Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year and yes, it is a new year indeed.  I just finished a month filled with challenges, uncertainty and profound life lessons. A month of healing very old wounds and allowing myself to let go of so much of the past. 

Fueling that process of letting go and re-visioning my life was the six days that I spent whitewater rafting down the Colorado River.  It was a life changing experience!  An experience that taught me how very small my life and my perceived problems truly are in the scheme of the vastness of our planet and the universe. It showed me where I was physically and emotionally "weak". It showed me how I give up my power to others and it showed me how very strong I really am.  It showed me how I needed to move on and let go of all the people, places and things that no longer serve any purpose in my life.  It helped me to surrender and let go of who I was to become who I was supposed to be. 

So, on this Rosh Hashana, Jewish New Year, I say goodbye to it all of it-Your Product Hub, to the food industry and to all of it's cast of characters who never understood me nor could they ever destroy me.  I see them now and realize they were only illusions to teach me my own self worth and to value myself! I say goodbye, close to door to Your Product Hub and step into my future. 

Thank you for reading my blog(s).  I am hoping that you have come to realize that you are worthy of all that is good in this life, just like I have.  I wish you all a happy healthy new year. 

Stay tuned for my next adventure as I become the "queen of cannabis" !

 

 

 

 

 

 

Causing a commotion!

August has arrived! The month of my birth and usually my favorite month of the year.  This August, however has not proven to be its usual light and fun filled month.  I remain in a state of free flow, furiously applying for new career opportunities...and being turned down over and over again.

This August instead of celebrating my birth, I am actually being re-born!  The process of job interviewing has made me examine who I really am and what I really want.  It's been an exercise in finding out what I don't want and what doesn't work for me anymore.

Granted, it is good to know what you don't want.  But, I am focused now on what I and my heart really wants. What I want is to use my "medical" knowledge and skills with my most recent marketing, business development, event planning and non profit fundraising experiences.  I want to create a position for myself that will allow me to grow and most of all, make the world that I live in a better place. That is a tall order indeed!

All that being said, I have been led to several positions in the budding cannabis industry here in San Diego.  To clarify, cannabis is legal here in San Diego both as medicine and as a recreational substance.  Although it is legal right now, there are many regulations still pending on its sale and it is still against the Federal law.   What is for certain is that the cannabis industry is in its infancy stage and has enormous growth potential. San Diego Magazine focused on the growth of the industry in its latest issue.

Click here to learn the facts about cannabis

So as I venture into this new frontier, I thought I'd start out with the basics of why I and many others believe in the healing power of CBD oil and cannabis. Before you take a look at the infographic, I highly suggest that you drop all your old beliefs and fears about cannabis. It's proven to heal without addictive and destructive side-effects.

I will keep you up to date on my job hunt and whether my purpose involves cannabis or not. For now, I trust that I am being led to my highest purpose.  I listen to my intuition which is that small still voice inside of myself,  which keeps telling me not to fit in or to settle for less than I deserve!  Are you listening to what your intuition is telling you?  If not, you're missing out on the many secrets the universe has to share with you! Namaste:)

 

 

 

A New Chapter

It's been almost three years since I started Your Product Hub.com and it's been quite a journey,  filled with lots of lessons.  Throughout the past three years,  I've met with countless small vendors, restaurant owners and a variety of entrepreneurs. I learned about their businesses, their lives and their struggles.  What I mainly learned from listening to their stories was that we all limit ourselves in some way through fear and limiting beliefs. It is through our willingness to change those beliefs that we grow, change and become our own personal version of "successful".

However, that's the rub.  We must be willing to change in order to move forward.  Each time I met with a new client and heard their stories, I could clearly see why their businesses weren't thriving. It was clear to me that in most cases, it was their unwillingness to change their belief which stopped them from getting their business off the ground or why their businesses were not thriving.  Each one of them was holding onto the belief that they were not worthy of success.  Not only were their businesses not thriving but they themselves were also stuck in rut of self defeating beliefs.  Their relationships were usually unsatisfying.  They usually gave more than they received and allowed their partner's needs to be more important than their own.  Many of them were also fighting with addictions which clouded their judgements and decision making powers.  They battled with their own demons and yet still put the needs of everyone else before their own.  In each case, they fought me and held closely to the way they had always done things, even if it was leading to failure. In the end, some of them even "blamed" me for their lack of progress or success.

I listened to each one of my clients with the best of intentions. I believed that I could help them overcome themselves and their destructive behaviors.  But, unfortunately, what I came to learn is that I couldn't help them.  I couldn't care more than they cared about themselves or their businesses. What I also came to learn is that my business would never be sustainable since all my clients suffered and through their suffering I suffered too.  Somehow, in working with all these failing fledgling businesses, I came to believe that because they were failing, I didn't deserve to be paid for my services.  Finally, I came to learn that I too was limiting myself and holding myself back from fulfilling my purpose.

Today, I begin a new chapter in my life. I have begun to find my next perfect job.  In this new chapter,   I value myself. I walk away from those who are suffering and unwilling or too afraid to change.  I walk away from the darkness and begin again.  I walk away without fear because I know that Life supports me in every way.  I walk into the light, knowing that those that do not fear the light will follow me. Those that have chosen to live in darkness, despite all my efforts, will be left behind.

I am grateful for all the lessons that all my clients have taught me in the past three years.  I am also grateful for moving forward and to begin again. I step into the future with hope and anticipation for more learning and more growth.  I encourage you to let go of the past and all the things that are holding you back.  As Louise Hay says, "no matter how wonderful yesterday was, today can be even better"! You and I always have a choice to make tomorrow better!

Declare your independence!

It's July 4th and all around me people are celebrating America's Independence Day!  I plan to celebrate later!  Now, in this moment, it dawned on me how we are all searching to be free of something!  Today, I am declaring my independence by freeing myself of the past.  As much as I work on letting go of people, places and things, there are just certain things that I struggle with releasing. 

And, by not releasing those people, places and things that serve no purpose in my life,  I hold myself back from experiencing the glorious "now" in every moment.  I block out my purpose.  I block any guidance, which I am being given in every moment,  just so that I can hold onto people, places and things, which have hurt me or weigh me down or keep me rooted in the past. All of them have taught me great lessons.  Lessons in self compassion and lessons in self love.  In the end, their negativity, jealous, envy and hatefulness ultimately served to turn me inward; inward where I can hear my truth and where I can connect back with love.   They reflected who and what I was in the past and have no power over me in this moment.

 

So, again today, I intend to free myself of my past.  I encourage you to do the same.  You will experience the true meaning of freedom.  Happy July 4th!

Endings and beginnings.

Today my friends at Suzie's Farm called it a day! After many years of valiantly fighting the forces that make farming so damn hard, they decided that it was time to surrender and move on!  I thank Robin and Lucila, who gave me a job when I needed one, even though they couldn't afford to hire me.  They and their farmily welcomed me into their fold and ignited my love for farming and the notion of growing things. 

Thank you Suzie's Farm for feeding my heart, soul and stomach and for launching me on a journey of healing that continues until today.  I am because you were.  Now it's time for both of us to move onto new beginnings.  So much love to y'all!

More lessons learned through fairy tales

I often find that my life experiences mirror the lessons that I learned in childhood from nursery rhymes and fairy tales.   Yesterday, as I finished up another fundraiser, I awoke again from a self created fairy tale and realized that I was done! I was done saving a world that did not want to be saved or that did not want my help.  For over ten years, I have been raising money for every good cause under the sun. I now am tired and I am ready to serve only my own cause & myself!  I have once again awakened to find that I have allowed myself to believe in illusions and fairy tales, ignoring any good sense and most of all,  overriding my inner wisdom.  I had awakened from illusions filled with nursery rhyme characters, all created to teach me profound lessons.

Here are the lessons that I learned through my journey of over 400 events and fundraisers:

Lesson learned #1: Con artists, fakes and imposters come in all different forms.  It does not matter if they say they are champions of the environment; if they proclaim they are"reborn" and spout religiosity; if they are the most popular person in town or for that matter, even if they are our President.  If your inner radar is sounding an alarm,  listen to it, even if you don't have any concrete evidence and even if every one around you chooses to believe in them.  You are being warned and it is time to believe in that internal warning system. I believe and I am now listening!

Lesson learned #2:  People will take from you until you stop allowing them.    Then, they will act offended when you stop.  If you stand firm they will test you and ask for more.  When they finally get the idea that the well is empty,  they surely will find someone else, probably better than you, to serve them. Fear not, they always find someone else to fill your shoes!

Lesson learned #3:  You are the most important person in your life.  Everyone else are only additions to or frills to your already perfect being.  If the people in your life are no longer giving you anything, and be honest, there are many energy suckers in your life, then let them go! Expect righteous indignation when you do let them go because they are good at manipulating reality to make you think that they are actually helping others, when in fact it is always about helping themselves. That is why they are part of fairy tales, they are make believe.  I do not believe any more.

Lesson learned #4: You already have everything you seek inside you!  All you have to do is to listen and trust.  That sounds so easy but ego wants illusion to make it feel good. Unfortunately the illusion is guaranteed to vanish at some point, reawakening you to what you already knew.  Just like a fairy tale always ends and you close the book, it is time to stop giving fairy tale characters any importance.  I've closed the book on those stories. I know exactly how each of those stories end and I know that they were never real!  Lessons learned!

It is new day for me.  In fact,  I am hoping a new era for me.  I am done with the things that have been weighing me down.   I have let go of it all and it has left me feeling empty.    But, that emptiness has opened me up to the new. So, today, I move forward without fear and in anticipation of more awesomeness than I could ever imagine to come.  Today, l know that when I listen to my inner wisdom I hear the answers I need. I know that all that I seek is already in me.  Today I trust that inner wisdom.  Today I trust me!

New moon intentions

Happy Super New Moon in Gemini!  This new moon encourages us to take a chance, to do something new, to learn new skills and meet new people. This new moon offers us the energy to explore the possibilities of breaking out of our comfort zones.  It asks us to imagine what our lives would be like if we weren't afraid and then make it our intentions on this new moon to act on those unfettered and uncensored dreams for our future! 

Be willing today to step out of your comfort zone and experience your life in a whole new way, unlimited by fear. Allow yourself to think big and then allow yourself to accept even more.  Because in truth we all live in limitless light, love and joy if we would only allow ourselves to do so.

I set my intentions to listen more, to be truly, authentically myself and to be true to myself no matter what!  How about you?

 

 

 

 

The new normal

It's raining in May, which may not seem odd to you if you don't live in San Diego, but I do and rain in May is odd.  In fact, I can't remember rain ever in May,  since I've moved to SD twenty years ago.  Upon researching San Diego's current weather, I found out that San Diego is indeed currently 134% above its normal rainfall.   That new normal for San Diego's weather seems to be just one of many new normals that I'm trying to adapt to these days.

Perhaps, "new normals" are just part of the process of being alive.  However, this year has presented so many new normals, so quickly and in such a complete manner, that It's hard for my mind to keep up with what is normal for me today.  I continue to reach out for people, places and things, which are not part of my new normal.  It's as if by muscle memory, my thoughts and actions want to return to the old normal despite my intentions to adjust to the new normal.   And when I do reach out to the old normal, you can bet I get burned.  I try the old normal and all I keep getting is the same old results. I think that is the definition of insanity, right?! Well, it sure felt like I was going insane this morning, as I tried to push an old button and got the same old, disheartening results.

So what is my new normal.  My new normal is one in which I honor and love myself first. I love myself first, so that I can better take care of others.  I accept people as they are in hopes that they accept me.  Because I honor myself and my feelings, I let go of those people who do not honor me or my feelings.  My new normal is free from fear and doubt and filled with faith.  In my new normal, the one that I created,  I choose to believe that all my changes will be easy to make.  And, so it is.

 

Last Autism Tree Project Foundation Food Farming and Nutrition Workshop

  As April ended so did the program I created for the Autism Tree Project Foundation (ATPF), the Food, Farming and Nutrition came to an end.  Last Saturday, we wrapped up the series of six workshops by planting two butterfly beds in the children's garden at Wild Willow Farm.  We then crafted wooden butterflies that will adorn our butterfly garden, beautifying it and raising awareness about ATPF.   So much profound change took place during the six workshops that it is impossible to capture it all of it on film or in words.  That being said, here are a couple pics that let you see the fun, love, family bonding and happiness that was had by all at our last workshop!

What you can't see in the pictures are the kids eating vegetables at home.  You can't see the mothers, who have wept in joy to see their kids at peace with their environment and within themselves.  What you can't see is the enormous growth that took place within the kids, their parents, the volunteers and within me. 

Personally, this experience has helped me gain confidence in myself and my ability to make change.  It has allowed me to know that I can do anything if I put my heart and mind to it.  It has taught me that if I trust,  ask for help, when I need it and stay in my highest purpose, success is sure to follow! 

Happy May, y'all!  May it be filled with love, harmony, balance and peace!

It's spring and our seeds have sprouted!

It's spring and the seeds that I planted have begun to sprout.  All the intentions that were planted on each new moon of this new year have begun to come to fruition.  Here's a quick synopsis of what's been happening this spring.

The Food, Farming and Nutrition Program, which I wrote a grant for with the Autism Tree Project Foundation has continued on every other week since February 4th.  Every session I witness profound change in the kids, their parents and in the volunteers.  The kids, and I mean all the kids, are now eating kale, beets, and carrots.  I witness parents crying in joy because they never imagined their child eating and even asking for vegetables.   If it is not obvious, this is important because as these kids on the autism spectrum begin to eat better, they receive more nutrition, they grow stronger, they become healthier and they are able to reach their optimal potentials.

In addition to the kids eating their veggies, everyone involved has become connected to the earth and can't wait to get to their farm.  What I've witnessed, is that the sensory issues that many of these kids on the autism spectrum experience,  such as light, sound and smell sensitives melt away on the farm.   On the farm,  they are allowed to interact with their environment with all their senses.  In this way, using their senses they come to understand their environment, feel in control in their environment and begin to participate in it instead of becoming overwhelmed by it.  

I would love to take credit for these changes.  But alas, it was not my ingenuous program that has spurred on the changes, it was the farm, the environment and I'd like to think some universal assistance.   Everyone involved in this program has changed, grown and has become better in so many ways. 

With this new realization of how powerful and how therapeutically healing a farm or a garden can be, I researched and have learned a lot about sensory gardens.  And, by the law of attraction,  I have been hired to create and design a couple of sensory gardens.  Here's one of the sensory gardens, which I helped Joel and Sandi Anderson to create, it's called Think Tank Ranch

Other seeds that I metaphorically planted last year in my business also began to sprout in the way of new clients. I am grateful and privileged to have the opportunity to assist Goodnow Farms Chocolate break into the San Diego artisan, bean to bar chocolate market!  Their single origin 77% cocoa chocolate bars are some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted.  I am certain that San Diego foodies and chocolate lovers will love them as much as I do.

Life is truly sweet, it always is! However,  today, as I look back at the past month, I am reminded that I am abundantly blessed when I remain in my purpose, I serve all that is good and I allow Life to love me.   It is my hope that I just reminded you that Life loves you too!   Happy Spring!

 

 

 

Marching right on!

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As I turned the calendar page from February to March, I finally feel like it's a new year and that I am truly becoming a new person! February was filled with some gut wrenching self examination offering me the chance to clear out the clutter deep in my soul and to finally let go of people, places, things and thoughts, which only weighed me down and kept me stuck.

So I march boldly into March with a new sense of direction and very little tolerance of illusion and bullshit!  This year already looks different and will produce real results not just pretty pictures.  In February, I kicked off the Autism Tree Foundation Food Farming and Nutrition program at Wild Willow Farm.  The program will continue every other Saturday through the end of April.   This program is perhaps the most important thing I will ever do in my life!  The universe agrees and I have over 300 families waiting to be a part of my program. 

Furthermore, as a part of that program I will be taking close to 1,000 autistic kids and their parents to local farms for pumpkin picking; a mother-daughter tea at a lavender farm and milking cows at the last remaining dairy farm in San Diego.  The underlying goal is to use those farms to not only heal the participants, but also to help heal this earth by bringing new awareness of where our food comes from. 

In addition to my Autism Tree Project Foundation programs, I've been blessed to collaborate with some new friends and some old ones.  I was privileged to be able to help Mendocino Farms, an amazing new restaurant space that specializes in really delicious sandwiches, get connected with San Diego farms.  Mario and Ellen, the owners, are what I refer to as the "real deal".  As you know, I've attempted to help several local restaurants source local produce and have not been successful, until this year!  This year the Mendocino Farms spring menu will feature radishes from Wild Willow Farm and their summer menu will feature the heirloom tomatoes from my friends at Suzie's Farm.   Mission finally accomplished!  If you haven't eaten at Mendocino Farms, run don't walk 'cause they are creating deliciousness and supporting the community that they do business in. 

It is a new year and I am grateful that you care enough to follow along with me on this amazing journey! I promise this year will not disappoint you or me!

 

 

 

 

My vision for 2017

It's been five days since I've returned from my epic trip through the Polar Vortex and I'm finally starting to regain my strength.  While I was away, wrestling with my past and present challenges, I wrote a vision of what I wanted for 2017.  This morning I returned to that document to see if it made any sense or had any meaning to me now that I have returned to my normal equilibrium. 

Guess what, it did.  In fact, it felt even more relevant this morning than it did when I wrote it.  From the calm and peaceful place, where I sit this morning, I realized that I needed to share it with others with the hope that you'll get inspired and create an intention list of their own.   It is my hope that collectively we can manifest goodness in our lives and create a peaceful and loving world in which we are all blessed and prospered. 

Here's my Vision for 2017

  • Be authentic no matter You never get away with making what does not feel good to you ever feel good to you. I will follow what I know to be true, even if it seems like I’ll be alone or jobless!  Just trust and remain in gratitude and joy!
  • Think bigger!  Love bigger, love less safely!
  • Think bigger!  How can you really make a difference?  Make sure what you're doing is coming from your heart not your ego.  Fancy dinner parties don't really count in the larger scheme of things and don't count as helping any higher good!
  • Stop fronting for non authentic people or those people, places or things that you clearly know are illusion.   You know the truth and the truth is that they are just illusions to teach you how to be authentically you.   By choosing not to support their illusion,  you will no longer have to resent them for being fakes.  Instead you can just accept them for what they are.
  • Let everyone learn his or her own lessons.   Unless asked do not give your opinion cause no one really cares what you think!!
  • Walk away a lot more.  Say YES to things that are right for you.  Stop making everyone else’s feelings and problems your problems too.
  • Stop taking care of the world and allow it to take care of me, a lot more!
  • Love myself more.  Respect myself no matter what.  Trust my intuition and my inner voice. 
  • Be my own best friend!  No one else can ever be that to you, except you!
  • Fear less! Feel more! Feel it and then release it into the light!
  • Let go willingly, joyfully and easily of all I do not need in my life.
  • Believe in myself more and accept that I am wise beyond my recognition.
  • Believe the words that people speak.  Do not make up sub-plots or rationalizations that make what they say and what they are any different.  People always reveal who they are, just believe them.  They are as sad, bad, mad and devious as they say they are!  And, you will not change them or help them become anything that they do not want to be or believe in.
  • Believe in new beginnings.  Believe in love.  Believe that I am moving into a time of great prosperity, abundance, love and service that is mutually beneficial to me and to the world.  And, so it is!
Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and blessings for a warm and prosperous New Year!

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and blessings for a warm and prosperous New Year!

 

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and blessings for a warm and prosperous New Year!

A picture perfect day

The Polar Vortex arrived today in NYC causing the temps to drop to the low 20's and causing me to seek shelter in some of NYC museums.  Although the temperatures drop today, my mood and my heart were warm and cheery.  I got my wish and was able to easily let go of the self doubt and fear that came from being released from one of my clients.  I am grateful that I am now free to pursue work that is more closely aligned with my purpose.

That being said, I wanted to share some of the beautiful, odd and puzzling art that I saw today at the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art

After spending the day getting lost in art and my imagination, I headed out to dinner at Gabriel Kreuther, a one Michelin Star restaurant, followed by some jazz at Lincoln Center.  Sitting in the warm theater, I realized how lucky and blessed I was and how I am always given everything I need if I just trust!  Despite the frigid temperatures, I went to sleep feeling warm and so hopeful for everything that I have right now, everything that I lost and everything that I am certain is coming my way in the New Year!

My holiday adventure continues..

Today is officially our last full moon and last Super Full Moon for 2016!  Full moons as most of you know are a time of high energy and often cause us to feel energetically unbalanced! 

That is how my third day in the Big Apple began filled with tons of energy and uncertainty.  I came on this trip to find closure for some past stuff.  Little did I know that my present stuff was what I would need to focus on today.

That is exactly what I found as I made my way to the Bronx to visit the New York Botanical Gardens.  I have never been to the Botanical Gardens and the Holiday Train Exhibition came highly recommended.  The gardens were spectacularly beautiful and the trains were magical.   I quickly became engrossed in their rhythmic clacking on the tracks.  Then, the click clacking was replaced by the ringtone of a text, followed by the ringing of my phone, followed by a truly disingenuous conversation with a client of mine letting me know that he know longer needed my services.  Evidently, my poor performance is the reason that their business is failing.  From fairyland into the fire in three quick minutes.

I must admit that I was not surprised by what happened this morning!  I only wish that I was able to listen to my own advice and my own inner wisdom, which told me to walk away a month ago.  Instead, I waited to be asked to leave.  My performance really had nothing to do with their failure.  It is their ego which continues to be their stumbling block which their "positive rhetoric" covers up.  Illusions can be powerful.  But illusions can also be eliminated by shining a light on their deception and ego driven actions.  It is my belief that next year, truth will clear all illusions. I am grateful for all experiences for they teach me.  This morning in NYC I learned a lesson about my present.  That I must be listen to my inner voice and it's truly time to let go of all that serves me in the present as much as the past.

Not deterred by the nuisance and nonsense of being so elaborately emancipated, I moved forward with resolve to eat some of the best Italian food that I've ever eaten ! I was in Little Italy in the Bronx surrounded with shops that makes fresh mozarella and butchers whole animals. hanging them proudly in their windows.   With each bites of deliciousness, I resolved to let go of everything that no longer serves my purpose right now in the present AND to finally listen and act upon my inner wisdom!