The feelings of shame as a child are still written in my memory; though I can look at them now with a fond smile. I was always told to tone down my energy; to be careful not to over-whelm others. After many years of trying to tone things down, I started on the road to becoming an inspirational speaker. The [...]
It is said that the most important gift that Martin Luther King Senior ever gave to his son, was a mentor to teach him how to dream. All the amazing things that man has ever created have started with someone first dreaming it. Children naturally dream. Ask a child to envision something grand and they can stretch their imagination in [...]
Christina loves to fly. When I think of the word passion, I think of her. Ask her to describe what heaven is like, and she’ll talk about life at 10,000 feet! Like many pilots struggling to gain the air time required to work as a pilot, she has given up every luxury in her life to pursue her passion. When [...]
When Madison was four years old, she and her mother were homeless. As with many people, the challenges she faced early in life forged her spirit into something truly beautiful. To meet Madison, is to know her spirit. At the age of fourteen, she founded a national non-profit organization, Rags to Riches, which supports youth and adults who have been [...]
Jack was feeling sad. He knew you were suppose to be happy Christmas week, but the new skis his Dad had given him weren’t cheering him up. They were top of the line. His Dad was a Vice President in a Marketing Firm, so he could afford the best. Jack was sitting at home wondering if his Dad would ever [...]
It had been a tough year for me, my father died and my marriage fell apart. So my thoughts were often turned inward at my own anguish. I remember standing frozen in the check-out line. The woman in front of me was paying with food stamps and didn’t have enough. The cashier was looking stressed and impatient, gazing back at [...]
Mary had worked so hard to get everyone’s Christmas presents, she felt totally exhausted and frustrated. She also knew she didn’t have enough money to get everything on her children’s lists. She felt guilty for not being able to give her kids the things they really wanted. With her energy depleted and her frustration running high, she started snapping at [...]
Everyone cringed when Tom was coming near. They worried they’d be trapped. He’d talk on about everything happening in his life or ask advice about his problems. He seldom showed any interest in others. Sound familiar? I was giving a talk one day about strengthening relationships and Tom approached me after to tell me my suggestions had never worked for [...]
The biggest challenge for me this year has been mastery over my own thoughts. When I first decided that my dream was to raise money, in trust for schools in developing countries, I first conceptualized it as something I would do "someday" when I retired. But as I let myself sink deeper into trust for the Universe I realized the [...]
It is interesting how often in life we have trouble believing in those we most love. Familiarity can lead to indifference. Then, when we look at our reflection in those closest to us, we see indifference. Yet what if the opposite is true? What if we are all, in fact, exceptional? What if all we need is belief in ourselves [...]