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One of my favorite children’s books is Hope for the Flowers, written by Trina Paulus. It’s a tale of two caterpillars, Stripe and Yellow, and their quest to “risk for a butterfly.” Their journey requires abandoning the known, facing ridicule from peers, staring down self-doubt, and following an inner guidance system. If you’ve ever become disillusioned with climbing the ladder of success, questioned your purpose in life, or decided there’s got to be a better way to experience joy, happiness and prosperity, you too will embrace this story. Plus, you’ll want to read on and meet two phenomenal women who share words of wisdom in this month’s Y.E.S. Showcase. Y.E.S. (You Expressing Spirit) Showcase Still Standin’
“Unless you die from it, you’ve got time to recoup.” Business success for Parker, a recipient of The Business Journal’s 2003 Women in Business Award, goes beyond facing fear and overcoming adversity. It’s about teamwork and creating business systems with continuous loop feedback mechanisms. She says the real strength of Leon’s is not only the school being connected to the salons, but also all of the instructors at the school working in one of the Leon’s Style Salons. “We have a phenomenal teaching staff,” she says. “Because of them, our students are totally aware of what it takes to build a clientele. They can get out there and really go to work.” Parker’s tips for gaining clarity and overcoming adversity:
Not long ago, one of Parker’s friends asked her what she was most proud of at this point. Her response, “I’m still standin’!” We both burst into peels of laughter. Then, there’s a pause, and Parker says, “Sometimes that’s just enough!” One Light, Many Colors
There is a “master” to help spiritual seekers become craftspersons in calling forth their highest good. Gloria Karpinski, holistic counselor, spiritual director, teacher and author, is blazing new trails on the consciousness-raising frontier. She’s challenging the status quo and framing transformation questions. “Can you imagine a world where children are taught that their thoughts are things, that they are part of creating the world?” And then there are the questions, “What do we do when we quit killing each other? Can you imagine the solutions we would have to cure planetary problems if all that creative energy put into warfare was redirected?” For Gloria, earth is a classroom and we’re all here learning. “Sometimes we know that what appears to be tragic, what appears to be a really rough time in our life ends up being the very one that shapes us.” She encourages her clients to ask themselves three important questions: 1) What can I learn out of this?; 2) What do I want to keep?; and 3) What is really going to be counter-productive to hang on to?” Gloria draws upon a Hindu expression to emphasize her point, “You build a raft to cross the river, but you don’t strap it to your back to go up the mountain.” Gloria says she has few things that are unequivocal as a rule – forgiveness is one of them. “What we don’t forgive, we bind to us. It acts like a magnet. What you hold in your mind, what you hold in your body, what you hold in an attitude acts as a magnet. Out of trillions of possibilities, the few hundred that come to you over and over and over again are off that magnet.” Gloria’s forgiveness mandate is reinforced strongly in her recent book, “Barefoot on Holy Ground: Twelve Lessons in Spiritual Craftsmanship.” Gloria’s tips to quicken your spirit and heighten joy:
In Gloria’s first book, “Where Two World Touch: Spiritual Rites of Passage,” she shares an enduring message, a guide to honoring the butterfly within each of us. “This conflict ridden world needs us to celebrate, not argue about our diversity. There are endless prisms through which the Light breaks – one Light, many colors. May you find the color that is yours and live it and that both of us may grow in our understanding of the many colors within the one Light.” Your personal success road map awaits you. Let Parker and Gloria’s words be touchstones as you journey to discover YOUR butterfly within. And remember to let your Royal Spirit soar in 2004! Parker Washburn, President, Leon’s Style Salons and Leon’s Beauty School. Visit www.leonssalon.com. Gloria Karpinski, holistic counselor, spiritual director, teacher and author. (Visit www.GloriaKarpinski.com). |
How
to be a Beacon in a 40-Watt World
To
meet Parker Washburn, President, Leon’s
Style Salons and Leon’s Beauty School in Greensboro,
is to meet the full expression of freedom from fear. She says she
learned from her mother to get good at facing fear, figuring
out worst-case scenarios and finding ways to go forward.
“I can’t believe people are so afraid of failure,”
says Parker. 
Transformation
is an inside-out job. To become a butterfly, one must give
up the caterpillar. 
Marilyn
Sprague-Smith,
M.Ed.,
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She
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