Tag: #lifelessons

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Photo taken in Cassadaga, Florida

Oh no! Your flights canceled…

January 30, 2019 emyminzel

On my way home from our Adventure Sisters Retreat in Florida. Stacy and I both had some delays getting to our destinations, when it was time to go home. My connecting flight home was canceled which left me stranded in Chicago at the airport. The airline I was using said they couldn’t get me home until the next day or maybe not until Friday! It was Monday morning and I want to get home to see my boys!

What was funny is that I had been thinking on the way to Florida, instead of complaining about the length of my travel, I need to focus on saying to God/The Universe “What a blessing that I get to travel all day!”

As the Universe/God does, it gave me more of just what I had asking for. Silly me. I guess I need to be much more specific when manifesting thoughts. I really did want to get home to my fabulous husband and my wonderful life. But as life does, sometimes your plans get changed for you.

Stacy and I had spent the whole weekend practicing to raise our vibrations and vowing to hold ourselves accountable for the energy we bring into the world. We even posted a video to the Adventure Sister’s Facebook page about trusting in divine timing and bringing your “best self” to circumstances that may not be so happy. So, I figured, this was my test from the Universe to see how I would handle this exact situation and change of plans to my own life.

Sure, I could be mad, plenty of other travelers were! I could even complain to everyone I saw or make a ruckus. Yet it would not change the fact that the flight was canceled due to the weather and the workers at the airport are not responsible for that.

My husband decided to purchase me another ticket from a different airline, that was based in Minnesota; so, we were fairly certain they would get me home. Yet it wasn’t scheduled to leave until later that night and it was still morning. The weather cleared up, but I had another 7 hours to wait before I could check back in for my 6:00 flight. I worked to do my best to keep my thoughts positive and my hopes high. I was not happy about having to purchase another ticket though, not cool. Yet, I knew I had to keep my thoughts positive.

I was working on trusting that this delay was for my greatest good. I decided I was going to just embrace the fate of my long wait and hunkered down to write. I now had the whole day to work from the airport! I did my best to take some deep breathes and bring peace to myself. After all, I love having time to write uninterrupted! Although, I would prefer more comfortable seating. I decided to write for a couple hours and had to take a bathroom break. As I walked past the ticketing counter, I thought to myself…

“Maybe I should just try and ask if this new airline happens to have a flight going back to Minneapolis any earlier? The worst they could say is no.” I told myself.

Guess what?! The ticketing agent was not only very kind and helpful but got me on a flight that was leaving in just an hour! “OH JOY!” I was so happy I almost cried. It felt like such a weight was lifted off my shoulders; that I was going to get home soon. After all, there is no place like home and I really wanted to get there.

This event just confirmed what I already knew. It is my job to take responsibility for my attitude and my words; even in times of stress and confusion. I can choose to work myself up in anger, or better, I can choose to just work! I decided to seize the day and write about all I had learned about myself this weekend. While the Universe gave me the opportunity to practice my new/refreshed knowledge. So, I figured, I would share my synchronistic Monday morning lesson from the Universe with you too.

I have learned to trust what happens on my journey through life.

I have learned that I am okay in my own skin; even when my experience isn’t matching my expectations.

I have learned the energy I bring makes all the difference to myself and my situation.

I have learned to be more specific when manifesting travel!

I have even learned I will now take direct flights because they are worth it to me and I am worth it!

There are a lot of things that go through your mind when derailed from your path, but it’s up to us to rise above any negative thoughts.

I mean really…. The Universe/God just has a sense of humor in the way it sends it messages sometimes, doesn’t it? Today, I did do my best to keep a smile in my heart while I trusted the wait. I held onto hope that the Universe/God would get me home to see my husband very soon.

And it did. All I had to do was ask!

Wishing safe and timely travels adventurers!!! Keep your chin up and you let your light shine while you trust divine timing!

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

*Photo taken in Orlando, Florida

2018 Review!

January 5, 2019January 5, 2019 emyminzel

What are you proud of and what could you do better?

If I were to make an adult report card about life, I feel like there are major courses we all have in common. Each of these life courses may demand more time than others at times, so they cannot always be as equal as we would like them to be. Balance is good thing, but when life hands us assignments, it’s not always in manageable bite size pieces.

This year I wanted to grade myself on my personal performance in 2018. Then use it as a guide going into 2019 so that I know where I need to focus my attention. Here are the courses of life in which I am going to grade myself and do my best to be realistic yet kind; so that I don’t romanticize areas in which I can improve.

2018 Report Card

Family Relationships = B

Marriage/Love = C+

Career & Money = C-

Health & PE = F

Passions & Hobbies = B

Family 2018 – I believe that relationships with my closest family members have improved this year. We all have grown on personal levels and learned to accept and respect each other for who we are. Yet there is always room for improvement. We could be closer, and I would like to work more towards that going forward.

Family 2019 Goals – Spend more time with my mom, daughter and extended family. This summer has been crazy busy, and I did not get to spend as much time as I would have liked to with my favorites. To rectify this, I’d like to plan some girl dates and outings that support team work and relationship building.

Marriage/Love 2018 – I put marriage in its own category because I believe it is a separate relationship that takes much more tending to. 2018 has been a major year of transformation and growth for my marriage. I admit that not all of it was as perfect as the pictures I post on Facebook. To be honest, we had a very trying year. Yet by the end of 2018 we are better than we had been all year. We made it through the growing pains, we got stronger and our marriage muscles improved from this struggle. We both have sincerely thanked each other for the life lessons we seem to have given during the past year.

Marriage 2019 Goals – We hope to use those lessons as stepping stones. I am thankful for our love and communication skills that helped us through really trying months. I will not take my husband’s love, support and loyalty for granted. I realize that there are ways I can improve my part of the relationship. Like not blaming him for things we both have a part in creating. Again, I must work on myself by managing my time, emotions and expectations to better benefit our relationship.

Career & Money 2018 – Like the teacher who is hard on you because they know you can do better, I’m going to be very tough on myself in this area because I feel like I need to be. Although I have worked harder this past year than I ever have in my life! My bank account does not reflect a smidgen of the effort I extended, and this is not okay with me. In a world that sees success as dollar signs; I know that I need money to accomplish the things I want to. I’ve got Adventures to go on gosh darn it!

I am doing my best and working hard to make a career by following my heart and passions. While reality is that my real-life needs are not being met by doing so. This current situation frustrates me beyond words because I love being a Massage Therapist. I love helping others feel better in their own skin.

Owning your own business is not easy. It’s taken me eight years to build my practice and gain clients to be financially successful… and only one summer to feel like I hit a massive recession. Currently my career is not supporting the lifestyle I wish to live. Now and it’s up to me to decide what I am going to do about it besides complain. I’ve got to get back to good in this course!

Career & Money 2019 Goals – I just don’t know how to justify doing what feels good and following my heart; when it does not support my other human needs and wants. I am hoping the Universe/God sends me some signs of relief soon. That being said; I am very proud of myself for overcoming my fears and taking the chances I did.

I used every single ounce of courage I had to run for State Representative so that I could affect the change I wished to see in my government and community. I lost the election, but I learned a great deal and had a magnificent life experience. I am proud of myself for that. Yet, doing so had a negative effect on my income and career that I did not anticipate.

If I choose to run again, I will now have the experience and knowledge of what to expect, which should help me prepare.

Health & PE 2018 – Although I lost weight in 2018, I know I failed health class. I will not candy coat it in anyway because I would be lying. I had an adventurous and fun yet, very stressful year, that had me reaching out for the comfort of all my bad habits I had thought I was over. I started smoking again, I was not eating nutritious foods and basically lived off wine and pizza. I was not exercising except when I was out door knocking or in a parade.

It was the stress and anxiety that helped me lose the weight. Yet during the short time between the election in November and ringing in the New Year, I have put every single pound back on. I was seeking consolation through food and eating my feelings. Not healthy and I know it. Time to regroup and recoup.

Last, but not least. I learned that I have a strong tendency to fall back into old habits.

Health & PE Goals 2019 – This year I will focus on losing the weight in a healthy way. Giving my body what it needs to be its best. Utilizing nutrition and exercise will be my number one goal for healthy living. I will give my body the proper nutrition it needs with whole foods and stop feeding it sugar and pizza!

I need to love myself enough to say no to things that insult my body, mind and spirit. I must love myself enough to make decision and choices that heal, not harm my body. I know better, I must do better.I have resolved to manage my stress with exercise instead of the brain changing chemicals of smoking. (So far, so good!)

From what I remember, I used to like to exercise! Dance parties in the kitchen are back into my routine and squats while I fold laundry are now on the schedule most every day. I have a goal to start running again too! I am ready for this change.

Passions & Hobbies 2018 – Although this year was plum full of goal setting, and dream chasing I feel like I had a really hard time with balancing it all into life. I gave myself a B, because I had a very adventurous year doing things, I never dreamed I would do.

Yet, I still did not do much of the things that bring me to balance. Like camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area or kayaking and spending time on the water. I justified this by saying if I didn’t run for office, I may not have the BWCA to escape to in the future. When I should have made time to go because that is where I feel my connection to spirit the most. After all, it was my passion for the environment that led me to running for office.

In 2018 Stacy and I submitted our book proposals three different times and where unsuccessful. I will not let this dishearten my resolve but will work harder to get better so that we will succeed.

Passion & Hobbies 2019 Goals –

I allowed the demands of my time to pull me from my spiritual path at times. I now see I need those time outs to center my soul and listen to my inner guidance. Being realistic with the timeline of achievements will benefit my state of mind too.

Adventure Sister Stacy and I know that 2019 will lead to another book to add to our Trilogy and are excited to get to work on it!

I’d like to work on my public speaking ability in 2019 also. It is an area in which I would like to improve for the sake of my own personal growth. In 2018 I learned that facing my fears is difficult, but the reward is worth it.

I am extremely proud of my courage, tenacity, persistence and dedication I showed I am capable of in 2018. There are many areas in which I see I can improve, like working on my closest relationships that took the back burner as I chased my dreams. I have learned the value my time and the importance of balancing it.

Comments:

Look at that! I have not only grown older but maybe even a little wiser! 2018 has been full of lessons and growth that have led to setting more goals. Self-improvement is something I work on every day. Working on ourselves is important so that we don’t blame others for situations in our lives. It helps us take responsibility for where we are, where we are going, how we are going to get there and who we are while we are there.

You cannot change others, you can only change yourself!

I tend to look on the bright side of things, so I had to be tough on myself in this report card. As you can see 2018 GPA has some room for improvement! My hopes are that these grades will serve as a tool to continue my own personal growth. I can’t wait to see this report card come up in my timeline over the next years to compare!

When we put our pro’s and con’s down on paper its easier to see how far we’ve come in one year and how far we have yet to go!

What lessons have you learned during 2018?! I’d love to hear how you’ve grown!

May your 2019 be full of blessings and Lessons through Joy!

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Grieving life experiences

November 29, 2018November 29, 2018 emyminzel

Mourning doesn’t only happen when you lose a loved one.

It never occurred to me that I would mourn the loss of the election. I don’t mean that I am morning the loss itself. I am okay that I did not ‘win’. I am very proud of myself for overcoming my fears, being brave, putting my hat in the ring and making a strong run. Yet after the election day came and went, my life as I had been living it, abruptly came to a halt.

It feels like losing a close relationship that I had been in for over 8 months. I very much enjoyed the work, the learning, the events, but most of all the people who I spent a great deal of time with. After the election it was like my job was terminated and I sat wondering “What do I do now?!”

It was during a soulful conversation with my Adventure Sister, Stacy, that she mentioned I may be grieving to process my emotions. Stacy is a hospice nurse, so she knows a thing or two about how grieving may look.

Five stages of grief are; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

As thankful as I am for this whole experience, I still spent the week of Thanksgiving in a fog of sadness. The week before that I was bargaining, debating and trying to convince myself of the reasons why I would or would not run again. These weeks after the election have me following the same pattern and stages of the grief process.

When Stacy mentioned her observation, the light in my head said “ding!” I knew she was on to something. We traded Reiki energy healing, and this seemed to help me push through some of these emotions. Yet still I feel a slightly depressed.

Mourning can happen when you move, lose a job, end a friendship, suffer great financial loss or break up in a relationship and most commonly after a death. I feel like I had a break up of sorts. For me, the experiences of being a candidate were much like having a relationship with my community, that I love so much, that just seemed to end.

The experiences as a candidate were life changing, uplifting and heart opening. Very much like a new romance or job that you thought was ‘the one’ yet finding out that nope… it was not. I feel extremely sad that it is over. I did not expect this emotional conflict that has shook up my soul. I certainly didn’t expect this much emotion over all!

I believe I am going through this grieving process because of perceived loss of the relationships, the activity and the job in which I truly felt was a part of my purpose. But most of all, I believe I am mourning the derailment of my path.

It has me second guessing “Is this really my purpose or an adventure meant to lead me someplace I don’t see yet?”

The logical part of my brain says, “You are not alone, many others tried very hard and still lost as well. You ran because your soul guided you to this and you wanted too! It was a life experience not a destination. You did your best and most of all you enjoyed the journey. The purpose of life, is to enjoy the journey, learn and grow. You should feel blessed to have this amazing experience!”

I know deep down I am blessed. It is not over. And I must keep, keeping on!

I still have so much to accomplish. I know I must get back in the ring because I still have the desire in my soul to help my community in some way. Maybe it isn’t in the way I thought it might be? That is okay too.

I also know it is fine to take some time to heal myself; mind, body and spirit. I will fight the sadness that sometimes slips into my mind by working to replace those thoughts with thankfulness.

I know that my life is great! I am blessed with a wonderful family and career I love. But for some reason I feel there is more for me to do. Maybe it is the uncertainty of my path that keeps me searching for the next adventure? I believe we don’t escape any huge life experience without learning some lessons.

Maybe this feeling is part of the learning process as well? I’m hoping these emotions may guide me to where I can make a positive difference in myself and my community. I must be thankful for the whole experience, beginning to end.

Maybe that is another lesson? To just be thankful for it all. Before you know it, it may be gone. Be grateful for the experience, the love, the relationships, the fear, the uncomfortable parts, the scary parts, the adventure of it all, the whole time you showed up to experience life! Be thankful.

How do “you” get back in the ring after a loss? What are the things you do to help you feel better on ‘down’ days? Please feel free to share your experiences and advice so that it may help others know they are not alone!

To all the souls who struggle for a smile once in a while; I see you and I love you.

*Photo taken in Tofte, MN on Lake Superior

Wishing you joy, love and blessings,

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

If you need help please reach out to:

suicidepreventionlifeline.org

1-800-273-8255

Finding balance

November 16, 2018November 15, 2018 emyminzel

There has been a shift inside myself from internal growth and maintenance to external efforts to bring peace to the world around me. I have found many like-minded folks who do their best to be the change they wish to see. We volunteer, and we share our experiences filled with wisdoms we’ve learned in our own lives. Our hope is, to help others, by sharing our past challenges and what we would have done differently if we could do it again.

I have spent the last year focused on trying to bring harmony to my community. As you can imagine, it’s not an easy thing to do when others would rather argue and fight instead. I did feel, at times, like I was fighting too. This isn’t my natural personality. I am a lover not a fighter and I like to think I am an upbeat person. A little feisty, but full of kindness and caring, that I want to share with my community and see if I can make any difference at all.

Honestly, I am tired of the fight. I feel I can rest well though, knowing I did my best even if I did not get the outcome I was hoping for. It took a great amount of energy for me to campaign. So much so that I did not allow much time to do the simple things I enjoy or do my best caring for myself or family. The campaign was like a force of a tornado that scooped me up and had me running in circles with no way of knowing where I would end up. I trusted this experience as it has given me new perspective.

When it comes right down to it for me, my family and health are the most important things a girl can have. I have been putting both on the back burner for a long while and it’s time to get back to the truly important things in life. Truthfully, I do wonder if my efforts were worth it. At the end of the campaign I felt like I was pouring from an empty cup and now I have a chip in it as well. The chip signifies the crack caused by my lack of maintaining my personal life.

Looking back, this is not okay with me. I should have made it a priority to find balance between campaign life, work, family, health and personal spirit care much earlier. It is a human struggle, for most of us at some time in our lives, so I can’t beat myself up too bad about it. What I can do though, is acknowledge it and then make sure I do better going forward.

I am thankful for winter as the pace of life seems to settle down and the Holidays come around, naturally bringing family back into focus. This is a time to rest after a good effort and harvest of the summer time activities. It is the perfect time to re-fill my cup per say.

If you are wondering how does a girl refill her cup? I will share with you how I plan to do so… it may not be for everyone, of course, it is custom designed for me and what I feel I need. My hopes are, by sharing my version of self-care, you can also get some ideas of what may work for you.

Massage – lots of them! Massage is good for body, mind and spirit. It’s proven to reduce stress, muscle tension and increase serotonin levels. Who doesn’t need that?! Other modalities that do this are acupuncture, chiropractor visits and sound healing.

Eating healthy – I love to cook! Soup is one of my favorite meals to make, it allows me to get creative, while filling my tummy with vitamins and minerals my body needs. It’s important to get your veggies in everyday and I had not been doing my best lately. I like to use organic produce with lots of herbs and spices. Some day’s it takes me hours to make soup and I love the whole process. It is very grounding. From chopping, slicing, and singing in the kitchen, to the part where I let it simmer for an hour or more to marry. This brings me peace.

Nurture my spirit and body – Some people go to church, I tend to go outside or within. Walking in nature heals my spirit even in the winter. I will meditate wayyyyy more than I have been. Silencing my mind allows me to hear what Spirit and my own soul have to say. I will also go see my friends that do energy healing because sometimes you just need a little help.

Family and friends – Spending time with the people who love me unconditionally, is a great way to fill up my heart. I will take my husband on dates, I will go visit my daughter, and other friends and family who let me be just me.

Kids – I do not have little ones of my own, but I do have family with little people I enjoy and adore. I will make time to sit on the floor and read a book with my littlest family members to bring back simple perspective to my life. Children are full of wisdom if you truly listen.

Animals – My dog Gus is growing older and we can’t go out hiking in the cold winter, but we can go on car rides and other adventures. Spending time with my dog, lowers my heart rate and elevates my mood. My dog fills my heart with joy and reminds me to enjoy the ride of life.

Volunteer – I am a nurturer by nature. It makes me feel good to help others. I will find ways that let me do so that fit into my life and not let it overwhelm my time or energy.

Clean House – This pertains to my actual house that has been neglected for months as well as my internal house of intentions, emotions and feelings. I believe that the state of our outside world represents the inside of ourselves. As above, so below. I am going to clean out the closets, purge old things I no longer need and freshen up the paint. I am going to give love to the corners of the house and pick up the rugs where I may have taken short cuts to sweep issues under it. I will do that maintenance on the inside as well.

My intention is to share my life experience so that you know you are not alone in the struggle to find balance. I hope this blog helps you in some way. We are all in this great big world together and it’s important to practice kindness with others and yourself. Be gentle and understanding, we are all growing at our own pace and in our own ways.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings!

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister