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In The Writer's Den w/Aashir Jabbar

4/25/2022

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The climate for new business ventures has taken a dive.  People are hesitant to invest and indulge in projects and passions that perhaps won't provide a guaranteed return.  The CBD business, however, is booming, and Aashir Jabbar has decided to get his piece of the pie with his entry into this highly lucrative world.  His positivity, drive, and infectious spirit make you stand up and take notice.   Without further adieu let's hear from Mr. Jabbar, and learn more about his business, while educating our minds, bodies, and spirits!  

◆ How are you doing on this amazing day? 
First, I would like to say thank you for this wonderful opportunity and I’m well on this amazing day. Thank you for asking. 

◆ You recently launched your online CBD store called Pure Canna Wellness.  First of all, congrats on starting your business, and I wish you much success!  When did the idea to start this business turn into the passion and drive to ultimately just go for it?
​
I’m originally from Texas. I met Dr. Sebi’s son in 2010 through a mutual friend who happened to be living in Dallas as well at the time. We immediately bonded and became close friends. One day, we were entertaining the idea of partnering up and selling herb formulas he learned from his father and creating a business together.

​At that same time, I was going through a hard time in my life.  Our mutual friend who spent time in Hawaii mentioned the experience of living there many times and suggested at that time, that I should consider living there if I had the opportunity to do so. After a week of thinking about the possibility of living on an Island, I decided to make it a reality. I quit my job in 2010 and moved to Big Island Hawaii. We started a business called Go Green Leaf. With Sebi’s son, Asami, his wife at the time Lateefah, and myself, we started creating formulas of herbal supplements & salves and began vending at local spots around the community of Pahoa Hawaii. Long story short, I moved back to the mainland in 2014, worldly things consumed my life for about 5 years but the desire still remained. My father passed in 2019 and soon after, on Christmas Eve of 2020, my mother passed and spiraled me into unhealthy habits. CBD helped to curve those unhealthy habits and that’s when the light was reignited. 



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Getting Down And Dirty

4/15/2022

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As a little girl, I watched my mother and grandmother garden.  At the beginning of Spring, I knew it was time for the ritual of turning the soil, clearing out weeds, and planting seeds.  The idea and chore behind it all never seemed appealing.  Play in the dirt where critters live and breed?  Nah, I'll pass.  

To my surprise about 30 years later I was doing the very thing I said I would never do.  Cultivating and loving my garden while running from the occasional bug or two.   Hobbies are meant to ease your sanity and bring instant joy to your soul.  If not, it's time to find a new hobby.  There is a certain level of peace that comes along with gardening and yard work and I completely lose myself when I'm putting my green thumb to work.  It's the therapist you never knew you needed.  But don't get it twisted!  Gardening is truly backbreaking work, however, the end result is well worth it.  Get your notepad ready, take notes, because we are getting down and dirty! 

So, you've decided to try your hand at growing something.  You've killed more plants than you can count and you have sworn to stick with the plastic plants that are forever green while requiring zero water.  Doesn't get easier than that!  But it does.  Following rules are important for most things, and gardening is certainly no exception.

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The Busiest Bee

4/4/2022

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The weekend has come and gone.  It was so amazing, I'm still reminiscing about it two days later.   There are moments that require quite a bit before I will declare that a weekend was all that and a bag of kettle chips which make it something worth writing about.  And there are weekends when all I need is my remote and a strong internet connection to write an entire novel.  After a truly great time, Monday feels kind of wicked.  Almost feels as though I am being punished in some way.  I smile, get on with it and wait for glorious Tuesday to arrive.  It's still no different today, that just sounded good.  The countdown to Friday is fresh in my mind and I anxiously wait for its return.
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I've heard people say you shouldn't live for the weekend, well I certainly do!  I enjoy my weekdays, however, there is nothing like the weekend when I can truly let my hair down and exhale.

With only two days to absorb any and everything that is not of work-related jargon, I take in projects here and there.  Sitting down has never been my forte, which is probably the reason my grandmother would make the statement that I must have ants in my pants.  As confused as a child could be, hearing that statement, I kinda knew it meant I needed to sit down somewhere.  The problem was, I didn't know where that was, so I've been moving ever since.

My eyes target various weird things to get into.  Noticed a slight smudge on the entry door into my laundry room, which creates a scrubbing frenzy to remove any signs of stress and dirt.  Or perhaps, the baseboards that require close attention.  If you get too close to anything an imperfection or two is bound to pop out and make instant eye contact.  I'll just start at the basement level on my hands and knees cursing myself out along the way.    
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After relocating, my body went through a few changes.  I'm not the same 24-year old so the recovery time was quite extensive.  I listened to this body of mine on most days, and when I didn't it caused a visit to the doctor who advised I had a herniated disc in my back and would need to take it easy.  As the doctor continued to speak a foreign language that I surely did not understand, I said no problem doc!   Ok, you might be wondering what the hell I was doing to get to this point, but I don't even know.  I mean I might have an idea or two, but who needs to talk about the past!  

Back to the story...

The move put me into a state of pause.  I felt as if certain things I loved to do had lost their flair and excitement.  I was no longer the busiest bee in the hive and that was alarming.  Cooking, decorating, and flowing into my own space.  I was in an adjustment period and needed time to unpack in a mental and physical sense.  Now that I feel rejuvenated, I find enjoyment in small, medium, and sometimes large-sized projects that I throw myself into.  Getting back into cooking meant I was finally in my happy zone.  

So, it's the second day of the workweek.  I vowed after my last project that I would sit down and do absolutely nothing.  But, that would be telling a lie and that just isn't my thing.  I found the cutest little paintbrushes for a tiny-sized project.  The grout in my guest bath is not of a color that makes me smile, so I bought grout paint.  Simple and exciting right?!  After this project, I have a few more but this is so easy I'll have it done in a flash.  It's the story I always tell myself.  Whether it's true or not will determine what new ideas I come up with. 

Therapy comes in ways you least expected.  I often speak of joy and finding peace as it is the backdrop of your life.  
​

It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy.  The bee is praised.  The mosquito is swatted. -Mary Flannery O'Connor


​Bees are known to be very active.  When summer greets us with the never-ending sunshine and beautiful weather you constantly see bees buzzing around and doing their thing.  I asked google, why are bees so active, and here is what I found.  'This behavior is normal, and means they are settling into their new home.'  

I rest my case. 🐝
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​~AJ
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It All Starts With You

4/4/2022

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I remember the series of events I am about to share with you as if it were yesterday.  I moved to Atlanta in the Fall of 1996 after spending the summer with my boyfriend's family at the Summer Olympics.  I had fallen head over heels in love with everything Georgia had to offer.  The weather, the people, and the smells were all infectious.  I was 23 and felt as if I could rule the world, yet I knew nothing about the world at that time and what would happen next.   The choice had already been made in my mind.  We were moving.  Our parents asked what we were doing, and we looked bewildered.  What do you mean?  We are moving and we are in love.  Aren't we???  But we had no idea about the meaning of true love and all that it meant.  

As we settled into our first apartment in Georgia it was something brand new and such an adventure.  If you asked me at the time how I felt I would without hesitation say it was the best time of my life. It was different, it was exciting and I felt a new level of freedom I had never felt before.  Time continued to move forward as it always does.  The excitement fades, bills are due and life happens.  I started working and met new people that led the way to interesting conversations and new ideas.  Suddenly I felt a sense of empowerment that I couldn't wait to share with my boyfriend.  

I love myself!  
​

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    AJ is a creative writer and storyteller writing from her home in Indiana.  

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