Welcome Summer

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calvin harris, love, music, queer, rihanna, sledgehammer, Star Trek, Stevvie Nicks, Summer Jams, summer solstice, summertime, this is what you came for, you da one

I can’t believe 2 things I love found each other.

Summer’s Goddess.

You da one. :]

-Mushpa

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The Four Agreements: Personal Growth Tips

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books to read, deepak chopra, don miguel ruiz, God, how to be happy, how to improve your life, inspiration, magic, Mushpa + Mensa, new york times best seller list, personal growth, self care, self help, self love, source, the four agreements, tips for self care, toltec tradition, turth, universe, wayne dyer, wisdom book

A few years ago, my father gave me this little book called The Four Agreements. It is a type of “self help” book, although self help sounds so…clinical? I like to refer to books of this nature as food for the soul, brain food, and also good advice for life. Some of these writers in this genre that I like include Dr Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and author of The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz.

Essentially this book gives you four different “rules” that you should live by. In return, he argues, you will gain insight and live a more peaceful and happy life. These rules are nothing extraordinary, and have been said one way or another by many people before him. The nice thing about his presentation though, is that these agreements are useful to check back in with yourself…. “Am I following this agreement? Or am I acting in a way that doesn’t align with these agreements?”.

I highly recommend you READ THIS BOOK. He talks about concepts based on ancient Toltec wisdom that give you a Toltec perspective of the story of life, the Source of all, and where it is our souls stand against everything else.

But I would like to just give you the bullet points of the four agreements as even just that can give you a boost of understanding everyday.

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First Agreement:

“Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”

Your words are powerful, and the thoughts behind those words are even more powerful. When we express ourselves we should speak from the heart and only truth. For me, being impeccable with my words means being honest with myself, God/the Universe, and speaking truth and beauty only. Everything else is static.

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Second Agreement:

“Don’t take anything personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”

It’s true. What others say it is just a reflection of their reality, and my reality in the end is what affects me. Others perspectives and options are their own. If i judge myself on others perspectives, I am not being honest and true to my perspective. I try to assess what others say, absorb it, and apply my own experience instead. This one is very hard for me, but I have seen the difference it makes when I do not take things personally. I am honestly happier.

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Third Agreement:

“Don’t make assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”

You know how the saying goes…When you assume, you make and ass out of you and me. It is a universal truth. We are not Vulcans last time I checked, so we cannot read each other’s minds, and thinking that “we know” certain truths can get us in a lot of trouble. Yes, sometimes gut feelings are on point, but communicating avoids the drama on every point…I should know!

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Fourth Agreement:

“Always do your best: Your  best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.”

This seems like something your teacher tells you in grade school…But what happens when we don’t? I personally end up feeling gloomy, disappointed and even physically drained. My best today, is not the same as my best tomorrow. We are ever-evolving beings. As long as we work hard towards our dreams, our reality will reflect the results of our very best. When I try my best, my life feels like the best!

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There it is then! The Four Agreements. Simple but true. Write them in a notebook, or on a piece of paper and stick them on your wall. They have helped me get a better grip on my feelings, my happiness and my reality.

I hope sharing these with you will do the same!

Happy day to you,

-Mensa

Pledge Truth

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Cara Reynolds, Factcheck.org, FlackCheck.org, inspiration, Maria Emilia Borja, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, OpenSecrets.org, Politifact, Resist, SciCheck, Snopes, Truth, Washington Post Fact Checker

The news needs to be true. You can help make truth possible by checking out Factcheck.org as a starting point. Let yourself get lost in finding the truth and then spread it all over that wondrous world wide web.

Factcheck.org sister sites include FlackCheck.org, which provides resources to help you recognize flaws in arguments in general and political ads in particular, and SciCheck, which sniffs out false and misleading scientific claims.

Want more? The people at Politifact have broken down a seven step process.

Other good fact-checking sites include Snopes, the Washington Post fact-checker, and OpenSecrets.org, which collects data on political spending.

Something to do right now if you so choose…

Tweet #pledgetruth and spread the word.

Facts are black & white! I took the pledge and you can too. :] #pledgetruth #alternativefacts http://bit.ly/2mNwhL5  @pledgetruth

Let us not get lost in the static.

– Mushpa

To Dance is To Pray…To Pray is to Heal

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dance, fly, Follow your dreams, God, Humans, inspiration, learn from mistakes, love, music, Native American, no hate, poetry, Pray, Soul, Supaman, Truth, Why, World

A little food for the soul.

Enjoy.

Much love to all. May you fly, may you dance, may your soul be filled with joy.

– Mensa

Ps. I love you my mushpa!

The BEST Women’s March Speeches Breaking Down the Truth. Amen.

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action, activism, america ferrera, ashley judd, call congress, democracy, democracynow!, fired up, gloria steinem, human rights, inspiration, michael moore, Mushpa + Mensa, nasty woman, nina donovan, resistance, revolution, run for office, save america, stand united, trump, we the people, we will not step back, what can i do, women rights, Women's March

We are fired up!

This is such a special time in our American History, and I am proud to be alive in these times. The Women’s March on Washington is most likely going to go down in our history books as the start of another wave of feminism, and this time, WE WILL NOT STEP BACK.

Mushpa + Mensa were unable to hitch a ride to DC, and maybe all happened for a reason. We were meant to stay at our own city rally in Wilmington, NC. We stayed in our home town, made signs, and shouted, chanted, and participated in the Wilmington’s Sister Women’s March. What a phenomenal experience. Even more amazing was coming back home and seeing the pictures and videos of ALL THOSE WOMEN. Men and children also there supporting. Political figures, icons, celebrities, artists, and humans from all walks of life. All these little pink hats, all these powerful signs. So much to say, yet such unity in our voice. Despite the hiccups of  what it means to be part of this march (Can a pro-lifer still be a feminist? Is there space for white woman oppression?) the energy was ONE.

I am so proud of all of us. This light inside me grows. The strength in me grows, and so does the motivation. We are awake, and ready to go.

Despite not being in Washington physically, our collective energy filled every corner of the world, from Berlin, to Paris, from London to Costa Rica. This is not an American movement. This is WORLD WIDE.

The internet has united us, and I have witnessed some amazing and moving moments from the Women’s March. Here a few favorites. I hope you play them, enjoy them, and let them fill you with hope, motivation, and furious energy to fight this culture of hate, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia and darkness that has crept up to a mainstream platform.

Without further ado, press play, and may the force be with you.

-Mensa

“We too must stand united….if we fall into the trap of separating ourselves by our causes and our labels, then we will weaken our fight, and we will lose. But if we commit to what aligns us, if we stand together steadfast and determined, then we stand a chance at saving the soul of our country.” -America Ferrera

“I’m not nasty like the combo of Trump and Pence being served up to me in my voting booth. I’m nasty like the battles my grandmothers fought to get me into that voting booth…We are here to be respected. We are here to be nasty!” -Nina Donovan interpreted by Ashley Judd

“We are the people. We have people power, and we will use it…This is the upside of the downside. This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy like I have never seen in my very long life. It is wide in age, it is deep in diversity, and remember: the constitution does not begin with “I the president”, it begins with “We the People.” So do not try to divide us…” -Gloria Steinem

The 4 things we need to do according to Michael Moore:

1. Call Congress every single day (1 rep in the house, 2 senators) 202-225-3121

2.  JOIN A GROUP!

3. Form your own rapid response team: people that you will call, when we need to move fast. 10 people

4.Form regions of resistance. Blue states and cities. The country will follow your lead!

5. YOU have to RUN for OFFICE!

No More Boys Will Be Boys

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10%, Cara Reynolds, charity, dump trump, end the backlog, Feminism, Feral audio, Georgia Hardstark, Joyful Heart Foundation, Karen Kilgariff, Maria Emilia Borja, Mariska Hargitay, Mushpa + Mensa, my favorite murder, national non-profit, organic cotton, podcast, rape, rape kit backlog, rape psa, recycled, upcycled

Watch all three videos and see.

I started this Blog entry today, as we here at Mushpa + Mensa want to start backing charities we believe in. Every month we will give 10% of our income to a charity we pick each month and promote in our blog, newsletter and on our website. This is something we have wanted to do and in 2017 we are making it happen!

The first charity we are covering will be End the Backlog. It is a is a program of the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national non-profit organization founded by actress and activist Mariska Hargitay with the mission to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues. We heard about this organization as Cara (me) is obsessed with, My Favorite Murder, a podcast by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark about, you guessed it, murder. Each episode the girls tell each other their favorite tales of murder, and hear hometown crime stories from friends and fans. Check your anxiety at the door, ’cause Karen & Georgia are dying to discuss death. They gave 50% of their sales or MFM products for 1 month to End the Backlog.

In Joyful Heart Foundation‘s own words End the Backlog is the cornerstone of Joyful Heart’s Policy & Advocacy work, focuses on shining a light on the rape kit backlog in the United States. Our goal is to end this injustice by conducting groundbreaking research identifying the extent of the nation’s backlog and best practices for eliminating it; expanding the national dialogue on rape kit testing through increased public awareness, engaging communities and government agencies and officials; and advocating for comprehensive rape kit reform legislation and policies at the local, state and federal levels. Ultimately, we seek to change attitudes about sexual violence and abuse, educate the public, improve systems to lessen the trauma survivors experience and ensure greater access to justice for survivors. 

With this new person, whose name I shall not speak, in office we must fight this rape culture, now more than ever. Ladies, men, children, let’s do this. Buy our organic cotton and upcycled stuff and we will work to #changetheculture. I love you ladies!

We are women, HEAR US ROAR!

-Cara aka Mushpa

Last Minute Women’s March Sign Ideas

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activism, art, Audre Lorde, Awesome Event, be brave, Cara Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, Ecuadorian, environment, Feminism, gay, God, Government, green, Happiness, Health Care, inspiration, Latina, lesbian, love, Love is Love, March, march signs, Maria Emilia Borja, NC, North Carolina, political, politics, Princess Leigh, Protest, protest march signs, protest signs, queer, recycled, resistance, revoltion signs, revolution, Sign Ideas, Star Wars, The South, Voltaire, wilmington, Woman Owned Business, Women's March, Women's March Sign Ideas, WomenAlice Walker

If you are anything like us, we can get real close to the time of whatever-it-may-be and then get what needs to be done, last minute style, done. Don’t get us wrong, we do it well under pressure. The Women’s March tomorrow is no different. We are going to wake up around 7AM to get our signs done to get out to our local Wilmington, NC Women’s March. I did some image research and quote digging and came up with 10 good sign suggestions off the World Wide Web.

1. We go high.
2. Your silence will not protect you.
3. Nasty Woman
4. “Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities” Voltaire
5. Hate Kills
6. “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” Audre Lorde
7. Woman’s place is in the resistance. (in reference to Carrie Fisher…Princess Leigh….Star Wars. You get it.)
8. I am stronger than fear.
9. Truth matters.
10. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”  Alice Walker

Get your recycled pieces of boxes, cardboard, old sheets and get to creating. We will collectively be with every human at every women’s march tomorrow. We love you.

Love trumps hate. Be brave.

Cara and Maria Emilia

Mushpa + Mensa’s Low Impact

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#GiveBackPack, abuse, against forced labor, alternative apparel, Alternative Earth', biodegradable fabric softeners, certified organic, child labor, chrome, Common Thread, copper, eco-friendly, environment, Fair Labor Association, FLA, G2 Eco-Wash, insufficient wages, low-impact dyes, mordant, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, natural enzymes, non-toxic, non-toxic clothing, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, organic, organic cotton, organic cotton certified, Philanthropy, R6, reclaimed water, recycle, reduce, Reflect, ReImagine, Replenish, reuse, safe working practices, Social Responsibility, STATE Bags, sustainable fabrics, Workplace Code of Conduct, Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production, WRAP, zinc

The main shirts that Mushpa + Mensa hand-print their original designs on is Alternative Apparel’s 100% organic collection, made from pesticide-free organic cotton.

Is Alternative’s cotton certified organic? 

A: Yes. Anything in our line stating it is 100% Organic Cotton is certified organic cotton, produced pesticide-free. We keep copies of the organic certificates on file.

The dyes used to color Alternative Apparel’s pesticide-free organic cotton tees are low-impact dyes. Let’s breakdown this process called low-impact dying. A low-impact dye is a dye that has been classified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 as eco-friendly. Generally, low impact dyes do not contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals (like chrome, copper and zinc), or mordants (a substance, typically an inorganic oxide, that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material).

Low-impact dyes are dyes with a higher than average absorption rate (70%-80%, depending on the color). This means less water is required in the rinse process and less dye runs off in the water; therefore, the dyes have a lower impact on the environment. Alternative Apparel also use a G2 Eco-Wash to finish garments which uses 60% less water and no chemicals.

Alternative Earth’s collection water washes with reclaimed water, the organic cotton is certified, biodegradable fabric softeners and natural enzymes for their super-soft finishes to make the best basics.

Alternative Apparel make their clothing from sustainable fabrics (currently 65% of the fabrics they use are eco-friendly, although they are working to increase this figure), with a transparent supply chain in officially audited factories.

Alternative Apparel publishes its factory vendor guidelines, which the company says are in line with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct, on its Social Responsibility page. The company states that many of its factories have Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP) certification, and that Alternative Apparel places ethics as a priority in vendor selection: Alternative Apparel is committed to safe working practices for all employees.

Manufacturing: They have all the right policies against forced labor, child labor, abuse, and insufficient wages — and they work nearly as hard on keeping their clothing non-toxic. Their factories are frequently inspected to make sure their dying processes are toxin-free, and their wool is sourced from sustainable alpaca farms in Peru.

The first elements we consider when selecting a vendor is their ability to meet our social compliance standards and the quality of their products … Typically, there are only certain geographic areas of the world that can meet our production needs. We head to those areas and search for vendors that exceed our expectations and requirements. If a factory does not meet our social compliance standards from the very beginning, we don’t even consider them. After that, we base or search on the quality of the goods and the efficiency with which they can be produced.

Environment: Thirty percent of their sales are from the Alternative Earth line Mushpa + Mensa uses, which is made from organic cotton, low-impact dyes, energy-efficient facilities, and absolutely no toxic substances. A portion of their sales benefits a variety of environmental organizations and charities.

Philanthropy: Alternative donates to multitudes of different charities under their “Common Thread” program. For instance, like with STATE: Going Beyond the Bag. STATE Bags one-for-one model provides at-risk kids with a fully-stocked backpack every time someone purchases a bag. That means when you get an awesome bag, you support #GiveBackPack at the same time.

Down with fast fashion! R6 – Reduce, ReUse, Recycle, Replenish, Reflect, ReImagine.

Get your Alternative Apparel organic cotton Mushpa + Mensa original design t-shirt on and feel good in it, while feeling good about yourself. Functional art Mushpa y Mensa style.

-Mushpa

 

The Day After the 2016 Elections

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2016 Election, Cara Reynolds, diseased government, Donald Trump, enlightenment, evolution, Hillary Clinton, hopefull, Laurent Wolf, libertarian, Maria Emilia Borja, Mushpa Y Mensa, Nationalist, No me jodas, revolution, The Young Turks, tyt, wolf-pac.com

We got a lot of messages this morning from friends and family, some telling us about their plans to move to Canada, others worried about what maniacal plans of revolution we may be coming up with, and some excited about said plans. The rest are in utter shock. Thankfully the government is not just run by one man. We must remember that we as a people are more powerful than the few, if we work together. The key words being work and together.

Here is what my basic response has been while a bit shell-shocked.

“This is what this country needed. This is the time where we decide to wake up and take our country back from corporations and nut jobs. This is our time to fight. To make sure he doesn’t take away things or pass things we don’t want. I will no longer be complacent. I would have most likely been while Hillary sold us out to Wall Street. This is a blessing in disguise. He could and might, on day 1, take away my healthcare, just because… You realized this country just elected a man who said he wanted to make America great again, meaning make it the white man’s America again, and disenfranchised white men and women, Donald Trump wouldn’t even let ride in an elevator with him, voted for him. We just elected a man that has sexually assaulted women numerous times and that basically tells people it is ok to do that to women. Actually, you can even become president. I am ashamed of my fellow countrymen that voted for Donald Trump or did not vote or voted for libertarians. This man will forever be in our history books like Hitler to the Germans is if WE allow this. He is a horrible racist, sexist, faithless, mentally unstable, sad man and our president. This is our battle cry to wake up and make change. We must start with ridding ourselves of the rigged electoral system and educating ourselves on our political system. Hillary won the popular vote and Donald still is our president!!!! Check out wolf-PAC.com and The Young Turks online. -c ”

I will not run. I am excited for the changes to come. I am excited for us to see the greater good of people that will come to light because of this darkness. I am ready for more of us to become enlightened and with that greater health for all and this world. We need to heal, but to heal we must first fight the sickness and this diseased government.

No me jodas, because now I’m awake. Stay tuned for more on this front.

– Cara aka Mushpa