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"Creation Process" Birthing The Power Affirmation Journal #96
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In this episode of Stay Sparked, longtime friends and co-hosts John and Betsy turn the conversation inward, offering listeners a deep, intimate look at the creation of the Power Affirmation Journal and the years-long journey that brought it into the world.
Rather than an interview, this episode unfolds as a reflective dialogue between collaborators—one that traces Betsy’s evolution as a healer, creator, and guide, and the moment when a simple journaling practice transformed into a full system for reprogramming belief patterns and cultivating conscious change. Betsy shares how the journal arrived not just as an idea, but as something that felt alive—asking to be born—and how trust, accountability, ceremony, collaboration, and timing all shaped its development.
Together, John and Betsy explore themes of creative conviction, imposter syndrome, discipline versus play, divine timing, and what it means to create in service rather than hustle. The conversation also dives into the structure and intention behind the journal and companion deck, touching on neuroplasticity, affirmation practices, gratitude, and how small, consistent inner shifts can reshape our lived experience.
Woven throughout are stories of community support, ritual, sustainability, and the unexpected doors that opened when Betsy surrendered control and asked for help—ultimately leading the journal and deck into wider distribution and deeper impact.
This episode is an invitation for creators, healers, and seekers alike to trust what’s moving through them, honor the slow unfolding of meaningful work, and remember that transformation happens when intention meets mindful action.
✨☕ This episode is sponsored by www.BecomeLucid.com Lucid is a functional mushroom and nootropic brand designed to fuel mental clarity, focus, and long-term brain health. Their flagship product is a premium mushroom coffee blend infused with clinically studied nootropics—crafted to deliver clean energy without the crash.
✨🎶 MASSIVE Thank you to Dub Sutra for their beautiful opening music. Check out their incredible music catalogue online. https://dubsutra.com
BETSY FINKLEHOO is a healer, an author, and mindfulness guide who blends somatic healing, sound therapy, and mindset awareness to help people feel grounded, connected, and empowered. As a longtime practitioner and Insight Timer teacher, she weaves practical tools with intuitive presence, offering experiences that support personal transformation and intentional living. Betsy is the creator of The Power Affirmation Journal and Power Affirmation Cards, along with a growing library of products and audio practices that help people build healthy rituals, release old patterns, and cultivate a life of joy, clarity, and inner freedom.
http://poweraffirmation.com/
JOHN HALCYON is full-time Love Ambassador. He is the founder of Hug Nation youtube channel and daily zoom gratitude circles. He is co-founder of the Pink Heart Burning Man camp and the 1st Saturdays project for people experiencing homelessness. In his free time he coaches groups and individuals on how to live joyfully and authentically. http://LifeStudent.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Host Profiles
00:00:00
Speaker
On today's episode, we learn about Betsy Finkelhoo and her Power Affirmation journal and how it possibly should have had a different name and all the incredible, inspiring parts of the story of its creation.
00:00:15
Speaker
Yes, I get to pull back the curtain on the creative process that it was to birth a prompted journal and Oracle deck into existence. And it felt really awesome to get to share a little peek behind the scenes.
00:00:30
Speaker
Hey, get to know Betsy. Enjoy the episode. Welcome to Stay Sparked. We are two longtime friends that have been having inspiring conversations and we like to share them with you in hopes that we light you up.
00:00:42
Speaker
I am John Halcyon Stinn, the host of the daily gratitude broadcast and Hug Nation YouTube channel. And I'm Betsy Finkelhoo, the creator of the Power Affirmation Project and Somatic Bodyworker.
00:00:54
Speaker
And we like to start these broadcasts with a little bit of gratitude. Betsy, what are you feeling grateful for today? Today, i am feeling grateful for our gratitude group. We actually have been, we did a little test. It's been about a month and a few weeks of sharing daily gratitude with a group of friends on a text thread. And it's been really sweet. It's been a really great way to get to know our friends and just have a daily resource to share gratitude. So I'm really grateful for that group.
00:01:26
Speaker
Me too. god there's There is something wonderful about ah gratitude over time sharing with people. It really is a great way to get to know people. and So yes, thank you for being a part of that and all our friends that are doing that. Yeah. And what are you grateful for?
00:01:41
Speaker
I am grateful for a trip to Hawaii that I just took went to Kauai and then the big island. Especially grateful for my friend Scott, who I've known for 40 years. And it's like the Venn diagram of our experiences are very unique. And it's really beautiful to share the beauty of the island and long term friendship. And to do so share it with my beloved Lisa i was spectacular.
00:02:02
Speaker
oh Oh, wonderful. I love Hawaii. Yeah. Yeah.
Sponsors and Personal Projects
00:02:07
Speaker
And a quick shout out to our sponsors, Lucid. We love Lucid. It is a mushroom nootropics drink. and There's a variety of kinds, including a coffee mushroom drink, as well as a nighttime cocoa drink. Thank you, our friends at Lucid, for supporting this podcast. And if you'd like to get your own out there, check out becomelucid.com.
00:02:32
Speaker
I have to say that um the cocoa drink I find to be not something that knocks me out, but just calms me. So I often have it in the afternoon post-coffee as a way to just kind of have a delightful treat in the afternoon that is just yummy and calming. Nice.
00:02:53
Speaker
Well, we are approaching our 100th episode. And as we've explored all sorts of topics, we decided that we would like to deep dive into betsy and I and to let you know a little bit more about who we are and what we are doing in the world outside of this podcast. Yay, I'm so excited get to share with our listeners out there a little more about who we are You know, oftentimes we talk about all these different topics and we give little peeks into what we're passionate about. um But we have yet to share live here about our personal projects, what we're creating and just
00:03:33
Speaker
a little more insight into who we are. So yeah, I'm excited for this. Yeah.
Betsy's Journey to Creating the Power Affirmation Journal
00:03:38
Speaker
And today we're going to talk to Betsy Finkel, the creator of the Power Affirmation Journal, as we hear at the end of these broadcasts. But before that, long ago, i knew Betsy as a clothing designer who would upcycle things. And really long before there was such a thing as burner clothes and boutiques, you were creating outfits that allowed people to express themselves in beautiful ways.
00:04:02
Speaker
And then i remember you did the ah speaker series and like 10 years ago, i remember speaking and you brought together people who had inspirational ideas. This is like 10 years ago. So the things that now are like,
00:04:17
Speaker
influencers are trying to speak all over the world. You were bringing together in person and, and all along the way you're doing body work. And, and as when I finally got body work from you, I realized that that's not a really good definition of what you do. It's, it's multi-level healing.
00:04:37
Speaker
You know, like you create an environment. There is touch. There is, it was, you are a healer. And so, ah Today, we're going to talk more about a physical product that you've created, which adds this is I think is so inspiring to me. And it's such a gift to the world that this person that I've known for a long time, um not that long because we're still young, but but long enough that I've witnessed you walk the walk of a healer and a a person who is pursuing growth and integrity in their relationships in their life and during covid you created something that is this tool and technology that is available and so when you reach it let's talk about something yes yes yes this is by far as important as anything we've talked about on on this program and so um
00:05:29
Speaker
Can you maybe take us to that time when you were trying to figure out, like, this is something that is not just for me. This is something that I i i want to share.
00:05:41
Speaker
Yes. Thank you so much for that love blast. Yes. Multi-passioned, multi-faceted I am. And yes, I love talking about this project, the Power Affirmation Journal, and how it has come into existence.
00:05:57
Speaker
And um yeah, I would love to share the spark because it really did come as such. And there was a moment on my journey that I was doing a lot of personal growth and development work through trainings and workshops. And I was just growing so much. And one of the things that I found really helpful during that time was the journaling in between my workshops and trainings.
00:06:25
Speaker
Because I found that on a weekend retreat or training, i would have these big breakthroughs around my mindset and my belief systems. And i would find that when I would just not really do any integration journaling or anything, then the programs and patterns would just keep coming back.
00:06:43
Speaker
And so I started journaling on the in-betweens of these these workshops. That was ah very much about personal growth and always comes back to you know limiting beliefs and belief systems.
00:06:57
Speaker
And one day i was journaling and I was journaling about a belief system that came up for me in the workshop. And I started to really go into it and work with it and start to unwind it. And I started using some different different techniques through journaling.
00:07:12
Speaker
And something unlocked for me that worked. And I got this rush of energy. I remember it was ink on the paper and I froze. And I felt this rush of energy come through me that said, you need to make a journal. And I i get the chills even thinking about it. And I paused and I was like, oh my God, I have to make a journal.
00:07:35
Speaker
And it was like this moment of saying yes to an idea And the idea felt more than ah an idea. It felt more like an entity, like this being that just like came to me and was like, you're going to birth me. Wow.
00:07:52
Speaker
And it was, I'd never felt that before. I had, I've had plenty of ideas and I definitely have had moments where I'm like, Ooh, I know I want to create this or I want to make that, but this one felt defined.
00:08:05
Speaker
And so I sat with that feeling for a bit and I checked in and it felt really big and it felt really scary because I've never made anything like that. I've only made things with my hands.
00:08:17
Speaker
And so to consider what it would be like to produce something at that scale was so new and different. And so I said yes. And the way that I said yes was I started taking action towards um getting help.
00:08:31
Speaker
And so I found this woman who is a book mentor and i hired her and I invested my own money, more money than I had invested in any kind of coaching before.
00:08:44
Speaker
And at that time, you know, it was it was a stretch for me, but I felt it was important. And um And I'm so grateful. a Big shout out to Christine Gale. um So she was i call her my my book midwife. waking up um I also reached out to some other friends who um I asked to be my book doula and they were just more personal coaches. And so I hired some of my friends and did some trades with some of them to have weekly accountability calls.
00:09:12
Speaker
um But, you know, I actually missed an important part before I even did that. um i did something that felt really important. You know how when you have an idea about something and then you're like, oh, I think maybe I'll do it. But.
00:09:25
Speaker
If I don't tell anyone and I don't do it, then it'll be fine. I don't want have yes have to do it. I knew that about myself. And so I had a birthday coming up and I had a small circle of about eight friends.
00:09:38
Speaker
And I decided to declare to to the circle that I'm making this journal this year. i'm making a journal and I need you guys to hold me accountable. And so I asked them to just...
00:09:51
Speaker
you know, check in with me throughout the year. How's the writing going? How's the creation going? um Because I didn't want to feel that shame for not doing it. That's so awesome.
Overcoming Creative Challenges and Breakthroughs
00:10:03
Speaker
Yeah. I think the combination of accountability to friends and accountability to a professional that you have given money to, like, like to me, those those are both so scary, but I can look back at things in my life that,
00:10:21
Speaker
ah things that I did only because i like i didn't want to have the shame of not doing it or I didn't want to feel like I wasted my money by paying a coach to help me do it.
00:10:33
Speaker
yeah Yeah, there's a lot of blocks and barriers that we face.
00:10:39
Speaker
I've definitely faced even more as I was going into the process of creating. you know Imposter syndrome is real. It's a very real thing, and I faced it. um But this system for clearing and accessing limiting beliefs and really empowering um new belief systems was...
00:10:59
Speaker
was the passion, was the fuel for this journal. Because I saw this system work for me, and I knew that it that we're at a time in human history where more and more people are waking up to recognize that we have the power to change our our minds and change the patterns.
00:11:16
Speaker
um So I really felt that was the fuel for going forward and facing some of my own internal blocks and my own fears. um So, yeah.
00:11:28
Speaker
ah So good. and I really, i mean, you said this was, was this during COVID? This was actually before COVID. This was, um so 2018 was when I had that circle. And then in 2019, I actually, 2017, then 2018, my the year later, i actually then had another round of a, like a circle that I felt important to have to kind of give the update on what was happening with the journal. And so I actually i hadn't finished it yet. It was still coming along. It was kind of slow going.
00:12:07
Speaker
And i made mock up, a fake journal. So I i worked on a a cover and I printed it on an inkjet printer and I glued it onto a book to see what it felt like. And I started to like hold it and feel it and imagine it. And like I brought it to my birthday gathering and I was like, all right, here's the update. This is how far I am. This is what it's likely going to look like. And I asked my community to just continue to hold that vision with me.
00:12:36
Speaker
And so that felt really amazing, too, to kind of just like have a physical product in hand, even though it wasn't it, to really start to seed the aliveness of what it is, you know, from thought to form.
00:12:50
Speaker
And so that was really a powerful part of it. And then i had a beautiful opportunity 2018 19, right before the pandemic, to get to sit in um five consecutive weekend-long ceremonies.
00:13:06
Speaker
They were on the solstice and the equinoxes for 2018 and 2019. And each of those were three-day plant medicine ceremonies, highly curated, very prayerful, very deep, very intentional.
00:13:19
Speaker
And each one of them, i was holding the intention for the vision of this journal to keep coming through. And so I was in song and prayer and asking. And I remember even one moment in one of the ceremonies, it was dark except for the one little candle in the room. And there's like 30 people singing. And all of a sudden I see one of the pages come in.
00:13:43
Speaker
And I take my pen in the dark and I like scribble down on my notebook that says, you know, page two needs to have this on it. And I started getting the more refined system because I had already seen what the system is before.
00:13:58
Speaker
But I kept asking for the more refinement of it. And so now what it is, it's a whole, it's broken down into seven sections, which are associated to the seven different chakras or different areas of life. And within each of those sections is a 10 part system that helps us access what our belief systems are what the outdated belief systems are, what we're ready to release using the power of asking questions to be able to help to reframe our limiting beliefs and And then start to access a ah training for affirmations. So the repetition and using that as like a gym.
00:14:36
Speaker
There's also some other prompts in there that help cultivate gratitude. There's prompts in there that helps you connect to the you statement of affirmations. So writing a letter to yourself.
00:14:49
Speaker
um And the declarations, actions that support the affirmations. And so the system started getting more and more clear and refined through those ceremonies and then workshopping in the integration after the ceremony.
Launch and Testing of the Journal
00:15:01
Speaker
And then one other piece I want to share about that is through this process of creating. And for those of you listening that have ever written a book, and I know you have, John, um there is a process that comes up.
00:15:13
Speaker
I know for me and a lot of people I've talked to where it's like, is it done yet? Is it done yet? why is this taking so long? This is taking so long. I should be done by now. And that's a you know ah repetitive thought that I kept having. And I was so frustrated that it was like,
00:15:28
Speaker
okay, I could have one more round of edits and then like another, you know, different things kept coming up. And I had to really use the he the system to help me work through that. And so I shifted my mindset into, okay I'm trusting the timing. I'm trusting the timing. I trust that this is going to be birth just in the right timing.
00:15:50
Speaker
And so as it was getting closer, i had a final round of edits in February 2020. of twenty twenty And as I was starting to plan my book launch, I was going to do a little mini tour and book signings. I had one one last thing, one page that needed just a little refinement. And I was like, dang okay one more and so i sent it back to the editor and everything came back in full ready set go mode in march of 2020 which was the onset of the pandemic oh it was the most perfect timing because it gave me an opportunity to launch online and i launched it online
00:16:32
Speaker
And was able to reach a lot more people. And then it also invited me to create a women's group online that used the system. So I started creating these um these six and eight week courses to go through the journal and the system. And that was actually vetting the system.
00:16:50
Speaker
It was testing it. It was an amazing opportunity to actually put it into practice with people that are ready to use it. They're at home. So many people just want to do personal growth work during the pandemic and have anywhere to go.
00:17:04
Speaker
And so all in perfect timing. Trust the process. Trust the timing. What was that like? The surrender moment of like, oh, my God. like well this When you're you're suddenly having other people using it with you.
00:17:20
Speaker
Oh, it was amazing. it It really gave me a lot of insight because I started to see there was actually some things that needed refined. And I was grateful for that because I realized there needed to be a little more room for some free flow writing.
00:17:35
Speaker
So the first round that I put out, I printed myself at a local printer in California and I paid out of pocket and I started with 150 And so i was yeah thankfully to my community and many of you out there that might be listening. You were some of the first people to buy one just to support me. It was amazing. So I sold out of those pretty quickly.
00:17:57
Speaker
And then I refined the second edition because I used the women's group and the feedback they gave me. They said, we need more room after the release section to write. Or like I needed to refine some of the question prompts in there. I could see some of them just needed quick edits.
00:18:13
Speaker
So I did a second edition. Tested it again on more women's groups. I started running the eight-week course and turned it into a 12-week course per request.
00:18:23
Speaker
Some of the women that were going through these courses were repeating the course and taking it multiple times because they were having such big breakthroughs. Wow. It was amazing. The feedback from the system that's inside of the journal works.
00:18:39
Speaker
It really works. And it was just the the best thing for me to be able to start to see that this is this is a system that has come through me. and I'm so grateful and honored to have you know taken these women. there's I've probably taken 100 or so women through the course. Some men. we did explore with a couple co-ed online groups, which was really great. But I i did find that more women were interested in the process.
00:19:06
Speaker
And so um Yeah, so it's been a real beautiful journey thus far. And I'll pause there. There's a whole other part that comes next, but I'll i'll pause for any reflections. Yeah, so elections one, for how how cool to have this thing created and then so quickly get the feedback that it works and to actually to feel the energy ah of appreciation and witness its effectiveness in people. that That's got to feel good.
00:19:33
Speaker
Yeah, it's so helpful to tests test it out. Yeah. there was um There was one other part I realized I forgot to mention. ah ah This other part I forgot to mention. um but Right before it launched, I had another birthday circle. And this time it was a book blessing way.
00:19:55
Speaker
So for those of you who don't know what a blessing way is, it is sort of like a baby shower for a woman who is going to be having a baby, but it's much more ceremonial. And because I don't have kids and don't plan to, but so many of my friends were having kids and I was hosting and creating blessing ways, I decided to have a blessing way for my book.
00:20:15
Speaker
And so i i brought the sample and I had everybody bless it and they wrapped me up in this like cocoon and it was this really special way to honor it and um have it come to life. So there's been a lot of ritual and a lot of ceremony and a lot of intention bringing this this thought to form.
00:20:37
Speaker
yeah I'm curious in in the, i mean, it really sounds like, you know, this was, you received so much of this, you know, and sometimes when I talk to writers and there's a lot of, like you got to sit in the chair and just force yourself to write. And I'm curious how much of the process was allowing and how much of it was, you know, making yourself do it.
Collaboration and Additional Product Development
00:21:03
Speaker
I love that question because I definitely experienced that. There was a part of the time where it was a summer when I was working on it and I kept feeling I want to go to the beach, but I should write.
00:21:18
Speaker
oh I want to go play outside. But I should write. No, you better not. Like the voices inside my so my head. No, Betsy, you should sit down at your computer and write and finish this journal like you said you would. The other voice. But I want to go play and frolic on the beach and go swimming where I want to go to that...
00:21:37
Speaker
birthday party or whatever. No, stay home and write. And so you know what would happen when I would listen to that that sort of stern voice, stay home and write, and I would skip the beach or skip the party. I would sit down to write and nothing would come.
00:21:53
Speaker
fair And I was like, oh, and I just ended up like banging my head on the wall. And then when I would really give myself the opportunity just go like, okay, you know what? Yeah, I do need to do some writing today, but I also feel like I'm going to go to the beach for a little bit.
00:22:07
Speaker
I would go to the beach and I would get insight. The creativity actually came from giving myself the space to play. and then when I got home, i was filled up and the the creativity started to flow. And then I could write and let it come out.
00:22:24
Speaker
And so it was a really fascinating process to watch how that like pressure, i was internal pressure I was putting on myself was actually limiting and minimizing my ability to let it just come through and be channeled.
00:22:38
Speaker
So it was a ah balance, of course, too, because I did have to be disciplined. But I could I could start to notice when that disciplinarian was just being really stern and mean versus structured and fiercely kind.
00:22:54
Speaker
I'm curious, how how were you working with your writing coach during that time? ah My writing coach gave me a lot of insight around the layout of a book.
00:23:07
Speaker
She gave me a lot of insight about just the whole book world. Because if you know you don't know about the book world, it's very dynamic. There's a lot of things to know. didn't even know what an ISBN number was.
00:23:23
Speaker
or ah how to do a copyright page, or the order of where the dedication page should go, or where the numbers on the page should go. She also gave me a lot of guidance around the editing process.
00:23:39
Speaker
Which she um she introduced me to someone who did a some edits. But then I ended up working with our dear friend Charlotte Proud, who is also a musician. And just get a little shout out to her for her Dub Sutra project with her partner, who is the intro song of our podcast. We love you, Charlotte. She's also a multifaceted, dynamic, creative um And she was really um one of the major influences on the editing and the design layout.
00:24:07
Speaker
I hired her to do the the book layout, but then she ended up becoming a profound ally in helping put all the pieces just in the right place. She helped with the branding. i also hired another friend who is a graphic designer, and I brought in some of her branding support. So a lot of the elements that are inside of it are specifically designed by a dear friend.
00:24:32
Speaker
um So, yeah, it's collaborative all the way That's so cool. I i mean, i I had an experience when I did my book Protagonist where I worked with a friend who's a book designer and with layout. Yeah.
00:24:45
Speaker
It was a really intimate experience you know of of kind of forcing myself to ask for things, you know, and and and because there's there's a there's a there's a lot of trust in that relationship. um And was was there any challenges that you had during that process?
00:25:07
Speaker
Thankfully, no. It's just Charlotte and I are, we have a synergy. So it really helps to work with people that are, that you really like, you know?
00:25:19
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. is if As you look back over the process, is there anything that you would have done differently?
00:25:31
Speaker
I'm really looking for something. Great. Bravo. Bravo. No, I think it has been great. I'm so grateful for the whole journey. And, you know, there's um there's a whole nother part that I want to speak to. that It's been like sort of magical.
00:25:45
Speaker
but I mean, this is a lot of it has had a lot of magic in it and a lot of trust and a lot of intention. And this next part of it was probably the most profound for me.
00:25:57
Speaker
So I had um printed probably three or four rounds with a local printer. And at that time, the paper costs were starting to go up because of what was happening globally in the shipping and all of that. So I was starting to feel a little stretched for how much I was putting out of pocket.
00:26:15
Speaker
And I had gotten it into some retail stores. And one of the retail stores was supportive from the very beginning. there was um It was called Earth Elements, or it is called Earth Elements. They're still very much a part of the project. um They were doing so well at their stores over the two years that I had but i had them um i self-published with a hybrid project.
00:26:40
Speaker
model where I had a um like a kind of a backer support so technically was self-published um but it had gotten to a point where the journal was starting to cost too much for me to keep reprinting and selling on my own and I had about three or four copies left in my own inventory. And I actually got to a place where I had to decide whether or not I was going to maybe put the whole project to rest and be done or something else.
00:27:17
Speaker
And so I sat with the journal at my altar and talked to the journal as if it's a person. And I acknowledged it. And I said, thank you so much for coming through me. You've helped so many people. It's been such an amazing journey. i don't know what to do next. And i if you want to keep going, I need help. And also, if it's time to be put to rest, like I'm okay with that too. And so I just really got to a place of deep acceptance for either letting it go and also asking for divine support or some kind of sign.
00:27:56
Speaker
And sure enough, within about three weeks, I got a call from the owner of Earth's Elements, Hem. He is an incredible businessman. And over the course of those two years, his business model expanded to a wholesale model.
00:28:14
Speaker
And he created a publishing company. And he said, i would really love to publish your journal. and so make it a part of earth's elements wellness catalog that way we can start to spread it out to bookstores across the country and it was answer prayer incredible he he was like we want to start with 5 000 copies we'll do all the printing we will do the shipping from china we're going put it in our warehouse we're going start bringing it to trade shows with us what do you think
00:28:48
Speaker
qui Wow. it was a resounding yes um and so and during that time i had also been sort of having an idea of making a oracle deck or more of an inspiration card deck to go along with it but i didn't create it because i didn't know i didn't have the resources to be able to do that the the people in China, the printers, the upfront costs, all that.
00:29:13
Speaker
And he goes, so if we produce your journal, we'd like to actually have a deck to go along with it. Can you make that? wow And I said, yes, I'm going to start making it right now.
00:29:25
Speaker
and i I made it and then it got, it got produced and they ordered 3000 copies of that. And now both of them are in trade shows and in the catalog. And I'm getting messages from people all over saying they're finding it in different places. Like I got a friend from a a message from our friend Drew Reed. He was in the Sacramento airport and found it in the gift shop.
00:29:51
Speaker
I know. oh So it's just been a real treasure to get to have that kind of support from Earth's Elements Wellness and from the team there. And i'm just really so honored to get to contribute this tool to their incredible array of products that they help so many different people out there to get access to.
00:30:13
Speaker
Healing tools, mostly that's their focus. I so love that the the Betsy Finkel who a guide to publishing isn't grind, hustle. You know, it's it's it's listen to spirit.
00:30:29
Speaker
ah Pray and let go. and Pray. Connect with people you love and trust. Like, ah so beautiful. Yes, exactly. Can you imagine if that's like the way that we, you know, just continue to do everything with such a deep level of trust and acceptance and letting go and asking for help and tuning in and listening and paying attention to the signs and taking those little action steps every subtle but powerful things can happen.
00:30:58
Speaker
Super inspiring. I have a question about the like the choices along the way. Was there as you're picking like paper and things? i imagine you had to decide this is too expensive. That's you know, that's worth it. And it was what were those choices like? And how did you do do that?
00:31:14
Speaker
Oh, yeah, that was a whole thing. That's probably why it took so long. Because there was so many different elements that came into play because and it needed to be a certain thickness of paper that the ink didn't go through. Do I do spiral bound versus perfect bound? um You know, creating a book is a lot of decisions.
00:31:34
Speaker
And there was not something that I had ever done before. And so, yeah, I'm yeah, that was a big part of it. and did i mean And I imagine that that having to think about the costs and what the market can, or or you were you just like, I'm i'm going for what the perfect solution, damn the expenses.
00:31:57
Speaker
um ah When I was doing all of that out of my own pocket, of course, I was doing everything that i could to make it affordable and cut corners and also try to use mindfulness because I didn't want to just produce, you know, without that kind of care. and so I really wanted to use a local printer. I really cared about recycled paper.
00:32:18
Speaker
um you know, a lot of these different things came into play. And then I also started partnering with a company called Eden Reforestation. And, you know, in the passion for the earth, I realized the paper comes
Mindful Production and Positive Affirmation Guidance
00:32:33
Speaker
from trees. And so I decided to make a donation for every journal sold to plant trees.
00:32:40
Speaker
And so that was really cool because we planted almost 10,000 trees now. And so i I really love that. And um it's been definitely an important part of the give back model.
00:32:53
Speaker
so I imagine that there are a lot of people that are listening that are eagerly awaiting the URL so they can purchase one. But before we share that as people are receiving their a journal or their deck, can you what would what would what you would you wish people to know as they are beginning?
00:33:12
Speaker
Thanks for asking. You know, one of the most important things I want people to know about the Power Affirmation Journal is it is much more than an affirmation journal. It really probably could have had a different title. Actually, to go back to your question about would I do anything different, I might have changed the title because it is much more of a reprogramming mindset journal.
00:33:36
Speaker
It is about getting into the deeper layers of your subconscious mind and taking the reins in a very powerful way to transform your thinking. And so when you start to work with it, you start to see that there are sections inside of it, like I mentioned before, that are associated to these different areas of life. and So my greatest recommendation is you choose which area of life you want to focus on and work on.
00:34:01
Speaker
And then you use that and you put yourself into maybe a 21 maybe 60 day container or commitment. And you start working from the beginning, exploring what the belief systems are, getting clear what is ready to release, choosing what you're saying yes and no to.
00:34:21
Speaker
using the power of repetition and the appt and the affirmations, ah consistent, steady gratitude, the letters to yourself, what are the actions that you're taking to support the new belief systems that you're incurring. And then my other, my favorite section is the seek. It's a represents seek evidence. So what is the evidence that we see that our affirmations are true?
00:34:45
Speaker
Or the flip side, the evidence that we see that our limiting beliefs are true. Because the basically what happens is to our subconscious mind, if we have a belief system, then we're going to start looking for all the proof to affirm that.
00:34:59
Speaker
um And so if you really want to go in and do some deep reprogramming, I'd say do it that way. If you want to use it in a lighter sort of way, more maintenance, then I like to use it as sort of like a, let's see what I need to write today. And I just close my eyes and then I turn to a page and then I start writing. And it might just be some prompts or affirmations, sort of like a gym.
00:35:22
Speaker
You know, do some repetition. You start building that muscle for how to think and speak in affirmation and positive, optimistic viewpoints and perspectives. And then you start to see how and those thoughts start to become more at the forefront of our thinking.
00:35:42
Speaker
Yeah. Yes. And any any tips for people receiving the deck? Oh, yeah. Yes. Here's the deck. So for those of you watching on YouTube, he's got the rainbow edges.
00:35:55
Speaker
So the deck is much more accessible. It's not it's not as it's not so much about deep reprogramming and like going into the deeper, darker layers of your subconscious mind. It's really much more about remembering to think in affirmation. And so um one of the things that can happen when we practice affirmation on a regular basis, than those statements start to circulate and populate in our heads more regularly, just like anything we consume. You know, if you watch a video online,
00:36:31
Speaker
You might think about it 10 times again since you watch it. Maybe 20, maybe 100 times you're going to think about something someone said that you saw or heard. Same thing with affirmation. And so if we start to infuse our consciousness, say with a card, so I just pulled, am whole. i am whole and complete just as I am.
00:36:53
Speaker
If I start saying that 100 times a day or even just five times a day, i am whole and complete just as I am. i am whole and complete just as I am. That becomes the primary force for our thinking. it starts to kind of overshadow some of the negative thinking or the the content we watch.
00:37:13
Speaker
And so it's so it's a really powerful tool. you know Inspired by you, ah when I was first getting sober, I recorded my own voice reading affirmations and then would do a morning walk and listen to my own voice saying these positive things, recognizing that my mind needs some guidance and is super helpful.
00:37:38
Speaker
Mm hmm. Yes. The mind is so powerful and that we can take the reins. We can start to program it. You know, there's just so many things in the world that influence our thinking. So might as well be the ones that choose what we're going to influence our thinking with.
00:37:54
Speaker
You know, we get to totally fill our subconscious mind with the things that we want. Yeah, being mindful of our diet, but whether that is food, whether that is people, and whether that is thoughts is is the only way to be healthy and happy is if we're mindful of all the ways that we receive and intake information and material.
00:38:17
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. And then if you think about it, also in the perspective of like neuroplasticity, we start to get stronger neurons and fight they're firing more when we're affirming.
00:38:29
Speaker
You know, the more that we give thanks, the more there is to give thanks for. Well, why Why do you think that is? our brains are actually starting to get stronger neural networks from what we're focusing on, right? is There's a there's a Joe Dispenza who talks a lot about that, right? I think it's 72,000 neurons are formed when we learn something new.
00:38:54
Speaker
And then they get, or maybe it's not quite the right number, 26,000. A lot of neurons are getting formed when we learn something new. And when we repeat that information, they get stronger and stronger and stronger.
00:39:05
Speaker
And so we can actually shape the chemistry of our brains.
Integration into Healing and Service-Oriented Creation
00:39:10
Speaker
and Well, i yeah as someone who I know that is walking the walk and is a walking advertisement for the ideas that you practice, like it is ah cannot recommend your work, your journal, your deck enough to people that, that i mean, you you hopefully you listen to us, you at least are in touch with the idea that you have some control over you, the way you experience life and rather than just receiving whatever's happened to you. And Betsy is a world expert at helping and guiding and she does it in her life and she is helping people do it. And so I, if you are not ah living the most incredible life possible,
00:40:01
Speaker
It's probably because you don't have this. one of wass yeah So fleas please, please consider ah the guidance that is so easily available to the world. Thank you for all the work that you've done to make it available to so many people.
00:40:16
Speaker
Thank you so much, Elsie. And yeah, I am so happy that this this ah entity, this being came to me and I said yes to being its mother, its host, to bring it out into the world. And it's one of my greatest joys to get to see people using it and send it out to people and get it into um you know recovery centers and just putting it into different stores and healing centers and Yeah, always just so grateful to see how it makes the impact. And I'm just going to put a little like seed out there for anyone listening. The next phase that I'm really calling in is seeing where it can actually fit into curriculums for healing programs. So it's already been infused into one curriculum in ah in a ah women's recovery center in Southern California. And I'm ready for more of that.
00:41:07
Speaker
for it to really serve people that are doing deep healing work and other therapists and psychologists. Let it be a tool for people to continue to have that integration work.
00:41:18
Speaker
Incredible. um Any closing sparks for people that might be listening? Yes. um My closing spark is for anyone out there that is wanting to create something, whether that's a prompted journal, a book, an album, um a course, maybe it's a product of some other kind. my um My biggest thing for you is to really hold that place of conviction within yourself and know that this is possible, even if you've never done it.
00:41:50
Speaker
I think that that is such fuel for any creative or creation process to really get to that place of being like, yes, this is what's happening. I'm doing it. I feel that depth of conviction within myself because when you cultivate that deep place within, like ah I can feel it lower belly, then that helps to anchor and support when the sort of ah limiting beliefs or imposter syndrome starts to come in. When it's like, well who are you to do that? And why would you want to do that? And no one's going to like it or whatever. Keep coming back to your why and that conviction, because that is such a powerful place to create from.
00:42:33
Speaker
Yes. And I'm so grateful for the role modeling and sharing of the the the balance of discipline and inspiration.
00:42:48
Speaker
yeah And I think, i mean, i'm I'm guessing that that's also what adds to the ability to have conviction. you know, it's not your ego that's creating everything. it is ego in service to this you know, greater calling or or or listening.
00:43:03
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. i shared that in ah recently in a workshop I did where, you know, we're talking about service. and And when we get into a place of wanting to create from that devotion to service, it's very different than creating something to get something.
00:43:21
Speaker
There's a lot more energy that can come from wanting to help people. And the world needs people to show up and serve. The old paradigm of like creating to get is changing.
00:43:32
Speaker
Thank you for being a role model and inspiration. Can you let people know where people can find the stuff, how they can work with you one on one with this stuff and any other places that in ways that they can find you?
00:43:47
Speaker
Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much. So I have created a beautiful website, poweraffirmation.com.
Where to Find the Journal and Closing Remarks
00:43:54
Speaker
You can find the products on there. You can also learn more about my healing work that I do. It's on the same website. There's a few other products on there that have not been um like massively produced that I have just some one-offs of, which are um some moon cards, ritual cards, the invocation cards, and a couple other things. And then the other offering that I put out into the world is through a platform called Insight Timer.
00:44:24
Speaker
And that is a platform for guided meditations. And I have a library of audio affirmations that are all free on Insight Timer. And I'm so happy to know that there's over 200,000 streams on my affirmations at this point. And so it's a really amazing gift to get to see that these affirmations are making a positive difference in the world. And they're all there for you.
00:44:50
Speaker
So get on Insight Timer. You can find the link to that also on my website. I'll put it in the show notes. And um yeah, of course, you know, I love being a friend to many. So reach out to me directly as well. always love hearing from people.
00:45:06
Speaker
Incredible. Well, you can find links to my morning broadcasts and my videos at lifestudent.com, including a link to my Instagram, which is Halcyon Pink that I've been putting a lot of energy into lately.
00:45:20
Speaker
oh Oh, yay. I can't wait to interview you next. I am so nervous. oh You set the bar so high. ah i don't know. oh It'll be fun.
00:45:32
Speaker
It'll be fun. Considering everything we've been talking about, could you end this with an affirmation? Yes. And how about I'll pull one from the deck? Perfect.
00:45:42
Speaker
All right. Here we go. What is an affirmation for us today to close with? I am mindful. i am mindful. one of my favorites. So we can tune into this affirmation. i'm just going to read the top one. It's my favorite. I am a conscious creator of my reality, shaping it through mindful intention and action.
00:46:06
Speaker
I am a conscious creator of my reality, shaping it through mindful intention and action. I am a conscious creator of my reality, shaping it through mindful intention and action. One more time. I am a conscious creator of my reality, shaping it through mindful intention and action.
00:46:32
Speaker
And so it is. ah Thank you, Betsy. Thank you so much, John. Thank you all for listening. Stay sparked, people. Stay sparked.
00:46:45
Speaker
Has this conversation sparked you? Send us a note or leave a comment on the Stay Sparked Instagram page or YouTube channel. Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts really helps too. But most helpful of all is when you share us with a friend.
00:46:59
Speaker
We are so grateful to our sponsor, Lucid, makers of delicious functional mushroom and nootropic drinks. And special thanks to Dub Sutra, creators of our beautiful intro and ending music.
00:47:10
Speaker
Find links to me, Betsy, and all of this good stuff in the show notes.
00:47:16
Speaker
Stay Spark friends.