Why Wait?

Many of us have made the annual list of things that we would like to do with each New Year. It spans from losing weight, taking better care of ourselves, checking in more with family and friends, make changes in our business and in some cases - begin a business. However, I would like to encourage you to begin today.

The moment you have an idea or think of something that needs to be done, that's the perfect time to begin. January 1st, 2015 is three days away.

If you need to change your diet - today is a good day to begin making the necessary adjustments.

Do you have a business idea? Begin exploring through research, sign on to small business groups/forums, meet-ups, and be sure to take notes, write down your ideas/thoughts.

Already have a business? Start signing up for conferences, networking events, create or plan your own event, find a mentor, be a mentor.

Want to begin keeping in touch with family and friends? Pick up the phone, make a call. It doesn't have to be a long call, it can be a warm hello, thinking of you and wanted to hear your voice kind of call. It would make their day a bit brighter and you will feel great too.

The goal is to begin now, repeat daily and by the time 2015 rolls in, you will be ushering a new year knowing that you are well into making changes. 2015 will have many more opportunities to for you to explore.

Believe in your ideas/dreams and let your imagination take you to the next level ~DawnKA

Stick It To Me

Not a fan of needles? Me either. I was one of the kids who would practically pee myself just hearing the other kids ahead of me while they got their shots. When it was my turn, I felt obligated to warn those in the waiting room for what's ahead and I will give it my all. I have since grown up and for the sake of being a parent, I have mastered the art of yelling out loudly in my mind whenever I have to any procedure that includes a needle. Now wouldn't you know that I am looking into trying an ancient Chinese treatment that is known to heal and relieve a variety of medical conditions. From back pain, depression to drug and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, sticking thin needles into specific points on the skin is said to be an amazing pain free therapy.

According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture is an effective treatment for more than thirty-five common illnesses. It helps to treat and relieve the pain for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. It is also used for people with rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, Graves’ disease, multiple sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, scleroderma and Systemic lupus erythematosus. Furthermore, it is used with athletes for sport related injuries and also helps those who suffer from lower back pain, joint pain, etc. The list goes on and on. Here's a video that gives you more insight to the benefits of acupuncture. Have you ever tried acupuncture? If not, would you consider it?

What's for Breakfast?

As a lover of food, I have to maintain a balance of that love by making healthy choices. The morning comes with the ritual of prayer, meditation, exercise and what's for breakfast. This morning, I was in the mood for a hearty breakfast. What do I consider hearty? Well, it is something like a Thanksgiving buffet for breakfast. The kind of breakfast that is served with eggs, cheese, pancakes, French toast, waffles, whole wheat bread, muffins, bacon, sausages, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, yogurt, fruits and juices.

In addition to the fiber in my oatmeal, I was able to get vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which is a good source of iron, complex carbohydrates and protein. Furthermore, studies have shown that oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure due to an increase in soluble fiber found in the oatmeal. To add to the taste of the oatmeal, I add fruits instead of sugar and might I add it's a delicious healthy choice.

And now for my mini version of a hearty healthy breakfast - the omelet/omelette. My omelette is usually a smorgasbord of spinach, basil, tomatoes, avocado, green peppers, onions, organic baby spring mix - sometimes cheese. Served with 12 grain whole wheat bread and a cup of tea. I am completely satisfied for hours on end.

Today's breakfast was the Kashi Go Lean Crunch with wildflower honey, almond and flaxseed. Needless to say, I feel like I've made a magnificent choice. Honey - flaxseed is recognized as one of the most powerful plant foods on this side of heaven. According to research, it has shown to help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and strokes.

How about you? Do you eat breakfast? What do you eat for breakfast?

Your Health & Wellness - Time to Shake It Up

While seeking a new topic to explore, I thought it would be perfect to share this segment from my friend Dr. Maiysha. It's a refreshing way to treat your body to a shift from your normal diet.

Straight from In the Kitchen with Dr. Maiysha:



And here is the breakdown:

The trending topic now is how to make your body more alkaline. Another more popular topic is juicing. So I figured what we do is put the two together and make an alkaline juice for you to drink and help to cleanse your body. We have a lemon, avocado, some celery, cucumber, parsley, some garlic, and just some ice. That’s all you need. So a lot of these have great detox and cleansing element, and they will help to make your body more alkaline so you can help to fight off infections and just keep your body in a healthy state.

What we’re going to do first is we’re going to chop up our avocado. I like to just cut it in half. And we’re going to gut the seed out. What we’re using today for the blending of everything is our NutriBullet. The nice thing with avocados is you don’t to slice it up; you can just slide huge chunks into the NutriBullet just like this. We’re going to get as much of it as we can. This is going to be the core of our juice. Avocados are very, very rich nutrient-dense foods so we want to get as much as we can. If you’re an avocado person, you can use two.

The next highest component is going to be our cucumber, so I’m going to just chop the cucumber into about quarter- or half-dollar-size slices. Cucumbers also have a great fat-burning element to them if you want to have an alkaline juice as well as a fat-burning juice. And again, we’re going to just stick these into the NutriBullet.

And our third largest component is going to be our celery. I have one stalk, and I’m going to slice this as well. I’m only going to use about half of this stalk. Celery tends to be a little bit overbearing in taste when mixed with other elements while juicing. So you don’t want to have your juice taste predominantly of celery. So just a little bit is good.

Our last three components are going to be more for seasoning. So we’re going to use some minced garlic. If you have large, whole garlic, you can use cloves as well. I’m going to use just one teaspoon, a nice, rounded-off healthy teaspoon. You can also use cilantro for taste. I’m going to use one teaspoon of coriander as well for seasoning. And that one can be a leveled-off teaspoon. And finally we’re going to use half of a lemon just to add a little bit more of an acidic component to the smoothie. The more lemon you can tolerate the better. I’m going to slice a couple slices and then just juice the rest into the smoothie. And last but not least we cannot forget some parsley. We have some fresh parsley leaves here. You can chop these prior to juicing. I’m going to simply just use my fingers and break off small pieces and rub them together.

Just to give it a smoothie fill, I’m going to add some ice. Now we’re going to add some alkaline water just to boost the alkaline smoothie effect.

Alkaline water is very cleaning. It’s very good for healing of the cells. So it would make sense for this alkaline smoothie to use the alkaline water. So I just put it up to 9.5; why not use the largest. And I’ll have you just pull this level up. It’s connected right to my machine. There you go.

What's the Health & Wellness Plan for Fall

As the change of the season is in full swing, the concerns of my health and wellness fitness management plan is on the top of my list. I love running and although I did not get in as many runs as I would have loved to during the summer, I am squeezing in as many runs as I can while the weather is fairly good. I am a runner. Albeit a slow runner, I consider myself to be a runner. I love to run with my King (husband), my children and at times I run alone. Clearly as I get older, my fitness routine needs some adjustments. Once the weather gets colder, running will be even less to none until the spring. What's a girl to do?!

Here's the plan - I will make adjustments to my diet. I will watch my portion size, drink lots of water, sip on tea without sugar from time to time, work out everyday for about 30 - 45 minutes for 5 days. A great way to get the best out of the Fall and Winter season is to eat the fruits and vegetables of the season. It's the optimum time to get the best nutritional benefits. The fruits and vegetables of the season are - Apples, Dates, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Pears, Pomegranates, Tangerines, Brussels Sprout, Cauliflower, Turnips, Parsnips, Pumpkin, Rutabaga, Sweet Potatoes and Squash. Let's enjoy them in the most healthy way possible. No candy caramel apples, apple pies or candy yams (sweet potatoes) will not count as a healthy option. While a slice of apple pie is fine, be sure that you are burning the calories and not overindulging. Of course, if you are diabetic or under the care of a physician, you must discuss the fruits and vegetables that you are allowed to eat. Believe it or not, everything that is good for you may not be good for YOU!

A Voice for Progeria

Progeria is a disease that speeds up the aging process. Children with progeria begin to show signs within the first two years. Parents may notice some hair loss and a lack of physical growth. Over a short period of time, children with progeria may experience some difficult health challenges such as hearing loss, fragile bones, strokes, heart disease and more. These challenges are quite tough yet parents have had to face handling the disease knowing that their child's life span may be over within 13 to 20 years.

Thankfully, many of these children have lived their lives enjoying each moment despite the health challenges. Sam Berns has taken his assignment in life to share his journey with progeria.

Distraction - Fatal Outcomes (Parents/Caregivers)

Can it be that you have so much on your mind that you are not aware of your surroundings? Are you in a hurry? Are you overwhelmed with the responsibilities of life? Are you running late? Do you have something to do and you are focused on your task? Are you wondering when these questions will end or what's the point? Well, it's about parents leaving their children in cars while going off to run errands in stores, some have even gone to work.

It is very important to be present and mindful of your duty as a parent. It is never okay to leave a child in a car even if you are running into a store to pick up something quick. Your single/simple item has nothing to do with anyone else who may be on the line waiting to check out. Being a parent is a huge responsibility which will come with many challenges and the priorities of life shifts into a different mode. It's no longer just about you.

Tomorrow is the first day of summer and the heat is already on. In fact, this past week there were two deaths related to parents forgetting their child in the car. While they spent their day at work, the heat was stifling the life out of the children. Needless to say, when the parent returned to the car and realize the error, the rest is indescribable.

Kick It While You Still Have A Chance - Smoking

Aaaaah yes, my teen years were quite an impressionable time. There was something about cigarettes that was appealing. The way that they spoke while holding the cigarette and puffing in between sentences was so cool. The cigarette smoking community seemed to all be friends, well at least before the prices went all the way up. They would just ask a complete stranger for a cigarette and they would freely share, in some cases, they would strike up a conversation. The whole thing fascinated me. Well, thanks to my parents and the fear that they instilled in me by sharing the consequences of smoking, I chose to listen.

However, there is the dark side of smoking that despite the label warnings, the health concerns and other efforts to bring awareness to the fatal outcomes - smoking is still a concern especially for teenagers. The newest campaign is set to target teenagers by giving them the hard facts and images of smoking.

Thankfully, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg and her team are making this serious health concern a priority. It's time to kick it while you still have a chance to avoid the serious side of smoking.

Keeping It Farm Fresh

Picture it - sunny warm days, blue skies, green grass, flowers blooming, trees offering shade, sandals, T-shirts, shorts etc., love is in the air - summer is almost here.

The thought of enjoying healthy and delicious fresh fruits and vegetables makes my heart leap for joy. I can recall having the most delicious and juiciest tomato ever that we purchased at the market in Nevis, West Indies. I had no idea that tomatoes could be so sweet. Thank goodness, there are many farmers market throughout New York even in the city - yes it's true. Stroll on through Union Square and there you will find a fabulous farmers market.

Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture has an initiative to promote the farmers market. Do you know your farmer? If not, get to know your farmer and learn more about the food.

Pain, Pain Go Away - The Power of Prescription Pain Killers

It begins with the pain, the doctor gives a prescription to help alleviate the excruciating pain. However, there is a danger in what begins with a legitimate health concern. The spotlight on this form of drug abuse seems to focus mainly on celebrities especially when they have succumbed to an overdose. It is discussed on various outlets of the media and in no time, they move on to the next topic of the day. Truth be told, prescription drugs affects everyone from the young to the old, the professional, the student, the preacher, etc. It takes it's toll on many lives.

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2010, 2 million people reported using prescription painkillers non-medically for the first time within the last year—nearly 5,500 a day. The top opiods abused are OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Duragesic and Fentora. These painkillers can create a high as it decreases the pain. The need to escape the pain can begin a physical dependence leading to an addiction.
It's time to pay attention, pain killers should relieve pain - sadly, it also takes lives.








Information sources and participants: NYC Health, Jack Riley, Hazelden Foundation, Pain Management, Prescription Drugs, Addiction to Prescription Pills, Drug Abuse, David Reveles, Cheryl Edwards, David Cohen, health, wellness, Chuck Goudie, Dr Drew, CNN, Dr Sanjay Gupta

Health & Wellness - Mixing It Up

There are many ways to work at improving our health and wellness. Veria Living always deliver a wealth of healthy advice. Let's look at dancing and how it provides a fun form of exercise as Debbie Allen disccuses the benefits for those with diabetes. Then there is June Stein who was diagnosed with a form of arthritis that affects the spine known as ankylosing spondylitis. After June's visit Dr. Rodney Bluestone, June decided to take yoga. Taking steps to improve on your health and wellness can be beneficial.

Always keep in mind that your health and wellness depends on you.

Are You Dreading the Spring - Seasonal Allergies

Word on the news circuit is that this season will present one of the worst allergy seasons ever. It promises to be a short but an intensive season and that can be such a bummer. Dr. Karen Demuth of Emory University explores the topic of seasonal allergies. Be in the know. Your health and wellness depends on you!

A Happy Healthy Home - Living with Pets

Don't you just love your pets? People are becoming more involved in their pets way of life from style and transportation - I've seen it all. While at the airport, there was a couple with their small dog in a stroller. I thought it was the most ridiculous yet funny thing ever - clearly they were serious. We've since seen pets in strap on carriers, booties, leather outfits, etc. At one point the pet in the purse was all the rage. The love is oh so overwhelming. However, hugging and kissing your pets, handling their food and treats may cause you to become ill.

Dr. April Hodges, Nutritional Scientist with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discusses the importance of handling pet food with care to avoid illness. Although it is rare that pets can become sick due to salmonella, the chances exist and most importantly, it can be very dangerous for humans, especially children.




The latest pet food recall and withdrawal lists:

FDA Pet Food Recall & Withdrawal List 2014

Keep the Conversation Going - Voices of HIV

Everyone is so different, after all we are uniquely and wonderfully made. Why wait for World Aids Day, awareness month or a celebrity affected by the virus in order for us to bring out the alarms? For those living with HIV/AIDS, the health regimen serves as a daily reminder.

The Center for Disease Control has a wonderful campaign - Let's Stop HIV Together. Let's be sure to share as HIV/AIDS is still a disease that needs to be stopped.

Is That Food Backing Up?

Have you ever had that uneasy feeling where there is a burning sensation traveling from your stomach to your chest or throat? How about that bitter or sour taste of acid surfacing up to your mouth?

Here are some symptoms of acid reflux:
**Bloating
**Bloody or black stools
**Burping
**Chronic Sore Throat
**Dry Cough
**Dysphagia
**Hiccups that don't let up
**Hoarseness
**Nausea
**Vomiting with blood
**Weight loss that occurs without a valid reason
**Wheezing

Here's the Doctor's take on Acid Reflux

Stress Less - Your Health & Wellness Depends On You!!!

"I am so stressed out!"
"You're stressing me"

Being stressed goes beyond the term of feeling a bit overwhelmed. Stress is universal and it affects everyone at different ages and stages of life. Death, relationships, health, work, debt and family issues contributes to the stresses of our daily lives. However, while some may be able to handle stress, others become consumed with the problems they face and are unable to get through the moment enduring the stress for a long period of time. What is most important to understand - stress compromises our health and wellness.

Where Do You Stand - High Blood Pressure?

One in three adults has high blood pressure and many are unaware. It is very important to get your blood pressure checked, it is good to know where you stand. The Center for Disease Control has created an animated series that explores the importance of understanding your blood pressure levels and how important it is to follow the instructions on lowering and control high blood pressure - preventing life threatening outcomes. Hypertension - be informed.

Let's Take A Look At Gout?

What is gout?
What are the symptoms of gout?
How can it be treated?

Listen to the experts as they explore the concerns and treatment of gout. Be sure to consult with your doctor before making any changes.

This Week in Health & Wellness - Mysterious Illnesses

This week we focus on keeping you informed with the cases of mysterious illnesses that have created concern throughout various states. A cluster of anencephaly in Washington, then there's a polio like disease in California and the latest skin infection in New York. Be in the know.





I pray that they are able to get the answers very soon by asking the parents more direct and specific questions.

What's On Your Mind?

There is a lingering depression that plagues the mind yet somehow it can be hidden from the people closest to you. Of course there are times, when someone will pick up on a difference or a shift in your mood or your behavior and when asked they may become defensive or plainly deny it. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to mental illness. No one wants to be singled out with a label that automatically prompts negative thoughts/beliefs - crazy, weak, sick, unworthy, losers, etc. Are you in a funk that you just cannot seem to shake? Are you having thoughts of ending your life because no one cares or you hate your life? Are you consumed with thoughts of not having everything you need? Lost a job? Had a bad break up? Cannot seem to find love? Addicted to drugs? Wish things would get better? Stuck in a place of mourning the loss of a loved one? and on and on...

Mental health affects your overall health. Denny Nelson and Alicia Raimundo explores the importance of seeking the appropriate care for your overall mental health. Keep in mind, your health and wellness depends on you.

Hold Up - Wait A Minute

Are you aware that taking drugs with certain foods and beverages may have some dangerous outcomes? It is important to also discuss with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before you combine any drugs with over the counter medications.

Here's an example, many of us know the great benefits of grapefruit. Grapefruit known as a super fruit is packed with fiber, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, helps to reduce chronic diseases, improves skin health, boosts the immune system and also helps with curbing the appetite. On the other hand, one should be clear about having grapefruit in any form while they are on certain medications/drugs.




Remember, what's good for you may not be good for YOU...... Discuss everything with your doctor.

What Have You Done For You Lately?

How are you doing? When was the last time that you took a moment to check in on your health and wellness?

It's so important that we listen and have a keen sense of our bodies to know the signals and symptoms that are gentle memo's to take note that something needs to be checked on.

Although you may be working to improve on your health and wellness through diet and exercise (which is excellent) you need to get a physical. In addition, it is important to know your family health history as well as your own. Some screenings may be more important than others based on your family's health history. No need to panic, your family's health history serves as a guide for the illnesses/diseases that may place you at a high risk level for the illness/disease.

Other suggestions are to treat yourself to a day at the spa. You can also place an order for some specially made to order spa products from Smell Good Spa They have a wide variety and great specials/sales.

But wait, there's more....
Yoga
Meditation
Healthy Eats/Treats

Winter 2014 - Who's Had Enough?

So what's the view from your window?

Seems like a long never ending snow stormy winter. Spanning from the North to the South, the snow has caused major shut downs. In some cases there have been chaotic and fatal situations. It's the nature of the season. As always, be careful. Soft snow flakes falling from the sky, leaving a beautiful white covering across the land is indeed a pretty sight. However, that pretty fluffy white stuff mixed with cold temperatures can be outright hazardous. Accidents due to poor visibility, treacherous roads, sidewalks that are not clear may deliver severe slipping/falling, tree branches breaking off with the snow and windy conditions, power lines down, losing electricity are just a part of the danger of the white fluff. If you are told to stay indoors, STAY INDOORS!!!


Who's loving this weather? Kids of course, they are always up for a fun frolic in the flakes and college students are ecstatic - no classes.


What's the great news? Spring is on the way...... Here's the countdown.

Spring Countdown

Oh The Scandal of it All - Breaking Bread News!!!

It's that sick feeling you get when you see a news report on the food that we enjoy contains a dye from insects and that the health department allows for a certain amount of rodent and insect droppings in food - now to kick it up a higher notch - we're eating fresh, tasty yoga mat sandwiches and burgers. It turns out that we're enjoying azodicarbonamide, the chemical used to make the bread whiter and bouncier. Just what we need, a bounce in our bread. Well, at least there's an explanation to the reason of biting the sandwich and having to give an extra pull for the release to chew.

Here we are working to improve on our health and wellness. In deciding what to eat, we weigh our options. Want to eat healthy and fresh? Head on over to Subway and indulge in their healthy menu, a sense of pride settles within as you have made a great choice. Thankfully, Subway decided to announce that they will no longer use azodicarbonamide in their bread. Needless to say, that caused a wait up, hold me back (kind of moment), what did they say was in their bread???!!! But wait, there's more, many of the other fast food restaurants are using the same chemical in their bread/buns.

So once again, we are left to wonder, what's really good for us? Who do we trust? Why would these products that are dangerous for human consumption be allowed in our foods? How could they determine that there should be a safe amount, considering that our health is not a one size fits all kind of deal? Who approves this and is there a financial incentive to gain from approving these unhealthy chemicals/products?

Perhaps it's time for us to bake our bread from scratch, purchase our fruits and vegetables from the local farmers markets, raise our own chickens, cows, etc., and do the work ourselves. For now, I may have to sprinkle holy water, read a scripture and pray that my food is safe each time I prepare to eat a meal.

Hip, Hip Hooraaaay!!! Cheers to CVS

Turn up the music and let us get our dance on. It's time to paaaaartaaaay (party). CVS has taken the bold step to forego Two Billion Dollars in annual tobacco sales and focus on providing quality health care to it's customers.

Hopefully, many will drop their buts (cigarettes) and join us in the dance as we continue to work on improving our health and wellness...... Here's to living a longer and healthier life :-)

House Call When The Doctor Comes Knocking Through The Storm

Every now and again, I have come across some great stories. Stories that makes my entire being filled with joy. Here's a story that will certainly give you a jolt of happiness. We celebrate the goodness in mankind and although Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw does not understand why this story is such a big deal, we all know that the state of health care seems to be more about the money and less about the patient and their health care needs. Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw has certainly shown us that he is all about fulfilling his assignment in serving others through health care. Take a look at this amazing doctor!!!

Tell Me More About My Eyes ;-)

Focusing on the health of our eyes and the options that are available requires a consultation with an eye specialist. Yes, you may want to have a lasik procedure to avoid wearing glasses, or you may want to get a little fancy and try some colorful contact lens - hold your horses. The eyes are so delicate and precious, Lord knows at least as of this date, they cannot be replaced.

Speaking of the irreplaceable eyes, nutrition is key in maintaining a good pair of healthy eyes. Be sure to add these to your diet -Oranges and other citrus fruits or juices, carrots, spinach, kale, collard greens, eggs, nuts, beans, salmon, tuna, and other oily fish.

Here we go now, let's learn more about caring for them there eyes ;-)

Come on Get Happy♪♪ :-)

According to research studies, happy people have the advantage of living longer healthier lives :-) And by the end of this blog, you'll be dancing yourself into happiness.

While many rely on research studies, others rely heavily on their own life experiences/observations. To support the notion that happiness is key to health, scientists, psychologists, the World Health Organization and even governments have found this worthy of investigation.



A study in the Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being journal, links happiness to health outcomes. Professor Ed Diener of the University of Illinois analyzed long-term studies of human subjects, experimental human and animal trials, and studies that evaluated the health status of people stressed by natural events.

Professor Diener said after reviewing eight different types of studies, the general conclusion from each type of study is that your subjective well-being that is, feeling positive about your life, not stressed out, not depressed - contributes to both longevity and better health among healthy populations.



So what's the plan for 2014? Here's a suggestion. When you wake up in the morning - invite happiness to join you. Find a song, a mantra or something that you know makes you happy. I have found the perfect song to start my day and I have shared it with my family, declaring it to be our anthem. In fact, whenever you find yourself slipping into a unhappy path, listen to this song and you will become instantaneously happy :-) Prepare to dance, smile, clap your hands.......

Happy - Pharrell Williams

Reflections of 2013!!!

Au revoir 2013, it was so good to have the opportunity to experience you :-)


I am happy to share that it was another great year, yes it was. Of course there were challenges some tough ones and disappointing moments but I focused on being at peace even if I had to fight for it ;-) Peace won every time.

Each day is filled with thanksgiving as I acknowledge the good things. In fact each morning when I sign on to my laptop, my calendar pops up and a banner appears - Gratitude Celebration Day!!! It automatically brings a smile to my face and there are times that I actually applaud and say "Yay!"

My birthday was an extra special one as my grandson decided to crash in on my party - my personal new year. Theo made his debut and all the attention went straight to him :-) I have accepted that my birthdays will never be the same, I will be happy to share the spot light.


Once again, The Day That Changed My Life team participated in the Revlon Run Walk for Women's Cancers in New York City. Our team has grown and promises to be even bigger this year. We are also happy to report that a major company has contacted us and will sponsor our team for the upcoming walk in May.

As I worked on my assignments, I was given more work. Three books in the works!!!

Family
2013 was a year that allowed me to bond even more than I could have ever imagined with my family. Nothing beats the love and security of having my family. It was a thrill to be able to spend time with my siblings as we would meet and have dinner while discussing family business. In addition to my business travel, my husband and I had a get away weekend almost every month. We spent more time with friends, the ones we've been meaning to share more time with for the last ten years. We had so much fun, we actually got together again a few more times. We even traveled to New England to celebrate my cousins birthday, a huge deal for me as we normally visit the area when there is a death in the family. You know the unplanned family reunion that happens at funerals, this time it was just to enjoy another year of life earned.

2013 ushered in as I was well into working on improving my health and wellness, loving he Cross Fit experience. Sadly, I injured my knee which caused a bit of an interruption in my exercises. Having to suspend my Cross Fit was a tough transition, things were going so well. However, I worked my way through it and although I am not where I want to be, I am getting there - I promise.

I Believe in Miracles!!!
My spiritual life was enhanced as I committed to my early morning prayer and meditation. I began to experience a new level of awareness as I surrendered and asked for guidance. Among the highlights of 2013, here is one that I would love to share with you.

It happened on September 17, 2013. While out for a morning run, my mind was focused on the documentary that I have been working on for a few years (The Day That Changed My Life®). I use the time during my run to have conversations with God. Later on that evening, I was on Twitter. I noticed a tweet that stated: Did you meditate today? I thought to myself - Yes, I did but I can do it again now. I muted the TV, extended my arms and said "I am open and ready to receive" as things would happen, my phone rings and I thought to myself (I can't even meditate in peace) I knew it was on of my girls, and it was - my daughter Ally.

My daughter called to tell me that her best friend's boss wants to sponsor The Day That Changed My Life and our upcoming projects.

Well, at that moment I almost lost it. I screamed into the phone a couple of times "Are you serious???!!!" She said yes and they will call you in the morning.


I hurried up and went to sleep, welcoming the morning with a great big smile. Meditation, prayers, a good long run, showered and held onto the phone like my life depended on it. First a call at 10:38 am from her friend to find out if it was okay for her to give her boss my number. "YES!!!" I thanked her profusely and promised her a cupcake.

At 11:22 am the phone rang and once we exchanged hellos, my enthusiastic voice took over. He had heard of our work with the Off Broadway Play and our other projects and was interested in being a part of our projects through sponsorship. Thanks be to God, the documentary is scheduled to be shown in a theater this Fall.

Needless to say, this was no coincidence. I'm staying on the prayer and meditation track, it really makes a difference. I've even committed to the daily conference 5 am call to the 52 Days of Prayer/Focus which is hosted by my church.

Today and each day of 2014, I will set the intentions to make it a great day. I will give thanks and express my gratitude.
I am open and ready to receive all that 2014 has to offer, some days will require the seatbelt to buckled while I ride through the turbulence and other days I can release the buckle and run free through the clouds. It's just the way each year goes :-)

So with my arms open wide, I embrace the New Year. Come on 2014, let's do it :-)


Reflections - The Years in Review

Reflections 2012
Reflections 2011
Reflections 2010
Reflections 2009
Reflections 2008