Archive for 2010
What happy customers have in common…
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
As a designer, I have done my homework. I have observed who my happiest customers are and why. They all have a few things in common, and I’m going to share a little of that with you. (more…)
Tags: design, interior design, self-discovery, suzi vandersteen
Posted in Musings, Musings: Authentic Style | Comments Off
Design is Obsession Realized
Sunday, December 26th, 2010
“Design is Obsession Realized” –Anonymous
I don’t remember the first time I heard this quote, but I certainly remember the words. I always thought there was something wrong with me… I could not resistmoving my furniture around, adding here, taking away there, standing around with my hand on my hip (ala my mother’s style before a major decorating project was about to ensue), painting a wall, repainting the wall, then obsessing as to why it all was or wasn’t working out. Exhausting? Yes, but exhilarating and thrilling as well. Every time I took on a project I tried to learn something new. Eventually cutting down on costly mistakes, editing my home and most importantly defining my own style. (more…)
Tags: authenticity, design, strength finder, style statement, suzi vandersteen
Posted in Musings, Musings: Authentic Style | 1 Comment »
Start living your dream right now
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010
“Start living your dream right nown” JJ Manifesto Point #15
Here’s a Joy Junket challenge for these few days before the Holidays… How about doing ONLY the things you want to do? In other words, let go of the expectations of others, and more importantly let go of the expectations you put on yourself. Whatever you’ve done… it’s enough. A few years ago I learned the phrase, “I’m responsible for the effort, not the outcome.” I think when we try to do too much we are trying to influence the outcome or trying to control the outcome.
So, here’s your hall pass. Go out, have fun, do only what you want, and bring a sense of serenity to things you have to do. Enjoy yourself, and take a minute to think about your dreams! –Suzi
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What you wear matters deeply….unless you are Budha. Dress to Manifest.
Monday, December 20th, 2010
What you wear matters deeply. Unless you are Buddha.
I am all about purging the “stuff” in our homes and closets that no longer serves us as a means to feeling good and allowing other good stuff to flow in. I am for simplicity and only having those objects, accessories and pieces of clothing around us that are either beautiful or useful (AND preferably both!). Someday, when I reach full 100% enlightenment (Buddha like state), I figure I’ll be trucking around in a burlap caftan (Heck, I’ll probably be naked and living in California……), totally unadorned and in a complete state of bliss 24/7.
Until that time, I will continue to be mindful about my stuff- in particular , the stuff I wear. As a faculty member at Good Vibe University (a fabulous site for all from Novice to expert in Law of Attraction), I know that allowing myself to “feel good” is the quickest ticket to a great life. No matter what it is I am wanting to manifest, more FUN with my darling husband, an additional client for my coaching practice who is magically perfect for me, more limber joints, paying off my house, a LUXE trip to a desert location, I can “feel” my way there by adorning myself in costumes and accessories that create those feelings.
Sound odd to you? You ask, “so, to manifest paying off my mortgage sooner (feels like POWER!) ….I should wear my favorite cowboy boots (that give me the feeling of cowgirl ass kicking POWER) today? Yes. That is exactly (more…)
Tags: buddha, coach, dress, joy junket, law of attraction, manifesting, medicine bag, sarah seidelmann, style authentic, style statement
Posted in Musings: Authentic Style, Rarified inspiration | 4 Comments »
Ignore previous cookie
Sunday, December 12th, 2010
“Ignore previous cookie.”
—-Message in a fortune cookie
What a great message! This reminds me I can start my day over at any time. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in a project, activity, situation… that I lose my perspective. (more…)
Tags: holidays, home, insipiration, self-discovery
Posted in Musings, Musings: Authentic Style | 2 Comments »
Joy Junket Manifesto #5: THERE’S A BOUNTY OUT THERE. More than enough for everyone. No Exceptions.
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
Swinging bed of Abundance
Hello! It’s Sarah here, the Life Coach 1/2 of Joy Junket. This Joy Junket Manifesto point is a BIG one. There is a Bounty out there, and I am not talking about the quicker picker upper. Often there is a belief out these that somehow there are NOT ENOUGH jobs, friends, money, good men (or women!), or opportunities OUT THERE. Can you relate? Let’s take a little time talking about HOW to create an abundance.
Often the thought goes something like this………..
”Well, I better not tell anybody else my idea for a travel company specializing in Shamanic healing involving porcupines- somebody might steal it!” (or the variation “Nobody will ever want to buy tickets for my Shamanic travel service using porcupines”) OR “Everybody already MAKES woolen hats for crayfish, I have nothing new or special to offer the world.” OR “In this Podunk town, there is NO way I’d have enough clients to do my dream job of being a Belly Dancing Business Consultant “ OR (My current one….) “There are already so many books on HAPPINESS out there- how could anybody want mine, I am just a weird pathologist, decoupage aficionado, interior design enthusiast, life coach and adoptive mother – who would could possibly relate?”
YOU ARE UNIQUE! Only YOU can do what YOU DO! There is no real competition. All hurdles are imagined! When you do THAT which you LOVE, you will call into action the jobs, the clients, the business, and the resources you need. We can’t know whether they will buy the tickets to the PORCUPINE SHAMAN TRAVEL SERVICE AND we must simply begin. I have seen it over and over in my own life and in the lives of my clients. It is magical. No exceptions.
SWINGING BEDS AND AFFIRMATIONS
Suzi and I had really incorporated the lesson that there is no competition with our business. But, I noticed shortly after doing the BIG work of creating our website and expanding our offices that our abundance mentality at Joy Junket was suffering. We had been working long hours (more…)
Tags: good vibe university, how-to, insipiration, jeannette maw, joy junket, law of attraction, life coach, metamorphsosis coaching, pray rain journaling, sarah seidelmann
Posted in Musings, Rarified inspiration, care and feeding | 4 Comments »
Birds…What Birds?
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
“That the birds of worry and care fly above your head, this you cannot change. But that they build nexts in your hair, this you can prevent.”
–Chinese proverb
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Just For Today…
Sunday, December 5th, 2010
“Just for today, I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle all my problems at once.”—AA and Alanon slogan
I love the show Undercover Boss. As an audience, we are in on the secret from the beginning, while the people surrounding their potential new employee are judging whether or not he is proficient at his work, and the boss is getting a slice of life as an employee in his/her company. In the end, the whole story makes sense from the perspective of all parties, and everyone is handsomely rewarded for playing their part in the company. (more…)
Tags: authenticity, holiday, insipiration, self care, self-discovery, spirit
Posted in Musings, Rarified inspiration | 4 Comments »
Forgive…. Period
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
“Forgive Period. Do it for you. Do the next Right Thing.”
JJ Manifesto #9
I don’t know why this Manifesto Point is speaking to me today, but it is. It’s possible someone has forgiven me for something and that’s why this thought is in the air… it may be that something is coming down the line and I’ll need to practice forgiveness in the near future, or maybe someone reading this is thinking about forgiveness…. I’ve learned to pay attention to these thoughts, and guess that’s why I’m writing about it. (more…)
Tags: authenticity, joy, life, self-discovery
Posted in Musings, Musings: Authentic Style | 1 Comment »
Let the Holidays leave you in Peace….
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Holidays often call for situation assessment: In other words, how does the house look? How do I look? Do we have enough food, drinks, room for everyone? And then it starts. A mad rush to Target for the “Holiday Pantry” (things we generally pass on the rest of the year, carmel corn, darling chocolates, hoity toity water for the table….) A quick lap around the local furniture store, ( a new sofa, table, chair, or ottoman should solve the problem of a disjointed seating area), Christmas decorations, (accessories, trimmings and greenery for inside and out), and of course a few magazines to inspire us to make perfect frosted cookies and crafts that seem oh so easy from the glossy pages of Marth Stewart Living. It seems like the Holidays arrive and we are prepared to prepare with the strategy of a small Brazillian Army! (more…)
Tags: creativity, design, holiday, interior design, life, self-discovery, spirit, style
Posted in Musings, Musings: Authentic Style | 4 Comments »
Feeling tapped out? Resentful? Maybe its time for some EXTREME self care.
Thursday, November 25th, 2010
Tags: cheryl richardson, extreme self care, insipiration, joy junket, martyr, resentment, sarah bamford seidelmann, sarah seidelmann, self care, suzi vandersteen
Posted in Care and Feeding, Videos | 3 Comments »
Manifesto Musings: Fun is a Superpower
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
As Joy Junket’s new assistant, I am privy to the inner workings of two amazing women on their quest to bring authenticity to the world. They do this through the porthole of interior and life design. In a few short months, this has become so much more than a job. I once referred to Joy Junket as the rollicking town square of a village where all ideas are entertained and weighed against their ability to transport the dreamer to a place that is true. Well, at the center of this mythical town resides a plaque, and on it is inscribed an edict for living called the Joy Junket Manifesto. These gentle directives are truly words to live by, and over the next several months, I will be sharing with you how this manifesto can change your life. It’s changing mine. (more…)
Tags: authenticity, creativity, fun, insipiration, joy, joy junket
Posted in Musings: Authentic Style | 3 Comments »
Serve it up!
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
“The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”
—Albert Schweitzer
I really like this quote, and I would also note that it’s especially rewarding to serve in a way that allows us to use the BEST of who we are. In my life I’ve volunteered for many things, but it wasn’t until I realized that my passion for design was something I would do for FREE (because I loved it so much, I just wanted to do it for ANYONE), that I found my best way to serve. (more…)
Tags: authenticity, creativity, design, interior design, service
Posted in Musings, Musings: Design Recovery | 1 Comment »
Stuff it…
Sunday, November 14th, 2010
“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”—Albert Einstein
I recently saw a report on the evening news about a gentleman who had whittled down all of earthly possessions to 100 items. He could literally COUNT what he owned. He had found a way to really identify what was important to him, and it wasn’t just stuff. He stated that he had downsized to a smaller apartment, and then found he was spending more time outside, a wonderful dividend of this intentional process. (more…)
Tags: authenticity, creativity, design, insipiration, self-discovery
Posted in Musings, Musings: Authentic Style | 4 Comments »
Our own Power…
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
“Power is the strength and the ability to see yourself through your own eyes and not through the eyes of another. It is being able to place a circle of power at your own feet and not take power from someone else’s circle”. –Agnes Whistling Elk
One of the great lessons I have learned through my own recovery journey has been that I am in control of my own power. I have also learned through the study of animal totems (thank you Sarah!) that Elk is a power totem for me. The elk have stamina, and love to be with their same sex peers. They also use babysitters! (who knew the lady elks needed a night out?).
What is your definition of power? I love this quote because it reminds us that we need not take power from others in order to feel powerful ourselves. Personal power comes when we listen to ourselves and to others, yet knowing we have no claim on anyone else to make us happy. -Suzi
Tags: authenticity, insipiration, joy, law of atttraction, life, self-discovery, spirit
Posted in Musings, Rarified inspiration | 4 Comments »
Is there a REALITY? Finding more Joy by choosing your own version….
Monday, November 8th, 2010
Tags: how-to, joy, life coach, perception, quick, reality, sarah aseidelmann, suzi vandersteen
Posted in Rarified Inspiration, Videos | 4 Comments »
Dr. Seidelmann has gone all Dr. Dolittle: what the Animals are saying could bring you more JOY.
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Hey all you fabulous Joyful readers! It’s Sarah here, your physician turned Life Coach in residence, at Joy Junket. I have really been delving into the magical world of Animal Totems lately as you may have noticed with my weekly podcast with fellow Coach Tami McCall, Squirrel! Radio.
I stumbled into Totems as I began to reconnect with Nature myself by taking many walks around my neighborhood. It has transformed my life in ways I could never imagined.
I think Totem work does something really powerful. It reconnects us with our own heart’s longings, great intelligence and peacefulness. “Really Sarah? “ , I can hear many of you saying…….”thinking about a Tiger or a rabbit could do that?” All I can say is, YES! I know it’s true for me and for the many people I have been working with. Its like plugging into the greatest power source there is…….and KNOWING that all is well and that, YES!, your dreams are wonderful and good.
Not to mention, you will get all sorts of support and hints on how exactly to go about doing what it is you dream of doing, becoming, having (great marriage, well behaved kids, fabulous joyful career, incredible health and energy…anything!). Some of my messages have been, “don’t worry- you are closer than you think- all you need to do is appreciate and enjoy the sweetness of everything” or “no need to roar here, just use quiet communication” , and “trust what smells right to you”. These messages have brought a deep sense of peace and contentment to me.
I know firsthand, that if my mind is left to its own devices, it will often try to get me to do a lot of stuff that does not serve me and does not feel good. Don’t get me wrong, the mind is a wonderful thing. Intellect can definitely help you to take wonderful action AS LONG AS (big point here) you are really listening to your intuition/heart/body compass. Many of my clients will tell you how fabulous life REALLY gets when you begin to listen to this little whisper AND, it gets louder and easier to hear the more you listen.
If you are interested in Totems and how they work by all means download or listen to this episode of squirrel radio here at Itunes. AND, I would invite you to try this little technique for reconnecting to your own heart.
Take about ten minutes to sit quietly today in Nature – could be your backyard, a park bench in the city – wherever you feel comfortable. If you are not a “sit still” kind of person, try walking at about 50% -75% your usual speed. Set an intention that you will get a message from Nature that will help you. Sit quietly with whatever question, quandry or desire you have and open your eyes, ears, sense with your skin and notice what you notice. Maybe it’s a Squirrel, an ant, or you hear a bird calling in the distance. Maybe a spider’s web catches your eye. Whatever shows up- tiny or large, thank it for showing up. When you are done, go online and read about what the totem means for ant, spider, squirrel, dragonfly. Linsdomain.com is one free site and there are many- so find one you like. See what you think about the message…..is there something there that rings true? Is this message helpful? Don’t worry if it makes no sense right now. See what happens in the next few days. Be curious 
Tags: animal totems, coaching, dr doolittle, heart, intuition, joy, life coach, physician, Squirrel! Radio
Posted in Musings, Rarified inspiration | 2 Comments »
Edit, Edit, Edit
Monday, November 1st, 2010
Edit. I don’t really like that word. In fact, isn’t it Tide spelled backwords? One means to stop or control, the other we couldn’t stop or control if we wanted to. How funny that two words could be so different just by switching a few letters around.
Tags: authenticity, creativity, design, editing, insipiration, interior design, joy, self-discovery, style
Posted in Musings, Musings: Authentic Style | 3 Comments »
Joy is contagious: Be part of the outbreak.
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
Joy Junket Manifesto#3 JOY IS CONTAGIOUS.
Expose as many people as you can. Start an epidemic.
We know now, thanks rigorous research on the Science of Happiness, that happiness is truly contagious (as is a lack of it!). As a Pathologist in a large community based hospital, I took part in some drills and planning for the dreaded BIRD FLU in our large Hospital Complex. It was thrilling and a bit scary to be part of those meetings, knowing that we had an important role in taking actions to contain a potentially very destructive outbreak. While I am eternally grateful for our enthusiastic Public Health endeavors, it got me thinking. What would happen if we had drills and dedicated Planning Committees at our hospitals to ensure that AN OUTBREAK OF JOY not only SPREAD BUT CREATED A WORLD WIDE EPIDEMIC?
GOOD TIMES IN THE PATHOLOGY LAB
At times, our own lab could use a tad more joy. I mean we do cut up the dead (as my sister like to remind me) and deal with some pretty heavy stuff like- oh I don’t know CANCER, disease, Bone Marrow Biopsies, BRAIN SURGEONS. We could stand for an outbreak of FUN FEVER right? A tech in our Microbiology laboratory must have been thinking the same thing when she launched a self-funded program to do just that! On her breaks, she would bring little trinkets and treats (a grown-up’s treasure chest) to people in their offices on a gleefully (more…)
Tags: happiness, infectious, joy, laboratory, michael osterholm, outbreak, pathology, science
Posted in Musings, Musings: Adventures and Soirees | 4 Comments »
