Inner Nutrition: Attracting What You Really Want, Tyler Tichelaar

law of attraction, UP wellness publication, UP holistic business

Do you want more out of life? According to Abraham, a group of non-physical entities channeled by Esther Hicks, you can be, do, or have anything you want when you understand the Universal Law of Attraction. If channeling entities is too “out there” for you, think of the Law of Attraction as similar to positive thinking.

The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. When we think of something we want, we tend to attract it. For example, if you think about money, you’ll attract money. If you think about love, you’ll attract love. You may be thinking, “Then why don’t I have money or love?” The hitch is we have to believe we will receive what we want. When we doubt it or feel we don’t deserve it, we send a message to the Universe that we don’t want it. That blocks us from receiving what we want. When we really envision having it and we act and feel like it’s already ours, we create a powerful magnet that attracts it to us.

Before you dismiss this concept, recall a time when you thought of something that surprisingly appeared. For example, I might learn a new word, and then suddenly, I read or hear it multiple times within a few days. You might even attract a parking space in a busy downtown by simply believing you will have a smooth day where everything goes your way.

Yes, I know attracting a parking space seems like a small thing compared to attracting a life partner or a good-paying job, but according to Abraham, it is as easy to create a castle as a button. It doesn’t matter how big or small the item you wish to attract because when you use the Law of Attraction, you will attract it. Even the Bible supports this universal law as evidenced by the biblical title of Abraham’s first book, Ask and It Is Given.

My late friend Helen Haskell Remien was a devoted student of the Law of Attraction.

I remember her talking about how one of her ancestors had been a builder of community. Helen wanted to do the same. She was full of positive energy and constantly attracted people to her. In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character comes to believe “If you build it, they will come.” He builds a baseball field and famous baseball players come to play there. Similarly, Helen built Joy Center in Ishpeming.

About 2006, she complained to me about the setup at a poetry reading she participated in. She decided to take future matters into her own hands by creating her own event and venue. She began by having one-woman shows at various locations. Then she expanded her vision to creating her own building, a creative sanctuary for her and others’ events. And hence, Joy Center was born.

Before Helen built Joy Center, she tweaked her vision by having a dollhouse-size model built of it. With the help of atalented carpenter, she then created a large, house-like location with three floors and plenty of room for events. At Joy Center, Helen held yoga classes, writing workshops, movie nights, open mic nights, and let people rent the space for their own events. How did she do this? By believing it was possible and acting on her belief.

Once Helen opened Joy Center, many flocked there.

As a result of her courage to live out loud and not suppress her dreams, Helen inspired countless people to follow their own dreams. Everyone from aspiring poets and authors to musicians and athletes joined Helen in celebrating life’s possibilities when we allow ourselves to receive what we wish to attract.

Abraham says the Law of Attraction is a universal law. Humans are born with the ability to send out a request to the Universe and have the Universe respond by granting their wishes. The problem is we let self-doubt, fear, and doubt of our worthiness interfere.

I have had the experience numerous times of getting out of my own way and then seeing what I want appear. For example, when I applied for a PhD program, I was accepted but told the university could not offer me an assistantship. I stressed for weeks about how I would support myself while in the program. One day I said, “God, this is out of my hands. If it’s going to happen, it’s up to you” and I let the worry leave my mind. Later that day, I got an email offering me a teaching assistantship that would cover my tuition and pay me a stipend. Whether you want to call it trusting in God, letting go and letting God, or getting out of your own way, the Law of Attraction worked for me that day.

Even if you don’t believe in Universal, mystical laws, I guarantee if you use positive thinking, you will change your mindset and open your mind to finding ways to create what you want. Instead of saying, “I’ll never be rich,” switch to saying, “I have enough money,” or “I am capable of making enough money to support my needs.” Listen for the negative voice in your head and rewrite its sentences to positive ones. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Ford thought he could, and he was right. Helen did not say, “No one will come to my events.” She told herself she would build a place filled with joy for countless people. People wanted more joy and to share in her joy, and so they went and played and created with her at Joy Center.

What story are you telling yourself about what you want?

How can you tweak that story to attract all the good things you deserve? What is your Joy Center?

Tyler R. Tichelaar is the author of twenty-two books. He thanks Garee Zellmer for introducing him to the Law of Attraction and Helen Haskell Remien for modeling it.

Excerpted from the Spring 2023 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. Copyright 2023, Empowering Lightworks, LLC. All rights reserved.

Senior Viewpoint: Find Your Favorite Fitness

senior fitness, UP seniors favorite exercise, UP wellness publication, UP holistic business

You’ve likely heard about the benefits of exercise repeatedly by now—“Use it or lose it.” “The best medicine is exercise.” “The key to quality longevity is…. (you guessed it! ) exercise.” And who wouldn’t want to live longer or better? Yet according to the National Center for Health Statistics’ most recent study, only 15.3% of men over 65 met 2018 physical activity guidelines, and just 10.8% of women.

But the “fun factor” is key to your success. If you’re dragging yourself to do something you don’t enjoy, you’re unlikely to stick with it or feel encouraged to do more. So, we asked UP seniors to share what type of exercise they enjoy most and why.

Marquette resident Elizabeth Bates says her favorite is cross-country skiing “because it’s outdoors, rhythmic, and pain-free. I love being out in the beautiful winter landscape.”

Retired nurse Kay Mitchell also enjoys the outdoors and is part of the Wednesday Wanderers hiking group.

She explains, “We hike all over the place every Wednesday year-round. It’s a wonderful group of people. It’s just great to be outside in the woods, exploring new or old trails. We get to catch up with each other’s lives, and take turns leading the hike.”

Kay also likes going to the Marquette Senior Center’s Hi-Low Fitness group. “My favorite teacher, Lynn Johnson, does a great cardio workout. It just makes you feel so good…. you get to see all your friends…. They use music and do routines. It’s just fun.”

“I love to do anything that gets me moving,” says Karen Blake of Marquette. “If I can do a flight of stairs in an office building, or tai chi, or just do some stretches at home. I’d like to get back to horseback riding but I haven’t found the right situation yet.”

Retired doctor Peter Zenti also spoke of tai chi.

“When you’re doing some of the tai chi poses and balancing on one foot, that helps when you go out on icy sidewalks.”

Peter enjoys beginner pickleball at Marquette’s Senior Center too. He says, “The main thing we do is laugh—when you swing and totally miss the ball…. when you can’t remember what the score is, and someone else can’t remember…. It’s awesome!” Peter also notes how very helpful and welcoming the group is to new participants.

Former history professor Jon Saari answers, “I like exercise that is a little bit unpredictable, that doesn’t just follow a fixed routine.” Maria Formolo’s tai chi class at the Marquette Senior Center is a favorite of his because unlike most, it includes free exercise and “it’s slow and is adaptive to where your body is at that day.”

Jon also enjoys a new class at NMU called Asahi. He explains, “It’s simplified these many forms (of tai chi) down to a basic one. It’s been tested and found to exercise the whole range of the body’s muscles.”

Former dance studio owner Dawn Dott’s favorite type of exercise is now water aerobics.

She says, “When my body’s submerged in water it’s more buoyant…. I experience less wear and tear on my joints and muscles…. I can work harder and longer than I can on land.”

She adds, “I find it easier to balance in the water…. I feel less stress and anxiety after a water workout, especially when the class has included music. It improves my mood and ultimately, my outlook. It’s a blessing to be part of a kind and fun-loving (water aerobics) group.”

Avid folk dancer Bob Miller also appreciates the social aspect of group exercise. He explains, “I don’t like just dancing alone. Interacting with others is enjoyable.“ Bob also says, “When the music’s going, I feel like I could dance five miles when I couldn’t run one. Rather than getting tired dancing, I feel like I gain energy from it and the music.”

So join in the fun and find (or continue) your favorite form of exercise!

Excerpted from the Spring 2023 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. Copyright 2023, Empowering Lightworks, LLC. All rights reserved.

Green Living: Electric Cars in the UP Winter, Steve Waller

electric cars, UP winter, green living, sustainability, UP wellness publication, UP holistic business

The Fall 2022 issue of Health & Happiness UP Magazine included my article “Order Your Electric Car NOW” covering the basics of electric vehicles (EVs) after my 6,000 miles of experience, but didn’t answer questions many Yoopers have about winter driving. Now, after 16,000 electric miles, including winter miles and new tax credits, I have answers.

A critical detail is that 80% of EVs are charged while you sleep, at home, overnight, from an ordinary 240-volt clothes dryer-type circuit in a garage or outside fixture. Having a home or apartment/condo complex charger (30% tax credit to install) is a big winter advantage. A plugged-in EV is ready every morning to remote start, warm up, and drive all winter long. With home charging, you spend less time charging than you formerly spent pumping gas! Just plug in at night, unplug in the morning, and go.

Unlike many gas or diesel cars, EVs will start even in the coldest weather and are still very powerful. In all EVs, as the temperature drops, battery chemistry slows somewhat, but the power remains. Many EVs can be started remotely and are toasty-warm whenever you get in. Batteries heat the car interior. EVs with heat pumps warm the interior and passengers efficiently, faster than gas cars.

EV winter capabilities vary by model.

Some are absolutely ready for U.P. winters; others have some limits. Below freezing, the EPA range per charge in miles is reduced by about 25%. A daily 250-mile EPA summer charge range is reduced to 180 winter miles. Very few people regularly drive 180 miles per day so that’s rarely a problem. When road-tripping more than 180 miles from home, recharge at a fast-charger. Go to PlugShare.com to find medium and fast chargers on your route. Many EVs know where the chargers are and will route right to them.

Some people are tempted to think they need 400 – 600 miles of range and massive power. That’s usually a mistake unless you tow heavy loads long distances. If most of your driving is less than 180 miles per day, excessive range beyond 300 miles just means you paid extra for excess battery capacity which rarely gets used, which adds excessive battery weight, which drags down the EV truck’s already lower efficiency (MPGe – miles per gallon equivalent), which means you’ll spend much more time charging more energy into the truck than charging a speedy 250-300 EPA mile passenger EV on the same trip.

EV batteries on long winter road trips fast-charge fastest when warm. Cars best suited to long winter road tripping have a feature called “preconditioning” that automatically heats the battery to an ideal temperature as you drive to a fast charger. EVs without preconditioning usually charge much slower in the cold. Slow charging at home is essentially unaffected.

Most EVs are all-wheel drive. Snow and slush eat energy. Snow tires eat some energy too, but AWD EVs often handle winter road conditions better than gas cars. EVs are among the highest safety-rated vehicles on the road.

EV car shopping is fun.

For town/commuter EVs, add a 240-volt charger in your garage, then get almost any EV. For winter road tripping, consider sleek, beautiful, and sexy EVs with an EPA summer range over 250 miles, all-wheel drive, preconditioning, a CCS or Tesla charger connector, and a max charge rate over 150 kW. Tax credits are available for almost everybody—$7,500 for qualifying EVs, 30% credits for installing chargers. Go to shorturl.at/floWZ

Buying another gas car? You’ll be locked into gasoline for five more years. Yuck! Order or lease your electric car NOW!

Steve Waller’s family lives in a wind- and solar-powered home. He has been involved with conservation and energy issues since the 1970s and frequently teaches about energy. Steve can be reached at Steve@UPWallers.net.

Excerpted from the Spring 2023 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. Copyright 2023, Empowering Lightworks, LLC. All rights reserved.

Green Living: We Keep Breaking Records! Steve Waller

climate change prevention, green living, sustainability, UP holistic business, UP wellness publication

The latest Emissions Gap Report from the United Nations Environment Program (https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2022) states that the world has just emitted a new annual record amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). Given this increase, to limit global warming to 2°C, we must cut CO2 thirty percent by 2030. A stepwise approach is no longer an option. We need system-wide transformation.

Who is at the top of the emissions list? Americans, emitting over twice the world average CO2 per person. Even though we like to think we are protecting our environment, that “other” people are the problem, we are the actual culprits breaking world CO2 records.

New record: U.S. population–333 million people in November 2022, increasing by 1.4 million Americans per year (https://www.census.gov/popclock/). We must build a new Dallas, Texas (population 1.4 million) each year to accommodate our new Americans. New record: world population–8 billion people by November 2022, increasing by 70 million each year.

Those new additional 1.4 million Americans, our youth, our future, need a slice of our American pie–food, water, land, housing, heat, transportation, all from the limited environment already supporting 333 million Americans. Each must share a smaller, cleaner piece of green pie.

But what more can we Americans do?

How can we emit less and still be Americans? Since most of the rest of the modern world seems able to emit less, how can we break their lower emission records?

We need to learn to live without CO2, then teach the next generation. Eliminate old, fossilized thinking and think anew. That’s hard. But if nothing changes… nothing changes!

Imagine a life without fossil fuels. Cars emit twenty pounds of CO2 per gallon of gas. How would we still drive? We must shift to electric cars (rebates available). No excuses. How would we heat or cool our homes? Homes must rely entirely on electricity so we must install heat pumps (for heating and cooling–rebates available).

How can we clean all that electricity? It still depends mostly on fossil fuels. Our only clean, cost-effective, sustainable option is using renewables. We must install solar at our homes (rebates available). Encourage wind and solar farms in our neighborhoods. Learn to love the look of solar and wind.

Some fossil fuel use will be irreplaceable, but if you think better, most can be eliminated.

Yes, there is a price to pay for changes. Fossil fuels were dishonestly cheap, so cheap that we used them for everything, everywhere. Cheap because we didn’t pay then for our CO2 consequences. The honest, responsible bill is now due. We must pay for the fixes, and fortunately, the fixes create jobs.

Existing homes and apartments must convert to all electric with solar and heat pumps. New construction needs to use less wood to keep trees alive and absorbing CO2. Use less concrete and steel. Making a pound of cement emits a pound of CO2. Making a pound of steel emits 2 lbs. of CO2.

Smaller homes are better, cheaper, have lower emissions, and are easier to clean and maintain. McMansions are fossil thinking. It’s time to upgrade to smaller. Upgrades always have a cost but fossil thinking costs more. That’s the honest price of a healthy environment. We cannot afford to wait for the environment to be on sale.

Let’s break good records this holiday season. Upgrade to eliminate CO2. Get rebates for efficiency, energy, and electric cars. Emit the least CO2 in your life, ever. Let’s have the cleanest water and air, ever. Let’s consume less than ever. These are records waiting to be broken. The next generation is counting on us.

Steve Waller’s family lives in a wind- and solar-powered home. He has been involved with conservation and energy issues since the 1970s and frequently teaches about energy. Steve can be reached at Steve@UPWallers.net.

Excerpted from the Winter ’22 – ’23 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. Copyright 2022, Empowering Lightworks, LLC. All rights reserved.

SHAPE Program Supports Better Health Outcomes, Dr. Linzi Saigh-Larsen, ND, MSAc, CNS

Naturopathy, UP Natural Wellness, UP holistic business, UP wellness publication, UP holistic health, naturopathic doctor in Iron River MI

Naturopathic medicine has so much to offer. It provides individualized care and focuses on creating the conditions for health to support the body in healing itself. This is one of the things I love most about this medicine.


When someone comes to Upper Peninsula Natural Wellness for guidance on their health journey, more often than not they have many challenges taking place. My goal is to implement the most gentle intervention to make the biggest shift in their health. One way I am able to do this is through a program called SHAPE ReClaimed.


This is a health restoration and lifestyle modification program that combines a patented homeopathic supplement with the nutrition protocol for a simple, effective and safe way to achieve optimal health. The goal is to teach you new skills and help you embrace a healthy lifestyle.


I find this program simple and effective. It is organized into three phases: cleanse, stabilize, and live.

These three phases are designed to first balance your brain chemistry, strengthen your immune system, and cleanse your body of excess weight and toxins.        


Then you will reincorporate new foods and begin to stabilize your weight and brain health, and lastly, learn to maintain this healthy lifestyle.


This program is customized to your bio-individual needs. What this means is that I will use your health history, symptoms, and urinalysis results to adjust this protocol specifically for you. This will ensure you feel satiated and achieve optimum results. You receive your own program guidebook, nutrition guide, dietary supplement, and any other recommendations I have found to be beneficial to your healing journey. A urinalysis is used to measure your improvements, and we meet weekly to answer questions, hold you accountable, establish positive health habits, and learn how to take control of your health.

Naturopathy, UP Natural Wellness, UP holistic business, UP wellness publication, UP holistic health, naturopathic doctor in Iron River MI


Individuals have experienced a decrease in inflammation, fewer joint problems, better digestion, normalized blood pressure, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, balanced blood sugar, cognitive improvements, reduced dependence on prescription medications, optimal weight, and better overall health.


Is the program hard? Well, to answer that I often challenge those who come to see me with a mindset shift: Choose your hard!


This means that taking a risk is hard. Staying stuck is hard. Getting in shape is hard. Being out of shape is hard. Meal prep and choosing health over convenience can be hard. Feeling sick, bloated, and inflamed from eating processed food is hard.


Prioritizing self-care is hard. Not making time for self-care is hard.


The moral of the story is: Life is hard. No matter which direction you choose, it’s going to be a challenge. The solution? Choose the hard that pushes you to be better and closer to your goals! You are stronger than you think, and can do hard things!


I look forward to the opportunity to help you on your health journey. I work with individuals locally in my office, and remotely via phone or zoom. Call, text or email the office to schedule a free twenty minute consultation to see if you are a good fit, and ready to take control of your health.


Dr. Linzi Saigh is a naturopathic doctor. Naturopathic medicine is a system that uses natural remedies to help the body heal itself. It embraces many therapies, including herbs, massage, acupuncture, exercise, and nutritional counseling.

Article sponsored by Upper Peninsula Natural Wellness.

Article excerpted from the Winter ’22 – ’23 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. Copyright 2022, Empowering Lightworks, LLC. All rights reserved.

U.P. KIDS, Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine Annual Donation Recipient: Caring for Children, Building Brighter Futures

UP foster parenting, UP parenting support, UP adoption services, UP wellness publication

Families at Play at U.P. KIDS Fall Pumpkin Patch Event

U.P. KIDS is an organization supporting children and families in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It began in the Copper Country in 1899 as Good Will Farm, providing a home and school to children from the UP. In 2012, its name changed to U.P. KIDS, but its mission has remained the same: Caring for children and building brighter futures. Its foster care, adoption, and in-home service programs provide caring temporary and permanent homes where children are protected and nurtured.

Families become foster families for a multitude of reasons–they may want to help children in need, they may be struggling with infertility and see foster care and adoption as a way to have the family they’ve always dreamt of, or they may be caring for relatives who are children. Foster families are needed throughout the entire Upper Peninsula, particularly homes willing to take sibling groups and adolescents.

The primary goal of foster care is reunification.

Foster families work with the child’s case worker and their biological family to ensure the concerns which originally brought the child into care are rectified. Foster families provide a safe, loving, temporary home during the reunification process.

Sometimes reunification is not possible. U.P. Kids then turns to foster families to provide permanence (adoption) for the children in their care. There are over ten thousand children in foster care in Michigan, and currently there are 246 children available for adoption without an identified adoptive home.

There is no charge to become a foster family, and licensing workers are happy to work with your family throughout the foster care licensing process. There is no charge to adopt a foster child in Michigan, and many children are waiting for their forever home. Most families receive a financial subsidy for adoptive children, along with health insurance and other supportive benefits.

Adoptive families are offered supportive services through U.P. Kids’ Post-Adoptive Resource Center (PARC). Adoption comes with its own obstacles, and Post-Adoption Specialists are there to help families thrive together. Post-Adoption Specialists partner with adoptive families to connect them to resources, and offer training, support, and advocacy. PARC is available for all adoptive families throughout the adoptee’s childhood, whether they adopted through foster care or a privatel adoption, and is free for families to utilize.

Families UPWARD is an innovative new program at U.P. KIDS.

The program takes a look at problems families may be experiencing and helps break the generational cycle of trauma. Caseworkers collaborate with families to strengthen them using evidence-based models and professional training, as well as family input to come up with a plan to best serve it. Each family is unique. Families UPWARD focuses on and helps build upon each family’s strengths while helping the family to overcome its challenges.

U.P. KIDS’ Big Brothers Big Sisters programs inspire children to realize their full potential and build brighter futures by providing strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships. This opens up new perspectives for children by offering friendship, guidance, and opportunities for enriching activities with caring volunteers.

While your family may not require U.P. Kids’ services, any family can work to become stronger a stronger unit.

Here are four tips for parenting from U.P. Kids:

1) Boost your child’s self-esteem throughout their childhood. Set a goal to praise your child for being (i.e. “You are so wonderful!”) and praise for doing (i.e. “Thank you so much for doing that!”). While it may seem a little strange at first, praising your child can be a step in the right direction for developing good self-esteem. Low self-esteem, low self-worth, and negative self-talk is developed during childhood and can lead to many negative consequences as your child grows. Children thrive when caregivers focus on the positive things they do and not just the things we are trying to correct.


2) Ensure quality time with your children. In today’s busy world, it is more important than ever to provide your child your undivided attention. Set time each day to be fully present for your child(ren). Some fun ways to engage can be asking questions to get a conversation going–“Can you share the best part of your day? What do you think your life will be like in the future? Would you rather eat pickles and peanut butter, or pickles and chocolate?” Opening the door to conversations and showing interest in your child(ren) will keep communication open throughout their lives.

3) Be flexible with discipline techniques and allow yourself grace. No child comes with a manual on how to parent them. Each child has their own love language, personality, and their own uniqueness. There is no parenting style that is going to work for all children just like we adults are not the same. (And how boring a world it would be if we were!)

There is no shame in tweaking your parenting as you learn and as your child grows. Nothing in life works rigidly; we need to learn to roll with the punches gracefully. And no parent is perfect. What makes a good parent is the willingness to learn and grow. Apologize when you mess up—this is a great moment for modeling that we are all human and capable of making mistakes.

4) Practice being empathetic and teach your child(ren) empathy. Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes does not come automatically. It’s a skill that needs to be constantly practiced and modeled. Looking at things from a child’s perspective will help you be empathetic.

When a child is having a meltdown, being mindful of how difficult it can be when feeling many emotions is important. Instead of getting flustered, try to empathize. Children and adolescents are not hard-wired with the skills to emotionally regulate themselves, nor to be aware of how others perceive them. When they feel big emotions, those emotions are huge for them even when their reasons may seem absurd to us adults due to our much bigger foundation of experiences, for example, not getting their way, wanting to have a toy at the store, getting hurt, etc.

If you’re willing and able to make room in your heart and your life to help more children in the UP, here are some ways you can do so:

  1. Become a foster or adoptive family. To find out more about becoming a licensed foster or a pre-approved adoptive family, please contact Dolores Kilpela at dolores@upkids.com.
  2. Support UP foster families by providing respite care, donating to your local foster closet, or lending a hand to a foster family with a new child placement.
  3. Become a Big Brother or a Big Sister and mentor a child who needs a positive role model. If you’re interested in applying for Big Brother Big Sister of the Western Upper Peninsula, please contact Maggie Munch at bbs@upkids.com.

*See the businesses that supported Health & Happiness’s 2022 donation to U.P. Kids in our upcoming post.

Article by Alysa Cherubini-Sutinen, PARC Supervisor & Families UPWARD, Dolores Kilpela, Foster Care, Adoption, & Licensing Supervisor, Sarah Codere, Executive Director

Excerpted from the Winter ’22 – ’23 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. Copyright 2022, Empowering Lightworks, LLC. All rights reserved.