What's Your Inner Voice Saying?

So have you noticed that over the last ten or so years there's been a real explosion about "what you think about you bring about?" For me, I started hearing about thoughts being powerful when The Secret came out.  

It really got me thinking about my life and my thoughts, and how my thoughts were things, and how I am where I am because of the thoughts I have etc...  Some would say bulls%&t!! Others would say it's revolutionized them. I say, proof is in the pudding. I look at people I admire and I've studied their lives a bit. I mean, if you want to be successful, do what successful people do right? So I look at people like Oprah, Bill Gates, Martin Luther King Jr., Michelle Obama, Will Smith, Jim Carrey, my parents, my favorite teacher, Denise Pelley and the list goes on and on.  

The common theme - IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, THEN YOU CAN.  Another common theme was that they all believed in a higher power. I say the higher power is God, others may say Buddha - whatever you believe is ultimately your truth.  

The journey we go on to find "the truth" or "the meaning" of life, well, it's really what you believe it to be. If you believe life is hard and it sucks, well, you're damn right, that's your truth. And you will find that life is hard and it sucks. If you believe that life is full of opportunities and if you work hard you will succeed, then that is ultimately your truth and that's what your experience will be.   What you believe will be YOUR reality.

What I have found with any person I consider to be successful is that not only do they believe in themselves, they believe/have faith in others and want to see better for others. That's what drives them. ALSO their work ethic supercedes the norm. The whole work smarter not harder - well, who do you know that is super successful and did not go through a period of having to work their butt off? I'm not saying you have to work 18 hour days, but you do have to work and you have to work hard and you have to work smart. So the winning formula from where I sit is 

Belief  + Work + Desire for betterment of others = Success.

This is my opinion. You don't have to agree, but try it and see what happens. Oh, and you know that inner voice that we all have? Train it to tell you good things. Shut it up when it is being negative. Don't feed it garbage. Listen to positive and motivational messages. Surround yourself with positive and uplifting people (so important), and please know, that failure is only a failure if you let it be one. Turn it into an opportunity. Learn from mistakes and ENJOY THE JOURNEY.

YOU can do whatever you tell yourself you can do. I so believe that and I believe in you. You can do this!!!!!!

Yours in Beauty,

Pink Ink

Feel good article about Bullying. Really?

The goal of Pink Ink is to provide women (all people really) an opportunity to feel good every

Wednesday morning when they wake up and read our blog.  So how does an article about bullying achieve this?  Please read on to find out.       

The Oxford Dictionary defines the term "bully" as the use of superior strength of influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force them to do something.  Often times when we think of bullying we think of that kid in school who was/is physically bigger than most of the other kids on the school yard or who, for some reason, had/has a crew of kids around them to carry out their every mean spirited demand.  We all knew/know that kid (the bully), who teased the other kids for being different or seemed to always try to hurt other people's feelings.  For some of us, we were/are that bully.  However, we do not often think about our friends, work associates or family members as bullies because they are supposed to care about us right? No matter who is doing the bullying the result is often the same, the bullied person often feels a little less good about themselves and I would hazard a guess that the bully is not truly feeling good about themselves either.

As women who work primarily with women, we see the after effects of bullying on the self esteem of the hundreds of women we encounter in our business.  Beautiful women on the inside scared to show who they are on the outside.  These women are so incredibly bright, quick witted and full of ideas and dreams.  We see women who smile outwardly but are crying inwardly.  One of the questions we often ask ourselves is why are there so many woman who feel small inside or undervalued when they obviously have so much to give?  More often than not, that woman has been hurt by someone - even bullied.  Do we have an answer for the growing epidemic of bullying?  No.  We do have a message for all of the bullies and the bullied though. 

No matter what anyone has told you, done to you, does to you or how you may feel about yourself - YOU ARE VALUABLE.  There is no one else in this world like you.  You were created with specific gifts and talents to show the world and you cannot let ANYONE'S bad behavior

prevent you from shining your light and making a difference in this world.  Are we all Oprah's?  I would say yes.  Let me explain what I mean.  Oprah has been voted to be one of the most influential, philanthropic, individuals in the world.  She can say she read a book today and millions will go read that book.  She will make a comment about meat - positive or negative - and sales are affected.  Why?  Because she has touched millions of lives in some way that has made them feel good about themselves.  Did she start out different than you or I? Nope.  You have the same abilities she started with.  So when I ask you, are you like an Oprah Winfrey your answer should be yes.  Not

because you necessarily strive to be her but because although you may not have the influential power of Oprah to affect millions (heck, you just might if you follow your dreams) you do have the influential power to affect one person in your life.  Your influence on that one, can affect another, and then another, and then another etc...  You are an Oprah to someone and you just might not know it.  Even better, you are insert your name here  - we better recognize!!!!

Now here is the plug!!!  Pink Ink along with Silent Poetry and Flying Unlimited are hosting a concert  - Youth on Fire - Weird and Proud - on November 16th in London, Ontario, to help raise money for the London Anti-Bullying Coalition.  An organization that works to develop policies in our schools and help protect our children from being bullied.  The women involved in bringing this concert to this community have worked

tirelessly to ensure that you will be entertained and educated about the issue of bullying.  You can expect to see Marc Trinidad, Saidat, Brooklyn Roebuck, Austin Pryce, Sounds in Motion Dance Performance Troupe and Holly Painter with special appearances by the Faces of Pink Ink , Miss Teen Canada, https://www.facebook.com/.../Miss-Teen-Canada...Celina-Rivas-Vasquez/...‎Celina RivasVasquez and the story of a survivor - Sara Clarke.  

You will be wowed by our feature performer, London's own hidden gem, Victoria Zubick!   Your support is needed.  Please contact Jen at Pink Ink, Kamini at Silent Poetry, Yvette at Flying Unlimited or tickets.ticketwindow.ca for tickets or if you want to help in a financial way contact Yvette from Flying Unlimited.  

Victoria Zubick - London's Rising Star

Thank you for reading. We greatly appreciate your support.  However, what would make the Pink Ink ladies smile is if you ensure to  shine your light.  Remember, there is no other light quite like yours and it is valuable to all who see it.  

Peace, love and beauty,

The Pink Ink Ladies.