| Jan Haas

Archive for July 2010

Treated like a Queen

07/24/10 Jan Comments (1)

I have known Anna since she danced across the floor with my own little Hannah, making beautiful swirls with her silk scarf. Being quiet and somewhat shy, Anna spoke through her dance, allowing others to know the wonderful little spirit inside this quiet child.

Today, Anna is a beautiful young talented woman, pampering women while she goes back to school to earn a degree in wholistic medicine. I got the privilege of being pampered by Anna while she colored my hair. She works in a place called Hana Designs, and while I am enjoying the conversation I have with Anna, I am really watching out of the corner of my eye the delight and smiles of women who have endured much and are now in a place of finding a little joy in looking normal.

You see, Hana, the shop owner of this Aveda spa, has been helping women for many many years, find the perfect wig to wear after facing chemotherapy. Women come in with a glimmer of hope in their eyes and they leave after lots of hugs, thanking Hana for helping to pick out the wig, styling it to their specific face, and providing a safe place for sharing the emotional roller coaster of cancer.

From my little chair in the corner of the shop, I really love seeing women smile and show their gratitude for the personal service they receive at Hana Designs. And although I am not there for a wig, I am grateful Anna works in a place where I too am pampered.

As I wait for my hair, I sip some lovely tea and get lost in the soothing music. After my color, I get to lie down on a massage table, and while my scalp is massaged, my body is getting pampered from the massage mat beneath me, sending much needed attention to my back, hips, knees and feet. For ten minutes, I am on the beach, letting the waves roll over me. Blissful!

I walk away with coppery highlights, a sense of well-being, and a vow that next time, I will get a pedicure while I am waiting. I deserve to treat myself like a queen!

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

Tags : Hana Designs, pampering, soothing, wigs for chemo patients

What Do I Value?

07/22/10 Jan Comments (0)

I value words, written in essay and prose, that touches my heart and moves me into action, even if it is just into a more compassionate love. I value my ability to communicate through words, allowing Divine Guidance to flow through me so that I can touch others in their challenges and pain.

I value honesty and a person who carries themselves with integrity. I am grateful for people who do what they say they will do. This is an area I want to work on, especially in relationship to self.

I value myself and the gift of presence I bring to my clients. I am grateful for my ability to be with someone, helping them on their journey to wholeness.

I value others and the gifts they share with me, allowing us to create a whole community of people whose purpose is to raise our awareness of divine working in our lives, through whatever gifts we bring.

I value family, spending time together laughing, sharing our ups and downs, and raising my daughters to be self-sufficient.

I value time spent with my husband, allowing us to dream of our present and future together.

I value quiet times of reflection, when I become centered and remember where I come from, and what my role on this earth is.

I value nature, and the quiet rhythms it returns to my soul.

I value God’s grace, and am thankful for all the times it shows up in my life.

I am grateful for all the wonderful things in my life that give me joy.

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

God Lives Outside Our Box! (Inside too)

07/20/10 Jan Comments (0)

“God is bigger than the limitations of my sight.”

This quote came from a Sunday homily at church. I had to find a pen and scribble it down because it is so good and full of insight. “God is bigger than the limitations of my sight.” I have often heard the saying that we look at the world through human eyes and not with the eyes of God. So as humans, it really is a stretch to see the world from the eyes of unconditional love.

Sometimes when I write, I look at my words individually, not strung together to make a beautiful melody on paper. We do that with people too. We get stuck on an action that we witnessed or were the recipient of and we judge the whole person in that one moment. But the reality is we are all much bigger and better than we are in any single moment of our lives. The person who cut us off in traffic this morning could have just learned of an illness in the family. The family member who doesn’t hold his/her tongue could be expressing pent up emotions about a physical limitation he/she is living with. God’s love is in each of us, and God chooses to show up in the world in ways we don’t always see or understand. Yet just because I don’t see God doesn’t mean that God isn’t present.

Another prayer I distinctly heard was “let me be the change in the world in this moment I am living in.” It is a lot to hope for to pray for peace in the world. But if I choose to be present to the moment, and each person in my neighborhood does too, we can begin to see what needs to be done in this present moment, and that change will allow us to look at changing another moment in time, and so on. Continuing to live in the present, not focused on the future or the past is the only way we can begin to see God in our presence. And I will continue my journey towards a more unconditional love, knowing that however hard I try, I will never see the world as beautiful as God does, because my human limitations cannot grasp and cannot see with the eyes of God. We glimpse, but just like the passing sunset, the moment is gone. Yet we continue on, looking for evidence of God’s touch on humanity.

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

Tags : Being the change in the world, fellow travelers, finding God, Limiting beliefs, present moment, sight

Gettin’ Ready

07/15/10 Jan Comments (0)

Getting ready to write… I lock myself away, light the candle but find the candle first, then find the matches. I read that lighting a candle each time you write helps inspire creativity. Oh yea, where’s my phone? I don’t want any calls to disturb me. I have filled my water and warmed my tea. And now, time to write a page for my book… But no thoughts form and organize around my book project. Instead, words begin flowing in a different direction.

My cousin died last night. John had endured a 3 ½ year battle with cancer. Last week, in the early morning hours, John was restless enough to wake his wife Vicki, who asked what he was doing. He said, “Gettin’ ready.” And she said “To Go?” He said “Yah.” Vicki was bravely preparing her own heart for what was inevitable, and was thankful that John too was aware the time was nearing. He was preparing to let go of all that bound him in this life, the pain, the past, even friends and family, so that he could freely move into death, a new life.

I wonder how I would live if I had a set date, an end in sight when I knew I would draw my last breath. Would I still be in the process of writing my book, or would it be published and in the hands of readers right now? Would I have played more and worried less? Would I have used my strength to love more?

Getting ready…. To write, to live, to die, to work, to play, to love.

Isn’t getting ready all about a creating something of meaning?

Like sharing love in a relationship?

Writing a collection of words that just might touch someone?

Reaching out to a friend or relative that you haven’t seen in a long time?

Dying a good death?

Maybe awareness is another word for getting ready. When we are aware of the present moment and all it holds, we can create meaning.

I read about a woman, who on her death bed, said that cancer saved her life. Vicki and John found meaning in their relationship as they battled cancer together, helping them create possibly the best years of their married life. As writer Joyce Rupp says, “Even the darkness contains pieces of light.”

We can find grace in any situation if we are willing to look. Today, I find God’s grace in the words on a page, not what I was getting ready to write, but nonetheless important and full of meaning. We must always save space for how God decides to show up.

Blessings and Peace to John and to his wife Vicki and thanks for walking courageously on a difficult path and rising victoriously in life and death. Today, my candle burns for the love you shared that isn’t diminished by death but is carried on in human hearts and will forever be a gift that created a life of meaning.

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

Tags : acceptance, allowing, courage, Faith, journey, letting go, trust, writing

Eating with the Glycemic Index

07/15/10 Jan Comments (0)

Have you heard of the Glycemic Index?
It is a way of ranking food based on how quickly that food turns into sugar in your body. The lower the glycemic level, the better the food is for you. For example, it is better to eat a whole grain bread because the extra fiber takes the bread longer to break down into sugar. Our country saw a rise in obesity and Diabetes when low fat or no fat snacks came on the market. That is because the fat actually slows down the process of turning a food into sugar.
Eating a balance of good fats, carbs and protein at each meal or snack can help you maintain a healthy weight and give you sustained energy throughout the day.

GI graph

For more information, go to this link.
The Glycemic Index
If you are interested in learning about incorporating a low glycemic diet into your life, call me and I am happy to help!

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

Tags : diabetes, glucose levels, glycemic index, insulin levels, obesity

Speaking Your Truth Book

07/12/10 Jan Comments (0)

I am so grateful to be a part of the Speaking Your Truth book, that will be released August 25.

To learn more about the book, visit Speaking Your Truth

So what does it mean to Speak Your Truth?

It means embracing the person you are and letting the world know that who you are is good enough.

It means finding your voice and telling others your story and allowing the telling to bring healing to your life.

It means standing up for yourself and giving yourself permission to grief and then let go of a not so perfect past.

It means gathering the strength within you to take the next step into a brighter future.

This book compiles the stories of 49 women who have faced obstacles, overcome adversity, embraced their own truth, and are now walking a path of healing and wholeness. Imagine how reading their stories might inspire you to find your own truth and begin to live it. Andrea Constantine and Lisa Schultz have partnered together on this project and there are plans for future books. Maybe your story will be in the next edition!

Be sure to visit the website, and on August 25th, please support all of us by going to Amazon.com and purchasing the book. The life you change won’t just be your own.

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

Tags : acceptance, Faith, journey, letting go, Limiting beliefs, self care, soulful marketing, Speaking Your Truth, writing

Christmas in July

07/11/10 Jan Comments (0)

Yesterday, I truly had Christmas in July. Cheryl, a friend I haven’t seen since I lived in Iowa, was in town and she and her family stopped for a visit. We chatted like we were just together last week. Our Christmas letters had kept her filled in on the activities of our family. We chatted about people we know, growing gardens, the Field of Dreams (which is for sale for only 5.4 million!) and how grateful we are that we still don’t look like our pictures 20 years ago! It was such a gift to be able to spend a couple of hours renewing our friendship.

This is just another reminder to me about the power of the written word. Even though I sometimes think no one reads Christmas letters, or even this column for that matter, something little happens to let me know that indeed, there are people on the other end of my communications who appreciate the connections.
So, if you are really out there, and you have read this far, hit reply and say hello! I would love to know that I am not getting lost in cyberspace!

Happy July!

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection, Writing

Tags : Christmas letters, friends, old friends, written word

She Moved Mountains

07/06/10 Jan Comments (0)

Faith is the courageous confidence that trusts in the Source of all gifts.

David Steindl-Rast

I just bought my domain name for my book title: She Moved Mountains. She is Faith personified, and She shows up on the pages of my book, and I tell the story of her companionship with me, helping me through a difficult time in my life. When I saw this quote today, I realized that it was another message that I am on the right track, focusing on creating my book so that others can benefit from what I learned.

One of the things Faith taught me was that there is gift in every situation. When I think back to the times during my illness when I was at the lowest points, I can also see some shining moment that allowed me to move through the pain and grief. Faith showed up with some message, usually a person who brought me a smile or encouragement. It was these small reminders that gave me the courage to keep on working toward health, even though it would have been easy to give up and stop trying.

Now as I am writing about my illness, it is easy to get lost in the details and wonder how it will ever come together. I have so much information and don’t always know how to get it on paper. And here is where Faith comes in. When I take the time to connect to my Inner Source, I easily find a path to writing what is good and true. I have Faith that all will be well, and that my story will reveal itself to me in the right time. I am excited when the paragraphs turn into something that I know will touch my readers. The few people who know my story and have read my chapters keep asking for more. And I know that Faith will continue to walk with me, and get this book into print in the next year. And what a gift that will be!

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

Tags : creating, Faith, journey, She Moved Mountains, writing

Making Dreams Reality

07/04/10 Jan Comments (2)

Yesterday, I was at a training day for my Trump business, and the afternoon was spent creating dream boards. Our leader gave us the instructions not to judge which pictures and words drew out attention, and not to glue anything down until we had a whole hour to cut out pictures. When an hour went by and I began to organize my board, I was really amazed at what the universe was trying to tell me. I had a nice new kitchen next to my diamond Trump business, but the corner that was most complete was a writing corner. In a stack of books was my book called “She Moved Mountains” with a coming soon notice. There was a writing desk, and writing pens of all kinds. There is a note to be 100% naturally me, which means I have to be willing to speak my truth in my writing. I have to open myself up and be vulnerable to what others think. Yet I know that is the only way to write my story. Expressing my story and how Faith brought me through a very difficult illness is so important that I teared up when I talked about it. I trust that when this book is done, it will have a magical effect on my life, opening doors that I never saw before, and even affecting my Trump business in a positive way. I look forward to speaking to groups of women about being authentic in their own lives, and the place to start doing that is in the present moment.

The words Tweet and Value, remind me that as I write and add value to the marketplace, I can increase my readership, and have more people to touch when my book is finished. What I offer on my blog is just a taste of what is to come. I realize that I have the ability to connect people to the present and that is the gift I will be sharing.

I had a dream as a kid that I would write a book by the age of 30. Although I am a bit beyond that now, I know that it will become a reality in the next months. I have joined an accountability group and additional writing groups to make my dream come true. I get such a delight from telling people I am writing a book. It is truly my path right now, and I embrace it fully!

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection

Tags : dream, energy flow, Faith, in the flow, path, present moment, She Moved Mountains, The Trump Network, value, writing

Staying in Rhythm

07/02/10 Jan Comments (0)

Even though I am at home in front of my computer, I am still sitting on the coast of Maine, watching my family throw skippers into the sea, and soaking in the waves. I am walking a stone barrier to a light house. I am climbing 1300 feet to see a spectacular view. I am celebrating a friends journey into marriage by connecting her to a circle of women that love her. And I am watching Rob wait patiently at the altar as Emily gets out of the limo at the end of a long path to the church. After such high moments, it is hard to come back to the regular part of my life.

But if I can learn anything from the sea, it is that everything cycles. There is always flow, times when everything seems right in the world, and there is ebb, when it is hard to make anything out of the stillness. There are times of celebration, and times of dying to our old ways of being. There is a time to sit and do nothing, and a time of work. My job this week will be to remain on tide time, being aware that I cannot work all the time, nor can I play all the time. Everything must be in balance.

And there is also a time of letting go, of knowing that what is done is enough, and it is ok to move on to the next project, or even the next blog post. Wherever you are at today, trust that you are in the right place and the right time, and it is just fine to be in the flow of the day and enjoy wherever that flow may take you!

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Categories : Inspiration and Connection