MaggiesVitamins

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May 20, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

cancer, hope, My Cancer Journey

Healing With HOPE

Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”

Robert Schuller

When it comes to healing or even just getting through a rough day, it always helps to focus on our HOPES!

Avoid Pain & Seek Pleasure

As humans we naturally want to avoid pain and seek pleasure so this is perfect! It reminds us to seek JOY and to find gratitude in what we do have.

For me, I am finding that the best use of my time and energy with my recent cancer diagnosis is to get excited about today and my future. I focus on the JOY I can get from today. I squeeze out every moment of it and I also get excited about my future. I see and visualize the next phase of my amazing life.

I am letting my sub-conscious mind know that life is important to me and I that want to live and enJOY it for a long time. I want my sub-conscious mind to know that I have a plan and that I am creating a mental blue print for it and I know that my sub-conscious mind is always working for my highest good and answering my beck and call.

Today I got excited visualizing my new kitchen on the shores of Lake Superior where I will record videos of making healing foods and sharing those with others. A book title came to mind just yesterday “Healing On The Shores of Lake Superior”. 🙂

When I get excited about life and my future that I visualize, my cells jump for JOY! I can feel the happiness ripple up inside my body and soul and I KNOW that that alone is healing me!!!

We just can’t lose by having HOPE and HAPPINESS.

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cancer, cancer prevention, Fruit, My Cancer Journey, vegetables

3 Easy Ways to Incorporate More Nutrition Into Your Day

May 18, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

Good Morning!

This was the happy site I awoke to this morning and it made me smile. Last night I washed and prepared all of this goodness and I love looking at it! The colors are so vibrant and each piece of food has its own energy that one can feel if one taps into that. What a great way to wake up!

We often ‘forget’ to eat or to incorporate certain foods into our daily routine because as the saying goes ‘out of site, out of mind’, so here are 3 tips to help with incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.

Prepare Your Foods

Spend time preparing your foods so that they are ready to go. For example, wash your fruits and vegetables with a non-toxic soap or with vinegar and water and let them dry on a towel. I use terry cloth towels a lot in my kitchen. I use them to dry veggies, to dry and pat lettuce etc.

Various fruits drying on a terry cloth towel

Plain Site

Leave foods in plain site so that it calls out to you and that you are reminded to use it. I use a lot of glass bowls or containers to hold my fruits so I can display them and contain them. Foods have frequency so even having fresh fruits, for example, displayed in your kitchen adds a level of healing frequency to your house. These foods after all are ‘live foods’ and we are living beings so we resonate with these a lot.

Just Eat Them!

Just eat them anyway you can get them into your body. Whether it is straight away munching on an apple, throwing some in a smoothie, adding chopped fruit to a salad or trying a new recipe, just eat them! You win every time you eat one of these pieces of nature’s medicine.

I am diligently working daily at adding in nutritious foods to my daily routine and into my personal food protocol for healing and maintaining optimal health in my body. Fruits and vegetables are well known for their anti-cancer properties but they also are gems when it comes to providing nutrients to the body for healing purposes too.

I hope that you enJOY preparing and indulging in all of these gifts that nature has to offer. Have a great day everyone!

click here for all of maggie’s cancer journey posts

visit maggie’s main blog for inspiration & joyful musings

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May 15, 2021December 27, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

My favorite non-toxic cleaner, SNAP All Purpose Natural Concentrate… great for washing veggies!

cancer, Fear, My Cancer Journey

Thoughts On FEAR

“He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.”

Aristotle

🅵🅴🅰🆁

One of the things I have learned about fear is that I don’t like it 🙂 And this is why I strive to live fearlessly, no matter what is going on in my life. And I know this is not always easy and that is why I say “I strive to live fearlessly“. 🙂

When I am in fear, my cells constrict, my heart tightens, my stomach tightens, and I feel dense, and of course … afraid. I have really learned how to tap into and listen to my body and fear has its own frequency and as I said and will say again, I don’t like it!

So I decided many years ago that I wanted to live fearlessly and in JOY! And now that I have been gifted this journey of experiencing the role that cancer will play in my game of life, I feel no different. I have just upped my game. I am even more so determined to LIVE FEARLESSLY.

How Does One Live Fearlessy?

I have written many posts about fear as well as affirmations you can use and you can find them here:

maggie’s posts helping with fear and how to live fearlessly

I hope you find the articles helpful but the easiest hack to help with fear is to focus! Focus using your energy banks on things that make you happy and that bring you JOY! Yesterday I wrote about using energy banks in your day and this also applies to not using those banks to focus on fear which ultimately depletes your energy banks faster than anything else!

Here is the energy bank post:

click here to read the important post about energy banks and their role in your life regardless if you are facing an illness or not

I hope that you found all of this helpful in some way. And now I am off to find some JOY in doing my daily yoga. 🙂

Have a great day everyone! Now or in the future 😉

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May 14, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

cancer, My Cancer Journey, self-care, self-love

Energy Banks & Our Health

Our Energy Banks

It seems that almost every day I have a conversation with at least someone about my new insight into ‘energy banks’.

Since my cancer diagnosis and with how my life has changed, I get at a deep, deep, level the significance of working wisely with our own personal energy source. I see the source as banks or batteries and in a day each bank that I have has only so much power and I choose where I use that power.

For example, I am using the majority of my banks and my power to focus on my healing and in clarifying my journey. I understand that without a shadow of a doubt, the highest and wisest use of my time is to zone in on making my life conducive to perfect health which includes many things such as high quality foods, supportive therapies, peace of mind and more.

In come my energy banks! In a day I must direct my energy and stored energy (there is only so much in a day) to where I need them to go to support my efforts.

I highly recommend considering this concept in your own life regardless if you have a challenging illness or not.

I will give you an idea of what I mean. Sometimes I will be having a conversation with someone about a ‘whatever’ topic and I might say something to them like “You know what, I am not really up to or interested in talking about this as I need to reserve my energy for my healing“. And they almost always completely understand :-).

When you are faced with your own mortality, things become real clear and really quick. Even when it comes to my overall diagnosis, prognosis, and therapies, it is often not something I want to go into details about because I am using my energy to keep my mindset positive and to focus on what I need to do in my day to heal.

Not that I don’t ever talk about these things. I find I am often sharing with others who are on similar journeys and it gives me JOY to encourage and inspire them along their journeys too, but I am very conscious of how much energy I expend and I monitor when I need to pull back.

Even with discussions, whether vocal or written, I monitor how much energy I expend and I question could this energy be better spend elsewhere?

Other People’s Energy

I also love the idea of leveraging everyone else’s energy when it comes to my healing and well-being which is why I never want people to think of me and to be fearful or worried. The best use of anyone’s thoughts or energy would be best spent thinking of me and seeing me as vibrant, healthy, JOYful, happy, and as Full-Speed Ahead moving into the next phase of my amazing life with smooth sailing. That’s how I want people to see me and to use their energy. 🙂

There are really only two emotions or ranges of e-motion also known as energy in motion and they are FEAR and LOVE. Love always feels better and love is always the answer. So the more others think of me with hopeful and awesome visions, the better for them and the better for me. See, we all win.

I hope that you too tap into leveraging your energy banks and remember sleep and rest are one of the best ways to restore your banks and naps are great for this too, just sayin 🙂

Have an amazing day everyone!

My Acronym FEAR: Forget Everything & Rest…

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May 8, 2021December 27, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

cancer, Kindness, My Cancer Journey

A Thought Around Health Care Providers

I have been thinking a lot lately about what makes a good health care provider and I am sure that there are many aspects but what comes to mind for me first and foremost, are KINDNESS & COMPASSION!

Since my recent diagnosis of Colon Cancer I have seen a lot of health care pros in various settings and when I see the kind ones, I always tell them how much I appreciate their kindness.

There have been so many that I have seen lately from Surgeons, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Naturopathic Doctors, Oncologists, Anesthesiologists, Physiotherapists and the list goes on. I take every chance I get to thank them for what they do and for their kindness and compassion.

I recently expressed to my oncologist whom I just met, that I thank him for his chosen career as I cannot imagine how challenging and difficult it is to be in his role. I also told him that he was very kind. He thanked me and said that my words were inspiring and that indeed that is probably the biggest reason people get into the health care field is because they are kind and compassionate and want to help, which made my heart smile. I can honestly say that I actually had compassion for him!

I can see how it would be very easy to burn out as the years go by, but of course there are rewards too but this blog post is not about that, it is just about my appreciation of kindness, compassion and confidentiality as well. It is so important for a patient to feel safe, and cared for, especially when in a newly vulnerable state which may include physical, mental, emotional and spiritual vulnerabilities and fears.

Cancer is a diagnosis like none other and until you have experienced it, you cannot describe the experience which is also very individual and different for each person but I can pretty well guarantee that there are a lot of similar terrifying emotions and thoughts that people generally experience. And this is where that kindness becomes extra important.

And we all have a role in being kind. I am being showered with so much love and support from so many people and I cannot express to you how WONDERFUL this feels to me! I say it is the wind beneath my healing wings and I so believe it. I am learning how to receive and it feels good. I am so grateful that there are people in my life to support me.

I have often talked in business groups and when I have been a guest on a radio show for example, the importance of building a network and that even in our personal life we require networks…. these help us in times of need and we can in turn be an important part of a support network for others. This is the gift of life and of caring and of kindness, empathy and compassion.

How Might You Help Those That You Care About?

On another note, I will be doing a future blog post about ways you can help those people in your life who are going through a scary diagnosis like cancer. It is a delicate state of affairs and there are ways to support that include holding the appropriate space and balance between supporting and matching what the person wants or needs. I am hoping that my insights might be helpful to others because I know that this whole thing can be very awkward. It is similar to not knowing what to say to console someone grieving…. anyhow stay tuned for that one.

And in closing thank you to all of the kind and caring health professionals and everyday ordinary people who make a difference in others people’s lives every day just by being kind. I LOVE YOU ALL!

link to all of maggie’s posts around cancer & the journey

visit maggie’s main blog for inspiration & joyful musings

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May 7, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

cancer, My Cancer Journey, yoga

Yoga, Surgery, & My Cancer Diagnosis

So my life recently changed this past March when I learned that I had Colon Cancer. You can read my blog post around that here:

link to my blog post “my recent diagnosis that changed my life forever”

On April 16th I had surgery to remove a cancerous mass that was blocking my colon and it went very well. I am healing from the surgery magnificently as I suspected I would 🙂

One of the things that I was really grateful for while at the hospital was that I have been doing daily yoga for the past 3.5 years.

This really helped me to be able to get out of bed and walk around even right on the first night after the surgery. It is important to get up and get moving so that one does not get blood clots. Every time I was able to get myself out of bed by myself reminded me of my gratitude for my yoga which has helped me so much in my flexibility and core strength.

Keep in mind that I have a wound from my pubic bone right up and through my belly button. It was around a 6 hour surgery and it was a big deal so I am grateful that I have healed so quickly as far as the surgery went and that I had the strength and flexibility to get myself moving so quickly. Seven days post op I was out driving and picking up groceries 🙂

I am already back to doing my daily yoga and am reminded that small efforts when it comes to our health really do make a difference.

I am excited to continue to share with you insights I have as I go along on this new journey. I take one day at a time and I rest when I need to. I also focus on things that bring me JOY and make me happy and blogging does this for me so stay tuned my friends 🙂 There is more to come!

Have a great day everyone!

Oh and I am back here editing this because people are asking me what I use for yoga. And I love Gaia! There are amazing yoga routines, movies, documentaries, mediations and more. You can check it out here:

link to check out gaia

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May 3, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

cancer, healing

Healing With Ease

“Remember that ‘ease’ is the opposite of ‘disease’ …. let go…let it flow… let healing happen with EASE..” Maggie Holbik

Healing & Disease

When we think of the word disease it means the lack of ease. So with that said, healing of any kind can benefit from ‘ease’… the opposite of disease.

What are some ways to add ease to your healing?

Let go.…. this is one of the first ways. Let go of the resistance to whatever is ailing you. Whether you have been recently diagnosed with something, or you have had an accident or set-back of some type, just relax and learn to lean into the acceptance of what is. We waste precious energy when we use it to try and analyze why something is happening to us or why we are not liking what is happening.

Our energies would be better spent focused on our healing and on allowing our healing to happen instead of using our precious energy stores to feel victimized or getting into the ‘why me’s’ 🙂

2. Know and believe that healing can be easy. For example, I am writing this blog post 2 weeks and 2 days post abdominal surgery where I have an incision from my pubic bone and up past my belly button and it has healed beautifully! Thirty five staples were removed two days ago and my wound is doing great.. perfectly healed and continuing to heal beautifully and with ease! I totally believe my body is amazing and that it can heal with ease and grace and it responds as such!

3. Trust. Trust in the divine process of healing and rejuvination. Our bodies are magnificent. The whole magnificance of creation is a miracle in itself, so why would we not continue to be a miracle throughout our entire lifetime?

When we trust in life itself, we trust in the power of our bodies, minds and spirits to heal. Trust is like a magic wand commanding it to be so. 🙂 Use trust along with ease and you will activate powerful healing forces that are available to and for you!

visit maggie’s main blog for inspiration & joyful musings

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well-being, Your Amazing Life

Breaking News! About Breaking News!

April 2, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

Breaking News!

How many times in a day do we hear this? Breaking News…?

Do you know what ‘breaking news’ does to you? It breaks you. It breaks us!

One of the things that we can do for our health and for our peace of mind is to stop watching ‘Breaking News’!

I look at the time I have left on earth as a bank of time with deficits and deposits. When I watch or witness something that produces fear or anxiety in me, it is a deficit. And as with all time deficits, I can never get the time back. So not only do I lose precious time by watching fearful things, I take away from my time bank a time that could have been filled with JOY or healing or anything positive that would enhance my life!

For me personally, I have become very selective in where and with whom I spend my time. In each and every moment of my life, I want to ensure that I am adding to and enhancing to the gift of my life.

Once you start to become more conscious of your decisions moment by moment, it becomes easier and more clear to you what is important to YOU!

I hope that you too get selective as to what you use your time bank to focus on and that you also get crystal clear on what is important to you for your peace of mind and well-being.

Have a great day everyone and Happy Easter to those reading this right about now. 🙂

visit maggie’s main blog for inspiration & joyful musings

click here to get to maggie’s main blog ‘maggieholbikblog.com’

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March 3, 2021 Maggie Holbik, Offering Inspiration for Living Freely and in JOY!

Food As Medicine, Food Prep Hacks

Food First!

I came up with a new saying for use in my daily life. It is “Food First”.

And this is what I mean by it.

Do you ever have those moments when you are thinking of cooking something or thinking I should eat something but you are busy doing other things and it seems like a chore or not a priority? I know that feeling exactly. And I even love to cook and I still feel this way!

However, recently I have embraced how important it is to have quality food and nutritious food in my daily life. So to remind me of this, I just say in my head or out loud “Food First!”. This snaps me back into remembering that nothing else is as important! Food First.

And then after I say it, I go and take the time to make some food, or take my supplements, or do my yoga, or whatever I need to do that is on my healthy priority list. It all falls under my umbrella of ‘food first’…. food for my body, my mind, or my soul. Feeding is more than just food.

I used my little strategy yesterday. I made this amazing pot of soup in the morning as well as my 5 minute cookies that I make for my hubby. And while I stirred the soup and was really thinking about the blog posts that I wanted to be writing, I said “Food First”. 🙂 to snap me back to the importance of making healthy and nutritious food.

recipe for maggie’s 5 minute cookies

What about you? Do you struggle with putting things first in your day? I know that time is always an issue for many of us but I am talking more about how we ‘feel’ about our priorities and how we see them or if we see them as priorities or not.

I hope you too put Food First and give yourself the gift and pleasure of prioritizing food and goodness into your life. 🙂

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