Author: emyminzel

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Small Wins have Big Impact

July 26, 2018July 26, 2018 emyminzel

After an emotionally long month on the campaign trail, I finally had a big win. We (my campaign team and I) have been working tirelessly to keep our forward momentum going, and at times it is overwhelming with all to-do’s that need to get done for the campaign, on top of work and home life. Last Friday, we had a fundraiser, at a local business that supports Minnesota’s native environmental restoration and invited many people from my community. I was humbled and felt blessed by all the support of other local business owners, advocates, and neighbors that attended.

I was not nervous at this event and felt that I delivered my speech very well. No note cards needed, it all came from my heart, and thankfully I found the words I needed to express my thoughts and issues I wanted to address that evening. I met many wonderful people, who often told me, “Thank you, for running. We needed you to do this for us, we appreciate your hard work, keep up the good work!” I’m not one who fishes for compliments or praise but for some reason all the thank you I received, really helped me to see that my effort is very much needed and appreciated. Who doesn’t like to be appreciated occasionally?!

It got me thinking, that even though these past months I had been working sun up to sun down, I have also been meeting many wonderful people I would have never had the chance to if I weren’t pursuing this political position. I had a great time at a community picnic I was invited to at the northern end of my district. I was so thankful to be invited and get to meet more people and have the opportunity to make more friends.

I have this habit where I tend to over think, over analyze and stress myself out over things that haven’t happened or (I think) might happen, which has gotten to be quite annoying. You know it’s bad folks when you annoy yourself with your own bull. I think it’s a human trait to make a mountain out of a mole hill when I don’t want to do something. I will procrastinate until I finally give in, only to realize it really wasn’t so bad after all. Why do I do that to myself? I make more stress and anxiety for nothing sometimes.

For example, as a candidate, it is a practice to go “door knocking” to make direct voter contact with your constituents. I haven’t knocked on a door since I was a Girl Scout selling cookies. I was certain, selling cookies, was a much easier sell then selling myself for the State House of Representative seat. Turns out, I was wrong! Door knocking was quite enjoyable, I got to meet more of my neighbors, and get exercise, while also hanging out with a few awesome Emy for House Volunteers that came with me!

I was putting off door knocking because the thought of it made my eye twitch. I have come to find out after I tried it a couple times, that I really like it! Isn’t that funny how we can want something so much but be so resistant to some of the things that move us out of our comfort zone?

Like public speaking, I was terrified at first but after a few times it does get easier. Once I learned to just trust my heart, my words, and to allow myself to be authentically me it was much easier. Going to meetings, community picnics, fundraisers, door knocking, fairs, parades and all the other events and festivities that allows me to meet voters can seem overwhelming, but once I get there, I end up having a great time and I feel energized to keep on keeping on!

Even after a long month of hard work, I have concluded that this political journey is worth all the emotional ups and downs, lack of sleep and sometimes even sacrifice of me time and family time. To be able to work towards the greater good, serving others, seems to be what fills my soul with purpose and joy.

Now if there were only another 12 hours in the day so I could spend more time with my family and loved ones, that would be great! But there is not, and this is the path I have chosen. I have put myself “out there” for my community and for the environment I wish to protect. This path is exactly where I am supposed to be, even when it feels hard, I know it is right.

I am thankful for all the folks who continue to support me and the people I meet that turn into Emy for House Supporters after we talk. Friday’s fundraiser was the emotional reward that I needed to keep carrying on. I am thankful for the moments of Joy that keep me dedicated to winning this election for my community. I am thankful for the opportunity to be so well received while being authentically me. I am feeling very blessed.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Be Brave, be heard.

July 24, 2018July 23, 2018 emyminzel

I’ve found that growth is often not sought out, it is often forced upon us, whether we like it or not. It seems, at times, I think I want something, but the Universe offers me a different path. Fairly recently, I was minding my own business, working at my home to grow my own food. Nurturing sustainable practices and building a business of working from the home, that I love so much, oh and to finish our Adventure Sisters books! This was my path until just five months ago.

Clearly my path has veered left quite literally, and I am now on a political journey. It was my love of the earth and the call to protect our environment that got me into the position I am now. It is the adjustment period that is uncomfortable for me; conflicting my mind with buts, what ifs, and doubts. It is hard to trust the path in front of you when I’ve not been on this course before and I don’t know where it leads.

I’m realizing that sometimes I try to gather courage from others around me, looking for their support and encouragement. It all feels nice, but that is only false courage that is fleeting. I know that real bravery must come from within myself. Life seems to be a giving me a lesson on conjuring courage by asking me to walk most of this path alone. I do have really great help, but mostly what we decided to do is all up to me.

To effectively lead; I know I must be courageous, fearless, and passionate about where and why I am doing what I am. Inside, I feel like the hermit holding a lantern of light, guiding followers to a brighter future. This is my goal. To do what I can to foster in a kind, safe and healthy world around me. I understand that money is an important part of life, yet I also know that money is not worth destroying our environment and endangering our health.

I have enjoyed most of this new journey, especially all the great people in my community I get to meet! Yet, for an introverted homebody such as myself, this path is very opposite of my comfort zone and can (at times) be a bit overwhelming. Mostly when I don’t give myself time to unwind or take care of my needs. This is when the feeling of emotional exhaustion seeps into my spirit. I must do better at taking time to care for myself.

Great words of advice… I feel I am full of great wisdom that I sometimes refuse to follow. So I am calling myself out to get to it. Practicing what I preach. To learn how to believe in myself so fully that I can stand at the top of a mountain or at the microphone of any podium and speak from my heart for the greater good of every living being, not just myself. My goal is to speak for those who cannot speak (or are not able to represent themselves) in Congress.

Truthfully, this is one of the things that led me to running for office. I was feeling fed up, frustrated and angry that my voice was not being heard where it matters most. I thought to myself, if you won’t listen to what I have to say as a constituent, I will come knock on the door of the Capital to ask, “Do you hear me now?” The Universe saw me holding that hand of cards and called my bluff and Ta Da! Here I am! Isn’t it funny how synchronicities put you where you put your energy?

Look at that! I just called myself out again. This week has been hard. I am feeling very resistant to some parts of campaigning. Most parts I enjoy and even the work feels good. Yet I feel that, in my experience and somewhere deep down in my subconscious, I had come to believe that powerful people are bad people. Deep down I have felt that powerful politicians do not care about us people in the real world and (because of this) I didn’t respect or like many of them at all.

Here I am. Trying to become a gosh darn politician, because I do not like how it’s being done! I want it to be different, to be meaningful and use that ‘power’ for good. To help people and those beings without a voice. My goal is to use that powerful influence for the people we are supposed to represent and not make rules that benefit only corporate interest.

I want to defend our future from the pilfering of Social Securities and other Compassion programs that allow us to grow old and retire with dignity. To be sure that tax dollars are spent on people who pay them and that our “welfare programs” benefit people not oil companies or the giant monopolized industries that seem to have taken over our small business communities.

This month all of these wants, and goals are feeling very heavy. I am only me; a wife, a mother, a regular gal. The weight and the work of these dreams seems to have me all jumbled up in details. Making my efforts seem like I am walking through deep mud to make any progress. Making the saying this too shall pass, feel, well… like I am currently passing a kidney stone of life.

Such is life though, isn’t it? Some days are much easier than others. I will keep on putting one-foot in front of the other. At the same time, I am doing my best to enjoy the journey, the people, and the experiences while in pursuit of the destination. I am doing my best to be brave, enthusiastic and committed to goals of social and environmental justice that got me here in the first place.

Does anyone else have a hard time building self-confidence when life gets heavy? How do you deal with difficult and lonely experiences? I try to reach out to my friends and family for support, but they cannot grow my courage for me, that is an inside job. Just like nurturing my own happiness. Nobody can do it for me but me.

It is always a little scary walking a new path for the first time. I am having real human emotions that most first-time candidates usually have. It is normal to have an adjustment period for any new endeavor we embark on. Wouldn’t it be great if I could really let go and let God? To truly trust this path the Universe has guided me to. To trust that my experiences are for my greatest and highest good. To learn from and grow to a deeper understanding of this divinely guided experience that is indeed part of my soul’s journey is my goal.

Thank you for reading my blog. I wish you lesson’s through joy on your life path this summer!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

How will you be different?

July 20, 2018 emyminzel

On the campaign trail people ask me how I will be different then other legislators that have come before me. I often talk about how much we all have in common, and it is the issues that separate us that I have to work on. I talk about how our current representative is a career politician, which I am not. Her career has led her to where she is today, voting the party line only, not choosing what is best for all her constituents. I would be different, because I believe, this is what our political system sorely needs.

If I disagree with my party, because I believe the issue doesn’t benefit my district, I will do what I think is right. Even if it goes against what “my side” wants to see. It’s called compromise. Something I believe politicians haven’t been willing to do in many years. This “my way or the highway” business doesn’t work for the greater good of the people. I wish to represent all my community, even if we may see things a little differently from time to time.

I know a lot of great people who are not in my political party, I know a lot of great people who refuse to be in any party at all, because then they feel we are divided. The whole point, of the two-party system, is to work together so we can see things from a different perspective. The way I see things, may not be how you see things, but this does not make either of us right or wrong. We need compromise and to practice acceptance of each other and our way of doing things; if we are going to move forward to a brighter future. I believe by working together this can happen.

My goal is to bring both sides, right and left, together. Let’s meet in the middle of that empty isle and work it out. We are all in this life together. The least we can do is work collectively to get to a conclusion that works for all of us, not just some of us. I do not understand what is so hard about that.

The idea of your team and my team only creates friction and competition to win. When really…. we are ALL on the same team whether we like it or not! We share this district, state, country and planet. Let’s stop acting with selfish intent and make it work. Kind of like a marriage! Sometimes we must fight, but in the end, we love each other and want to make it work for our greatest good.

Right/Left side duality is a real and true embodiment of life. The right side is often called the masculine side, the side associated with work, war, power and providing. The left side is called the feminine side and associated with nurturing, creating, love and growth. We all need both of these qualities to be balanced people.

Our country is no different. We cannot be represented by only men, and expect women’s needs to be fully supported, because often men do not truly know what women’s needs are and vice versa. I believe our representation should be well rounded to better the communities they represent; this includes women, people of color, different religions, backgrounds and cultures all at the table of the political world. We must acknowledge the importance of our differences and learn to get along for the greater good beyond our egos.

When we can overcome the negative narrative provided for us by the media and remember who we are in our hearts, that’s when real progress can be made. I know that it is the “bad eggs” who get all the press and it is easy to think that we are surrounded by things we should fear. But the reality is, most people are good people!

Look around your life, your neighbors, your family, your friends…we are mostly good. Good people just don’t get the press that creates the fear that sells all the newspapers. We must remember that most people are good at heart, even when they don’t think the same way as we do.

This is how I will be different. I know that I have friends and family who may vote differently then me but I also know they are darn great people. I know that to represent my community means representing both those different then I am and those who believe the same things I do. Most people have duality that is flexible and flowing and sometimes contradicting because we are all human.

I also know we all have the same needs, no matter how different we may seem. Clean water, good food, a job to provide for our families, roof over our heads and the freedom to be who we are no matter how different we want to be. This is the America I know and love and want to represent.

I do not wish to fight with any of my community. I want to listen to them, hear their points of views and talk about how we can meet in the middle for the greater good of our community that we share and love. I am not your typical politician because I have no desire to be. I have seen for many years where our two-sided approach is separating us. Pointing fingers solves nothing and I do not like it! We must grow, do something different if we want to get better. Just because this is the way we’ve always done it, does not make it right or how we must continue to do it in the future.

Let us learn from this conflict and grow from it. Let’s learn to separate the hyped-up media from real life. Stop projecting your fears on random strangers you make assumptions about. Stop sharing your perceptions as fact and start open dialogue to communicate. When we better understand one another, it often is not nearly as scary as we may have thought. Let’s be better humans and work together for the greater good. This is how I am going to be different and my goal when I am elected.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Joys of Sisterhood!

July 12, 2018July 12, 2018 emyminzel

Adventure Sister Stacy and I went camping with our husbands last weekend at Tettegouche State Park in Silver Bay Minnesota. It was a spectacular park with lots of hiking and stunning waterfalls of the Baptism River that led out into Lake Superior. We were only there for a very short weekend, but it seemed to be the get away that I needed to reset. You know, like an iPhone… power down for a bit and restart so I work on all cylinders instead of just some.

I needed to get out and reconnect with nature. I put my feet in the water, my mind back into the present, and gave my spirit some time to play. My husband and I got to the cozy campsite a few hours earlier than Stacy and Marty. We had time to set up the tent and hit the trail for a hike and to see the water falls. Jason was a little intimidated by the swinging bridge, but he made it over to the other side. I was very proud of him for pushing past his fear of heights, so we could be rewarded with waterfalls.

The next day we all hiked together, the park was scenic and vast, the steps were handier than BWCA portage trails but brutal in their own way. Luckily the water views and opportunities to swim made up for the stair master level 17 drill we embarked on. I think we all had over 10,000 steps in before early afternoon. I wasn’t expecting all the flights of stairs, but I believe they were totally worth the effort!

After our group hike we had decided to go back to camp and eat lunch. There was a great beach at the mouth of the Baptism river that led directly into Lake Superior. I wanted badly to swim and float on this 83-degree day and Stacy was up for some fun too. Marty drove Stacy and I to the beach while my husband who is not much of a swimmer decided he would be just fine enjoying some quiet time while we all went for a dip. We got to the beach that was made of rocks not sand, yet you would sink in them like it was quicksand in the right spot.

There was a sandbar (made of rocks) that reached like a finger of the earth just for the purpose of creating a pool before the river met the vastness of the Great Lake. All three of us wasted no time getting into the water. It was warmer than we thought it would be if we kept the current from sweeping us into the big water the temperature stayed perfect for this Minnesota girl. We know this because Stacy and I had let the current take us until it got so strong that I got a little scared and beelined for the shore and I would be able to put my feet back down.

We swam back and teased Marty about showing up to the beach with two women. All of us floated together having a great time while watched a young boy try to build up the courage to jump from a rock ledge that many others before had just done. In the end he did not jump, his fear got the best of him even though his older sister had jumped three times before. This makes me wonder about how many times I did not do something I really wanted to do because of my fear?

We swam for an hour or so then walked over to the other side of the rocky peninsula, so we could put our feet into Lake Superior. Even though the two waters were connected just yards away the large lake was much colder and seemed to have a fierceness about it. I walked in on the Lake Superior side and the rocks almost swallowed my legs up to my knees. The water was much cooler, and the energy of it was much different. It was a very cool experience to see how quickly Mother Nature can change her power.

I was in my happy place. I am a water baby. Always have been, always will be. Stacy also loves the water and as we turned to leave Stacy and I snapped a picture of us to document the moment. We didn’t check to make sure it was a good picture. We just took it quickly and kept on our path back to the campsite up more flights of stairs. When we got back to camp, I posted it to our BWCAdentureSisters Facebook page to let our readers know we were out adventuring together. It had been months since Stacy and I got together, and adventuring is one of our favorite things to do. We were both energized and very ‘here and now’ the moment the picture was taken. I believe it captured the peak of our happiness during that excursion.

I also believe that beauty comes from being happy. You don’t have to be traditionally beautiful to be perceived as pretty when joy radiates from your whole being and that is what the camera captured. Stacy and I are regular women, we have flaws, grey hairs, extra pounds, cellulite and everything else that comes with being forty-something and at that moment we did not give a darn at all, we were happy. Plain and simple.

Yesterday a Facebook fan had commented on our photo. She said, “You two are beautiful!”

It made my heart sing, not because I wanted to be perceived as pretty but because I knew that this woman could see our joy. It is not easy to find joy in our everyday lives sometimes. That’s why it is imperative to make time to do the things you love. I live in Minnesota, there are approximately 3 months of the year in which you can go swimming for any amount of time. Too soon it’s too cold, too late and dog days take over the lakes with algae blooms and other undesirable effects that keep us out of the water.

We made time to do what we love, and we were rewarded mind, body and spirit including a picture to prove it.

Thank you to our Facebook friend Pam for the nice compliment. I was having a pretty trying Wednesday after a great weekend escape, your compliment made my day. It made me feel like there is still good people who are kind, caring and most of all women who do not have to compete, women who lift others up, encourage other women for being authentic, without a beauty competition. It is okay for women to be kind and supportive of each other, we should encourage each other’s strengths, help each other on our paths, because we are intrinsically connected.

I think of the connection that Stacy and I have, and I am thankful for a different kind of sisterhood I share with other women I adore, the kind you choose. Neither of us have been blessed with a blood related sister but we seem to have found each other again in this lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t agree on everything and we have our moments of agreeing to disagree but that does not mean that for one second, I think she won’t have my back or I hers.

We seem to have embraced each other warts and all. She knows I am far from perfect and I know she is as human as person can get. I also still believe she is magical in her own way and I love that she pulls magic and courage out of me that I didn’t know I had. Sisterhood can be empowering if you let it! This picture personifies our joy on this day. Joy in just being us! No make-up, photo shop, or special effects can produce a photo that encompass happiness, it all comes from the inside.

Our goal as the Adventure Sisters is to pull this joy out of other women. To encourage others to be authentic as you can be while doing your best to find joys in your own lives. We do this by sharing how we do it ourselves. Feel free to share your own picture that shows you radiating joy doing what you love! It could be loving your babies, grandbabies, or fur babies. Hiking, swimming, or anything that makes your heart sing. We would love to see it!

Thank you for reading our blogs, thank you for the continued encouragement and support of our joint but separate journeys of the Adventure Sisters! We appreciate you.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister