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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

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30 seconds or less…

April 19, 2018April 19, 2018 Emy Minzel

I recently spent four exciting days at a Progressive Candidate Convention in Washington DC, learning how to better express why I am running for State House of Representatives. It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Though, how do you sum up your whole life in a 30 second stump speech that makes people say, “Yes, I want to vote for you!”

It’s much more challenging than I gave it credit for. I want to tell you I’m running because I am an advocate for a healthy environment, and I want to help make the world a better place starting where I live. I want to make sure my daughter has future she wants to look forward to instead of being fearful of. I want that for your kids, too.

I was blessed and thankful to attend an inspiring workshop with keynote speakers like Nina Turner, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Keith Ellison and Cynthia Nixon. Their speeches reminded me that I am fighting for working class families that represent most people I know, including myself. That we must stop pointing fingers and get to work progressing towards a positive future. It inspired me to step out and step up to represent the people who believe in caring for each other!

I have managed to work hard to build a calm life I am happy in. I am blessed with a wonderful family, a house I love, and I get to work from home. I keep busy, content tending to my loved ones, my animals and gardens, traveling when I can. I was able to have enough time to write books, start a blog, learn about things I care about, volunteer and live a very peaceful life. I love my calm, tranquil existence.

Honestly, it took long months of deliberation before deciding I wanted to give up this peace of mind for political public service that gets ridiculed no matter which party you participate in. It’s a great deal of time away from your family, your whole life is turned upside down to campaign for a job you may or may not get.

However, it is a job that would allow me push for the changes I want to see in my community instead of just sitting around and complaining about others not doing it for me. I am sick of complaining. I decided I must now try and do something to change it.

I am frustrated at the reduced career opportunities our children have today. Compared to just 20 years ago when I was young. I am mad at the corporate influence on laws greatly affecting the people, the environment, and healthcare costs. Nickel and diming working families to the point of bankruptcy and homelessness.

I am upset at the way we are ripping off social security and the people who paid into it. We should not be dismantling Social Security monies paid to the government for work already done. Citizens trusted government in good faith to keep retirement money safe for our wellbeing into old age. Now they call them “entitlements”? I call BS. A government is only as good as its promises…

These funds were meant to ensure a comfortable retirement for our elders who are now in jeopardy with high prescription costs and poor insurance coverage as we give tax breaks and corporate welfare to billionaires. Healthcare and pharmaceutical laws need a major over hauling to get it working fairly and affordable for all of us. I think we need to expand social security and Medicare to take care of our seniors that built this country!

I am mad that I feel like I MUST leave my fabulous life to do something about it because nobody else wants to step up. Our districts Republican incumbent was running unopposed because nobody else wanted to be the one to represent our Democratic beliefs.

Well, I was raised by a single mother who taught me that if something needs to be done, you roll up your sleeves and get to work. Even the hard stuff. It makes me furious that I feel our country is on the wrong track, our humanity is lacking compassion and empathy. Leaders who divide and separate people by the way they look, or their religion, is not the country I want to see.

I believe that most people are kind and want to help themselves and others. I see some selfish, greedy leaders that do not act in ways that show any real public service, only self-service. Towing party lines to keep their jobs. The United States is a country not a business. We should not be running it as a corporation that does not care about its employees.

I am fighting mad that tax dollars are not being used on the people as they should be. I am perplexed why we keep restricted access to marijuana stepping over millions of dollars in tax revenue while ignoring proven medical benefits. It is inhumane to deny people a natural remedy as opposed to addictive, life altering opioids that are prescribed.

Washington DC has legalized cannabis use for all adults and yet we still have people in prison for it. I am upset that for-profit prisons perpetuate a cycle of reincarceration instead of rehabilitation. I am puzzled why we know that mental health and addiction problems plague our country but yet insurance will not cover treatment. I am fighting mad about insurance too.

Why doesn’t insurance cover all medicine and treatments? Why are people setting up Go Fund Me accounts for life saving medication, like insulin and cancer treatments? Why do we need to pay more to insure your eyes or fix the teeth inside your head? Last time I checked, my head is part of my body and needs to be maintained to stay healthy too. The medical insurance industry is the wild west with lax laws and accountability for service and prescription pricing. One MRI can cost $400 while another $4,000. Unacceptable.

The American people are getting ripped off, enslaved by low wages and high cost of living, rising medical expenses and most of us living paycheck to paycheck, one disaster from bankruptcy or homelessness. I am angry that my 24-year-old has two degrees, is smart, hardworking, and still makes minimum wage not having opportunity to move on in life like I did.

When I was her age, I had a well-paying job with only a high school diploma and was able to buy a house. Our kids today have a mortgage worth of student loan debt and can’t even afford a washer or dryer much less a house to start a family in. Our kids are getting ripped off and so are we.

So here I am, showing up, trying my hardest to get the chance to make changes for a better future. Wanting to fight for my family values of acceptance not hate. I will stand up for my morals of kindness and compassion, knowing most people are good and just want an enjoyable life with their loved ones. It doesn’t matter what color you are, what religion you follow or how much money you make, we all deserve to live a good life.

I wish to stop blaming one side or another and get to work making positive progress in our justice reforms, healthcare and social security. I wish to start enforcing environmental protections not deregulating them. I believe our lack of wanting to get politically involved or not believing we had a voice; led to losing control of the whole political system to corporate overreach, now we have Trump and our Teacher are Striking!

I do not believe that corporations are people. I support the unions that help us bargain for safe working environments, benefits and livable wages! I believe in equal rights for all and equal pay too! I believe in separation of church and state. I stand with Planned Parenthood.

I refuse to give up and lay down because that’s what they want! As a State Representative I do not get a say in social security or federal issues but I think that any step forward in the direction of compassion and the heath of the people and environment even at the state level will help. That’s what I want the most. To help.

The system was rigged to push us down, to keep us fearful and thinking we don’t matter, but that is not true!

We can, and I will bump back the system when I get the chance to make it work for the working people like you and me once again.

That’s what I know to be true.

Now, how do I get that out in 30 seconds? Any suggestions?

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings and peace,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyforhouse.com

@emyforhouse15A

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Untamed

April 10, 2018April 9, 2018 Emy Minzel

It’s snowing again, it’s the second week of April in Minnesota… will it ever end? The snow seems to fit my mood today. I have been feeling very anxious about the drastic changes in my life that have abruptly altered how I spend my time. Campaigning has been a fun and adventurous undertaking with many positive experiences meeting great people. I feel like I have been dropped into a circus ring. There is a big show going on and I am the wild lion attraction with trainers and everything. Today is the first day I feel like eating my trainers, so I can escape back into the wild.

Is it fear that makes me feel like running? You betchya. Fear of leaving my old life behind to burst into a new way of living my days ahead. The time I get to spend with my family and friends has been drastically modified. My days went from the relaxed peaceful pace of writing and working in tranquility of my home; to chasing my tail and everyone else’s around three counties day and night, working from the time I wake up until way past my bedtime. Endless email chains, demands on my time from people whom I just met and endless flow of information seems to keep pouring into my head.

Currently I have three jobs, I work from home as a massage therapist, I write several weekly blogs while working to completing our three Adventure Sisters book proposals due next week, then I work on campaign duties daily and nearly every weekend. Which means I write and craft my political message while working to meet people who are politically involved in the community. I am listening carefully to their concerns, so I may be better able to help them if elected to The House of Representatives.

One of the best parts of campaigning is hearing from so many of the great citizens from my district and surrounding areas, because I am truly concerned for their wellbeing and happiness in our community. I must remind myself this is the reason I am dedicating my time, attention, and serious effort to move forward in service of my community. Although it is great fun and I am learning so much, it can seem very overwhelming at times. I guess this is what happens when you toss an introvert into the middle of the ring at a circus!

Even though it is uncomfortable, I know that the purpose of it is extremely important to the future of my community. It is a dedication to public service for the greater good, it is the hope of be involved in something bigger than me, that keeps me in the ring so to speak. I know without a doubt that there needs to be progressive change and regular people like me in positions to facilitate it. I realize I am blessed to be able to pursue this crazy political path, I am thankful that it seems to embrace me even more when I am hesitant.

Today I will keep putting one foot in front of the other, checking off items on my ‘to do’ list, knowing that no matter how hard I work or how long I try there is still be more to be done; that is why I will persist even when I want to resist. I will not allow the animal like instincts in me, chase away or eat the trainers that are truly helping me accomplish my goals of representing my community in a nurturing way. I will work on taming my highly-spirited instincts because it is for my own greater good of accomplishing my goals and winning this election. When I win, then I can truly be the change I wish to see in the world.

So, here I am a little wild, full of fight and in the ring at the circus because that is where God/Higher Power guided me. I will use my untamed passion and naturally persistent characteristics to realize I can do this, I am doing this. I got this.

~And so it is!

What do you do when feeling overwhelmed? What keeps you persistently chasing your dreams and goals?

I would love to hear how others people handle their emotions and actions when life paths take a hard left into the unknown forest of life. I love to hear other life experiences so feel free to share them with me!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Something bigger than myself

April 8, 2018October 22, 2018 Emy Minzel

For the last five years, I have been extremely introverted, focusing on bettering myself, nurturing better relationships with my friends and family. I busied myself making my new house a home, growing gardens, writing books and dreaming of how I want my future to look. Sometimes I would feel glum about this fabulous life I was blessed with, and I didn’t understand why. What do I have to be so down about? What is the reason behind the emotions that where affecting my energy and my attitude in negative ways?

I have a wonderful family, a career I truly enjoy, a brown house with several gardens that I love. From the outside looking in, one would say I had it pretty darn great. Yet, this feeling of melancholy was heavy as a weighted blanket just not as useful. I would meditate, drum journey in the garden, exercise and write about how I was feeling. I hoped this would help me move through the uncertain feelings I was experiencing but didn’t understand where they were coming from.

After reading books and watching documentaries about living more sustainably to help the environment, I chose to implement changes in our household and my lifestyle. This led to growing a greater interest in politics, learning what I could do myself to help the greater good. I read self-improvement books, went to classes that helped me process my feelings. I would try to fill up my life with more love by fostering dogs and manufacturing busyness tending to my family and animals seeking to fill a persistent void that seemed like an endless tunnel.

Why was my fabulous life not enough to make me happy? I read a book called ‘The Hope’ by Andrew Harvey and it changed my direction just enough to lead me to where I am today. I believe that I do have more to offer the world, I am a nurturer by nature. It is in my blood to care for others, except my daughter is now grown, my husband is very self-sufficient, and my dogs are good boys who don’t require much doting either.

This left me with tons of nurturing instincts inside and nowhere to use it; I realized this is where my frustration came in. I contemplated fostering children which clearly is a much bigger commitment then dogs. This didn’t seem like the right time in my life and my intuition told me this was not where I would find what I am looking for. I know inside that I am connected to the earth in some way and here to foster in a new way of caring for it. I just did not know what I was supposed to do or how I was going to go about it.

I believe when you want to make the world a better place you start at home. You nurture your relationships, cherish and care for your community and do what you can right where you are. I picked up trash on the county road, became more politically involved and vocal, and I joined the local Friends of the Sherburne County Wildlife Refuge Advocacy committee, so I could have a small part in nurturing a tiny part of the world I hold so dear. Let me tell you that the moment I realized I do have the power to be the change I wish to see in the world, doors seem to fly open, life seemed to hand me magical opportunities to do even more good!

Adventure Sister Stacy tells me this is what happens when you are on the right path of your true-life purpose; what you came to earth to do in this life time. I sincerely hope she is right. I am having the best time moving forward with purpose and laser focused direction to foster in a cleaner, kinder community around me.

Wouldn’t you know it? That feeling of melancholy has dissipated, I wake up each morning excited about what life holds for me. I no longer wonder what to do with my abundance of passion that stokes my desire to care for something bigger then myself. I found it. I am thankful.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Why I count my blessings

April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 Emy Minzel

I am grateful for the abundance of blessings in my life. I am thankful for the relationships I cultivated over time and the new ones just seeds of beginnings. When I think about these people I have surrounded myself with I realize how blessed I am to have them in my life. I am grateful for the choices I have made to get me where I am today. Life has not been thorn free roses, but I have been rewarded with millions of dollars’ worth of love throughout my life and I believe that helped me shape you I am.

The life I have lived has led me to gain experiences unique to me, every soul I met had a role in my existence. Even the dogs I have fostered, rescued, transported, or unfortunately failed… positive and negative have had a significant influence on the character I hold today. Same can be said about all my relationships some have grown while some have failed to thrive, I know it takes two to have relationships, so I take some responsibility in those friendships I have lost now I work to cherish the ones I have.

Being grateful seems to increase the abundance of blessings that come my way. Or maybe it just makes them clearer for me to see and accept as truth? When you go around complaining about everyone and everything naturally you look for more things to complain about. The same is true when counting your blessings. When you go about your days being grateful for everything and everyone in your life, the more you will see things to add to your list of abundant every day miracles.

As the world turns around us, we have duality of good/bad, light/dark, happy/sad etc… so that we have contrast to compare our experiences. We would not know the deep sense of loss without great love, we wouldn’t appreciate the sun if it never rained. This is how life cycles us through the phases we grow through as we age; all of our experiences shape our perceptions of what to be thankful for. We appreciate what we have when we learn from what we’ve lost. Sometimes we see the beauty in life because we’ve seen ugly parts too.

I am grateful for my family, friends and others that love me and support me.

I am grateful for love expressed in little ways that say ‘I love you’ with no words.

I am grateful for the support I feel that allows me to brave and adventurous.

I am grateful for the inclination inside that nurtures my endless quest for knowledge.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to express myself through the creativity I have been blessed with.

I am grateful for being able to love myself in a way that I feel it to be true in my mind, body and spirit.

I am grateful for all these things because I have had experiences that have been the opposite. Remember this today as you go through your daily routine, the things you complain about maybe affecting the things that you appreciate because that is where you are putting your energy. I propose we put a little more effort into appreciating what we love today! And the next days too. 😉

What are you thankful for? Do you write down or even acknowledge blessings every day? I try to be thankful for at least five things a day, which is easy, so then I start looking for more! Contemplate this; Does thinking of your complaints make you happy? Does counting your blessings make you mad?

What mood/energy would you rather carry around in your body, mind and spirit to share with the world today?

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister