Coffee with Moe - January 2019

** Guided Meditation Inside! **

Hello
from Moe:
A Clean
Slate:
7
8-11
Shaping
the Future:
14-16
ISSUE 12: Shaping your Future
January 2019
On The Cover:
I believe that you have the power to
shape your own future, don’t you? In this
quarter of Coffee with Moe, let’s grab a
cuppa and explore a few possibilities.
This Page: Starting 2019 with a clean
slate. Can you do it? Of course you can.
For digital Prints & Commission work, please
Contact Moe at: monique@moecreative.com

The Walled
Garden:
18-27
Tail
End: 28
100 % of the images in this issue of
Coffee with Moe were shot using a smart
phone.
Website: www.moecreative.com
Blog: www.moecreative.com/blog
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/moecreative/
IG: www.instagram.com/moe_creative
Coffee with Moe Digital Magazine is
published in association with Moe Creative
Inc. based in Calgary, Alberta Canada
Digital Watermarking on all photography by Digimarc.
Publishing made possible by Yumpo & the Adobe Suite of
Products.
Many thanks to Family, Friends & Inspiration:
Gratefully & alphabetically:
AB, AC, AG, AL, AR, BCV, BD, CF, CG, CR,
CS, DD, DK, DL, DO, EC, ED, EN, GD,
GDC, HC, HM, IF, JD, JM, JR, JS, KH, KW,
LB, LD, LK, LM, LOL, MB, MC, MH, MQ, MS,
MY, ND, NH, NS, PA, PB, RC, RS, SB, SH,
SK, SP, SMG, TN, TR, VH, YK.
& all Moe Creative’s clientele & suppliers.
All for whom this issue was created, with
heart & gratitude.
© 2018 Moe Creative Inc. All rights reserved.

Every morning while I’m shaping my future (Read: Shaping the Future
on page 14), I am also shaping the pages of every upcoming issue of
Coffee with Moe. The process for me is meditative, as much as it is
an exploration into new and well worn ideas.
This quarter, I would like to share with you some simple thoughts,
quotes and ways that can release your from overwhelm, promote
personal satisfaction and encourage you to live your best life in every
possible moment.
Come along for the ride, afterall...
Every issue of Coffee with Moe is created with you in mind.
With heart & much gratitude,
- Moe

A Clean Slate
“
It‘s quite a feeling to
finish something you
have been 10 years
beholden to and to
have a clean slate.
-Chad Harbach
“

When we think of a clean slate, we think of fresh new possibilities.
But just because a room, a journal, a day timer page etc. is fresh, does that
really mean that our slate is clean? As we roll through each passing year,
we tend to collect a lot of junk*. The more the years roll by, the heavier
that junk in our trunks can get. Especially if we’ve faced trauma, crisis, loss,
shame, blame etc. and have not put into place, are too busy for, are afraid
of or feel anxious about doing the required decluttering.
So what’s the big deal?
The big deal is triggers and diminished capacity.
We may not be able to see this junk, but if you’re finding that you’ve:
Less patience
More frustration
A compromised immune system
A short fuse, or
are feeling stressed out, then the junk beneath your surface may be the
culprate.
How can you go about cleaning your slate? Here are 5 ways that will help
you on the road to a lighter, less agitated you.
Recognize the Junk
Nobody’s perfect. Simply get to the point of self-reflection. where you can
name your junk. You have to be able to name it, to tame it.
* Junk refers to anything that does not serve us

Forgive yourself and others (for being human)
This can be a tough gig and the last thing on our list of to-dos, but it’s
vitally important. Often, we hold (sometimes very deeply inside of us) a
story of shame, blame, lack of worth and we can think uglier thoughts
about our self and others than is really true. What’s helpful, is to recognize
and admit to our junk and the junk of others, while remembering that we all
operate from where we are in the moment.
When we know better, we do better.Right?
If that isn’t working for you, check out the article on page 18 titled:
The Walled Garden for a practical, easy and non-combative way of dealing
with forgiveness and hurt feelings.
Fill your toolbox
Fill your toolbox with self-reflective / solo activities like journaling, quiet
meditation, moving meditation (walk, run, bike, or hit the mat and stretch),
some self-care in the form of massage, reflexology, cranial sacral or maybe
even a little bit of creative play.
Schedule it
If you don’t schedule it, is it really going to happen?
Yah, probably not.

Realize this is not an overnight process and schedule #1-4 daily
The severities of your junk and state of your mental attitude will influence just
how fast and how effectively you move through each challenge you face.
If you lean into the activities mentioned above on a regular basis, you will begin
to feel less edgy, lighter, more focused and capable of actually moving forward
with an actual cleaner slate.
Are you feeling it?

Shaping the Fu
“
The future belongs
to those who believe
in the beauty of
their dreams.
“
- Eleanor Roosevelt

ture
Every morning my future starts taking shape over my very first cuppa.
I don’t do anything bold or daring, I simply sit down for about 15-20 minutes of
quiet written reflection and future dreaming. It’s a daily opportunity to review my
life, take account of what didn’t work yesterday, what I learned in the process,
how that can shape future encounters and take the time to dream. I think the
most important thing is just letting whatever wants to come up, to come up.
I call this process free writing, because I have no set agenda. I let whatever
thoughts are bubbling at the surface stream out of the pen and land on the
page. Because this process happens in the morning, I find that my brain hasn’t
been hijacked by current affairs and I am much more able go beyond those
surface bubblings. Tapping into what some call my stream of conciousness, I am
amazed, almost daily with what shiny little nuggets of goodness tumble out onto
the page. Solutions, ideas, understanding and forgiveness are just some of the
gems waiting to be discovered.
Did I invent this process? No. It’s been done in a variety of forms for many years.
Infact, I was introduced to two forms of it in college. One by way of a very
important book that I recommend all the time called The Artist’s Way by Julia
Cameron. The other, in one of my English classes, as a primer for writing. Both
work in a similar way to clear all the mud from our minds and creating a clear(er)
path for us to move forward with.
Free writing doesn’t take a lot of time, but the process offers benefits that far
outweigh the perceived time-cost of sitting down and getting to it. For myself?
I like a quiet start in the morning, so I find it easiest to set aside 20 minutes while
I relax into my first cuppa. How you you roll with it (before you get out of bed,
by getting to work early etc) is up to you. The thing of major importance is to
do it in the morning before your brain gets all set in it’s ways and hijacked by
whatever is happening in the moment. It’s morning, nothing has happened yet.
You’re giving yourself a daily touchstone, to help remind you of what matters,
how you can do things better and perhaps even stir up the drive to go for
whatever it is that makes your heart sing.

What are some of the best things about Free Writing?
1. It’s housecleaning for your mind. An opportunity for you to dust off and sort
out your internal clutter, while offering yourself the room to forgive yourself,
mostly for being human.
2. It’s an idea generator. Once you’ve sorted through all the junk in your mental
library, all those heavily weighed down ideas and dreams start floating up to the
surface for you to remember, and when you choose, put into action.
3. It nips your internal critic in the bud. Once you’ve pruned out all the junk,
there’s room for movement. That includes appreciation for lessons learned and
a more positive attitude that comes from gaining clarity.
4. Anxiety Reduction. There is nothing more anxt ridden than being
overwhelmed. By systematically writing out and going through all the loud and
agrivating bits that are running circles in your mind, you open space for your
dreams to find a voice.
5. Boosts creativity. Oh yes, you ARE creative. Definately more than you think.
How can I say this? Because when you let go of anxiety and that piled up
to-do list jumbling around in your head, new ideas, solutions to problems and
the energy to execute start showing up.

The Walled Ga

den
In time, not dealing with forgiveness can create an isolating wall around us.
Barring us from potential experiences and freedoms while filling us with dark
negativities, depression and potentially contributing to long term stress and
illness. It isn’t pretty stuff.
Back when I was teaching meditation and self-care practices. I had a guided
exercise that I often referred to. It also used a wall, but this wall was protective
in a way that fostered a healthy sense of safety, love, understanding and
forgiveness. Before I share this meditation with you. Let’s quickly touch on a
few factors that are always good to know or remind ourselves of, before we
begin…
a) If you lie down during the process, you will sleep. But if sleeping is what you
require, use guided meditation to get caught up on your sleep before you use it
to deal with forgiveness. Adequate sleep is your most important health ally and
falling asleep is simply an indication of where your body is at. Go with it.
b) Sit up and set a gentle timer, because you may drift and/or lose track of time
along the way. It is vital that you are warm, comfortable, undisturbed and quiet
during the time you’ve set aside for meditation.
If you’re not completely comfortable, you will not stick with your practice.
c) Meditation is a practice, it’s not a perfect. So let go of any particulars besides
these ABC’s. The gift of any guided meditation is that it gives your mind
something to attach to, so it doesn’t wander aimlessly, geting you into all sorts
of damaging thoughts. If you wander, kindly bring yourself back to where you
left off. (Harsh discipline is not helpful here)

The Mechanics of Guided Meditations
I’m going to talk about this briefly so that you can let go of having to memorize
The Walled Garden Meditation that follows. This meditation is merely a guide,
a starting point, a launching pad for your own imagination to take hold. The
basics of any meditation are:
- Getting relaxed, settled in and creating separation from your every day.
- Traveling within the meditation landscape itself.
- Slowly coming back into the room. Remember to account for this time, as it
will most often happen after your timer goes off.
Visual variables for this meditation
I am going to be working with the idea of a walled garden. If you’re not a
gardener, some alternatives for you could be a small island, a fenced plot of
land or whatever else you can dream up. All you have to ensure, is there is a
barrier to anyone entering this site without your permission. You’ll see what I
mean as we move through the meditation.
Remember, you’ve got this!
Next, The Walled Garden Meditation:

THE WALLED GARDEN
For the most effective meditation, gently close your eyes so that you aren’t
distracted by anything happening around you.
When your eyes are closed, quietly notice the sounds happening around you.
What do you hear? Do you smell anything? Can you feel the cool air of the
room on your skin? Gently, quietly, internally notice these things.
As you become familiar with the world around you with closed eyes, slowly
begin to turn your focus inward. Move towards your breath and the rhythmic
movement of your belly. To connect easier, place a hand on your belly and
breathe. Do you notice if you are holding tension any where? As you notice
tension, allow that part of you to relax with the rhythm of your breath. Start
noticing your scalp, your eyes, your cheekbones, your jaw, your tongue. Then
move to your neck, down over your shoulders, slowly move through your entire
body, releasing tension as you go.
When you’ve reached and relaxed your feet, allow yourself to imagine you are
standing in a cool, lush patch of grass. Don’t worry if you have shoes, or not.
You are entering a safe place where no harm can come to you. Expand your
imagination beyond your feet and notice a beautiful winding path. As you
notice it, your feet instinctively carry you there and you start walking. As you
move through this space, stop and take notice of the sights, smells, sounds and
any tastes that might come across.
Before long, you reach the most beautiful wall and gate you’ve ever seen.
Everything about it is perfect. Maybe there are flowers, coloured river stones,
maybe there are butterflies dancing around the gate. This is your space, you get
to choose the beauty that you see.
As you approach the gate, it gently unlatches. It’s as if the gate recognizes you.
You feel a spark of excitement as you walk towards the gate and it opens wide.
Your heart begins to fill with joy as you catch your first glimpse inside these tall

protective walls. In front of you lies the most beautiful, lush oasis you have ever
laid your eyes on. It’s better than anything you’ve ever seen before. As the gate
closes behind you, you turn to it and it unlatches again. Subtly letting you know
that you are free to come and go as you choose.
You choose to stay and as you move through this garden you realise that you
are not allergic to anything, the sun, while warm on your skin feels nourishing
not damaging. You note, this garden is here to feed you. You feel a sense of
relief and relax more deeply. Around the garden you wander. (take your time).
Eventually you come to a really comfortable looking bench and sit down.
Ahead of you is a lush hedge. As you watch, the hedge begins to recede,
revealing a gate. This is not the gate you used, this gate doesn’t have hinges to
open. As you notice this, you begin to remember a person who hurt you in the
past and as you think of them, they begin to materialize in the distance.
He/She starts to approach and you instinctively say “Stop”, they stop. Instantly
you sense that this is not actually that person, but a representation of them, an
avatar. This avatar is here to help you heal. With this realization, you feel safe
and ask them to approach. You say hello and it nods. It also becomes obvious, it
can’t speak unless you choose to let it. Brilliant.
And so you begin to say everything you’ve ever wished you could say to that
individual. You allow yourself to let go and express yourself freely. It feels good.
When you’re finished, you get an idea. Perhaps you could ask WHY the person
did what they did. It’s your choice to ask or not ask. In fact, you can ask the
avatar any question you choose and they must answer you the best they can.
At the end of your conversation you feel much better, and send them away.
Perhaps you will ask them to come back to talk another day? Maybe you will sit
with what you’ve learned for a while and choose someone else to speak with.
You smile to yourself. This garden, this walled oasis is your healing place. It is a

space where you can come to be alone, come to heal, come to get your words
out or simply come here to reflect. It is a space that will bend to your will, while
ensuring your safety and promoting your ultimate wellbeing.
As you get up off the bench, you turn towards your private gate and notice
on your path are trees filled with the ripest of your favourite fruits. You pluck a
piece and begin to savour it. With each step, with each bite, you notice a wash
of satisfaction flow through you. You smile with gratitude at the gate as you
pass through it and stop just beyond to focus again on your breath.
As you slowly count backwards from 5, you notice a new strength inside of
you. A knowing that you’ve found what could potentially be a key to becoming
a better version of you. And as you gently become more aware of the room
around you, you know in your heart and soul that your garden will be there for
you whenever you choose to close your eyes and breathe.
Hold on to this feeling and when you are ready, gently open your eyes.
I trust that over time, a variation of this self guided forgiveness visualisation will
become your gentle, go-to way of dealing with difficult people, thoughts and
situations.
If you’re anything like me, I’m not great in the moment, so this form of self-care
helps me to find my words plus new kinder ways of standing up for myself while
actively navigating this beautiful life.
As American Entertainer Bernard Meltzer once said:
“When you forgive you in no way change the past,
but you sure do change the future.”

Here we are again, at the tail-end my friends.
It’s always hard to believe that we’ve reached the conclusion to another issue of
Coffee with Moe. I trust that over the course of this issue and perhaps in our future
conversations, you will find inspired thought and steady footing to strike out in your
own way. To find personal success in 2019.
I wish you the very best in all the successes that you reach for. I believe that success
(whatever that may look like in your heart) is yours to receive, just forgive a little, be
kind and give it time.
Before we part, please remember to always feel welcome to reach out and say
“hello”.
Remember, I put out this quarterly content to stir up potential conversations. A way
for us to close the gap and come together like time has simply melted away.
Happy 2019
Hang on to the reigns and enjoy the ride.
XO Moe

Coffee withMoe
The Spring Edition
Arriving in
April 2019