Author: Emy Minzel

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

*Disclaimer ~ the photograph used in this blog I found many years ago on the internet and do not know who to give photo credit to. If by chance it is you I would gladly add your name to the photo that moved my soul.

https://youtu.be/6JCLY0Rlx6Q

Just Dance!

February 17, 2018February 17, 2018 Emy Minzel

It seems to me, somehow life snuck up on me and I got older, my gray hair is showing, the laugh lines around my eyes seem to stretch out further every year. My body acts differently then I am used to, but it still works fine and for that I am thankful. I love the person who I have grown into, my views on growing older have changed since you know, now I am old. The best part of growing older is learning who you really are inside and being confident to stand up for yourself and your beliefs. This may be just my opinion, but I really am enjoying the journey into midlife. I am in my early forties and I am finally able to really embrace the uniqueness that makes me; me.

I had a random thought that moved me to write about a topic that I haven’t participated in since the last wedding I attended. Dancing! I have found one thing I do not enjoy about growing older is the lack of dancing. I love, love, love to dance and now that I am too old to go clubbing on the weekends and attending concerts is difficult because ticket prices have gone astronomically crazy since ‘back in my day’. (Insert old fart saying here) So… it got me wondering, how do I keep the music alive?

I love to jam out, let my soul get all tangled up in the music so it moves me until my hair is wet with sweat, I am out of breath and need to rest before I can start dancing some more. Now the only time I work up a sweat is when its summer, I am in the garden or I am on the treadmill. That’s not okay with me. I need to figure out how to find the right atmosphere for shaking my tush because that’s something I still like to do!

There are plenty of people much older then I, who enjoy or even compete in swing dance or any kind of dance they prefer. Why is it that I can’t seem to find the right venue, time or people to want to dance with? I used to run with a fun rowdy crowd that loved to find local bands or concerts where we could go dance and have tons of fun. This no longer happens because they are older too, kids, jobs, time, good excuses but still excuses not to dance!

Dancing is not a priority in most peoples lives, there are plenty of things that top the list for good reason. I am finding after years of not dancing until there is a wedding it seems there’s no longer opportunities to dance in my adulthood, and this has bummed me out. Dancing is good for your body mind and spirit connection! It is scientifically proven that our bodies and brains react to the music in positive ways and we all know we need more exercise. I find it almost impossible to be cranky when I am dancing don’t you? This may be why I crave it so much???

I think it makes sense to dance MORE when we age so we can add more joy, music, exercise and entertainment to our lives, because this is when we need it the most! Growing older is not a bad thing, we just tend to be more in our heads then our bodies. Just thought I’d let you in on that secret. We don’t have to give up everything we enjoyed because now we are adults. So, don’t believe the hype if that’s what you’ve heard. It’s more than okay to still shake ya rump even if your over forty.

At times when I find I don’t have to have anyone to dance with my husband doesn’t dance, and my girlfriends are busy. I just remind myself “You can’t make others do something they don’t want to do!” that doesn’t stop me from wanting to dance! I choose to take full responsibility to fulfill this need in myself. I choose to take the opportunities of alone time that I am blessed with to turn up the Bose radio and get down in the living room/kitchen at any random time, or even while I am tidying around the house. Because why not?!

Dancing relieves stress, the music pumps up your chakras and basically flips on your happy switch. Its hard to misunderstand, bicker or argue with others when you are dancing, because dancing unites us and brings all walks of life together. I believe there is power in letting loose and dancing so I am bucking the norm’s of aging letting my freak flag fly and choosing to shake my badonkadonk and rock out right here in the kitchen.

I chose to dance any chance I can get. In fact, There’s a dance party for one in my house today! I hope you find time to let your hair down in the way that brings you joy!

OOOhhhh HOOoooo shut up and dance with me!

Here is a link to a song that never fails to get me moving, I hope it helps you too!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Life in Limbo

February 15, 2018February 14, 2018 Emy Minzel

Do you ever have times in life when some of your plates are up in the air and all you are doing is waiting for days or weeks, even months for them to come down, so you can rearrange them in the organized chaos you know and love? In between the juggling there can be times in life when some of your plates may go rouge and God seems to switch them out on you, taking some away or giving you more. I am talking about when life hands you opportunities or plot twists and there you sit waiting in suspense in the gray area of uncertainty until it becomes clear.

You may feel strongly about taking a new job but uneasy about it because its completely different then what you’ve done before. Maybe the benefits and hours are amazing, but you must move your whole family to a new town and that’s a big deal. Maybe you’ve decided to have children, and now every month that comes and goes has new meaning, nothing happens until it happens and then you know! The in between of life can be uncomfortable, exciting, nerve racking even thrilling, it’s like the suspense part of a good movie when you just don’t know what is going to happen next!

I feel that way now, I have many interests that peek my fancy, and I put energy into the things I feel passionate about. Lately I have embarked on a literary journey with my Adventure Sister Stacy, we just submitted three book proposals to our editor for a series we have been working on for several years. Even though we have come far in this undertaking, we still have a way to go before we get published. The waiting in the in between of uncertainty is exciting and nerve racking all at the same time. There’s a lot of “what if’s” running around in my head right now!

I tend to have an extreme range of scenarios when it comes to my what if’s some of them great some of them not. I try to remind myself to release the uncertainty to God and I trust that whatever happens is for my highest and greatest good. It sounds so easy to trust my path, but doubt is a slippery sucker that likes to creep in through cracks of my hope. Yet I still choose to hold on to faith I am expecting the best and know that I will be okay no matter what happens.

I felt moved to get involved in environmental activism, by getting more involved in politics. So, I took a small step of caucusing a couple weeks ago to submit a resolution to lawmakers asking them to save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota from impending toxic mining. This urge led me to people who saw my passion for politics and encouraged me to do more. They urged me to do something I never thought I would consider which is to run for a District House of Representative seat in MN to represent my community. This is not a done deal, or solid decision yet, I am doing my research, finding out more and putting myself in the pool of my political community to find out if I would be able to get the help and build the team I would need to run.

I am following the signs set before me like breadcrumbs sent from God, I trust my intuition takes me to places I feel my soul being pulled. The last few months life has been handing me opportunity after opportunity to learn, grow, help myself and others. I am feeling extremely blessed just to have the chance to participate in either of these big things. Being a published author or running to be a State Legislator representing my community and environment would be fabulous experiences.

I feel I already have a beautiful life, the waiting shouldn’t be hard, but somedays it gives me anxiety. I choose to see these plates up in the air as positive anyway they come down. They’ve given me experiences I would not have if I didn’t follow my intuition. I am blessed to have had these encounters at all, I am able to trust God either way the juggling act commences, I know he would not give me more than I can handle or lead me this far for no reason. My journey is just that, a journey, I am meant to embrace the in betweenness to see this time as the waves of life’s limbo moving me forward. It is quite thrilling ride!

I am so thankful for you, the readers sharing this journey with me, I wish you the best while traveling and trusting in your path.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Positive Expectations *

February 13, 2018February 12, 2018 Emy Minzel

I saw a message recently that resonated with me, because of the philosophy behind it. It said, “When you focus on problems you’ll have more problems, when you focus on possibilities you have more opportunities.” I love this for many reasons.

I find that it is more common for humans to find and look for all the ways things can go wrong in everyday situations. Rarely is our first thought “Heck yes, I am going to rock this day, or this obstacle!” We tend to think of the worst-case consequence before we rationalize our thoughts to the last possible outcome that might work out in our favor, then we will end that thought by telling our selves “I doubt it.”

Why do you suppose we don’t automatically think of the best-case scenarios or outcome of a situation? Sure, we’ve all had experiences that didn’t work out for the best, but are they truly as often as we expect them? Usually not, but it seems we would rather be pleasantly surprised as opposed to let down, and this does sound rational sometimes.

However, what kind of energy are we bringing to that situation if we are expecting the worst? If we are holding the intention of being disappointed, why wouldn’t the Universe respond by answering them in the same way. Does it really make a difference in the outcome if we hope for the best? If we look for possibilities to make the situation work in our favor we often find opportunities or solutions that help.

Consistent complaining about a problem in no way helps the situation, when we can step back take a deep breath look for opportunities, they usually come in some form or another. It is because we are asking the Universe to help us with our intention of better outcome by searching for and expecting one that it offers us one. You are letting the God/The Universe know “I expect you to take care of this for my highest and greatest good, I deserve a positive resolution.”

Here is the thing, you can lift your problems up to God and ask them to be taken care of, but you must put yourself in the path of help. If you want assistance and ask for it, you got to put effort and intention towards resolving your boggle. Following the breadcrumbs, the signs, and signals that God sends you is a must for you to make positive progress your are seeking.

Nobody climbs Mount Everest by training with Netflix on the couch. You must put yourself in the path where you are most likely to find assistance. Do your part in progressing to a better solution, a better life or where ever you desire to be. If you are always complaining and accepting the crap situation, that is where you will stay, in your victimhood, weighed down with your heavy backpack of problems that you just accept are yours to carry through life.

This isn’t always the case, taking responsibility for your situation, gives your clarity. I am not saying you can’t be bummed, pissed, sad or any other emotion that might flood you, this is normal. What is not normal is holding onto those negative attitudes because that is what keeps you stuck. When you take responsibility to ‘fix it’ or solve your boggles you take back your power and energetically refuse to be a victim to outside forces.

Taking back your power allows you to focus on possibilities to open doors of opportunities. I have found this to be true in my life in many ways and many situations. It’s been only recently that I have been using this advice myself, and I find that doors of opportunity are opening, my path becomes clearer, and there is no mistaking where I am headed in the future.

It seems to me, by not complaining (okay complain a little but then get over it and move forward immediately!) I can reroute my brain and energy to finding solutions and clearing my thoughts enough to see that maybe God was just clearing the clutter out of my life, so I am able to see where my next steps are supposed to be directed. I just had to get out of my head and out of my own way!

Now that I have finally learned to get out of my own way I see that I am smack dab in the middle of an abundant forest of opportunities. I see it’s up to me to follow the breadcrumbs left for me by the higher power for my highest and greatest good. I know that God wants me to succeed in all I do, when I let the signs of the Universe help me along and see the ‘difficult’ situations as guide posts too, I can hurdle them, and want success for myself as well.

“When you focus on problems you’ll have more problems, when you focus on possibilities you have more opportunities.”

What opportunities are you seizing today?! I would love to hear about them!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

My caucus experience ~

February 9, 2018February 9, 2018 Emy Minzel

I went to the Democratic caucuses last night, to be honest it was a disappointing experience at first. The address provided for us on http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ led to the address where our precinct caucuses would be held 28 miles from my house. The address led us to three schools and of course we walked into all of them before we found the right spot. Also, it was below zero freezing, so if I were geriatric, didn’t have a driver’s license or even if I was so passionate about politics that I wanted to walk… it would still be 28 miles one way for me to cast my vote for whom I support in Democratic campaign elections coming in November of 2018.

At these meetings they tell you the name of the representatives running in your preferred political party, but they cannot tell you what issues these names stand for, or anything else you would like to know. What?! Okay so that’s on me, now I know for next time I have to do more research on the candidates before I go so I am able to make an informed decision. I didn’t know this before, but now I do and I am passing it on to you for when you decide to indulge your inner political junkie.

If you know me, you know that I am a political person, I will debate you in good will for as long as I have the energy. I try to stay ‘in the know’ about the issues happening in D.C. However, after I left this Caucus meeting feeling two things.

Say what now?! Again; Clear as MUD! I didn’t understand a darn thing that happened. No wonder people don’t pay attention to politics, it’s confusing and made me feel dumber than before I walked in the door. I saw that of the 5 of the 10 precinct tables set up to represent our district only half of them had people sitting there, and half of those people there were young kids of nonvoter age from the school where the caucuses were stationed. They were doing homework and filling out worksheets, I seriously wanted to look at the worksheet to see if they could explain it any better than I understood.

I am a 41-year-old woman who is interested in politics and even I did not understand 75% of the BS that went down on caucus night. Yet I was responsible to represent my entire neighborhood with my X on Rebecca Otto’s name because she is endorsed by the MN Environmental Partnership group. Environmental protection is an issue I am extremely passionate about and I want to make sure I support the candidate that best represents those issues. That’s why I was there after all.

There is currently NO Democratic representative running in my precinct…. Say What now? You’ve got to be kidding me? My precinct has dozens of cities in it yet not one of the Democrats I know who are spunky, opinionated and pissed off about the state of political affairs, nobody in the whole area has stepped up to represent the democratic beliefs of central MN? My mind was blown, like the emoji on my phone.

A state representative is supposed to ‘represent’ the people of their precinct so I thought “Okay. Who are these people in my precinct? What are the cities that are represented?” The tables are labeled 13B and 14A, tables marked with its precinct number, it could have been eleventeen… the numbers didn’t mean anything to me. Well I guess they do, I knew I was in precinct 15 so that’s where I sat. It just would have been nice if there were more clarity in the room. Why can’t we know who our neighbors are?? We are all like minded people in the same room voting for the same Democratic party.

I sit at my kitchen table here tonight looking for myself, researching my precincts and you know what I found? More mud, no cities no community connection to the people we share our lives with on a daily basis. We are labeled by color coding on a state map, referenced by townships, not even our cities. Why does this process to elect State officials meant to represent ‘the people’ to the highest extent of the laws that literally affect in the way we live our daily lives, raise our children, and care for the planet, divide us, color code our zone and dehumanize us?

I digress, the whole reason for me going to these caucus was to make sure that I submitted my “Resolution” to Save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area from impending toxic sulfide mining. The State of Minnesota is currently under pressure to grant sulfide-copper ore mining permits to PolyMet Corporation an overseas Chilean affiliate. This was my whole purpose of going to the caucuses. To let elected officials know the issue that is most important to me. I want to keep Minnesota’s natural environment clean and beautiful.

I am an environmental activist, that’s what I do. I act to make change. I adore my state with my whole being. Minnesota is beautiful you guys, if you’ve never been to the north shore, if you’ve never been to the Boundary Waters or any of the Minnesota’s parks, you are missing out on the chance to see where God lives. I have been around enough to know that every time I ‘come home’ from vacation, that I am thankful to be in Minnesota to enjoy all her seasons.

Did you know that’s what caucuses are for? It’s a way for regular people to share their concerns with their local State Representative in hopes to make a change for the better. It honestly surprised me to see such a small turn out for a large precinct. All the time I hear Democrats upset and wanting to change the direction this country is currently going, and not even 25 adults show up to help the process?

Once I started asking questions while the die hard, dedicated democrats saw the passion in my conviction of wanting clean air and water, and they ask me “Are you going to run?” The few passionate people that were there, I had seen before two years ago at the presidential caucuses, so I knew these were my people. They get me, and they understood the importance of being ‘involved in politics’ and urged me to ‘look into’ the possibility of running. One local business owner even offered to throw me a fundraiser and I didn’t even know what the heck I needed one for yet.

Long story short, I don’t like not knowing the facts of what all entails to run for a MN state representative seat, so I came home with the intention of finding out. I decided I would send out inquiries to the DNC to find out more about the open Democratic position in my precinct. They were extremely helpful and willing to answer any questions I had. Turns out campaigning it’s not as daunting as I thought, well sort of, but if there is a will there is a way. Turns out I am extremely willful, just ask my mother and my husband!

Word travels fast in small circles and it got a round to other State Representatives that I was ‘thinking’ about running to represent my precinct. The coolest thing happened the next day, one of the current sitting State Reps called little old me on the phone to talk to me about it! How cool is that? I thought it was anyway. Now I am setting up more meetings with my new political tribe of friends to see if they can guide me through the process of building a campaign team.

I told myself, “God would not hand me this life changing opportunity or midlife plot twist for nothing!” I truly feel like I am being called for a higher purpose, I just never thought my burning desire to change the world for the better, could be a reality, at least not in this way! But here I am, ask and you shall receive; right? I vow that if I can find a campaign manager and build a team that is as passionate about democratic politics as I am then I will run. And so, it is.

Holy moly! Pray for me friends! LOL

Did you go to the caucuses? How was your experience? I would love to hear about it!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

@emyminel on Twitter

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister