January 2019 - The Brick Magazine

WHEN PASSION ISN’T MEANT TO BE PURSUED

bridget b2019-01-01T12:54:19+00:00January 1st, 2019|Ann Arbor Interest|

Photo by Heather Nash by Kristen Domingue Our favorite part of our interview with Yodit Mesfin Johnson was the revelation that following her passion was less of a chase and more of a gradual unfolding. Instead of the push of urgency, there was a gradual pull toward alignment that allowed her to do work she loves in a way that works for her. So if you’re not “there” yet, don’t worry. You may be on an earlier step of a similar path to the one Yodit took. ___ My work and my passion for service is largely influenced by my parents. [...]

DREAM THE NEXT YOU INTO BEING

bridget b2018-12-19T18:13:41+00:00January 1st, 2019|Inspirational|

Photo by Ian Kiragu on Unsplash by Sharon Marie Lawlor Today is the start of a new year. New Year’s resolutions are in full force for some. For others, they perhaps want something else. If you could wave a magic wand over your life right now, how would it ideally be? Stop to think about that. Really give it some thought. Don’t just look at your physical self (as most New Year’s resolutions focus on), but at all aspects of you. This will help create an over-arching vision of this new energy. Dream BIG! Knock down any walls that closed you in. If ANYTHING [...]

NEW YEAR, NEW CLOSET RESOLUTIONS

bridget b2018-12-19T16:56:30+00:00January 1st, 2019|Ann Arbor Interest, Fashion|

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash By Angela Harrison Some closets are organized like a shiny department store; some look like a tornado of early-morning struggle just whipped through. Both, however, are quietly capable of ruining your wardrobe. Hangers, bags, boxes, and hooks are all helpful tools in keeping things orderly, but they can also do damage to our clothes. Of course, we can’t just get rid of these organizational elements; they’re essential in any closet, so we need to be sure we’re using them the right way. Every closet has the following: random plastic hangers, some sturdy wooden hangers, or too many [...]

MAKE A BIG LEAP: SHAKE THINGS UP AND FIND OUT WHAT TRULY MATTERS

bridget b2018-12-19T18:55:07+00:00January 1st, 2019|Inspirational, Minimalism|

Photo by Bridget Baker of the 24-foot travel trailer that she, her husband, and her little dog Little live in. by Bridget Baker The shiny promise of a new year brings with it the commitments to take action, hopes for a more prosperous year, and fantasies of breaking all of your habits and changing “all of the things.” We get a burst of energy, motivated by how-to and resolution articles, showing us that we can wipe the slate clean of the previous year and start fresh. Two days in, however, we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed already. We take on too much [...]

THREE DAYS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

bridget b2018-12-29T19:51:08+00:00January 1st, 2019|Health|

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash by Morella Devost, EdM, MA I looked into the bathroom mirror of my beautiful Manhattan studio apartment. It had only been three days, and I was stunned. My boyfriend and I were on the final day of our first-ever juicing detox. For three days, we consumed more vegetable juice than the whole prior thirty years of our lives. And for the first time in a decade, I was seeing a significant difference in the appearance of my skin…for the better. Ten years prior, in college, I began developing massive cystic acne that plagued me throughout my twenties. Nothing had [...]

RESTRUCTURING MY WORLD

bridget b2018-12-29T19:38:46+00:00January 1st, 2019|Inspirational|

Photo by Mike Labrum on Unsplash Marilyn A. Pellini January is the month that I send a small contribution to all my favorite organizations, and the month I vow to give more of my time, energy, and effort to those groups I am most dedicated to. This goal seems to be working better in my older years than it did when I was much younger. Back then, I concentrated more on things that affected me personally. Each year, there were so many New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, be more patient with the children, cook healthy but delicious meals, and up my organizational skills both [...]

WOMAN ON THE STREET: REMAKING

bridget b2018-12-19T17:31:17+00:00January 1st, 2019|Inspirational|

Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash by Stella Orange Warning: This story contains violence, and may be hard for some to read. Consider skipping if you’re feeling tender or your emotional bucket is already full today. At 3:00 am on Friday night, the Philosopher and I woke up to someone screaming. I ran to the bedroom window, and looked outside to see a man beating a woman. I ran out the front door and yelled at the guy to stop. I yelled that I saw him and what he was doing. I yelled I was going to call the police. The man got in [...]

REFRESHING YOUR HOME FOR THE NEW YEAR

bridget b2018-12-31T00:14:10+00:00January 1st, 2019|Home|

Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash by Tiffany Edison In the new year, my phone starts to ring off the hook without fail. I have come to anticipate these calls — I relish them! The reason I am inundated with pleas for assistance is largely due to what my clients describe as the ‘lack of cheer’ in their homes once the holiday season comes to an end. A frequent grievance I hear goes something like “We realized after we took down the decorations how ‘blah’ and ‘drab’ our home actually is.” Please don’t get me wrong, I love to decorate for the holidays as [...]

RENEW YOUR PALATE AND REFRESH YOUR PANTRY

bridget b2018-12-29T19:45:57+00:00January 1st, 2019|Recipes|

Photo by Laura Mitulla on Unsplash by: Jillian Fraioli Our family has strong traditions, which results in cooking the same dishes every holiday season. We rejoice in this repetition. For most of our adult lives, we have been flung far and wide across the world. The food traditions in our family are what hold us tight in the arms of our loved ones and our ancestors. It’s what brings our heart, and sometimes our hardest memories, to the forefront to be held and cherished. But every January, without fail, this gal who can barely eat leftovers (that’s a topic for another day) starts to [...]

WHEN HOPE WHISPERS

bridget b2018-12-29T20:01:55+00:00January 1st, 2019|Inspirational|

Photo by Leon Liu on Unsplash By Maria Sylvester, MSW, CPC The glorious new year is upon us, and with it comes that sweet, hopeful energy of new beginnings, fresh starts, and perhaps if we are lucky, dreams realized. A new year awakens us to, above all else, a sense of possibility. Maybe, just maybe, I can meet some of my heart’s deepest longings. Maybe, just maybe, what felt unsurmountable last year can be a challenge I accomplish this time around. A new year always brings whispers of hope. Whispers we must listen carefully to, and be prepared to honor and respect. In other [...]

RESET YOUR GUT

bridget b2018-12-19T18:35:34+00:00January 1st, 2019|Ann Arbor Interest, Health|

by Lisa Profera MD The New Year is upon us, and you may be considering making a move toward better health. Many people are starting new diets or detoxing, joining gyms, or vowing to give up bad habits. As you know, by April over 50% of us fail to keep those resolutions. It might be time for something more definitive — time for a reset! Want a quick way to reboot your immune system and your digestive health? Consider colon hydrotherapy. Unlike the unpleasant “prep” for a colonoscopy, colon hydrotherapy is a safe and gentle way to clean out your large [...]