Scarf shopping with Sara in Dubai

We've just released our very first YouTube video.  This is part of our interview series for our March box inspired by Sara!


For more stories and inspiration, become an ENSOMA member at ENSOMA.cratejoy.com.

Getting to Know Sara - The Inspiration for our March ENSOMA Box

Our March box is about connecting with people in your life that you might not immediately have a reason to click with.  

When we met an amazing woman, Sara Almerri, it was immediately clear that she possessed a rare compassion and energy that drew people to her and helped them connect with each other.  We were fascinated, and compelled to find out more.  

While Sara herself was born and raised in England and now lives in the USA, her extended family includes people from Brazil, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Ireland.  This isn’t her distant heritage, but the intricacies of how her family operates today.  Her mother was Brazilian and her father has deep ancestral roots in England.  A somewhat uncommon pairing!  She has moved amongst international royalty as comfortably as connecting with the less fortunate.  She credits much of her ability to connect with a wide spectrum of people to the upbringing her mother provided.  

Aymii: How do you walk into a group of diverse people and immediately feel comfortable talking to any one of them?

Sara:

People enjoy someone’s interest in them and their lifestyle.  Once you’re able to communicate that, you draw them in.  Everyone likes to be respected, admired and understood.  When you show them interest and respect - your physical energy and can communicate that - it’s half the battle won.  

Aymii: What were your biggest influences in getting comfortable doing this?

Sara:  

As early as 4-years-old I realized I was very fortunate to have the tools and instruments to help others.  My mother taught me never to judge just by what’s on the surface along with the ability to step back.  She often quoted Rudyard Kipling who said, “You need to be able to speak with kings and beggars with the same humility.”

Aymii: Throughout all of your travels and adventures, what are some things you’ve learned that you couldn’t have picked up from a book?

Sara:

Never underestimate the influence of someone’s culture.  Learn to appreciate and value the nuances that exist.  No matter how alien it may seem to you, it often feels right for the people who live it.  Once you respect - you may not understand - but once you respect other cultures, it breeds a sense of tolerance and acceptance.  It may not be what you think is right, but you can still see how people derive happiness in those worlds.  As a very young child it piqued an interest in me.  I wanted to pursue anthropology to understand why we criticize others rather than appreciating the happiness and peace that exists in those communities. (Aymii’s note - Sara is a lawyer, not an anthropologist, but still uses these skills extensively in her life.)

To read more about Sara’s unique life and find out about one cultural conversation shocked her to the core, join ENSOMA and check out our exclusive member materials and upcoming March box (which includes international items that reflect Sara’s life influences).

Be kind to yourself,

Aymii

For more information and inspiration, join us at ensoma.cratejoy.com.

Our first press release!

I know you haven't heard from me for a while, but we've been super busy focusing on other areas of the company.  In fact, we're very excited to announce that our first press release has just been delivered to about 800 media outlets!




I'll be back with a new blog entries about upcoming box themes and some of our inspirations in the very near future.

As always, thank you for your support!
Aymii

ENSOMA Delivers Experiences and Thinks Outside the (Subscription) Box

“Everyone has the ability to improve their lives, but sometimes you need a little help to push you out of your routine.”

DENVER (February 7, 2017) -  ENSOMA, a new subscription box service, is taking an innovative approach to helping busy people develop skills and habits to enhance the quality of their lives, one month at a time.

The company, which launched in December 2016, is more than just a subscription box service. The ENSOMA interaction begins with a box being delivered each month with the intention of helping the member create a new experience.

With this intention, ENSOMA encourages members to take a long-term view of learning, experiencing and continually practicing underlying skills that have been scientifically proven to help lead a happier, more fulfilled life. January’s Get Organized Box, curated by a professional organizer, provided tools and tips to get life in order and December’s Hygge Box harnessed the Scandinavian lifestyle complete with the simple pleasures that are unique to the culture.

“In every box, members will find a story, a chance to try something new, and a meaningful way to reacquaint with essential human connections, “ said Aymii Couzelis, chief executive officer. “ENSOMA is focused on helping our members be more present and more aware of how experiences carry over into other aspects of their lives and using that knowledge to improve their every day.”

ENSOMA is also actively developing online and mobile tools to help create a cohesive, continuous experience for members to foster a supportive community.

To join the ENSOMA community, visit ensoma.cratejoy.com or connect with us on Facebook.

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About ENSOMA

ENSOMA is an online community and monthly subscription box service exclusively curated for members.  Our team is comprised of seasoned executives in the corporate wellness field, engineering and storytelling. By putting these elements together, we've created a unique approach to being in the moment and making small changes that add up to big shifts in the quality of your life. Learn more by visiting ensoma.cratejoy.com.

ENSOMA's store is officially live!

Taking a quick break from my regular topics to announce the launch of ENSOMA's online store!

So, this is kind of a big deal...at least for me.  I've worked for small and large companies before, and even been an employee at the very beginning for some of them, but this is the first time I'm starting my own company with an idea whose seeds came from my brain.  I'm lucky to have a great business partner and supportive friends and family, so the idea has morphed quite a bit over time and is better for having been put through many perspectives.

The overall concept is to help people develop a variety of skills to create balance and resilience in their lives, but to do this through fun and entertaining experiences.  No one likes being preached or lectured at about their life choices...me included.

So, we're starting by developing a monthly subscription box service around these concepts.  Each month will have a different theme that helps you understand and try an aspect of these principles.  For example, our first month is a Scandinavian cultural concept called "hygge."  It doesn't have a direct english translation, but is somewhat close to "coziness."  These are the practices that help Scandinavians get through the long, dark winters while consistently being ranked the happiest populations in the world.  I'm half Swedish, so I drew on my cultural heritage as the inspiration for this first box.  The items in the box are meant to be used together to create a cohesive hygge experience, however, can certainly be used separately as well. 

In months to come, we'll have other cultural and topical themes to the boxes, but they will all come back to cultivating skills to live a more deeply authentic life.

So, please come check us out at ensoma.cratejoy.com and learn more about who we are, what we're doing, and why.  This is only the beginning for us...we have big ideas ahead and are excited to share them with you!

Now back to your regularly scheduled blog posts...

Be kind to yourself,
Aymii

p.s. Our box subscription makes a great holiday gift (for yourself or someone else)!  Order by December 14th for delivery in time for the holidays.

For more information and inspiration, join our mailing list at ensomastudios.com.  I promise...no spam!

READER QUESTION: Am I too young for a simple life?

You're never too young to be true to who you are.

A big thanks to one of our readers for reaching out with a great question!

I'm 23 years old and I feel like a want a simple, calm and relaxed life, but for some reason this doesn't seem socially acceptable.  I feel like I should be out partying.

I have a decent job and my own place to live.  I like gardening, working on old cars and meditation, and have recently gotten interested in living a healthy lifestyle.  I just love being relaxed and at home.

Whenever my friends are over, I'm ready for them to leave after just a couple hours.  It's draining for me.  I do most of my traveling alone and enjoy it.  However, I've gotten comments lately asking if I'm depressed and telling me to stop acting like an old man.  So, now I'm wondering if my choices aren't right.

First of all, the most important thing is living a life that makes you happy.  That will be different for each of us.  You're not required to be doing anything specific at any age.  Everyone has their own interests and things they enjoy, and one person's is no more right than another's.  

There are more than two lifestyles to choose from, so don't get lulled into a false dichotomy by thinking this way.  It's easy to believe that if you're not out partying you're "missing out."  And that "everyone parties."  Some personality types and lifestyles are inherently more socially visible than others, but that doesn't mean there isn't a large, more silent, population doing exactly what you're describing.  They may just not be as easy to see on social media.  

That being said, it's important to be honest with yourself.  Are you truly happiest and most fulfilled when working on solo projects and engaging in calm activities or are you avoiding anxiety around other types of choices?  Might you benefit and grow by finding the right way to take small steps towards trying them out?  Being uncomfortable in a situation isn't necessarily a reason to avoid it.  Sometimes discomfort is a step toward identifying and working on the skills that will make you better in a wider variety of situations.  

Depression can be incredibly difficult to self-diagnose.  It doesn't necessarily mean feeling sad or tired all the time.  Humans are inherently social creatures and, generally speaking, some type of social interaction benefits us.  This interaction can take a wide variety of forms and frequency, so "going out partying" isn't mandatory, but feeling meaningful connections with others is critical to mental health.  You mentioned working on old cars - are there car shows or other related social activities around that hobby that might help create some authentic connections on your own terms?  

There's a whole world of stuff out there, so don't do things that make you unhappy, but don't give up on finding new avenues of connection and meaning in your life.  I recommend that you stop worrying about words like "weird" and "normal" and "everyone" and try to be self-aware and examine your own feelings and reactions to your choices and let that be your guide.

Be kind to yourself,

Aymii

For more information and inspiration, join our mailing list at ensomastudios.com.  I promise...no spam!

Meditation as Reverse Psychology

Actively not doing something is a great way to be productive.

I've been meditating nearly every day for about the past 31 years.  The length, method, purpose and results have varied greatly during that timespan, but one thing has remained constant, I always learn something new.

Like most people who meditate, I still get "monkey mind" from time to time.  It's a completely normal part of the experience and helps one learn to cope with all sorts of distractions in life.  However, what I've noticed the past week or so, is that when I have a task ahead of me that I'm not feeling particularly excited about (IRS paperwork - ugh!), my monkey mind goes into high gear.  

However, the more I force myself to sit still and clear my mind, the more internal energy builds around that topic.  I still do my best to respect my meditation time goal (even if it's only 5 minutes), but ultimately, I come out of the session full of determination, ready to go and with renewed focus on that task.  

It struck me as ironic that although meditation certainly has other benefits, the idea of it being reverse psychology, i.e. "All of those things you really don't want to do...well, you're not allowed to do them right now," was a new one for me.  Simply avoiding doing a task, wouldn't motivate me and it would remain undone until...well...pigs fly?  The cows come home?  But consciously focusing on the fact that I'm not going to do the thing (or anything but sit and be) right now really gets me going.  Aren't we humans funny creatures?

Think about something you've been putting off.  Now, take 5 minutes, close your eyes, be still and try to clear your mind.  Even if you can't tackle the entire task right away, did you come out of those 5 minutes with a renewed sense of purpose about it?  A shift in priorities?  Let me know!

Be kind to yourself,

Aymii

For more information and inspiration, join our mailing list at ensomastudios.com.  I promise...no spam!

Umm...hi there...it's been a while...how are you?

The greatest advice comes from the gnarliest problems.  

I've been struggling mightily to write these blog entries.  I like writing.  I write copious and well thought out emails on a regular basis (some might argue a bit too verbose).  I regularly write a journal.  So, it's not the act of putting words to paper that hinders me.  *sigh*  Time to take an honest look at my hangups and figure out what my deal is.

As is often the case, my epiphany came in the shower...I'm a problem solver.  I need problems, challenges or conflict to inspire and motivate me.  I had been attempting to write from the perspective of educator, rather than strategist (or nosy busybody?).  This just wasn't igniting a spark for me.

To test this theory, I'm planning on finding some sort of situation, concern or problem as the catalyst for my next entry and see how that "feels."   

For example, my most recent work-related issue was finding inspiration to write this blog again.  I knew the following:

• I needed to get out of my house - too many personal distractions.
• I needed a lively place with lots of humanity around me, but not too loud.
• Somewhere with wine and beer is a plus, but not totally necessary, but I'm not a "coffee shop" type of writer.
• It needed to have a fairly ergonomic setup so I can work on my laptop for an hour or two without suffering wrist torture.
• Ideally it would be in walking distance to my home or at least have ample parking.

I had no idea where to go.  So I turned to an internet community for advice.  After one smartass told me to go to Casa Bonita (which is worth checking out under other circumstances - if you like cliff divers and gorillas) someone else mentioned Union Station.  Hallelujah!  This met all my criteria, and then some!  As I sit here and write and listen to life going on around me, I have a new-found sense of purpose and inspiration. This (for today, at least) is perfect.

Challenges inspire me, and even the act of "finding a way to find a way" to tackle them is energizing for me.  

I'd love your help in my effort to write an ongoing blog with quality content.  So, my question to you is what are you currently trying to solve?  Anything is fair game, and I'd love to help you come up with next steps that you feel good about.

If you don't feel comfortable replying in the comments of this entry, feel free to contact me directly at aymii@ensomastudios.com.

Be kind to yourself,

Aymii

For more information and inspiration, join our mailing list at ensomastudios.com.  I promise...no spam!