#liveyourbestlife – Page 5

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

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminel on Twitter

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

The Adventure Sisters on Instagram

@stacycrep

Uncategorized

7 Ways to practice trusting your Intuition

February 5, 2018November 28, 2018 Emy Minzel

I talk a lot about raising your vibration, keeping your thoughts and energy positive, while walking through daily life. I would also like to talk about how trusting your intuition and gut feelings can help you to live a fulfilling authentic life. I have found through trial and error when I do not trust my intuition, when choose not answer the call to do what I know I should. I suffer the consequences of not listening to my intuition in emotional and physical ways.

I have been hearing the tug at my soul to start writing since 2010 or if I am honest much earlier even since youth. I started by journaling with no purpose except to just write and release my feelings. I found it very therapeutic, but I could still hear my soul saying keep at it for several years, I heard this call and ignored it of course because I had other things to do. I was building a business and making cleaning my house, a priority before writing.

I would do absolutely anything to avoid writing, even doing thing for others they could do for themselves instead. When all I kept thinking about it how bad I wanted to be an author. For years I would stuff this ‘feeling’ right back down to where it came from “Who am I to dare to dream? What makes you qualified to write about anything? What do you have to say that is so important?” I was full of doubt. The more I believed the doubt the more I felt unease move in to my soul.

I was beginning to feel anxiety about many things, I wasn’t taking care of my own needs and desires while putting others before myself whenever possible. By ignoring my feelings, anxiety and depression took its toll on me physically, I gained weight, I was unhealthy, and my mental state was fragile and highly irritable. I was not living my best life or being the best me I could be, and I felt acutely it in my whole being. These were my icky ‘consequences’ that lead me to discovered the necessity of trusting my intuition. I was so miserable in life I HAD to change it. I discovered the only way to make change is to change yourself because as much as we like to think we can… we cannot change others.

I began by learning all about energy in my body, where I hold it, how it feels and how to control it. This information came to me first in the form of learning Reiki healing. It was by learning about the energy centers in the body (Chakras) that I was able to comprehend the mind, body spirit connection and how it greatly affects your life. At the time I was just learning to be selfish, I wanted and needed to feel better in the meat suit I was wearing and not feeling comfortable in. After years of practice I find it has helped me so greatly that it is my passion to share all I’ve learned so you can feel better too. Here are some of the ways you can incorporate practice of listening to your intuition in your daily life.

Try Reiki, Healing hands and other types of energy work. This will help you be in touch with your body, it helps your mind be back in your being, being calm during these healings, helps to hear the whisper of your soul. Learning about the non-physical energy or life force in my body was life changing for me. I started to practice Reiki healing on others and soon discovered helping others helped me too. Giving seems to be more fulfilling to me then taking, but there are times I need healing too. As do you; honor that. You don’t have to learn Reiki, but you can experience energy healing in another form that calls to you.

Own your feelings, do not let them own you. When someone makes you mad or sad, acknowledge it and ask yourself what exactly made you so upset. Are you feeling disrespected, unappreciated, annoyed, over-extended, used? Your emotions are there for a reason not to be used as a weapon of self-inflicted psychological torture. They should be used as a guide to lean towards what and who makes you feel better. Check in with your relationships, and ask your soul, is this fulfilling for me? Is this where I belong. You will know the answer, this is your intuition.

Go where you are celebrated not just tolerated. This is god’s way of letting you know where you should be and who you should be spending your time with. Just because you’ve always had the same crowd you hang out with doesn’t mean it’s the one you have to spend the rest of your life trying to ‘fit into’. If these ‘friends’ don’t value your thoughts, feeling or opinions, move on. You will find new friends who love you just as you are, and you will thank yourself for being brave enough to do so. This doesn’t mean you have to cut people out of your life, you just give them the same amount of effort and attention they give you.

Value your own uniqueness and find others who do the same. How do you feel when you are around someone? Do you feel free to talk about anything and be yourself? Or do you feel like your opinion and feelings don’t not matter? Do you even get a say? These are signs from the Universe on who you should be surrounding yourself with. Move around in this giant world and find other people who resonate with you, find your tribe. Finding others who celebrate your differences instead of trying to bully them out of you is imperative to your soul’s growth. Do yourself a solid and spend time alone as opposed to giving your valuable time and energy to others who do not value who you are and what you have to offer.

Check in with your physical body. When you are in an uncomfortable situation your body talks to you too, not just your mind. Your pulse rises, you may perspire, your fist clench or your jaw tightens. These are human reactions to stress we all feel, when you are with someone or in a situation that isn’t right for you, your body knows even if you ignore it. Its up to you to check in and think why do I have a headache? Why am I exhausted every time I talk to this person? Why do I feel nauseous all the sudden? This is your body talking to you. Listen up, these are signs and signals from your intuition, your intuition was given to you by the higher power that lives inside of you. It wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t supposed to be used. Mind/BODY/Spirit… its ALL connected for a reason.

Try thought control over meditation. Plenty of people I know do not like to or just don’t find the peace in meditation that others can find. What I propose is instead, catch yourself slinging bullshit negative stories around in your head, compulsively thinking the worse of others or situations. I ask you to acknowledge it and then tell yourself ‘Stop it.” Every single time you feel upset, anxious or uneasy. Tell yourself “Just stop it.” Ask yourself “Is there anything I can do about this right now?” If there is then do it, stop spinning your mind and polishing rocks of crazy. Ask “Are my thoughts helping the situation or are they blowing it up into obnoxious unnecessary scenarios?” Taking responsibility and control of your own thoughts helps more then meditation in most of real life situations. I totally get that, so this is my alternative suggestion to meditation. Think about puppies or vacation, do something with your hands instead.

Trust and run towards what you love. It is all about the love baby! We are not meant to be miserable humans making more misery for others. We love what we love for a reason, life is much more enjoyable when we can spend time doing what makes our heart sing and soul smile. Spending our precious time with people who make us feel accepted, seen and loved for who we are, warts and all is what love means. From spending time with babies or grandbabies, fishing to skydiving, whatever that makes your heart fill with happy… do that as much of it as possible. Start giving your time, priority and importance to what does fulfill you in some way. We really are here for only a short while, you’ve tv and phone will not miss you or love you. Spend your hours pursuing more of what you love, trust that the things that pull at your soul, is your intuitive path to happiness.

Now that I have learned to take responsibility for my thoughts, my action, my energy. I have decided to take the leap of faith in myself and trust that running toward what I love to do. I find a great deal more peace and joy in my life when I make sure I get time to do what makes me happy, like adventuring and writing about it to help others. I have decided to make it a priority. And you know what? I really have started to look forward to each day, being able to wake up and know I am spending time moving forward with purpose. By listening to my souls call to write, write, write! I have acknowledged and honored myself in a way nobody else or anything else could fulfill, it’s always been up to me.

Trusting your intuition, is just owning your own power. Don’t be afraid of your own power, it was given to you on purpose by God/The Universe for just this reason. Your intuition relies on your feelings, so you feel where you are supposed to be and who you are supposed to be with. You can trust yourself to use your energy only for good. After all isn’t that what we all want in our lives? You are a good soul, it is safe to trust yourself.