Check out the video that goes with this podcast on IGTV @gritandgracepodcast // Follow along with artist Kassandra Turmel as she turns avocado pits into natural ink and I basically just enjoy my coffee and watch the magic happen. 

This multi-talented Whistler-based artist not only turns avocado into natural ink (amazing) but we chat about imposter syndrome (one of my favorite topics!) and the discipline required to cultivate one's craft as an artist.

Catch up with Kassandra @kassandraturmelart and get on her newsletter for art classes and to see her stunning work at https://www.kassandraturmelart.com/

Today I speak with Phd Candidate Mishka Blacker who studies sports and performance psychology. We discuss compassionate self-talk and she shares some practical advice on how to shift into a productive and positive mode when it comes to the way we speak to ourselves. These are exercises I've never heard of before and they are amazing! Check out this episode and follow along @gritandgracepodcast on IG. 

Resources 

See Dr Kristin Neff's resources and guides on self-compassion here - https://self-compassion.org/

About Mishka

Mishka is a PhD Candidate at Brock University studying sport psychology. She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Ryerson University and an MA in Applied Health Science from Brock University. Mishka has worked with many USport teams (e.g., Hockey, Rugby, Cross Country, Rowing, Volleyball and Curling) and continues to do so alongside her colleagues at Brock. She has also worked with local sport academies, organizations and institutions in the Niagara region. Growing up in Toronto, Mishka competed in a variety of individual and team sports. Both personal and familial competitive sport experiences have inspired Mishka’s applied and academic pursuits in performance psychology. You can get in touch with Mishka at [email protected] 

"It's all rigged." - The Fates

The following is an excerpt from "Clear The Way", the 21 day project by Fallon Publishing and The Grit + Grace Podcast to get unstuck. To learn more and to join the next group, visit @gritandgracepocast, fallonpublishing.ca or email [email protected]

Amor fati is a Latin phrase that loosely translates to "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". We owe its popularity to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary.

Can you imagine such a thing?

Now, I am very care not to dip my toes in the rivers of toxic positivity (which is a term I am grateful to have learned about recently from my brilliant sister) but I do invite you to this notion just for a moment.

This may seem mega-esoteric and woowoo but I invite you to suspend your disbelief — just for a moment — and consider that everything might actually be rigged in your favour. If that sounds too wild, then ask yourself if you have ever looked back on a tough situation and thought, wow I’m actually quite glad that happened because [insert the amazing thing that happened].

The Stoics believed in The Fates – or Moirai – who were a group of three sister-goddesses who assigned individual destinies to mortals at birth. Their names are Clotho (the Spinner), Lachesis (the Alloter) and Atropos (the Inflexible).

Can we just marinate on this please? The stoics — who were huge believers in accepting one’s fate without fuss believed that their destinies were woven by a trio of goddesses. Not only did they accept this, they celebrated it.

Exercise: lean into the idea of amor fati and pick two tough or inconvenient experiences that you are now thankful for. Write them down. Repeat them to yourself. And then tell them to your partner or a friend. Next, pick a new, current situation or attitude that is nagging at you or causing frustration. How would things change for if you believed that it was all rigged in your favour?

What do you do when sh*t hits the fan? Social Media expert Blair Kaplan Venables breaks down the mental health tools you need to flex your resiliency muscles. This indefatigable entrepreneur with a magnetic spirt has really learned the lessons and she's passing them on to you. Don't miss this episode. 

Find Blair Kaplan Venables @blairfromblairland on IG, www.blairkaplan.ca, and buy her bestselling book wherever you shop for print and online books, Pulsing Through My Veins: Raw and Real Stories from an Entrepreneur. You can also find her new podcast, Dissecting Success, which she hosts along with High Performance Lifestyle + Success Coach, Theresa Lambert, on any platform you listen to podcasts.  

"You are not your story." Theresa Lambert

High performance lifestyle and success coach Theresa Lambert joins me today for a short game-changing chat on how to get out of the endless narrative loop we often tell ourselves. For some of us it's 'I'm so busy!' and for others it's always saying yes to everything no matter what. Not to worry, this bestselling author has a cure for that. Don't miss this episode!

Find Theresa here:

@theresalambertcoaching on IG

www.theresalambertcoaching.com 

Buy her bestselling book, Achieve With Grace, here.

And find me of course @thestoicmuse or www.fallonpublishing.ca 

Takeover Alert - Megan Swan of Megan Swan Wellness takes over day five of the 21 Day Project, Clear The Way. Click on episode #10 to find out what it's all about and email [email protected] to get on the list for the next group in February!

From Megan: 

Feeling stuck and stagnant in your life? I always ask my clients what are they consuming on a DAILY basis?  Can we make it more high energy?  The ingredients, the food choices, the percentage of plants, the information, the connections.  Shifting our diet towards food options that are full of LIFE can really shift our mood, motivation and mindset.  It can help us think more creatively, show up more fully each day to work, and also respect our own boundaries to ensure all of our systems (especially the mind) down shift each evening into a true rest and restore mode.

I am a Wellness and Mindset Coach specializing in detoxification from refined sugars, gluten, alcohol, dairy, and processed foods.  Guiding women to reevaluate their relationship with these everyday toxins in order to rediscover their true sense of self and natural energy. 

My Sustainable Integrative Wellness Approach dives deep to provide an energetic overall of your diet, mindset, work/life balance and lifestyle so we can find a sustainable and integrative solution that works perfectly for you.

________________________________

Megan is currently looking to fill two spots in her Women’s Wellness Circle that starts Friday the 15th. Here are 3 reasons you should join:

1. We will be detoxing the things we don’t want in our lives and learning to eat intuitively.

2. We will be focusing on building healthy habits, mindset and positive energy.  This will include spiritual and movement practices to incorporate in your routine to feel more grounded and in turn more energetic.

3. We will be designing our personal lifestyle that makes us feel balanced, supported, and free to make choices that work for us, not against us.

https://www.meganswanwellness.com/womenswellnesscircle

Her two tips for cultivating mindfulness for 2021 are:

1. Establish a morning routine that truly supports you to feel aligned with your energy, pace in life and goals.  First step is to wake up at the same time every day allowing you to honour your biorhythms and ample time for intention setting and self care.

2. Establish buffers around digital influence/screen time to foster time for deep work, and allow the nervous system to downgrade property when you go ‘offline’.  For example, no phone in the bedroom, no work while you are eating, etc.  A few rules that help you protect you ability to concentrate deeply and truly relax before bed and while nourishing yourself.

Bonus: High Energy Morning Drinks instead of Coffee:

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself and in no instance bypass the discriminations of reason? You have been given the principles that you ought to endorse, and you have endorsed them." Epictetus

If we let go of the verbiage that we feel we have to constantly apologize for, what would remain? What would happen if we let go of the manufactured constructs we judge our worth against? Whether it’s your age or your career or personal relationships, who would you be if you didn’t let those things influence your concept of self? And as Epictetus reminds us, what the heck are you waiting for?

Creative Coaching Question: how old would you be if you didn’t know your age?

The idea for this came from a post on @and.bloom (IG) the account of photographer Denise Boomkens (https://www.andbloom.amsterdam/denise-boomkens/) she is a master of the art of aging unapologetically. Go and check out her site; it's a "digital happy place for women over 40." 

“Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what's left and live it properly. What doesn't transmit light creates its own darkness.” Marcus Aurelius

Today is Day 2 of the 21 Day Project “Clear The Way” (#dothething) and we’ve already covered a lot of ground. We talked about writing the headline of your life as a way to think about your dreams as goals that have already been achieved. This way, you can move past that performance anxiety, nervousness and fear associated with starting something new.

Creative Coaching Question: what’s your headline?

This idea is inspired from Matthew McConaughey’s new memoir, Greenlights and if you are in the January group of Clear The Way, you also got a saucy picture of a young McConaughey in your inbox today. So, you’re welcome.

Keep following our journey on this podcast, find out more about this project @thestoicmuse on IG or fallonpublishing.ca and email me at [email protected] to get on the list for February!

#mementomori

"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." Marcus Aurelius

Hi! Thanks for joining me on this special episode as we kick off a special project called "Clear The Way".

For the next 21 days I will be joined by 25 incredible and creative women who are committed to kicking 2021 off with a creative bang. For the next three weeks, they're using 45 minutes a day to write their book, journal, meditate, create art, design something amazing, or map out their business goals.

They are starting their day by doing something creative and fulfilling. And, you're invited to join! I'll be doing mini recaps of each day's theme and "creative coaching question" to help you take stock, clear the way, and kick off the year with something you're proud of, whether it's a manuscript or a more positive and productive mindset. Along with the help of inspiring and accomplished female contributorsI have curated 21 days of:

Today's Topic: Boundaries! Boundaries bring goals, dreams, and wishes to life because they frame our actions. Boundaries help us identify the obstacles that are standing in the way because they will be the first thing to push back via resistance from others.

Creative Coaching Question: where does resistance pop up for me when I set boundaries around goals, tasks, or creative pursuits?

What do participants get at the end of this?

One of my core beliefs for my business is that “the world needs more art, love, and you.” Sharing the stories of incredible women and amplifying their voices is the reason I started my business and my podcast (@thestoicmuse on IG) and so anyone interested gets:

Thanks for listening along, let me know what you come up with, and remember, the world needs more love, art, and you xo

"When you're falling off precipice, it doesn't do you any good to hang onto a rock that's falling with you." Alan Watts

It’s time to let it go, hold space, lead with love, be real, and sit in the seat of gratitude. Talk about all the feels!

Today my guest is Mara Halayko @maralise who is a #Yoga Movement Instructor and all around magical soul. End the year right with this uplifting beaut.

Spoiler alert: you'll walk away with real tools you can start using today for your mindfulness tool box. Let's do this!

For Yoga + Movement (free classes) join Mara + Jenna (@quite_frankly_my_darling_) @togather.collective // Mara is also the owner of the Squamish-based sales agency www.makegoodagency.com committed to ethical brands

And find me @thestoicmuse + fallonpublishing.ca + @eliseandhercubs