We Carry The Magic

"It's symbiotic... We both carry magic, but it's special when we mix it together.

It still has magic on its own, but it has another magic when it's merged into one."

~ Dylan Chiang 

WHEN PEOPLE ARE UNGRATEFUL

Once in a while you'll invite guests over for either dinner or lunch for no other reason but that you intend to make them happy and give them a gift of love in the form of a really yummy meal cooked straight from the heart and they will come, they will eat, they will all laugh and show you how much they enjoy the party but then once in a while we encounter someone who walks out of it and starts saying terrible things about your party, how bad your cooking is, or how poorly planned it is. Don't ever let these people bring you down. Chances are they are going through something really terrible too that they cannot appreciate a gift when they see it. 

"We do not see things as they are we see things as we are."

"When you point your fingers at someone the other three are pointing back at you."

Our judgement... they say more about us, really than those who we judge... 

But  even after all this , learn to love those who bring you this challenge...no matter how painful their words are, they are only thoughts and thoughts can be healed through better thoughts... Forgive the obstacle... it can only make you stronger, and lead you to a place of deeper love for yourself and the world at large.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF GINGER

I used to take a pill for a headache and take something for my sore throat. That has been replaced with ginger now. Ginger is such an incredible root. It's now a part of my medicine cabinet. I bite on it when I need to and though it tastes a bit nasty I have so far gotten used to it. It is known to boost the immune system. New studies are showing very important health benefits of ginger with various cancer cells and probably many more studies to come. There is a myriad of health benefits related to ginger and ginger intake. Definitely one of the power foods. 

Ginger and the Immune System

• Strong antioxidant
• Antimicrobial (kills bacteria - including salmonella) - internally and topically as an antiseptic
• Two natural antibiotics are found in ginger
• Contains anti-inflammatory agents
• Helps eliminate congestion
• Contains zingibain that dissolves parasites and their eggs
• Ginger root tea eases some throat pain
• Kills cold viruses
• Inhibits production of cytokines which cause pain and swelling
• Combats chills and fever
• Ginger inhibits 5-LO enzymes, the only food for prostate cancer cells , prostate cancer cells die in one to two hours without this enzyme
• Gingerol (an extract of ginger) inhibits pancreatic cell growth
• Beneficial to prevent constipation-related cancer
• An effective ani-tumor agent in leukemia cells
• An extract of ginger causes lung cancer cell death
• Gingerols inhibited the growth of Helicobacter pylori associated with dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease and the development of gastric and colon cancer
• Ginger extract raises significantly the thymus index, spleen index, percentage of phagocytosis, and thus improves the immunologic function relating to tumors
• Gingerol inhibits cell adhesion, invasion, motility and activities of breast cancer cell lines
• Gingerol induces viability reduction (killed) gastric cancer cells
• A ginger extract causes apoptosis (cell death) of breast carcinoma cells
• Ginger inhibits cell growth and modulates angiogenic factor in ovarian cancer cells
• 6-shogaol (component of ginger) induces cell death in colorectal carcinoma cells
• compounds of ginger inhibits proliferation (stops growth) of ovarian cancer cells
• A component of ginger suppresses metastasis (stops the spread) in any type of cancer cell including leukemic, skin, kidney, lung, and pancreatic cancer cells - one of the most exciting and powerful health benefits of ginger!

Ginger and Circulation

• Stimulates circulation
• May help prevent heart attacks
• Has natural blood thinning properties
• Lowers blood cholesterol levels
• Cleanses and stimulates blood
• Prevents internal blood clots
• may prevent TIA’s (mini strokes)
• Therapeutic properties for hypertension

Ginger and Digestion

• Cleanses colon
• Reduces colon spasms and cramps
• helps clear gas
• Relieves indigestion
• Excellent for nausea, vomiting and motion sickness
• Stimulates production of digestive juices
• Helps bowel disorders

Ginger and other Body Systems

• Lungs: helps with respiratory problems, eases asthma symptoms
• Helps eliminate hot flashes
• Relieves headaches
• Promotes menstrual regularity
• Helps with morning sickness
• Helps reduce inflammation of arthritis
• Supports kidney health
• Topical gingerol provides protection against UVB-induced skin disorders
• Reduces the severity of post chemotherapy nausea

Ginger and its Nutrients

• High in potassium
• Manganese which builds resistance to disease, protects lining of heart, blood vessels and urinary passages
• Silicon which promotes healthy skin, hair, teeth and nails
• Helps assimilate calcium
• Also contains Vit. A, C, E, B-complex, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, calcium, beta-carotene

Other Facts and Health Benefits of Ginger

• Was listed in U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820-1873
• British research has found ginger to be as effective as drugs at relieving nausea after surgery
• Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis studied at Denmark’s Odense University got relief from pain and swelling after taking ginger daily for three months
• Gingerol promotes healing of inflammation and minor burns
• May prevent transient ischemic attacks (TIA’s) know as mini strokes
• Israeli researchers found that standardized ginger extract has dramatic effects on cardiovascular health, lowering cholesterol levels and preventing oxidation of LDL which contributes to cholesterol deposits on artery walls

Ginger Recipes/Uses

• Suggested use is 1/3 tsp. ground ginger or 1 tsp. fresh ginger root in food or drink up to three times daily
• Motion Sickness - drink tea or juice mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger one-half hour before traveling
• Add in juicer to fresh raw fruit or vegetable juice
• Add to smoothies 
• Add fresh to Asian stir fry dishes, marinades, fruit salad dressings
• Add ground ginger to breads, cookies, spice cakes, pumpkin pie

Most of these are based on clinical studies (google 'ginger cancer', etc. at www.PUBMED.org) and http://www.boost-immune-system-naturally.com It's very powerful and impressive for a root. There is no question that ginger has many more special health qualities that we haven’t yet recognized. Enjoy it   to boost our immune system and support great health.

Photo Source

Throw Away the Cookie Cutter!

Throw away the cookie cutter! 

Don't be afraid to do what you really want in life. 

Don't be afraid to follow your heart. 

What's the worst thing that could happen really?

Ok so you find out that you can do more than what you think you can.

You find out who your true friends are. 

Best of all-- You find out who you are! 

Photo by Jessica

Your true NATURE is your true BEAUTY

Your true NATURE is your true BEAUTY.

Photo by meyrem

SOULSPEAK WITH JOMO MOLOTSKY (Traveler & Video Blogger)

"Love?  It's this moment... Everything is love. Everything is a form of love. The feeling that you get when you are doing the thing that you are meant to do...  The feeling you get when you are in alignment with who you are... The feeling you get when you see all the beauty all around you... When you appreciate all the things you have... When you are completely BLISSED OUT on life. These moments are always here for us."

JOMO MOLOTSKY

Holland Pennsylvania

Recently, this 25 year old took a leap of faith and jumped into the unknown. On his YouTube channel he leaves a very inspiring message that says:  

"Currently on a road trip across the USA, unfolding and unraveling my true self. Sharing and spreading love, joy and truth has now become my way of life.I may not "know" you yet, but I feel your presence...and I love you.See this channel simply as a finger, pointing you in the direction of your true nature, your true self. Join me on this journey of uncovering and transforming into your creative, authentic, and joyful self.Namaste :) P.S. If you would like to host me on this journey or would like to meet up, shoot me a message."  

I am a traveler myself and his message really speaks to me right now, at a moment where I can really just let go and surrender to the universe and let the tides take me where I should be. 

Today, let Jomo dazzle you with his wit and energy... Let him uplift your spirit, as he lifted mine.

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Tell me about yourself... your journey.

Before that I just wanna say thank you for what you do because it's really a beautiful thing... What you're doing is exactly what we need... The world needs a place to go that's really inspiring  and that's why I think YouTube has been so powerful.   

In all the connections I made YouTube uplifted me... its helped me find my self to be quite honest. Many people inspired me to look within, and that's what this whole journey is about. It's about going within... finding myself and taking it out and bringing it into the world and sharing it.

It really is nice to see  so many young people like you coming out to open their hearts to the world... It's such an amazing time to be alive.

Oh yeah totally....Have you by any chance seen Marlee Ann? She is a YouTube video blogger , it's incredible seeing her videos... I've actually met up with her a couple of times.  

Nope ... but send her my way! I want to meet her and more seekers and travelers like you. 

Definitely! Yeah... It's like the ripple effect is being created where people who weren't even open to it before are suddenly opening up because other people  around them are opening up. 

I find that the more I travel the more I open myself up  to approaching people in general and in a broader scale ... I want to involve more people and really  connect more and so I really saw traveling as a way to do that. When you are traveling with an open heart you attract the souls that have also done the same work and have also opened themselves, and so life becomes more magical.

So which places have you traveled off to so far? 

Outside of the country I've only been on a family vacation to Puerto Rico and Canada. but over the last year I've been all over the country I traveled from Pennsylvania down the South Coast kinda hitting up all states and then ended up in California. And that was over a course of three months to go to California and I stayed in the California area  and also in Las Vegas for a couple of weeks and that was for about two months. Yeah, I was on the road for 5 months in total and I don't know the movie I created but it's actually the first three months of my trip. And I was video blogging and posting that on my YouTube channel too all throughout the experience. 

What inspired you to make your first video on YouTube?

I was living with my parents (and I'm actually back there temporarily ) and I kind of felt like I was a little stuck in life. I felt like I wanted to do more with the sharing and the understanding of my self.  The calling was there for me to just travel. I don't really know how else to describe it enough it just felt like I was being pulled. I felt like something was pulling me towards this thing,  this place...all these places that I knew and going into it I had the intention to really allow myself to grow and to deepen and to open my heart to a broader scale and really connect with more people. So I saw traveling as a way to do that because I knew I was going to constantly push myself, constantly push my comfort zone and constantly be meeting new people. And I didn't know how I was gonna make that happen financially. It seemed like a big stretch. I pretty much had a couple thousand dollars saved up and I was planning on going all out. Traveling to wherever I was guided to travel. 

I just trusted in the fact that the universe would really assist me in making those things come true. It started with me making a YouTube video where I reached out to people...and I said I'm looking to do some traveling. I don't know where I'm gonna go first. I don't know where I'm gonna go after that. I don't know how long I'm gonna be at each place. But if you are willing to open your house to me or if you have an extra room available would you be willing to host me on my travels?

And what started it all was a comment that I received from my friend who is actually another video blogger. And the comment really just grabbed me and spoke to me and basically the message was "Yes, this is where you're going." And her message was something along the lines of "I'm living with my family out in the mountains of North Carolina and we have some extra space for you and I would love for you to come out and visit me." And that was  really the final thing that pushed me over the edge that made me realize "This is happening. this is what you're supposed to do." 

Was this something that you dreamt of doing, as a child?

That's a really good question Juno. I wanna say I definitely, as a child was very creative and very excited about life and so I think it was kind of my inner child wanting to come out and play and so yeah...I really see the connection there because I was trusting in the fact that these desires that I had in my heart were what I should follow. 

I had a lot of past experiences where I didn't follow my heart and it led me down the wrong path and I kind of regretted not following my heart. I know a lot of people can relate to that where you really want to do something, where It feels right but for some reason you talk yourself out of it, and that is what I was experiencing I had so many experiences where I talked myself out of what I wanted to do... Where I talked myself out of just putting myself out there and taking a leap of faith. 

I recognized this is what I need to do. I guess it just got a breaking point where I realized what I was doing wasn't working. Where I realized that continuing to not listen to my heart was hurting me... not helping me. And I also had experiences where I did listen to my heart and I remembered those and I focused on those and I realized, yeah... that's really where it's at. That's where the growth happens. When you finally commit to following your heart and you don't let any of those doubts or worries convince you not to take that action.

How do you envision your life in let's say 10-15 years?

Wow!....(laughs)  Hmmm... No words really... 

Let's just say empowering others to really step into their talents, their gifts their creative abilities. That's really what I feel this traveling experience has given me. It's allowed me to connect with myself it's allowed me to connect with my gifts and I truly believe that everyone has gifts. 

Everyone has talents you know, but at some point in our lives we're told that we're not good enough... Maybe we're a musician and we're singing and our parents tell us to be quiet or stop singing so loudly and then enough people start telling us to stop and we listen, and eventually we do stop. It isn't until we go through some sort of transformation where we recognize that all the people who told us that we weren't good enough were really just simply repeating what had been told to them. At one point someone told them they weren't good enough and so they carried that with them and until you are willing to recognize that you do still have gifts, and talents, whether one or a few people don't like those gifts or not there are plenty of people out there that absolutely wanna hear what you have to say....people who absolutely want to experience the gifts you have to offer. 

That really has been the lesson that I've learned from traveling and from video blogging. In the beginning it wasn't very easy. I must admit. It was difficult. 

Yup, it's gonna test you...

Exactly. You get tested. You're really always getting tested... But what happens is you  start to become a master at passing the test. You become open to the lessons that the test is trying to teach you and the blessings that are present in every moment. 

What's the biggest thing you've learned about yourself from this experience? 

That I am infinite. That the possibilities are infinite. That the power that I have i me can move mountains and actually feeling that. There are so many things that I've read and learned about as I went through this process and also heard from other  people and it wasn't until I started feeling those lessons and allowing that to become my experience. It really solidified my understanding of the truth within. The truth that exists within all of us and all of these concepts. That we have this amazing power  in us that can really create anything. 

Like you were saying, as soon as you have an intention and you focus on that intention just moving toward that goal, that dream of yours... the intention, the dream, the vision has no choice but to manifest. There's nothing stopping that from manifesting except if you allow the blocks to get in your way.

And what have you unlearned?

Attachment and perfection. Feeling like things need to be perfect before I start them, or that everything needs to be in line before I start taking some sort of step in that direction.

For a while I saw it in myself and I still see it in people around me. You can give yourself so many reasons why you can't do something...and those reasons as long as you continue  to focus on them you're gonna continue to stay stuck as well. you'll continue to stay in that place of fear and worry and doubt and feeling like you're the victim of the circumstances, that you don't actually have a say on the matter. Like you can't actually create things on this planet just like anyone else. And I think the more we can really surround ourselves with people who are tapping into their gifts the more we're really able to access that part of ourselves. That's why when I was starting out I was on YouTube and Facebook just connecting with people that had   similar interests, had the same sort of mentality, a positive outlook on life. 

This was truly the case for me and every once in a while I catch myself falling into this group of people who aren't really optimistic about the possibilities that exist and the more that we can reach those people but at the same  distance ourselves from them while they're learning their lesson and their process... until they're willing to open themselves up I think that's truly the key. To just give them love. Just shine love and light on them whenever you are around them but also monitor where you are putting your energy. Because some people can really drain you of your energy. 

What is LOVE?

Love? It's this moment. Everything is love. Everything is a form of love. The feeling that you get when you are doing the thing that you are meant to do...  The feeling you get when you are in alignment with who you are. The feeling you get when you see all the beauty all around you. when you appreciate all the things you have.. when you are completely blissed out on life! These moments are always here for us.

It's simply a shift in the way that you're perceiving things. You can take a really negative situation or a seemingly impossible to overcome challenge and then look at it a different way and change your perception about it in order to overcome that and come out more powerful, so much more expansive, so much more joyful... and I think that is truly the process of growth..That's the process of love ...of opening your heart ... its just to take  everything that life gives you...It's like this saying "Turn lemons into lemonade" So you  take all these experiences and find a way to transform them into something beautiful. I think this whole process of transformation really creates a space of love...So you become love and everyone around you vibrates with that frequency of love.

If you were a song what song would you be?
(Ok so Jomo started to sing on this part and  I can't really put this one in writing. Too good. So take a listen... Here are the links to two versions, the one with me and the one he posted on Youtube. Enjoy!)

"JOMO - HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST FELL IN LOVE?" (Soulspeak)

And here is a video of him singing the same song... 

"JOMO - HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST FELL IN LOVE?" (YouTube)

What is your ONE message to the world.

Follow your heart. Follow that which brings you the most joy. Follow the path that you're scared on one hand, to jump towards but at the same time you know is best for you, will liberate you, and bring you that ultimate joy. Take the risk. JUST LEAP!

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For more on Jomo visit any of his pages:

WEBSITE: http://jomo22.com/

FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.molotsky

YOUTUBE CHANNEL : http://www.youtube.com/user/steps4success

Click HERE to view more stories  

FOCUS IS ENERGY

"There's really nothing wrong with you.. The mind state of that "something is wrong with you" creates a pattern of "things that are wrong" and it is self perpetuating.

When you start focusing on things that are healthy and beneficial for your life, your life becomes healthy and beneficial. 

It is about focus... FOCUS IS ENERGY.

I place my energy on my joy and love for all sentient beings.. I love you all."

(Jordan Walker)

REFLECTION (A Poem)

When your eyes turn away from me

I see you wander off to distant worlds

Hoping to find that virgin spring 

That clears your mind

So you may bring to life 

The song that flows 

From your nourished soul 

That crystal soul...

The gentle sound that 

Casts away the noise

Drops of love

They trickle down the glass

To away the stains that bind

  to what the eyes might see

The mirror reflects so perfectly

10/7/11, 6:14 PM

Like A Flower (A Poem)

Open yourself to the world

Like a flower

Blessed by the light of day 

Its colors shine 

And in the night 

It never closes

It blossoms 

In stillness

In gratitude

For another day

In Paradise

9/9/11, 11:00

I Am Who I Love... I Am Who I Judge.

I am who I love. At the same time, I am who I judge too.

The moment I realized this, life took on different meaning. How can it not be more meaningful? Instead of noise I am hearing music. Instead of complaining about the world I have begun writing poetry. Instead of waiting for miracles to happen I create them. Instead of looking outwards for the wound and what causes it I am looking within and because I see it now, I know where it is now I can give it the medicine it needs.

When I begin to love myself, unconditionally I heal it. I heal my own wound.

It's a long and hard task, and a responsibility we each have to pick up and carry all throughout our lives...  It's a difficult task but not impossible. And when I heal myself the person right next to me sees this too. And I see them healing too.

When one heals the world begins to heal too.


May this message ripple across this wounded Earth.

SOULSPEAK WITH NATALIA KANTOR (Roads Less Traveled TV)

"We are such unique people that trying to fit within one standard of living is bound to make a lot of people unhappy."

NATALIA KANTOR

London, England

Do you know what an Eco Warrior, a Digital Nomad, have in common? If you know the answer, then you probably already belong to the growing tribe of those who are consciously creating our next culture. If you don't know who they are yet  then there is a film you need to see quite soon. It's called  “Roads Less Traveled”  a 13 part series, hosted by Natalia Kantor who travels in search of today's most unconventional lifestyles around the globe and the people who choose to live them. Those people are called Yurt Dwellers, Eco-Warriors, Digital Nomads, New Rich, The Futurists, Burners, Seekers, TEDsters, New Radicals, Mom- trepreneurs and Couch surfers to name a few. They’re everywhere. They're sitting next to you on the bus hooked in to their i-phone and call it work. They’re traveling the world, experiencing the best planet has to offer, if not by boat, by bike then by using air miles. They’re living in yurts. They’re building earth ships. They’re creating radical communities in the desert. There’re experiencing mystical transformations.  Today I am blessed to have the lovely Natalia Kantor on Soulspeak . She's taking entertainment to a new level... A conscious level...  She really is something else. Allow her to dazzle you today with her story, her art, her passions, and how she managed to manifest and live her dreams...

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WHO IS NATALIA KANTOR? 

My parents migrated from Poland to Canada.  We came over when I was about 11. Experts that say at the age of 11 is where you start to form your identity. Being completely removed from my comfort zone and thrown into something completely new has definitely messed with my identity. 

I think in the end it turned into a good thing. But for most of my growing up life I think I struggled with it because I no longer identified with what was called Polish Identity , because I wasn't living there anymore. It wasn't shaping me in any way. I was being shaped by this new culture I couldn't understand. It was so different than what I was used to. But I think it taught me to ask a lot of questions , to always question the standardized answer I was given because I was used to something different. 

The inquisitive mind developed and when I ended up at the University (My fourth year -- I studied New Media) instead of creating projects like everyone else in the fourth year which was the year of dissertation projects such as websites or interactive art pieces I went into this really deep existential crisis that made me create a project which was called "The meaning of life".


I tried to convince all my professors that my project was very meaningful and it talks about what it means to have a happy and fulfilling life while they were convinced I should be doing a website. 


Out of that whole year came a fantastic project. I focused my mind on what's really important. I happily graduated and went off to study French in Quebec where at that point I was so charged in exploring the meaning of life that everyone  came in contact with was a very good guideto further exploration. I met this wonderful Heishan man who  taught me the philosophies behind Voodoo.  But he taught me in a different context. He asked me a very important question: "Where is your heart Natalia?" and I said to him, "You know that's the weirdest question one could possibly ask me. What do you mean my HEART?" 

When you live in a big city surrounded by so many people that could potentially be harmful to you where you don't really know your neighbor, and where you don't really open up, the question of where is your heart really really went deep. And I tried to answer but I couldn't because I couldn't find it. I couldn't find where I buried this innocence, and this innocent outlook on  the world... The trustful, happy positive and hopeful outlook. Before it was all about the existential crisis and the deep sadness of things. I started exploring that with him and he would instruct me to go and meditate in the mornings in the gardens and watch as life wakes up and find that beautiful outlook again . As I was studying with him, a friend of mine, Josh called me and said "Natalia pack your bags we are going to the Burning Man Festival." I told him I don't have the finances to do this and he said , "It doesn't matter, pack your bags, we're going." 


So I ended up going to the Burning Man festival, and while I was there the most transformative thing happened. While I was studying still in Quebec I had this dream two nights in a row that I painted. I never paint my dreams. That one I couldn't stop painting and while I was at Burning Man sitting in the middle of the desert the first night that I arrived it all manifested before my eyes to this day I'm trying to answer why and what it meant. It was very very intense but beautiful nevertheless because I found out that if you trust the world, it opens even more for you. It gives you even more opportunities.   


In my dream I was in this mountain and I was sitting in Burning Man festival and I saw a beautiful mountain and I said to my friend "Josh I think you need to come with me ...I'm gonna show you what happens now because in my dream there was an Indian tipi and I said I have to go to the tipi because there was a child there. And as we walked to this tipi the child ran out over to my direction and and jumped on my shoulders and to to my arms and that was it he wouldn't leave me. 


While he was running he had this incredibly beautiful cystal ball on his hand with an eye inside of it like the "all seeing eye" and then  said "Ok" and my friend looked at me and said "what is going on?" and I said "this way, this way... there's gonna be a grandmother and the grandmother comes out of the tipi and says to me "What have you done to the child. You've been here for three days and the child has been sick it hasn't moved from the bed.Today he saw you and he just started running." and I said "You know what I had no idea but I had a dream and I just had to be here." So I spent the whole day with that child until I got better and he let go and went on his way. So I, in shock still, trying to process all this decided that I need to find  a tarot reader somewhere to let me know what just happened. I traveled through the entire terrain they call "playa" and found a tarot reader, two of them actually. And I said to them I need some  clarification because strange things are happening. 

And so they said "Okay why don't you sit down. we're gonna do your tarot reading differently. Why don't you tell us your story and just turn over the cards. So I did that and as I was telling them the story everything that I was telling them about was turning up in the cards. They were shocked, I was shocked. But eventually as I was telling them my life story I  realized something--  I have absolutely no faith in the world and in men especially. 

As I realized that I felt like this heavy weight was lifted off of me and just dissipated. I felt so incredibly lifted and happy and as I was walking away they scream to me and go "Well what are you gonna do now Natalia? What are you gonna do with your life?! You're gonna have to trust somebody aren't you?" And as they said that about two minutes later I stopped and there was this man, dirty and all lying on the floor. He just fell off his bike. And that's how I met my partner, who was from London England. 

AWESOME!... SO TELL ME HOW DID THE IDEA FOR "ROADS LESS TRAVELED"COME ABOUT?

The one thing that hit a key note with me was when I moved to Scotland for half a year to study film and this was the first time I ever moved out of my parents home... I had this epiphany when I was  there and I understood that it will be an amazing thing if I could just write this film script into my life. And when I say my film script I meant all the things wanted to do, people I wanted to meet, places I wanted to experience, lifestyles, everything that I want in my life... write it into a script and then go and live it. It sounded pretty easy in my mind. But then I was thinking "Well how do you do that?"..."How do you write your script and how do you live it out?" So I thought ....there's gotta be people who are already somehow doing this. Why don't I just find them and ask them how they're doing it? So that's how the idea of Roads Less Traveled was born. 

But what added that unconventional character to it was the Burning Man experience. Because at Burning Man you really get to see how different life could be, and how unconventional. We are such unique people that trying to fit within one standard of living is bound to make a lot of people unhappy. People aren't looking for that standard...because everyone is one way or another unique and is looking for a unique way of living. 

WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'VE UNLEARNED LATELY?

If what I just described to you was the first ever transformative moment would answer this question... I got to experience for the first time in my life what it's like to meditate for 10 days in silence, and observe your own mind. And I had to  unlearn a lot of things that I've created in my own mind... Stories that were only real in my head and watched as my mind tricks me all the time into believing something of my own creation-- positively and negatively. I'd like to keep the positive but the negative is what weighs you down when you're trying to pursue that which you are passionate about and a lot of what I learned from just observing my mind is you have to discipline your mind.It's extremely important for you to achieve anything by disciplining your mind and being able to distinguish when your thoughts are constructive or when they are moving you towards your goal, or whether they are destructive and you should learn to let them go because they're not directing you to a good place. So that was something I had to learn and unlearn. 

ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST REALIZATIONS ABOUT YOURSELF FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

The first person that I visited taught me to keep it simple. When you keep it simple your life becomes your own. And you don't have to pay off your life to pay off anything else, like a mortgage a car, a loan ... Your life becomes all these things and you're running around trying to pay them off instead of having a lifestyle... having a LIFE.

So that was the first thing I learned which was quite a shocking realization for me especially coming from a Western culture where you constantly run around and buy things and pay for things and get things.

The second person I met made me realize that you need to have courage to do things on your own, and experiment with them and try them. Do it yourself. You don't have to wait for everyone else to help you. You can try things on your own. It's very important. Even if you make mistakes that's okay. Just try them. These are simple things but very helpful...All these people I just keep proving to me that it something is really possible. This different way of life , the one that suits every individual ... it's possible.  

I just came back from Bali. I think you'd love the place. It would be perfect for you. It's an amazing place. They say that Bali either pulls you in or spits you out. And if it pulls you in you just wanna go back go back. And that was my third most transformative experience in Bali because I went to visit this Green School. It's all made up of Bamboo. It's a sustainable school that has been founded a few  years ago where children are taught in an open environment out in Nature. The classrooms have no walls ..The entire curriculum addresses the whole person --  It's not just based on subjects or learning about the world. But also learning about yourself. And there is a whole green community that formed around the school. all these very conscious people, parents... they moved to Bali to create this conscious community around it. They built  all these bamboo houses which are the most beautiful structures I have ever seen. All these people are basically characters for Roads Less Traveled. They are The Roads   Less Traveled. 


These people are making their lifestyle. They're creating their own life. And it's so important to have a supportive community that helps you facilitate your creativity. And to give you that lift to always go forward. Because most of the time people will put down ideas that are innovative or different. It was an enlightening experience to be in the presence of such an amazing project of such a grand scale that actually exists in this world. Where people are living this beautiful life. 

WHAT OTHER PASSIONS DO YOU ENJOY?

Obviously I love film making and telling stories... I love exploring definitely an explorer.  not only explore landscapes people but also I like exploring potential. I always say to the people I work with I get my kick out of extracting people's potential by telling them "Just try it..Run with it.. Learn from it ... see if it's you." ... Experiment as opposed to telling people what their roles are , I let people define their own roles, and how they want to see themselves. What fits? 

Photography is definitely another one of them. I also love exploring the mind and knowing how to program your mind into thinking, which is a huge task all the time.  And lastly, which is my most recent discovery...are "Family Discovery Sessions" I know it sounds very interesting but I'm 31 now and my brother is 24 so obviously we're already grown up. And when you're all grown up your relationship with your parents is no longer the same as when you were a child. With all the dynamic changes... you have to ask yourself...all of you as a family would have to ask yourself : "What does it need for us to have a family?... A great family?" ... "How do we want to create it now that we're all creators in this family. Nobody is teaching each other values anymore. We've all developed our own.  What kind of dynamic do we want to create?"  So I started these sessions as an answer to that question, and that basically revolutionized my family. We started enjoying being with each other every Sunday. Everyone would cook dinner. We would take turns doing that. And then would answer each other's questions and start exploring each others passions. We would do vision boards. Have you seen one before?

NO, TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT.

You look at various images and you cut them out. See which ones resonate with you. It's actually scientifically or psychologically based because when you pull these images out of your mind by seeing what you are attracted to you view the images then you trigger your mind to think about how to start getting them.  And then you keep looking at the vision board, when you're  finished with it everyday. You actually hang it above your head. So whenever you wake up in the morning and whenever you go to sleep you always look at your vision board of all the things your heart desires. And by repetitiveness you program your mind to be alert to a situation that arises that is favorable to you getting that dream. And then you automatically know how to act when that opportunity arises because you have already programmed it in your mind. So you're more susceptible to making the right choices that will get you to that situation, because you constantly keep remembering them they're always in your mind. 

HOW HAS IT WORKED FOR YOU SO FAR?

I've been going for everything that I've dreamed about. So it's turning out pretty well ..they're manifesting I would say, absolutely. 

LET'S TALK ABOUT PAUL, YOUR PARTNER...  HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS HIM?

For me the moment that made it   was that since the moment we met on that desert... Paul basically never left for that whole time we were at the festival. He just never left my side. Yes...he just couldn't leave my side. 

WHAT IS LOVE?

It's being at peace with whatever I do, with whatever is happening, whoever I'm with, and when I am at peace I know that that is LOVE. I've realized that when we're young and everybody has this dramatic relationships, where the drama continues and then you think to yourself, "Is that really love?" When we say "We're so in love"... but we hurt so much... it's not love. Love is extremely peaceful. 

HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE FUTURE?

I see myself living in a bamboo house. I really love the concept of living so close to nature, where you wake up you see nature... you see a butterfly fly by. You see a frog come in..a bird... you name it, you got everything because it's so connected. You're connected... It really facilitates a place of peace for me. So yes  I see myself living in a bamboo house. I really love the concept of living so close to nature, where you wake up you see nature... you see a butterfly fly by. You see a frog come in..a bird... you name it, you got everything because it's so connected. You're connected... It really facilitates a place of peace for me. 


GO FOR IT!
I'm gonna! But also the quality of life , fulfilling a healthy life  most definitely is one of the most important things I work on everyday.

IF YOU WERE FACE TO FACE WITH YOURSELF AS A CHILD, LET'S SAY AT AGE 5  , WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOURSELF? 

I would tell myself "Have all the confidence in the world to just go after your dreams. Don't waste your time on insecurity. Because the only way to get out of it is to do it. To just go out and do it and see where it takes you. 

YOUR ONE MESSAGE TO ALL. 

If you want to create anything first close your eyes and visualize it, Visualize and do it everyday and add details to your vision and keep doing it until you start seeing  that its manifesting. Have faith and trust in the universe. There are things outside your perspective that are just waiting to come in.

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(All photos courtesy of Natalia Kantor)

For more on Natalia & "Roads Less Traveled" check out the following links and pages:

WEBSITE: www.roadslesstraveled.tv

TRAILER: www.roadslesstraveled.tv/trailer

VIMEO CHANNEL: http://vimeo.com/channels/roadslesstraveled

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/roadslesstraveled

TWITTER: @RLTseries

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE SOULSPEAK SESSIONS...

A THANK YOU NOTE TO SELF

Today I am thankful for myself. I never really did that here -- thank myself . So Juno thank you. 

Thank you for never giving up on life. Thank you for never giving up on people, and your dreams, even if you feel sometimes you are heading nowhere. 

Thank you for not looking back as often anymore, and for finding the strength to move forward always. 

Thank you for being OK with your neurotic behavior, your temper tantrums, occasional bursts of drama, as much as you are with all your strengths. 

Thank you for staying true to your word, even if you feel your words mean nothing to anyone, just to you. 

Thank you for bringing out your inner child even if the world is predominantly looking out for the opposite. 

Thank you for following your intuition, for hearing the music, for dancing even if no one around you is dancing, for laughing, for crying, and for expressing your feelings even though unsolicited and believing that it's the best thing to do. 

Thank you for loving yourself and the world the best way that you can. 

Thank you for never stopping in the quest to find yourself. 

Thank you for keeping the hope alive. 

I love you. I forgive you. I only wish happiness for you. 

AYAHUASCA : The Morning After (by Dylan Chiang)

"It's a lot different. I felt this new ability in me. That I can create LOVE right away. Whereas I didn't think I had that ability before. I was disconnected from it.

My disability before was thinking that love was out there. That it was never in me. And then I realize where it comes from. It's true what they say -- the love you have is the love you make... and then I reconnected. And knew it... I found love. So I dont get scared of that lonely stuff or any of that pain anymore... I sometimes see it around people but it doesn't hold that fear in me like it did before because I can manifest it anytime.

The two times after Ayahuasca was the most depressing times. You feel very alone. Very very cut off ... And then you wake up and take your first shower... and you start breathing the air and you see the sunlight ... everything just starts to change and shift ... and that's when you see the intervention , and then when you start interacting with people you find yourself different, because you start to see yourself in everybody and that's where it becomes more and more magical."


 (Dylan Chiang)




 Photo by Florent Courty

THE POWER OF AFFECTION

I grew up in a nice house, I wore the best clothes, I went to a nice school, I ate the best meals, had the most awesome vacations with my family, and my parents were very successful in their respective jobs but one thing was lacking and I knew it was lacking because no matter how abundant in terms of material needs there wasn't enough hugs and kisses shared ever since I was a child. And this absence of human touch seemed to have made me crave so much for it and need so much attention, and at times I had to look down at myself for not being able to command that attention I needed. Most of the time growing up I was depressed and I was determined to seek love elsewhere, in friends, in the men I dated, in my co-workers... At times i ended up giving too much just to please others, even if I didn't feel good. Even if I didn't feel right about what I had to give out. I was desperate to seek out the  love that should have been found at home. 

I am not saying this to blame my folks either. They loved me the best way they can. They continue to love me the best way they can. 

I say this because as a mom, and experiencing what I experienced I made a commitment to myself that I will always provide my daughter the touch, the hug and kiss and the smile... And she seems to respond very well to it. I went to a family event in her school one day and noticed how confident she was, how she said hi to all the  kids and knew them all by name, how she said hello to even those she didn't know. As long as they were kids she would say hi, I wasn't like that before. I was reclusive, and I shunned public attention. I noticed how my daughter seems to be very confident too, she sings and dances and can speak in front of a large crowd with ease and enthusiasm. 

It's true... I think more than anything, more than giving them a roof on top of their heads, and clothing and a chance to discover, more than being heard and listened to, and acknowledged for the little and big things they do, more than all of this the best thing we can do for our children is to give them our hugs and our kisses, along with our smile. These things they may sound so simple, but they mean a big deal, and this affection can alter the way they treat the world, and themselves.

Photo Source 

DISTANCE & TIME WILL MEAN NOTHING WHEN SOULS ARE CONNECTED

Once in a while I fall into a spiral of gloom and doom and when I do I often tell myself two things: 

1. "I CHOOSE LOVE." 

For some reason when I tell myself this, no matter how I try to convince myself that a state of misery is just about the right thing for me to be in I begin to move myself away from it, because it does not sit right, it doesn't serve me. I remember who I am and where I belong. In a state of joy. Not in a state of fear where I keep my light bottled in, cautious and separated. I am not that person. I am not limited...I am not stagnant. I carry with me infinite potential and I am dynamic. I move, I dance with the world. I am vibrant, irresistible , luminescent and free. That's who I am and who I always strive to be. In this state of love I am able to forgive, to understand, to create, to give joy and to be the change I wish to see.

2. "TIME AND SPACE IS AN ILLUSION. ONLY LOVE IS REAL" 

When I say this, all my pains brought about by longing for someone who is far away, all the suffering I feel for waiting and wondering, and all the illusions of separation I have created for myself vanishes. I see oneness in all things. I FEEL ONE with my partner, relative, friend or lover...anyone who I feel has wronged me. I feel closer to them. Because I know, and I don't know why or how I know it... I simply do... DISTANCE & TIME WILL MEAN NOTHING WHEN SOULS ARE CONNECTED.

It's a life long endeavor to make this choice of love and to see things the way I do when I am in a state of love. I tell myself this: It may be difficult but never impossible... Nothing is impossible with love. Nothing is impossible when we are in the state of love. Nothing is impossible when we stay connected and tuned in with the Soul of the world.

Every difficult situation is key...

Every difficult situation that you have allowed yourself to process is a special chance and opportunity for you to dazzle the universe with the strength of your spirit and the infinite love that flows through your heart.

Photo by Weichuan Liu