By Miranda

I just clicked the last button and released a really big project out to the whole giant internet. It was a scary moment, and I'm still feeling a little wobbly inside. Or maybe that's just the coffee?

I got myself certified to be a provider of continuing education for fellow acupuncturists and created a 22-part video series on how to work abroad as a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. As is often the case with projects, it took considerably more time and effort than I expected. And now it's done. And that feels good.

What hasn't felt good lately is American politics.
Bah.
I'm not going to discuss specifics, but even aside from presidential debates, a lot of laws have been passed or proposed lately that have some pretty serious negative consequences. It is challenging to be aware of this and not let it get me down.

But I see the ease in being an active participant in discussion, even a conscious witness of the unfolding of events, with a result in strong feelings.

Ooooh, I don't like that!
Yeah, I sure agree with this!
Wow, I can't believe that just happened....and so on.

It's like political rubbernecking, and it doesn't accomplish anything other than stirred-up emotions.
It's good to be informed, but I'd rather stop and drag someone out of the flames than simply drive by the scene and make a Facebook post about it later on.

So, I'm making productivity my new politics.

It goes something like this:
I am informed about what is going on, and then I file that information away in my noggin.
I save my heart for more important things:
What have I done?
What am I doing?
How am I being a productive member of the society I want to us to have?
Instead of wasting time spiraling into political discourse, despair over current events, or sharing copious opinions on this/that, I am going to actually make things HAPPEN.

So how does this new political system work?

What you think, feel or say doesn't matter.
It's what you do. What you make happen.

Although our happenings are very often shaped by what we feel/say/think, it is more often the case that we talk big, and then go about changing absolutely nothing in our daily lives.

Maybe you feel you don't have much space to change things, no time to do big projects. You have to go to work, watch the kids, clean the house, do the shopping, and carry on. There's not much room for productivity.

But there is, you get a vote. Lots of them, actually, and they're quite powerful. In this political system of productivity, your vote actually matters!
In fact, you're casting votes just about every day without even realizing it.

Every single dollar you spend is a vote!

Consider it.

When you spend money on a particular food, clothing item, in a certain shop, or on a specific activity, you are voting for that thing to thrive.

This applies to your food choices: how was it made, where was it sold?
Consumer goods: big box stores, shopping local, or buying used?
Does your money go to buying more stuff, or are you voting for state park visits, a local winery, a music event?

What is it you want to see more or less of in our world, and how can you vote for that?
What you vote for with your dollars then continues to be produced.
What you don't vote for with your dollars can slowly cease to thrive.
The most powerful vote we all have in this world today is our currency.

Lip service is empty and meaningless.
Spend your dollars like you are consciously casting a vote and empower yourself to actually PRODUCE the world you want to live in.

By Miranda

We have a few new additions here at Radiant Family. We have an awesome new toy...I mean, device...that induces the production of alpha waves in the brain. (More on this later.) We will soon be offering outstanding, high-quality, locally-made skincare products. (More on this later, too.) And we have some essential oils!

Who doesn't have essential oils these days, you ask?
Right.
Essential oils have been the popular cure-all home remedy of the past couple years (in large part because they work). But I myself haven't exactly been in looooove with them as many others have.  I've had my doubts about the quality of many oils I've seen around. And, while loving their scents, I haven't been blown away by their therapeutic value, other than helping me endure morning sickness.

But now my views have changed! I am finally in looooove with essential oils, but not in the way I would ever had expected.

Being a DIY kinda gal, I like to make my own remedies, my own products, blend my own oils thankyouverymuch. I'm most likely to take the oil of this leaf, combined with this seed, these two barks, and this flower....make my own potion.

But I crossed paths with some essential oils blends made in small batches by one very talented woman, Tara Baumann. Tara's Gear Oils brand essential oils only come in blends, created by her, utilized for very specific effects.

So why have these oils impressed me? For one: the oil blend I felt compelled to try (the Hormone Balancing blend) took away my ice cold hands and feet and helped me shed a little weight. When I stopped the oil, cold hands and feet came back--began the oil again, and back to having warmth. That's all the evidence I need!

For another: they're different than anything I have encountered before. As Jason (being the sensitive one) noted, Tara places so much sincere intention into what she does, it becomes healing-in-a-bottle beyond the individual oils she uses.

I asked Tara herself a few questions in order to let her describe her product and process herself:

How did you get started making Gear Oils? I was a teenager and I had acne. I was trying many different over the counter treatments, but nothing worked. I then started juicing, studying herbology and nutrition, crystal and color therapy, and then aromatherapy. Tea Tree was my go to oil for my skin, but as I learned more I understood that combinations of oils are more effective.

Why do you only make oil blends rather than using any single oils? Because you want a synergy of oils to create a specific healing result. It is similar to cooking a meal. One ingredient may be great, but to have all the food groups that you need, it is the synergy of the ingredients that make that happen. For instance, many people use lavender oil for relaxation, but that is really only one note in the world of aromatherapy. Certain oils have top, middle and low notes, and you need some of each to really make the body sing in tune, so to speak.

Do you have a single source for the individual oils, or how do you find what it is you want to use? Again, I combine the top, middle and low note oils to create the healing effect that I want. The majority of my oils I bring in from a small company with the highest standards and quality control possible. I also make sure all of my oils are 100% therapeutic grade. I was taught how to combine the oils when I went to school for aromatherapy in my 20's. I also apprenticed with a trained and certified aromatherapist while in school to better learn application and safety. I have been in the industry for over 20 years creating blends to help others with this knowledge.

I've never seen any other essential oils using gemstone therapy, how and why did you decide to do so? I used to put my oils on a specific crystal that I would wear for whatever health ailment that I was trying to target. Then I decided to use the crystal therapy and put the particular crystals in the oils to try and "charge" the oil even further, and the results were significant. I saw a powerful change in the healing capacity of my oil blends with myself and with others.

Do you have a favorite example of how your Gear Oils have helped people? My heart goes out to helping children. My favorite story is of a young boy who was being bullied and having anxiety disorders at school. He was also suffering from migraines which made him unable to play with his brothers and be a regular kid. He was taking medications for both of these conditions, but not getting relief and having side effects. His mom started him on the Anxiety Oil and the Migraine Oil. After about a week I saw this little boy, and he came up to me and said, "Mrs. Tara, thank you for your oils, they have saved my life and I can play again." That is a testament to the power of aromatherapy and the powerful healing of plants in an essential oil form combined with crystal and color therapy. Testimonies like those are the sole reason why I continue to do what I do. Really I am only the messenger, and I am humble to help whoever I can with my GEAR OILS, and I am always grateful to do so.

Our biggest, heartfelt thanks to Tara for creating such an incredible line of products.
Next time you're in Radiant Family, be sure to check out our ever-expanding line of Gear Oils. And please refer to Tara's Etsy page here to see her full line of products.