 Written by: Jacqueline Stahl
Across the street from my childhood home lived my first Mentor. She and her husband Morris drove a rusted red Volkswagen bus from Seattle to our little rural town in Connecticut in the late 70's. I babysat constantly for their two daughters and fed their flea loving cats when they traveled.
Lori taught me things that my mother wasn't experienced in. She introduced me to yoga, meditation, vegetarian cuisine and the dangers of deodorant. I watched in awe as she breast-fed her infant. She chewed apples, pears and bananas while spitting it out into her hand to feed her children.
Lori made delicious organic peanut butter and lit incense while espousing the healing benefits of massage. This Hippie Earth Mother didn't bother with fast food, body odor, bras or bikini waxes. She really didn't care what anyone thought about her, because she never seemed to judge anyone herself.
One day I caught my brothers spying on her from our front yard behind a tree as she sunbathed in the nude. She knew. She didn't care. She was free. I envied her. I could tell her anything. She believed in me.
Lori was filled with esoteric information and philosophical perspectives about relationships, Buddhism and love and I was her enraptured student. When her daughters were asleep I would tip toe into Lori's Bedroom and pull the Joy of Sex off the shelf and gaze at all the sensual positions and intimate lovemaking techniques. My heart pounded and my thighs were on fire as I memorized each page. I was physically very inexperienced, but mentally the seeds were deeply planted for my future escapades. I was building and dreaming my own mystical foundations of love and passion. I definitely struggled with my Catholic upbringing and the fear of God visiting me during my research:
“Thou shall have pure thoughts Jacqueline
and thou shall abstain from premarital sex! Amen.”
I devoured her books on Creative Visualization, Sexual politics, Our Bodies Ourselves and my favorite, Love, by Leo Busgaglia. I wasn't content with hugging the periphery anymore. My curiosity was ravenous and I began asking uncomfortable questions. Lori patiently listened and honestly answered.
I was no longer struck motionless inside my adolescent mind and body. Perhaps my new confidence was borrowed at age 14, but I was encouraged to wake up and stretch and I'm still stretching and opening my mind and my heart. Thank you Lori!
Love and Light,
Jacqueline Stahl
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Enjoy this video. I hope it inspires you as much as it inspires me.
Right now I have a lot of hope in my heart. I have hope for our country. I have hope that we can move forward as a united nation now that the election is over. I have even more, positive hope that President Obama will do what he set out to do 4 years ago. I have hope that my dreams and my passions of i adore me’s success will come to fruition. I also have a deep hope and courage within myself to keep going, never giving up. What do you have hope for?
Please enjoy this video. I hope it will inspire you as it has in me…
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Hugs,
Betsy Karp,
Founder of i adore me
 "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are!" Joseph Campbell
Are you living your truth? Do you feel that you are truly being honest with yourself each and every day? What is it you can say about yourself that is “uniquely you?”
I believe that everyone has a true, special, unique gift to share with the universe. Most of us want to share something that we are passionate about or truly great at, but then we shy away with lingering doubts, continuously asking ourselves questions like, “Can I do this? Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes to make all of this work?” The answer is a BIG YES! But it takes guts, courage and a tremendous amount of persistence to make your special gifts a reality. Here is the thing one needs to ask oneself: “What can I do to serve?” It’s about this instead of what you will get.
There is only one you and you are worthy of happiness, doing what you love to do everyday. Embrace you, and learn to appreciate and love you. You have special talents and strengths that no one else on this planet has. It is your job, however, to find that gift. Follow your inner guidance, listen to your own spiritual GPS and be honest with yourself. Isn’t it time to get out of your own way, breaking down those walls of fear, isolation and shame, and start living your truth? Once you open up and let go, you will be amazed at what you see in your-SELF.
The biggest relationship we have in life is with ourselves. Yes, we may lucky enough to be loved and have parents, friends, lovers and children, but it is you that has to make your life work. You don’t need anyone’s permission but your own to make your dreams come true. What’s truly amazing is that once you step into your truth, you give yourself permission, you start to take action and the universe supports you. It has your back, door’s open, new opportunities arise and synchronicity begins to work it’s magic.
It took me a long time to truly believe in myself and to have the guts and courage to start “i adore me.” It was something that was inside of me, yearning to come out. I knew I had to do this. I needed to do it for me just as much as I needed to for others. It was learning to self–love and to take care of me with love and respect. It’s an evolving process as well as a daily journey.
At first I had my doubts and fears. So many people thought I was NUTS! Many people said to me, “Really Betsy, i adore me? No one can really say and mean that. It’s too hard. It makes people sound so full of themselves.” My reply was, “I adore me is about feeling self-complete, not self-conceit”. Again, people stated, “Just forget about it! It’s not going to work!” But I had a deep feeling within my gut that this was what I had to do. It is my calling and my truth. I listened to me. I was in alignment with my mind, body and soul and I didn’t have a choice.
It's amazing how three simple words, “i adore me,” can cause such a reaction within people. I am so happy now that I am persevering and sharing my message and vision with the universe. It is a gift to you to say and feel the words “i adore me.” I am thrilled that others want to share their truth and stories through their own blogs within the “i adore me” community. It’s about creating a movement of self-love. It’s a journey of self-exploration in finding all that is great about YOU, and building on that while sharing your gifts with the world.
So please share what is “uniquely you” about YOU, and stand in your true power…
Please comment below and share with your friends.*
Hugs,
Betsy Karp,
Founder of i adore me
 The unknown can scare us half to death, not knowing what to expect, what we’re going to have, where we’re going to be and how our lives will turn out. But if we knew everything in advance, we really wouldn’t be in existence; life wouldn’t be life and it would be a complete bore. Life is a constant evolution process. It’s learning to deal with and accept the unknown.
The other day I was feeling a little overwhelmed taking a look back at where my life had been and what I had done. When I looked back at the things I had achieved over the years (which I didn’t know about year ago), it made me feel great. I felt accomplished with a year of growth. All of a sudden I felt so much better and so much lighter. I realized, “how could I know the unknown right now?” It’s impossible. And this is where the adventure and fun should come in.
If we take the fear out of the unknown and look at it more as a new path, a new direction or an adventure (and it’s all a lesson anyway), life will show us the way. The path will be paved. As a friend always says to me, “life takes care."
I am starting to date again and open myself up to new possibilities of meeting new people, and everything is unknown: When are they going to call? What are they going to look like? Are we going to connect? Learning about someone new can be exciting if we let it. But if I don’t jump into the unknown with a positive attitude, how will I find that new, special person?
The late Steve Jobs once said: “If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.” I find this quote so true, because when we meet someone in life that just feels right, it feels like coming home. So don’t give up. Let the unknown be a good thing. Don’t give up on yourself and keep going until you find the person and/or thing you want. Your heart will know it when you find it.
Learn how to change your perception of the unknown, whether it’s relationships, starting a new job, your first speaking engagement or an audition. Look at the unknown as an awakening and an opening into a greater you. Let the unknown be your friend and keep saying yes to anything that comes your way. Be open, be ready and be willing to let the unknown become part of the known.
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Hugs,
Betsy Karp,
Founder of i adore me
 Anyone can reinvent himself or herself. It takes a clear vision, action, persistence, patience and a lot of fortitude. If you have the will to see it through, you can do it! Are you ready?
I’m in the second act of my life and I am reinventing it. I was at the Fabulous Over Fifty “Beauty Bash” event this past Saturday and it was really incredible to see all of the women also in the second act of their lives, building brands, reaching out, trying new things and becoming a better them.
There was one woman who stood out to me. She had been a Hollywood producer who lost her big job and didn’t know which way to turn. She always had a dream of sewing and creating something. So she went out and bought a sewing machine, set up shop in her garage and started a beautiful line of affordable, easy, ready-to-wear clothing. It’s been a few years since she began it and now she’s one of the biggest hits on the HSN (Home Shopping Network).
You could feel her pride. She stated herself, “Don’t be afraid of starting something new. Let go of your fear and build on that dream. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life.”
In order to reinvent, you have to have an idea of what YOU want to do. Set some goals, take some action steps and step-by-step, start building on your dream. It’s truly possible to reinvent yourself at any point in your life. It just takes a belief in you to make that dream come true. So what are you going to reinvent?
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Hugs,
Betsy Karp,
Founder of i adore me
 Our sense of self worth means everything. What is worthiness? Do you feel worthy or unworthy? Do you believe that worthiness is something you attain or innately have? I believe that worthiness is something very deep-seeded within you. It is a self-assured confidence in who you are, what you are and what you believe. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can someone else believe in you? “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” This quote by Hillel really sums up that we must take care of ourselves in life. We must believe in who we are without being completely selfish or caring only about our own needs. We must embrace and include others in our universe and in our world. I went to see the new documentary Diana Vreeland. It is about a woman who knew her worth. She was not beautiful herself, yet she evoked it. She knew who she was and what she wanted out of life. She stated, “If you know what you want out of life you make it for yourself.” I loved her bravado and how she had such an incredible sense of self worth. Her confidence was over the top. In the film she says, “I am not a fashion editor, I am THE fashion editor!” When we are clear about what we want for ourselves, that is when we can ask the universe for all that is ours. Now please don’t mistake this with arrogance, because that is so NOT cool. It’s a true confidence that will give you that wonderful sense of self-worth. As I was walking home from the theater there was a beautiful pink satin bow lying right in front of me. I looked around thinking that some sweet girl just lost that bow right out of her hair, but no such luck. I picked it up and took it as a sign of self-love and self-worth from the universe. Pink is the color of unconditional love. It was such a beautiful symbol reminding me to value my own self–love and self-worth. It came at a perfect time, because I was having one of those not so loving days. We all have them and that is okay…I’m human and so are you. Self -worth starts with really simple things. For instance, when something good happens to you or someone says something kind to you, do you say “thank you” with graciousness or do you refute it (an example of refuting would be: “You look great today”…”Oh no, I feel lousy”)? Learn to appreciate yourself, accepting compliments that come your way. This is the start of a process of feeling your own worth. Ask for what you need and believe that you are worthy of all that you want. Look within yourself. Practice acceptance and say to yourself over and over again, “I AM WORTHY of all the good that is coming into my life.” Every single person in this universe is worthy of prosperity, abundance, compliments and acceptance. Own your own self-worth, feel good about all that you are and share it with the world. You are worthy! I hope you know that! *Please comment below and share with your friends.* Hugs, Betsy Karp, Founder of i adore me
 Don’t you love to dream? What are you dreaming about right now? How many of your dreams have come true? What’s the next one on your list and how are you going to make that happen? Here are the 10 simple signs if a dream of yours is about to come true: (taken from TUT…A Note from the Universe: theuniverse@tut.com) 10. You regularly visualize the end result, the after-party, or beyond. 9. Every day you “show up,” doing something about it. 8. You’re not attached to how it will come true. 7. It really matters to you; you really care. 6. You know who the first 3 people are that you’ll call with the news. 5. You’re smiling and winking way more than normal. 4. Sometimes you speak and behave as if it already has. 3. It probably doesn’t depend upon specific people. 2. You already know what your next goal is. 1. You keep whispering, “Sweet! Thank you! Yes!” with clutched fists. I think the thing to contemplate about dreams is to ask yourself what it is you really want. And, do you BELIEVE you can really have what you want? And then you have to let it go and release it completely, with no attachments. The universe has a very funny way of showing up for how our dreams come true. I was at a dinner party last evening and there was a lovely couple there. I always love to ask people how they met. The man chimed in, “I would love to tell you the story, because it’s a good one.” This 65-year-old man decided to go on JDate. He had been divorced and decided after a few years that it was time to get back up on the saddle. The daughter of the woman who he is now married to, found him on JDate, reached out to him and told him that he had to take her mom out. She also said that he was in for the treat of his life and that this was the woman he was going to fall in love with. The daughter emailed this man 3 days in a row saying, “Why aren’t you calling my mom? Why aren’t you acknowledging my emails?” After the fourth email, he decided “what the hell, I’ll try it.” He took her out on a Thursday and was in love by Saturday! He was telling me how she was nothing he wanted: she had two kids at home, was very recently widowed, she’s 5-foot-2 (he’s 6’4”) and it didn’t seem like it was going to be a fit. He said, “but let me tell you, she’s the dream of my life.” What I love about all this is that we don’t know how the universe will make our dreams come true. But if we relax, open up, let go and let it do its magic, everything we want can come into our world. What’s your ultimate dream? *Please comment below and share with your friends.* Hugs, Betsy Karp, Founder of i adore me
 Do you have a CAN DO attitude or a CAN’T attitude? Anything is possible if you believe it’s possible. When you start to believe that you can, you take action. Action leads to follow through and follow through leads to results. This is what you call a CAN DO attitude. I recently went to a workshop on turning stress into strength. The speaker told us a personal story of how, when she was a little girl growing up in France, her grandmother took charge of everything. When she would ask her grandmother to do something, her grandmother replied, “You can’t. I’ll do it.” The speaker continued: “Because she wanted to always take charge and do everything, I was not capable and had an ‘I CAN’T do this’ attitude.” This experience and years of this behavior helped her in her later years learn how to transform the stress into strength. We all did a breathing exercise at this workshop by holding our bellies (our midsection) which is our third chakra—our power center—taking 10 deep breaths in and out saying: “I can, I can…” At the end of this exercise it was incredible how much strength and power we had in our voices to say “I can.” When we come from that place of “I CAN,” there isn’t anything we can’t do. So on those days when you are feeling “I CAN’T,” do some deep breathing, hold your power center, wear the color yellow and feel all that you can be (to learn more about how color can influence your life, click here). Creating that CAN DO attitude for yourself will start shifting every area of your life. Aren’t you ready to do that? * Please comment below and share with your friends.* Hugs, Betsy Karp, Founder of i adore me
 “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” When you look into the mirror first thing in the morning what do you say to yourself? Is it something that brings out the best in you or are you bringing out your critical nature and hurting yourself? Isn’t it time you looked in the mirror and into your own eyes and said: “I’m pretty cool…I really do love myself!” just as the universe does, as a beautifully whole, complete and loving soul?
You are a reflection of all that you are. Do you like the relationship you are in now? Do you like the people you are attracting into your world?
This week, a client of mine came in with incredible rage and anger of where he was in his life. The exercise I had him do was to stand in front of the mirror, with me by his side, and share with me five physical traits he liked about himself. He glanced at me and gave me this look like, “Seriously, I have to do this?” My answer was, “Yes. You will start to see a shift after this exercise.”
He was so hesitant and even angry to do the exercise, but after 15 minutes of explaining to me what he liked physically about himself, as well as 5 emotional things that have resonated with him in the last week, he couldn’t believe how he was starting to feel better and lighter. He realized he had done some really kind things for others. His eyes opened and his smile became warm. He looked back and forth at me and the mirror and said, “I can’t believe that I’m liking my reflection.”
It really is as simple as getting some support and taking a really good look at whom you are. As we start to like our reflection in the mirror, it is incredible whom and what we start attracting in our every day lives. Everyone that is in your life RIGHT NOW is a direct, mirrored reflection of where you are at this moment. So ask the mirror today, when you look back in it, "how do I look and feel?" Be present with yourself, push that smile up, find the love in your eyes and give that mirror a beautiful reflection of all that you are!
*Please comment below and share with your friends.*
Hugs,
Betsy Karp,
Founder of i adore me
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