s control, no Hypnotherapist will make you cluck like a chicken, or do anything that you are not willing to do. Scientist are now debunking many of the misconceptions about Hypnosis and are studying how Hypnotherapy can assist many people.

What can Hypnosis do for you and how does it relate to unconditional self-love?

Have you heard the expression “you are what you eat?” “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. It has been established that our bodies are affected by what we eat and how healthy our body is.

Have you heard “You are what you think?” Our thoughts are what we eat for our minds…..so take a look at what you are eating all day. In recent years it has been proven that our thoughts affect our minds and our bodies. If you think negative thoughts all day long and do not have unconditional self-love, positive thinking then it will affect our mind and bodies negatively.

Hypnosis as stated above can assist with reducing negative thoughts, self-doubt, self-loathing, self sabotage in addition to so many other things.

What is your deepest desire in your relationships? In order to connect with another person on an intimate level, you need to allow yourself to be vulnerable and to be able to share your truth. This includes both the truth of who you are and your truth in any given moment. Many people are not connected to these truths because their Ego keeps them in a state of fear and judgment.

Being able to create a heart-to-heart connection with another person, especially in your most intimate relationships, will give you the space needed to share your truth. When you can drop out of the thinking mind (the thoughts, the fears, the masks) and connect to your heart, you will reach a place of compassion and understanding. You need to move out of your head and into your heart. This is where you will find deep intimacy, along with peace, love and acceptance.

In order for heart-to-heart connection and communication to take place, you must be present. This includes being present within yourself, noticing your breath, noticing the sensations in your body and your heart-centre and being present with the person you are with.

Heart-to-Heart Connection Exercise (Breathwork)

This is a powerful breathwork exercise you can do to feel a deeper sense of intimacy with your partner. There is no time limit, take as much time as you need to drop into the exercise and then once you feel the energy activated, allow it to move freely for as long as feels comfortable. The key is to be fully present with each other with no expectations other than to connect. At the end of this exercise you may wish to embrace and hold each other, or you may wish to try the heart-to-heart communication exercise which will be outlined below this.

Step 1 – Sit in Easy Pose (cross-legged) or in Yab-Yum facing your partner. You may hold hands, place your hands on each other’s knees or wrap your arms around each other if in Yab-Yum. Sitting upright with your spine straight and a relaxed body.

Step 2 – Close your eyes to begin. Allow your jaw to relax and with a slight open mouth. Take a few deep breaths, allowing your awareness to notice everything that is present in your inside world. Any thoughts, sensations, your “to-do list”, allow it all to be there without having to change anything.

Step 3 – Continuing to take deep breaths, bring your awareness to your third-eye (the space between your eyebrows). Notice any tension here and allow it to be released. Gently keep your awareness here for 3-5 breaths, allowing a sense of stillness to enter your body.

Step 4 – Now you will deepen your breathing and bring your awareness into your heart space. Feel your chest rise and fall with each breath. Allow your chest to expand as much as it can.

Step 5 – Now you will connect your breathing with your partner’s breath so that it is in sync. When one of you breathes in, the other will breathe out and you will begin to circulate the breath energy between the two of you.

Step 6 – See, sense or feel the energy of love fill your heart space. It may show up as a colour, a shape, an image, energy, a sensation, whatever comes to you, go with it. With each in-breath you are filling your heart with love and with each out-breath, allow that energy to move toward your partner.

Step 7 – Continue to breathe this way for as long as it feels comfortable. See, sense or feel the love coming from your partner as you inhale. Bring it to rest in your heart space. As you breathe out, you are sending love to them. Allow your breathing to stay connected, circulating this energy between the two of you. Stay present on your breath and the sensations you are feeling in your body.

Step 8 – When you have a solid flow of energy movement, you may wish to open your eyes and gaze into your partner’s eyes. This will bring a whole new level of intimacy between the two of you and it may feel awkward in the beginning if you are not used to eye gazing. If it is a challenge, you can continue with your eyes closed or you may choose to open your eyes for a breath or two and then close them again and repeat.

Heart-to-Heart Communication Exercise (Fears, Loves & Desires)

When we express our fears, loves and desires about a given topic, we can share our deeper self. This takes away from the thinking mind and allows the more emotional mind to have a chance to express itself. Here we can remove the Ego and the story of the situation. It is an opportunity to share our truth about what we fear, love and desire about the situation at hand and the outcome we hope for. You can do this exercise about ANY topic that comes to mind in the relationship or even about the relationship itself.

For example: If the two of you were considering ways to spice up your sex life, you will think of 3 questions based on this topic and then you will do the exercise to explore them deeper.

Sample Questions:

FEARS – “What do you fear will happen if we look for ways to spice up our sex life?”
LOVES – “What do you love about our current sex life?”
DESIRES – “What do you desire to have happen when we spice up our sex life?” You will each take turns asking one another the question and then allowing each other to share. It is very important that only one partner talks at a time and the other partner will ONLY listen. Do not interrupt your partner, do not give advice, nor share your thoughts, nor ask questions, JUST LISTEN!

Step 1 – Begin by choosing a Partner A and Partner B. Then you will choose a topic that you would like to communicate about. Then decide on your 3 questions: 1 for what you FEAR about the topic or situation, 1 for what you LOVE about the topic or your partner, and 1 for your DESIRES and the desired outcome.

Step 2 – Partner A will begin by setting a 3 minute timer for Partner B and asking B “What are your fears_________?” Partner B will share and Partner A will listen. If Partner B stops before the time is finished, Partner A can say “Thank you for sharing, what are your fears________?” When the time is finished, you will switch and Partner A will share their fears.

Step 3 – Partner A will continue by setting another 3 minute timer for Partner B and asking B “What are your loves_________?” Partner B will share and Partner A will listen. If Partner B stops before the time is finished, Partner A can With so much noise and distractions in your daily life, it is easy to take your most important relationships for granted. You may feel like you know them because you are with them every day but you may not take the time to dive deeper below the surface. Both the heart-to-heart connection and communication exercises outlined here will help you to deepen your intimacy with your partner. They are meant to be done on a regular, ongoing basis as a tool to create love, safety, belonging, trust and intimacy in your relationship. say “Thank you for sharing, what are your loves________?” When the time is finished, you will switch and Partner A will share their loves.

Step 4 – Partner A will continue by setting another 3 minute timer for Partner B and asking B “What are your desires_________?” Partner B will share and Partner A will listen. If Partner B stops before the time is finished, Partner A can say “Thank you for sharing, what are your desires________?” When the time is finished, you will switch and Partner A will share their desires.

Step 5 – Once you have both shared all 3 Fears, Loves & Desires, then you have 2 options. You can take some time to digest what the other person has shared and may each want some space to consider your next steps or you can talk about how you will move forward with the topic at hand.

With so much noise and distractions in your daily life, it is easy to take your most important relationships for granted. You may feel like you know them because you are with them every day but you may not take the time to dive deeper below the surface. Both the heart-to-heart connection and communication exercises outlined here will help you to deepen your intimacy with your partner. They are meant to be done on a regular, ongoing basis as a tool to create love, safety, belonging, trust and intimacy in your relationship.

The colour pink exudes the feminine vibration of unconditional love, harmony and compassion but like all other colours on the spectrum, it also embodies some challenging influences. Hidden in the shadows of pink is the victim archetype.

Knowing this, if I ask you which iconic musical artist’s life clearly demonstrated the tragic opposites of the lover and the victim, who comes to mind?

John Lennon, was an English singer, songwriter, musician, author, artist and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles.

He brought love to the planet during the swinging sixties whilst the Vietnam war presented humanity with the option of war or peace. Starting with 1967’s “All You Need Is Love”, his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement. Fiercely protesting and criticizing the war, he was almost deported from America by the Nixon administration in the seventies.

John is a Ruling 6 and was born under the astrological sign of Libra. Bottle 6 in the Colour Mirrors system is the planet of love, Venus and is pale pink over pale pink. Number 6 in Numerology represents creativity, love and peace as well as the polar opposite – destruction, hate and war. Libra is represented by the scales bringing balance and harmony between two opposing elements which was a true reflection of John’s life purpose. He battled to bring these dissected parts of his psyche together and this reflected into his outer experiences. Ironically, he became the victim when he was shot and killed in the archway of his Manhattan apartment building by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman.

As a Numerologist specializing in Colour Therapy, I observe the world through the lens of the soul. Before we incarnate upon this earthy paradise, we must make an array of fateful choices. These will determine our true purpose, personality blueprint, deepest inner yearnings, how we are perceived by the outside world, our strengths and weaknesses and the best times to embark upon new projects and ventures.

This is not only reflected in our numerological influences such as our Ruling Number, Day Number and Peak Years of Maturity but also through a sequence of soul colour vibrations

So the time, place and date we are born and the name we select for ourselves become a reliable roadmap, which will navigate us gracefully along our journey to fulfilling our important missions. So, let’s take a look at his influences…

NAME: John Winston Lennon
DATE OF BIRTH: 9/10/1940
SUN SIGN: Libra
PLACE OF BIRTH: Liverpool, England
RULING NUMBER: 24/6
SOUL URGE NUMBER: 17/8
OUTER EXPRESSION: 32/5
DAY NUMBER: 9
CURRENT LIFE LESSON: 11
DEATH YEAR: 8/12/1980
ARROW OF HYPERSENSITIVITY: Lack of 2, 5 and 8
ARROW OF THE ENQUIRER: Lack of 3, 5 and 7

Soul Urge Number The total of the vowels gives you the Soul Urge Number – An inner number, which represents your inner self, your emotional self, your feminine energies.
Outer Expression Number The total of the consonants gives you the Outer Expression Number – An outer number, which is your face to the world, your masculine energies, your outer self.
Current Life Lesson Number When we combine the two single-digit outer and inner numbers together we get the number that relates to your current life lesson.

Upon analysis of John’s dominant numbers, we can see that they are evenly spread across the Mind Plane (9 and 6) and the Soul Plane (8 and 5) gifting him with strengths in thinking and feeling.

However, he has two negative arrows in his Birth Chart. The first is called the ‘Arrow of Hypersensitivity’ (lack of 2, 5 and 8) which can lead to emotional problems due to deep sensitivity which can be easily seen by others. It offered him weak soul protection so he would get easily hurt. Being a sensitive Libran Ruling 6, the events that took place in his earlier years would have been a tougher pill to swallow than the LSD he became addicted to. He was forced to choose between his parents as a 5 years old child and his mother Julia was killed in a car accident when he was 18 which turned him to drink, drugs and blind rage. Separation/mother issues is another major aspect of the psychology of pink.

The second is called the ‘Arrow of the Enquirer’ (lack of 3, 5 and 7) is also one of weakness. It can lead to great skepticism and accepting nothing based on trust.

What is a Ruling Number? Your Ruling Number reveals your life’s purpose including your talents, obstacles, skills, strengths and abilities and how you experience your emotions. It also helps you to comprehend why you have chosen various life lessons, circumstances and challenges. The lessons you are meant to learn are usually the most difficult for you but it also reveals where you have the most potential. It offers the biggest influence on your Birth Chart so is an exceptionally important number..

What is a Day Number? Our main purpose in life is indicated by our Ruling Number but we are not intended to only pursue this purpose without some contrast which enables us to develop other aspects of our personality, This is what our Day Number is for, which is derived from the actual day of the month we came into the world. This reveals the manner in which we express our outer self to the world. So what does this tell us about him?

Ruling 6 – Creative or Destructive Peace and harmony in the home and relationships are priority number one for these people. Ruling 6’s crave love, balance and serenity within a happy home but unfortunately, John was denied these privileges during his youth, shaping him into the nonconformist that the world fell in love with.

6’s are very connected to music, colour and the arts, in fact, anything that evokes a sense of harmony and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. If things don’t live up to their expectations they feel that life is unfair and can become self-destructive, rebellious or possessive when living negatively. John demonstrated all of these traits at various times on his journey.

They shine in creative vocations which aim at helping others such as artists, designers, actors or musicians which ultimately enables them to overcome their own anxiety. His love of music was John’s coping mechanism and love was the magic interwoven throughout his lyrics.

When we add up all of the numbers in his date of birth, the total is 24 which is a pale magenta over pale olive bottle. Its name is ‘Love, Money and Creativity’ offering him the secondary influence as a master weaver, suggesting his music to be a work of art. His life would therefore ultimately grant him blessings of love, money and creativity based on his heritage from past lifetimes. However, this colour combination also reveals co-dependency in relationships which became apparent once he partnered with Yoko Ono.

Day Number 9 – Alongside the biggest influence in his Birth Chart, Ruling 6, is a firey Day Number 9. Bottle 9 is called Mars and is red over orange. It is powerful and warlike. This power can be harnessed when things need changing instead of being meek and angry. Mars is a powerful ally when things need to be set in motion and it energizes you so that you speak up for your rights. John’s anger would get him into trouble. He fought men and hit women. His first wife Cynthia was terrified of him. He admitted that he could not express himself so he would lash out. He didn’t question his chauvinistic behavior until he met Yoko Ono and even this union was terminated for a period as John’s addictions got out of control.

Number 9 also represents the humanitarian. Anyone with a Day Number 9 holds great responsibility, driven by idealism. It implies a very serious role in affairs and people can become very ambitious under this influence. It offers a wise and strategic mind. Day 9s can be idealistic, compassionate, extremely creative with a good education in the arts. Their deep understanding of life leads them into being of service in the community. We can observe these efforts from John during his anti-war demonstrations.

Outer Expression 5 – Anyone with this number has a need for freedom from physical confinement. Misunderstandings tend to inhibit the fullness of their expression so they need to be around responsive, uninhibited people. It links to bottle 5 Mercury (green over pale Green) which relates to movement, communication and versatility. The number five relates to issues of discipline and freedom, and the colour green signifies change and new beginnings. John could only discover freedom through honesty and was forced to change whatever made him feel small.

This number is derived from number 23 so we must look at this influence too. In the Colour Mirrors system, bottle 23 is called Communication (royal blue over deep olive). Expression was John’s antidote to anger both through his music and protests which were ultimately enablers to help him release his deep sense of persecution and separation. His powerful lyrics were never misunderstood and his truth about love was received openheartedly by the planet.

Soul Urge 8 People with a Soul Urge 8 have an innate desire to be independent. Like John, they tend to mentally disassociate from unconventionally accepted habits. They prefer individual thought and freedom but must guard against becoming aloof. John left the Beatles in September 1969 and up to 1972, he produced more than a dozen records with Ono, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums, his first solo LP John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and the international top 10 singles “Give Peace a Chance”, “Instant Karma!”, “Imagine” and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” He, George Harrison and Ringo Starr “got fed up with being sidemen for Paul McCartney’’. It is interesting to observe that this is derived from number 17 which is ‘The Wish’ (coral over blue) bottle. This indicates that his deepest inner yearnings were for a time for positive payback and all of his wishes being fulfilled.

The legendary John Lennon was a complicated character. His lyrics inspired positive change, unlike anything we have ever witnessed but his inner world was in turmoil. As he struggled to deal with childhood trauma, he lost connection to himself with severe addictions to alcohol and illicit drugs. All of his anti-war demonstrations couldn’t then save him from his own fate at the hands of a murderer. Isn’t this a huge lesson for humanity to focus on self-love first before projecting our discontentment, angst and fears outwards onto the things we value the most?.

Sitting down to write this article and I am looking at magenta roses in a vase on my kitchen table. What does the colour pink bring to my mind? The bright petals create feelings of calm, sweet, soft, sensual, warm, openness, compassion, inner knowing, intuition, feminine energy, self-love and unconditional love.

Yoga is self-love. Whether you practice daily, take moments to stretch, have deep belly breaths when you remember to or sit in stillness to allow your body and mind to rest. All of these support your physical, emotional and spiritual health. When I think of the colour pink connected to my practice I think of roses. The softness of the petals, the strength and protection provided by the thorns and the way roses open and bloom, fully showing up as they are and having others see them and appreciate their beauty. Pink represents the duality within in us, we have the ability to be strong and vulnerable simultaneously.

We know that our shoulders can carry “the weight of the world” and we can physically feel the stress accumulate in our upper back, shoulders and neck from busyness, worry and a lifestyle that has us hunched over at computers and on our phones. We tend to forget what gets held and even trapped in our hips. One of my yoga teachers once described our hips as the “junk drawers of our bodies” and that our hips are where “we place all the emotions, thoughts and feelings that we aren’t really sure what to do with.” That resonated with me. I thought about what I might be holding onto that is weighing me down. The hips have become a storage space and the power of opening, releasing them, on a physical level has many benefits that create healing for the whole – mind, body, and soul.

There are a few poses that I have in every yoga class I teach, Butterfly pose (Badhakonasona) and Happy Baby pose (Ananda Balasana). I believe I connect to these because they have helped me to be more open and vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. When we open our hips, which you do in both of these poses, the physically opening allows for an emotional expansion and for some an additional release, which can be felt more internally and/or outward with crying.

Butterfly pose (Badhakonasona) can be done sitting or lying down. We do have to do be conscious of our knees in this pose, so make sure that you are modifying and/or using props where necessary. You can use pillows or bolsters under your knees for added support and more of a restorative opening posture that you may be able to relax into and stay in longer. For sitting in Butterfly pose, have a firm and straight spine, sit down on your yoga mat or have a comfortable place to sit on a firm surface. Bring the soles of both your feet together by bending your knees and also bring them closer towards the pelvis. Hold both your feet tightly with your hands (you may also place your hands below the feet for support and if possible, gently bring the heels closer to your body). Now, take a deep breath in. Slowly, breathing out and press the thighs and knees down towards the floor. Continue with the gentle effort to keep pressing them downwards. With your breath returning to a normal rhythm, you have the option to start flapping both the legs up and down like the wings of a butterfly. Keep breathing normally throughout the process. You can continue to move the legs or you can relax in this pose or push deeper into it, by pressing into the thighs or knees, pushing them closer to the floor. You may be able to bring your torso closer to the floor as well. When ready, slowly sit upright and release your legs and feet in front of you to stretch them out. (*When practicing Butterfly on your back you might be able to relax into the opening of your hips a bit more deeply compared to sitting. Again, props – pillows, bolsters can aid with this).

Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) is a pose babies and younger children naturally move into when on their backs and this allows us to ground, relax, open our hips and connect to our ‘inner child’. It is practiced while lying flat on the floor or mat, while on your back (please do not practice this pose if you are pregnant, specifically in the first trimester). You want to make sure that your shoulders and head stay on the mat as well, this is to avoid head and neck strain. Then bend your knees toward your chest at a 90-degree angle and face ace the soles of your feet up toward the ceiling. Reaching forward, grab and hold the inside or outside of your feet (*if you cannot reach your feet, bend your knees at a level that feels comfortable and place your hands anywhere on your legs for support). Spread your knees apart, shifting them toward your armpits. If you are holding your feet, flex your heels into your hands and if it feels good, you can gently rock from side-to-side (like a happy baby). Remain in this position for several breaths, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

These are two examples of how we can open up to ourselves through hip opening. This is a practice of self-love. When we open up in this way, physically and emotionally, we are better equipped to support others and have a healthy reciprocal relationship, the beautiful flow of giving and receiving. When we are compassionate towards ourselves we can show up in the world and express that same compassion for others. Remember that each time you practice you are creating more space and freedom in your body. Be gentle and easy on yourself. You are giving your physical vessel the gift of rest and relaxation. You are a breathing, beautiful being and connecting to the powerful mind body connection we can all tap into.