Tag Archives: joy

How To Embrace Your Post Divorce Future

August 5, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

The “D” word. Stressful right? When your divorce is finally final, how will you begin again?

The transition can be liberating for some, daunting for others. Mixed feelings – anger, relief, sadness, joy, fear and uncertainty – are common and may take time to sort out.

Meanwhile, the clock on your new life is ticking, and regardless of your emotions, it is time for a freedom-inspired relaunch, says Jacqueline Newman, a Manhattan-based divorce lawyer and author of Soon To Be Ex: A Guide to Your Perfect Divorce & Relaunch (www.Jacquelinenewman.com).

The divorce proceedings – all the time spent with your attorney and in court, all the hours burned while considering highly emotional and financial factors, from the impact on your children to the division of assets – put a big part of your life on hold, not to mention a major strain on it. And now with the difficult process over, Newman says, it is important to focus on creating a brand new you.

“The last umpteen months have been about your kids, your ex, and your divorce,” says Newman, “thus, a little ‘me’ time is in order. Here is an opportunity to be free from having to answer to anyone but yourself. So live your life to its fullest.”

Newman’s message is that divorce does not have to be the worst thing that could have happened to you.

There are silver linings as you begin to take control of what you can, and she offers three tips on how to relaunch after a divorce.

• Treat yourself. Right out of the divorce gate, buy something meaningful for yourself. Lose the guilt your ex made you feel for spending on clothes or expensive shoes. Your gift could be something symbolic and therapeutic that fires a shot back at your ex. “I would absolutely recommend you buy yourself a divorce present of some kind,” Newman says. “You deserve it. One woman I represented was constantly mocked by her husband during their marriage for being flat-chested. It is easy to guess what she bought as soon as her cash payment cleared.”

• Embrace single hood. This does not mean you have to hug your first post-divorce dinner partner. It means embracing a new stage of discovery, with the different, interesting people you meet while dating becoming part of your growth. Newman recommends online dating as a way to “relearn how to date.” Many newly divorced people feel insecure about dating, but Newman suggests learning about people outside your comfort zone. And rather than trying to focus on finding Mr. or Mrs. Right, Newman says, “Give yourself some time to look around and meet different types of people. You may learn something that can broaden your perspective on life. If you can start seeing relationships not as the goal but as opportunities for growth, then you can start being more accepting with the outcome of each relationship.”

• Expand your freedom. Use your new windows of time to catch up with friends you have not seen. Newman recommends Facebook as an easy way to reconnect. On weekends when the ex has the kids, strengthen your friendship circle and broaden it. Explore and re-discover yourself. Pursue new hobbies or renew ones you did not have as much time for in marriage. Advance your career. “Your post-divorce life is offering you a chance to go after the promotion you have been dreaming about,” Newman says.

By doing the things you long wanted to do, you can find the new you.

“You are free to be who you are without judgment from a spouse,” Newman says, “and to do whatever you want. Learn to love yourself.” For the Silo, Cathy K. Hayes.

Supplemental– Silo archives: break up jewelry

Travel

Overcome Travel Anxiety Ahead Of This Years Season

April 3, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

A whopping 1.3 billion international tourist arrivals were recorded in 2023.

Undoubtedly, travel has become an integral part of many people’s lives. And while it can bring many joys, it can also cause stress.

With travel season fast approaching, the experts and our friends at HAYPP wanted to help those struggling with travel anxiety by providing helpful tips on how to best overcome it.

Five healthy ways to overcome travel anxiety

1. Understand your anxiety

To be able to best cope with your travel anxiety, you need to have a good understanding of the things that actually cause it. Pinpoint specifically what is making you feel anxious about your trip – is it that you’ll be on the road for hours, that there would be things out of your control, that you would have to be surrounded by a lot of people at an airport? Once you understand what triggers your anxiety, you can ensure to plan ahead for the best ways to handle those triggers.

2. Create a detailed plan for your trip

One of the reasons for experiencing anxiety when travelling is that you’re being taken out of your comfort zone and won’t have full control over everything. To help ease that anxious feeling, try to plan out your trip in as much detail as possible. Write down an itinerary, either on paper, or you can make use of a trip planner app like TripIt, Wanderlog, or Sygic Travel, for every day that you can follow, which will give you a sense of control, but it’s equally as important to think of alternative plans of action for anything that could potentially not go as planned, so that you’re prepared.

3. Learn to use relaxation techniques

Deep breathing by taking long breaths through the nose and then exhaling slowly through the mouth is a technique proven to help reduce any feelings of stress. Another useful way to calm your mind is by meditating, which can take many different forms from listening to music to focusing on your breath. To make sure you find the mindfulness technique that works best for you, try out a few different ones before your trip, so when the time for travelling comes you can use the most efficient one to set your mind at ease.

4. Ensure you have things that bring you joy

Having things with you that generally bring you joy can be extremely useful in distracting you from your negative feelings. These can include physical items like a journal in which to write your thoughts, a book to read, or a game to occupy your attention. Alternatively, you can create a playlist of songs you love or make sure you have your favourite TV show (or movie) with you, as these will keep your mind occupied, decreasing your feelings of anxiety.

5. Take care of your physical health

Being physically active is a great way to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. Even if it’s just a long walk, make sure to incorporate physical activity in your days, especially the days leading up to your trip and if possible, during the trip as well. Spending some time outside and connecting with nature, be it only by visiting a park, can have a positive effect on your physical and mental being, which in turn will help reduce your anxious thoughts.

For the Silo, Caitlin Purvis.

Culture

Eight Ways To Make Time For Important Things

July 1, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

One of the most common lines that people love to use: “I wish I had more time.” Maybe it’s more time to spend with family or friends; more time to exercise and eat healthy; or more time to go back to school. Whatever it is, how do you make more time for those truly important things in your life?

Dr. Alok Trivedi, author of Chasing Success, says the reality is we all have the same 24 hours. The difference is some people know how to better manage it than others. When it comes to making time for the important things, Dr. Trivedi recommends:

1. Minimize, minimize and minimize some more. There was a reason Marie Kondo’s novel about tidying up your space to become happy was so successful. There is truth in her message of eliminating the unnecessary and finding what you love in the process. Get rid of what does not bring you joy. This can be old items or even toxic relationships that no longer serve you. Less is really more.

2. Being busy does not bring you value. In North American culture, it can be all too easy to be running around completing task after task. Many people view this form of productivity as determining their worth in society. It’s wise to assess what in your life is bringing you value and maximize that rather than trying to do things that just don’t feel right and make you feel unworthy on the inside. Business is an excuse and distraction to overlook the things in which you may be afraid to focus your energy on.

3. Differentiate between efficiency and effectiveness. Your time is precious and needs to be allocated to the most important things. Utilize your time to be both effective and efficient. Being only effective can be a time-consuming action. While complementary, being only efficient can lead to sloppy results. When you are doing any task, approach it within a concept of both maximum efficiency and total effectiveness to reap the best results. In your personal life, this is achieved through being present and genuine in your interactions.

4. Single task and hold your focus. Many people find themselves casually checking a single email, and before long they snap into full-fledged work mode. Develop a schedule and follow it religiously. It may be hard to find your groove initially, but if you stick to it, little by little it will become a habit.

5. Know what you hold important. It is a challenge to know how to dedicate your free time if you haven’t discovered what you love. Find the activities where your creativity flows and your heart sings. Only in these states are you going to find yourself in the states of joy that make you feel life is worth living.

6. Address problems at the root. When you have the time to dedicate to the important things, you don’t want work problems to keep popping up. If there is a problem at work, address it from the start. Don’t keep putting it off, because it will fester at inopportune times. This goes both ways. If you have a personal dilemma with a family member, don’t run from it by adopting workaholic ways. Confront your problems head on to solve them with best results. Shying away will only allow the problem to become worse in the shadows.

7. Getting and staying organized. When it is time to be with friends and family the last thing you want to do is housework. Dedicate an initial cleaning and mass organization of your space. After this initial step, take a little time each day to clear your space and organize everything into its given area. The clarity of your physical space lends to clarity of mind. Then, there is mental space to focus on what matters, and not be distracted by the mess around you.

8. Block out time just for you. You must become your top priority. Declare certain times of the day and week that are just for you. This time can be for you to indulge in your favorite pastimes, meditate, or even to do nothing. This time is yours to center yourself and think about what you are presently encountering in life.

Live in every moment, and focus on the present. For the Silo, Alex Smith.

Culture

Change Your Life And Connect To Higher Realms

May 7, 2021 The Silo 1 Comment

Aleya Dao was a successful alternative health practitioner undergoing a sound healing session herself when she had one of those extraordinary ascents into an entirely expanded level of cosmic consciousness. And what she discovered in those few minutes and the days and years afterward, was how ready her Higher Self, her Body Deva and an array of personal multidimensional Team members were to help her overcome her own perceived shortcomings, destructive habits and life’s speedbumps. She decided on change. The woman she is today is not the woman she was then–and she gives full credit to the Higher Realms for helping her evolve to the happy and fulfilled trailblazing spiritual teacher, healer and author that she has become.

In her astonishing and powerful book, Seven Cups of Consciousness: Change Your Life by Connecting to the Higher Realms (New World Library), Aleya offers a direct manual on how to engage with the higher dimensions to advance your own evolution–to create a life filled with happiness and purpose, always connected with a divine and perfect aspect of yourself, protected and guided by a loving angelic presence. She shows how this kind of life becomes possible when we learn to consciously connect at the spiritual level with higher dimensions.

“When you explore your inner realms, along with the higher dimensions, your life will change in amazing ways,” writes Aleya, a sound healer, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, acupuncturist and spiritual guide for 20 years in the Southwest. She practiced in Telluride, CO, before moving to Santa Barbara, CA where she currently serves an international clientele. “The basic idea is that all your work is done at a level higher than your physical reality. There are aspects of you that exist in higher dimensions, at the spiritual level. I call these parts of you your energy self or your Higher Self.”

Seven Cups of Consciousness offers step-by-step practical guidance for reaching beyond one’s limited physical experience and energetically opening to the guidance and support of multidimensional resources.

Her book outlines specific processes built around “cups of consciousness” that are designed to give readers access to the energetic realm and the innumerable resources it contains. “The physical realm is only one of many. You are a multidimensional being expressing yourself in multiple dimensions,” writes Aleya. “You are never alone. Using your angelic resources can assist you in enormous ways.”

Just as a cup of coffee or tea helps you wake up in the morning, Aleya promises readers that sipping from the “cups of consciousness” she offers will help them awaken to higher levels of consciousness and energetic support:

First Cup – You Live in a Multidimensional Reality
Second Cup – You Are Never Alone
Third Cup – You Can Change Your Inner World
Fourth Cup – Your Challenges Can Help You Grow
Fifth Cup – Your Body Is a Nature Spirit
Sixth Cup – You Have Soul’s Wisdom
Seventh Cup – You Are Perfect

Aleya has created energetic practices designed to help readers release old patterns and gain access to a higher consciousness for each of the seven cups. Links to eleven powerful downloadable audio meditations that guide readers through these processes are also included.

Become acquainted with your own River of Light, adjacent to the front of your spinal cord
Dialogue with your Team to resolve old “stuff” that keeps you mired in lack, limitation, real world problems and broken romances
Communicate with your Body Deva, the nature spirit that is embodied as your physical self
Begin living a multidimensional life, so that you solve problems from a vantage point that you cannot by living a 2D existence
Enable your Higher Self, Team and Body Deva to support you in living a life that is fully expressed with joy, fulfillment, purpose, self-love and even romance!

“The key lies in your ability to focus on your inner world, using your imagination and intent as a way to connect to other dimensions,” writes Aleya. “You will learn that your real power comes from within and from beyond. As you develop these tools, your consciousness will evolve, your challenges will transform, and a deep inner peace and empowerment will bloom.”

Fashion

PANDORA Jewelry Wants Candid Women In Action Photos

September 6, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Toronto, September, 2017 – This Autumn, PANDORA reveals ‘DO See The Wonderful’, a multifaceted campaign set to inspire women to see the wonderful in their everyday. To bring this concept to life, PANDORA reveals the results of its partnership with three renowned photographers – Sandra Semburg, Liz Sunshine and Meredith Jenks.

Triggered by a global research study that found 80% of women are inspired by photography which celebrate life’s everyday triumphs, these photographers were challenged to capture candid imagery of women from all over the world enjoying everyday moments. The campaign launches in conjunction with the Autumn 2017 collection – a selection of beautiful, hand-finished jewelry designed to mark the wonderful in women’s lives.

Every day we experience approximately 20,000 individual moments lasting a few seconds each, yet we often move from one moment to the next without acknowledging our accomplishments. Through this campaign, PANDORA kicks off a global conversation about women’s everyday triumphs; from the life changing, such as starting a new job or having a child, right through to daily personal achievements, such as baking a cake or completing a charity bike ride. The ‘DO See The Wonderful’ photography encourages women to see joy in these everyday special moments.

“At PANDORA, we want women to celebrate all the wonderful things they and other women DO each day because these moments represent important fragments of their multifaceted lives. PANDORA jewellery can act as a symbol of these everyday achievements and the things we cherish,” explains Minna Philipson, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at PANDORA.

Individually known for their inspiring styles of photography, Sandra Semburg, Liz Sunshine and Meredith Jenks capture women showing the wonder in what they achieve every day in spontaneous and authentic shots. Fashion and portrait photographer Sandra took animated portraits of women in London and Berlin, Australian-based documentary photographer Liz took to the streets of Sydney and Hong Kong to find candid moments of women in action, while Brooklyn-based Meredith, who aims to capture special moments as they unfold, shot photos in New York and Sao Paulo.

Today, PANDORA is calling on all women to get involved in the #DOSeeTheWonderful challenge by capturing precious, every day wonderful moments and sharing them with PANDORA via the hashtag #DOSeeTheWonderful and tagging @theofficialpandora.

The Autumn 2017 collection launch is also supported by a compelling TV campaign, and through a series of official campaign imagery to inspire women to celebrate everyday life triumphs. For the Silo, Daniella Etienne.

ABOUT PANDORA

World-renowned for its hand-finished and contemporary jewelry at affordable prices, PANDORA designs, manufactures and markets jewellery made from high-quality materials. Inspiring women to embrace their individuality and express their personal style, PANDORA’s stylish and feminine jewelry captures the unforgettable moments and personal values in life. PANDORA’s unique and detailed designs combining traditional craftsmanship with modern technology are sold in more than 100 countries across six continents through approximately 8,100 points of sale, including more than 2,100 concept stores. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, PANDORA employs more than 21,500 people worldwide of whom approximately 12,400 are located in Thailand, where the company manufactures its jewelry. PANDORA is publicly listed on the NASDAQ Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark. In 2016, PANDORA’s total revenue was DKK 20.3 billion (approximately EUR 2.7 billion).

Cet automne, PANDORA lance « À vous d’oser voir le merveilleux », une campagne à plusieurs volets visant à inspirer les femmes à voir le merveilleux dans leur quotidien.

Reviews

Silo Book Spotlight- A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence

December 14, 2015 The Silo Leave a comment

Feelings are at the core of every social interaction. Anger, fear, and sadness are all very different concepts, but together they form part of an emotional compass that allows people to appropriately deal with each other in everyday situations. In short, unlocking the true power behind a person’s feelings – even challenging ones – is actually the key to clarity, love, and a happier life.

As a way to help you understand your feelings and develop your own emotional intelligence, business coach, speaker, and bestselling author Vivian Dittmar has written the insightful book, The Power of Feelings: A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence. In this groundbreaking work, Dittmar takes the reader on an introspective journey by examining the inner workings of the human mind and heart. She explains at length the difference between feelings and emotions, how each are created, why each has its own purpose, and why everything you “feel” is not always a feeling.

Divided into five easy-to-read sections, The Power of Feelings is a comprehensive guidebook with 12 self-assessment exercises for exploring your life. By working through these exercises, Dittmar ultimately teaches how understanding and harnessing the power behind your feelings are the keys to your emotional potential and intelligence.

In this fascinating and eye-opening book, Dittmar also reveals:

The Five Powers of Anger, Sadness, Fear, Joy, and Shame: How each fulfills an important function in your life
Turning Negative Feelings Into Positive Forces: Why some feelings that are typically considered to be “bad” can be used to your benefit
Emotional Baggage: Some of the most effective ways to deal with past emotional issues
Blocks of Emotional Intelligence: Common causes of emotional imbalances
Living Feelings: How to incorporate conscious feelings into your daily life

“When I felt it was time to write my first book, I took a look at what was on the market in the field of personal development and felt the greatest deficit was in the realm of feelings and emotions,” says Dittmar. “I had been emotionally challenged in my life and was unsatisfied with the answers I could find. This dissatisfaction caused me to start investigating the matter within me, with the people I worked with, and in seminars and groups. When it was time to write the book, we collected questions about feelings from people of all walks of life looking for the same answers. This material later became the first version of The Power of Feelings.”

Vivian Dittmar grew up on three continents in three different cultures. In doing so, she developed a unique perspective on humans and their interactions. Traveling between first, second, and third-world nations, she was struck by the contrast between people’s external wealth and their corresponding life issues. Her experiences led her to pursue a career in the fields of self-help and personal development.

Throughout her career, Dittmar has worked in Germany, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Italy, Greece, and Sweden. In Indonesia, she ran her own practice working with clients from all backgrounds. She then returned to Europe and set up the non-profit, Be the Change Foundation for Cultural Change. The foundation offers educational events to raise awareness about ecological and social justice issues.

Dittmar also works as a trainer and coach. As a coach, she helps small and mid-sized business owners and executives develop their emotional intelligence. She is also the author of three successful books – the first of which has been translated from German into English, Italian, and Spanish. Dittmar currently lives between Germany and Italy and is a mother of two sons.

Books are available on VivianDittmar.com and Amazon.com. E-books are also available on Kindle. Connect with Dittmar on Twitter.com and Facebook.com.