Volunteers Dressing Women For Success

by standinlovejen, posted in Purpose, volunteering

“Lena, what are your favorite colors? What makes you feel comfortable.. pants or skirts?”, asked lead volunteer and suiting stylist Joanne Steffen, a confident and poised woman, in the most welcoming, hospitable tone of voice this morning when introduced to her 10 am client.

“Purple and black.”, Lena replied.  “And I prefer pants.”

“Perfect!” , Joanne continued, “This is simply a style conversation so we understand your preferences, what works for you and will make you feel good at work!..”, she said smiling with an air of warmth and friendship, connecting her to the determined, yet consciously uncomfortable woman standing in front of her dressed in a pink tank top, black workout shorts and jogging shoes with her long, thick black hair tied loosely in a bun atop her 5’4″ frame.

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Joanne whisked Lena away to her private dressing room inviting her to settle in and make herself comfortable with the same enthusiasm as a Saks Fifth Avenue personal shopper wardrobing a high-end client.    The goal was simple.  Personal transformation and powerful self-esteem building.

Please allow me to introduce you to Dress for Success Southern Nevada.

“Founded in 2009,  Dress for Success Southern Nevada (DFSSN) is the local affiliate of the international nonprofit that empowers women to achieve economic independence by enabling them to build a career and become self sufficient.   The organization assists local women in the Las Vegas valley looking to get back on their feet by providing professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help them thrive in work and life.”

Lena, a native New Mexican, arrived in Las Vegas via Colorado only four months ago and is beginning a new journey of rebuilding her life by kick starting her career.  Transition.  The in-between.  Her new job assignment?  A full-time position as an auditor for a small, local casino.   A single mother of two grown children, Lena spent the past twenty-four years as a school bus driver to make ends meet.  “I was able to take my kids with me to work when they were growing up”, she said as she popped out from behind the dressing room curtain in her first pair of black trousers and flat black shoes.  “I grew up on a ranch, we don’t wear skirts and heels..”, she chuckled at the sight of a brightly colored turquoise maxi skirt I thought would compliment her lush, golden skin tone, which at this point was glistening with perspiration.  “I’d be afraid the wind would blow and my skirt will be up next to my face!”, she laughed candidly as I placed the skirt on the go back rack outside her room.

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Joanne’s skills as a retired nurse and President/CEO of a large, national managed health care practice emerged as she handed Lena a few moist wet wipes to clear her brow and cool her neck.   Plugging in a fan outside the two dressing rooms, Joanne continued to focus on Lena’s comfort first,  assuring her sense of enjoyment during the somewhat daunting, albeit highly rewarding process of selecting 15-16 different flattering and professional outfits for two week’s worth of employment.

We zoomed back and forth into a large area of generously donated clothing at the rear of the commercially located office space on W. Desert Inn,  all meticulously sorted by volunteers and thoughtfully merchandised by size, style, and sleeve length.  Racks of clean, patterned and solid colored dresses, linen, cotton, and wool suit jackets, camisoles, skirts, and trousers hung neatly separated by size rounders beside shelves of shoes of varying heel heights.  “15-16 different outfits in 90 minutes?” , I kept thinking to myself in astonishment.  “These stylists are practicing an art form!  And they are volunteers!”

Yes.  You read that correctly.  Volunteers.

*(BIG HUGS to all the volunteers in the world.  YOU ARE AWESOME!  Each life is worthy and you ARE making a difference!)*

Best part of being a personal stylist at Dress For Success Southern Nevada…  no previous experience in fashion industry required!  If you know how to put an outfit together that is polished and professional, mixing your creativity  with the available, donated resources, and have a passion in your heart for lifting a woman’s confidence and self-worth you can join this amazing team!  They have volunteer openings to help style clients, sort donations, file paperwork,  and even help by sewing or letting out seams!

Dress for Success Southern Nevada hosts several annual events like the “Power Walk”, which is how volunteer stylist leader Joanne Steffen first became involved.  “I saw Paula Lawrence, executive director, on Fox 5 talking about the upcoming event and  having just retired, realized I could donate my entire professional wardrobe.” she stated.  ” I believe women need to improve their self-esteem.  They often feel beaten down, and it’s our job to lift them up”, she replied passionately when asked what she loves most about her volunteer work over the past three years with the organization.

We wrapped up the styling session in the accessories room, where Lena was encouraged to pick out a couple of necklaces to coordinate with her new suit jackets.  “I haven’t worn jewelry in such a long time”, she said  while slipping a sterling silver fashion necklace with brightly colored purple gemstones in the shape of a cross around her neck.  “I really like this one!”,  she smiled.  “Great! It’s going home with you along with all your new outfits, your new purse,  2 pairs of shoes, shapewear, and professional tote bag for work!”, peeped Joanne from around the corner as she loaded up her treasures in fresh garment bags organized by outfit on hangers, including labeled tags inside items to help Lena distinguish colors for those she couldn’t decipher due to her color blindness.

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Gorgeous transformation! 

How to Get Involved

Simple.

Donate: Take a look through your closet… Any articles of clothing lingering that no longer fit you?  Lost weight or gained weight and need to clear some space in your home and your mind for that matter?  Perhaps you’ve graduated into a new decade of life and would like to let go of old age-inappropriate items?  Or maybe you just want to detach from a former identity… and recreate a new persona.   Through this giving, you will be both a blessing to another, and to yourself.

“Really small sizes like 0-2 as well as larger sizes 16+ are the greatest needs by our clients”, mentioned Joanne at the end of our visit together.   “We can suit up to 10 women a day, based on our volunteer schedule, and often the women we serve show up wearing the only pair of underwear they have,  if any at all.”

Volunteer:  It takes a village of compassionate hearts to create ripples in the world.  Have a couple of hours to invest to impact the lives of women directly in your area?

Lena, inspired by her new wardrobe which will impact her confidence as she heads into her new job next week, knowing she has a full two week’s worth of new clothing.

Joanne, inspired by Lena’s change in attitude after their two-hour transformation session.

How to Make Last Changes.

Reminds me of a concept Tony Robbins refers to as the  Six Steps For Creating Lasting Change taken from his bestselling book, “Awaken The Giant Within“:

1. Decide What You Really Want and What’s Preventing You From Having It.

2. Get Leverage:  Associate Massive Pain to Not Changing Now and Massive Pleasure to the Experience of Changing Now.

3. Interrupt the Limiting Pattern.

4. Create a New Empowering Alternative.

5. Condition the Pattern Until It’s Consistent.

6. Test It!

“We do not care where you have been, we only care where you are going”, is the guiding principle in this organization.

Jen

 

Embracing your inner child

by standinlovejen, posted in Uncategorized

Hello friends!

I write to you this afternoon balancing on a brightly colored green stability ball… desiring a playful, mobile seat, as well as a fresh perspective from which to share with you today!  I think the temps in Las Vegas have been in the 115-117 degrees the past few days- sure to  challenge even the most committed of positive thinkers.  If I were to use Tony Robbins’ “Transformational Vocabulary”, I’d call it ” just a tad bit warm out today!”

(Rolling on my green ball laughing enthusiastically).

As some of you know, I thoroughly enjoy reading… especially non-fiction, psychology and self development themed books.  I honestly believe there are not enough hours in our lifetime to read all the greatness that exists!  I love sharing this info with you, as I trust there are some of you who can relate or share with a friend or family member that may benefit from the message.

There has been a reoccurring theme in the pages of a few books I’ve recently finished encouraging me to discover a bit more of the child within.    Seems life, if we lose awareness,  has a tendency to become routine, drab, and downright uninspiring, holding us and our creativity prisoner behind locked bars of cast-iron rigidity.   We have fallen into  auto-pilot making decisions and behaving in a manner controlled by our thinking mind instead of operating from a place of conscious awareness– the present moment- our essence.  This  co-mingling of our minds with our identity, easily clouds our thinking and will gladly assume control over us rather than aiding us on our journey towards freedom from suffering.

In the opening chapters of Eckhart Tolle’s  The Power of Now, he shares this insight on observing thoughts and emotions in our mind:

One of the main tasks of the mind is to fight or remove that emotional pain, which is one of the reasons for its incessant activity, but all it can ever achieve is to cover it up temporarily. In fact, the harder the mind struggles to get rid of the pain, the greater the pain.  The mind can never find the solution, nor can if afford to allow you to find the solution, because it is itself an intrinsic part of the ‘problem’.

This is very interesting to ponder.  Stop and think about that for a second.

He goes on to suggest we may delight in being aware of this thought process in our mind, and act merely as an “observer” of these thoughts.  Recognizing that we are not our thoughts.   Ego is a distinct persona- separate from our true selves.   In other words, we are not our minds.

So how do we disidentify with this mind that seeks to dominate our thinking, propelling  us continually into the  false realities of the future or reeling us backwards into the antagonizing imagery and pain of our pasts?   Tolle continues to say,

“That by learning to rest in states of being- Love, Joy, and Peace, rather than emotional states (happy, angry, anxious, irritated, etc. ) we are able to avoid being part of the dualistic mind, which are subject to the law of opposites- and usually are short lived pleasures, perpetuating the pain/pleasure cycle. “

In summary, we focus on the NOW.  Sounds simple enough, right?

Well, if any of you suffer from an over active mind contemplating everything that may be, (future projections) along with everything that ever was (past grievances), you will undoubtedly find yourself in a state of mental and physical exhaustion.  I speak from experience.  This brain has an ingrained habit of recycling emotions, overanalyzing situations,  and causing unnecessary stress to the physical body.

Guilty as charged.

Time for a little self-check.  What is your mind doing to you? Serving you or using you like a wheel on a Tour-de-France cyclists’ bicycle-spinning and undulating hundreds of revolutions per minute along with the same recurring thoughts.

Time to interrupt the pattern.

You can decide to make new ones. All it takes is a decision, and what marvelous power there is in decision-making!  (thank you Tony Robbins for emphasizing this distinction!)

I’ve been blessed to spend time with a couple of friends lately, one of whom had a baby just 10 weeks ago.   We agreed  ( read – DECIDED) an overnight , girls-only slumber party involving deep connection would awaken our inner child and remind us how incredibly grateful we are to enjoy the abundant pleasure of each others’ company.    With Hannah-endearingly nicknamed Jumping Bean thanks to her world-traveling, adventurous parents- we giggled and embraced the grounding effects that a newborn baby brings.

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We prepared and feasted on a palate pleasing dinner of baked eggplant and zucchini lasagna layered with a richly textured northern bean and spinach filling.  Angela Liddon at www.ohsheglows.com, you continue to amaze me! Love your recipes and thank you for sharing with the world! (your really have to try this, it’s simply de-LISH!)

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How might you embrace your inner child this week?  What does letting go a little look like to you?  Is there something new you have always wanted to try, but felt silly or too embarrassed to start?  A new way of cooking? A dance or exercise class?  Trying your hand at a musical instrument, maybe volunteering in a child-friendly environment…. Calling a friend, or downloading a chic-flick and having a good old-fashioned slumber party- and yes, I’m talking with blankets and pillows on the floor!! Old school-  It is AWESOME, and I promise the deep engagement will make the lack of sleep well worth it!  Give yourself permission to create NEW habits!  Interrupt the patterns keeping you tied in a knot of monotony!  It feels so good!

Take this thought with you:

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Here’s to all the connections that happen!

Please share how you let your inner child loose in the comments!  We learn best from each other!

Standing in love with you all!!

xoxo Jennifer

 

 

 

 

Authenticity Awakening

by standinlovejen, posted in Health & Wellness, Passion, Transition

Bonjour mes amis!

Well, it’s another scorching hot summer afternoon in the Mohave desert today.  As a 13 year resident of Las Vegas, ( a Chicago transplant) I have come to appreciate the inherent gifts in  consecutive 100+ degree days- often with 12-14 full hours of non stop sunshine!   As a practice of gratitude and appreciation, I will share with you a few :

  • waking up naturally before sunrise and strolling to the park to see golden retrievers and their loving owners enjoying a game of fetch in the cool, freshly watered grass.
  • cycling in the dry air on my very first mountain bike purchased in 1998 (yes, it still works, and I LOVE it!)
  • knowing exactly how to dress each day for months, as the temperature is incredibly consistent!

I shared a little in my previous post about the nature of transitions…. and in honoring the title of this entry, authenticity,  I felt it time to delve a little into what authenticity has meant to me over the past couple of months.   (Giving myself permission to be vulnerable and without shame…. here goes….)

After 10 years in the fine jewelry business, I made the difficult yet necessary decision to follow my heart on a journey towards authenticity.   While I absolutely loved being a part of so many of life’s precious moments with clients , my heart told me it was time to venture into the space of the unknown, trusting my instincts calling me forward in faith .   What made this decision a tad bit tricky, was the fact that I worked for a small family owned business- my husband’s family.    As anyone who has ever worked in a family business environment knows, it has its unique challenges.  Suffice it to say that life unfolds in mysterious ways, making marvelous masterpieces out of what appears to be destruction.  I have always reflected on the beauty of Anais Nin’s words below and wondered when I would get the courage to take the risk. pranaprogram_anais_nin_quote_and_the_day.jpeg

Well, now is the time.  July 2nd I decided to take a risk and dive into the beauty of the blossoming.    I met with as many clients in store as possible  the weeks preceding in efforts to connect in person to say goodbye and thank them genuinely for sharing part of their defining moments with me. (engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, achievements, milestones, and birth/ adoption of babies!!) I have witnessed the love of so many people in 10 years… wishing to express this love with precious pieces of jewelry.

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How blessed I have been!  My colleagues and I have also enjoyed spreading the message of hope at the heart of Beadforlife’s ( www.BeadforLife.org)  recycled paper jewelry in the shop every day.  Creating a bridge between sharing the story of diamonds as well as recycled paper beaded jewelry, handmade in Uganda by beautiful women living on less than a $1 a day, striving to be their best selves daily through income generating opportunities and entrepreneurial training.

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I was reminded at a Sunday service that we most often fear the unknown.  We fear change.  We fear the truth.  We feed the fear wolf, instead of feeding the faith and hope wolf.   Which wolf are you feeding?   It is essential that in these times of transition we give ourselves permission to try new things, and allow ourselves the opportunity to fail.  Give up perfectionism, and fall into the arms of grace.  The grace of giving it a go ’round and changing our approach if unsuccessful.  Giving it a rest instead of giving up when our realities don’t match our expectations.  And like my good friend and mentor always reminds me, “we are human beings, not human doings.”   (Thank you Joan, for this insight.)

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I have been eager to share with you this little poem I discovered, whose soul I believe connects with each and every one of us.

Be the Best of Whatever You Are

If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,  Be a scrub in the valley- but be the best little scrub by the side of the rill;  Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a bush, be a bit of the grass, And some highway happier make;  If you can’t be a muskie than just be a bass- but the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew, There’s something for all of us here, There’s big work to do, and there’s lesser to do, And the task you must do is the near.

If you can’t be the highway than just be a trail, If you can’t be the sun be a star; It isn’t by size that you win or you fail- Be the best of whatever you are!

 

Author and researcher Brene Brown writes truthfully on this subject of Authenticity in her book “The Gifts Of Imperfection”.  Authenticity, she describes, “is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we are supposed to be, and embracing who we ARE.”   

May you take a step, even a micro movement… towards your authentic self.  What would your authentic self look like?  Dare to ask yourself.  Dare to do it on paper, with a loved one, or in the mirror.  Dig into a book by SARK, Brene Brown, or Marianne Williamson.   Connect with friends and ask this question to each other over coffee or tea.  I’m on the journey together with you… and I’m daring to explore  passions of connection with cultures around the world- uncovering the commonalities in humanity.

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What would you do if time, education, resources, and self-doubt were not obstacles on your journey towards following your passion?  When you discover it, hold it deep in your heart and commit to making it a reality step by step.

“One thing at a time“, as my dad always lovingly reminds me.

Remember to Stand in Love, rooted in truth, and aim to be the best version of YOU today that you can be!

Jennifer

Transitions in Orange

by standinlovejen, posted in Adventure, Passion, Transition

“We must be willing to let go of the life we had planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. “- E.M. Forester

Transitions

Passages. Progressions. Shifts. Changes.

Developments. Alterations. Conversions. Transformations.

A beautiful bridge connecting two spaces: Here and There.  Then and Now.

The free flowing, often times grey expanse in between.  Not black, not white. No top, no bottom.  Just in the middle.  No beginning, no end.  Just Now.

Last week at a neighboring coffee shop, as I was enjoying a piping hot cup of dark roast Papua New Guinea blend swirled with enough half  & half to soften its robust flavor, in the delightful company of strangers, I realized transitions are ubiquitous; Teaching us, conditioning us that change is inevitable.   Our minds like antennas, if in tune to receive the signals, we empower ourselves to replace old, limiting beliefs with new, empowering ones. We invite change inside, to navigate a fresh, undulating path , and welcome the energy of endless possibility to manifest in our lives.  The choice is ours for the taking, and  the decision for the making.

Is your mind awake to hear this calling?   Or are you attached securely to what you know and fastened tightly to the belief that life couldn’t possibly offer rewards for you on the other side, let alone the proverbial greener grass we are taught to fear and told does not exist?  Have you dared to step out in faith, into the deep unknown, trusting your instincts and inner voice to guide you on your path towards your passions?  What do you have to lose? Better yet, what do you stand to gain?  What will it cost you in the long run if you deny your truth?  What if instead of searching for greener grass, you dream of a future in soothing shades of limitless blue skies?  Ever thought about creating your passion in vibrant, clementine hues of orange?  Maybe you decide to plan a sunshine journey in yellow intellect.  Or meditate in circles of purple, encouraging wholeness and unity with the universe.   If the stirring is inside of you, be courageous.  Be BOLD.  Trust your instincts.  Trust yourself.   Give yourself permission when no one else will.

“The journey of a thousand miles begin with one step”, as the saying goes.  What might this 1 step look like to you?   Would it unleash incredible potential, propelling you towards your passion?  Would taking a courageous step forward into the expansive world ignite a spark that would change your destiny forever?

If there is one thing I love , it’s the simple joy of discovery while on a journey.  The anticipation inherent in every adventure- namely, the people I have the pleasure of meeting along the way, sharing  circumstances, and connecting with in plain, yet profound ways.

Take for example, Charles, pictured below, whom I encountered while on a 13 mile trek to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana during the summer of 2014.   Charles’ story is incredibly fascinating, and certainly inspiring!   I intersected Charles on a few different trails while hiking in the raw beauty this section of the park afforded.  On the 3rd encounter, I figured it time to ask his name and find out his story.  He shared that he had always wanted to hike this trail, but had fears about his ability to finish.  After losing his wife a short time prior that year, he decided in that moment, that NOW was the time to make the journey.  He stepped out into fear, the unknown, while guided by an inner light that told him to trust the process during his life transition.  May you, like Charles and like me, embrace the transition in which you find yourself.   Keep pressing onward.

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With Charles on Grinnel Glacier Hike Glacier National Park.

We are all on this journey of life together, interconnected.   May the lyrics of this song inspire your soul and give you a fresh reminder that we are already set free by the love of our eternal Creator!

I’m painting my life transition orange -inviting creativity and feeling in, and adding long brushstrokes of purple- connecting me to oneness with humanity, and the unifying, healing properties it embodies.  What color/s will you choose?

“Hope Now” by Addison Road.  Close your eyes and let the words penetrate your soul! You are so deeply loved! Stand in this love!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salutations Summer Solstice

by standinlovejen, posted in Uncategorized

Thanks to a story shared by Ph.D Melissa Carver on LinkedIn this morning via chopra.com I arrived at a deeper understanding of this radiant and illuminating time of year.  The word Solstice means “to stand still“, loosely translated.  Sol, Latin for “sun“, and sto– meaning       “stand” from sisto, “I stand still“, both from Proto-Indo-European roots.

Defined by Webster’s as “either of the two times when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator”, this day of lengthly sunlight and energy brings us to an introspective place of standing in awareness of our surroundings.  “Observance and Awareness bring us closer to gratitude, and closer to self”, writes Dr. Carver, and gives us a chance to develop new intentions through these observations at a deeper level than before.

It’s an absolute gift to appreciate your surroundings.  Noticing subtle movements all around as you stand in the center of them.  These moments of contemplation provide a vast space for us to tap into our tightly held, almost automatic belief systems and ask ourselves “Why do we believe the things we believe?”  “From where did these references come?  “Are my beliefs empowering, or disempowering?  If disempowering, have courage to ask yourself how these beliefs formed, and how you would like to change these beliefs.

Harness the masculine energy and duration of the sun’s immense heat and light today and let it guide you into a warming thought process.  Allow this  penetrating process to open your mind to infinite possibilities.  Choose to decide you are the creator of your destiny by the choices you make.  Embrace this inner strength, let it reach deep into the core of your being.

Want to learn more about expanding the POWER of your brain and unleashing the bridled thoughts of your mind?  These two books give you permission to draw on your inner strength and question what may be holding you back on your journey of bliss:

“The Code of the Extraordinary Mind” by Vishen Lakhiani  and “Awaken the Giant Within” by Tony Robbins.

What intentions will you set today for yourself and the world?

Share in the comments, as this is an open forum for learning from one another!

 

When Disaster Strikes.

by standinlovejen, posted in Ideas, Purpose

“Surrender means not giving in to another, but giving in to love.”- Deepak Chopra

A loved one lost.  Dreams withered away.  Hope faded.  The for-sure promotion suddenly  evaporated into thin air.

You notice the scale advanced a bit to the right despite eating what you believed to be a reasonably balanced diet.    You look in the mirror and notice that age and gravity have begun  to co-habitate in a couple of personal spaces.

What is your typical response when stressful situations arise?

Are you more likely to stay and look trouble in the eye, or is your preferred response to bolt?  …. Quickly escaping the situation and longing desperately to fall into the arms of comfort.

Routine checkups at the doctor tend to create a nerve-racking and humbling experience for me, especially when it involves the New Year weigh-in.  Anyone with me?   It’s important to know health is in order, but sometimes facing the reality that winter hibernation has caught up with you stings like frostbite.  You think to yourself, “Do I really have to give up my favorite habits?  I love those chocolate bars.   They do not serve me, but I don’t think I can give them up. “

While these examples represent varying degrees of stress, the choice of responses in challenging situations remains the same: We have a choice to bolt or to stay.

Bolting.

In Geneen Roth’s bestselling book Women, Food, and God, she shares examples of bolting which she defines as:

” Any engagement in mind-altering and body-numbing activities.  Shutting down and walking out the door when pain threatens to destroy me- which is any situation that involves another human being or whose outcome I can’t control. “

Paraphrasing key concepts, Geneen shares that our refusal to stay in the present moment robs us of the very things that can help sustain us.  

Examples of Bolting.

  • Walking out the door.
  • Distracting yourself from pain by doing things.
  • Thinking about something else.
  • Getting into a fight.
  • Comparing yourself to other people.
  • Dreaming about life in the future.
  • Recalling life in the past.
  • Never getting deeply involved.
  • Eating  and/or drinking.

Obsessions with eating she says, “gives you something to do, besides having your heart shattered by heart-shattering events.  Obsession is a way of organizing our lives so that we never have to deal with the hard part.  The part that happens between 2 years of age and dying. Obsessions are ways we leave, before we are left because we believe the pain of staying would kill us.”

Sometimes our thoughts provoke us to run away and hide.   This cleverly-masked escape (insert your escape of choice) feels like comfort and support, however the reality-if we are listening with our mind, body, and hearts-is that the escape actually uses us.  It is an imposter, providing us not only with false senses of satisfaction, but also feelings of guilt, shame, and remorse.  Hauntingly familiar, isn’t it?

We are faced daily with the choice to run away or to stay from difficult situations.  It’s important to remember that we have a choice.   We can check out, or we can stay and figure out solutions.  We can trust ourselves to make changes, and we can allow ourselves to feel our feelings instead of running from them.  We can pause and ask ourselves, what am I afraid of feeling?  What am I seeking in the escape to which I am running?  What do I think it will give to me? How will it make me feel?  

I welcome your insights.

StandinLove is a place of connection and community.  A place to learn from one another and to encourage each other on this lifelong journey in love.  It is in sharing honestly that we practice the art of imperfection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BeadforLife Impacts Las Vegas Middle Schools

by standinlovejen, posted in Beadforlife, People, Purpose

How did they treat you when you were in Uganda? asked an 11 year old student with an inquisitive mind.   Did they treat you differently because you are a different race? 

What were you most afraid of during your stay?  Did you go there alone?

Why were there no boys or men in the video on extreme poverty?

These are just a sampling of the many questions asked during the 3 presentations given on BeadforLife and extreme poverty at Johnson Junior High, a recently named international academy here in Las Vegas.   Students from 7 different social studies classes were invited to participate in an exciting forum last month to learn about daily life in extreme poverty, in particular, life in Uganda.

Prepped with recycled paper beaded jewelry,  photos of the women in BeadforLife’s programs, statistics on extreme poverty in both Uganda and the U.S., I apprehensively entered a Jr. High auditorium where I would be challenged with the task of building bridges of understanding between these young, developing minds with those who live thousands of miles away in a developing land- one very different from their own.  I had no doubt I would leave at the conclusion of the day feeling I was blessed with an opportunity to learn as well.  I recall distinctly the BeadforLife mantra taught in the Street Business School program that both student and teacher are called, “coach”, suggesting the reciprocity of learning.

Entering the stage of critical thinking is …  well, entering a world of mental capacity expansion.   Allowing the brain to stretch in ways previously unknown.   Pausing to consider another’s perspective for just a moment in time.  Allowing space to contemplate another’s reality, perhaps harsher or just different than your own.    This is the beauty of learning, as once the new information enters the mind, it sets up camp, impatiently calling us to kick it around like a ball in a game of mental hackeysack.

As the 2nd guest speaker these students had ever encountered in a classroom environment, I felt a strong desire to impact them in a way that would challenge their thinking, create a hunger to learn more, and potentially inspire some to embrace their role as global citizens in the world, recognizing their voice and ultimate impact their voice  has on the eradication of extreme poverty.  Tall order for 6th graders you may be thinking… but in actuality, the elasticity of their minds is incredible!

I was so impressed with some of the students’ answers when I asked questions like, ” What impact does being paid a fair trade wage have on people living in extreme poverty?” and “Why do you suppose women and girls were the focus in the brief BeadforLife video we just watched?”   I especially loved hearing their responses when asked to share what looked different in the daily life in Uganda compared to daily life in the USA.    Sugar, they learned, was a luxury not a necessity for living.  As for electricity, only 15% of the country of Uganda has access to it.  Homes, they grappled to comprehend, were a mere 10 ft x 10ft for an average family of 6-8 people, and didn’t include running water for things like brushing teeth or quenching thirst.   We talked about fears, and how everyone has them, they are just different based on geographic and socio-economic positioning.

In efforts to connect the kids to people in extreme poverty, I shared BeadforLife’s belief that no matter where you have been in life, how dire your circumstances past or present, there is a way out.  There exists an opportunity for change in life.  It’s there for the taking, provided initiative and desire are present to seize the opportunity.  Like teachers at Johnson Junior High School to their students, BeadforLife takes a mirror and shines it in the faces of the downtrodden and says, ” I BELIEVE IN YOU!”.

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Students learning about sustainably sourced Shea Butter

It is not enough for people to survive.  Everyone has the right to THRIVE.  The Millennium Development Goals, now called the Sustainable Development Goals seek to end extreme poverty by the year 2030, reminding us that we can see an end to extreme poverty in our lifetime.   This will happen as a result of our youth exercising their influential 1st world voices.

After reading hundreds of thoughtful, hand-written thank you notes from the students the past couple of days, (thank you Mrs. Stice, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Slighting ), I see the spark and potential in the youth of our future.   I see the impact that a little bit of knowledge and understanding can have to make our world a better place, one step at a time.

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A friend of mine shared an interesting article from Outsideonline.com that sited the USDA:

The average family of four trashes 2 million calories a year- worth 1,500$.  As a result, 25% of America’s water is used to produce food never eaten, and an estimated 28% of our planet’s agricultural land used to grow food ends up in the garbage.  Food is the single largest solid waste component of America’s landfills, at an estimated 80 billion pounds- and emissions from it are equivalent to greenhouse gas output of 33 million cars.

Now that is some food for thought.

 

Pedestrian Observations

by standinlovejen, posted in Passion, People, Uncategorized

“Our main business is not to see what lies dimly ahead, but to do what lies clearly at hand”- Thomas Carlyle

There is something euphoric about arriving at a destination by foot.

 Why?  

The richness of experience and revelations that exist between two points….

Case in point, today’s urban hike into town for a piping-hot cup of dark roast coffee and eventual jaunt to REI to research sleeping bags for the next big adventure.  (hiking Macchu Pichu’s Inca Trail-  a wish-list destination, at which, I prefer to arrive by foot. )

Urban hiking.. a freshly added “no fees attached” recreational activity  … loosely defined as get out of your house and walk somewhere interesting…see what you discover .  This may not sound like a new phenomenon.   You may be thinking to yourself, “… people live in cities, bustling to and from by foot, bus, taxi, and all other sorts of public transport.”  While that’s true, I think the percentage of Las Vegans living on my side of town commuting this way remains quite small.   And while hiking is popular here, it’s generally directed west, towards the Red Rock conservation area.

Today’s suburban expedition led me to the discovery of the RTC’s city bus timetable, and piqued an interest into commuting to work via public transport  for a change.  Feels like traveling for some reason, rather than commuting.  Traveling on a journey takes many forms.   As I passed a bus stop on my left, I looked down and noticed 3 poinsettias and 3 prayer candles in a mini vigil  presumably to a lost loved one.   The wicks were burning brightly, suggesting I may have just missed intersecting someone sorrowfully ruminating their loss.    On another part of today’s journey, I was able to stop and smell the roses outside a cast iron gate entrance to a perfectly manicured golf course I pass by in my car daily.  Smelling fresh ivory and magenta colored roses growing wildly in the desert in January counts as simple abundance in my book.  I tucked that experience in my mental backpack along with unanswered questions such as ” I wonder how many people ride the public bus here for work?  How much does it cost to ride the bus these days?  Could I try to get to the strip on this route? ”  Carrying on, I reminisced about  those impressionable  junior high days I relied on the public bus for transport to school while my parents worked hard morning to night to provide for my brother and me.    I then contemplated if  I had ever noticed these roses while in my car at that familiar intersection stoplight.

Ever notice on a walk in your neighborhood how the bushes will stretch their limbs north-facing in order to catch a glimpse and bathe in the afternoon sun passing overhead mid-late morning?   So beautiful to behold nature’s silent conversations and it’s ceaseless intricacies.

After a 9 mile round trip trek around town today, I am particularly interested in exploring with you the differences in the experience of consuming a cup of coffee at a Starbucks, versus a McDonalds.  Understandably, geography plays a part.  I am speaking about these two particular shops near my home.

Today I chose to unpack my day-off arsenal of books, sharpies, index cards, and spiral notebook on the outdoor terrace area at Starbucks.  Having just schlepped into town on a cold morning, my body temperature was up, and I profited by sitting in the direct sunlight at an empty patio table for two.  Meanwhile, inside the bustling ,iconic coffee house,  I was struck by the multitude of business people, cyclists, computers, I-pads/phones/pods, and the energy circulating all around me.    I listened to two men conversing in French, their words like music in my ears,  behind me as I stood in line, a line much shorter than the one full of cars in the drive through.  Hip music playing, fresh coffee brewing, employees buzzing, guests working, typing, and talking… it was a complete 180  in terms of experience from the day prior at Mc D’s.

There,  as I sat in an old formica pebble stone topped booth, I was confronted with the realities and prevalence of poverty.   A homeless man I see routinely was seated across from me,  with his bicycle parked outside the front sliding screen doors.  Reading and journaling, I have grown accustomed to tuning out the noise of his video games or songs that blare haphazardly.   We both don knit caps over our heads to keep warm, and are both sipping a cup of freshly brewed and rather affordable cup of coffee, comparatively speaking.  What I love about the McDonald’s experience is that each time I choose to have coffee there, I am able to bear witness to all of God’s wonderfully unique creations.   The woman and her husband having breakfast turning to the other homeless man and regular visitor behind them asking , “are you hungry?  Would you like something to eat? Would you like hotcakes?”    Or the man in his warm ups that shows up for breakfast at the same time each morning, who gives a sack of food to the homeless man sitting in front of me.   Sometimes, they talk, and the stranger takes a seat with the homeless man and engages in conversation with him about how to use the phone or whatever else he may have in his possession at the time.   My heart feels FULL when I see the young hourly paid employees coming over to ask guests, including the homeless, if they need refills on water or coffee.  After all, they are paying guests too.

I love to sit and partake of this shared human experience.   Listening to the old folks newspaper crinkling as they turn it’s black and white pages while discussing loudly their closest friend’s most recent doctor’s appointment results.   Or ….witnessing acts of generosity.  Reminded me of the “pay it forward” movement that takes place in drive through lines at Starbucks… when you randomly pay for the order of the person behind you.  While this is a great demonstration of sharing and giving, it is not likely that the person behind you who drove in their car to pay $4.00 or more  for a coffee is in need financially of the gift.    The person who is in financial need, is the homeless man or woman with his own two feet as his sole mode of transport.  The man or woman who falls asleep in the booth after a  hot and filling meal of hotcakes, sausages, and eggs… getting rest, warmth, and replenishment after a long, cold night outside.   The socially rejected and avoided men and women who, being human, crave interaction with others too…. say hello, offer to buy a coffee or a meal inside.. or just give a bag of food.    It is all about perspective…  the big breakfast that “has so many calories” for one, may be  a life -sustaining meal for another.  Let’s pay that forward.

The beauty of today’s journey lies in the pulsating, penetrating heart of man.   Bearing witness to the love inside of each us… and the cravings we all have to share that love with others.    May your feet guide you always on the path toward love.  May you continuously choose love for others, and experience the richest spiritual rewards.

Have you witnessed amazing acts of love?  Please share, I’d love to hear your story!

*pardon the lack of the accent over the “a”… my keyboard is speaking without french accents at the moment… *


Roadside vigil


Homeless man receives meal
 

Grace, Generosity, and forGIVEness

by standinlovejen, posted in Ideas, Purpose, Uncategorized

…..try not to let your circumstances define who you are, rather let God define who you are in those circumstances.”  – Pastor Jud Wilhite 

Welcome 2016.

Thank you 2015.

Thank you for all the reminders, the trials, the unforgettable opportunities to learn from the smorgasbord of events taking place in the past 365 days.

January 1st, a new beginning.   I delighted in an awakening walk into town for a hot,creamy cup of coffee at McDonalds to start the new year.  They have the best .99 cent cup of coffee around, not to mention the free entertainment of people watching… especially teenage boys the morning after a long New Year’s Eve night celebrating.  The vibrant and penetrating sun shining on my sun-screened  and sunglasses- protected face… gloves, hat, scarf, and vest all fastened snugly providing a warm and intimate barrier against the 34 degree desert chill, I walked leisurely  a few miles to the neighborhood golden arches.  Walking outdoors is natural therapy, and provides great opportunity for insight and contemplation.   As cars bustled past on a busy 6 -laned street, I stole hellos from strangers on the sidewalk, heading to unknown destinations.  “Happy New Year!”, I greeted each passerby with a sincere smile.

It is easy to fall prey to the limiting belief that we are our circumstances in life, rather than understanding that we are humans, striving for connection.  We are lovers of people.  We crave community, and we delight in unity.   We are imperfect creations living in a world of complicated circumstances, but we are LOVE.  We are light.  We are meant to shine, to share, to seek out the lost and brokenhearted.   Our souls define beauty, not our surroundings, and contrary to mainstream media,  certainly not our facades.

I was reminded of a valuable lesson about the glories of pain at the close of 2015.  Lessons, as Dale Carnegie shares in his  book “Stop Worrying, and Start Living” are rarely new, merely reminders of that which we already know.   He goes on to write, ” you won’t find anything new in it (this book), but you will find much that is generally not applied. …  We already know enough to lead perfect lives…. our trouble is not ignorance, but inaction.”   Having to undergo an emergency root canal a week before Christmas while continuing to work during the busiest retail time of the year reassured me of a few things:

Pain and suffering are not indefinite.  Relief is on the way.

Pain and suffering are disguised gifts, and often result in the reminders  of life’s simplest pleasures.

Pain and suffering, while seemingly impossible to endure, have the power to deliver us to places of peace and present numerous gifts of gratitude.    All you have to do is CHOOSE to receive these gifts.

Stand still in love.  Love’s beauty abounds.

The bird whose love, a song,  it is to sing.

The poet whose love it is to find his words engraved in the hearts of lovers.

The woman, whose love she discovers, is to seek connection and find purpose in the mundane interactions in life.

Sing your song, write  or relish in romantic refrains, and discover your essence and beauty in the eyes of God.

 

Art in the Park raises thousands for BeadforLife

by standinlovejen, posted in People, Purpose, Uncategorized

It’s a cool, dark morning and the desert rain is falling swiftly as I sit on my rocking chair on my patio.  The smell of desert rain is so refreshing.  Satisfying, and awakening.  Summer has finally decided to depart from the valley, and this quiet storm is proof that fall has come to stay.  As I sip a cup of  dark roast hot coffee lightened slightly with fresh cream, in my pajamas, I recall the flash rain storms in Uganda towards the end of my visit this summer.   A certain hush fell over the city during the rain, as the tropical heat was replaced with cooler temps.  A welcome reprieve for farmers- nourishing the lush vegetation of the fertile land; a nuisance for the many living in mud homes or corrugated tin shelters dotted with openings just large enough to wreak havoc on the once dry interior.

Rain brings refreshment.  Renewal.  Reminders.

This weekend, my folks and I had the opportunity to share the story of BeadforLife with thousands of people attending the largest juried arts festival in the southwest, aptly named Art in the Park, as tents dot the green parks of downtown Boulder City like sheep in a pasture.  Our quaint 10x 10 foot white walled tent the perfect canvas for an African marketplace transformation!  It’s no coincidence that this is the same size of the average Ugandan home- reminding me of the relative nature of ” necessity”.

There is something magical about BeadforLife jewelry, and the spirit filling the space inside and around our tent.  Colorful,  hand made works of recycled paper art crafted by women so desperately seeking an end to their cycle of generational poverty provided our landscape for 48 hours.  I recalled lessons learned in Mutungo’s Street Business School about being resourceful and using available possessions- the most important being your own creativity.  I turned plastic buckets into stools, and tree branches from my front yard into decorative garland breathing life into our space.   I delighted in slip covering two ordinary folding chairs with brightly colored and characteristically patterned  dresses from Malawi donated by BeadforLife supporter and  friend Lynn.   Mom and I agreed we didn’t need to buy anything for our event and used items from home in creative ways, just like the enterprising women of Uganda.

We hung Annet’s palm branch mat ( her story from Bulogo women’s group a previous post) as a natural frame for Beamdforlife’s banner on the tent’s rear wall,  reminding us all that hard work and determination mixed with repeated measures of faith and discipline produce unimaginable results.

Thanks to the many first time visitors to BeadforLife as well as the friends and supporters who attended last year, we raised over $3,700 this weekend!  I’m grateful to my parents- both 70 years young, for helping me set up and account for all the sales!  This event is truly a blessing on many levels!

Every day 22,000 children around the world living in extreme poverty die of hunger.  Children grow up in homes and do not have access to education- including public schools for lack of school fees and basic supplies like shoes and pencils.   Orphans wander the streets and slums dreaming of a place to call home.   These are a few of the things I witnessed first hand while working in Uganda , and they remain the motivating realities which drive my advocacy.

Seven months ago, I joined a small committee to help BeadforLife  expand the Street Business School program.  This 6 month mobile classroom places entrepreneurial training and skills into the hands of the poorest, most vulnerable women in Uganda.   The goal is to replicate this training module worldwide- empowering 1 million women with the tools of self- sufficiency.   I believe in the promise of this program, and I support the program’s co-founder and leader- Devin Hibbard.

I invite you to join in the “Ignite One Million” campaign and consider the impact your donation will have on the lives of it’s participants.   You may donate directly at vegas.ignite1million.org

One month from today on November 4th from 6-8 pm MJ Christensen diamonds will host its 6th annual Runway for Life event benefiting BeadforLife.  Come meet Devin- cofounder, and join us as we embrace the dream of Igniting One Million women worldwide out of extreme poverty.     Rsvp@mjcdiamonds.com

“Nothing changes if nothing changes. ”

I have a young boy with autism at Art in the Park this weekend selling buttons to remind me of this fact.