Inspirational Women

Hello, dear Readers! First off, a big welcome to my new subscribers! There’s a whole slew of you – and I’m sure we met on Saturday night at the Heartmind Wisdom Collection 2 book launch! What a fun night that was. Celebrating this amazing collection with my coauthors was one highlight. Watching all 3 of my kids sitting nicely in the crowd was another. When we got home that night, my oldest daughter says to me, “Mommy, I love your job.” Me, too, sweets. Me, too.

Speaking about living an authentic life, delivering a talk that came right from my heart and soul, was invigorating. I think we all have something like that, that does that to us. Something that’s pretty much sewn into our being when we are conceived. When we tap into it, live from it, our soul vibrates at an optimal frequency and things just feel good.

Today I’m shining the spotlight on someone I have known most of my life, but only recently have come to know as an artist. Fatima Sumar is the creator behind Fantabulous Dezigns – a jewelry line with a spiritual twist. If you were at the launch on Saturday, you may have met her as one of our sponsors. She is a great example of someone following her heart and doing what makes her soul sing. I asked her a few questions which she kindly answered for us. Hope you take a few minutes to read her messages about pursuing passions and family traditions.

Well, it looks like it’s back-to-back cousin guest posts! This week, my cousin Danisha is writing from Montreal where she attended further schooling in public relations and philanthropy while working for Big Brothers Big Sisters – an organization close to her heart. Once her schooling was complete, she stayed on in Montreal but soon will relocate to Edmonton where her family lives. The theme of her story is one of my favourites – when work and play equal the same thing.

Please welcome, Danisha!

When you meet someone new for the first time, one of the first questions is “What do you do for a living?”  It’s a standard question that no one ever thinks twice about.  Subsequently, the next question will be “What do you do for fun?”  This is where it gets interesting…because for me, the answer is the same.  I love my job.

Before going any further, I should probably clarify what I do.  I’m the In-School Program Coordinator with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Montreal.  In essence, this means that I get to recruit volunteers to be mentors to at-risk children needing help in academic perseverance and personal development.  It means I get to help others make a difference in the lives of children.  What’s so special about this organization is that I grew up with a Big Sister from the agency, myself. My involvement as a recipient of the services over numerous years (let’s not give away my age) has been so impactful in my life that it can only bring me joy to continue to be part of the process for others.

I love that I can spend a day in a school getting to know a child who is dealing with social issues in their lives and/or doesn’t have an adult to turn to.  I love hearing about a volunteer’s motivation to become a mentor and the environment that has impacted their decision.  A person who volunteers their time, even if it’s as small as one hour per week, is a hero in my eyes.

Going to work every morning is fun.  Sure, it’s not a movie, or salsa dancing, or reading (all of which I’m passionate about as well).  But the feeling I receive is beyond that.  I’m fortunate to work with my colleagues, who are like a family to me. I’m fortunate that I can take my adorable puppy to work everyday and that everyone treats him like a spoiled prince.  I’m fortunate that I’m surrounded by people who want to give their time to making a difference in their community, particularly my colleagues and volunteers.  And I’m especially fortunate to be part of the lives of children who are continuously learning and growing.

Many people have passions.  And all too often, they turn into hobbies because of the demands of other aspects of their lives – work, children, spouses, debts etc.  Not many people can say that they are able to practice what they’re passionate about on a daily basis.  And I’m so grateful that I can.

The last three years of my life in Montreal have been incredible. And now I’m transitioning to a new period in my life…moving back home to be close to family and friends, settling down etc. But one thing that will never change will be my balance between work and play. Continuing to do what I love…makes life so much more enjoyable!

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Danisha Bhaloo combines her experiences and passions as a writer, social services worker and public relations consultant to provide unique objectives and coaching to various individuals, not-for-profit organizations and small businesses.  Based on her passion to help those in need, she focuses on projects that raise money and awareness on various issues including crime prevention, children and youth-at-risk, women’s development, poverty, elder abuse and neglect.

With 10 years of professional experience, Danisha has succesfully implemented mentoring programs for children and youth without positive role models in their lives and has raised over       $500 000.00 through a combination of services including grant writing, fundraising, event planning, media and government support for charitable organizations.

Danisha can be found on her website and on her blog.

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This morning, my cousin Tasneem is joining us from Dushanbe, Tajikistan.  I was really happy that she chose to write about her passion for helping those in need – and the event that rolled this path out before her.  As I read this, I am reminded that acting on our heart-calls is essential to feeding our spirit, and that we should not miss an opportunity to do so…no matter how impossible the situation may seem.  Our actions can have a great effect on others, even those we may never meet.

Please welcome Tasneem!

I never met the man who changed my life forever.  His name was Pulod Davlatnazarov and his death connected the two of us in a way that I could never have imagined.  Since 2007, his spirit lives on in the lives of some little girls in Tajikistan whose parents couldn’t afford life saving surgeries. As for me, Pulod has created the kind of meaning in my life that I had been looking for.  I never thought I could do it on my own – busy with work, marriage and raising a child -but when I continue the work in his honour, I am passionate, energetic and can’t think of doing anything else with my life.  Let me tell you the story of how I met Pulod, a young man from Bartang, Tajikistan –a remote mountainous, beautiful region of the poorest part of the ex-Soviet Union.  Even as I write this, I don’t want to stop but will soon need to take my 4-year old son to the school bus.

Ok I’m back.

It was a summer evening in 2007 and I was putting dishes in the dishwasher after having dinner with my husband in our cozy 1 bedroom apartment in Kitsilano.  My husband, who was glued to the computer screen called me over to have a look at a video of a man being shot by a thief in a liquor store in Hollywood, California.  It was Pulod – he was on the night shift stacking drinks in the warehouse in the back while a thief pulled a gun on the owner at the front cash register.  Pulod came to the front to put some milk in the empty refrigerator and got caught in the middle of a heated argument between the two men.  The thief grabbed Pulod by the hand, pointed the gun to his head and shot him. Pulod fell to the ground and died instantly.  It was all caught on the security camera in the store!

Having spent some time in the region where Pulod comes from and being married to someone from there, I knew his family, who I later heard included a wife, son, parents and extended family, were unable to afford bringing his body back to Tajikistan – a minimum of $10,000 easily. “We have to do something – I don’t know what, but we have to do something,” I told my husband. And so I did…

I wrote to all my family, friends and colleagues and asked them to help in whatever way they could and to spread the word – I attached the video clip to the email.  Over the next couple of months, I watched as my inbox was flooded with emails from people wanting to help.  One anonymous donor sent $500 via online Interac – I didn’t even know that existed. I created an Excel spreadsheet called Pulod’s fund and jotted down every dollar that was donated, in addition to creating a trust fund in his name so that individuals could go deposit the money at the bank if they wished.  In two months, there were more than 40 donors, including a number of Tajiks living in Canada, with donations ranging from $25 to $500. I ended up sending over $6,000 to Pulod’s wife who cried in gratitude when my husband spoke to her (I couldn’t speak the local dialect) and thanked all the donors for their gesture.  She later wrote a thank you note and I sent the translated version to the donors.

Since then, Pulod’s fund (the Excel spreadsheet honoring his name still exists on my computer) has expanded to include 1 adult who needed an eye surgery, 1 little girl who needed double hip replacement to walk and another little girl who needed a life saving heart surgery.  They are all from Tajikistan, where I have been living with my husband and 4-year old son for the past year.  In total, Pulod’s fund has raised a little over $10,000!

This past March, I met Farangis, a 4-year old spunky little who dreams of becoming a dancer when she grows up.  A typical girl, she loves makeup, purses and playing with her friends.  I learned about her 2 years before when a friend of mine from Tajikistan told me about her – the doctors had given up hope of her walking again and said she would be tied to a wheelchair for the rest of her life if she didn’t get a much needed surgery.  I saw pictures of this little girl lying down in her bed all bandaged up from her hip down.  I wrote an email to all the parents and grandparents I knew and with their generosity, sent $1,500 to Farangis’s mother on February 1, 2010. Just over two years later, I had one of the best days of my life – watching Farangis run around with my son, playing near the fountains of Rudaki Park in the center of the town. Her mother told me about the difficult labour she had and how hard it has been to take care of Farangis’s medical needs when they cannot even meet their basic needs.  She thanked me profusely and I told her that it was my responsibility and if she was in a position to help me, she would.  For the next couple of weekends, our kids got together and we spoke about Farangis’s future needs – more surgeries and medicines. A local NGO heard about her and donated some of the proceeds of a recent charity concert featuring local bands.

I hope to meet Pulod’s wife and son one day so I can tell them how many people have been helped because of their husband and father – a great man whose name will live on. His death gave me meaning and I hope to share this story with my son when he grows up.

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Tasneem Damji recently moved with her husband and son across the world to live a life of authenticity, simplicity and gratitude.  Currently living in Dushanbe – Tajikistan, Tasneem coaches young people to pursue their passions, study abroad and live lives of meaning and service.  As a mother, she is inspired to raise a son with positive values to help him contribute to society when he grows up. She has written some stories of him in her blog, Ode to My Son, and hopes to write more regularly (an ongoing challenge).

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Rozeela and I met in a creative writing class in college and were drawn to each other immediately.  Soon, she and I were inseparable friends, causing international ruckus on our escapades and supporting each other through our entryway to adulthood.  I am very excited to share Rozeela’s inspiring story here; reading this, it really hits home how beautifully it all came together.  Certainly, I have learned from her that when we think misfortune has struck us, it can actually be quite a blessing.

Please welcome Rozeela!

What gets me up in the morning, you ask??  What’s the fire that makes me leap out of my goose down sleepy haven at 7am??  Well at this moment of my life it’s my 8 month old daughter, who quite literally pushes me awake.  But figuratively,  it’s my passion to help people. I learned, at a very young age, that I love to make people laugh, smile and feel good.  I wanted a career where I was able to do exactly that every day.   So my search was on…endless hours I spent rummaging through possible career choices in the big metal filing cabinet files in the counselling office and then even more time spent going through potential options with my career counsellor.  As I struggled to determine my destiny, my inner voice repeated this mantra “choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” And I am truly blessed to have been at the right place at the right time so this career choice could be presented to me.  At the very young age of 18 I was involved in a car “accident” that was set to change the course of my life.  The silver lining was I started seeking answers to questions I couldn’t find in the medical world which led me to a chiropractor and a massage therapist.  There was a lump in my throat that the massage therapist insisted I get checked.  The lump was a malignant thyroid cancer.  Two quick surgeries, a prescription for thyroid medication to take daily for the rest of my life and I was signed off with a clean bill of health.  The cancer was gone and I was healed but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to understand more.   I needed to know why?  Why did I get cancer?  Why did cancer choose that area of my body?   Why hadn’t my body healed itself?  What was my role in creating this cancer?  What could I do to prevent the cancer from coming back?

So once again, I started searching.  In the early stages of my search I needed to know simply how the body worked by asking such questions: Why does liquid come out of my eyes when I think of something sad?  How does my heart beat and my food get digested?  Later in my search I was seeking answers to questions: How do I create health? How do I maintain health?  I found these answers in my study of chiropractic.  Chiropractic is a science, art and philosophy.  The science is that the nervous system controls every cell in your body, so should there be any pressure on your nervous system (subluxation) your body won’t function optimally.  The art is the finesse of an adjustment to the spine to alleviate the pressure on the nervous system to bring the body back to equilibrium.  The philosophy is that healing occurs from within and we all have within ourselves an innate intelligence that is constantly striving for health and well-being.

I’ve been practicing chiropractic for 8 years now.  I initially chose chiropractic because it answered my questions.  But now I see that chiropractic isn’t only a career choice for me it’s a lifestyle choice.  That little girl in me that was daunted by the “the- world- is your- oyster” filing cabinets of options is happy, very happy with her choice.

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Dr. Rozeela Nand is the owner of Innate Chiropractic & Wellness Centre in Vancouver, B.C.  She is passionate about caring for her patients as whole people and incorporates physical movement, diet, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being into her practice.  Dr. Nand has a keen interest in pediatrics and pregnancy and has undergone extra certification in this area.

In 2006, she joined the Hope Foundation and travelled to India to work with street children in Calcutta.  In this capacity, she was able to introduce and conduct chiropractic treatments to the underprivileged in India.

Dr. Nand lives in Vancouver with her husband and their daughter.

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About 15 years ago I met Gillian Meyer, who quickly became family to me.  One of the things I’ve admired about Gillian is her connection with Nature and the time she takes to share that love with her family.  Through her photography, I’ve learned a lot about the way she sees the world and I’m so happy to be able to share her beautiful account here with you today. 

Please welcome, Gillian!

When you asked me to write about my passion for taking pictures, I had to think about how far back it went, I couldn’t remember.  But judging from all the photo albums I have of my pictures dating back to when I was in grade 8, it started long ago.  I’ve never taken a course or been trained in how to take good pictures, and I have no idea how to use all the features on my camera.  I just take a picture whenever I see something I find beautiful.  Taking a course is on my bucket list though.  I think if I had proper training, I could take really great photos.

At first, I really liked capturing my friends at school, just of us having fun in the hallways or on field trips.  Looking back at the photos recently, I’m really glad I did that.  I think if I hadn’t, a lot of the memories may have been forgotten.

I think in some way, taking pictures has always been therapeutic for me.  I find the warmth in someone’s smile beautiful and maybe just want to always remember that about someone.

I think the love of pictures may have been passed down.  It seems as though my dad and my maternal grandfather were also amateur photographers.

I remember always feeling a little embarrassed taking pictures of people, like they didn’t want their picture taken.  Back in high school, I was a little shy so it was hard to take the pictures I really wanted to take.  I think I was the only one who walked around with a camera too, so it might have seemed a little weird.  My girlfriend Denise and I were on vacation to Alberta with her family and remember her telling me we stand out because I’m making us look more like tourists!  She was so embarrassed of all my pictures…. until we got back and she saw all the memories I’d captured, especially of the cute guys I made her stand beside so I could get a snap.

These days I am finding that pictures of nature are what I really love.  I am a huge nature lover and whenever I’d be out walking, I’d have to stop so many times just to take a picture, even if it’s just a raindrop on a flower.  There is so much beauty in nature and seeing pictures I’ve taken makes me happy.  There’s a picture frame on my wall of all my favorite pictures over the years and at least once a day I stop just to enjoy them.

For Christmas a few years ago, my friend bought me a Canon Powershot camera and I can honestly say I’ve taken my best pictures with this camera.  It’s my first digital camera.

If one day I find myself a little down, I take the camera out and go for a walk.  For me, it’s self-medicating, without the drugs, if that makes any sense.

I’ve been asked before, if I had to grab one thing (besides my family of course) out of my house what would it be.  And it’s always been my pictures.

Thank you for asking me to write a little something on my passion, it’s made me realize how much my pictures really mean to me.

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Gillian Meyer is a mother of 4 living in the Maple Ridge area in B.C.  She believes laughter is the best part of any day and finds happiness in family and all things nature.  Her ideal day would be spent in the garden creating her own private oasis.

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Good morning, dear Readers!  Please join me in welcoming an amazing woman who I am so grateful to have cyber-met a few months ago.  I was perusing another blog and this gorgeous image caught my eye.  I thought, wow, something beautiful lives behind this button!  Click! 

And I was right.  Not only something beautiful but someone of heart, passion and creativity who has brought a lot of colour and joy to my life through her e-zine, Sprout!  And here she is, Amanda Fall!

Amanda, I’m going to start with one of my favourite questions: when you were a child, what would you be found doing, when left to your own devices?

Reading, reading, reading.  Soon I also began creating worlds of my own, writing a “novel” about twin sisters with “waterfall strawberry blonde ringlets.”  As a very shy little girl, I found freedom and friends in my beloved books.  I also loved wandering in the nearby Kentucky woods with my brothers and cousins, looking way up into a canopy of green and feeling so safe.

Isn’t there something intriguing about blonde twins?  That takes me right back to the days I used to devour Sweet Valley books by the armful!  It’s wonderful that you belonged to really safe and creative worlds from a young age.

I met you, of course, when I was drawn to your magazine, Sprout.  Tell us more about it.  What’s the story behind Sprout – the name, the vision, how it came to be?

Oh, Sprout.  How my heart pounds at the thought!  Sprout began as a teeny-tiny, timid seedling in my preteens and early teens, a little breath of an idea.  I wanted to write and publish a physical zine “for kids, by kids.”  I wasn’t quite ready to make that dream a reality, but always had that yearning in my heart to express myself and share stories with people around the world.

In late 2010, after years of sporadically selling my art and writing, and discovering a new love for the technological freedom of digital publishing, my zine-dream drifted back into thought.  What if?  What if a long-ago dream could now be reality, but in digital form?  Suddenly it all made sense: my art, writing, digital connections—it all came together in Sprout.

Now I’m blessed beyond belief and thrilled to publish a new issue of Sprout every month, each cultivating a particular theme in everyday life.  No matter what the theme (Boldness, Creativity, Kindness, etc.), Sprout is designed to uplift and inspire through color, beauty, and meaning.  Sprout’s pages are bright and beautiful, bringing together art, poetry, prose, and so much more in an environment of joy.  Sprout has sweet contributors and readers all over the world.  It really is my dream come true!

The name reflects my desire to focus on everyday growth, cultivating concepts like celebration, adventure, and joy.  I want to meet people where they are in life, helping them find beauty and meaning even in—or especially in—the broken places.  Sometimes our lives need to be churned up for the best growth to happen. That’s where Sprout comes in.

That’s fantastic!  That really is like a fairy tale – only you’ve made it seem so plausible.  I’m sure many of my readers can relate to having a long-ago dream that is never really lost…I hope your example demonstrates that our dreams can become our reality and our reality can be like a dream!

I talk about authenticity on this blog – specifically, I call that true Self our creative Self – and I wonder if you can tell us what living authentically means to you.

I’ve really been working on this in my own life, striving to think, act, and speak in harmony with my core values and beliefs.  When I end a day feeling uncomfortable or dissatisfied, it’s usually because I wasn’t being true to what I believe.  Living in harmony with my purpose, my calling, and my spiritual core is what it’s all about for me—even if it’s a lifelong process!

Agreed!  Authenticity and harmony go hand in hand.  I like how you notice your state of being and measure it up to how one should feel when living in harmony.  Thanks for sharing that!

Can we take a closer look into your day-to-day life?  What does your typical work day look like?

Oh, that’s the beauty of working for myself!  (Well, one of many.)  I really have no typical day.  I go through cycles in the creation of Sprout (my main job right now), so at certain times of the month I’ll create hand-painted backgrounds, scout new materials and contributors, market, network, brainstorm new ideas, work on layouts, etc.  I also create lots of original content for Sprout (I’m a co-creator with my contributors, not just an editor), so I dive into writing poetry and prose, taking photographs, and creating visual art.  I also blog three times a week at Persistent Green. Somewhere in there I might clean the house.  Maybe.  When the dust bunnies turn to dinosaurs.

That sounds like Heaven to me!  I like your attitude toward housecleaning!

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I had to laugh, because sometimes it feels like I’m always working!  Much of Sprout work really feels like play, though—taking photographs, planning new themes, testing new techniques, etc.  I love to get my hands messy in paint and glue and marker.  I’m rediscovering how much I NEED to be outside, too, unplugging from all the buzzing equipment and reconnecting with something bigger than me—back to that green canopy of my childhood.  I love early-morning bike rides or walks with family.

My husband and I also recently purchased a motorcycle, so I’m practicing courage and trust while hopping on the back!  I’ve been loving riding with him and family, laughing and leaning our way through the Black Hills curves, seeing this world in a whole new way.  Really, any time my husband (also known as my best friend) and I spend together is pure joy.  We make each other laugh like nobody else.

Oh my gosh, courage is right!  And there’s a quote that came to me when you said this about your work being your play.  It’s from an English historian, Arnold Toynbee and he said, “The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”  Sounds like you’ve not only blurred it, but smudged it in some rich-hued finger paints! 

In fact, one of the things I love about your magazine is that it is so vibrant and colourful!  I feel like I want to grab some paint and brushes when I’m looking at those pages and create something myself!  What is your favourite art medium? 

Ooooh la la, art supplies!  Don’t let me loose in a supply store, ‘cause I could browse for hours.  I love juicy watercolors and the way they splash across a page, thick and bold acrylics, squeaky and stinky permanent markers.  Ink pens, blotting all over my hands, staining with their passion.  Tissue paper, thin and temperamental and oh so surprisingly luscious when mixed with gel medium.  Oh!  Gel medium!  I could eat the stuff.  But I probably shouldn’t.

Please don’t!  Haha!  What can you say to my readers that will help them take that leap and claim their passion, the way you did with starting Sprout?

Listen to your heart-whispers.  Pay attention to what makes your heart beat faster, a grin come to your lips for no reason, and gives you a feeling of “oh YES, this is so right.”  Sprout has brought me some of the most nerve-wracking and most thrilling times of my life.  I spent so long wondering if I could, if I knew enough, if anyone out there would care about what I have to say—when really, I knew deep down (even when I was that timid preteen) that I was born for this.

What were you born for?  You won’t regret making that leap of faith . . . and finding out you can fly.  Even if you learn that your passion wasn’t quite what you expected, at least you’ll KNOW, and your courage will grow so much in that process.

Great words of wisdom!  Let’s hear some more!  I hear this a lot from people:  “I am not creative.” Or they feel tentative about picking up a paintbrush or crayon because they “don’t know” what to do with it.  Now I can tell them to check out your magazines that feature beautiful art projects with step-by-step instruction!  What would you say to someone who tells you they are not creative?

I honestly believe we are ALL creative—but in our own unique way.  I believe that creativity can blossom while baking a loaf of bread, harvesting tomatoes off your homegrown plant, dressing yourself in color and sparkle, or arranging flowers in a vase.  I believe we are all born with a divine spark, a voice all our own—but we need to take time to honor that voice, to nurture it, to cultivate our own way of seeing the world.  I can hardly draw a straight line!  But you know what, that doesn’t bother me anymore—because MY unique voice embraces beauty in imperfection, and loves wild and abstract color more than traditional “perfection.”  Find the way YOU see the world . . . and love it wholeheartedly.

And those of us with time management concerns want to know: How do you manage to get everything you need to do done?  Do you have a tried-and-true organizational method?

Remember that dust-bunnies-into-dinosaurs thing?  Um, yeah. I don’t get everything done, at least not all at once.  As I mentioned earlier, I’ve discovered that I work best in cycles—shifting gently from one activity to the next. I make lots of lists and notes to myself.  I follow patterns that work, rather than reinventing the wheel (and just as important, pay attention to “mistakes” and learn from them!).  In general, I have a very organic way of working, and try to embrace whatever mode I’m in at the time so I can be most productive and in the zone.  I wear many caps at Sprout—editor, creator, marketer, writer, artist, graphic designer, public relations officer, etc.  The key for me has been knowing when I work best and hitting that time of flow—even if it’s ten at night.  Find what works for YOU!

Thank you so much, Amanda, for that truly inspiring interview and for sharing yourself with the rest of us! 

Taslim, thank you so much for inviting me to share here on Let ME Out!!  What an honor!  I’m thrilled to be here with other creative, passionate souls.  Finding a “tribe” has been one of the most important parts of my journey, so I’m especially grateful for this opportunity to connect.

Me, too. 

Readers, if you would like to connect with Amanda, please visit her on facebook, on her blog or at Sprout magazine. 

P.S. You’ll notice that I’m an affiliate of Sprout – if you visit her site through this link (or by clicking the Sprout button in my sidebar) and make a purchase, you will be supporting me with a portion of your purchase.  Thank you!

P.P.S. I’m so excited about next month’s issue called Joy – not only because man, I love that word, but because a poem I submitted for the issue will make its way onto one of Sprout’s gorgeous pages!!

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