Laurie Brown sent her experience of hope and healing. This is her story.

This journey started in February of this year. After a routine mammogram, I was informed that I had breast cancer. I was stunned. Up until that moment, I had never been a patient in a hospital. The last time I had been in a hospital was 56 years ago when I was born! I thought to myself this can't be happening to me. I never get sick. But the tests didn’t lie, and I had to come to terms with the fact that I had cancer.

On Monday, March 27th, the surgery to remove the tumor was scheduled.

It was supposed to be a relatively easy procedure. But then just prior to the surgery, it was determined that the invasive nature of the cancer required a surgery that would be more involved than a lumpectomy. It would be a major surgery. They performed a partial mastectomy on the left breast (where the cancer was located) and for cosmetic reasons, a similar procedure on the right breast.

It turned out that despite the tiny size of the tumor, the genomic analysis of the tumor itself revealed that it's a high-risk cancer (meaning it’s highly invasive and likely to recur and metastasize). That all translated to chemotherapy instead of radiation therapy. In addition, the oncology surgeon recommended that I undergo a bi-lateral mastectomy by the end of the year.

This was devastating news.

When I was informed that I would have to undergo chemotherapy, I was encouraged to seek out community forums like the one at breastcancer.org. The forum has been an invaluable source of support and information (from current patients and survivors). In addition to extremely helpful tips to get ready for and cope with chemo, women have shared the many resources available to breast cancer patients. One of the women shared that she had received a temporary tattoo from Conscious Ink so I decided to check it out. At that point, I had been through one round of chemo and I was looking for any and all forms of support.

I figured since I spend most of my day typing on a computer, I would purchase the tattoos in pairs and apply one to each forearm for the remaining five rounds of chemo. Since the tattoos are temporary, I planned to apply them a few days prior to each round of treatment so that I could focus on the affirmations for a few days – even if only in my peripheral vision.

My favorite word is “Grace”. So I started there.

The chemotherapy would be administered via infusion. To accommodate this process, a port-a-cath (port) was installed in my chest wall. The sight of the wound and the port bothered me. For the first time since this all started, I did not want to look in the mirror.

Then my Conscious Ink order arrived. I decided that if I had to look in the mirror, I wanted to see something positive. I placed the “Perfectly Imperfect” tattoo near the port. When I saw myself in the mirror, I saw the tattoo. I felt better – almost instantly.

I just decided to shave my head since the chemo was making it all fall out (I was kinda hoping the chemo would make me lose weight, not hair!) The bonus tattoo “It’s going to be okay” that came with my order is a wonderful reminder to keep my head and heart high.

So far, I’ve been through one round of chemo with my Conscious Ink tattoos. I know that glancing at “Grace” and remembering to just “Breathe” helped to calm me in the days leading up to the treatment day. I am hopeful that as I continue on this road to recovery, all of the affirmations that I’ve chosen will help to ease the anxiety and fear that can be frequent companions.

Despite the scary diagnosis, painful, (sometimes debilitating) treatment, I cannot, will not, complain. I am blessed to be surrounded by so much love and support from friends and family and coworkers. But what has really given me hope since my diagnosis is the outpouring of truly caring support that I have received from strangers. I don’t mean people like oncology nurses whose job it is to care for me. I mean people I have never met. For example, when I placed my tattoo order, I included a note about why I was making the purchase. On the packing slip that came with my Conscious Ink order, I found a handwritten note from someone named Stephanie. She encouraged me and told me that she was sending “abundant love and healing light” my way.

In today’s climate of hatred and intolerance, these simple acts of compassion and sympathy are sorely needed.

If I could tell the world one thing, I would say, “Be kind.” Take a moment to let people know you care about them. Send cards, texts and emails filled with encouragement, support and much needed humor! Sending a brief one or two line note might seem like a small thing to you. Trust me, the impact can be profound.

* Do you have a Conscious Ink story to tell? Share it with the Conscious Ink family by emailing amy@consciousink.com. 

 Conscious Ink’s mission is to spread love and raise global collective consciousness, one body at a time. As Conscious Ink has grown, its team has been blessed with witnessing incredible transformations and stories from all over the world. Conscious Inkers are a family who use their tattoos to proclaim, share, or whisper their truth to the world. Women, men and children have worn Conscious Ink tattoos while…

• Manifesting intentions and transformation
• Facing cancer, illness and dis-ease
• Embarking on a new career or adventure
• Marching forward into the unknown
• Deepening spiritual practice
• And so much more…

The Manifestation Tattoos have been worn as badges of triumph, as comfort in difficult times, as a subtle yet potent reminder, and as a bond between people. In the coming weeks, we will be exploring the raw and real stories of Conscious Inkers. We will share them to remind us all that our stories matter, deserve to be heard and can be the catalyst for someone else’s change.

Do you have a story to tell?

Did Conscious Ink help you through a situation or honor you in your celebration? The Conscious Ink Team would love to hear your story.

Your story matters.

Email us here!

Be Brave

Share it.

In celebration of the launch of our BEHIND THE INK blog series, we are offering our REMEMBER WHO YOU REALLY ARE Manifestation Tattoo for free (with discount code: REMEMBER2017), with any purchase through July 5th, 2017. Just add the REMEMBER WHO YOU REALLY ARE Manifestation Tattoo to your cart, and when you check out, add the discount code: REMEMBER2017

In Arabic, the root word for human is insaan. Translated to English, it means the one who forgets. The one who forgets. Allow that to sink in. How often do we forget the power of who we are, of what we are? Conscious Ink was created for those aching to remember.

Being human is a wild and wondrous thing. As Frank Gjata said in a recent interview, “We are sparks of the divine in a human body.” And it is the recognition of that truth that gave birth to Conscious Ink. Frank, as a transformational coach, began to see how people could reach incredible epiphanies and then let the routine of life flood in to wash it away, how they would be reminded of their truth and then forget.

 

[“We are sparks of the divine in a human body.”- Frank Gjata]

 

“We may attend an empowering workshop, read a self-improvement book, have an engaging conversation with a friend and then we step outside onto the curb and life happens and we get thrown off,” Frank said. “I’m always thinking of ways to support myself and others in catching ourselves when we may fall asleep, fall back into our old familiar patterns and so this [Conscious Ink] came up as a way to remind us when we have forgotten.”

            The original idea for the tattoos occurred to Frank when his daughter came home from a birthday party with a pack of temporary tattoos in her party favor bag. Curiously, he played with him, put them on and then it hit him how something so simple, so small could have incredible influence. A tool, a way to keep people awake to the their truth.

           These Manifestation Temporary Tattoos and the company behind them are infused with a heart-felt and expansive intention to use the potency of words as a tool for awakening, transformation, and creation. The simplicity of the concept—words on skin—can have a profound impact as it fuels positive affirmation in our daily lives. We put the tattoo on our skin--our bold declaration, mindful intention, soulful reminder—then as the day(s) roll on, no matter whether they are filled with highs or lows, peace or turbulence, pain or hope, the tattoo remains steadfast, an ever present whisper for us to remember.

 

[The simplicity of the concept—words on skin—can have a profound impact as it fuels positive affirmation in our daily lives.]

 

            Conscious Ink is about how words can change us from the inside out and how that vitality can inspire the world around us. As you wear your Manifestation Tattoo, know that years of intention, imagination, teamwork and miracles went into its creation. The idea for these tattoos sparked from a birthday favor bag, but now are on women, men, and children around the world, a global community united by words and ink. Humans aka Conscious Inkers who have decided that they will strive to remember.

            Remember who you really are. 

            You are divinity. 

             Life is this moment now. 

In celebration of the launch of our BEHIND THE INK blog series, we are offering our REMEMBER WHO YOU REALLY ARE Manifestation Tattoo for free (with discount code: REMEMBER2017), with any purchase through July 5th, 2017. Just add the REMEMBER WHO YOU REALLY ARE Manifestation Tattoo to your cart, and when you check out, add the discount code: REMEMBER2017

With My Father’s Death, Comes A Lesson For Life…With A Little Help From Our Friends.

~Frank Gjata, founder, Conscious Ink

Setting out to write my father’s eulogy, I wasn’t sure where I would land, but I was clear as to the direction I was headed.
I started my expedition with my compass pointed to the core essence of my father, Thomas. His deepest truths. What made Thomas uniquely Thomas. I mean, why mess around? If I was going to dig, I was going to break out the heaviest, and the finest detail, excavation equipment I could muster.

I wasn’t sure if I would arrive at this very specific intended destination successfully, but, fortunately, this kind of distilling and mining for truth was a practice I had grown accustomed to over the years, whether it was directed at myself, others I coached, or the universe at large.

I won’t include the entire eulogy here, but I will share how in search for some of Thomas’ deepest truths, they, serendipitously and graciously, found me first.

This was fitting…since Thomas would also often say, “Life is strange”. What he meant by that was that he noticed the synchronicities of life. He saw how everything was connected, and interwoven together.

I experienced a couple of these “life is strange” moments during this time contemplating about my father.

...this kind of distilling and mining for truth was a practice I had grown accustomed to over the years...

I have the pleasure of being an acquaintance of Anita Moorjani, a beautiful soul, and the best selling author of “Dying To Be Me” (a life-changing book which chronicles her incredible near-death experience, which I highly recommend by the way). Anita and I had tentative plans to have tea, a few days after my father had passed. She unexpectedly had to fly out to New York. I let her know that my father had passed recently, and asked her to please have her people on “the other side” welcome Thomas. She graciously said she would say a prayer for my dad, and would ask Wayne and others to look out for him for sure. I thought to myself how awesome, and delightfully unexpected…I forgot that Anita was dear friends with Wayne Dyer (that was the “Wayne” she was referring to).

Grateful to Anita for her kind gesture, I started to wonder, “Could there be a connection between my dad, who’d never read a self help book in his life, and Wayne Dyer?”

Hmmmm…

Well, for starters, Thomas was a wise man in his own right. So much so, that a family friend coined the nickname for him, “Nostra-Thomas”… a play on words with the famous seer “Nostradamus”.

Thomas knew how to go with the flow of life. And he knew how to ultimately let go. He would often say, “C’est la vie”, “water under the bridge”, and, “what can you do”. He seemed to have a strong grasp of understanding the difference between the things we can control in life, and the things we can’t.

And then, another serendipitous moment occurred during the wake for my dad. A couple of us were sharing about Thomas, talking about his warm smile, big heart, and the way he carried himself…then, all of a sudden, Anna, our 80-something year old relative with a thick Italian accent blurts out loudly and enthusiastically, “Ricchi senza soldi!”. And even before I could translate the words from Italian into English, I knew instantly that our relative Anna had sourced Thomas’ essence in a flash.

Thomas lived, “Ricchi con o senza soldi!”, which translates to, “Rich, with or without money”. I thought wow, that’s IT. That describes Thomas to a tee. This is how Thomas lived “Ricchi, con o senza soldi.” Rich, with or without money.

(And, the irony wasn’t lost on me that this moment was able to reach me when I was willing to let go trying to find it.)

So, I thought, what makes a man rich? We know that money doesn’t necessarily make one so. So what then? For Thomas, it was a CHOICE to live richly, everyday. Well, most days. And Thomas made that choice in a variety of ways. He didn’t allow circumstances to dictate the way he lived life.

Live richly, with or without money.

This is the key principle:

Choose to live richly regardless of circumstances (however that might look like for you).

Give that a moment.

So, with his “Ricchi con o senza soldi”, Thomas would greet each day dressed in a suit, polished shoes, clean shaven, and with a flower in his lapel. He wore a rich, warm smile. And he valued every interaction greatly, and intently.

He had a deep respect for life. And life noticed.

He lived richly by sharing with others what he had, regardless of what he had. He would give money, whether or not he had money to give. He made friends wherever he went, even in unlikely places, with people from all walks of life, including those he would meet on his walks, like the homeless. He would literally stop and smell the roses. And he was always prepared for adventure…saying “YES” to the invitations of life that crossed his path, without overanalyzing, questioning, or making excuses about why he couldn’t participate. That is living richly, “Ricchi con o senza soldi”! Say it with me now. It’s kinda catchy. “Ricchi con o senza soldi”.

LIVE RICHLY, WITH OR WITHOUT MONEY.

Now this sounded like a great title for a self help book I thought.

Although, as I mentioned previously, I would venture to say that Thomas never read a new age book in his life. Yet, here he was embodying, some very rich concepts in living.

I mean, who wouldn’t be able appreciate Thomas’ motto of not letting circumstances get in the way of living richly?

How might that look like for you today?

If Thomas and Wayne do end up meeting up, perhaps serendipitously, on the other side, I can envision them, very sweetly, walking (or floating?) arm in arm, enjoying each other’s company, in appreciation, joy, and wonder.

I’ll leave you with one last sentiment my dad shared with others. When he would meet someone, he would say, “It’s my pleasure”, or “The pleasure is mine.”

I, and I believe those who crossed Thomas’ path, along with the universe itself, would say the same of knowing him…the pleasure is indeed, ours.

We’re so excited that our “Nevertheless she persisted” Manifestation Tattoo is supporting a new voice in…and out…of the political arena.

There is true beauty in turning negativity into positive and empowering opportunities. An off-handed comment by Senator Mitch McConoll, about Senator Elizabeth Warren, has risen to become a powerful call to action for women. In the past month, the “Nevertheless she persisted” has become our top selling Manifestation Tattoo, and we couldn’t be happier! In this great interview by Central Oregon Daily, Conscious Ink’s founder, Frank Gjata, shares that “Empowering and positive messaging brings greater opportunity to evoke change.” 

Our Manifestation Temporary Tattoos are an inspired vehicle to create a lasting positive effect on ourselves, our communities, and even, our world.  Conscious Ink. Temporary on the skin.  Indelible on the soul. 

SEE STORY HERE.

Let’s be honest, in our fast-paced world with endless to-do lists, we need all the help we can get to stay grounded, and focused on our well-meaning intentions. But temporary tattoos, really? Most of us are already familiar with the most popular self-help rituals, like meditation, yoga, and walks in nature. These are all wonderful, and have proven to be effective. The problem is that more times than not, soon after we’re done with repeating our 1000th mantra, luxuriating in savasana pose, or communing with nature, we quickly can find ourselves back in our old routines, and may find ourselves cursing that inconsiderate “idiot” in front of us in traffic!

Wouldn’t it be great to have something…a practice… that would help us in those out-of-control moments, when we’ve simply lost our center? Well, one way to keep our intentions top of mind is to also keep them “top of body” with a Manifestation Temporary Tattoo by Conscious Ink. It’s this precise purpose that life-coach founder Frank Gjata created these unique, unexpected, and effective tools.

With over 300 positive words, inspiring phrases, and empowering affirmations, it’s easy to find the perfect message to support you with whatever you’d like to manifest into your life.

Plus, these Conscious Ink Manifestation Temporary Tattoos can perform magic even if when you’re not consciously noticing the inspiring messages. According to Dr. Emoto & his groundbreaking research on water, even water molecules are affected by thoughts, words, and feelings. Since our bodies are 70% water, just imagine the influence that thoughts, words and feelings have on us!

So, there you have it, it’s time to get inked up for good! Log onto our online Conscious Ink Store and pick out the temporary tattoo that speaks to you... you might find that it’s the tattoo that picks you. (We think that’s a good thing.) Happy manifesting to you!

You may be asking yourself, "Conscious Ink... why are you here?".  Ah, the great existential question! We're here to raise consciousness, one body at a time! You. Me. And maybe even Dupree (A movie reference) :-). We don't consider ourselves a temporary tattoo company. We consider ourselves a consciousness company that utilizes inspirational temporary tattoos to support people on their journey. Our mission goes so much farther beneath the skin. Read on for more!

 

So there you have it. Conscious Ink Manifestation Inspirational Temporary Tattoos are much, much more than body art. Convinced yet? Head over to our Conscious Ink Store and try them out yourself!

Many blessings,

The Conscious Ink Fam

You chose your favorite temporary tattoo for a specific purpose. There is meaning behind it that only you know of. And it reflects an aspect of your personality or attitude. Awesome! So why not keep that tat going and manifest the benefits for as long as possible?! Long lasting temporary tattoos from Conscious Ink are as easy to apply as one, two, three:

1. Keep skin area free of lotions before applying
   This gives your tats a solid foundation... grease from lotions can cause ink to slide of immediately. Not cool!
2.  Clean/sanitize application area beforehand
   We all have beautiful bodies that sweat, get dirty and have things stick to it. The cleaner the area, the better grip the ink has to your bod! But no problem if you do have lotion on, or have oily skin. Simply use some rubbing alcohol to clean the skin, and prep the area, for the longest tattoo wear.
3. Choose an application area the does not rub against other surfaces
   So many cute tattoos with so many cute placement options! Choose wisely, however. Think about where your clothing rubs, where you hold your purse, and what kind of shoes you typically wear. Any kind of rubbing motion on the ink will greatly decrease the long-lasting wear we have designed into the tattoo for you.

Now you know all the inside tricks... now get to Manifesting with Conscious Ink's long lasting temporary tattoos :)

www.ConsciousInk.com

There are few things more powerful than the simple act of standing.

Gandhi stood for peace. Martin Luther King Jr. stood for equality. Mother Teresa stood for compassion. Hardly pushovers.

So what makes this standing so powerful?

When we stand for something, we have an unwavering commitment toward it. It’s clear and definitive. There’s no wasted energy thinking and rethinking, deciding and un-deciding, hemming then hawing. So those who stand for something enjoy super-concentrated energy.

And that’s just the beginning.

Since the entire universe loves clarity, it naturally and bountifully supports it. For example, a tree is definitive in being a tree. The universe abides by the tree’s decision and thus fully supports the tree by supplying everything it needs – sun and water, etc. The same holds true with us. When we stand for something authentic within us, we will be supported by the entire universe. Yeah, baby, yeah … now we’re talking!

Let’s take a look at how it works the other way around. Until we make a conscious commitment to stand for something, we stand for nothing. And when we stand for nothing, we’re lost in no man’s land. And in no man’s land, we can eat up a lot of energy quickly … perhaps by standing then sitting repeatedly, or standing until someone tells us to sit, or standing until someone sees us standing, so we quickly sit in fear of judgment.

What a mess.

No worries though. It’s an easy fix. First, simply get in touch with something that’s authentic within the “real you” – your essence. Then make a conscious decision to stand for it.

Simple as that.

Now, here’s the trick: Make this decision when there’s no pressure to make this decision. Don’t wait for a set of circumstances to come up before you decide what you stand for! For example, if your essence likes the idea of integrity, make a decision right then and there that you stand for integrity. So then when a situation arises that might compromise your integrity, you automatically and effortlessly say no.

No questions asked. No energy leak. The decision has already been made. If, let’s say, certain circumstances arise before you’ve decided to stand for integrity, you may unconsciously get caught up in a particular story, rationalizing this or that, and ultimately make a dishonest decision.

The standing must come first.

One last thing …  sometimes, before we can stand for something authentic, we must surrender something false, which may first require us to fall to our knees.

 

So you went and got yourself a Manifestation Temporary Tattoo from Conscious Ink? Sweet! As you know, our Inspirational long lasting temporary tattoos are no ordinary tats... besides being 100% magically motivating, they're safe, non-toxic, and made in the USA. Here is how to keep manifesting your intentions as long as possible..


Many Blessings,

The Conscious Ink Fam

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “don’t judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes”, but what about not wishing to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes?

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, “I want their life. I want what they have, their looks, their friends, their career…”?  If you answered “no” then congratulations to you for being so centered and wise.  If you answered “yes”, then join the club.

A very wise friend of mine says that comparison is the root of all unhappiness, and I think that she might be on to something.  It can be very easy to look at someone else and think that their life is somehow more perfect than your own, but when we compare ourselves to others, we deny ourselves the appreciation of all of the wonderful things that make us unique and the compassion for the parts of ourselves that we struggle with.

Sure, from the outside it might look like someone else has it all, but no one can really know the truth of anyone’s experience except their own.  Most likely, that other person has their own world of insecurities and struggles, just like you.  Perhaps, just as you are looking at them, they are looking at you and wishing for the life you have, your talents, your beauty.

So if you notice yourself thinking that perhaps you might want to have the life of someone else, stop and ask yourself “Really? Is that true?”  Remember that there are no accidents and that you are exactly who and where you are supposed to be.  The greatest thing you can do in the world is to just be yourself because no one else has your unique gifts; celebrate yourself and know that there is no one else in the world that can be a better you than you.

If you would like to set an intention to remember who you really are, to know that you are beautiful just as you are, and to love yourself wholly, check out the affirming temporary tattoos in the Conscious Ink Store.  Our unique body art was designed to encourage and inspire you to live your bliss every day.

 

Life can be overwhelming and sometimes... sucky! Here are 3 reasons why our inspirational temporary tattoos can help feed your mind with positive vibes!