(Wait, What is The After Care?)

Happy May Rubies! In this months After Care blog we are discussing......dun...dun....dunnnn.......STRESS! I bet as soon as you hear or think about stress, all sorts of heavy, negative and uncomfortable feelings and thoughts come to mind. Over the years, we have been taught that stress is bad, causes anxiety,  and can make you sick; even leading to terminal illnesses. Although, to some degree, there is truth in those claims, we would like to offer you another perspective.  

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The After Care book recommendation for the month of May is 'The Upside of Stress' by Kelly McGonigal, PhD. In this book, McGonigal explains why stress is actually GOOD for you and how you can get good at utilizing and managing it to your benefit. At the start of the book, we are challenged to consider the following:

• How you think about something can transform its effect on you

• Our physical reality is more subjective than we believe (based on the influence of opinions, personal taste and feelings)

• The effect you expect is the effect you get

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Hmmmmm, thought-provoking right!? Listen to this. When the body is experiencing stress, it releases two hormones, DHEA & Cortisol, through the adrenals. Cortisol turns sugar and fat into energy and suppresses some of your biological functions that are of less importance at that time such as digestion, reproduction and growth, whereas DHEA helps the brain to grow, enhances the immune system, speeds up wound repair and counters some of the effects of cortisol. It is the ratio of these two hormones called the Growth Index that determines whether or not a stressful experience is helping you or harming you. 

Did you know that stress can actually make a person more social? Yes! When experiencing stress, the pituitary gland releases a hormone called Oxytocin to encourage social connection and interaction. This part of stress is what gives us the courage to save or protect others during times of stress such as during a fire, burglary or a mugging for example. Oxytocin is actually very good for heart health being that it has its own receptors within the heart which help heart cells to regenerate and repair from any micro-damage. Wow! Isn't it amazing how our creator has built this machine that we call the body to operate to well!? If you would like to learn more regarding this topic, we highly recommend checking our McGonigal's book, 'The Upside of Stress'. Rubies, let's renew our minds when it comes to how we view and handle our stress! 

Rubies! March is here! Can you believe the first two months of 2019 are already gone!? Wow! So, in our January blog, we mentioned and discussed how the New Year brings us an energy of newness, fresh starts and new beginnings. Along with that, most of us commit ourselves to come sort of life changing resolution(s) in hopes of bettering ourselves in some way. Now that we are in the month of March, how are those New Year resolutions panning out? Are you still as excited as you were when you made the resolution(s)? Are you on track with accomplishing your resolution(s)? Well, if you're anything like the rest of us out here, that New Year stamina and mojo deflated before we even entered February. (lol, ashamed to admit but true)

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Because of this "lack of motivation", I decided to do a little research to figure out and understand why we do this to ourselves year after year after year. During my research I came across a term and concept what has become pretty popular in the world of psychology and self-help. That term is GRIT.

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So what is GRIT? In a nutshell, GRIT is the concept of passion meeting perseverance. Per Patrik Edblad in his blog on the Complete Guide To Developing Your Grit, he explains that "Passion gives a person energy and zeal for an activity, but perseverance is the quality that keeps them going despite adversity and plateaus in progress." Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and grit researcher says that "Where talents count once, effort counts twice". She uses this formula to further explain: 

TALENT x EFFORT = SKILL

SKILL x EFFORT = ACHIEVEMENT

She further explains that when you apply effort to talent, you develop skill, and when you apply effort to that skill, you get achievement. Without effort, your talents are just untapped potential for skills. And without effort, your skills are untapped potential for actual accomplishments.

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Can you see how this concept of GRIT can have a major impact as to why we start things but rarely bring them to completion and how we can change that by developing certain factors that can indirectly influence our grit and dramatically increase our chances of accomplishing our goals?

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Interesting right!? We recommend that you read Patrik Edblad's full article on the Complete Guide To Developing Your Grit and to check out Angela Duckworths book on the subject titled "GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance"  

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Would you like to know where you measure on the GRIT scale? Take the quiz by clicking the LEARN MORE button below!

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*

It's February Rubies! We made it through the first month of the year, whew! As many of you know, Amazing Rare Rubies launched the Begin To Be Tour and released it's first book, The Diffusion Process Devotional Journal this past January. Throughout the tour, Meca is really stressing the importance of journaling and how positive the benefits are in contributing to our journey of becoming. A huge part of working with the Devotional Journal is journaling and so we want to encourage you to incorporate journaling into a daily practice for yourself, even if you don't own a copy of the book.

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Why journal you ask? Well, journaling has some pretty awesome benefits, some of which help to alleviate and minimize anxiety, stress, depression, and overwhelm. Journaling allows us to get clear with our thoughts and emotions, to strengthen our memory, to better achieve our goals and more. 

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One huge benefit of journaling is that your growth is being tracked. When we journal, we capture a moment in time when we had particular feelings, emotions, mindsets and opinions. And as we make changes to our lives and mature, we can go back and see where we started and celebrate the growth we have endured. 

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The video attached to this post offers some great ideas to help you get started on your journaling journey. You can find out more about Aileen and her website, Lavendaire, here: https://www.lavendaire.com/ 

AH...................the New Year.................2019 has arrived! The New Year tends to bring us an energy of newness, fresh starts and new beginnings, but along with that also comes the energy the purge, clean up and rid ourselves of people, things, habits and attitudes we feel no longer work for us nor fits our lifestyles. 

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This is a great time to consider to Begin to Be with Amazing Rare Rubies. Begin To Be simply means to begin to become the woman God created you to be by beginning, taking the first step. Amazing Rare Rubies teaches that there are no prerequisites required for beginning and taking this first step. The only experience necessary is whatever experience you currently have and have already acquired. ​Why?​ Because God has already equipped you with every trait, skill and characteristic you will ever need to serve your life's purpose before you were even born.

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Doesn't that sound wonderful?! It IS wonderful, and good news for those of us who feel we are inadequate in more ways than one, let alone getting through this thing called LIFE. 

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Welp, you know by now that Amazing Rare Rubies is big on the Woman's role as a helpmeet; and this not only applies in our relationship to men but in our relationship to each other, and this is where we Amazing Rare Rubies comes in at. We have compiled a list of indicators for each of our 7 Major Pillars that further explain why YOU should Begin To Be, right now, just where and as you are. Check it out: 

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• Spiritually: Your should be tired of being a lukewarm Ruby 

• Mentally: You should be tired o not being in a complete state of awareness regarding who you are, where you are and who you are becoming

• Wellness Wise: You should be tired of feeding your spiritual , mental and physical body "just anything and everything; yet always expecting this trio to be in good health

• Business Wise: You should be tired of starting and stopping in your career, profession and/or trade; and then placing blame on others for your lack of success

• Financially: You should be tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck, buying things that you do not need with money that you do not have; leaving a legacy of debt, all the while promising yourself that the next year will be different (failed new years' resolutions ring a bell?)

• Relationship Wise: You should be tired of taking the people in your life for granted and then wishing you had loved them unconditionally when you had the chance

• Amusement Wise: Well, this one kind of brings the other six pillars together. You should be really tired of entertaining yourself to the point of destroying  the progress you were making

By now, you are probably aware that Amazing Rare Rubies wholeheartedly promotes Women to model themselves after the Proverbs 31 Woman. And this month, we are honing in on Proverbs 31:21, “She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.” Here we see that a Proverbs 31 Woman is a prepared Woman. Graceful Abandon states, "Becoming a Proverbs 31 woman is not a matter of checking off a list of accomplishments to attain the perfection of a virtuous woman. Rather, it is studying the virtues described and living a life where they are evident. It’s not at all about doing and it’s everything about becoming."

So, how can we become prepared Woman? Well, let's define prepared. Prepared means  to make (something) ready for use or consideration. To prepare something or for something requires action! The way we recommend doing so is by, first, seeking God in prayer. Next, be deliberate about whatever it is that you are preparing for. Make the commitment to plan and follow through on what you are preparing for. Then apply the Amazing Rare Rubies H.O.W formula: (H)arvest the change with an (O)pen mindset and (W)ork the change into a lifestyle. Sometimes when we are preparing for something, especially something new, we need to embrace the changes that maybe required and implementing the H.O.W formula can help with that. For more information on the H.O.W formula, click HERE. 

Remember, the Proverbs 31 Woman is NOT perfect but she does give her best. By becoming a prepared Woman, not only are you exercising & strengthening your Ruby Traits (virtues), but you will begin to bear fruit from the prepping (sowing) that you did. You will not be "afraid of the snow" because you would have already prepared for what may come. Ask yourself and evaluate the areas in your life that could use some preparation........Well done is better than well said Rubies! Take Action! 

For more information explaining the Proverbs 31 Woman, check our this cool blog by Graceful Abandon.

Are you confused as to what your spiritual gift(s) are? Let's see if we can point you in the right direction. What are spiritual gifts? Simply put, spiritual gifts are God-given talents that you use to help others grow spiritually. There are many, many gifts but they come from one Spirit. Biblically, there are various references to these gifts and we are encouraged to develop and cultivate them. Here are a few of those references:

Ephesians 4:11-12 

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ"

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1 Corinthians 12:28-30

"And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

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Romans 12:6-9

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."

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1 Corinthians 12:8-10

"for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by [a]the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."

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So we see and can confirm, through scripture, that EVERYONE has a gift to operate in, just as God has blessed them to do so. So, how do you identify what those gifts are? Here are some tips and advice on how we believe you can discover your spiritual gifts:

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1. Pray about it. Simple right? LOL, simply pray and ask God to reveal your gift(s) to you. The catch here, is that you have to detach yourself from the answer. Meaning, be open-minded to your gift(s). Try not to be biased as if one gift is "cooler" or "better" than another.

2. Consider what you are naturally good at as well as your talents. We are born with these gifts and some of us develop them a little faster than others so do not be discouraged if you can't prophesy by the time you're twelve. Seriously speaking though, our gift(s) can be used anywhere and in any field, from Sports, to Journalism, to Media and more!

3. Ask those close to you what they think or feel you are good at. This is awesome because they are looking from the outside-in and can give you an honest, unbiased opinion as to what they believe you are good at.

4. Research and study the topic of spiritual gifts and see what resonates with your soul. Simply learning about different gifts is a great way to open your mind to what's out there and help steer you in the right direction

5. Lastly, test and try them out! If there is a gift in particular that you feel is calling you, try     it out to test and see if it resonates with you and if you find that you can operate in it effectively. Of course, gifts can take time to develop, keep in mind that your will not perfect your gift(s) overnight. Also, we recommend that you pray and ask for confirmation regarding the gift(s) you feel you connect with to be sure that gift is the right one for you to operate best in to service others.

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Hopefully these tips will help you in discovering your gift(s). Take a look at the article attached here or by clicking the learn more button for an in-depth look at why you would want to know about your spiritual gift(s) and examples of how some of them can manifest! 

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A Ruby In The Making......hmmm what is that all about and what in the world does it mean? The meaning behind the Amazing Rare Rubies LLC, tagline "A Ruby In The Making" was birthed from the biblical scripture of Proverbs 31:10 which states "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies". We believe that God has given every woman  every trait, characteristic and/or quality she will need to be all that He created and intended her to be.

The process that an actual Ruby gemstone goes through to become what we see in retail stores is actually very similar to a spiritual process we often go through on our spiritual journeys; this is called the Diffusing Process. Let us explain: 

So, What is a Ruby?

          A Ruby is valued gemstone dating back centuries; known for its vibrant red color. It consists of crystallized corundum with a small percentage of chromium oxide, which creates varying shades ranging from pinkish red to purple.

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What Does a Ruby Represent?

          A common representation is of love and passion, its name comes from the Latin word Ruber, meaning red. The characteristics of a Ruby exemplify strength, quality, and value and are often given in celebration of the birth of a daughter. Rubies are one of the most desirable gemstones because of its hardness, durability, luster, and rarity. And although tough, a Ruby is still subject to chipping and fracture if handled roughly; therefore, care should be taken to ensure it is properly handled. *wink wink* All natural Rubies have flaws called inclusions; this distinguishes them from imitations that have a tendency to be flawless.

How Does a Ruby Form?

          One of the most amazing things about the formation of a Ruby is that geologists are not really sure how it happens. The very existence of Rubies is something of a minor geological miracle. Rubies are commonly found in South Asia among the Himalayan Mountains and when they do emerge, it is sporadic and in patches. In order for a Ruby to appear as we see them on the market today, they go through an enhancing process called “diffusing” which goes like this:

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STEP 1: They are pre-polished to eradicate impurities that may affect the process

STEP 2: They are cleaned with hydrogen fluoride

STEP 3: They are exposed to a diffusion heat treatment considered to be a natural type of enhancement as it is a continuation of the processes that occur in the earth when the stone was originally formed. During treatment, the stone is heated to very high temperatures, almost to its melting point, causing impurities to reform themselves and change color. This process is permanent and irreversible

STEP 4: They go through a natural cooling process rightly timed as not to damage the formation of the Ruby

STEP 5: If the Ruby has not met set standards after cooling, it is subject to reprise the diffusion and cooling process; in some cases 3 to 4 times 

STEP 6: They are re-polished

STEP 7: They receive a protective coating

Wow! As you can clearly see the similarities of how a Ruby is handled and polished to shine its brightest is very similar to a type of process we go through when we are being shaped and molded to become our best self and shine our brightest. By cultivating and practicing our Ruby Traits, we prevent potential resurfacing of any impurities we have eradicated ourselves of.  For more information on the Diffusing Process, head over to the Ruby Boutique to download the audio further explaining this process and how it relates to becoming the woman God created you to be. 
 

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*Whoosah* Haven't we all heard that saying----To "whoosah"? When we think of the the word Mindfulness, do you find yourself trying to sit still and think about nothing for moments at a time only to get frustrated about not being able to actually do it? *Go ahead and raise your hand* What you were probably attempting to do there was Meditate. But lets take a step back for a minute to first define what Mindfulness is so that we can also discern what Meditation is all about. 

Mindfullness is simply the practice of being present. It is the art of intentionally being aware of the moment, or what author Eckhart Tolle calls, the Now.  He teaches that most people are never fully present in the Now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment is more important that the current one. What becomes of your life if you are living too much in the past OR too much in the future? Would you not find yourself in a constant state of worry, regret, anxiety and guilt?

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According to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, there are seven key elements to mindfulness:

1. Be Non-Judgmental

   • Take the role of being impartial to whatever your situations are. Do not give a positive or negative evaluation; simply be aware of it and only observe it​

2. Have Patience

   • Cultivate the understanding ​ that things must develop in their own time

3. Beginners Mind

   • Have the willingness to observe the world as if it was your first time doing so. This allows you to be open-minded which is essential to mindfulness

4. Trust

   • Trust yourself, your intuition and your abilities ​

5. No Agendas

   • The state of not doing anything; setting no expectations. Accept that things are happening as they should​

6. Acceptance

   • Completely accept your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and beliefs that you have and that they are just that only

7. No Attachment

   • Avoid attaching any meaning to thoughts and feelings or connecting a given thought with a certain feeling. Instead, let a thought or feeling come in and pass, only observing them exactly as they are​

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These key elements can help tremendously when it comes to incorporating the practice of meditation. Let's define that by the way. Meditation is the discipline of which one attempts to go beyond the  "thinking" mind into a deeper state of awareness; a means of transforming the mind, and there are many ways to do it. Here are some just to name a few: ANYTHING! lol YES! Remember, at the end of the day its about being in and honoring the present moment. So whether you're going for a walk, cleaning, coloring or eating, as long as you are focusing only on that moment you are being mindful and therefore exercising Mindfulness.......

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How is your prayer life looking now-a-days? Are you praying daily, multiple times a day, or just in crisis situations? You know, that "God , if you just help me get out of this just one more time, I promise i'll........". Yep , uh huh, that prayer. We've all done prayed it a time or two only to feel terribly guilty afterward, knowing we had already broken the promise before it left our lips. Lord help us lol.

All jokes aside, prayer is important and it's our speed-dial, direct line to communicating with God. 

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"Prayer slows our mind, calms our spirit, and centers our heart. It removes our mind from the culture of consumption that surrounds us and centers us on something greater and more important. It calls us to identify our desires and articulate our values."-Joshua Becker

Prayer provides us with hope, optimism and positive thinking towards the thing we most desire and request from God. This is vital to our prayers being answered because we have to believe in order to receive.  

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Prayer is therapy. Isn't it nice to have someone to talk to at any given time that understands you without judgement? Have you ever been so upset or down and began to just pray or talk to God and found yourself calming down, becoming more at peace? Selah. By using that time to calm your mind, you can evaluate situations to see if you have a better understanding of it as well as clarity on how to move forward. 

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All in all, prayer should be an ongoing, personal, intimate conversation between you and God. We encourage you to take full advantage of this time at anytime and to know that this time is infinite and never runs out. Begin to Be with a healthy prayer life and delight yourself in prayer! 

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Sources: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/roya-r-rad-ma-psyd/prayer_b_3055127.html  

                https://www.goingbeyond.com/blog/fervent-prayer/ 

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*

So, here we are........it's June. Is it just us or is this year flying by!? It seems like just a month ago we were bringing in the new year with a new outlook on life, a long list of resolutions and all the motivation in the world to make this year better than the last. Except........now it's June and not only is that resolution list no where near complete, but life has been so busy that a very important piece of it has been placed on the back burner since this year began.

What is that very important piece you ask? F-U-N! That's right, fun. When was the last time you took some time for yourself to nurture this area of your life? Ah, don't think it's necessary eh? I beg to differ, and here's why:

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When the day comes where we cease to exist in this Earthly realm, when all is said and done and we reflect on our time spent here, what do you feel will be more important? A never-ending to-do list, time spent at some dead-end job and constant stress or a fulfilling life full of love, service to others and joy? 

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See there! Told ya! Don't be that Soul that says,"I wish I would have (fill in the blank)". So many times in our lives we forget the importance of having fun, just good old fashioned fun. That is why Amazing Rare Rubies made sure that after practical application of the first six pillars, you do not fail to include the last and just as important pillar------ the Amusement pillar.

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Rachael Rofe of Mind Body Green recommends 10 cool ways to add some fun to your busy life. Check it out 9 of them here:

1. Give Yourself 15 Minutes Every Morning: Every morning, just ask yourself what 15-minute activity will bring you the most pleasure. You might decide to have a dance break, read a gossip magazine with a mug of tea, meditate, take a bath, or go for a walk. Whatever feels good to you, do it — with no judgment.

2. Schedule Pleasure in Your Calendar: Schedule in massages, time to connect with friends, or anything that brings you joy , just like you would schedule dentist appointments and meetings with bosses.

3. Choose a Guiding Word for the Day: Every morning, choose a word that you’d like to feel for that day.For example, if you decide you want to feel "ease" in your day, then every time you don't feel it, ask yourself how you can shape whatever you're going to through to feel easeful. It sounds deceivingly simple, but it works. Very well.

4. Be in the Now: Don’t try to constantly make the most of everything you do. You don't need to listen to audiobooks or podcasts on your morning walk. You don't need to clean while you're on the phone. When you have a spare minute, you don't have to catch up on email. Simply stop and enjoy whatever you're doing. And if you do end up having some spare time, do something that brings you pleasure.

5. Create Self-Care Goals: If you respond well to goals, create some around making time for yourself. You might set a goal to schedule two massages this month, go to three yoga classes, or have five dance breaks.

6. Make Pleasure Non-Negotiable: Just like you brush your teeth and eat dinner every day, make pleasure another "have to do" each day.

7. Work With What You've Got: Use whatever your circumstances are to your advantage.If you have kids, for example, it can feel really tough to take time for yourself. Instead of fighting it, work on doing something that brings you AND your children pleasure. Ask yourself, "What can we do so that we both have fun?"You may decide to blow bubbles together, dance together, color, finger-paint, play with water guns, make snow angels, fly kites, or act silly.

8. Create a Pleasure Center: Create a go-to basket or tub full of things that bring you pleasure that you can keep on hand for any time you need a dose of feeling good.To get your mind going, here are some things you can include: bubbles, an iPod full of songs you like, essential oils, a guilty pleasure book or magazine, some delicious chocolate, a tea bag, a comedy DVD, nail polish, a yo-yo, a candle, a book of yoga stretches, a journal, thank you cards, punching balloons.

9. Have a Cut-Off Time for Work: Have a cutoff time for work.Set yourself a "stop working" time that you adhere to as often as possible. Make it so that after that time passes, you do things that you enjoy.This is a great way to make sure you sleep better (devices before bed don't do you any favors), and it also feels like a nice reward you can look forward to all day.

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*

Recent statements in the media definitely propose an opportunity to consider and question the role we play in regards to what happens in our lives. Are we holding ourselves back by playing the role of the victim or are we propelling forward by overcoming our road blocks by playing the victor? In this Positivity Blog by Henrik Edberg, he states: "One big problem a lot of people have is that they slip into thinking of themselves as victims that have little or no control over their lives. In this headspace you feel sorry for yourself, the world seems to be against you and you get stuck. Little to no action is taken and you get lost in a funk of sadness and self-pity." How many of us have been in a headspace such as this? *Hand Raised* 

We must begin to dig deep within and face the hard truths about what is really holding us back and making us stagnant. Once we do, we will find that the answer is is........Us. Yes, that's right, we are standing in our own way. 

“If it’s never our fault, we can’t take responsibility for it. If we can’t take responsibility for it, we’ll always be its victim.”-Richard Bach

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So, how can we move on from this? How can we stop playing the victim?

Check out the breakdown of these 7 steps towards breaking the victim mentality:

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1. Know the benefits of a victim mentality

2. Be okay with NOT being the victim

3. Take responsibility for your life

4. Show Gratitude

5. Forgive

6. Turn your focus outward and help someone out

7. Give yourself a break

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*

Spring is here! The Earth is new! The Savior has risen! Yep that's right, its April........yikes! (already?) So, we are going on four months into the new year and tax refund season is among us. This is a time of year where some of us become short-lived ballers only to regret our decisions once we see the appalling balance on our end-of-month bank statements (LOL Oops). This, my friends, has got to STOP. Why? According to Family Economics & Financial Education, it's because a person does not know what will happen in the future and therefore money should be saved to pay for unexpected events or emergencies. An individual’s car may breakdown, their dishwasher could begin to leak, or a medical emergency could occur. Without savings, unexpected events can become large financial burdens. Therefore, savings helps an individual or family become financially secure. Money can also be saved to purchase expensive items that are too costly to buy with monthly income.

According to AmericaSaves.org, here are some general tips on ways to save money:

• Build an emergency fund

• Establish a budget

• Budget with cash & envelopes (such as the Dave Ramsey envelope system)

• Save Automatically (setting up a direct deposit into a savings account w/your employer)

• Aim for short-term goals

• Start saving for retirement as early as possible/Take advantage of company matching

• Save your tax refunds & loose change

• Make a savings plan

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For more information or to view this article in its entirety, please visit americasaves.org 

Amazing Rare Rubies offers a webinar class that covers financial topics such as this called The ABC's of Finance​ and we offer 1-on-1 financial counseling session with our founder Meca McLendon. See more HERE

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*

March is National Nutrition Awareness month! This is a great time to reflect and evaluate your wellness and mindfulness journey and consider if adjustments need to be made. Our bodies are our temples and we can do amazing, rare things when our minds and bodies are in sync, well-balanced and healthy. One way to ensure our bodies are receiving the right nutrients required, is to monitor what we are putting in our bodies; what we eat. 

Ask yourself, are you eating simply based on convenience and taste or do you eat to LIVE? 

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"If a food doesn't grow in the environment where you dwell, the food energetics take is that it's not going to give you the right kind of energy that you need, regardless of the nutrient density. All food have characteristics and properties that either helps us or harms us. Understanding these characteristics and properties can help us better tune in to what our bodies need as unique individuals versus a "one-size-fits-all" approach; this is the foundation of food energetics. What is food energetics you may ask? Food energetics is the study of the electromagnetic patterns of food and how its vibrations effect the body. Learn more Here.

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"Different foods and preparations give you different kinds of energy. For example, having an apple can make you feel fresh and uplifted whereas having a warm, hearty soup can make you feel relaxed and calm.

In food energetics, you can optimize your health by timing the foods that you eat to be in alignment with the cycle of the day. In other words, you want to have foods that uplift you in the morning as the sun goes up and foods that calm you in the evening as the sun goes down."-Katheryn Gronauer, Certified Health Coach

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*

In this Super Soul Sunday interview, Iyanla Vanzant and Oprah discuss how important it is to pause and listen for the still small voice referred to here as your "Spiritual GPS". 

Now that the hustle and busyness of the holidays are over and the pressure January brings with the new year and all its resolutions have passed, February presents an opportunity to pause and consider the direction you want to take for the year ahead. 

Use the Power of The Pause to gather your thoughts, feelings and emotions to analyze where you are versus where you want to be. Not only is the pause beneficial for planning and prioritizing, but also for healing, mindfulness, rejuvenation and things alike. Author Brene Brown refers to this lack of pausing in her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, as The Dig Deep Button. She says: “The dig-deep button is a secret level of pushing through when we’re exhausted and overwhelmed, and when there’s too much to do and too little time for self-care.” Ask yourself then, "Am I abusing my dig-deep button?" 

We live in a society that has taught us that being selfish is ugly in every way; God forbid you put yourself first for once. We are taught that love=sacrifice and we implement this concept to our detriment. As a result, we have completely silenced our inner guidance system, our spiritual GPS. If you struggle to hear your spiritual GPS, try turning down the noise in your life by using the power of the pause.............

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Find additional inspiration with motivational speaker Yvonne Michele's blog on the Power of Pause here. 

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*

As we travel along in this journey to becoming who God created us to be we often at some point, maybe even more than once, find ourselves at a crossroad; A state of oblivion, darkness, fear and uncertainty. During this time, we realize that we are becoming someone new, but who? Moving in a new direction, but where? Desiring change, but how? These are the questions we ask ourselves but we have no clue as to what the answers are. Ugh! The coined term for this period is popularly called The Dark Night of The Soul.

This space, this moment of incertitude, this transition, is a pivotal point in your journey where you know who you are not but are still trying to figure out who you are becoming. Understanding this, it's time to carpe diem! Take full advantage of this time for self-discovery and renewing. The lyrics to Heaven, a song by musical artist Kem, says "The man I used to be, he's gone. He gave up his life, so I could go on". Those lyrics beautifully express the essence of the concept of a spiritual death; to die to the old self in order to be reborn a new self.

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Dark nights of the soul forces you to take a look in the mirror and address what you see. It is catalyst for healing and growth. Attached to this post you will find a short video clip of a Super Soul Sunday interview with Oprah and Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith, as well as a inspirational blog post by Angel Expert Doreen Virtue. 

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*This post respects all copyright laws regarding the video clip and blog to their respectful owners and is shared for educational purposes only*