abundance-inspirational woman magazine

bundanceAISSUEW W W. I N S P I R AT I O N A L W O M E N C O N N E C T I N G . C O M

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2 INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN MAGAZINE

Letter from Inspirational Lisa

Welcome once again to our “abundance is-sue” - our last issue of the year. 2012 has been a great year for us, and we hope that we have helped you become a better woman in certain areas of your life. In this issue, we celebrate all we have achieved and learnt in 2012.

I believe it is important to take stock and see what you actually have rather than what you do not. I believe it will make you appreciate who you are versus who you could have become. I am sure that we have all gained something in 2012, that we have progressed in certain areas of our lives. OK, maybe not all areas, but those in which you have progressed deserve very much to be celebrated one by one. So often we put things into a bracket; hence we see them as one thing rather than list them individually. So if you may allow me - I want to challenge you to list all you have received and gained this year. It does not matter how small or big each item is as long as it has made you a better woman - then it deserves to be on that list.

I am really glad to have you as one of our read-ers. Because of you I have become a better woman. Because of you I wake up everyday with a smile on my face and am ready to inspire you. I do this everyday (as you all know) via our Facebook page.

If we have helped you in any way, ladies, please share our magazine with other ladies. Our content is positive and I believe we can help many more women that you know. So as we celebrate 2012 and look forward to 2013, I know you know at least one other woman who can learn and develop via Inspirational Woman Magazine. Please introduce her to us.

I will take this opportunity to wish you all a “merry Christmas,” and may you really take time to sit down and write down what speci!-cally you want to achieve in 2013 - including what you are going to do to support another woman around you.

You inspire me and I love to inspire you. This is my purpose and you are a part of it. Thank you very much and from the bottom of my heart - I really appreciate you.

Yours inspiring always.

Lisa – Editor in Chief

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November/December 2012

contentsNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

ON!ABUNDANCE17 Abundance19 5 Keys to Living Abundantly21 Sharing the Abundance

INSPIRING!WOMAN24 On the Cover - Janét Aizenstros

BETTER!YOURSELF28 Attracting Abundance30 A Coach for You34 Women of Worth

FASHION35 Pro!le - N’Kya Designs38 Photos50 Make-up - Appreciate Yourself53 Style - What About Your Closet’s

Abundance?

FINANCE56 Abundance - A Journey Through

History61 Common Cent$ - Living Large by

Giving Large

REAL!LIFE!STORIES64 Appreciating the Abundance66 My Dream, My Wish67 Giving Back

IN!THIS!ISSUE02 Letter from Inspirational Lisa08 Editor’s Picks16 Giveaway22 Quotes69 Home Cooking

We are working with

Women from around the world are coming to-gether through The International Women’s Lead-ership Association to create meaningful relation-ships and resources. As women are called upon to take lead positions at home, in the workplace and in the community, the need for women to come together has never been greater, the op-portunity has never been brighter,.

FREE REGISTRATION opens doors to other women of leadership who care as much about your per-sonal and professional development as they do their own.

Our purpose is simple. We bring together women of all ages and nationalities to help celebrate dif-ferent cultures, expand our viewpoints and build friendships. With over 700 members representing almost 70 different nationalities, ZIWA is dynam-ic, very international and most importantly fun!

The National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs (NACWE) is committed to shar-ing its connections, resources, and knowledge with an entrepreneurial tribe of women leaders and visionary thinkers. The National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs was born out of a passion to connect women who are ready to create, collaborate, and contribute to changing the world. We gather people and ideas together through online content, tele-courses, individual/group coaching and retreats.

NACWE Membership is open to women entre-preneurs, small business owners, and others who have the desire to launch their entrepreneur-ial venture.

Founded in 1931, the Club is a not-for-pro!t volunteer-run organization dedicated to providing opportunities for friendship and personal devel-opment. We actively engage in philanthropic and community service projects in the greater Zurich region, throughout Switzerland and in the larger global community.

http://theiwla.com/landing_page/welcome.php%3Fpage%3Djoinus%26refer%3DIWM090512

http://bit.ly/PVBFVY

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http://bit.ly/REim68

http://nacwe.org/


Meet the Editors

Lisa Mundembe-ChumaEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lisa is an inspirational Speaker for Schools in the UK and the founder (Editor-in-Chief) of Inspira-tional Woman Magazine. Lisa is keen to make a positive impact in the world and see women come together in unity worldwide. Her desire is for women to realise that they are very important in their own way, which makes us all unique. If we accept that, we can become a stronger community be-cause we will have different things to offer. Lisa is very passionate about being a positive in"uence and making a positive impact in people’s lives. She has made it her responsibility to better women’s relationships by them helping each other, standing together, supporting each other and encourag-ing them to complete each other rather than compete.

Ruthie CollinsCULTURE AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Ruthie is the Culture and Lifestyle Editor of Inspirational Woman Magazine and writes on feminism and modern women, contemporary culture, travel and lifestyle. She also works as a business coach and advisor for creative practitioners, helping creative ideas get the attention and development they de-serve. she is creative director of the Cambridge Art Salon. www.cambridgeartsalon.org.uk.

Heather Nomi TshumaFASHION EDITOR

Heather’s spiritual and compassionate personality drives her to a sense of responsibility towards the world and making it a better place. Almost two years ago she brought to life her dream, and created with the help of others, the Feeling Human Association in Greece (co-founded with friend Yvonne Bosnjak). Heather’s modeling past allowed her to bring awareness and funds to many so-cial and medical issues as well as organizations through a series of cultural and fashion events. She recently moved from Athens Greece and now lives in the UK where she’s working on various proj-ects but also laying the groundwork for Feeling Human’s UK début. When she’s not running around she !lls her time with her great passion for photography, expressing her own creativity through her lens. “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched ...but are felt in the heart.” (Helen Keller)


Laura MessengerLAYOUT EDITOR AND PROOFREADER

A writer and researcher originally from the US, Laura has lived in Geneva, Switzerland since 2001 and splits her time between Geneva and the mountains of France’s Haute Savoie. In addition to her work with Inspirational Woman, she has written on aspects of life abroad for JetSettlers and Hello Switzerland magazines. Her interests include travel and dance. Find Laura on Twitter @lauratheexpat and LinkedIn.

Martha ChristieWEBSITE CONTENT EDITOR

Martha is an experienced Social Media Manager, Project Manager and Virtual Assistant who sup-ports businesses with productively achieving their goals through effective, ef!cient business ser-vices. Prior to establishing Martha’s SOS (Savvy Online Solutions), Martha spent 15 years in of!ce management and PA roles. She has worked in !nance, operations and quality within the UK, work-ing with quality management systems extensively, maintaining ISO 9001:2008 standards, along with enhancing several additional business skills to further develop the repertoire of services she is able to offer her clients. Martha specialises in online administrative solutions. Her services are offered with con!dence to all her clients. Having worked alongside directors, business managers, entrepre-neurs and corporate organisations, she is familiar with managing an increased workload and within tight deadlines. www.marthassos.com.

A special Thank You to our Facebook Ambassador

Clare Reeves is 49, married and has 3 sons, aged 16, 11 and 7 years. She currently lives in Geneva, moving from the UK just over a year ago. Having left friends and family behind she has learned how to welcome new friendships and connections, giving her a fresh outlook on life. The move to Geneva has given their children freedom and space to explore and experience a whole range of activites. For the last 20 years, Clare has worked in software design, mainly on user experience and inter-face projects and feels fortunate to continue her work alongside bringing up her family.

Thank you, Clare for helping us inspire and empower women.

Clare Reeves

http://nacwe.org


Editor’s Picks

FOR!FAMILY: STADLER!FORM

If any of you are looking for a humidi!er, I strongly recommend the Oskar Big. With winter here, I have been using the Oskar Big and I must say I am very impressed - super impressed. It is amazingly good. My family is looking forward to peaceful nights this winter and I just had to recommend it.

Feel free to check it out - you will not be disappointed at all. Martin, the founder of Stadler Form, is a good guy. He takes his time to talk you through the product, how it works, etc. Great service too - I must say.

I am super happy at the moment and ready for the winter.

http://www.stadlerform.ch/


FOR!KIDS: GRIMM"

Do you have any young kids who like to play and do all sorts of things on their chairs? If you have answered “yes” to all of that, then you will love the Grimm2. I am talking from recent, amazing experience - I got this chair set up in just ten minutes, yes - ten minutes... It had just four screws and that was it. I was so happy to !nally realise that people are designing such products. The shape of the chair is what makes my kids !ght to sit on it every day - we have resorted to having turns. They love it - it is spacious, solid frame and very comfortable.

If you are one of those people who want to set up things quickly, this chair is for you. It is beautiful - not forgetting that when tipped or turned, Grimm2 becomes a hut, tunnel, airplane, car seat and much more – a rich source of inspiration for a child’s fantasy play.

http://www.momoll.com/


ALL!THINGS!SWISS:ON

I have taken up running as a new hobby with the aim of running one of the London charity marathons. Having made this decision, I had to look for the most comfortable shoes to make this experience less stressful, considering I own only one pair of trainers. I came across On, a swiss running shoe company that is just great. I had the privi-lege of trying their Cloudsurfer, and I must say they really do engi-neer shoes. The feeling I get when I wear the shoes is amazing. The front of the shoes has thin fabric, so that when you are running it lets air in, which, in turn, reduces your sweating levels and prevents your feet from swelling. I am so over the moon with my pair. If you are a running person or you know someone who is, I can assure you - you will not go wrong with a pair of On shoes.

http://www.on-running.com/

ALL!THINGS!SWISS:U BY!NESPRESSO

http://www.nespresso.com/

NESPRESSO LAUNCHES U: THE COFFEE MACHINE THAT LIVES LIKE

YOU

U is the ultimate machine in simplicity,modularity and purity

In its continuous quest to deliver the ultimate coffee experience, Nespresso launches its latest machine innovation U – bringing even more simplicity, personalization and pure design to coffee lovers around the world. The Nespresso story began 25 years ago with a simple but revolutionary idea: enable anyone to create the perfect cup of espresso at home. Today, Nespresso has made that idea even simpler by developing U, the next generation machine that shapes itself to suit you and your lifestyle. Offeringultra-convenience, yet sophisticated technology, U has been designed to suit modern life and its demands.With clever, modular design, U can change its shape to fit contemporary living spaces and interiors, while its cutting edge technology delivers a perfect coffee, time

after time. A pleasure to use and display, U is themachine for those who seek ultimate simplicity, the highest quality coffee, and pure design.

With its curved, flexible form, U is the most modularcoffee machine to date, designed by Nespresso to adapt to all lifestyles. On top of its sleek shape, U has a tactile interface which memorises your favourite cup length, removing the need to select it each time and thanks to the pre-programmed Ristretto, Espresso and Lungo sizes doesn’t require reprogramming. The first-of-its kind, it has a rounded, adjustable water tank which is able to seamlessly slide around, letting it change shape to suit your interior layout. Working around the user to make their life simpler, U’s neat cup support, is also designed to fit long or short drinks – so you can configure your machine depending on your mood and your favourite coffee rituals.

U is the height of convenience, its minimal exterior enclosing the latest technology. In addition to a quick heat up time of 25 seconds, U features automatic brewing, so your coffee begins the second you drop your Nespresso capsule and effortlessly close its neat slider. This same process creates an ideal coffee extraction, delivering an optimum result as U stops automatically when desired. Its immediate cut-off also makes it one of the cleanest machines – stopping any drips and automatically ejecting each capsule.

Alongside all its cutting-edge functionality, however, users’ consciences can rest at ease as U possesses the optimum energy profile for its class of machine. Its body, meanwhile, is made from over 30% of recycled materials (not in contact with food) while itautomatically switches to OFF mode after 9 minutes of inactivity.

With U, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in both functionality and design, its minimalist, contemporary look fitting neatly into any living space. Available in four understated colours – Pure Cream, Pure Black, Pure Grey and Pure Orange – U is smooth and rounded with a sensorial soft-to-the touch finish and elegant curved edges with the Nespresso signature embossed on its sides. The pure lines of U and varied shades let users express their style while complementing their interior design.

To accompany the minimalist design of U, Nespressohas for the first time created dedicated accessories -echoing U’s adaptability, personalisable approach andpure aesthetic. Reflecting these elements, one of the range’s highlights is an innovative tray with two adaptable magnetic dispensers, inspired by the shape of the U machine. Applying U’s innovative thinking,the smooth, rounded dispensers can be attached to the sides of the U machine, changing its shape to fit your interior. Each dispenser is magnetised, like U, so it can be joined together to the machine’s sides, to become an extension– while tailoring the machine’s shape to suit the space required. The dispensers can also be stacked on top of each other for a slimmer storage solution while one contains neat compartments for spoons and sugar. Adding to this simplified approach, the collection is joined by a new Totem capsule holder in glossy melamine, and a clearBonbonnière rocking capsule jar – letting you select your preferred Grand Cru in an instant.

Alongside this, Nespresso is also introducing new items to the iconic Glass Collection – the brand’s original range which truly captures Nespresso’spassion for quality and design. For milk-recipe lovers, Nespresso has designed a new elegant Cappuccino cup (c.a.160 ml) with a stylish bi-coloured black and matt grey saucer. Also new, a Recipe glass (c.a. 350 ml) with a neat grip area, is available as a set of four and is accompanied by a stainless steel Recipe Spoon. Featuring transparent sides and clean-lined simplicity, like U, the Collection effortlessly fits into a lifestyle that demands both aesthetics and practicality.

Priced at CHF 179.-, U is available since Mid-September 2012 in all Nespresso boutiques, on the call-free number 0800 55 52 53, online on www.nespresso.com, and at Nespresso trading partners.

About Nestlé Nespresso SANestlé Nespresso SA is the pioneer and reference for highest-quality portioned premium coffee. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Nespresso operates in more than 50 countries and has more than 7 000 employees. In 2011, it operated a global retail network of 270 exclusive boutiques. For more information, visit the new Nestlé Nespresso corporate website: www.nestle-nespresso.com.

Contact infoWeibel Communication AG, Seestrasse 17, CH-8702 Zollikon/ZürichTel.: 044-986 10 20, Fax: 044-986 10 21,E-Mail: [email protected]

Nestlé Nespresso S.A., Schweizer Markt, Route du Lac 3, CH-1094 PaudexTel.: 021-321 78 78, Fax: 021-321 78 00

it can be joined together to the machine’s sides, to become an extension– while tailoring the machine’s shape to suit the space required. The dispensers can also be stacked on top of each other for a slimmer storage solution while one contains neat compartments for spoons and sugar. Adding to this simplified approach, the collection is joined by a new Totem capsule holder in glossy melamine, and a clearBonbonnière rocking capsule jar – letting you select your preferred Grand Cru in an instant.

Alongside this, Nespresso is also introducing new items to the iconic Glass Collection – the brand’s original range which truly captures Nespresso’spassion for quality and design. For milk-recipe lovers, Nespresso has designed a new elegant Cappuccino cup (c.a.160 ml) with a stylish bi-coloured black and matt grey saucer. Also new, a Recipe glass (c.a. 350 ml) with a neat grip area, is available as a set of four and is accompanied by a stainless steel Recipe Spoon. Featuring transparent sides and clean-lined simplicity, like U, the Collection effortlessly fits into a lifestyle that demands both aesthetics and practicality.

Priced at CHF 179.-, U is available since Mid-September 2012 in all Nespresso boutiques, on the call-free number 0800 55 52 53, online on www.nespresso.com, and at Nespresso trading partners.


FOR!FOOD!LOVERS:

INNVERIhttp://www.innveri.com/

I do not know if you have the same issue at your home, but when I cook, I never seem to get it right - I always cook more than my family needs. Hence I am left with a lot of food, which my family would very gladly eat again the next night, but the problem is that it is not always fresh. Having gone through all my kids’ complaints of “why does this food not taste like it did last night,” I was sure there is a solution for keeping food fresh. I cannot get over it - it really does keep food fresh. Imagine that! I have been using it daily, and I look at it and ask myself why didn’t I !nd this years ago. I am telling you this is amaz-ing. You have to try it for yourself to understand my excitement.

Giveaway

A Christmas Present from SWISS DIAMOND!

Grab the chance to win thisNONSTICK SAUTE PAN WITH LID.

All you have to do is SHARE this and tell us when SWISS DIAMOND was founded. The winner will be

announced on the 1st of December 2012.

www.swissdiamond.chwww.swissdiamond.us

Used by discerning home chefs around the world, Swiss Diamond’s PFOA-free cookware features unsurpassed nonstick performance for healthy cooking and

easy clean-up. The patented coating is reinforced with real diamond crystals and uses custom components, mixed in our factory in Switzerland, to create a best-in-

class nonstick surface.


On Abundance

ABUNDANCEb y l i l l i a n e y i s o n

As I take a walk through life, I’ve come across people from diverse backgrounds and cul-tures, and it’s amazing how everybody is busily working towards a particular goal. I kept wondering what they hope to achieve from these goals. The convergent point – abundance! Regardless of one’s profession, a lawyer or a tomato seller will adhere to his or her schedule for a reason – that is, the source of her income (or attaining excess). Relenting in these duties will mean the income will be negatively affected. It means that in order to main-tain abundance, you have to hold on tenaciously to what gives birth to abundance and, if possible, explore oth-er means. Abundance is de-sired by all regardless of life circumstances because it replaces scarcity with plen-ty. It simply means to have something in excess. As hu-mans it feels good to have in abundance because you be-come more comfortable and relaxed and your stress level, too, is low, thus giving the human body an atmosphere conducive to function. In most cases blood circulation, body temperature and blood pressure normalize because the person is not under pres-sure or worried because of a particular need.

Abundance – I’ve been think-ing…why do I have so many shoes on my rack when my next-door neighbor’s daugh-

ter Esi is barefoot? It’s been ages since I wore the red shoes, and oh, the black slip-pers too…I don’t need them anymore. The Biblical injunc-tion immediately came to mind: “…give and it will come back to you…” Now I know that the next junction you get to after ABUNDANCE is GIV-ING or SHARING. As sisters, there is the need to give out

when we realize that we have something in excess and our brothers or sisters are lack-ing. Maybe that’s not enough, but it could still pass for the !rst step on the solution col-umn. OK, I still have to share ideas with my neighbor if she doesn’t know how to achieve abundance. Esi couldn’t hide her joy when I gave her some pairs of shoes! She kept mod-eling and dancing in those shoes because stones and thorns will not tickle her soles anymore. I just had to heave a sigh of FULFILLMENT as I had just satis!ed a need.

I just can’t stop staring at the beautiful morning clouds that swept away the darkness. The birds are also chirping with zeal as if to say, “We are a living witness to the Cre-ator’s awesomeness.” It is in-

“…why do I have so many shoes on my rack when my

next-door neighbor’s daughter Esi is barefoot?”


deed a new day! Let me quickly get my bag and leave for the of-!ce. Knock, knock.

“Oh Esi, you are the one!” I ex-claimed.

“I just want to THANK YOU for the gift; I really APPRECIATE them; Auntie, you are one of a kind, those shoes are expensive and I can’t hide my joy. I am GRATEFUL.”

“OK, Esi, thanks for the compli-ment; now, I know your taste so we’ll talk later.”

We can deduce from the above discussion that one of the im-portant tools to apply in life is appreciation or thanking people for kind gestures. Motivation is a psychological term that means a certain stimulus arouses an organism to seek a desired goal and to elicit or sustain the goal-directed behavior. It may be in-trinsic; that is, focusing on what goes on within the individual. Or it may involve giving external rewards for a particular action, which is also referred to as ex-trinsic motivation. Appreciating a person goes a long way to re-inforce or motivate the person by letting the person know how valuable he or she is.

Most “thank you” notes also play a major role in strengthen-ing relationships, as they create a healthy rapport between the donor and the bene!ciary. In this regard, the bene!ciary re-alizes that the donor has good intentions and will try as much as possible not to mar the rela-tionship. At the end of the day a peaceful society is achieved.

Lillian Eyison is an ardent gender activist, a bilingual

project manager, a travel ex-pert and the CEO of Zoe In-

ternational Travel and Tours. She has honors in psychology and French from the Univer-sity of Ghana and Universite

de Caen, France. As a resilient young lady who is in love with

issues affecting women and girls in the society, she has to her credit Zoe International,

a one-stop travel project in which is embedded an “Afri-can corner” (a gender project where disadvantaged women

and girls are given non-formal education by way of empower-

limiting their dependence on men). She currently resides in Accra, Ghana. You may visit

us at www.facebook.com/zoeinter-

nationaltravelandtours.

No appreciation is too small; the thought behind it is more valuable!

Appreciating a kind gesture doesn’t only make the donor feel good but it also gives both parties feedback. The donor realizes at that point that the bene!ciary loves that particu-lar gesture and as a way of reinforcement and ensuring a healthy coexistence, he or she will look for similar ways of sat-isfying the bene!ciary. It is at this point that the bene!ciary will also realize how thoughtful the donor is.

In conclusion, let’s vote for ap-preciation because even the Creator himself scolded the nine lepers for being ungrateful. No appreciation is too small; the thought behind it is more valuable!


On Abundance

FIVE!KEYS TO!LIVING

ABUNDANTLYb y j u l i a b e r n a r d s

Many people don’t even consid-er the possibility of abundance. The law of scarcity so permeates culture that what many hope for is to have “enough;” the luxury of abundance seems beyond reach. And it isn’t just economic abundance that eludes us; it is an abundance of love, beauty, time, kindness, energy, etc. We are indoctrinated with the idea that there is only so much of these to go around, and all we can hope for is to have enough to get by. But that isn’t true—abundance is all around us and can be ever-present in our lives, if only we choose it.

Here is how:

1. Have an Attitude of Abundance. Wayne Dyer said: “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” Abun-dance is all around us, but we must “tune in.” A Zulu proverb points out: “Abundance does not spread; famine does.” In oth-er words, abundance is already all around us—it is the reality. But scarcity can spread by the mentality we choose. With an attitude of abundance, we see truly and fully what we have. We focus on what is rather than

what is not.

2. Anticipate Abundance. “The world is full of abundance and opportunity,” said Ben Sweetland, “ but far too many people come to the fountain of life with…a teaspoon instead of a tankard. They expect little and as a result they get little.” Having your heart and mind ready and open for abundance will invite it in. Kathy Gates encouraged: “You can’t predict, you can pre-pare. Experience the power of making decisions based on se-curity instead of worry, readiness instead of reluctance, abundance instead of lack.” We can experi-ence the power of abundance when we anticipate abundance.

3. Appreciate Abundance.Gratitude and abundance go hand in hand. “Gratitude is the open door to abundance.” Epi-curus said: “Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” The more we appreciate what is all around us, the more abundantly we will live. And with an appre-ciative heart, we invite more abundance. “Whatever we are waiting for – peace of mind,


contentment, grace, the in-ner awareness of simple abun-dance – it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart,” said Sarah Ban Breathnach.

4. Apply Abundance.When you are tuned in to the abundance in your life, you are happy to share it, and you re-joice in, rather than envy, oth-ers’ abundance. Sharing will-ingly is a powerful deterrent to the mentality of scarcity. As long as we have something to share, we have an abundance. Applying abundance means putting the abundance in your life to use. In the Bible we are taught: “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and run-ning over…for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” When we use the measure of abundance in blessing oth-ers, we !nd that the abundance has only multiplied. As Buddha said: “Thousands of candles can

Julia Bernards has been publishing poetry, essays and

articles for 16 years. Her poet-ic insights into the world have delighted old and young since

she was a little girl. Julia writes as a form of self-expres-

sion and an avenue towards truth and clarity. Lately, her most important insights have been about cultivating happi-ness and peace within herself and in her family. When she

Julia mothering her four chil-dren, loving her husband, and

trying to bring order to her household. You can reach her

at [email protected]

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,

and the life of the candle will not be shortened...”

be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never de-creases by being shared.”

5. Abide in Abundance.Continuing in the attitude, an-ticipation, appreciation and ap-plication of abundance can be a challenge, especially as the mentality of scarcity rages like a disease around us. Being con-stantly mindful of the thoughts you allow to permeate your life

is necessary to abide in abun-dance. Edith Armstrong said it well with this analogy: “I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then whenever doubt, anxiety, or fear try to call me, they keep getting a busy signal and soon they’ll forget my number.” When we actively fo-cus our minds on abundance, those thought patterns will be-come part of us, and we will abide in abundance.

I am grateful for so many quotes on abundance found on http://www.abundancetapestry.com/. Many other words of wis-dom regarding giving, sharing and generosity can be found at www.tentmaker.org.


On Abundance

SHARING THE

ABUNDANCE

Life is a gift. Thanks, God, for let-ting me live until now. This year (2012) is a special year to me. It is full of happiness and abun-dance from God. After suffering and being slumped in 2010, I’m not sure I will be happy like now.

After living in sadness, there comes happiness. God lead me to write again. In my writing ac-tivity I !nd my passion. Bless-ings come to my life. I get many friends around the world. I am con!dently saying that I’m a writer.

My view about life has changed. I am wiser and more careful. My career grows up. Working hard and having a new view make it easier for me to get everything: friends, gifts, things and money. My life is becoming more co-lourful. I am happy with these things.

All is abundance from God. I’m sure about it. I’m very happy. God loves me. If not, maybe I could not get anything - even one friend or one dollar. Or I would still be slumped.

All abundance from God makes me grateful for God. I am grate-ful for my life. I !ll my life by shar-ing my abundance. I share my knowledge with all my friends, my students and the others.

I !ll a need for writing training in my school, my college, and my community. I share my writing knowledge with my students. I want that someday one of my

b y f u a t u t t a q w i y a h e l - a d i b a

Oleh Fuatuttaqwiyah El- Adiba is a teacher and writer

based in Aceh, Indonesia. You can reach her through email at

[email protected]

students will become a good writer. I’ll be proud of them.

I joined a women’s writing group, a community for women. We help each other in writing and improve our knowledge. I invited my friends to join my group, but not all of them would.

Sharing and giving makes me get more and more. I become a rich woman, with things, love and anything. I’m very happy with them. I’m not worried my future, because my life is happy, fun, joyful and full of love.

Don’t be stingy with your life. Share with others. You can get more and more. I’ m sure.


Abundance Quotes

Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having

abundance in your life.WAYNE DYER

When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure

that you are always blessed in abundance.

JOEL OSTEEN

Everything you need you already have. You are

complete right now, you are a whole, total person, not an apprentice person on the way to someplace else. Your completeness must be understood by you and experienced in

your thoughts as your own personal reality.

WAYNE DYER

Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our

abundance.EPICURUS

The universe is full of magical things patiently

waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

EDEN PHILLPOTTS

There came into the world an unlimited abundance

of everything people need. But people need

everything except unlimited abundance.

KAREL CAPEK

The world is full of abundance and

opportunity, but far too many people come to the

fountain of life with a sieve instead of a tank car... a

teaspoon instead of a steam shovel. They expect little

and as a result they get little.BEN SWEETLAND

Be generous! Give to those you love; give to

those who love you; give to the fortunate; give to

the unfortunate - yes, give especially to those you don’t want to give. You will receive abundance for your giving.

The more you give, the more you will have!

W. CLEMENT STONE

The universe operates through dynamic

exchange... giving and receiving are different

aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our

willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe

circulating in our lives.DEEPAK CHOPRA

We already have so much abundance. We truly do. We need not search too far. It is within. The reason we fail to recognize this is because we haven’t quite mastered the

art of being. For abundance to prevail, we must have

love, gratitude, acceptance and compassion.

JOHN WELWOOD


Tina Yuliani lives in Central Java, Indonesia and is Found-

er of Rumah Pintar Kembar, a company that helps people learn IT skills and English language. She loves teach-

ing and building websites. In 2008, Tina was awarded the

Ganesha Prize by her campus, Insitut Teknologi Bandung.

Visit her website at www.rumahpintar-kembar.

com

When we give, we simply make room for more to

come in. When we become deeply, authentically

generous, it signals to our abundant universe that

there is a conduit open to receive and distribute. We

become part of the vital natural system.LENEDRA J. CAROLL

Let the magic happen. It’s always there. Abundance and love are always there.

Believe in the highest good. There is a higher essence to everything. The realm you’re in has a heaviness

that mutes energy. You can penetrate through it, no

matter how dark and heavy. Sometimes it has nothing

to do with karma. Just don’t forget to keep it open. Don’t get too bogged down, don’t limit the brightness. Reach

through the dark energy and grab it. You might see the smoke coming out of the

chimney and you’ll even see the smoky sky. You need to reach through the smoke and bring the light to you.

Remember the possibilities of something greater than are right here. Be willing to

go to the lightness. Don’t feed off what is not right in

the world.KUAN YIN


IWM Give us your “elevator speech” – a snapshot of who you are, what you do for a living, and how we should “know” you.

My name is Janét Aizenstros. I am the Founder/CEO of Janét Aizenstros Omni Media (also known as JAOM). This media company is dedicated to the empowerment of women world-wide. I created this company as

On the Cover

JANÉT AIZENSTROS

a platform to provide women with the necessary tools in busi-ness to live exceptional lives. Also, I am the mother of two bouncing little boys who are amazing. They make my heart beat!! I love my life. I wake up every day happy about my life.

IWM Please tell us more about Janét Aizenstros Omni Media. Why did you start and what are your future plans?

“...my goal: to empower women all over the world by partnering with

other women.”


I started JAOM to blend all my passions together. I love all fac-ets of media: print, radio, TV and design. I wanted a com-pany that was not traditional and represented all of my pas-sions...fashion, intellectualism, love and lifestyle. My future plans...well, I think for right now I have built the core of my com-pany, but I am looking forward to build upon the foundation that I laid. There are so many facets to JAOM, such as Life Masters Now Success Coach-ing, Masters Now Wealth Man-agement Group, Love Lifestyle Media Group, Women’s Move-ment Radio Network, Women’s Movement Television Network, Editorial M.O.M, Ténaj Creative Nation, and our JAOM Media Academy International.

Plus, there are three to !ve oth-er companies that I will estab-lish as well as charitable orga-nizations in the next two to !ve years. My team is constantly expanding internationally; many educational institutions locally as well as internationally are looking to partner with me for internship and work placement for many of their graduates that have studied in media. I love working with young people and giving them opportunities to get on-hands work experience. I re-member being 21, trying to get work experience. Luckily, I had great job opportunities coming out of school. I had the privilege of working for great compa-nies; many graduates don’t get those opportunities, at least not anymore. So through my JAOM Media Academy International, I have created these opportuni-ties for graduates to tap into, too. We do have limited spots, but as my company grows, so

will the opportunities.

I am so excited about all the new and exciting events upcoming in the new year. So, everyone will have to stay tuned.

IWM What are your personal mottos, what keeps you going daily?

“Live freely, love honestly, give

sincerely.”

Live freely, love honestly, give sincerely. My children keep me going; they are my inspiration. The love that I receive from women all around the world keeps me aspiring to be all I can be. I want to leave an ex-ample for women that you can have it all and do it well. I am a mother…my time has not been my own for six years now. I feel privileged that I have the oppor-tunity to shape these little men into being great. That will be my greatest accomplishment in my entire life. I love my business, but my children are phenom-enal.

IWM What advice would you give to other women who have dreams but are not sure or want to start busi-nesses but are !nding it dif!cult?

Follow your passions. Be true to yourself and do not try to emulate anyone else. You will


be happier when you build a business around your passions and desires. While building my business I unsubscribed even from my mentors and shut my-self out from media (I know it’s funny, I have a media company, but I don’t engage print, radio or TV formats at all). I knew if I were going to take on such a company that I was going to have to make it uniquely me. It doesn’t mean there are not women out there who are do-ing similar things! Trust me, we have all interacted. I will tell you this: The women who do similar things such as me have reached out to me and have embraced me. Also, I will tell the women

“The universe does not like intentional

competitions or copycats.”

reading this that the moment you try to copy or emulate an-other person’s brand, you cut off the stream of divine inspira-tion "owing to you. You always want to keep that door open. The universe does not like in-tentional competitions or copy-cats. I have seen women who try to create brands around someone else’s divine inspira-tion, and it’s never successful because it’s not unique to them. They soon discover there is a lot more work involved in building what they’ve tried to copy and soon give up. Also, I have seen women connive to seek out in-formation from another woman so that they can launch a prod-uct or service before another so they could say they did it !rst. SMH. I laugh, and my advice to women who have experienced this with other women is - Bless them. Tell them thank you for being underneath. Opera-tive word. Underneath...’cause that’s where they’ll stay. Howev-er, I believe everything is every-thing. What’s done has already been done, but you should al-low the universe to give you di-vine inspiration.

IWM What are your takes/views on ‘unity amongst women’ because as a magazine this is what we stand for?

Well, the motto for my Edito-rial M.O.M Magazine is to live to aspire, strive to empower, join to unite. This motto is the same on Moms Movement Ra-dio Show featured on WMRN. I love women, and I think it is time for us to destroy this de-cisive spirit of competitiveness and become collaborative. Women all over the world need to take this vision and embrace


each other for real, not just say-ing it but living it.

IWM Can you tell us about your re-lationship with other women in your life - business partners, girlfriends, sisters, mother, grandmother?

I am blessed to have excep-tional relationships with wom-en. Some of my friendships are over 20+ years. In my opinion, it’s pretty impressive to have friendships of almost 25 years and being only 32 years old. My grandparents have all evolved on. My mother is great. She in-spires me with the strength she displays daily.

IWM Have these relationships above positively impacted you at all?

These women give me strength. I see how they continually take each day at a time. I love the fact they come to me with sto-ries that constantly ask me for help.

All of these relationships have been positive, even with any negative aspects that have arisen.

IWM What are the most rewarding thing you have done for other wom-en?

I don’t really like talking about things I have done for women. I feel if you give from the heart, that’s all that matters. I don’t need to talk about it. It’s not just about giving tangible things...

more importantly, it’s about giv-ing of oneself. If you ask my friends or the people in my life that are closest to me, they know me and they know what I have done for them and how I have been there for them.

IWM What has been the best piece of advice you have been given?

Be myself. It’s actually what has helped enhance my brand. It’s what has made I am...Janét an award-winning blog.

IWM Besides your daily work, what else are you passionate about?

I am passionate about music. Most people don’t know is that I am a classically trained singer. I have been singing for most of my life. However, I know what my lane is. I am doing exactly what I was called to do, and I can see that more clearly now than ever before.

IWM What question should I have asked, that I didn’t? (This is your op-portunity to answer the question no one ever asks!)

The question I would love loved for you to ask is, what is my goal on how large I want to take this movement? I love to see JAOM 200M strong. That is my goal: to empower women all over the world by partnering with other women. Who have powerful movements that really want a platform that they can propel themselves from.


Better Yourself

ATTRACTING ABUNDANCE

b y a n d r i e k a j . a u s t i n

Life is full of abundance. If you look closely, you too will agree. From the unlimited amount of breaths we’re able to take each day to the amazing grace and provision of food, clothes, safe-ty, and security that is evident in our lives. To live in abundance means that we have access to a very large quantity (plenty) of something. Wealth and over-"ow also describe having more than what is needed in our lives. Abundance starts in the mind. It is a mindset, and there are ways of attracting it to you. Attracting abundance to your life means knowing when you have more than enough of what is needed. When you operate in an abundant lifestyle, you are then able to give more to oth-ers around you. Take security in knowing that you are well tak-en care of and are now able to share in this joy with those you love. Sharing in knowledge, re-sources, and understanding is all living abundantly blessed. Deciding that you can now give to others out of what you have too much of is the sharing of re-sources. We must appreciate who we are in our abundance as wom-en, mothers, sisters, daugh-ters, wives, aunts, cousins, and friends. We are the embodiment of abundance. Our wombs pro-duce the abundance of life. With so much going on around us, we tend to not to focus on

things like this. We often miss our chance of embracing the abundance and over"ow that is called life. Stop, look, and lis-ten to what you have achieved in the last 365 days alone and decide to be thankful. We can use the following tips and tidbits of helpful informa-tion to show how thankful we are for what we have while liv-ing in the abundance and over-"ow of life:

1. Keep a journal of things that you are grateful for.

Try to list at least !ve things (no matter how small) that bring you the most joy.

2. Re!ect back on this exact date one year ago.

Take note on what you had (or didn’t have) and how today is different for you. Try to focus on the good.

3. Take a look around you. Realize that there could be someone close to you who struggles with something


Andrieka J. Austin is founder/facilitator of Journey Girl, LLC (www.JourneyGirl.

org), which offers personal and professional develop-

ment workshops for girls and women and specializes in

female self-emPOWERment training and programming.

She serves as a consultant to girl- and women-based groups

and organizations on topics such as healthy communica-

tion, self-esteem, positive rela-tionships, leadership develop-

ment, healthy relationships and more. She trains women

business leaders on leveraging outreach methods to introduce

brand awareness to the mar-ketplace as a budding social enterprise. Connect with her online at facebook.com/jour-

neygirlatlanta and on twitter: @journeygirlatl

far worse than you could ever imagine. Pay attention to how she is dealing with the pain, and realize how good you’ve got it.

4. Remember to stop and say, “Thank you.”

Take the time to re"ect on the things that you have ac-complished (realize that you did not do it on your own). Give thanks. Show grati-tude.

5. Make a commitment to show your thankful-ness by having an atti-tude of gratitude.

A smile, a hug, or some small display of affection is a re-"ection of an abundance of love, joy and peace. Some-one would be grateful to re-ceive this.

I love the Bible story that quotes “…for there is a sound of abun-dance of rain.” (1st Kings 18:41). It shows that when we ask, re-ceive, and share, an abundance of anything is within our reach. No matter what life brings, we are abundantly blessed. Wouldn’t you agree? Let’s seek new ar-eas of abundance in our lives. Whether it’s physical things or feelings, we can always enjoy an abundance of that one thing. We can also learn to share and give once we have more than what we could possibly use by telling and sharing with others. Now, let’s relax and allow the abundance to "ow in each area of our lives.


We understand how tough and time- consuming it can be to look for a

professional, quali!ed coach so our team here at Inspirational Woman

Magazine have done the work for you. Feel free to get in touch with any of them—they would love to help and

support you.

CARMEN WYLD Life Coach and Counsellor - Aus-tralia

Carmen is a professional coun-sellor and life coach. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Counsel-ling and Psychology, a Masters in Education and a Diploma of Professional Counselling. Car-men has been helping people improve their lives for over 20 years through different modali-ties including Reiki, meditation, counselling, life coaching, pub-lic speaking and workshops. Her unique style is authentic, refreshing and uplifting which inspires others to explore their inner workings through the inte-gration of counselling theories and life coaching techniques with ancient spiritual truths.

As a dedicated lifelong learner, Carmen believes that all per-sonal development begins with seeking knowledge of self. Sup-port for your inner journey may be cognitive and behavioural therapy, person-centred ther-apy, the life coaching GROW model, guidance in exploring core beliefs and thought pat-terns, journalling, meditation, assistance to realise energy patterns, spiritual principles and meditation. After your unique consultation you will have clar-ity in life’s issues and feel in-spired and motivated to make

A!COACH FOR!YOU

Better Yourselfdynamic changes that will suc-cessfully change your life.

Carmen is excited to support people in living their most au-thentic and ful!lled life and cre-ating a life they love! As author of the book “Heal the Planet from Within” she is passionate to assist people to improve their lives because, she believes, this has a higher purpose of healing the planet.

Referred to as a dynamo by her friends, she is dedicated to her own personal and professional development. She is a lifetime student of the healing arts in-cluding spiritual healing, chi gong, meditation, yoga, af!r-mations and visualisation. She was born in Ontario, Canada and now resides in Queensland, Australia.

Feel inspired to book Carmen for a coaching session either in person on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia or online via Skype carmen.wyld, Phone: 0439 673 854 or www.carmen-wyld.com. Also, follow on Twit-ter @carmenwyld or her Face-book page: Heal the Planet from Within or read her blog www.improveyourlifewithpassion.blogspot.com.au.

“Realise your inner awesome-ness, get excited about life and radiate your brilliance into the world!”

Phone: 0439 673 854Web: www.improveyourlifewithpassion.blogspot.com.au.Twitter: @carmenwyld


LORRAINE FERNANDES Trainer & Coach - UK

Lorraine is an International Sales and Business Growth Trainer & Coach for Women Business Owners, with over 15 years experience of help-ing businesses accelerate their sales. She is the Founder of The Fernandes Group which is rec-ognized by many as offering the most comprehensive support to Women in Business in un-covering hidden pro!ts, remov-ing barriers to growth and help-ing women more than double their sales and pro!ts. Prior to owning The Fernandes Group Lorraine served an Interna-tional recruitment organisation where she generated £750,000 worth of sales within 4 months which was over a 600% growth in sales where she then trained sales managers and their teams excel in business development.

Lorraine’s professional Train-ing as a Neuro-Linguistic Pro-gramming practitioner, Certi!ed Life Coach and Dale Carnegie Sales Advantage Graduate en-able Women Business Owners to step into their own personal power to produce sustainable growth - which often results in double digit increases in sales and pro!ts, along with more free time to enjoy life to the full.

Lorraine’s purpose is to help women business leaders unlock their abundance and achieve a deepened level of personal ful-!lment. She is passionate about serving women business own-ers who are committed to cre-ating value and making a differ-ence in people’s lives. Lorraine’s profound experience with the power of Universal Law which rapidly created quantum leaps in both business and person-al arenas are what she shares with her clients and by blending Universal Principles with Stra-tegic Business Building Tools her clients are able to create a business that thrives.

Lorraine now leads seminars, workshops, virtual events, re-treats and speaks all over the world, supporting Women in Business. Lorraine has an Inner Ring of private coaching clients as well as a membership pro-gram offering world class train-ing and mentoring speci!cally tailored to assist you in building your wealth in business while maintaining your "ow. Lorraine empowers you with over 15 powerful proven strategies for making a sustainable and en-joyable pro!t in your business, whatever stage you are at.

Lorraine lives by Exmouth Beach in Devon with her won-derful husband and 2 boys who are under 5 years old, she en-joys a balanced life and calls her work her play.

Access Free Pro!t Accelerator Blueprint here:www.lorrainefernandes.com

Web: www.lorrainefernandes.comEmai: info@ lorrainefernandes.comTwitter: @enlightenedexp


LUZ GARCIA-PENNOCK Personal and Business Development Coach - USA

Body, Mind and Spirit Wink at Life Purpose and Labor of Love

I specialize in working with you to identify your life (body, mind and spirit) and career situation, dig, and chisel to create your next chapters. You own and call your passions, strengths and expertise to bring clarity, carve and we work to strategize your career to create a passion-ate and abundant labor of love. We also work to align you body, mind and spirit practices as it is foundational to a happy life and successful career. To do

SARAH LOCHEAD-MACMILLANBusiness and Finance Coach - New Zealand Sarah is an accredited Business mentor and banking !nance expert who uses her years of experience and training knowl-edge to bring dynamic and last-

so brings a total synergy in life and career. I am here to support you to chisel and carve away to cre-ate your voyage. Lace, polka dots and ribbons are whimsical to me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and my wit on my heart. I am passionate and have a huge amount of conviction about what I am to do in this earth during my journey here.

Each of us get to chisel away to carve our stories; no mat-ter what circumstances life has given us out of our control or to reinvent from ones in our con-trol.

Pura Vida!

Life & Career Strategist, MBA and Bachelor in Nutritional Science - Etiwanda, CA in Southern, CA Unit-ed States

Phone: (909) 547-7674 (posh)Web: www.lovelygalposh.comEmail: [email protected]

ing pro!table growth to busi-nesses around the world. Her ability to increase pro!t through improved systems, processes and goal setting is well known throughout New Zealand. Sarah mentors her clients and teaches them the skills to con-tinue to make business success for themselves and achieve their goals. She delivers agreed action plans and helps each cli-ent keep on track to achieving heir goals. Sarah is keenly interested in the growth of all businesses


TAMMY FUREY Parent Coach - Switzerland

Are you a parent who is expe-riencing stress, anxiety and challenges, but who wants a peaceful, rewarding, loving re-lationship with your child/ren that feels good? Being a par-ent is so much different to what we thought it would be, isn’t it? There can be wonderful days, when you and your child are totally in synch. Then there are the bad days: when they don’t seem to listen; when the frus-tration builds up; when nothing ever seems to work and when, quite frankly, you are exhaust-ed.

The !rst piece of news is that there will always be good days and bad days. BUT the good news is that, even if it is a bad

and helping them contribute to the communities they trade in through increased employment opportunities and stable busi-ness practices. She has spe-cialist knowledge in business survival, developing the unique “Rescue me” package along-side her colleague Karen Woller. She has enormous talent in business networking, speaking and coaching on the subject. After publishing her book “The Naked networker” in 2009, this

method has now been brought to businesses in several formats so they can learn and enjoy sustainable revenue producing networks for themselves. Sar-ah is also the chair of her local business association, taking a leadership role in the develop-ment and success of her local business and tourism commu-nity and economy.

Web: www.waypointca.co.nzTwitter: @WaypointCA

day, you will be able to shrug your shoulders and still feel calm and centred.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to reach a place, as a parent, when that extra special mess your child has left you (soil from the potted plants; teeny tiny scraps from the latest art project; a ginger bread trail of crumbs; or a to-tally trashed bedroom) no lon-ger phases you at all? Wouldn’t that level of calm totally trans-form your life? If this sounds like you, get in touch at [email protected] so we can set up a Skype call. Read free parenting articles and !nd out more about the work I do at: www.fureycoaching.com

Web: www.fureycoaching.comEmail: [email protected]: @fureycoaching


WOMEN OF!WORTH

Meet Sandra, a Woman of Worth (WOW) who has great passion for inspiring and encourag-ing women to have a heart to please God. Together with her husband, Pastor John, founder of Redemption Song Ministries in London, UK, Sandra enjoys serving fellow Christian women and reaching the unreached with the love of Jesus Christ.

She desires to provide all wom-en not only with a place to !nd practical information, tips, and help but, most importantly, to be able to apply the wisdom of God into a variety of issues they face every day.

“I am here to give tips to help women learn how to channel their God-given gifts toward positive

Better Yourself

and lasting life changes. I will be happy to share with you on any topic and will address any ques-tions you may have wanted bibli-cal answers to according to the infallible word of God but never got the opportunity to ask.”

“Our Women of Worth (WOW) motto is ‘To edify one another in order to stay true to our name and calling.’ Anything of Worth, precious, honourable, valuable and that WOWs its audience is always well protected and trea-sured, and that is who we should be as women.”

I look forward to receiving your questions.

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN OF WORTH [email protected]


Fashion: profile

N’KYA DESIGNS

For this issue I had the opportu-nity to interview N’kya Designs, a fashion house that takes its ability to mix and match colours to a whole new level. The colours and designs are stunning, vivid, and almost surreal. I hear you ask, “How?” It’s because N’kya Designs specializes in merging traditional African prints with modern hot couture designs. N’kya Designs prides itself on being able to create pieces that are unexpected and exciting. In interviewing the designer, I learn the designer’s view of the company’s hard work as well as the hopeful pursuit of creating such brilliance.

b y h e a t h e r n o m i t s h u m a

Heather N Tshuma Tell me a little about N’kya Designs. Where are you from, and where are you based?

N’kya Designs N’kya Designs is a label for the young and young at heart. We specialise in merg-ing two cultures to create an explosion of unique style and colour. N’kya combines the co-lourful and self-expressive ap-proach to life of the people in West Africa with the contem-porary forms of the western world, thus creating a very ex-pressive style that simultane-ously embodies the bravery of being yourself and the values


“People tend to think it’s all about glitz and glamour! Haha, we do get that in this industry,

but more importantly it’s a lot of hard work and dedication.”

of tradition. N’kya was founded and launched in London, UK in 2009 and relocated to Accra, Ghana where the label is cur-rently based.

HNT Where do you get your de-sign inspiration to create these unique pieces?

N’kya Designs I am inspired by everything around me. Having been brought up in both Lon-don and Accra, there’s not an end to the sources of inspira-tion, be it the people, the plac-es, the food, etc.

HNT Are there any designers that you would compare yourself to or that you admire?

N’kya Designs I wouldn’t say I com-pare myself to any designer, as we all have very different ways of interpreting our inspiration. I do have designers I admire from both international and national locations. Mai Atafo of Nigeria is definitely on that list and so is Roland Mouret for his feminine cuts.

HNT What are your favourite pat-terns [prints] to work with and why?

N’kya Designs I use a lot of the wax print that was first introduced to the market decades ago. These prints tend to be named and are produced in a wide array of colours. I used one print named “Akyekyedieakye” (The back of a tortoise) in my most recent col-lection. The name just fit in well with the inspiration for my col-lection, which was the strength of a woman...so I guess we can say a woman’s strength is in-tense as a tortoise’s shell!

HNT What is the most difficult aspect of running your own la-bel, for example, design, pro-duction, sales, finance, and ad-vertising?

N’kya Designs I have always had a full-time job alongside running the N’kya label. With my recent relocation to Ghana, I am work-ing full time on the family busi-ness. It’s not been easy running N’kya alongside a full-time job, but because of my passion for what I do and how much I en-joy bringing ideas to life, I have been able to maintain progress with the label. Having a team of people to help in different as-pects of running the business has been very helpful.


Heather Nomi Tshuma Heather’s spiritual and

compassionate personality drives her to a sense of

responsibility towards the world and making it a better

place. She created with the help of others, the Feeling

Human Association in Greece (co-founded with friend Yvonne

Bosnjak). Originally from Athens Greece, she now lives in the UK where she’s working on various projects but also laying

the groundwork for Feeling Human’s UK début. When

she’s not running around she

passion for photography, expressing her own creativity

through her lens.

HNT What do you wish people would understand about work-ing in the fashion industry?

N’kya Designs People tend to think it’s all about glitz and glamour! Haha, we do get that in this in-dustry, but more importantly it’s a lot of hard work and dedica-tion. You need to be one step ahead of others in this industry, so I do wish people would take it easy on emerging designers if their collections are not as well put together as the established designers. As a self-taught de-signer, I know the struggles of having to make things up as you go along.

HNT Do you try to send out a mes-sage or theme in your clothes?

N’kya Designs My collections in the past have always had a theme; I am not so sure they have told as much of a story in comparison to my new collection, “OBAA”. This means “Woman” in the lo-cal dialect, Twi, and the inspi-ration behind it is the strength of a woman and how that has changed over the decades. The collection is all about confi-dence in all aspects of life.

HNT How are your clothes dif-ferent from the other designers and do you design for all body sizes such as petite and plus size?

N’kya Designs I have always be-lieved all designers have their own unique way of interpret-ing their inspiration, so they all produce pieces synonymous to their label. N’kya usually focus-es on chic casual pieces, and all our pieces don’t just exude quality but sassiness, sexiness and style!

HNT Where do you see yourself in the future?

N’kya Designs Ohhhh, I am always lost as to what to say to this question! :-D....I believe N’kya has a lot of potential, so let’s wait and see what happens!

N’kya Designs currently do all their orders via email, and or-ders are posted out worldwide. Their website will be back up and running in the next couple of months, and they hope to have retail space in Accra very soon.

Facebook: N’kya DesignsTwitter: @nkyadesignsBlog: www.nkyadesigns.blogspot.comEmail: [email protected]


Fashion: photos


APPRECIATE YOURSELF

b y d i o n i s s i a k o n s t a n t i -n o u

It is very important to appreci-ate who you are. Appreciate your achievements as a wom-an and start reminding yourself how beautiful a lady you are. You can do this by writing notes posted in places you can’t avoid seeing several times each day, such as your workplace, fridge and mirrors. Or put a bracelet on your wrist!!!

When you don’t feel abundant or good about yourself in your everyday appearance, it means, in beauty words, that you are simply not in order. Have your personal beauty case in order, clean your sponges, makeup tools and brushes, and throw away all the expired cosmet-ics that you have had for ages in your case and can seriously damage your health! With some cotton and a cleansing solution, clean your eyeshadow palettes. Organize the stuff that you use for your everyday makeup rou-

Fashion: make-up

tine. That will save you time and will make the daily process eas-ier and more fun.

Believe in yourself and treat your body and face with ten-derness and kindness. Avoid some of the following beauty mistakes that age you. Makeup is an effective tool, but, used incorrectly, it can back!re in an unpleasant way. Learn to ap-ply makeup in order to enhance your most beautiful features and avoid mistakes that can age you.

Choosing the right foundation is a tricky business, as a wrong one can destroy your appear-ance and make you look old-er. Beware of both the texture and the color. Look for a "aw-less natural and invisible !nish foundation. Wearing too dark of a foundation will age you. Test it on your jawline and neck


and never on the back on your hand. Pick the color that blends impeccably. Make sure that texture suits your skin type per-fectly, otherwise you’ll empha-size lines and you’ll end up with the “mask effect” look!!!!

Blemishes, pimples, and under-eye dark circles are the main skin issues that can make you feel uncomfortable. Concealer can be the most trustworthy so-lution when in you are in need of covering skin imperfections. Caked on concealer might be-come your worst nightmare, as it can age you especially if you apply in large quantities in the eye area. Choose a light texture and apply it using a !ne brush. Then blend it with your !nger.

Do not underestimate the role of the blush in your !nal makeup result. A well-chosen blush ap-plied correctly on your cheeks instantly brightens up your skin and gives a lifting effect to the face.

Do not use too big a brush and do not go too low and too close to the jawline when applying blush. This can lead to droopy-looking skin and to an aging ef-fect. Put blush onto the apples of your cheekbones, using col-ors that suit and "atter your skin tone. Be thrifty with the product.

Powder is used to set the make-up, to matify and to reduce shine. Don’t over-exaggerate


with the product; otherwise you will have dry-looking skin, and it will accentuate !ne lines. Ap-ply wisely with moderation on the nose and chin, where the skin has a tendency to get oily. If your skin is dry, don’t use too much powder, as it will age you by emphasizing wrinkles. Final-ly, avoid the product under the eyes, around the mouth, and on expression lines and hairy areas on your face.

For me, the most serious mis-take that can dramatically age women is over plucking eye-brows. Besides adding years, it can also cause damage to the roots of the brows, and some strands may never grow back. Find a "attering eyebrow shape for your face to frame your eyes. If you want to keep a youthful appearance, stay away from too-thin brows!!!

Avoid dark lipstick shades, as they make you look older than

Dionissia Konstantinou is passionate about fashion make

up. She was born and lives in Athens, Greece. She studied

Biomedical Sciences in the UK and joined the Medical School of Athens. In 2010, she gradu-

ated from a make-up school and has since worked as a

professional make up artist. Dionissia participates in many

fashion shows in Greece and works with many fashion pho-

tographers. Email her at dioni-[email protected]

www.facebook.com/ Dionissia Konstantinou.

Credits:Photography and Retouching:

Mallil Kapoyannis http://mallilkapoyannis.com

Model: Isabella Stratigakis

Makeup Artist - Hair Styling: Dionissia Konstantinou

you are. Try for softer hues, such as light pink, beige, and natural browns, that will create the il-lusion of fuller lips. The lighter hues capture the light and give the essence of bigger volume and plump the lips out, giving a younger appearance.

Every woman wants to look feminine and sophisticated and makeup seems to be the help-ing hand to achieve it!

So take into consideration these useful tips and tricks that will help you obtain a youthful look and appreciate the abun-dance your makeup provides! If you feel abundant, spread the word in the manner of sharing and giving away what you got!!!!


WHAT ABOUT!YOUR

CLOSET’S ABUNDANCE?

b y v a s i a k o n t

My dear ladies,

It’s time to confess a big truth. We all do have plenty of clothes in our closets. Clothes that we bought and are still on the hangers because we have nev-er worn them. Most of them are the dresses or skirts or blous-es, etc. that we fell in love with in the store. But what happens when we get back home? We say, “Why did I buy that?” or “Leave it in the closet because I might need it someday.” Trust me, that day will never come.

Every season (autumn-winter/spring-summer), take a look at what clothes you already have and whether you want/need them. First of all, focus on what you feel confortable in and keep it. There is no reason to !ll your closet with garments that you don’t feel confortable in or don’t suit you any more.

So you are in front of your clos-et and you are starting...keep it, leave it, keep it, leave it - and on and on. I am quite sure that in the end most of you will have a number of ‘’I don’t want them’’ clothes. And here comes the good part. Do something good for others. There are so many people who don’t have the ability to buy anything, such as those who are homeless. All

The big key is to buy clothes that match what you already have ... that match your

own style

Fashion: style

these clothes that are ‘’useless’’ to you are so useful to them. So why don’t you donate them? It will free your closet and !ll your heart with kindness and love.

Let’s get back to your clos-et. Now it’s time to focus on what you need. Maybe you lost weight and you need some new clothes (we are more than hap-py for you, so go girl!). Maybe you want to feel brand new and you’re starting from your look. There are so many reasons for a woman to buy new clothes. That beautiful dress that you couldn’t afford and you !nally can or the shirt that is a great match with your pencil skirt - whatever you want. Focus on what you really need, buy clothes that are useful for your daily schedule, and stop think-ing, “This one will be perfect if I decide to go to that place...or if I have to go to a wedding...or if I will be able to buy that thing I saw the other day and it would match so well...!” When that time comes, you’ll buy some-thing else because you have nothing (as you believe) to wear.

The big key is to buy clothes that match what you already have or, I better say, clothes that match your own style and


!t perfectly to your body. If you take that point of view, you’ll be able to save money from not buying the useless pieces but rather spending it on the use-ful ones. It’s really nice to have a closet full of clothes, but isn’t it much better to have a closet full of clothes that you are really wearing?

For a great look there is no need for expensive clothes. Most of us believe that we are in fashion or we have the ultimate style if our whole look is full of expen-sive clothes. Wrong... A totally


Vasia Kont was born in Piraeus in 1989. Vasia’s love

for fashion began at a very early age and then it became

a life dream. Her passion and creativity for clothing

led her to study Costume & Fashion Design and

Styling. At the age of 19, she

at Athens Fashion Week. She is currently working as

a designer and a freelance stylist. She gets inspired by

uncommon beauty.She wants women to feel unique and

beautiful in her clothes.Her motto is “Feel different for

being different.”

A totally expensive look can be more “cheap’’ than a really cheap

garment.

expensive look can be more ‘’cheap’’ than a really cheap garment. You have to mix and match the cheap with the ex-pensive. There you have the style and the perfect look. Then add some accessories and you’ll be gorgeous.

At the end of the day you’ll have done something really nice by donating, you’ll have freed your closet from all the unnecessary stuff, and maybe you’ll have something new. But don’t forget to be thankful for what you al-ready have. For having a home to sleep in and be protected, for food in your fridge so you’re not starving, for a job that pays for all these things, for clothes that help keep you warm in the cold weather, for a family and friends who love you and sup-port you. Don’t forget that there are so many people out there who have none of these things, yet they are thankful for having a life even if it’s not the way they want it to be.

I wish you to have abundance in every single part of your life.


Finance

ABUNDANCE # A!JOURNEY

THROUGH HISTORY

b y a n n e t t b l e c h s t e i n

“Abundance is about being rich, with or without money” - Suze Orman

I like this quote from Suze, who is a very famous !nance expert in the USA and has her own TV show, The Suze Orman Show. She tries to sum up what abun-dance means. We often associ-ate abundance with having lots of money. But we also see and know people who have lots of money but are not happy, are depressed, are not generous and are outright mean.

Lao Tzu, who was a philoso-pher in ancient China, already knew this:

“Chase after money and secu-rity and your heart will never un-clench.

Care about other people’s ap-proval and you will be their pris-oner.

Do your work, then step back.The only path to serenity.”

But how can we achieve being rich without having lots of mon-ey or chasing after it?The late Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, added a new dimension to this question:

“But if you can create an honor-able livelihood, where you take your skills and use them and you earn a living from it, it gives you a sense of freedom and allows you to balance your life the way you want.”

Abundance is the freedom to balance your life the way you feel is right for you. But often we struggle with the guilt of having abundance. We might feel that we do not deserve it, because we have not earned or worked hard enough to have abundance.

“No one can make you feel in-ferior without your consent.” El-eanor Roosevelt, the wife of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, spoke these words some 70 years ago, when a woman was still considered a man’s possession.

Empowerment is the key word. Feeling empowered around your life and around your !-nances. It is important to feel abundant when you spend, to eliminate any feeling of fear and lack about spending. Remem-ber that feelings of fear attract more things to be fearful about. So treat money with respect: Don’t throw it around or abuse it, but do not give it too much meaning either.

“The day, water, sun, moon, night - I do not have to purchase these things with money.”

This very basic observation comes from Titus Maccius Plautus, commonly known as “Plautus,” who was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin pe-riod, circa 200 B.C.


Annett Blechstein is a Financial coach and the

founder of abcoaching. She combines her passion of coaching with her long

-

seminars targeted towards women (however, men are also welcome). The semi-

nars serve to demystify the -

er women to make their own

www.abcoachinghk.com

What do you spend your money on? Take stock of your current !nancial situation by making a list of what you own (your as-sets) and what debts (liabilities) you have. Assets are things that give you income; liabilities are things that cost you money.

Your total assets should be more than your total liabilities. I personally think you should not have more than 30 percent in li-abilities. Do not be not lured by very low interest rates. Eventu-ally they will go up again. And then, will you have enough in-come to pay the higher install-ments or even to repay the loan?

By now you know my opinion about credit card debt: No, no, no. Things you buy with credit card debt cost you an average of 113 percent more than you paid for them!

Please also remember to de-cline requests for money from friends and family. Don’t give cash; rather buy them what they need: a new fridge, a car, schoolbooks.

Next step: Look at your income and your expenses. You should earn more than you spend and save at least ten percent of your income. It is advisable to have enough savings to cover between 6 to 18 months of ex-penses. This is a precaution for an emergency. You don’t want to uproot your family and take your children out of school if you have a serious accident or you lose your job. And some-times the insurance does not pay immediately.

On the next page I have put to-gether two spreadsheets: one to assess your basic net worth and another for your annual budget. Please complete them and see where your personal !-nances stand.

Do you have enough? Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fa-thers of the United States, said, “Who is rich? Someone who re-alises that he has enough.”

Therefore, please take time out and re"ect on the words of Mar-ian Wright Edelman, American activist for the rights of children:

“So often we are depressed by what remains to be done and forget to be thankful for all that has been done.”

Have gratitude for what you have and you will open your personal door to abundance.


Personal Net Worth Assets Current ValueShort-‐term reserves Cheque account

SavingsShares in stocksBondsPension fundsUnit trusts

Other reserves Life insuranceMoney lent to friends

Property HomeHoliday homeRental property

Investments Business partnershipCarHome furnishingsArt, antiquesCollectionsJewellery

Total Assets $Liabilities

Credit card balancesMortgages on home, rental homeCar loansStudent loansLoans for furniture, household itemsLife insurance policy loansMoney borrowed from family/friendsPersonal guarantee for a friend/family memberOutstanding taxes that you need to payBusiness loanOthers

Total Liabilities $

Total Net Worth (Total Assets minus Total Liabilities) $


Annual BudgetIncome Amount

Wages, salaryCommission, bonusDividends, interestPensionsInsurance paymentsRental incomeOther sources

Total Income $ExpensesHousing related Mortgage /rent payments

Rates, insurance, power, water, garbage collection, etcFood

Children Tuition and childcareTransportation Car payments, insurance, repairs, registration, petrolHealth Medical care/health insurance payments

Clothing/personal itemsCredit card billsIncome tax paymentsOther insurance

Entertainment Movies, music, ice creamGifts and donationsGym membership/beauty treatments

Others Animals/vet costs, Books/magazines/gamblingHolidays/vacations

Total Expenses $Available Income(Total Income minus Total Expenses) $

Dear friends,

Almost all books about “steps to financial freedom” tell you about the dangers of credit card debt. Credit cards are easy to use. Credit card companies love to make life easy for us, because they know that in daily life we will forget and only repay the minimum. And then they charge us a huge amount of interest: 20 percent per year and more.

Are you in a credit card debt trap? Do you want to get out?I can help you.The first person that contacts Lisa will receive a free consultation with me. I am licensed by the SFC in Hong Kong, and everything that we discuss stays private and confidential.

I encourage you to take up this opportunity.

[email protected]


LIVING $RGE

BY GIVING $RGE

b y e l c h o s t e w a r t

Most of us are in"uenced by the lifestyle of the rich and famous. We crave their brand- name shoes, purses, suits, body size, hair and dress styles, their nail and their lip colour. But, like anything based on lifestyle, we are left wanting more. One of the meaningful ways to join the ranks of the rich and famous is to imitate Melinda and Bill Gates’ pledge to give. Along with Warren Buffet they have pledged to give more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes during or after their lifetimes and they have already convinced an im-pressive ‘A’ list of millionaires and billionaires to agree to do the same. Wouldn’t you like to be that generous?

Of course I can hear the guf-faws because mere mortals do not have the millions or billions of the Gates’, Buffets and their recent recruits, Charles Bron-fman, Peter Lewis, and Dan and Jennifer Gilbert. Not having lots of money has never stopped us from trying to imitate their life-style in our own way so surely we can give based on our budget. And some of us share what we have in smaller, less publicized,

Finance: common cent$

ways by giving to the Salvation Army bell ringer at Christmas-time, tithing at our respective place of worship, running for the cure, or hosting a charity bake sale. But how can ordinary folks get the deep sense of sat-isfaction of giving large sums of money that can make a real dif-ference to their favourite char-ity? How can we build a wing at our favourite hospital, erect a badly needed community cen-tre, provide a shelter for bat-tered women, contribute large sums to research in childhood disease, Sickle Cell disease, or Cancer research? The answer is simple: by taking advantage of the only two certainties: death and taxes.

Charitable Gifting is the practice of giving large sums of money to registered charities either in kind – donating an asset (par-ticularly when its market value has grown signi!cantly higher than the purchase price), or by using the proceeds of a life in-surance policy. A trust is set up to reduce the donor’s taxes im-mediately allowing the donor to “leverage” the donation. When life insurance is used the value of the policy is inherited by the


Elcho Stewart holds a de-gree in Commerce from Con-

cordia University, Canada. In 1988 she started her career as a Financial Security Advisor

with a major Canadian life insurance company. She be-

came an Independent Broker in 1995 and is the managing partner at Weblife Financial. She is licensed to sell invest-

ment products as well as life,

for some of Canada’s most

for several publications in Canada and is the Founder

and President of the Network of Black Business and Profes-

sional Women.

Charity of Choice and is usually much greater than the amount that was donated in the !rst place because total insurance premiums paid is far less than the death bene!t. Most chari-ties are set up to receive such “gifts” and it is a wonder that more of us do not take advan-tage of the opportunity to make our giving count. Whichever of the two routes (or variations of them that) you choose to go with, you will need the service of your tax accountant and your !nancial security advisor to as-sist you.

What the Gates’ and Buffets have demonstrated is that living large includes living generously. What we will learn as we inves-tigate charitable gifting is that in giving we gain abundantly.

“...living large includes living generously.”

http://graceo

ris.com

grace@grac

eoris.com


Real Life Stories

APPRECIATING THE

ABUNDANCEb y a n g e l a s c h a e f e r s

This past year has been !lled with challenges, changes and realizations. All of them, of course, I had not expected. Perhaps like me, you do not ex-pect these things that are really part of life happening, but not what we are prepared for. Some of the past year has included exciting, happy things and ex-periences and some have been sad, unsettling and dif!cult to accept. When I look back at my life, I realize that this really is how life works - ups and downs and a regular ebbing and "ow-ing of good and not so good.

What I learned this past year is 1) to accept that things change, sometimes more often then I like and 2) that I can get through the ups and downs much easi-er when I am grounded in grati-tude. I have intentionally trained myself to be thankful in the moment, not just for a circum-stance or a person and not in an overall sense. I have learned to be thankful for what I have, literally right now, in front of me.

Discovering all the things I have to be thankful for in this mo-ment was powerful! It showed me the abundance in my life. It taught me that even though there are things I want, need or

hope for, I am still living a life of abundance. It taught me that despite the challenges, espe-cially the ones that are the most painful and out of my control, I have plenty to be grateful for, which equals abundance.

I have often told others, and re-minded myself, that whatever is happening right now could very well be worse. I know at times we all think whatever we are facing and dealing with could not get any worse. It feels so painful, it feels impossible, it feels hopeless. Maybe it is per-sonal, health, professional or !-nancial issues that are so over-whelming that we feel hopeless, trapped, and worse, unable to move forward. Yet if you think about it, we probably are not homeless, living in a war zone, being enslaved, going without food and water and more. In-deed, whatever we face could be worse on so many levels. Please know I am not dismiss-ing whatever your hardship is; it is simply a truth that has helped me and others to better accept our own challenges...and to be grateful for the abundance (the good things) in our lives.

Compared to many people, I live a life of abundance. The


What would happen if you shifted your focus each day to

the good things and people in your life to be thankful for rather then focusing on the

negative?

more I have realized that abun-dance, the more I have been blessed with good! I believe it is the Law Of Abundance—be-ing grateful for what we have allows for more to come! It was not easy for me to realize the abundance in my life. Partly be-cause I was focused on all the things that were not going right, did not feel good, or left me frustrated and sometimes feel-ing hopeless that things would get better.

Perhaps some things will change and get better so that you do not have to deal with them any-more. But if you cannot do any-thing to change certain things, then what is the harm in being grateful for the good things and people in your life in the mean-time? What would happen if you shifted your focus each day to the good things and people in your life to be thankful for rath-er then focusing on the nega-tive? I have practiced this shift in thinking, and I feel much bet-ter about myself, my life and my circumstances. When I can do something to make things bet-ter, I will take action, and when I cannot do anything about my circumstances (most impor-tantly changing others), I !nd peace in accepting situations and others. I then am free to celebrate the abundance in my life.

To appreciate the abundance in your life:

-ple that make your life better

others

Angela Schaefers holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Orga-

nizational Management and a Master of Arts degree in Coun-

seling. She has previously coun-seled families, couples, children

and individuals. She has pro-vided career coaching. She has trained and worked as a Chap-lain. Angela has three children

and is a Mimi (grandmother) to one. She enjoys outdoor activi-

ties;; such as biking, hiking, kay-aking and the beach, loves tea time and savors a break to the

spa. Visit her website at www.yourstorymatters.net.

your life to those that are suffer-ing more then you

and appreciate them (no one is perfect, but we all have positive attributes)

Start appreciating the abun-dance in your life today! I prac-tice daily by saying “Thank you” every time I pay for some-thing (abundance of provision), each time a friend or colleague makes me smile (abundance of relationships), a new opportu-nity is revealed (abundance of personal/professional success) and more!


MY DREAM%

MY!WISHb y a t i k n u r m a s a n i

I was born in a village called Mangunrejo, far away from the hustle-bustle of the city. It is located in the mountainous area of Potorono and part of the Kajoran District, Magelang City, Central Java province of Indonesia. My family is a sim-ple one !lled with warmth and tolerance. My father and my mother are farm workers. They have a !eld, but it has not been enough to meet our needs, so they must cultivate other peo-ple’s land as well. But even with the limitations endured by my family, it has not made me put off the passion for studying.

When I was in the !fth grade of studying at elementary school, I looked very stupid. I did not know anything; I was not able to count or understand the mate-rial well. Because of little guid-ance, I seldom read and was lazy. Every time I had a task or test, I always got bad marks, even 0’s, and that brought so much shame to myself and to my parents. Moreover, my other friends got good grades. It was very hurtful.

I pushed myself to study hard-er, but the results were not re-ally different. “I must do better, no matter what I should do,” I thought. So I composed a lot of plans to complete my target, to be more diligent and disci-plined. I often came up with practice questions. I got some progress then.

In junior high I had to study hard again; the competition

Atik Nurmasani is a stu-dent from Indonesia. You

may reach her through email at [email protected]

Real Life Stories

was quite tough. It was not my favorite school, but there were many smart friends. I gave up on my !rst exam results, but I hoped I could get good grades, which would make me happy. When my parents were asked to pick up my report, they saw that my exam results were be-yond expectations. I got !rst rank in my class, beating my other friends. Alhamdulillah, I was very happy, and Mum and Dad were too.

Since then, I always try to main-tain that achievement. My par-ents may not be able to give me more money, but they gave me the motivation and the oppor-tunity to achieve a dream. Al-though their opportunities were limited, they don’t want their children to experience the same thing. They would do anything for my happiness. I feel much abundance coming to my life. I love my family.


GIVING BACK

b y n o z i k u b e k a

It has dawned on me that we all come in this world equipped with everything we need to make an impact into our world. Our mission is to dig deep and bring it out, thus to be the best that we were meant to be. Just like an onion we all have lay-ers to us that we peel as we go through life. We lack nothing; we are perfect just as we are. If we can start to sincerely believe this about ourselves, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

Everyday I am beginning to ex-perience this in my own life. The year 2012 has been an eye-opening year for me. I look in the mirror and see a woman who, not so long ago, was not sure of where to start but is now on a mission, driven and ful!lling her purpose. A woman who has decided to throw all caution to the wind, close her ears to any voices that say that I must be careful or I can’t do it. As I take small steps to achieve the dreams that have lay dor-mant inside of me for so long, there seems to be clarity where I am supposed to go and no shortage of support, assistance and favour along my path, just abundance, from inside of me and outside.

I am doing the things I have al-ways yearned to do, such as

“...once you have made a decision to pursue your dreams

with passion and commitment, there is no shortage of

answers and ideas along your way.”

Real Life Stories


Nozi Kubeka is a motivational speaker and

author of two books entitled Tears, Joy and a Cherry on Top and Teenager, Be Wise.

She lives in in Johannesburg, South Africa and can be

contacted at [email protected]

writing books and doing motiva-tional talks in schools, church-es and different organisations. Soon there will be my own cloth-ing label, more books, CDs, a radio programme - who knows - and the question I ask myself is: Why not? What pleasantly surprises me is that once you have made a decision to pur-sue your dreams with passion and commitment, there is no shortage of answers and ideas along your way. As you gain momentum and con!dence in what you do, you become your own well of ideas and answers (that to me is abundance) and you also learn to trust your in-ner voice (or should I call it your inner GPS!). I once heard a say-ing that the world makes a way for someone who knows where she is going. I liked that a lot and never forgot it.

It is important to count our blessings, and for me person-ally, doing this energises me, brings me joy and propels me forward. I look at my family, my dear husband and our three pre-cious children and feel absolute gratitude to God. I am also often humbled and grateful for all my successes big and small and by the wonderful people that support me along the way. I call them givers. Some are there for a very short time but leave a huge impression on me - it may be something they said, did or did not do, and I learned from it. Life is more beautiful and abundant when we give, and

as women we are natural givers and nurturers. We can impact our world and our communi-ties more when we unsel!shly reach out and pull each other up, when we share our gifts, knowledge and talents with one another, but also when we pass these on to our children. In my own life as already mentioned I give back through my writing books, doing inspirational talks to the youth and other groups, and mentoring young women and so forth. We all have a lot to give, and when we do give, we are never depleted but we are replenished and have abun-dance!


Home Cooking

b y a l e x g r z e s z c z u k

...BECAUSE LIFE!IS!FULL

OF!F$VORS!

Hummingbird Cake

WHAT YOU NEED :300g caster sugar3 eggs300ml sun"ower oil270g peeled bananas, mashed1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (plus extra to decorate)300g plain "our1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract100g tinned pineapple, chopped into small pieces100 g shelled pecan nuts (or walnuts), plus extra to decorate (I used an extra 50g)

3 x 20cm cake tins, base lined with greaseproof paper

WHAT TO DO :1. Preheat the oven to 170C.

2. Put the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and

cinnamon in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer) and beat until the in-gredients are well incorporated.

3. Slowly add the "our, bicarbonate of soda, salt and vanilla extract and con-tinue to beat until everything is well mixed.

4. Stir in the pineapple and pecan nuts by hand until evenly dispersed.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a pal-ette knife.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.

7. Leave the cakes to cool in their tins slightly before turning out on to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.


Alex Grzeszczuk began her modeling career in Germany

at the age of 14. She struggled with an eating disorder where food became a guilty pleasure which she didn’t allow herself

to have. Now she is a survi-vor and when not modeling,

Alex loves to cook and try out new recipes. She is laying the groundwork for her Bakergirl Project—her dream bakery of

homemade bread, pastries, cakes, salads and sandwiches.

Cream cheese frosting (makes double regular reci-pe)

WHAT YOU NEED :600g icing sugar, sifted100g unsalted butter (at room tem-perature - makes life a lot easier)250g cream cheese (from the fridge, not room temperature)

WHAT TO DO: 1. Beat the icing sugar and butter to-gether until well mixed.

2. Add the cream cheese and beat un-til incorporated.

3. Continue beating until the frosting is light and "uffy, for at least !ve min-utes. Don’t overbeat as it can become runny.

Assembling the cake:

1. When the cakes are cold, put one on a cake stand (I actually used bak-ing parchment; it helps to clean up the mess) and spread about 1/4 of the ic-ing over it with a palette knife.

2. Place a second cake on top and spoon over another 1/4 of icing over.

3. Top with the !nal cake and spread the remaining icing over the top and sides.

4. Finish with pecan nuts (or walnuts) and a light sprinkling of frosting.

Ad spaces available.FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

http://www.inspirationalwomenconnecting.com/advertising/

OR EMAIL US AT [email protected]

Contributors

Andrieka AustinAndrieka is founder of Journey Girl, a mobile enrichment service for girls and women. She offers life skills and self-emPOWERment training and development services. Visit her on-line atwww.MissJourneyGirl.com and see her company’s work at www.jour-neygirl.org. Find her through social media: facebook.com/journeygirlatl, twitter.com/journeygirlatl, and on Linked-in as the Moderator for the group: ‘Female Self-emPOWER-ment’. Lillian Eyison

Lillian is an ardent gender activist, a bilingual project manager, a travel expert and the CEO of Zoe Interna-tional Travel and Tours with honors in psychology and French from the University of Ghana and Universite de Caen, France. She has to her credit Zoe International, a one-stop travel project in which is embedded an “African corner”. She has partici-pated in several community projects (gender), including UN projects (One Day on Earth). Her dream is to instill in every female child the notion that there is absolutely no limit to their capabilities. You may visit her at www.facebook.com/zoeinternation-altravelandtours.

Julia BernardsJulia has been publishing poetry, es-says and articles for 16 years. Her poetic insights into the world have delighted old and young since she was a little girl. Julia writes as a form of self-expression and an avenue towards truth and clarity. Lately, her most important insights have been about cultivating happiness and peace within herself and in her family. When she is not writing, you can !nd Julia mothering her four children, lov-ing her husband, and trying to bring order to her household. You can reach her at [email protected]

Annett BlechsteinAnnett is a Financial coach and the founder of abcoaching. She com-bines her passion of coaching with her long !nancial experience, in con-ducting !nancial education seminars targeted towards women (however, men are also welcome). The semi-nars serve to demystify the !nancial world and empower women to make their own !nancial decisions. www.abcoachinghk.com.

Oleh Fuatuttaqwiyah El-AdibaOleh is a teacher and writer based in Aceh, Indonesia. You can reach her through email at [email protected]

Alex GrzeszczukAlex began her modeling career in Germany at the age of 14. She struggled with an eating disorder where food became a guilty plea-sure which she didn’t allow herself to have. Now she is a survivor and when not modeling, Alex loves to cook and try out new recipes. She is laying the groundwork for her Bak-ergirl Project—her dream bakery of homemade bread, pastries, cakes, salads and sandwiches.

Vasia KontVasia was born in Piraeus in 1989. Vasia’s love for fashion began at a very early age and then it became a life dream. Her passion and creativity for clothing led her to study Costume & Fashion Design and Styling. At the age of 19, she made her !rst appear-ance at Athens Fashion Week. She is currently working as a designer and a freelance stylist. She gets inspired by uncommon beauty.She wants women to feel unique and beautiful in her clothes.Her motto is “Feel differ-ent for being different.”

Tina YulianiTina lives in Central Java, Indone-sia and is Founder of Rumah Pin-tar Kembar, a company that helps people learn IT skills and English language. She loves teaching and building websites. In 2008, Tina was awarded the Ganesha Prize by her campus, Insitut Teknologi Bandung. Visit her website at www.rumahpintar-kembar.com

Atik Nurmasani Atik is a student from Indonesia. You may reach her through email at [email protected]

Angela SchaefersAngela holds a Bachelor of Arts de-gree in Organizational Management and a Master of Arts degree in Coun-seling. She has previously coun-seled families, couples, children and individuals. She has provided ca-reer coaching. She has trained and worked as a Chaplain. Angela has three children and is a Mimi (grand-mother) to one. She enjoys outdoor activities; such as biking, hiking, kayaking and the beach, loves tea time and savors a break to the spa. Visit her website at www.yourstory-matters.net.

Elcho StewartElcho holds a degree in Commerce from Concordia University, Canada. In 1988 she started her career as a Financial Security Advisor with a ma-jor Canadian life insurance company. She became an Independent Broker in 1995 and is the managing partner at Weblife Financial. She is licensed to sell investment products as well as life, and living-bene!ts insurance for some of Canada’s most major !nancial institutions. Elcho is a !nan-cial columnist for several publications in Canada and is the Founder and President of the Network of Black Business and Professional Women.

Nozi Kubeka Nozi is the CEO of Zon Communica-tions. She is an inspirational writer and motivational speaker. She is an author of two books entitled Tears, Joy and a Cherry on Top and Teen-ager, Be Wise. She has an Honours degree in Social Work from the Uni-versity of Cape Town. She is married to Muzi Kubeka and they have three children. They live in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Dionissia KonstantinouDionissia is passionate about fash-ion make up. She lives in Athens, Greece. She studied Biomedical Sci-ences in the UK and joined the Medi-cal School of Athens. In 2010, she graduated from a make-up school and has since worked as a profes-sional make up artist. Dionissia par-ticipates in many fashion shows in Greece and works with many fashion photographers. Email her at [email protected] or !nd her on www.facebook.com/Dionissia Konstanti-nou.

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