Author: Emy Minzel

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Let me be the light

May 6, 2018October 22, 2018 Emy Minzel

Before my life was in full swing with working, writing, campaigning and fitting in family time. I had a couple years when I was able to spend ample amounts of time by myself. I enjoy my alone time, I think I make great company. I know how to keep myself entertained and occupied as an only child does. During these times I would ponder deep thoughts about my life, what am I doing with it? Where am I going in the future?

Honestly, I didn’t know for sure. I had plans to live more sustainably, so I worked outside in my garden a great deal, I spent time with my dogs and got lots of exercise. All these activities gave me ample time to contemplate life. I was content in my relationships, I have a wonderful life, I was writing books with my best friend, yet I felt deep in my soul I still had much more to do. But what?

I would pray to whomever was listening to me, my grandma up in heaven, my guides and angels that look over me, and of course the Higher Power above. I had one consistent prayer that I would ask for and that was “please just let me be a light in this world.”

I didn’t have any thoughts or ideas how that would look, so I just went about life, doing my best to be kind. To help others when I could and tried my best to be a good steward of the earth. After all if God created this beautiful planet, I want to treat the earth as the gift is. With respect.

Adventure Sister Stacy and I would go into the forest of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota where we would work on the things we wanted to manifest in life for the coming year. We would make lists, then have a fire ceremony where we would burn the list to send them up to the heavens in the smoke to be answered. We’ve had many fire ceremonies over the years and find this an effective way to communicate with energies beyond what we see with our eyes. I believe there are angels/spirits watching over us, somedays shaking their heads in disbelief I am sure.

Some of the ideas I tried to manifest weren’t for me, or maybe not just at the time I asked for them. Yet a great deal of what we had asked for did start coming true for us. Psst… Manifesting tip #1, if you want it, you must make steps toward it. Hardly ever does it just come in the mail delivered to your front door or get set on your lap. You must not be stubborn or too specific about exact details. Like Mike Dooley says, “You can’t micromanage the Universe.” Most of the time when I get my prayers/manifestations answered it is in a way in which I would have never seen coming.

This prayer of “please just let me be the light,” I never told anyone. It was only between me and the Higher Power.

Fast forward to today after several years of this constant prayer/mantra and I was sitting in the car with my Campaign Manager just a week or so after being endorsed by the DFL. We were both feeling overwhelmed by the giant undertaking of a campaign neither of us had planned on participating so acutely in. We were running around chasing our tails trying to gather what we needed to craft a plan of action, while feeling like we had no energy left to keep moving forward.

I looked at her and I say, “I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.” She sat there for a few seconds and said to me. “You can’t quit. Please don’t quit. You are the light! We all need you.” I could not believe she said those words to me. It was like God had put those specific words into her mouth, she knew exactly what to say so that I knew; I needed to persevere.

I could not help myself and I started to cry, I cry a lot. I am sensitive. Yet for some reason I knew in my soul that she was a messenger of the heavens above answering my prayer with the encouragement I needed. That was the day, I knew. I must not give up. I must continue so that I facilitate the change I wish to see in the world.

It was not easy for me to leave my comfortable life I had been blessed with. The change of pace from a work at home business owner, writer, wife, mother and dog mom to campaigning for the State House of Representatives was a drastic shake up of my days and how they used to look. I was not used to the demands of my time and energy, I was my own boss for a reason.

I am choosing to keep moving forward because I believe it is the answer to my prayer; just let me be the light. I am choosing to shine the light in my community, doing what I can because I can. Because I have been asked to do so. Right here at home, in the beautiful place I live.

I love Minnesota. I love our Minnesota way of life. I believe I live in one of the most beautiful places in the United States and I wish to keep it that way. I will shine my light as the beacon to the way of progress in the direction that is sustainable and healthy for all. I hope I get to be one of the lucky ones that gets to lead the way to a brighter future.

My vision is to be the proverbial brave hermit coming out of hiding to shine the light.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Picture courtesy of Pat Theilen

Thank you.

May 3, 2018May 2, 2018 Emy Minzel

The campaign trail has been fun, exciting, scary, invigorating, exhausting and full of emotional ups and downs already. I am enjoying this new adventure very much! I love getting to meet the people in my community who surprise me with an abundance of knowledge and kindness they willingly share with me. I am learning a great deal about the fabulous folks I am blessed to be surrounded by.

So far, the hardest part of the campaign for me to wrap my head around, was asking everyone for their financial support. I know I am not the only one who feels weird about asking for money. I just had to convince myself that the fact is, it is not asking for myself. It takes real dollars to make change happen, it takes real dollars to spread our message.

While I was in Washington, D.C. I took a class about asking for donations, seems like I was not the only person in the room with the same hesitation of asking for financial donations we need to spread our message.

The instructor had asked us to offer one word that describes what asking for money felt like.

Asking for money makes me feel….

Embarrassed

Intimidated

Uncomfortable

Nervous

Self-Conscious

Scared

Then the instructor had us use one word to describe what it feels like when we give…

Engaged

Connected

Thankful

Included

Proud

Joyful

Encouraged

Valued

Hopeful

It hit me during this class, that people do not give because they are asked. They give because they believe in me and they want to be part of the campaign that changes our community for the better. My supporters give their hard-earned money and their valuable donation of time to the Emy for House Campaign because they are committed to our ideals and our beloved community.

I now see it as asking for help from my community to support my effort in defending our values of caring and compassion for the people in our district and the environment we all share. It is asking for assistance in finding the money it takes to share the message that Emy Minzel is going to be the one to stand up and fight for the people in my community who are not feeling heard or acknowledged.

This fills my heart with so much joy to feel supported by wonderful people. It gives me fuel to keep burning both ends of the night. It helps me push through the long days knowing I am being given so much support. It really does feel like I am being pushed along by a communal wave of people power like a vessel on a wave headed in the exact direction I need to go.

As I sit here tonight enjoying the sunshine on my deck with my dogs, I am filling out ‘Thank You’ cards. I send them out to all the people who have donated to the Emy for House Campaign. I tell you what, it humbles me, makes my heart swell with gratitude and determination to win. Of all the things that are happening on the campaign trail, writing Thank You notes is my favorite.

I am blessed.

Thank you for your support, I truly appreciate you.

If you wish to follow the Emy for House Campaign check us out!

@emyforhouse15A

emyforhouse.com

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Earning trust takes time.

May 1, 2018May 1, 2018 Emy Minzel

It’s very rare that people give their full trust even to the folks closest to them. It takes many years to really trust someone. I believe you must have trust to build intimate relationships that are fulfilling and meaningful. This conclusion didn’t just come out of nowhere. I learned this lesson the hard way, youth made me reckless and I let people I love down.

Even if it wasn’t on purpose, the effect of lost trust was still the same. I had hurt others and it takes many years to get back the closeness we once shared. The time it took rebuilding those relationships was worth it, and a valuable life lesson. I have learned to be honest even if the truth hurts, it is always the best option.

There are relationships in my life that did not survive lost trust as well. These were also valuable lessons I carry with me. I have been on both sides of the fence of trust; like most everyone else. I have been let down, deceived and fed up enough to let relationships go. I have also been on the opposite side and was dismissed as a friend myself.

What I have learned from my experiences is that trusting relationships feel better. Knowing that others can depend on me and I can depend on them is comforting. I like being trusted, I like having others in my life that can rely on me.

These lessons learned the hard way have been blessings in disguise. They made me better my own character, to grow into the person I was meant to be. Through experience on both side of trust, I understand that earning trust takes time and consistent dedication to preserving it. I also feel that it is worth the effort most of the time.

Love is a byproduct of trust, it’s not often we don’t deeply care for someone we truly trust. They go hand in hand. Building relationships takes time, building trust takes longer, but once you have them both… I think that’s a secret ingredient that the good stuff life is made from. Fulfilling relationship are what makes life vibrant, joyful and full of love.

Building a relationship based on trust is scary, we’ve all been burned before. But I believe there are still wonderful people in the world. People who believe in supporting each other, and who also want deeply rewarding relationships that are healthy for our souls.

When you find the desire to build a friendship with others, know that they are just as weary about opening their hearts and letting you in. It makes it important to hold the intentions of trust, integrity, and above all else determination and dedication to owning your part in the relationship. You own the responsibility of bringing your best intentions and actions to that bond.

Then dedicating years and time proving it.

Building trust takes time. Letting others in to your soul takes courage.

But, it is so worth it.

Thank you for reading my blog today!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

*Picture credit LifeHack.io

When you know better,

April 28, 2018 Emy Minzel

I don’t let my emotions get to me like they used to. I have learned to give people the benefit of the doubt and see the good in others as often as possible. Even the ones that don’t seem so ‘good’ I remind myself we do not know what others are dealing with in their lives, be kind.

I choose to think that people who challenge us often just need more love and patience. Then there are days when life sends a character to cross your path that makes you think maybe you were wrong. Are all people truly good at heart? Are they really doing the best that they can in the time and space that they are given?

I will not lie and say I have never done anything wrong or done something that hurt others. I have. I am human. I am not proud of those moments and choose to learn from those mistakes and the feelings of disappointment in myself. When this happens, I vow to do better next time. I think most people do the same.

Like Maya Angelou say’s “When you know better, you do better.”

I believe this with my whole heart. What baffles me are people to continue to hurt people after they know better or have been hurt themselves. People of authority abusing their power to get what they want knowing full well that it is not benefitting the greater good choose to do it anyway. They choose not to learn lessons offered to them.

The people who choose to point fingers instead of take responsibility are not people I respect or look up to. It is a shame that we often find people like this in positions of authority who often abuse that power. This is the whole premise behind the #MeToo movement and behind all racism in our County. Abuse of power ticks me off.

Since I was a young girl I have learned to believe that your age, career or title do not give you any special privileges to treat people like crap. I just don’t buy it. I treat the President of a Bank the same way I treat the kid who helps me bag my groceries. If you are jerk well, I could mirror that right back at ya babe… but now I just choose to walk away from conflict. I stand stong and comfortable in my calm.

I have come to terms with my ‘shadow side’ the side that won’t let people treat me with disrespect. The side that helps me set healthy boundaries in my relationships and in life. These feelings of anger or discomfort have a purpose in our lives and should not be shoved down. We mustn’t be led by these negative emotions but allow them to speak to us and help us discern the truth of our situation.

Being able to listen to our instinctual emotional reflexes to others and situations is a blessing. We are giving these feelings as gifts to help us navigate life. Just because we feel anger, rage or disappointment does not mean our lives are consumed by these emotions. We have the ability to move through our emotions follow our hearts to a brighter tomorrow.

How we choose to navigate our gifts is up to us. When you know better, you do better. I believe this is true for most people. I choose to embrace the light and the dark side of our human duality, we were given these gifts for a reason. How you choose to use them is up to you, and the legacy you wish to leave.

Wishing you an abundance of blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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