UnCagedPhoenix Magazine: July 2019

ISSUE NO. 7 | JULY 2019 

UnCaged 

Phoenix 

MAGAZINE

8 

True Love 

Never Dies 

by Elisa Grady 

CONTENTS 

22 

Bitter Ears 

Can’t Hear, 

But Broken 

Hands Can Hold 

20 

Moving 

Forward 

By Latiesha Olive 

17 

Mindset 

& Health 

DEPARTMENTS 

3 

Behind the Scenes 

7 

Life Tools 

14 

Puzzles 

26 

Important Notice 

4 

Can You Do 

It Alone? 

2 UnCagedPhoenix

BEHIND THE SCENES AT UNCAGED PHOENIX 

he sun is out, and it is not 

playing around. I don’t know 

why the sun thinks it needs to 

show up and show out in July, but 

this month it came out with a force and 

is already acting the fool. And like previous 

years gone by, I was not ready for the 90+ degree heat. 

One would think that by being born and raised in the Caribbean I 

wouldn’t be a stranger to the sun. This is what I thought too! But I was wrong. 

To this day, I still prefer to hide out in the shade—and more importantly in 

air conditioning—than to fight with the sun during the summer. 

Isn’t it funny how all winter we keep crying out for the sun [you not me], 

begging mother nature to show her face [again you not me]? Yet when 

she does, we run hiding and pleading with her not to take everything we 

say so seriously. Life pretty much is the same… We spend so much time 

wanting the wife, husband, kids, job, business, degree, house, friends, 

location, etc. Then, when we finally get it, we moan and groan about it not 

fitting the fantasy notions we created in our mind. And just as it comes 

to the weather, we never truly learn. Each year we set goals and dreams 

about what we want but never really stop to consider the work it takes, 

the sacrifices that have to be made or the change in mindset to achieve 

and sustain them. Instead we choose to remain in our lofty imaginations 

where we take no accountability for what is happening in our lives or the 

steps needed to move forward [blaming everyone else but us]. 

Like my dislike for the sun, there comes a time when we have to face 

the reality of our situations. Yes, certain aspects of our life or business 

may not be perfect, but that does not mean it is the be-all and endall. 

We can’t always wish for things to just appear and not be willing to 

work for or maintain it. You wanted the spouse, now you hate the idea 

of compromising. You wanted the kids, but you hate the idea of potty 

training. You wanted the business, but you don’t want to actually work. 

You are old enough to understand that with each benefit there will come 

actionable tasks which have to be completed by you. 

In this month’s magazine we are going to show you how to take some 

of these actionable tasks. We are going to help you move forward as an 

entrepreneur and explore how love never dies. We will learn about the 

importance of a healthy mindset and body, and also reveal how you can 

see yourself within your vision. This month is going to challenge you. It is 

going to make you think. But at the end, you are going to be better prepared 

to face whatever changes or growth may come your way. Don’t worry, we 

are not heartless! We still left room for the word games, self-care and our 

summer app review. And who knows…I may just put some sunblock on and 

get out into this glowing sun and absorb some well needed vitamin D. 

Lisa Smithen 

UnCagedPhoenix 

3

COACHING 

“ 

For you to truly succeed, 

you cannot seek the 

applause of others, 

but the self-produced 

gratification that 

comes from overcoming 

challenges through your 

hard-earned efforts.” 

efore we go any further, please note that I am 

in full agreement that we should support each 

other’s goals and dreams. It is something we 

all want and yearn for. There is something 

near euphoric about having your own personal 

cheerleaders; it makes you feel invincible and 

capable of doing anything and going anywhere. 

But what happens when you can’t hear the cheer 

of the crowd and no one is there to support 

your climb? What do you do then? Do you stop 

climbing? Do you stop dreaming? Will you give 

up on all of your dreams and goals? 


Can You 

Do It 

Alone?

COACHING 

I have often fantasized of days where 

everyone could find the needed 

support and motivation from their 

families and communities. But reality 

dictates that this has yet to happen— 

and may never happen—for everyone. 

Many people are typically left alone 

to face difficult climbs with little or 

“When the individuals you care for 

choose not to encourage you, but 

instead compete with and break 

you down, it will take a strong inner 

purpose to push through.” 

no support or mentorship. With a 

little research you will find that many 

successful people had to endure 

years of uncertainty, ridicule and fear 

as they braved the turbulent seas to 

become someone better and build 

something different. 

For you to truly succeed, you cannot 

seek the applause of others, but the 

self-produced gratification that 

comes from overcoming challenges 

through your hard-earned efforts. 

When no one seems to care about or 

support you, or little-to-no interest is 

shown in your vision, you will need to 

pivot. Instead of following the status 

quo where you are forced to draw 

from outside sources, you have to be 

willing to pull from inside. 

It may be scary to step out of the 

familiar, but what are your options? 

When you are passionate about your 

vision, the pain of being different and 

building your dreams is even more 

disquieting when the cheers are 

replaced, not by silence but by ridicule 

and sabotage. When the individuals 

you care for choose not to encourage 

you, but instead compete with and 

break you down, it will take a strong 

inner purpose to push through. Even 

though it is painful and difficult, you 

cannot give up. Compromising your 

dreams by remaining within the box 

of what is expected—merely to feel 

the support of others—is not going to 

help you live a fulfilled life. You will 

have to break free from your addiction 

to recognition and applause for you to 

move forward. 


LIFE’S TOOLS 

TICSTACTOE 

s promised this summer we have 

decided to take a step back away from 

the technology and more towards the 

physical touch and connectivity that 

we need in life. For this month, we are 

going to go way back but still forward all 

at once, and we are going to do it with a 

game of tic tac toe. Now this is not your 

mamma’s tic tac toe; we are not drawing 

any lines or using paper. Baby girl…we 

are playing TicStacToe! Now I have 

Googled [as you know I do very well] and 

I have seen that there are a few versions 

to this game, which makes it even easier 

for you to grab your own. But keeping it 

on a budget, I headed to the closest Five 

Below store and picked one up quick and 

easy [I am sure that Amazon has it too]. 

Now the aim of this game is still old school and simple for all ages. Get four O’s in a 

row or four X’s in a row. Sound simple enough doesn’t it? Now add into the mix the 

fact that you are no longer limited to staying flat, but you can now level up as you go 

and build upwards [vertical] and across [horizontal] all at once to achieve the four 

in a row. Add to it a strong competitive environment (like the one that exists in my 

household), throw in two generations who both believe that they know everything 

about everything, and then when you blend it all together you will have yourself a 

game night. 

Not only were we arguing and fussing, 

convinced that the other player was 

cheating, we were having a great time. We 

didn’t need electricity and this game did not 

require social media or the internet. It was 

pure fun…and I even won a few rounds! 

TicStacToe is a great spin on a classic game. 

It is fully tested by our family and I am sure 

that its simplicity and quick play will bring 

hours of fun to yours. 


7

True Love 

Never 

Dies 

By 

Elisa M. Grady

FEATURE ARTICLE 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height 

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight 

For the ends of being and ideal grace. 

I love thee to the level of every day’s 

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. 

I love thee freely, as men strive for right. 

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. 

I love thee with the passion put to use 

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. 

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose 

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, 

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, 

I shall but love thee better after death 

The Sonnets from the Portuguese 

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning 

Sonnet 43 


9


onnet 43 from Elizabeth Barrett 

Browning’s The Sonnets from the 

Portuguese is one of my favorite poems. 

Her words capture the power and 

strength of true love—all-inclusive and 

all embracing. They let the reader know 

that true love has no boundaries, is 

unconditional and never dies. 

“True love has no boundaries, is 

unconditional and never dies.” 

It was February 1990 and our second 

pregnancy. I was pregnant with twin 

girls and everybody was so excited. 

We were due in June. Every chance my 

oldest daughter got, she let everyone 

know that she was going to be a big 

sister. Everything was going well. My last 

checkup was good. 

A few days later, I just wasn’t feeling 

well. My husband (at the time) was 

going out with the guys that night. I 

remember asking him to stay home 

because I just felt like something wasn’t 

right. Several hours into the night, I 

went into premature labor. My mother 

met us on the way to the hospital so she 

could take my then 2-year-old daughter 

while we rushed to the hospital. This just 

couldn’t be happening. My doctor met 

us there and I was immediately placed 

on medication to try to stop the labor. 

On February 24, 1990, I gave birth to twin 

girls at 25 and 6/7th weeks. There were 

complications. Baby girl B was born one 

hour after baby girl A. I began to feel 

myself fading. I heard what I thought 

was running water. It wasn’t running 

water, I was hemorrhaging. Three days 

later, I was planning the graveside 

service of baby girl B. My little Brianna. 

Any complication that a premature baby 

could experience, she did. She passed 

away in my arms. 

I remember it like it was yesterday... 

They wheeled me down, placed her in 

my arms and my husband and I said 

our goodbyes. No longer hooked up to 

monitors and tubes, my little Brianna 

looked up at me. As I held her close to 

my heart, I told her it was ok to go. I 

told her that the angels and my family 

that were already there would take care 

of her until we could see her again. At 

that moment, she smiled at me and took 

her last breath…right there in my arms. 

No more suffering for my baby girl. My 

faith in God let me know she was going 

to be just fine. I thanked God for sharing 

Brianna with us for those 3 days. 

As the years went by, I began to have 

a recurring dream. In my dream there 

was a picnic set in a beautiful park. My 

maternal grandparents were there 

along with my baby girl Brianna. She 

was crawling around on a blanket. My 

grandmother and grandfather would 

always look back at me and smile as if to 

say, “Don’t worry. She’s good. We’re here 

with her.” Upon my husband’s father’s 

passing, as well as his grandparents 

passing, they too became a part of the 

recurring dream. 

When my father passed, I would see 

shadows in the form of him, especially 

during the times I set aside for my 

meditation. I would often talk to my Dad 

when I was going through. I would say, 

“Dad, I know you are interceding for me. 



I feel your presence.” Dad became a 

part of my recurring dream. Not 

only did my father become a 

part of the dream, but I began 

to see Cardinals whenever I 

was missing him or going 

through challenges in 

my life’s journey. Some 

would come up, right 

next to me. They 

would be so close 

that I could just 

reach out and touch 

them. They would 

literally just show up 

out of nowhere. I thought, 

“What’s going on? What 

does all this mean?” 

Well if you know me, then 

you know I googled it. What I 

found was amazing. A cardinal 

is a representative of a loved one 

who has passed away. When you 

see one, it means your loved one is 

visiting you. They show up when you 

need them most. Not long after some 

of those conversations, I would see a 

cardinal. Miraculously, whatever I was 

going through, in need of or dealing 

with, God would handle it or give me 

an answer not long after my encounter 

with the cardinal. 

Over the years, I continued to have the 

recurring dream. Brianna was growing up 

in the dream and more family continued 

to be added to the beautiful park picnic 

setting. She was always being loved on in 

the dream and right before I would awake, 

my family would look at me letting me 

know that she was just fine. There was 

so much love surrounding her. I always 

felt reassurance after my visit with my 

baby girl and family members through 

that dream. 

As Brianna grew up in the dream, so did 

my baby girl (her twin) Brittny. Brittny 

always seemed to be in her own world. 

She was my dreamer. Boy, was her 

imagination something to be reckoned 

with. I always wondered if she felt her 

sister. If she sensed something missing. 

At the age of 13, I sat down with Britt 

and shared Brianna’s belongings—I took 

them from the hospital and kept them. 

They had been placed in a beautifully 

crafted cloth envelope-like pouch by 

the hospital staff. There were preemie 

clothes, Brianna’s name card that had 

hung outside her hospital bed, pictures 

and a small plastic bag that once held 

a loc of Brianna’s hair. I explained to 

Brittny that I knew sometimes she may 

feel like something is missing around 

her. I explained that the feeling of loss or 

something missing has always been her 

twin sister Brianna. She may be missing 

physically, but she is and always will be 

with her spiritually. 

“A cardinal is a representative of a 

loved one who has passed away. 

When you see one, it means your 

loved one is visiting you. They show 

up when you need them most.” 

Tears began to fall from Brittny’s eyes. 

She didn’t make a sound as the tears 

fell. I sat there with her in silence. I 

wanted to break down so bad, but I held 

it together for my baby girls. Brianna’s 


11


spirit was there. I felt it so strongly. 

When the tears stopped, Britt told me 

she did feel like something was missing 

but sharing this piece of Brianna with her 

let her know what she would often feel 

but didn’t understand. Britt said, “It was 

Brianna that I was missing.” I replied, “Yes, 

you’ve missed her…but she’s been with 

you all along.” Brittny finally understood 

that Brianna’s presence had been with 

her. Her twin sister had gone on before 

her and had become her guardian angel. 

Some years later, Brittny shared with 

me, that she had started dreaming of her 

sister. 

Eventually, my dream stopped. I realized 

that God was letting me know that even 

though Brianna was not with us physically 

she was in a beautiful place surrounded 

by loved ones. She was always looking out, 

not only for Brittny but for me as well. My 

Dad was with her and from time to time I 

still have two cardinals that show up out 

of nowhere just letting me know that, no 

matter what happens on my life’s journey, 

the two of them are interceding on my 

behalf. They’re letting me know that true 

love has no boundaries, is unconditional 

and it never dies. 

My recurring dream happened less 

and less. The last time I had the dream 

Brianna was all grown up. She looked to 

be in her early twenties. She had started 

looking back at me right before I would 

start to awake from the dream. Her eyes 

and smile always let me know how much 

she loved me and that she knew how 

much I loved her. I worried about her like 

every mother worries about her children. 

But my dream let me know that she had 

the love of family always surrounding her. 

Great grandparents, grandfathers, aunts, 

uncles and cousins were all right there 

with my baby. 


PUZZLES 

J F B K L X Y S Z G T F E D P L A S O P O R P B Q 

U G O I G R U J K N N U I T I A M A D T J W E I B 

X B J R M M G N E C N L M X H R B T F Q A L J K B 

B P A O W S J M T K J L L Z S U H U O Y O I W T C 

D T S R D A P Q M I N J R D N Q A X N N I E K A Q 

M E D B A O R N L E M O A C O K T X G D I H L Z T 

R Y P E L F J D S Q P Y T O I Y C S U V A U J U R 

F J O E W M O S F U T U R E T D S I E A W N L P O 

D B V L E Y E S H F N Y K S A B R R P L D W C A F 

J E A M K N Q T H R H Z T K L X U D M R Y K J E F 

D C Q Q T B C H U H F C M I E R Z P W O C C C C E 

G F V I W Y L G H M P F R X R P U T R A T S Z E J 

A N A A E M U U Q Q J N P A P A B V S P S A C V C 

S L I N N Q K O R L W C A K E F W P L D X B Z R J 

U A W D G U C H R V K P K V R S N K T W O E Z C W 

O D G O N E O T R R Q C N R I E E M I R G G G R A 

L A G E U A V B O B E L I E V E B R W Y O I O O R 

C C B D U A T W M M G Q T I Y K L E P I T N B J R 

D V I A N Q M S F R I E N D S H I P L V Z N I V D 

P E U K T A I Y R Y Q C C F D G B D U A W I B R T 

L W T I E W P N U E S H V L W M J P P D Y N N F U 

Y X F T F J R A U Y D Y V O F V N U I O D G Q A X 

A R G Q B F R C L V R N Z V P L C D C C S W L R P 

K G B C N P I O M V N V U E K A H R O T C P A V M 

T W O R I E B I Y L X V O O B I J J Z O D H A L Q 


PUZZLES 

Word Puzzle 

Abundance 

Beginning 

Believe 

Belongs 

Development 

Effort 

Essential 

Forward 

Friendship 

Full Joy 

Future 

Love 

Proposal 

Rebel 

Relationship 

Research 

Review 

Startup 

Teamwork 

Thoughts 

Understanding 

Unique

PUZZLES 

Letter Tile Puzzles 

Unscramble the tiles to reveal a message. 

A Famous Florence Nightingale Quote 

Answer on page 25.

SELF-CARE 

Mindset 

& Health 

ife and business can present us with 

many ups and downs that come at us 

whether we want them to or not. As 

challenges arise, do know that you are 

not completely defenseless. Within 

your personal arsenal exist two vital 

elements that will help you overcome 

many obstacles— your health and 

your mindset. Now don’t go trying to 

discount them as being minute and 

trivial. They are the make or break 

factors of success and happiness. 

Without each one, you will be unable 

to achieve and maintain growth or life. 


17

SELF-CARE 

Your mindset encompasses the assumptions 

and notions on what you hold dear, directing 

each and every decision and choice that is 

made. Living outside of, and yet within, your 

goals, it provides the roadway on which any 

real journey can be achieved. If we have a 

limited mindset concerning what we can 

achieve, then we will only see limitations. As 

such, by assuming we will never be able to 

attain greatness, greatness will never make 

its way into our thought pattern. Greatness 

and achievement will be so foreign to us 

that, even if approached with the option, we 

will be unable to envision the possibility for 

ourselves. This type of thinking will block us 

from seeing available opportunities while 

keeping us prey to distractions and danger. 

It is quite simple when you break it down. 

With a limited mindset, we essentially say 

to ourselves, “If I don’t think I can [fill in 

the blank], then why will I look for things 

“Your mindset encompasses the 

assumptions and notions on what you 

hold dear, directing each and every 

decision and choice that is made.” 

or people that will help me make [fill in 

the blank] possible?” We constantly feed 

ourselves the narrative that it just doesn’t 

happen for people like me, or those who 

look like me, or the ones who have as little 

as me or know as little as I know. A positive 

mindset, on the other hand, allows you 

to see everything and everywhere as a 

possibility. The shackles are removed from 

your opportunities, allowing you to take 

advantage of everything around you. For 

example, I may not own my own company 

now, but I can learn everything I can about 

owning my own company by working for an 

entrepreneur. I can read books about people

SELF-CARE 

check-ups along the way, is vital for life and 

business. You wouldn’t run a car without 

fuel and expect exceptional results, so why 

would you do that to your body? You take 

your car in to get checked regularly, so why 

aren’t you doing it for your body? Leaving 

your health as the last box on your to do 

list leaves you at risk for taking everything 

down with it. Don’t postpone your physical 

or mental check-ups, make time for you. 

who have successfully owned companies. 

I can talk to people who have their own 

companies [no matter the type] and learn 

from their mistakes and successes. With 

this type of mindset/attitude, you will set 

yourself up to move forward, whether it is 

in business, homeownership, relationships, 

parenting, business…no matter the goal. 

With a positive mindset you will reduce the 

burden and have a better outlook on life. 

But a healthy mind without a healthy body 

is only midway there. You have to ensure 

that your body supports your mind. Trust 

me, I have tried to do it with a “half tank” on 

numerous occasions over the years. Though 

it may have appeared to be successful in the 

short term, ultimately it would always lead 

to long term damages or with me not fully 

operating at my highest level. It is actually 

hilarious when I look back and think of how 

much I thought I was able to accomplish. 

But now I see how much more I would have 

been able to accomplish if I had kept my 

health at the forefront. I may have cheated 

myself out of so much more. 

You may roll your eyes and think how easy it 

is for me to say that you only have 24 hours in 

your day. And you are right…it is easy to say. 

But at the end of the day, isn’t your health a 

vital priority? Go ahead…think of ten things 

that are more important. I will wait while you 

think of them… If you truly love the people 

around you, wouldn’t you want to be there 

to love them for as long as you can? And if 

you really wanted your business to grow, 

wouldn’t you want to be alive to actually see it 

grow. Stop putting everything and everyone 

else in front of your health. Take the time 

today to make the necessary changes in 

your mindset and your health so that you 

can be here tomorrow. No one goes into war 

without their weapons, and you shouldn’t 

have to face life or business without yours. 

Ensuring that your body gets enough rest 

[sleep/downtime], is fed a healthy diet 

and given adequate exercise, with regular 


19

ENTREPRENEUR CORNER 

have a confession. I am a music lover! From 

Jazz to Instrumental pieces to Gospel and 

so much more. I am literally a walking DJ!! 

In my most challenging times, I often turn 

to music as comfort. The words, blended 

with the melodies, really brings comfort to 

me. One of my favorite songs from Israel 

Houghton is the song Moving Forward. The 

chorus of the song goes: 

I’m not going back, I’m moving ahead 

Here to declare to You my past is over in You 

All things are made new, surrendered my life 

to Christ 

I’m moving, moving forward. 

(Moving Forward by Israel Houghton) 

Let’s break down these words: 

Moving Forward 

First let’s start with Moving... 

Moving: marked by or capable of 

movement, producing or 

transferring motion or action 

(Merriam- Webster Source) 

Now let’s define Forward... 

Forward: to or toward what is ahead or in 

front 

(Merriam-Webster Source) 

By using these definitions let me show you 

how powerful you are.

ENTREPRENEUR CORNER 

You are marked capable of movement; 

producing and transferring to the next 

motion or action in your life. You’re moving. 

You are navigating toward a direction; to 

what is ahead or in front of you. You are 

going forward. 

When in a transition phase, there will be a 

lot required from you. Old habits will have to 

be shaken and new foundational principles 

will have to be established. This is very 

necessary in order for you to move forward. 

So, my recommendation to every person— 

whether starting a business, looking for or 

beginning a new job, entering or ending a 

relationship, or whatever the transition—is 

to first organize. 

You can say, “Tiesha, how is this a part of 

moving forward?” Sometimes you have no 

clue to what you are holding on to. The 

clutter, whether in a physical or mental 

capacity, holds you in bondage so you won’t 

be fully able to proceed. Your physical and 

mental space are representations of where 

you are. As you start to let go and release 

(whether physically or mentally), you free 

yourself to move forward. 

I am believing God for greatness for you. I 

pray that you become the best you can be. 

That as you move forward you continue to 

heal from every hurt and pain. That you 

become everything God created you to be 

and you live the life of your dreams. No 

more lack! Nothing but success to you! 

Be blessed and know if God be for us, who 

can be against us? 

Take care! 

PS- You can say what does this have to 

do with business? EVERYTHING!! I had to 

renew my mind for close to 2 years before 

I could operate fully in business. These are 

the things that helped me in business. I am 

a firm believer of setting your foundation. 

These principles will help you stand 

regardless of the storm. 

I think Philippians 3:13-14 says it best: 

13 

Brethren, I count not myself to have 

apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting 

those things which are behind, and reaching 

forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press 

toward the mark for the prize of the high calling 

of God in Christ Jesus. 

(King James Version) 

Your future depends on you making the right 

choices as you enter the next level. It will 

require a different version of you. Moving 

forward and striving to push yourself higher 

will produce greatness and allow you to 

become the best version of yourself. 


21

Bitter 

Ears 

Can’t 

Hear, 

Disclaimer: I am not 1000% sure where 

or when I came up with the title of this 

article. Normally I can remember when 

and how I got inspired but my mind is 

drawing a blank. The likelihood that this 

title bounced directly out of my head 

onto the paper is very low, as nothing 

is really new under the sun. You may 

be wondering why I am making sure to 

place an early disclaimer…It is due to 

the fact that these words—wherever I 

heard, saw or felt them—have made a big 

impact on me and hopefully my outlook 

on this expansive topic will now have a 

positive impact on you too. 


But 

Broken 

Hands 

Can Hold 

o one on this earth is perfect. This is an 

opinion that I steadfastly maintain. Yet, 

even though none of us have achieved 

perfection, we still expect excellence 

from the people who surround us [clearly 

unrealistic expectations]. If this wasn’t 

bad enough, where we mess up even 

more is how we employ our unsolicited 

and biased outlooks to unfairly judge 

others. Life is not always fair, and with its 

opportunities or dilemmas, there tend 

to be scars earned along the way. Each 

one of us has been broken at some point 

of our lives, just as each one of us may 

be bitterly holding on to some things. 

This emotional division is not always 

distributed in a healthy balance due to 

our own life experiences and mindsets. 

As such, some of us may be more broken, 

while others can harbor more bitterness. 


23

RELATIONSHIPS 

When we choose to limit and break down the broken survivors and then—almost 

in the same breath—turn around to exalt the bitter people in our lives, we are only 

making things worse for ourselves. We have to find ways to acknowledge a person’s 

experience and path, without condemning the innocent or venerating the guilty. 

Here are four simple clues to help you view and navigate interactions with people 

who hold bitter ears or broken hands: 

Clue #1 

[BITTER] One who hears but has no intention to 

listen. A bitter ear person will hear every word 

you have to say with no intention of listening to 

you. They are looking for keywords, developing 

their defense and waiting to combat and break 

down what they “think” you are saying. You can 

talk until your lips fall off…they don’t really care. 

At the end of the day, they are only interested 

in having the final say. It is very hard to engage, 

teach or share with individuals like this, as they 

aren’t really prepared to learn anything from you 

or anyone else unless it supports their ideology. 

Clue #2 

C 

[BROKEN] One who feels pain but still tries their 

best. Have you ever had cramps and a deadline at 

the same time? This is one of the things I dread 

monthly. I have even gone so far as to coordinate 

my schedule to allow me a grace period, as much 

as possible. Unfortunately, for someone with 

broken hands, there is no grace period. They still 

have to get up every day and do their best. Many 

of those days are spent working with or taking 

care of the people who broke them in the first 

place. Broken-handed individuals may not feel 

strong or capable every day, but that is not going 

to keep them from trying. They push forward 

with each stumble, facing each day even with a 

broken smile. 


lue #3 

[BROKEN] One who uses their broken hands to 

pull you up from a fall and lift you higher. Do you 

know that a broken person can still hold and take 

care of a loved one? If you question this logic, 

then ask any mother who has just delivered a 

child how, while deprived of sleep, they are able 

to go day after day to care for their newborn. It is 

not rocket science; it is just love. Never discount 

the effect someone can have or the change they 

can make simply because they bear the scars 

and weight from their past, their failures or their 

loss. They know what it is like to go without or 

to be hurt. For this, they will be more protective 

of what they do have and the people around 

them [sometimes even too protective]. If they 

believe in something, they will muster all of their 

broken parts together to ensure their passion is 

protected and allowed to grow. 

Clue #4 

[BITTER] One who manipulates your words to 

take you lower. Have you ever had a conversation 

with someone who, no matter what you say, finds 

a way to twist and turn it to mean nothing like 

the words that you actually said? I mean…how 

does ‘I do not want to go out tonight,’ translate to 

‘I do not like you or your friends…’?!! Even Google 

translate would not make that error! It is not that 

they aren’t hearing you, they just refuse to accept 

the words coming from you. So, they filter your 

words against their already disillusioned opinions 

and create whole new words and sentences. You 

may interact with bitter ear individuals like this 

at work, or you may experience it with family, 

loved ones or friends. If it is done too many times 

you may even begin to question yourself or your 

grasp on the English language. 

With these useful clues, 

you are now equipped with 

an unbiased lens to truly 

see the people around you 

for who they truly are. But 

what makes it even better is the 

fact that it will now help you to 

see yourself. Do not forget that our 

exaggerated expectations also exist for 

ourselves, especially where we judge and 

set ourselves up to fail. For each relationship 

or encounter, we can now look at our own actions 

and words to determine if they were based on bitter 

ears or if we reached out with broken hands. Acknowledging 

that we are all far from perfect may help us to better understand why we shouldn’t 

unnecessarily judge the broken. Or it can help us to understand why there will always 

be pointless breakdowns in our interactions with others when bitter ears exist. I am 

not saying that this knowledge may not solve all of the world’s crises, but it may just 

ease some of the unhealthy human communication problems we face every day. 

I ATTRIBUTE MY SUCCESS TO THIS, I NEVER GAVE OR TOOK AN EXCUSE 

LETTER TILES PUZZLE ANSWER: 


25

Important Notice 

I never thought that the day would come when I would be writing this notice, but there 

comes a point when you have to do what you have to do, even when doing it takes 

you clear out of your comfort zone and into new territories. UnCaged Phoenix began 

as a simple blog in 2014 and I had no idea that it would ever lead and develop into 

what it is today. It now compromises of blog posts, e-magazine, coaching, consulting, 

books, planners, journals and t-shirts. Over the past twelve months we have grown 

so much, and we have learned even more. 

The diversity of readers, as well as the variety of countries, who have read our blogs 

and magazines leaves me in awe. To this date we have had over 117 countries! We 

have helped so many people and have been able to share in the growth of multiple 

companies. Nonetheless, in the spirit of continuously evolving, we have now been 

awarded new opportunities which position us to grow substantially. With any 

transformation there is always a period where you have to choose to either run 

blindly or to take a step back to strategize. Clearly this wasn’t an easy choice and it 

was one that required a lot of brainstorming. However, at the end of the day, to make 

the necessary steps forward a decision was made. 

With all that being said, we have decided to step back from UnCaged Phoenix for the 

rest of the year. This will enable us to invest in and develop the various avenues we 

have now been presented. It is going to take ALOT of work, ALOT of meetings, many 

which will require restructuring, training and rebranding… ALOT of changing. This 

period will definitely stretch us into some uncharted areas; but what is life if it is not 

lived fully. 

Consequently, to ensure that we are not stretched too thin and that our readers, 

followers and clients receive the highest level of service and products, we are going 

to temporarily cut back on our direct work with UnCaged Phoenix. As such, the 

e-magazines and blogs will be paused for the next six months. Our store will also be 

closed starting on July 25, 2019 [in 10 days] until January 2020. However, to ensure 

that our business commitments are met, we will offer limited coaching and consulting 

services. During this transition period, our dedicated email subscribers will receive 

quarterly emails providing them with “some” behind the scenes information, as well 

as monthly motivation. 

We want to thank all those who stuck with us throughout the years. Your dedication 

and support mean so much to us and inspires us to grow even more. Please keep us in 

your prayers and we ask that you do keep in touch with us via email customerservice@ 

uncagedphoenix.com so that we can kept abreast and share in all the developments 

you are making in your lives and businesses. 

See You Soon! 



27

uncagedphoenix 

uncagedphoenix_blog 

www.uncagedphoenix.com 

customerservice@uncagedphoenix.com

UnCagedPhoenix Magazine: July 2019

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