This magical adventure started as an experiment to create a coloring book using the innovative AI technology, Midjourney. Each generated image was carefully curated and refined over two months to align with my vision of a mystical and affirming coloring experience. The result? A collection of 30 unique and captivating designs that are perfect for both adults and kids aged 8 and up.

The “Mythical Affirmations” coloring book takes you on a voyage through an enchanted world where every creature is a source of inspiration and every scene is a testament to the beauty of our world. It pairs these captivating designs with uplifting affirmations that are sure to leave you feeling inspired and energized.

But the magic doesn’t stop there! This coloring book comes packed with features that add to your coloring experience:

It’s also suitable for a variety of mediums like crayons, colored pencils, alcohol markers, pastels, or gel pens.

In this book, the journey of coloring is just as important as the finished masterpiece. It’s a world of tranquility and boundless creativity, inviting you to relax, create, and grow through a beautiful symphony of colors.

So, are you ready to dive into this magical journey and awaken your inner artist? If your answer is yes, then click here to grab your copy of “Mythical Affirmations” today and embark on this mystical and transformative coloring adventure. Happy coloring!

The post Unleash Your Creativity with “Mythical Affirmations” Coloring Book appeared first on Natasha's World.

Transcript:

So, I got banned from Amazon Associates. In this video, I’m going to share with you exactly what happened and how you can avoid making the same mistakes. Let’s get into it. Welcome back to my channel! My name is Natasha, and on this channel, it’s like my personal vlog where I share everything from spirituality, manifestations, motherhood, life hacks, and all that good stuff. I also share wins and when I mess up, which leads to why I’m creating this video today.

I actually sat with this story for a few days because I really thought about whether or not I wanted to share it publicly. It’s kind of embarrassing, you know, especially as someone who, for many years, promoted Amazon and told my family to sign up. I got my brother to become a Prime member and stuff like that. I referred so many people back to Amazon. A lot of people who know me know how much I love Amazon. So, to come publicly and share that I was banned from the Amazon Associates program is embarrassing, but you know what? I’m going to swallow my pride and share this story in the hopes that someone will hear it and not make the same mistake that I made.

Okay, so what happened was, back in 2020, I was just restarting my blog again. It was right at the beginning of the pandemic. I was working from home, so I had a little bit more flexibility, and I thought, why not start blogging again, right? And since I was going to start blogging again and start doing more videos on YouTube, I decided to sign up and become an Amazon associate.

My brother called me one day to let me know that he wanted to buy a laptop. In my family, I’m the tech girl; I’m the one that people call when they need tips on things like what specs a new laptop should have, how much memory, and so on because I’m really into tech. I’m a developer, and that’s what I’ve done for a living for many years. So my brother calls me, and he’s asking me, “Natasha, I’m ready to purchase a laptop. Can you help me pick one?” I’m like, “Sure, that’s fun for me. Let’s do it!”

So, we’re going through the different specs, and he’s telling me what he’s going to be using it for. Then I ask him, “Where do you plan on buying your laptop?” He tells me, “Oh yeah, I was just gonna buy one at Best Buy.” I thought, “Wait a minute! I’m an Amazon associate. Don’t buy it at Best Buy! Why don’t you just buy it at Amazon? I’m sure we can find the exact same laptop on Amazon, and you can buy it through my link, you know, since I’m an associate. It’ll be a win-win for everyone. Amazon gets a sale, you get a new laptop, and I get some commission. Why not?”

Now, at the time, I didn’t really take the time to read the policies. I kind of skimmed them. I just assumed in my mind that the Amazon Associate program works just like the other ones. So I told my brother, “Say less! I’m going to find you the same laptop with the same specs on Amazon. It’s going to be awesome.”

Sure enough, I found him the exact same laptop with the exact specs that he wanted, and it was a little bit more expensive on Amazon. But he had the money set aside, so I used the extension tool that you get when you become an associate to generate a link. I found the laptop, generated the link, sent it to him, and didn’t think anything of it. Again, I didn’t really take the time to read the policies. I just thought, “Hey, Amazon’s getting a sale, what’s the big deal? No problem, right?

“So my brother goes and buys the laptop. Now, mind you, the link I sent him was just a regular affiliate link – he didn’t get a discount or anything like that. He bought the laptop, and I could see in my account that a purchase was made, but then I waited for weeks, and I noticed that I never got the commission. It just said zero. So, I was confused. At the time, I didn’t even think for a minute to go back and look at the policies or guidelines or anything like that. I was just like, “I don’t get it, why am I not getting commission for a sale? I literally got my brother to buy a new laptop that cost even more on Amazon, but I got him to buy it through Amazon. Shouldn’t I get credit for that, right? I mean, it seems legit, right?”

So, I call Amazon, and I’m like, “What’s up? My brother bought a laptop through me. I’m an affiliate, I’m an Amazon associate, and I didn’t get commission for it.” The lady on the phone says, “Well, ma’am, you sent him the link directly.” I’m like, “Yeah, what’s the problem with that? That’s how I handle all the other affiliate links. What’s the problem?” So the lady explains that I have to put the link on the website, and if people go to it and are interested in the product, they click on the link. I reply, “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s my brother, you know? He wants to buy a laptop. I always recommend Amazon. I’ve been a loyal customer for years. I’ve sent many people to the Amazon site. This makes no sense to me. I convinced him to buy the laptop through Amazon so that I can get commission. What’s the problem?”

She says, “No, ma’am, that’s not how it works. You have to do this: you have to put it on the website.” For some reason, it was just going over my head; I just was not getting it. Needless to say, there was a lot of back and forth, and even after I hung up that call, I still went ahead and sent a long email letting them know how disappointed I was and that I was thinking of canceling my Amazon Associates account, and so on. I was really laying it in.

Next thing you know, I get an email from them saying, “Your account has been terminated.” Now, this was back in 2020. I was shocked. I thought, “What?” And then, of course, they said specifically exactly why. I was like, “Forget Amazon Associates. Their policies suck.” That was my attitude. I was really, really annoyed, needless to say, because I felt like I earned it. My brother not only bought the laptop on Amazon, but he even became a Prime member. I mean, come on. The policy has to change, right?

So for a while, I didn’t even shop on Amazon for a few months. I was so upset with them. But you know how it is if you’re an Amazon Prime member. It’s convenient; they sell everything on that website. And having to shop in five different places when you can find everything you need in one place? Come on, it was only a matter of time before I forgave Amazon and decided to become a loyal customer again.

Now, I had no interest in being an Amazon Associate at that time, but I went back to being a loyal customer, spending money on things I didn’t need, ordering through Whole Foods – this was before Whole Foods started charging $10 per delivery – and just doing my thing. I went back to being a regular Amazon customer.

Fast forward to the present, 2023. Since I’ve been working from home for the last couple of years due to the pandemic, I’ve been mainly working remotely. Right now, I’m in between jobs, freelancing as a front-end developer. I’ve been thinking that this would be a great time for me to start creating content again, like I had originally wanted to do back in 2020. So, I decided to reapply for the Amazon Associates program. I figured it’s been almost three years, I’ve learned from my mistake, and as the saying goes, “If you know better, you do better.”

I applied again, and if anyone has applied recently, you know how it works. When you first apply, they seem to approve you right away, but it’s a temporary approval, which I soon found out. They approved me right away, and I thought, “Wow, Amazon forgave me for my blunder from almost three years ago.” I was feeling pretty good about that. I thought life was good; I’m going to be an Amazon Associate again. Very cool.

Then, 24 hours later, I received the dreaded email where they said, “We know who you are. You violated our terms back in the day, and so, yeah, your account has been terminated.” I was thinking, “Are you serious right now, Amazon? Are you that petty? I forgave you, water under the bridge. I thought we were good. All the money I’ve spent in the last three years, and all the people I’ve directed to your site, and you want to hold onto one sale that, by the way, my brother paid full price for? He paid more than he would have if he had gone to Best Buy, and he became a Prime member. This is how you thank me? You want to terminate my account?”

I thought, “Surely this must be a mistake.” So I decided to appeal, but instead of coming at it from a self-righteous perspective, I decided to come at it from a humble perspective, where I wanted to express that I learned from my mistakes, and I really would love for them to reconsider. If you check out the description, I’ve shared the letter I sent to them. I thought I did a really good job.

I sent them the letter and waited. Then, at about 3 o’clock in the morning, I was just about to go to sleep when I saw an email from Amazon Associates. I  was excited, thinking they were going to say, “Welcome back! We missed you. It’s good to have you back, like the prodigal daughter finally coming home.” But instead, I got the dreaded email saying, “Yeah, we reviewed your account, and we were right the first time.”

So what’s the takeaway from this? In hindsight, when I look back at the whole scenario, the first mistake I made was not carefully reading Amazon’s policies surrounding the Amazon Associates program. That was the first major mistake. I assumed the Amazon Associate program was just like all the other affiliate programs, but it’s not. They’re very strict about how you share those links. So it’s essential that you follow the rules. I’ve gone ahead and listed the links to their program policies and their program operating agreements.

The second mistake I made was creating offline links and sharing them with family members. Little did I know back then, because I didn’t read the policies, that one big no-no with Amazon is sharing those affiliate links with friends and family just to get sales. They don’t like that. I didn’t know that, but I know that now. Do not send those affiliate links to your friends and family. Don’t do it.

The third mistake I made was sending the link offline. Not only did I suggest that my brother buy the laptop through me, but I also made the mistake of texting it to him. That was a big no-no. They don’t want you doing any emailing, texting, or any offline sharing of their links. Whatever websites you listed on your application, whether it’s your website or social media profiles, those are the sites you should be sharing those links on. And there are even rules around that, like creating individual posts for the product on social media. That’s why I’ve put the links in the description for you, so you can go and read them and understand how to use the program and earn money from it without getting banned.

To recap, do not send offline links. That means no texting, no emails. And that leads me to the fourth thing: beware of misleading YouTube tutorials. I recently stumbled upon a YouTube tutorial that encouraged people to create an Amazon Associates link for Audible and then promote a leads generation site to gather tons of leads. The creator suggested sending Amazon affiliate links in emails to these leads. Don’t do that. If you come across any tutorials encouraging you to create Amazon Associate accounts and generate links for email marketing, that’s another thing that will get you banned.

Just because I won’t be making money from Amazon Associates doesn’t mean you don’t have to, so learn from my mistake. If you enjoyed this video and found it useful, please be sure to like and subscribe. Share this video with anyone who just signed up for Amazon Associates so they can learn from my mistakes. And check out the other videos in the description that share even more things to watch out for to avoid getting banned. Hopefully, I’ll see you in the next video. Bye!

The post How I Got Banned from Amazon Associates – Learn From My Mistakes appeared first on Natasha's World.

It’s been a while since I wrote anything on both my blog or uploaded a video on my YouTube channel. In a future post, I may share why. For now, I’d like to share an important message from Spirit that I received yesterday. Before I begin, I must admit that I haven’t been using my tarot cards much lately. So, when I woke up Sunday morning and saw this clear image of the Judgment card, it surprised me. Then I started downloading the following message and it all made sense:

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Collectively, humanity is going through what can be described as a Judgment Phase. From a Christian perspective, you’re reaping what you’ve sowed. From a Buddhist perspective, you’re experiencing karmic retribution.

The purpose of the quarantine was to allow the planet to heal from all the damage that was caused by humanity. However, instead of being good stewards to the earth, you decided to reopen and go right back to polluting the land and bodies of water. Since the warnings were ignored, you experienced death and destruction. If you stay on your current path, then more is coming. The many who’ve died so far was the first wave. The second wave has the potential to be far worse.

However, all hope is not lost. If you choose a better path today, you won’t be as affected by this next wave. Here are some things you can start doing:

Take Better Care of the Planet

• Stop polluting the earth and water with chemicals and trash.
• Recycle when possible and use recyclable products.
• Support industries with a smaller carbon footprint.
• Support small local farms. Choose organic when possible.
• If animal products are consumed, then choose ones that are wild-caught, pasture-raised, or grass-fed.

Strengthen the Immune System

• Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds (preferably organic) in the diet
• Drink plenty of clean water. Choose alkaline, spring, or distilled water with added minerals.
• Use herbs and supplements as needed. Some good choices are food-based multi-vitamin, vitamin C, vitamin D3, elderberry, colloidal silver, turmeric, cod liver oil (if not vegan), etc.
• Replace table salt with Himalayan Sea salt or Celtic Salt.
• If not vegans, ensure that 80% or more of your animal protein is wild-caught, pasture-raised, or grass-fed.

Eliminate Toxic Energy from the Environment

• Remove toxic relationships or things from your life
• Reduce stress as much as possible
• Surround yourself with kindred spirits who support and uplift you
• Spend time daily focusing on things you’re grateful for
• Spend time daily focusing on your prayers and wishes as if you’ve already received them.
• Spend time daily doing things that make you happy or laugh.

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My take:

While wearing masks and washing our hands may help, there’s so much more we can do to prepare for what’s coming. Be safe friends and family. May we all get to the end of this phase with ease. Blessings to you.

The post Important Message from Spirit – How to Ride the Judgement Wave appeared first on Natasha's World.

Many will agree that 2016 was a tough year. As a way of preparing for 2017, most people are probably doing the same thing they do every year – set New Year’s resolutions. What many people don’t realize is that according to a University of Scranton study, only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals. With such prospects, why set them at all?

So, this year I’ve decided to try an experiment and I welcome you to try it with me. Rather than starting the year with a list of goals that I’ll probably fail at, I’m going to try something a little different. I’m going to replace my New Year’s resolutions with a “wish list” of all the things I desire to manifest. I’m not going to worry about the “how” or “when”. That’s boring. There are too many moving parts involved. Instead, I’ll leave those details to the source of power that keeps the universe running. You can refer to this source as God, Divinity, Universe, Source, Mystic Law, Myoho – it doesn’t matter. All that matters is the awareness that I don’t have all the answers at my fingertip, but some force bigger than me does.

My only focus will be on the “what”-  the things that I wish to manifest because they add joy to my life. As far as I’m concerned, nothing is too big or small. I’l keep adding to my list as I see fit. If at some point my desire for certain things change before they manifest, I’ll remove them. That’s it. Simple.

Wish List vs. New Year’s Resolutions

At this point, you’re probably wondering how creating a wish list is better than setting New Year’s resolutions. Well, let me count the ways:

1. With a wish list, there is no pressure to achieve any goals since there are none.
2. I don’t have to figure out any steps on “how” to make any goals happen. I simply trust that I’ll be led to the right people, place and/or circumstances that will help my wishes to manifest. Call it intuition, if you like..
3. I don’t have to force myself to make any changes that I’m not ready to make.
4. I can finally just focus on things that bring me joy and happiness.

What it boils down to is this – most of the time, resolutions fail. So, why continue to do the same thing every year while expecting different results? Sounds insane to me. With this experiment, you have nothing to lose but a few minutes of your time. You have the opportunity to become like a child who’s making a list for Santa. That’s way more fun than setting goals.

Example of a Wish List

In case you’re wondering what’s on my wish list, below you’ll find a sneak peak. I like to write my wishes in the present tense, as if I already have them. There are many theories beyond the scope of this post as to why focusing on desires as if it they already exists is more powerful than focusing on them in future tense. If you’re really curious, two good resources to get you started are The Power by Rhonda Byrne and Money, and the Law of Attraction: Learning to Attract Wealth, Health, and Happiness by Esther Hicks. Without further adieu, here are the top 8 items on my list:

1. I reach my ideal weight in the healthiest and funnest way possible.
2. All of my friends, family and myself  have absolute happiness, optimal health, peace of mind and victory in all areas.
3. I’m debt free.
4. I have enough money saved up to last for at least one year.
5. I have multiple sources of income.
6. My relationships are improved, especially local ones, and I have a great network of support for Conrad and myself.
7. Conrad thrives at school and makes many more friends.
8. I’m 100% self-employed and doing work that’s both fulfilling to me and adds value to the lives of others.

I have more items to add, but you get the point. I have no idea how many of the things on my list will manifest, but that’s OK. I’ve come to believe that it’s not my job to worry about all of that. Whatever wisdom or resources I need will present themselves.

So, let’s see how it all goes. I’ll keep you updated in future posts. If you’re joining me in this experiment, have fun making your wish list. Also, let me know about  your experience.  Blessings to you and Happy New year!

The post How to Replace New Year’s Resolutions appeared first on Natasha's World.

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I last wrote a blog post! I started 2016 with so much excitement about blogging again, and then life happened. Before I knew it, almost a years has passed and it’s now Christmas day. To my defense, I have been more active on Facebook this year then any other year. In addition, I’m now ready to take it to the next level, and start posting to multiple places at once.

I won’t make any promises or declarations on how often I’ll be blogging. I have to set myself up for victory. However, I am determined to increase my online social network. I’m also working on improving my health and want to start posting about my journey. So, stay tuned. In the meantime, may your holidays be happy and safe. Blessings to you.

The post Last Post of 2016 appeared first on Natasha's World.

My first post of 2016 will be a relatively short one. I wish I could say that I’m going to miss 2015, but I’d be lying. Now, don’t get me wrong. I did have some amazing moments, most of which involved my son, and I was able to find a good job at a great company. Yet, I also lost both parents and have been dealing with the emotional roller coaster ride that comes with that. In addition, I’ve been dealing with some physical health issues that’s made it challenging to keep up with my little one and some relationship issues concerning certain family members. So, needless to say, I’m ready to move on to a fresh start. To 2015, thank you for the happy moments and life lessons. Goodbye now.

To 2016, welcome to the world baby. I don’t know what the future holds, but I look forward to getting to know you.” I pray that we’ll work well together towards accomplishing all goals. May you bless us with an abundance of love, absolute happiness, good health, long life, protection, prosperity, victory and good fortune. When we forget, may you gently remind us to live life in the present so that we have absolutely no regrets. May your arrival rain blessings on the whole planet. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

xoxoxo

Happy New Year everyone and blessings to you!

The post A Welcome Note to 2016 appeared first on Natasha's World.

For those of you who may not know my story,  please allow me to back track a little…

After graduating from college in 2003, I did some freelance web designing for about a year. After not getting paid fully for a couple of projects, I decided that I needed a break. Weeks later, I ended up traveling to Foxtail Farm where I spent a couple of months doing an organic farming internship. It was there that I learned about Heifer International. The following year, I spent 6 months doing volunteer work at the Heifer International Ranch and Learning Center in Arkansas.

While I was away, I found out that my mother stopped taking some of her meds. Back then she was on about 15 different medications a day. Needless to say, she was experiencing some severe side effects with some of pills and wanted her doctors to wean her off. Being that she was going to a free clinic, her requests fell on deaf ears. She then grew impatient and decided to take matters into her own hands. Sadly, this decision led to some serious consequences. My mom would soon learn how fatal it can be to stop taking certain drugs incorrectly.

On August 26, 2005, 2 weeks after I came home from Arkansas, my mother suffered a cardiac arrest and I watched her die in the ER. Although she was resuscitated, witnessing all of this was probably one of the worst experiences of my life. To make matters worst, I was carrying guilt for all the years of bad attitudes that I had towards her. Even that fateful night, I remember being so annoyed that she made us wait until the last minute to take her to the hospital for the breathing problems she was having. She thought it was asthma and kept putting it off. When she finally couldn’t take it anymore, we ended up having to drive through hurricane Katrina.  We would later learn that my mother’s heart was failing and pumping fluids into her lungs the whole day, hence the breathing problems. I still sometimes wonder if things would have turned out differently if we had acted sooner…

After mom had the cardiac arrest, her prognosis wasn’t good. She was without oxygen for too long and ended having quite a bit of brain  damage. The doctors weren’t hopeful and didn’t expect her to live more than a few days, if that much. Fortunately, mom would prove all of them wrong and live for another 10+ years.  Unfortunately,  she was no longer able to walk, talk or do anything on her own. Although she had a wake/sleep cycle and showed signs of awareness, she was said to be in a persistent vegetative state.

Despite all of this, her health was pretty stable for the next 8+ years. She needed total care, but was able to breath on her own. Then, about 2 years ago, her health started to deteriorate rapidly. She started going in and out of the hospital, almost on a monthly basis. At first I thought it was negligence from the nursing home, but then with each hospital visit she would come back with a new problem. Eventually one of our worst nightmares became a reality – mom needed life support.

After my mother was put on a respirator, everything went downhill from there. Between 2014 and 2015,  mom was in and out of the hospital for pneumonia, developed folliculitis,  and even started to have some kidney problems. The whole family felt helpless as we watched her suffer.

At this point, I wish I could say that things got easier after a while, but they didn’t. As I mentioned in my last post, on February 5th, I got laid off. It was rough, but at least I was able to visit mom more often since I had more time on my hands. Then 18 days later, my mom passed away, surrounded by me and all my siblings. My dad, who apparently was sick and kept it on a down low, would soon follow 2 months later.

Fast forward to the present, it’s been hard. Yet, things are finally starting to quiet down a little. I’ve had a couple of scary mommy moments, which I’ll write about in a future posts, but overall, life is slowly getting back to some level of normal. The holidays were/are rough without my parents, but I’m getting through them.

So, what happens now, you ask? That’s where blogging comes in. I know this sounds like a cliche, but I have some goals for 2016. My hope is that by writing about them down, I could be held accountable – even if it’s from just one person reading this post. It’s a lot easier to quit when no one is watching.

With that said, here are my 2016 goals:

1. Limit Eating out – Most people who know me think that I eat a pretty clean diet already. What they may not know is that I don’t like all the clean up that happens during/after cooking and eat out quite a bit. My goal this new year is to limit eating out to no more than twice a week, if that much.
2. Limit Combining Carbs with Fats – Another thing many may not know about me is that I love foods that are both rich in carbohydrates and fat – 2 things that don’t go well together when one is trying to trim down. My goal for this new year is to limit carbs to less than 10 grams a dish if I’m eating fats and to limit fats to less than 10 grams if I’m eating carbs/starches.  If I need to eat out, I’ll stick with foods that require little to no cooking with fats, such as salads or uncooked sushi. Most restaurants use soybean or canola oil in their dishes anyways, and those fats are about as bad as drinking plastic.
3. Focus on Losing Inches and Fat Rather than Weight – I have absolutely no idea what my ideal weight should be. Even when I was 40 pounds thinner than I am now, I still felt like I was what some would call “skinny fat”. So, instead of focusing on a number on a scale, I’m going to focus on 3 things:
   • Amount of inches lost
   • How I look in the mirror
   • How my clothes fit

   Once a month I may weigh in to track my progress, but the number on the scale won’t be my primary focus.

4. Have a normal Pap Smear at my next OB/Gyn Appointment – To my male readers, I apologize if this is TMI. The OB that I’ve been going to has recently “fired” me as a patient, because I chose to deal with my abnormal pap smear naturally rather than following her advice. I know it’s a gamble, but it’s one that I’m willing to take, for now. I will do whatever procedure is necessary if my next visit is it still abnormal, but all I wanted was the opportunity to try to improve my health my way before allowing a doctor to mess with my body. Maybe it’s because giving birth naturally to my son was so traumatizing, but the last thing I want at this time is for any doctor to come near me with any sort of invasive procedure or sharp instrument, unless it’s absolutely necessary.
5. Improve my credit score – There was a time where my credit score was so amazing, I could walk into a car dealership with no money and leave with a brand new car. I want to be able to have that “buying” power again. I plan on and have already started doing the following:
   • Live beneath my means
   • Cut down on expenses
   • Pay off some hospital bills
   • Stay current with student loans
   • Stay current with credit card bill until I pay if off completely

And that’s all I have for now. For those of you who are still reading, thanks for hanging in there! You are appreciated. I would love to hear from you. How was your 2015? What are some of your goals for 2016? If you hold me accountable, I’ll return the favor. Blessings to you and Happy Holidays.

The post I’m back, for now appeared first on Natasha's World.

For those of you who may not have known, I worked at Citrix for almost 4.5 years. I can honestly say that it was one of the best companies I’ve ever worked for. Unfortunately, life or Divinity had other plans for me for 2015. Before I could reach the 5 year mark, I ended up being one of the 700 full-time employees that was laid off on February 4, 2014.

“Everything happens for a reason” is a phrase that I’ve heard quite a few times since that fateful day. At first it annoyed me, but then I started to see the truth in it. For one thing, this layoff gave me the motivation I needed to take down the maintenance page that had been on my site for almost 6 years. It also freed up my time so that I can both give the site a much needed facelift and update my portfolio that looked like something out of the 90’s. I’m even finding myself wanting to get back into art again…

In addition to everything already mentioned, here are three lessons that I learned from all of this:

Lesson 1: Don’t allow yourself to be too comfortable with a corporate job

It’s easy to become very comfortable with a corporate job after you’ve been at a company for many years. Before you know it, you become lazy and complacent. You forget that at the end of a day, you’re a replaceable employee. Unless you’re the CEO or a board member with a high amount of shares, you can easily be replaced. So, stay sharp. Keep up with the latest best practices and trends in your field. Keep your resume and/or portfolio updated. Learn from my mistake. Don’t wait until you’re unemployed to try to figure this all out.

Lesson 2: Maintain good relationships with peers both inside and outside of your place of employment

Maintaining good working/professional relationships is very important. You never know when you’ll need to connect with someone in your field for reference or recommendation. Even if you don’t like someone’s personality, try to find some common ground or something about him/her that you appreciate. Trust me when I say that often times, the ones you least expect are the ones that end up helping you in the future.

Lesson 3: Maintain good relationships with recruiters

No matter how much you love working at a company or how long you’ve been there, it doesn’t hurt to have good relationships with recruiters in your area. Even if you have no plans of ever leaving, you never know when you may not have a choice. So, it makes sense to keep in touch with recruiters so that you have people to reach out to in case the inevitable happens. Good recruiters will work hard on your behalf. Trust me when I tell you that this is very helpful, especially when you’re forced back into the job market after years of employment.

Anyhow, that’s all I have for now. Time to move forward. My prayer is that all of us who were impacted by the layoff will find career opportunities that are perfectly suited for us. With that said, do you know anyone who’s looking for a UI/Front-End Web Developer in the South Florida area and who doesn’t mind some singing/humming every once in a while, occasional conversations about nutrition and a weird sense of humor? If so, let me know. Thanks.

The post Everything happens for a reason… appeared first on Natasha's World.

As many of you may know, I’m a firm believer that incorporating lot’s of fresh fruits and veggies in your diet will keep your immune system strong. Sadly many times we either don’t eat enough of these healing foods or our immune systems still need a little extra boost. In cases like this, the following steps usually work for me. The steps regarding the vitamins are also useful before getting sick if implemented when there’s a bug going around.

1. I always keep a supply of the dynamic trio – Zinc, Echinacea and Vitamin C. I take these three in addition to a multivitamin once a day until the cold or flu goes away. I also always take these three with the soup mentioned in the next step.The minute I start to feel under the weather, I either make or buy some Veggie soup without noodles or pasteurized dairy or MSG. I do add some spices and make sure it has enough natural sodium from sea salt to make the soup act as saline solution to help loosen up phlegm. As for wheat and pasteurized dairy products, I find that they can causes excessive mucous (sorry if this is TMI). MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) can cause reactions known as MSG symptom complex  which include headaches, facial pressure, numbness etc. For more information on this, visit – MSG Symptom Complex – Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. No one needs those complication when trying to heal from a cold/flu.
2. Before drinking/serving the soup, I like to crush fresh garlic into it. Garlic is a powerful natural antibiotic and antioxidant and works wonders for me.  I’ve also become a fan of organic turmeric which has natural anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. Be sure to pair it with black or white pepper since it helps with absorption.
3. For sore throat, I like to gargle with warm sea salt water in addition to the steps above.
4. For both colds and flus, rest and plenty of fluids are a definite requirement.

With these steps together, I am usually able to knock out a cold within a matter of a few days and have also had success with the flu. Please keep in mind that these are steps that work for me. Everyone is different so please take that into consideration should you decide to try out these steps for yourself. For example, if you’re allergic to garlic, then use wisdom and skip it and try only turmeric.

To your health and mine ;).

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Imagine trying to accept others for who they are while being highly critical and judgmental of yourself…

Imagine trying to be compassionate with others while beating yourself up every time you make a mistake…

Imagine trying to forgive others while never forgiving yourself…

Difficult isn’t it?

So with that, I also started thinking about what unconditional love means to me – like how I would define it based on my experiences. Here’s my take:

Unconditional love is love in its highest and purest form, where there is no fear, no judgment and no unrealistic expectations
This kind of love heals and uplifts
This kind of love is given freely, even when it’s not deserved
This kind of love surpasses all understanding
This kind of love never fails

I wonder what the world would be like if everyone loved like this… Would that leave room for breakups? Maybe it does… Since as humans we are constantly growing and evolving, maybe it’s possible for 2 people to deeply love each other and yet grow apart. I imagine they would amicably part ways while having deep appreciation and gratitude for the moments shared.

Heck, I imagine that this can also apply to other types of relationships as well.  To be able to have differing opinions on things and simply agree to disagree with no hard feelings… Hmm, what a concept…

I imagine in a world where people loved like this there would be no need for wars. Countries would celebrate each other’s differences and have peaceful exchanges between each other. Poverty would most likely not exist. Governments, loving their peoples unconditionally, would see to it that all resources are fairly distributed and that all needs are met.

Taking it to the next level, I also imagine that people who love unconditionally would take greater responsibility for their environment. I don’t believe it would be necessary for all people to become vegans (though that would be great for the animals – one less predator to worry about), but I imagine that people would treat animals and the earth with more respect.  Even in nature, I believe animals are born knowing that they are either predators or preys.  Yet, I imagine there exist a certain level of respect between the animals. It’s like an unspoken understanding that it’s not personal, only survival.

Wow, in all my imaginings, I forgot that I have to get to work. My bosses have been extremely awesome to me and I have every determination to keep reciprocating the same level of awesomeness back to them.

Anyhow, this been my take on unconditional love. Anyone care to join me in putting this into practice?

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Panic. Tears. Breathless.
Heart Racing. Head Spinning. Timeless.
Running Away. Standing Still. Helpless.

On Being Grateful

Joyful. Excited. Thankful.
Thoughtful. Encouraging. Loving.
Gracious. Compassionate. Appreciation.

On Being in Love

Friendship. Crush. Attraction.
Trust. Passion. Satisfaction.
Soulmate. Lover. Companion.

The post On Being… Part 2 appeared first on Natasha's World.

Self-discovery. Independent. Stubborn.
Good friends. Good conversation. Good times.
Good books. Good food. Good movies.
Laughter. Simple pleasures. Peace.

On Being a Woman

Challenging. Acceptance. Confident.
Sensual. Nurturing. Loving.
Feminine. Beautiful. Goddess.
Strong. Humble. Proud.

On Being a Virgin

Innocent. Experienced. Curious.
Concerned. Relieved. Anxious.
Impatient. Waiting. Scared.
Determined. Perseverant. Ready.

To be continued…

The post On Being… Part 1 appeared first on Natasha's World.

———————-

Stream of Life
by Rabindranath Tagore

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth
and of death, in ebb and in flow.

I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.

———————-

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

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Speaking of holidays, this past Thanksgiving reminded me of how much I have to be grateful for. I have been blessed with awesome and patient friends, supportive family, good health, all of my basic necessities and then some, and a job that helps me pay bills and provides me with many opportunities to learn about myself.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

In addition to being grateful for my blessings, I have also made the following 3 realizations about building friendship with men:

1. If I just meet a guy and start falling for him,  maybe what I’m falling for are the character/physical attributes he has that I would want in a future husband.
2. Upon considering Realization #1, I should make a running list of these attributes.
3. If after Realization # 1 & 2  I still have warm and tingly feelings for this new guy,  then I should be careful not to quickly throw my heart at him. Instead, I could consider allowing the relationship to naturally develop into what it’s meant to become.

The three realizations above seem so simple, yet it’s amazing how many women I meet who never take the time to consider any of them, especially # 2 and #3 – and I have been guilty of this before myself. After applying the three realizations above, I find that I have so much more clarity and my friendships are full of depth while being light and fun.

On that note, I will leave you with the words of one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite Disney movies, “Rodgers And Hammerstein’s Cinderella”. This song was sang by both Cinderella and the Prince while they danced the night away. Enjoy and Happy Holidays.

——————————–

Do I love you because you’re beautiful,
or are you beautiful because I love you?
Am I making believe I see in you
a girl too lovely to be really true?

Do I want you because you’re wonderful,
or are you wonderful because I want you?
Are you the sweet invention of a lover’s dream
or are you really as beautiful as you seem?

Am I making believe I see in you
a man too perfect to be really true?
Do I want you because you’re wonderful,
or are you wonderful because I want you?

Are you the sweet invention of a lover’s dream
or are you really as wonderful as you seem?

——————————–

The post December ’08 Updates and a Song appeared first on Natasha's World.

On the same day as election day, I also recieved my Gohonzon, an object of devotion in Nicherin Buddhism. I was introduced to this form of Buddhism by my friend Ricardo weeks prior and haven’t turned back since. As time goes by, I will share more about what I’m learning. In the meantime, you can click here to learn more.

Last but not least, I’ll leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite songs from the early ’90s. These words describe some of what I’ve been experiencing lately. Until next time…

——————–
Save the Best for Last
sung by Vanessa Williams
——————–

Sometimes the snow comes down in June
Sometimes the sun goes round the moon
I see the passion in your eyes
Sometimes it’s all a big surprise
’cause there was a time when all I did was wish
You’d tell me this was love
Its not the way I hoped or how I planned
But somehow it’s enough

And now we’re standing face to face
Isn’t this world a crazy place
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You go and save the best for last

All of the nights you came to me
When some silly girl had set you free
You wondered how you’d make it through
I wondered what was wrong with you

’cause how could you give your love to someone else
And share your dreams with me
Sometimes the very thing you’re looking for
Is the one thing you can’t see

But now we’re standing face to face
Isn’t this world a crazy place
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You go and save the best for last

Sometimes the very thing you’re looking for
Is the one thing you can’t see

Sometimes the snow comes down in June
Sometimes the sun goes round the moon
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You go and save the best for last

You went and saved the best for last

The post November ’08 Update and a Song appeared first on Natasha's World.

Anyways, I also had my own health scare a few weeks ago.  I was at work when I started experiencing chest pains on my left side. I jokingly told my coworkers that I thought I was having a heart attack and they all bust out laughing and soon I joined them. However, the next day the pain was still there. Then the following morning at 5:30am, I woke up sweating and having a hard time breathing. I knocked on my brothers bedroom door to tell him and he quickly rushed me to the ER .

As soon as I mentioned chest pain, the ER staff did not delay to rush me to the doctor. They drew a lot of blood and injected me with this iodine thing that made me feel like I peed myself.  Then they did a CT scan to make sure I didn’t have some type of clot.  After what felt like hours of waiting, the doctor finally came in to tell me that they found nothing. He gave me a prescription for pain killers and had me take one with some crackers and apple juice. I burped, felt better and it all suddenly made perfect sense. I had bad gas.

As for my weight loss efforts, I have lost about 20 pounds since I last wrote about wanting to lose weight. Most of my success is due to me incorporating more raw foods into my diet and getting more physically active. Eventually, I will write more details on how I was able to achieve this.  It hasn’t been a walk in the park and I did reach a plateau as a result of straying off the wellness path. Good news is that I have been able to maintain my weight and am now ready to pick up where I left off. My goal is to lose the remainder 20 pounds by December 31, 2008.

Well, that’s all for now. Be safe.

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