January 2015 Amazing Women magazine

Amazing women

a publication of Raven International Media

magazine

BUSINESS



EMPOWERMENT

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LIFESTYLE

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ENTERTAINMENT

CHILLI

Enterpreneurial

of of

MARRIAGE:

TLC

Finding the

BALANCE

by

by Raven Raven

by

by Consuelo Consuelo Meux Meux

The

ROAD to

MAKE

AMBOSELI

It

by Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D.

HAPPEN! by

by Tracey Tracey Doctor Doctor

JANUARY 2015 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1

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Letter from the Publisher New Year = New Beginnings Opportunities-Happy 2015!

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New

What's Your Theme?

The New Year is a wonderful time to stop, reflect and revamp for the fresh new month’s ahead.

I find setting a “theme” for the New Year is a great way to prepare and plan. It helps me remain focused and on track.

This year my theme is "Transformation & Collaboration."

Each year I make the resolution and goal to stretch and make those decisions which put me out of my comfort zone. It’s how we learn and transform into better people, leaders, and agents of change. When we stay within our comfort zones. we miss special opportunities. Make this your year to step outside the norm and stretch yourself.

RavEn Blair GLOVER Publisher Powered by Raven International Media Producer and Founder of Amazing Women of Power, positive programming radio network Subscribe NOW by clicking on the link below to receive your next issue FREE: http://amazingwomenofpower.com/magazine

Time to ignite transformation in your life. Are you ready?

For 2015, I chose collaboration as well since I love working with others to make things happen! When we collaborate, we bring new ideas and fresh strategies to our lives and businesses. When we reach out and partner with like minded people, we reach our goals faster.

"Life is not a solo act. It's a huge collaboration. We need to assemble the people around us who care and support us in times of strife." -Tim Gunn, American fashion consultant Make it your goal this year to let go of things holding you back, take a chance, embrace new opportunities, reach out, and "ASK" for help with achieving your goals and dreams.

“What’s Your “Theme” for 2015?” Email it to talkshowmaven@gmail.com, I'd love to hear from you.

Raven Blair Glover

January 2015 Amazing Women

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Click here to download

JANUARY 2015

Amazing women

BUSINESS

Entrepreneurial Marriage: Finding the Perfect Balance... 6

Health Habits That Will Make or Break You...................38

by Consuelo Meux, Ph.D.

by Kim Acedo, MS, CHWC

Keep It Simple for Maximum Profits and Enjoyment.......12

LIFESTYLE

by Sheryl Wolowyk

The Road to Amboseli......................................................40

Rev Up for Success with the 4 Secret Keys to Ignite Your R.E.A.L. Success..................................................................16

by Claudia Cooley Treat Your Customers Like Real People...........................18

by Regina Baker Forecast Your Future: Know Your Industry's Trends..........22

by Christina Suter Are You Ready for the Great Days?...............................24

by Lynn Hidy EMPOWERMENT

by Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D. 5 Ways to Improve Your Life Skills and Your Life...........42

by Bonnie Terry, M.Ed, BCET Self-confidence Strategies to Bring in the New Year.....45

by Consuelo Meux, Ph.D. Dying with Joy or Sorrow.................................................48

by Annette Pang Ten Tips for Bliss: A New Year, a New You......................51

by Diana Micucci

A New Year: A New Time to Let Go of Hurts and Pains.26

Why the Status Quo Isn't Healthy and What to Do About It................................................................................................ 54

by Mary Smith-Moore

by Dr. Anastasia Chopelas

How to Redesign Your Purpose in Life in 2015...............29

ENTERTAINMENT

by Lorena Douglas

Chilli.................................................................................. 58

3 Ways to Get and Stay Organized..............................30

by Raven Blair Glover

by Kim Fuller

AMAZING MEN

Make It Happen!..............................................................32

Knowing Your True Value for the Coming Year...............64

by Tracey Doctor

by Fred Simkovsky

Realities Children Face Every Day...................................34

Keeping the Right Perspective Pays Off.........................66

by Joy

by Ced Reynolds

Where Has All the Glitter Gone?....................................36

by Boni Oian ON THE COVER

Mr. and Mrs. Khaliq Glover

MAGAZINE STAFF

Published by Raven Blair Glover, Raven International Media Editor-in-Chief, Creative Director Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D. January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

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Amazing Women January 2015

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ntrepreneurial Marriage: Finding the Perfect Balance

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n entrepreneurial power couple has emerged for 2015. Not only is their love story like a modern day fairytale but also as the new Mrs. Raven Blair Glover says “At last, we can finally show that never giving up can lead to the union of true love," referring, of course, to her recent marriage to her long-time friend and entrepreneurial partner, Khaliq Glover.

With the classic song, “At Last” by Etta James in the background, Khaliq and Raven danced their way out of the old year and into the New Year as a married couple on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. This power couple is now starting their new entrepreneurial marriage for a lifetime, emphasizing their love with words from the movie, The Color Purple, “We’s married now!”

In a special interview for the Amazing Women of Power Radio Station and the Amazing Women Magazine, the two shared how they found each other, fell in love, and how they intend to maintain a balance in their relationship.

Today they will be sharing their story as well as their insider’s secrets to maintaining that perfect balance in an entrepreneurial marriage.

Consuelo: “I know the first question people will ask is, 'How did you two meet?'”

Raven: “We first met in 2007 through Alex Mandossian’s mastermind. As you know, I call Alex my favorite male mentor. In the mastermind, Khaliq took the initiative to reach out to me and we became accountability partners.”

By Consuelo Meux, Ph.D.

This became an accountability group that came periodically for mutual support, keeping Raven and Khaliq in touch.

Khaliq says it was like meeting on an “electron freeway.”

Khaliq: “I wasn’t looking to hook up with anyone; I was looking for a new way to approach my music business.

That’s why I joined Alex’s thing. Behind the scenes in the Mastermind, you get excited when you meet someone who looks like you. I reached out to all, but reached out to someone who looked like me.”

At the time, Raven lived in Houston, Texas and Khaliq in Los Angeles, California so they communicated by phone.

As the year progressed, Khaliq began to see Raven as a smart, powerful, impressive woman who was “kicking butt and taking no prisoners.” Meanwhile, Raven went through a painful divorce, something Khaliq had experienced about a year earlier. So their private conversations started including talk about what their possible future ideal mate would be like, if either decided to take a chance on love again. They soon realized they were describing each other.

In 2010, Raven came to California to interview Debbie Allen and Barry Gordy. A friend picked her up at the airport and shortly after arriving, Michael Jackson passed away. Knowing Khaliq had worked closely with Jackson, Raven called to ask how he was doing and invited him to meet the two of them. However, Khaliq remembered it didn’t happen exactly that way.

Khaliq:“Raven, being very caring was trying to take care of me. So she called attempting to set me up with her Los Angeles girlfriend. But God had a bigger plan. I heard Him January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS saying ‘you need to look another way,’ and I was interested in Raven.”

They started dating long-distance when another difficult time happened. Both of their mother’s passed away within a few days of each other; Raven’s on February 6, 2012 and Khaliq’s on February10. Soon after, Raven came to California for a Lisa Sasavich event on a one-way ticket. It was at that event when in their Presidential Suite hotel room that Khaliq proposed and of course, Raven said “Yes.” Now they are busy learning to merge two powerful lives.

So how does a power couple bring businesses together, two live, two households, and make things work?

To start, both emphasized the importance of facing challenges head on while remembering the love and respect which brought them together.

Raven: “It’s one thing to be dating, another to be living together. Challenges come up, but love is always there.

We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt we were met for each other in our heart, soul, and gut. We’ve made the commitment to stick together.”

They attribute being friends first as the important element which formed the foundation for their deep love. They also developed a huge respect for each other and their separate businesses over the years. All of that helped when it came time to find living space together in Khaliq’s very small former bachelor pad.

Khaliq:“The love made it work because I only had a closet in L.A. I was trying to put her in. However, we were both willing and able to work things out. We are expanding and growing and willing to make the sacrifices.”

Consuelo: “So with all of the challenges of marriage as well as being in the public eye, share how you’ll keep this marriage together?”

Khaliq:“Here’s how I know we’ll be together forever. We’re both ready, willing to learn, and listen to the other. She’ll tell me what hurts her heart and I care about it to make myself a better person to do it. She does the same for me.

There are times when we have to be super focused and dived in with work, and the other one can’t say, 'I want you to do something for me now and drop everything.' But we’re both always willing to do that.”

Raven: “Willing is the key word, both willing and open to letting the other know what you feel and not hold onto bad or misunderstood feelings, because that’s when resentment kicks in. That’s huge. You have to not be afraid to be you.

At first I was timid to be me because I wasn’t used to that in any other relationships. I didn’t know how to handle it.

I found myself self-sabotaging things because everything was so peaceful and quiet. That’s important for women to remember: let the baggage go, let the past go, and don’t put that on another person because you’re killing something that’s meant to be. That was my biggest lesson.”

Khaliq:“I’ll piggy back on that because I take my hat off to Raven on her willingness to do things for me. I always tell her ‘let a man be a man.’ There are certain things as a man you can’t expect me to act on things the same way as you.”

Raven: “As you get older, it’s a different type of love you’re looking for. We wanted someone we knew would be there forever this time. Like if I go to the hospital, God forbid, I know this person has my back. And my honey’s (marriage) vows were perfect and on target on that because he kept saying “I got you.” And he and I both knew what that meant. We’ve had very in-depth conversations about what we would do about that because we don’t want either one to ever worry if something happens because you don’t know what life will bring. And as our relationship matured we knew that was always in the forefront as one of the most important things, because things can be great now, and look good. But you’re going to get older and things

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Amazing Women January 2015

are going to happen. You want someone with that stick to-it-ness who can endure what life brings.

That was important.

"It’s not just about going out there and building your business and both of you tackling the business world. It’s about what’s behind the business as well when you have time together. It’s not just about business and money. It’s about having a powerful relationship where you’re both not afraid to ‘look into the mirror’ as Michael Jackson said and see the real you.

You have to know when to admit when you are dropping the ball and not be afraid to straighten it out and get the dog-gone ego out of the way. That’s another big lesson.”

Consuelo: “There’s the good, bad, ugly, ups and downs and you need commitment and honesty. I hear that from you both. So how do you maintain this as a power couple?”

Khaliq: “I want to change things up a bit, because I don’t really look at us as a power couple, but as an “Empowered Couple” because we try to empower us and empower others around us. That’s more of the mission for me.”

Raven: “I really like that, too. That’s what we want to do, empower and encourage others towards their dream and their journey.”

Consuelo: “That’s great insight because you’re known as a power couple to the public. You both do a lot together, but you also do things on your own, too. Tell us how you keep going with high-level folks, those who have the same value for marriage as you do.”

Khaliq:“I want to jump in because when Raven first started coming out here, she wanted us to do everything together – matching t-shirts, dress alike everything. But to me, you give people more power when you let them know there are many things you need to see and experience on your own.

At different times, she’ll go to events where I don’t need to be because I would slow her down. For example, there are

certain business events we go to which are perfect for us.

There are others which are women’s events. I don’t need to be there. You have to be all right to go, hang out, and be alright with it. There are certain events I go to in my business where she’d be bored. I’m in technology. I’m going to one next week. We’re going to separate events because that’s going to be more powerful rather than make the other one attend just to be together. I think you learn and grow more when you have a balance.”

Consuelo: “Several themes keep coming up which could help a power couple keep their marriage strong. Would you both summarize your top 5 tips for keeping the balance in a power marriage?”

Raven’s Top 5 Tips 1. Respect for each other as a man and a woman. For all you ladies out there, as I said earlier, learn to “let a man be a man.

2. Lett the other person be free to be them.

3. Be open and honest at all times. Even if you know that person may not want to hear it, be open so you don’t harbor resentment. That’s when things go wrong.

4. Just as you are committed to your business , be committed to your marriage or relationship. If you put many hours into your business, put the same number of January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS hours into your relationship. If you can go to seminars and read books about your business and invest in your business, do the same with your relationship.

not pushing yourself anymore. You’re gotten a little too cozy and not doing things you know you should.

5. Always, always, let the other person know you’ve got their back.”

4. Support each other’s business but do all things in order.

We’re solidifying our foundation so we can come together to do something super powerful.”

Khaliq’s Top 5 Tips

5. Finally, we’ve said it throughout this interview, it’s always about communication.

1. Know the person at their core. Know who they really are because this will always bring you back. We all get hurt at times and the other person may not even know when they do something. Remind yourself who that person is so you know what they really mean.

When you do this you realize even though I’m feeling this, it’s not this person trying to hurt me. They just might view things in a different way. I know I’ve said things at times and didn’t realize it might have been hurtful to my wife. When we go back and talk about it, I can say I didn’t mean to come at you that way. Or you just catch somebody at the wrong time. It could be you’re not feeling good about yourself at that moment. So something might break you down, shake you to your core, or hurt or enrage you where normally it would roll off your back. And the other person doesn’t know what they said or did would mess with you like that. You have to always talk to yourself and say, is this somebody who would try to hurt me? I know my wife wouldn’t hurt me and I can go on.

2. Don’t be afraid to give and receive tough love. That’s a big one. I explain to Raven at different times and tell myself, things we have to pay attention, too, for safety because we’re older and wouldn’t pay attention to when we were younger. If we’re both acting like 20 year olds, doing something that could be dangerous or detrimental to our health, I’ll do some tough love and say, "Don’t do that." I’ll say it to her and say it to myself.

I don’t mind her saying it to me either so we can both strengthen each other like that.

3. Get the other person out of their comfort zone. We can all get caught up in ourselves and do things we’re used to, like doing what’s comfortable. Say to the other person you need to get out of your comfort zone and do something that’s not comfortable because you’re 10

Amazing Women January 2015

To wrap it up, both contributed it’s absolutely necessary to keep the home fires burning, put in that love time, and never go to bed angry.

Consuelo: “Thanks for those useful tips we can all use. Now I want to ask you two something about the future. Now that you are together, is there a possibility of a business collaboration happening soon?”

Khaliq/Raven: “Absolutely, we were just talking about this for the upcoming year."

Khaliq: “The main thing is you have to solidify your foundation first. And that’s what we’ve both been working towards. Each year it gets better and better and more solid, so we’ve been leading up to that and doing more and more. The thing I think is important is I empower Raven since she’s a ‘get it done’ type of person. She thinks about things so it’s like she’ll say ‘let me move on and get it.’

I’m the technology guy who can make a lot happen and research and all that, so between the two of us, we learn to balance things.”

Both reflected on how being together has helped them share important skills which are bringing their businesses and lives closer together.

Khaliq:“Raven has learned more about technology and doing things on her own to move processes faster. I marvel at her when she does her radio station. She’s engineering now, turning knobs, playing audios, hitting things, setting levels and all that when, a few years ago it was, 'Khaliq why can’t you do this for me you’re the engineer?’ I’m very proud of her because it makes her business more solid.”

Raven:“Since we're talking about the entrepreneurial marriage and finding that perfect balance, one thing I do want to say, it is a balancing act and you do need to take time to find out and discover where that balance is.

You do have to take time to be together. We have certain programs we watch together. Khaliq has never been a big

television person so he does this for me. It’s our special time to laugh and talk about it. I’m so proud of him for that.

"When he first brought up the fact of us sometimes it’s a perfect match for us to go to an event together sometimes it was tough on me because I never had anyone treat me like that. But when we come back, we can talk about what we learned and how to implement it. You never stop trying to level that balance out at the right tempo, not too much of this and not too much of that. When it’s off balance, we have to stop and figure out how we can get it back on track and sometimes it’s just going back to the basics, remembering the love, respect, and commitment we have. I can’t say it enough; sometimes you have to get out of your ego because sometimes ego steps in because both of us are strong powerful people. You can be stuck in your way and you might have more knowledge in one thing than the other person. So you have to get ego out of the way to keep that balance.”

Interview by Consuelo Meux, PhD., She is a Master Clarity Coach/Consultant, Certified Health & Weight Loss Coach, Raw/ Vegan Chef & Trainer, author, writer and entrepreneur. Visit her website for FREE resources to help you gain clarity in your online writing and marketing. www.consuelomeux.com Click here to see the wedding video

Consuelo: “With great thanks, it’s time to wrap up this informative interview. Do you have anything else you want to add?”

Khaliq:“We wouldn’t be the ‘entrepreneurial couple’ if we didn’t say, get on our mailing lists. Sign up for one of the things I do. If you’re a musician, know a musician, have kids who want to be a musician, and take it to a higher quality level, go to MusicMixingSuccess.com, get on my list, and you’ll get a lot of information. Raven, tell them where to sign up for you.

Raven:“Absolutely, go to AmazingWomenofPower.com and subscribe to get a free report called ‘Talk Your Way to Success, Fame and Profit.’”

Thanks, Khaliq & Raven, for sharing your first interview as a married power couple with readers of the Amazing Women of Power Magazine.

If you’d like to hear the full interview, the connection these two have, and get tons of additional insiders secrets, click on this link: http://raven.audioacrobat.com/download/ raven-20150113030129.mp3 Raven Blair

Glover: http://raveninternationalmedia.com

Khaliq Glover: khaliq@khaliq-o-vision.com

January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

K

eep It Simple for Maximum Profits and Enjoyment

By Sheryl Wolowyk

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of ~ Leonardo Da Vinci.

I

sophistication.�

n this age of information overload, instant gratification, and an overabundance of options for our businesses, this notion seems counterintuitive.

After all, with all of the new, exciting ideas available, aren't you hurting yourself by ignoring them?

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Amazing Women January 2015

It's almost impossible to keep up with the breakneck pace of the Internet. Someone comes out of the woodwork every day with a breakthrough marketing software, or social media lead-generator, you name it... You can't master them all.

That's why, in my business I stick to the basics and have more success this way. And I have less stress.

I'm going to show you how keeping your business simple will

earn you more profits and provide a lot more enjoyment in the long run to achieve by sharing:  My core formula for business success...  The least expensive way to generate the most income...  And how you can develop new habits, no matter how hard it may be...

success – nothing more, nothing less. You don't need fancy marketing methods and technology, just a great product and a hungry market.

And frankly, that's what all of the long-lasting, super successful Expertpreneurs® do – keep it simple.

When I created my Expert Elevation business, I took this “great formula” into consideration. After all, the way I operate is intended to help all Expertpreneurs® to develop influential and lucrative businesses in the simplest way possible. Nothing overly complex or expensive.

Just simple, effective techniques.

That's how I came up with my formula – “Easy, Simple, and Lucrative," sometimes referred to as E.S.L. Your business should always run with as little effort as possible while still earning maximum profits.

The Winning Formula Back in the late '90s, Mark Joyner became a pioneer in Internet marketing. He published many books, the most famous is The Great Formula:" A surefire way to find business success.

When I first heard this title, it scared me. After all, “great” implies “long and complex right? I wondered if I had to take years mastering a technique for a business I want to succeed now?

Mark went in the complete opposite direction. His “formula” was to first create an irresistible offer. Present it to a thirsty crowd. And, finally, sell them a second glass. Three simple steps to success.

This certainly sounds easy, doesn't it? All you have to do is what we've been talking about for months Find something your Ideal Client desperately wants – that eliminates their deepest fears and frustrations, or makes their hopes and desires reality. Then, offer your product or service in an irresistible way. And keep them coming back for more.

The big secret is... there is no secret. That's all you need for

This is not out of laziness, of course, but due to working smarter, not harder. - and making sure you are always streamlining your actions to prioritize what makes the biggest impact.

It also involves having a strategic approach to things, where you are clear on where you are going, which always makes it easier to figure out how you are going to get there. Figure out your strategy first, then the tactics will fall into place.

When you do what I'm suggesting above, you'll end up spending a lot less money and wasting a lot less time.

How to Maximize Profits on a Dime Let's take a moment and analyze the Expertpreneur® who tries to keep up with marketing fads.

Let’s imagine a tech savvy male entrepreneur who’s building his business. He enjoys using expensive software and hardware to improve his sales. He probably uses many different communication tools to reach his clients.

However, you can imagine that to keep up with trends, January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS he has to spend a good deal of money on cutting-edge products. He must buy software, courses, tickets to events, etc. None of these things come cheap.

sense of overwhelm one can experience when trying to apply multiple tactics in their business all at once, and you see why this isn’t a wise approach.

Even if he has the money to do this, you can assume not every one of his investments is paying him back. Due to the 80/20 rule – that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.

Choosing a couple of tactics and applying them long enough to find out if they work seems like a better way to run your business, doesn't it?

Therefore, if he spends $10,000 on various tools, he may make the same amount back, but has no idea on which investment brought it. It could have been anything.

That makes it impossible to tweak and test for improved conversions and remove excess fat.

Learning the Right Habits For Success

On the other hand, the “Easy, Simple, and Lucrative” Expertpreneur® prefers to try one or two new marketing techniques before jumping into something new. Let's say we have a female ‘expert’ entrepreneur who chooses one or two methods at a time. She chose lead generation as her main focus with effective use of funnels, landing pages, and a free report; all relatively low cost ways to market, which work in harmony.

Granted, to do this effectively, it helps to spend money on a good CRM (customer relationship management) software system, but otherwise, the costs are low. Let's say she spent $2000 (20% of $10,000) to outsource work to copywriters, hire a designer to make everything look nice, etc.

With this approach, the “E.S.L.” Expertpreneur® will be able to track exactly how her campaign fares. If she sees profits, or breaks even, she'll know it has the potential to be effective. And she can tweak different elements to see if there is room for improvement.

If she loses money, she'll know right away there's a problem and try something new. And, she wouldn't lose much in the process.

She also has another benefit. Since she is only applying a few techniques, she can easily manage and refine them, and develop expertise using them.

Compare this to someone who tries something a few times, then jumps to the next thing, and then the next, without ever sticking with something long enough to see if it works. When a person jumps from tactic to tactic, they are constantly having to learn new things, and likely aren’t competent at the tactic while learning it. Add to this the 14

Amazing Women January 2015

Honestly, making things less complicated can be challenging.

Most people are raised to work hard. Our parents and teachers told us the only way to be a good, contributing member of society, is to work a 40-hour work week, while raising a family, maintaining a home, giving back to the community, and so on...

All of this is fine and good, but where do you find the time?

Many Expertpreneurs® start their careers after having full-time jobs. So we're not only used to long days, but also stifling workplaces, where it takes forever to get something accomplished. Not to mention office politics, bureaucracy, and unmotivated coworkers.

When we do break away and start a business we love, we find it difficult to handle the change in pace and scheduling.

We take forever to get things done, because we're used to filling up an eight-hour workday. We instinctively overcomplicate things because that “impressed” the higherups. And for some people things get more complicated than they need to be simply because time hasn’t been spent planning out a strategy and a simple tactical plan to action the strategy. This is nonsense which hinders productivity and our business success.

If you take the time to develop good habits, and fight to keep your business as simple as possible, you will gain an exponential amount of time to do other things. Think about it, if you save an hour each day, that's five extra hours a week to do more work. You can probably accomplish another project within this time, thus saving potentially another hour per day.

See how it can keep building up to a large amount of “free time?” Imagine how much faster you could build your business if you spent less time on each project. Think about the quality time you could spend with your friends and family, traveling, enjoying hobbies...

It is possible to develop a four-hour workday, and get more done than you would in eight hours.

The best way is to focus on one project at a time. Make a list of your priorities for the week and finish them in order of importance. Set asided distractions and get those things done. When you finish one, move on to the next.

Just as I've talked about with finishing products, like your info product and your book, you must develop a laser focus to get things accomplished. Don't allow yourself to be distracted or move onto new ideas. Set aside time for brainstorming the night before or first thing in the morning.

If you take the time to develop good habits, you will end up running a much simpler business, make a lot more money, and work less in the process.

our lives complicated.

When you tune out the noise and focus on what works, your business will thank you. So will your bank account, and those around you who care and would like to see you more often. Remember my motto - keep it Easy, Simple and Lucrative – it's all about E.S.L. It also involves having a strategic approach to things, where you are clear on where you are going, which always makes it easier to figure out how you are going to get there.

Figure out your strategy first; the tactics will fall into place.

When you do what I'm suggesting above, you'll spend less money and waste less time.

Sheryl Wolowyk is Founder of Expert Elevation a business coaching and entrepreneur training company for “expertpreneurs® who make a living sharing their knowledge and expertise. Sheryl shows “expertpreneurs® how to grow a lucrative business and influential brand with her income acceleration system and “expertpreneur®” roadmap. She provides online programs, live events, coaching and VIP days to help clients develop an effective business strategy and utilize simple but powerful marketing and sales techniques to attract a steady stream of ideal clients, so they can live the life of their dreams while making a big difference in the lives of their clients. sheryl@expertelevation.com http://expertelevation.com/about

The Happiest Life II can't think of a better lifestyle than working for a few, focused hours on something you're passionate about and having the freedom to do as you please. It is the dream life so many desire.

www.expertelevation.com http://expertelevation.com

Yet, it's challenging. We are constantly bombarded with “revolutionary” ideas for running a business. Jumping from this method, to that strategy, to the best guru we hear about... it's too much. So we end up making our work and January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

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ev Up for Success with the 4 Secret Keys to Ignite Your R.E.A.L. Success

A

By Claudia Cooley

s the Guest Lecturer at Garey High School in Pomona, CA., I knew my purpose is to inspire the next generation to be Bold & Brilliant! This is the best time to be alive and productive! So many resources, so little time!!

R = Realize your vision and purpose

Revving Up For Success was a message the kids were excited to hear. … they were in the auditorium with intent.

Don’t we all want to know the “how to’s” for achieving at our best. Their enthusiasm and interest gave me energy to deliver a powerful presentation, loaded with action steps and direction they could use rnow and in the future.

Key #1

As a Professional Success Coach, it became evident early in my practice that my clients, like the high school students, are looking for the same tips, tools, and strategies which will bring focus, clarity, and happiness to their lives and success journey. I say, "It’s all in you… in your unique design."

The four keys for Living Life Successfully with Your Unique design …Powerfully…. Live Inside of your “R.E.A.L.” Success This IS "Where the Magic Begins."

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Amazing Women January 2015

E = Embrace & Energize you abilities, talents & gifts A = Accelerate action steps L = Live Life in Balance… With Fun and Freedom Connect with your dream and vision. When your dream is big, it's a magnet which powerfully pulls you to amazing outcomes. Determine “Why” it is important. Is it big enough?

For example, it’s not just having great health. How do you see your life when you have more energy, are stronger, or slimmer? Is it having a great relationship with your family?

How will it feel? What is the outcome? When your financial picture reaches your dreams, what will this allow you to do and experience? Is it more happiness and fulfillment, travel and adventure? See the power in taking this to a deeper level. Your vision and dream will inspire and motivate you to move forward even when you're distracted or it is tough.

Apply this to your life ....Health, Wealth and Relationships.

Key #2

Key #4

Have the confidence to believe in what you can accomplish.

Know deep inside you have unique abilities, talents, and gifts which will empower you to reach your dream. I can tell you from experience, when you live and walk in this space, you'ill accomplish more than you imagined. To reinforce belief in yourself, I give this assignment to my clients and students. Buy Post-it Note and start writing on each page, “I'mm more than enough” and stick them everywhere. This powerful tool will enrich your self-esteem and confidence.

Creating a life in balance… creating your life by design with focus on each vital area is what I call “Success Synergy.”

It’s important to focus on all of the aspects of your life with intention. It doesn’t serve us well when we focus on making money and don’t pay attention to our health, which by the way is our greatest wealth. Or is it worth it to have a huge bank account and have no one to spend time with… or have a family that doesn’t’ even recognize us when we come in the door.

Key #3 Put your newly empowered confidence and self-esteem to work. It takes significant actions to accomplish significant outcomes. A dream without action is just a wish.

The Success Formula: Purpose + Passion + Plan + Preparation + Practice = Success Purpose: What you're born and driven to do. Deep desire Passion: A compelling emotion which comes from stepping into and realizing your purpose Plan: What's your goal… the end result for which you're willing to play big? The major outcome Preparation: Strategic steps to reach the goal with measureable timelines. Use Short Term Planning (30 days to a year, not long-term goals (1-3 years).

Practice: Remember hearing "practice makes perfect?" This isn’t true. It’s perfect practice makes perfect.

“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” ~ Jim Rohn Actions steps aren’t hard, nor doing them isn’t hard. It’s just creating strategic steps which are achievable and fun.

Writing your daily, monthly, and yearly action steps will you keep yuou on the target and where you want to go.

Be inspired to never settle for second best and I always tell my students and clients, “reach for you’re A+”, not someone else’s… but only yours. When we try to operate like others do, it’s exhausting… I’m sharing from experience… and the outcome isn’t as good. You will often hear me say, ”Stay in Your Own Lane”. It’s truly about staying on your own course.

Keeping balanced isn’t easy, however, it’s so worth it. Just use key #3 to build a ambitious but realistic action plan including setting up your weekly calendar to embrace all of the areas of life, you will find your life more full and richer.

So now we each can expand the basic limiting conversations we’ve had in the past… to a conversation that absolutely is life changing … right now… a simple Mind Shift to positively give you a new path for a new journey and ignite your success.

By exploring the “Tried and True” amd “Fresh Ideas with Cutting Edge Strategies." you'ill be excited to see how easy it is to experience a new significance to your life.

Claudia Cooley is the founder of C.C. Inc. and Rev Up For Success, a Professional Success and Life Enrichment company, where for 30+ years, she has provided workshops and programs for entrepreneurs designed to build their life and business by design with momentum and fulfillment. Always keeping your bottom line in mind, her focus is to expand and enrich your life…Your Health ~ Wealth ~ Relationships ~ Legacy ~ and how the world sees you … Your Branding…all while having “Fun.” It’s all about “Building Your Success Synergy.” Claudia is the Host of Rev Up for Success Talk Radio Show, A Success Coach, Author: ”From Dud to Stud… Revving Up for Success”, and “The 7 Mind Shifts to Ignite Your Success,” and creator of the new “Savvy Women… Revving Up for Success” Seminars. You can find the newly released book: “The 7 Mind Shifts to Ignite Your Success” on Amazon.com. www.claudiacooley.com FB/LinkedIn/Twitter: Claudia Cooley Rev Up For Success Radio Show on Amazing Women of Power, Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. @ www.claudiacooley.com/radio-show www.facebook.com/revupforsuccessradio

January 2015 Amazing Women

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T BUSINESS

reat Your Customers Like Real People

By Regina Baker

D

o you understand what relationship marketing is? It’s more than trying to develop repeat customers and making more money. It is about the way you actually treat your customers.

 Do you view your customers like the real people they

truly are?

 Or do you just consider them to be a sales statistic?

The worst mistake any business owner can make is to look at their customers as an item in their accounts ledger. If you do this, you will never be able to form good customer relations with them.

Instead, you need to change your mindset and start treating your customers like real people. Think about how you would like to be treated by your favorite business, then take steps to put this into action in your company.

An easy way to start relationship marketing is by thanking and appreciating your customers. This involves more than just a quick hand shake and saying “thanks." It means learning more about your customers, and then looking for ways to provide for their needs. What it all boils down to is showing them you care. Isn’t this true of any relationship?

Customers are looking for you to provide them with value and some form of benefit. Why should they purchase from you and what do they get in return if they do?

Start thinking about how you can add value for your customers. Could you send a monthly newsletter? Could you offer coupons and special deals for them for being a loyal customer?

Relationship marketing is another marketing method, with a twist, it adds the human element. You need to communicate 18

Amazing Women January 2015

and interact with your customers. You cannot afford to hide behind your website or in the back office.

Being a good business owner means putting your best foot forward and showing your face. You have a company for which you are proud, so show it off!

With so many businesses online, you can’t afford to be left behind. Make use of:  Mobile devices  Social media pages  Email marketing  Skype  Forums ... and more

Try to include as many as possible in your business practices.

Or, at least, test the waters so see which ones “work best” for you.

Using email is a fantastic way to build a relationship with your customers. It is so easy to send out a quick thank you note or a birthday or Christmas card. It is the small things you do which count with your customers. You enjoy it when people show you extra appreciation and kindness, don’t you? Why not treat your customers in the same way?

Developing Relationships with Your Customers Use the following points to guide you if you are not sure where to start when it comes to working on relationship marketing in your business?

Who is Your Customer?

Do you really know who your customers are? Can you write a summary of a typical customer, what they like, where they

live, their income and age? If not, this is your first step.

You should also find out what other places they like to visit when online.

Do they visit certain forums or are they all members of a certain group?

When you discover where they hang out, get into the habit of visiting the same places. This will provide you with more valuable insights into who your customer truly is.

It Takes Work I am sure you thank your customer for making a purchase, but do you go any further than this? Do you follow up with your customers or offer them advice or information on using your products?

Unfortunately, too many business owners overlook this step.

Instead of trying to build customer loyalty, they are always looking for new customers. If you want your business to grow and thrive, it is crucial you work on developing a relationship with your customers.

It is much easier to get a current customer to buy another product or service rather than constantly keep looking for new ones. If you don’t have many repeat customers, take a look at your business model.

• Did you take time to build a database or mailing list?

• Do you offer your customers related products and tools which complement their original purchase?

If not, you really are leaving money on the table.

You can improve this area of your business by offering great customer service and following up with your buyers.

Knowing Your Products Are you confident you know your products well enough to answer any questions that may be asked? If not, you are lacking in relationship marketing.

Relationship marketing is about developing a good line of communication with your customers. One is knowing everything about your product. In addition, this helps build trust and respect with your customers.

If they can see you know about what you are talking, it will

be easier for them to buy from you.

A satisfied customer happy to keep buying from you. They know they can trust your opinions and judgment; they know you are looking after their interests. If you can continually deepen this relationship, you will have customers for life.

The Key to Customer Retention Customer Retention means your goal is to keep your customers loyal to you for as long as possible.

Customer retention is a two way street. It involves you as the business owner and your customer. The business owner needs to demonstrate to the customer they are worthy of their business. This is done by building a solid relationship. When you display this correctly, the customer responds by remaining loyal and buying your products or services.

So what is the key to customer retention?

To do this effectively, you need to set up a solid customer relationship marketing structure in your business which will include more than just a basic marketing plan. You are really focusing on customers and their wants and desires.

Instead of relying on flyers and other traditional marketing methods, you want to get your customers to know, like, and trust you.

What this means is you need to have open lines of communication available with your customers. This can be done in a variety of ways, including via your customer service or help desk and by being active on your social media pages. Schedule regular emails to your customers which will allow you to stay in touch, offer tips, advice, and keep your customers informed on upcoming sales and new products.

Collecting feedback from your customers is key. It provides you with more information than doing general market research. What better feedback can you ask for than that of your current customers?

Current feedback allows you to see how your company is viewed in real time, not six months later. Plus, it provides January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS you with the opportunity to launch creative campaigns targeted at your findings. By allowing your customers to tell you what they need and want, you can cater pretty much to their every need. www.facebook.com/reginabaker www.twitter.com/reginabaker www.linkedin.com/in/reginabaker https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ReginaBaker www.reginabaker.com In the April 2014 survey, Netcraft received responses from 958,919,789 ACTIVE websites online. An increase of 242,097,742 from 2013. Online since 1996, Award Winning Internet Marketing Consultant, Author, Speaker and Trainer, Regina Baker understands the power of the Internet and how entrepreneurs are striving to making their mark in "cyberspace."

Baker says, "Becoming an entrepreneur and making money are two separate things. When she got online, she didn’t make money right away because she didn’t know how. She did research like a mad woman, learning everything she could, buying product after product, some to her amazement and much of it to her disappointment. She believes the process of a journey, including mistakes, is what makes us better, stronger, and wiser to achieve the goals we set out to obtain.

After consistent research, applying proven principles, networking, and learning how to pursue goals in spite of learning curve challenges, Regina now helps entrepreneurs understand how to better position themselves online by creating strategic internet marketing plans, affiliate programs and affiliate marketing, boosting visibility, credibility, profitability, creating buzz on and offline.

Her accomplishments include: One of the 25 Outstanding Women Who Inspire 2014 by Hope For Women Magazine Named the Leading Business Woman of the Year by The Women Business Owners Organization One of the Top 50 Fabulous Women Entrepreneurs by Black Business Women Online 50 and Fabulous Top Bloggers Named by Boomer Diva Nation One of the 2011 Social Media Superstars – Blacks in Technology

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Amazing Women January 2015

January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

Forecast your Future: Know your Industry's Trends

By Christina L. Suter

A client asked me what I thought was a great question.

He inquired, “How do I know what trends are affecting my industry?”

I answered him and after our conversation, thought more about how I could help him. I found a blog post

by Tom Egelhoff which offered additional advice to him and all small business owners. Following is what I told him about the basics to research when it comes to business and industry which goes for all businesses:  Find out what your customers are saying. Are the

products they ask for often are those you need to offer? Are they buying certain things from you and others from your competitors?  Check out what your competition is doing. Visit

their stores and websites. See what products or services they offer and make note of anything recurring amongst them maybe you aren’t doing.  Ask around the neighborhood. Find out what the

people who live closest to your location and other businesses, that may not be in your same line, but maybe share your customers have to say.

There’s no longer any excuse for ignorance because

this digital age puts information at the tips of our fingers, literally. Knowing what trends and changes are happening in your industry is the best way to remain relevant and in business.

Take, for example, the interior design industry. It used to be interior designers had to have showrooms for their work, and they were the middleman between distributors and clients. They were able to earn their 22

Amazing Women January 2015

profit from the markups on furniture. Now, since customers can go directly to the distributor and buy without the help of an interior designer, they have shifted to becoming consultants. That change, and being aware of the change, means those who survived closed their storefront, have their portfolio available online, and now charge by the hour and not per project.

Another example which has been in the media s book stores and newspapers. There are currently and actively closing their store fronts and going online. Is your industry one of those which have been deeply shifted by the advent of technology?

Tom Egelhoff says, “Successful military engagements

are not based on luck. They are well planned and rely heavily on intelligence reports.”

Meaning, take time to do your intel. Ask other owners in your industry, but ask in a manner that ensures they don’t perceive your business as fledgling. Ask as an interested college or, if that is uncomfortable, ask as if you are a possible client.

Networking within your industry is important for many different reasons, but is as important. Being able to compare stories you hear from the other owners in your industry helps you have a clear tab on what the industry as a whole is doing. Their consistency will give you the macro view for which you are looking. Offering information to others helps you be a contributor to your industry and confirms you are an expert in touch with your field.

The best advice Mr. Egelhoff offered I didn’t think

to tell my client was to read. He says 20 minutes of reading something industry-related daily will put you ahead of your competition. So, depending on your industry, read magazines, ads, and blog posts to find out the trends. Pay attention to the world around you.If you run a fitness center and want to know if the industry is changing or becoming more or less popular, do a Google search and see how many there are in your neighborhood, if any have closed, and if any are opening soon. While you’re online, check out the websites of those in your industry and go further see what they offer, what they don’t offer, how they

say it and also check out the aesthetics of their pages themselves.

If there’s an industry theme in style or color, establish yourself as an expert by changing your site to match the industry’s trend.

Tom also recommends developing relationships with industry experts, and looking at economic indicators.

You can read this full post at: www.groundlevel-consulting. com/article/6305-knowingthe-trends-in-your-businessindustry#sthash.TEQWrZO9.dpuf.

310-463-5942

January 2015 Amazing Women

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BUSINESS

Are You Ready for the Great Days?

By Lynn Hidy

use the enthusiasm, to make additional sales calls, work on a project which needs to be completed, or call someone you’ve been putting off contacting because the conversation is going to be difficult. #2: Figure out from where the water is coming Having a great day is fantastic. Stringing a series of them together into great weeks… great months… great quarters… great years is even better! Figure out what happened BEFORE the great day which set it up to happen. Then you will have some of the keys to keeping the waterfall flowing.

Make sure you know the source of your success, then create a sustainable way to continue that activity and duplicate your results. #3: Have somewhere to store the extra water Make sure you keep some of that energy, enthusiasm, and excitement stored to use on a bad day or one that is good, but not great. Have these feelings at the ready to get people (and yourself) motivated to keep doing the activities you, as the leader, know will bring the NEXT great day.

Making sure you have a plan when everything is going well is as critical to your success as knowing what your plan is when things go wrong.

Fortunately, you have complete control of the planning process.

Take time to ensure that you, your sale team, and your business know what to do when sales success outweighs the challenges.

What will your GREAT DAY plan look like to make sure you answer YES next time someone asks you “Are you ready for the great days?”

It is interesting that, when talking about sales planning, almost everyone I’ve spoken with over the years starts with the challenges. It seems entrepreneurs, business owners, and sales leaders think planning is about the worst, the tough times. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for the worst case scenario.

The problem with beginning with the challenges is we almost never get to planning for all of the good stuff!

I’d like you to turn this over and have you ask yourself this question, "Are you ready for the great days?"

This might seem to be a strange question.

Think of it this way, if you or a salesperson on your team have been dialing and reaching voicemail on the past 20 dials – are you/they ready to have the best call of your/their career when, on the 21st dial, they reach a live person?

It is tough to be ready for a great day when you’ve been dealing with a string of frustrating ones.

Which is why I think it is important to have a plan ready for days that are GREAT. #1: Don’t be distracted by the waterfall Salespeople and entrepreneurs in their sales role find it is easy to get caught up in the excitement and celebration of a great day.

Make sure you have planned out a way to keep on task while you use the enthusiasm of your success to get even more done!

Turn that success into a series of successes by having a plan to

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Amazing Women January 2015

Lynn Hidy, TeleSales Specialist, Coach, and Trainer, is here to take you from being good to fantastic in sales!

Your first sip when you tune in will be our quote of the day, followed by Lynn’s off-kilter style to improve a target sales topic. It’s all about being able to take ACTION for improvement when you’re done, so we’ll give you a TeleSales Twist on the subject and final gulp with a book recommendation. Don’t be surprised if there is a special guest on to allow you to hear the topic from the sales expert who owns it.

To learn more about Lynn, visit: www.upyourtelesales.com Listen to Lynn on: Finance, Business, Careers & Jobs Thursdays at 12:00 pm & 6:00 p.m. CT

January 2015 Amazing Women

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EMPOWERMENT

A

New Year: A New Time to Let Go of Hurts and Pain

The best time to plant a tree is was 20 years ago...The second best time is now... ~ Chinese Proverb

T

he world is a busy, stressful place and many of us struggle with never ending lists of tasks If you're lacking motivation, you are not alone.

Unforgiveness is a big factor to your feeling stress, feeling sluggish, feeling struck, and unable to move forward.

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Amazing Women January 2015

By Mary Smith-Moore

You cannot get the most basic work accomplished.

Unforgiveness starts the downward spiral to negative vibrations, which leads to your unproductive mode.

However, forgiveness breaks you free of the nonproductive "getting no where fast" cycle on which you have been, sets you on the fast track to the positive vibration where things run smoother. You still need to plan your time, defeat negative self-talk, be inspired, dare to dream big dreams,

and remember what it is which inspires you (always remember your "why").

Get physical; exercise does not just keep your body healthy it also has powerful effects on the mind. Schedule some fun time and go offline. The Internet is a great work tool, but it can be a great distraction.

Remember: When you tell the universe what you want....It goes out of its way to get it for you.

Good or bad, positive or negative, it is all about vibration.

Wouldn't it be nice if things always went our way and we never had to be hurt, betrayed, or ignored? Sure it would, but realistically, when you become an entrepreneur, you heighten the odds of these unwanted experiences simply because of the emotional risks needed to achieve success.

What separates outrageously successful entrepreneurs from those who struggle is to face events in a healthy way.

The weak can never forgive.

Forgivenesss is an attribute of the strong.

When you live, sooner or later you have to deal with forgiveness. Maybe you are the offender and must ask for it. Or, maybe you must find it in your heart to forgive an employee or a client. Maybe you joined a mastermind group and felt you did not get your moneys worth. Maybe, after pouring your heart out to someone, the person decided to chose someone one else.

It is vital to your productivity, sales, and success to learn how to handle forgiveness if you are a business person. Unless you realize the situation is over, you cannot go forward.

In today's society, your peace of mind and soul matter more and more. You can't afford to be weighed down and unable to move forward. This article will help take your life from surviving to thriving.

Forgiveness Great people Know When To Forgive.

Ghandhi said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. It takes a strong person to face pain headon and forgive and

release, be cause an eye for an eye for an eye ends up making everyone blind."

A normal reaction a person feels when they feel wronged is righteous indignation and the urge for revenge.

One factor which sets true business leaders apart from the run of the mill is the ability to forgive, to let go of the feelings of anger, resentment, and blame, and let it become something constuctive.

Great people are acutely aware of the cost of animosity. They realize the havoc which can be created by an unforgiving attitude. Holding grudges is a form of arrested development. It holds people back.

Why Is It Hard To Let Go? It may seem impossible to forgive someone you believe has slighted you or taken deliberate action against you. However, the price can be high.

While it appears easier to hate than to forgive, revenge is so consuming that pretty soon hatred takes from other emotions, creating a life governed by endless cycles of resentment and retaliation. Bitterness and hatred create stress disorders, negatively affect the immune system, are positively correlated with depression, anxiety and premature death.

How Do We Learn To Forgive We can not change what has happened; there is no delete button for the past....

One element that can help is having empathy, the ability to put ourselves in

the shoes of others. To wonder, "Why did this happen?"

The other is the degree emotion controls. When you get angry, you can feel anger rise. It is important to recognize the feeling and remember what happened the last time this situation occurred. Did you blow up and lose control? Refuse to forgive and the situation got worse?

If something has happened, calm down, and think about it. Do not obsess; the situation needs a certain amount of maturity. As Ghandi said, "The weak can never forgive."

Nearly everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another. Perhaps your boss criticized your project, a colleague sabotaged the important proposal on which you were working, your mother said you had bad parenting skills, your partner had an affair, or a colleague stole your idea.

These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness, and, even vengeance.

Forgiveness is a process, not a "one time pill" that is taken and all is forgotten. It must be practiced daily.

If you do not practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays dearly.

By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude, and joy. Consider how forgiveness forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Forgiveness doesn't mean you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you or you them; it does minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing January 2015 Amazing Women

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EMPOWERMENT the act. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace which helps you go on with life.

It is your key to let you out of your prison.

As you let go of grudges, you will no longer define your life by how you have been hurt. You might even find compassion and understanding.

What Are The Benefits of Forgiving Someone

What Happens if You Can't Forgive

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for success, happiness, health, peace, freedom, focus, fearlessness, feeling fueled, and ready to get more productive, attract more clients and take your business from just surviving to thriving.

Forgiveness can be challenging, especially if the person is your client, partner, mentor, or assistant, someone who has hurt you and does not admit the wrong or does not speak of his or her offense. If you find yourself stuck:

It also makes:  Healthier relationships  Greater spiritual and psychological well-bein  Less anxiety, stress and hostility  Lower blood pressure  Fewer symptoms of depression  Stronger immune system  Improved heart health  Higher self-esteem

How Do I Reach a State of Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a commitment to a process of change. To begin, you might consider the value of forgiveness and its importance in your life.

Reflect on the facts of the situation, how you've reacted, and how this combination has affected your health, life, business, and well-being. Choose to forgive the person or situation which offended you when you're ready.

Move away from your role as victim.

Release the control and power the offending person and situation have.

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Amazing Women January 2015

Consider the situation from the other person's point of view. Ask why he or she would behave in such a way.

Perhaps you would have reacted similarly if you faced the same situation.

Reflect on times you have hurt others and times you were forgiven.

Write in a journal, pray, or meditate.

Speak with your pastor or spiritual advisor or someone you believe is wise and compassionate, maybe mental health provider or a impartial loved one or friend.

Business is can be sensitive. You would not want to lose your business, a friend, a client or business partner over a misunderstanding.

Does Forgiveness Guarantee Reconciliation?

If the hurtful event involved someone whose relationship you otherwise value, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation.

This is not always the case, however.

Reconciliation might be impossible if the offender has died or unwilling to communicate with you.

In other cases, reconciliation might not be appropriate. Still, forgiveness is possible, even if reconciliation isn't.

What if I'm the One Who Needs Forgiveness?

The first step is to honestly assess and acknowledge the wrong. Were you the bad partner? Did you steal your partner's idea, husband, or client? You must first acknowledge the wrongs you've done and how those wrongs affected others. Avoid judging yourself too harshly. You're human and make mistakes. If you are sorry for something you have said or done, admit it to those you have harmed.

Speak of your sincere regret and ask forgiveness.

The trouble is, most of us don't know how to do this. There's no playbook for forgiveness; no manual for getting past betrayals, disappointments, and hurts. This is where learning to move on and forgiveness will free you from the prison of unforgiveness, You are your jailor and you have the key.

Mary Smith-Moore is the Founder Executive Producer and Host Of Christians Destined To Reign, Author, CD Producer, Key Note Speaker, Member of 3 Mastermind Groups, Monthly Speaker On The Spoken Word Of God Broadcast. Listen to Mary on Sunday's Spiritual, Family & Children Day at 11:30 am and 5:30 p.m. CT.

How to Redesign Your Vision of Purpose in Life in 2015

By Lorena Douglas

want to do. Find your real talent and understand your deep-rooted passion. Working towards your real talent will help you redesign your life and have a better living and a peace of mind.

Reset Goals When we think about our lives and the different roadblocks we encounter or happening, sometimes we are not sure which way to go. Remember the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz movie?

Throughout life, we sow seeds with a set purpose of getting specific fruit.

God, too, has sown a seed in us with a specific vision. It is up to us to find our real purpose of life and work to achieve it. It is not difficult. A few conscious, thoughtful steps can help you redefine and redesign your life purpose.

Be very cautious Be alert and keep in mind there is a specific goal for yourself. Unlearn your so-called learning and find your pre-decided goal.

Take control Do not worry about lost paths. Take the control of your life back, be yourself, and get started with what you actually want from life.

Find your real talent It is important to know what you are actually good at and what you actually

Reset your dreams and goals. Life will get you off track at times. Without goals, you cannot stay focused to think of living for another day without distractions. Having a goal helps you stay on track. The goal is made to be restructured, to be used as your roadmap for success. Reposition yourself and get started with a new set of goals you would like to achieve.

De-stress Rather than being stressed on the same routine, it is better to de-stress and work on redesigning your life in the way you want it to be. Store your energy and use it in the exact place.

Unwind yourself completely and rethink from scratch to find your vision and focus on it.

Structure your Focus We all are drawn towards our desired thoughts. Spend time with yourself, take some time out, sit in a quiet place, and visualize your action and reactions and the "what if" questions about designing your life. Do not drift your focus and utilize your imaginative skills to re-structure your life.

thoughts toward a better year in 2015 from page 15 in my book, Finding Your Passion In life and Discover Your Destiny in the Process: No matter what your age or how disturbed your life is, re-designing life is always welcome. You need to start it and rest after achieving. It will always be fulfilling and satisfying. In addition, the previously mentioned steps would help you do it. “As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.� ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18 ESV When you let negative messages occupy your thoughts, beware. You are producing self-fulfilling prophecies which will slow you down and turn success into failure.

We respond to life based not only on every actual situation we face, but also on our perception of every situation. Our perception of conditions is produced in our mind.

Do you see things in concrete terms such as good or bad?

Lorena Douglas /aka (RenaD), is Executive Producer/AwardWinning Talk Show Host Of The Destiny Driven Radio Show, Author, Motivational Speaker, Certified Coach, and Resource Strategies.

To learn more about Lorena, visit: www.

DestinyDrivenRadio.com.

I would like to leave you with these January 2015 Amazing Women

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3 EMPOWERMENT

Ways to Get and Stay Organized

L

ife is chaos! This doesn’t have to be your mantra nor does this have to be your experience.

Being a professional working mom has its challenges. Managing the duties and responsibilities which are part of this package can be overwhelming.

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Amazing Women January 2015

By Kim Fuller

I had gone to a pumpkin patch farm with friend and her two sons. She reminded me her son’s party was coming up in a few weeks and wanted to make sure we were attending.

Off the top of my head I said, “Not sure. I will need to add it to the calendar."

She assured me we had already decided we could attend during a play date last month.

I whipped out my smart phone and checked my calendar. Low and behold, it was in there with no other obligations.

Those are the times I am reminded I don’t have the same memory I did a

few years ago and prior to giving birth to my daughter. It struck me how chaotic things can get, managing so many responsibilities, the main ones being a mother, friend, business owner, and head of household.

In my quest for organization, I discovered three ways I stay organized and get things done. I have experienced many days of "What the Hell?" Especially these last few months because November and December are the busiest months!

This December was no exception‌ one weekend I had holiday party on Saturday and a one-year-old's birthday party and, on Sunday, a party for to attend for a 5-year-old.

It's not we are popular, but everything seems to collide in one weekend.

Following are the three ways I keep from imploding. With a busy social calendar, trying to run a business as solo entrepreneur, and being a solo parent to my daughter, strategies to keep it all together are a must!

1. Write a to-do list. Not sexy, but useful. Each morning I wake up and start the list in my head. As I do this mental list of things to do for today, I write them into my smart phone. I use an application for my phone that syncs to my computer - Evernote. This application also allows photos, video, and audio recordings. I resist the urge to write them on a random piece of paper. This application allows for check box listing, so I arrange them in order of what has to be accomplished today. Those are not usually the easiest, but most relevant.

This means the easy stuff, such as my appointment for waxing, may have to wait until I do the relevant item, like write a blog post. Prioritize your day by most important so you get business completed and maintain your balanced lifestyle. Also, limit yourself to three major to do's each day.

2. Time block. I am a big fan of time blocking where I mark off specific amounts of time to accomplish tasks. It is especially effective when you make the same time each day. For example, every morning 5 – 7am is "me" time. I use this undistracted time to workout, answer emails, and write.

takes it at work. Perfect, daily lunch task solved.

An additional tip is if someone else can do it, let them. I struggle with getting to the grocery store.

Our chain Vons/Pavilions has a delivery department. For about $3, I can order online and have groceries delivered to my front door on my schedule.

These are three ways to get and stay organized when the world around you tries to throw you into chaos.

Let me know which steps you put into practice by making comments on Facebook at Fuller Life Concepts. Use #stayaccountable.

The nice thing about time blocking is other people around you will notice your routine and fall in line. Set a timer for your tasks. I use 25-minute increments with a 5-minute break.

Another important thing about time blocking is you have a definite amount of time to complete the ask. Once the time expires, you must move to the next task.

If you need to, return to the unfinished task later in the day and remember to schedule more time when this task is put on the to-do list.

3. Someone else does it. If you can find a better way to do something, do it. If you can have someone do it, let them! I read a post where a busy mom makes sandwiches for her husband on Sunday, puts them in the freezer, and each morning he grabs one for his lunch and

Kim Fuller, Life Coach, is founder of Fuller Life Concepts, Inc. life coaching for women and entrepreneurs who want to make more money, have more freedom and fun. She hosts accountability groups that have successfully shown women how to get things on their to do list done! She is co-author of Mommy Divas on the Move: 16 Successful Secrets for Mompreneur in which they share never-before told, raw and uncut, behind the scenes stories from leading women in business. Order Mommy Divas on the Move at http:// fullerlifeconcepts.com/products-KimFuller.html.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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EMPOWERMENT

M

ake It Happen!

A

fter surviving a stroke I realized there is no time to waste.

Make opportunities to take care of YOU. De- stress your life in every way you can.

God saved me for a reason and I am no longer waiting until everything is perfect. Now is the time to share my message.

Being centered, healthy, and happy is comforting and confidence is very sexy.

Get rid of guilt, procrastination, and learning to love yourself is essential to thriving, and a sure way to explore the many facets of your life.

I want to encourage women to stop procrastinating, let gratitude fill your heart, and begin new adventures this year by practicing self-love and selfcare instead of consistently taking care of everyone else.

Take action and enjoy quality time.

32

Amazing Women January 2015

You are a Queen and should be treated as such. Think positively! Be decisive by stepping into your power.

Take steps to begin healing your body, mind, and spirit. You are the

By Tracey Doctor

most important person and valuable.

Getting rid of the negative self-talk is essential. Embrace the wonderfully exciting things you have experienced which helped to form who you are at this moment.

Always have gratitude for the blessings you have and for what you have now.

Let go of the things which no longer serve you. Attract more opportunities.

Surround yourself with people who respect and celebrate you and who you are. Distance yourself from people who try to discourage you and who try

to hold you back from your destiny.

Accept the truth and realize people do show you who they really are.

Bring your dreams and desires to life.

Go after what you want and what inspires you. Pursue your passions.

Don't fear success. You are a beautiful, amazing woman; become the star you were meant to be. Start shinning. Know your worth. Nurture what inspires you.

Everything may not turn out exactly as you pictured it would, but explore the possibilities. Reach for your desires and achieve them.

Maintain an appreciation for all you have experienced. Do not compare yourself to anyone else; you are unique and original. Cultivate the beauty inside you. Relish the fact you have an inner guidance, directing you to a wonderfully fulfilling life. Create balance in your life. Be enthusiastic about your business intent, and pursue a vibrant, thriving business with wonderful clients who are ready to purchase your offer.

your wonderful, unique qualities.

Schedule quality "me� time; you deserve time to unwind. De-stress and enjoy doing what makes you happy.

2. Find Your Happiness Fill your life with things which inspire you. Spend time doing what you enjoy and may have neglected. What you feel is real; do not second-guess.

3. Live with Gratitude in the Now

What are you waiting for? This is the time; today is the day.

Share your unique gifts. Visualize your goals as though they have already happened. Live the life you intended. When you do a little, the Universe gives you more!

Tracey Blair Doctor Tracey has more than 15 years of experience in holistic life coaching .Her passion and goal is to educate support and empower women from all walks of life. She is committed to helping women fully realize their own potential and God given talents, and to strive for there excellence in whatever they desire to fulfill by creating emotional balance and exploring various natural ways to reduce and limit stress in their everyday lives so they remain focused and empowered. For more information, call 713-575-0078 or write traceydoctor@aol.com.

Make your approach in life a happy and healthier one. Continue on your path. Surround yourself with people who "get" you. Welcome and appreciate the inspiration and encouragement you receive along the way. Be confident you are creating a great future.

Consistency is key. Remain diligent and focused on your goals. Enjoy the process and the journey.

Three Steps to Enjoy An Amazing Life 1. Love yourself first

Fall in love with yourself and all January 2015 Amazing Women

33

EMPOWERMENT

R

ealities Children Face Every Day

34

Amazing Women January 2015

By Joy

Every day, more than 5,468 babies and children go missing in America.

Around the world, thousands more go missing daily. They are in terror and brutalized in horrific ways! Please, get this message out to the world and allow the population of many countries to see the plight of these precious souls!!

taken from venue to venue, auctioned off in some cases, and shipped world wide to be brutalized and used in sex slave rings. This results in death quickly for infants, and children as young as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, toddlers, adolescents, and teens against their will. They are used in the drug trafficking and brainwashed or under the guise of "Predictive Programming."

Fear and torture in daily supply keeps them in check, if they are not murdered early on as human sacrifice!

Children are taken by someone they do not know every 15 seconds. Less than 1% are taken in custody battles by parents.

As Founder and CEO of God's Marvelous Light, Inc., there is a heightened awareness and crucial message to be placed around the world for the abused, abandoned and failure-to-thrive babies, children and teens, who have no voice to speak up nor the physical strength to defend themselves. They are fighting battles they cannot win; they are losing the war!!

The children are our future! They are being disregarded as golem or unimportant by governments and their leaders, elitists, and world leaders alike.

There is no mention of them in the media, as the media is being controlled by the Illuminati and does not want the public to be aware of the children's horrific plight.

Human trafficking is a reality for these babies and children who need rescuing and safe havens from this prevalent evil to be rescued! They are

They need Emergency Shelters. I am asking you who have property and houses to donate them so I can harbor them from harm and give them a safe haven. To donate, visit www.godsmarvelouslight.com.

Growing up, I was like many, abused and abandoned children. When I was 11-years-old, my siblings and mother lived in Bishop, Californaia.

While playing hide and seek outside one day, I heard a faint baby cry above me at the window under which I was hiding.

I jumped up, but did not see any thing.

Then I heard the cry again.

After grabbing the edge of the window sill,l and placing my feet on the wall, I looked over and saw a baby girl, maybe six months old. The afternoon sunlight shining from a bedroom across the hall from her bedroom, allowed me to see her.

She didn't have sheets or blanket in the crib. She was only wearing a diaper.

I smiled at her. She kicked her little legs and waved her arms while she cooed as if to say, "I am alone, and scared. Where is my mommy?"

These precious little ones are first and foremost! The calling God has placed in my life has been for the focus of every child of God worldwide who will go unnoticed if we continue to allow it.

They, as well as I, need Prayer Warriors! Select a time everyday to pray for these precious souls. Ask for God's wisdom in having victory for them!

Her eyes were intent in trying to communicate while she tried to make me understand her cooing.

I immediately ran to told my mother and she called the police and fire departments.

The parents had gone out for the night; the baby was alone.

I didn't see her again as she was taken into the Social Services Child Custody. I have thought of her and prayed for her over the years. God placed me in that position to find her and has called me into a field to focus on His little ones since.

Don't ALLOW This Cruelty to continue to happen!

January 2015 Amazing Women

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EMPOWERMENT

W

here Has All the Glitter Gone?

T

he holidays are over.

All the tinsel and lights have been put away.

You have the time to rest you yearned for when there was still another Christmas party to attend. You should be happy, tired, and content.

But, maybe you’re feeling a little let down, restless, and disappointed.

What happened? Why would you feel this way? You didn’t make any big blunders with either food or social chit chat., so why the gloom?

You might be feeling this way because you are back to the same life you had before the holidays and before the 36

Amazing Women January 2015

By Boni Oian

New Year celebration was to begin everything anew.

remembering your failures you believe you caused.

Yes, you made resolutions for the New Year, but you really have no plans on carrying them out. Or, at least you haven’t done anything different, so they would have a chance to succeed.

Every breath you have taken since the first one has lead you to this moment.

With every breath has come an experience; only you have labeled it good or bad. Those experiences are what have made you who you are.

They define you as a unique human being.

What can you do when you are not creating the results you want?

Stop!

When you are in a hole and can’t get out, the first step is to quit digging.

This means quit putting yourself down, telling yourself you’ll never get the results you want, and stop, stop, stop

What if you saw "failure" as a moment of great power? What if you saw it as the biggest opportunity to change direction? Wouldn’t failure then become a welcomed milestone?

What if your typical reaction to failure was celebration instead of anger? Or, your first reaction was to create a new plan instead of withdraw from life?

What would your life be like if, instead of giving up when you failed, you made a commitment to your freedom, your work, or your ideal relationship?

Most people don’t know the process to having their life the way they want it is a continuation of six steps. That’s right, only 6 steps done over and over.

Would you like to know what these steps are? If I tell you, you can never again fail at anything. Therefore, you can never again use blame as an excuse to why your life isn’t the way you want it.

It starts with a Wish. You wish your life could be better or you could feel better about your life.

Then, you have Hope your wish could come true.

Next, you see others having the things you want so you have Faith it will happen for you, also.

Now you really Believe it’s possible to have what you want in your life, clear to the bottom of your heart.

Then, an Experience happens which moves your wish, hope, faith, and belief into a knowing or true understanding which changes your thinking forever.

Without those experiences you would be stuck in the Wish, Hope, Faith, and Belief part of the process and could never move on to the knowing part.

Here's an example of your life going through the process.

You wish for Prince Charming to notice you. You hope you are everything he

wants so you can live with him in joy.

You have faith this is the man for you.

You believe you can be happy with Prince Charming.

Now comes the experience of dating or even marriage. You will get that knowing or understanding of what a life with Prince Charming is like. If your experience matches your expectations, your life will continue with wishing the next day will be like the last, hoping you have many years together, and so on.

Sometimes the opposite happens and you wish you had never met Prince Charming. You hope you never have an experience like that again.

Most times, you find yourself somewhere in between. When that happens, you wish things could be better and hope a different Prince will be the Prince for you. This starts the process over again.

Knowing where you are in the process is essential. Staying stuck on the belief part of the process never lets you get to a true knowing and keeps you from making course corrections. Not moving into an experience stops the flow and you can’t move forward.

It is essential to have experiences, no matter how you label them, so you can move forward. Locate where you feel stuck, then take the next step.

Get a new understanding or knowing what is true for you and celebrate every new experience!

Boni Oian is a Life Navigator. Helping people uncover their potential has always been her dream. This includes assisting people in knowing they deserve and are worthy of having what they want.

Being happy before and after they receive their dream sometimes is the challenge.

She is the Author and Instructor of Claim Your Life – Transform Your Unwanted Subconscious Beliefs into an Exhilarating Source of Power.

She is certified by the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapist Association and she’s certified as a Catalyst Coach by the Ace Success Center. Boni’s certifications as an Akashic Record Teacher and Consultant are from Akashic Records Consultants International and Akashic Knowing School of Wisdom.

She has been published and/or featured in many publications including Enjoy Whole Health, Sassy, Focus on Women, Answering the Call, Careers from the Kitchen Table as well as business magazines and has her own radio program with Raven International, the leading positive programming network.

Boni started on this path in 1980 with Silva Mind Control and the Natale Institute Relationship workshops. She branched out into Hypnosis, Akashic Records, Theta Healing, Shamanic, Reiki, and other energy related work to establish faster ways to help make permanent changes for people.

You can connect with her at: www.ClaimYourLifewithBoni.com www.AkashicRecordsTraining.com BoniOian@gvtc.com; 830.537.4523

Claim Your Life Book, Workshop and Classes will assist you in creating the life you want by revealing your true beliefs about yourself.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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H LIFESTYLE

ealth Habits That Will Make or Break You in 2015

38

Amazing Women January 2015

By Kim Acedo, MS, CHWC

T

he following four little words have a HUGE impact on your health and well-being, probably more than you even realize: Sleep, Food, Mood, and Exercise.

these areas, get started now. Begin by envisioning what your life would look like if you scored an 8 or above in each area. Start by writing and painting a picture of the BEST YOU in the four areas.

If you want 2015 to be your healthiest year, it’s vital you are living a life of optimal sleep, food, mood, and exercise.

Let’s examine a little deeper why this is the case.

Imagine you’re getting as much needed sleep every night to be the most productive and joyful person you can be.

What does this look like for YOU?

Remember, the mind and body are connected. When we’re not sleeping well, our stress level is high, we’re not getting enough physical activity, or we’re not eating healthy, we don’t look, feel, or perform at our best. It’s important to understand each area is connected with one another. When one area is lacking, the other areas are affected which can lead to a downward spiral.

Imagine you’re feeding your body with the healthiest foods which nourish and sustain you and give you bountiful energy. You’re in control of your choices, not eating too much or too little , just the right amount for you. What does this look like for YOU?

Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you didn’t get enough sleep last night. When you wake up tired, you are more likely to make poor choices. Your body craves comfort and instantgratification. You often end up overeating or choosing unhealthy foods and drinks. You may act “snappy” at work and irritable at home because your stress level is higher.

Your exhausted body would rather sit on the comfy couch at home and catch your favorite shows rather than exercise.

This all started with a poor night’s sleep. The problem is if this happens night after night, over time you will end up overweight and unhealthy. Years of this can be detrimental to your health resulting in disease and medication and take a toll on your relationships, work, and happiness.

Do you want to live a healthier, happier life than you did in 2014? If so, the first step is being honest and aware of where you are today. Take a moment to rate yourself on a scale from 1-10 (“1” = “Very Poor” and “10” = “Excellent”) on how you believe you’re doing in each area of your life:

Sleep: ____ Food: ____ Mood: ____ Exercise: ____ How did you do? Were your numbers high or low? Were they consistent or all over the place?

If your numbers are not where you’d like them to be, don’t worry. Be gentle and applaud yourself for taking the first step. But, if you’re ready to take the next step and improve

Imagine a day with little stress. You’re optimistic, calm, and have a high sense of well-being and life satisfaction. What does this look like for YOU? Finally, imagine you’re at your ideal physical shape. You’re strong, lean, and have plenty of physical stamina to tackle whatever the day brings. What does this look like for YOU? If you get stuck, the following ideas will help: What does your DAY look and feel like? What’s your outlook on life? How are your relationships? Keep writing and keep it fun and exciting!

The investment in your body and health has a greater return than any other investment you make.

Get 2015 off to a strong start! Let me show you how to improve your health habits in my 6-week online coaching course starting January 22. For more information, vist www.TransformationWellnessForWomen.com/Reinvent -Your-Health Kim Acedo believes that a healthy life is a life you’ll love! She partners with women in their 50’s who are ready, willing and able to make a healthy change in their lives and coaches them toward improving their sleep, food, mood, and exercise habits so that they can live a healthier and happier life.

Kim has a Master’s degree in Kinesiology, is a Certified Health & Wellness Coach, and is the owner of Transformation Wellness for Women where she works with her clients virtually in the comfort of their own home or office. Learn more: www.TransformationWellnessForWomen.com

January 2015 Amazing Women

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T LIFESTYLE

he Road to Amboseli

O

n Feb 1, I will depart the United States and be on my way to Amsterdam first, then Nairobi, Kenya, Africa.

My best friend, Shari Young, began a non-profit called The Amboseli Children's Fund (http:// amboselichildrensfund.com) to help the children of this Kenya nomadic tribe receive an education. She was so moved by one of her employees named Leonard who is from this tribe, she visited the area and spoke with families two years ago.

When she saw the squalor in which the people lived, her 40

Amazing Women January 2015

By Rev. Basia Christ, Ph.D.

heart was touched. However, unlike a lot of other people, Shari did something about it. She created this fund and now approximately 20 children are receiving a full time education which is just under $400 annually (boarding school, uniform, and books) for each child.

I'm sponsoring a child named Charity. Shari asked me to accompany her this year to take photos and videos for the non-profit's website of other children who would benefit from an education.

Without hesitation, I accepted her generous offer. I'm thrilled I will be meeting Charity, who is a bright 11-year-old girl.

I cannot wait until I can look into her bright, beautiful eyes and speak with her about how she is doing in school.

When we arrive, we will stay overnight in a tented park in the Nairobi National Park, then fly to Amboseli and stay at the AA Lodge, Loitoktok, Kenya.

During the week, Shari and I will visit the two schools and meet with the teachers. At the end of the week, we will bring the children to the lodge where they will experience their first swim in a pool and have a buffet lunch.

Then on to the second leg of our trip, The Cheetah Experience in Bloemfontein, South Africa, where Shari and I will volunteer by caring for orphaned baby animals for two weeks. (Shari was told the cut off for volunteers was 55-years-old, but when she explained how fit I am, they extended their rules a few [many] years.)

As I typed this, I realized I can check off two more things from my bucket list. First, make a difference in a child's lifem and, second, go on safari in Africa where I will see elephants, lions, cheetahs, and other indigeonous animals

Educating one Mtoto* at a time

Yes, you can make a difference.

"The Amboseli Children's fund is dedicated to the empowerment of Maasai children through continuing education. Our emphasis is on educating noe child at a time in the Amboseli area of Kenya. These children will have demonstrated a desire for learning and education to better enable them to face the challenges they will encounter in the 21st Century."

We are a small organization with no overhead costs. 100% of your donation goes to the child's school fees, books, and tuition. For less than $1 a day, you can send a mtoto (*child) to school for a year.

Click here to donate! http://amboselichildrensfund.com

January 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE Rev. Basia Christ, M.Div. has a Ph.D. in Transformational Counseling. She has written for Today’s Woman, Beach Cities Style, Radiance, and Empowering Women magazines, of course, Amazing Women, and the OC Register.

in their natural habit and not behind bars or in cages ...the way God wants them to live.

Raven was correct when she said, "How you end one year is how you begin the next."

2014 ended with me finaly publishing my book after working on it for eight years. Sales are going well and I have book signings and presentations lined up with several local women's organizations and UCLA. Now I'm asking you to make a difference, too. If you have about $40 a month to spare, please consider making a donation to Amboseli Children's Fund at http:// amboselichildrensfund.com.

These children want to learn!

She donated her kidney anonymously on November 3, 2010.

Basia advocates for human trafficking victims through presentations and fundraising She is available for presentations on human trafficking, gender equality, being a living kidney donor, and Reaching Your Greatness.

For more information, call 949.690.1257 or email basia@ basiachrist.com. www.basiachrist.com.

Lsten to her show "Speaking from Spirit: Become Who You are Meant to Be: on Sundays at noon PCT on the Amazing Women of Power Network, powered by Raven International.

FROM ASH TO FLAME: WOMEN RISING Click here to order a Kindle edition or print copy Read Rev. Basia Christ's inspirational spiritual story from being suicidal in 2005 to becoming an altruistic kidney donor in 2010. It all began with God’s challenge of “Why not you?”

FROM ASH

TO FLAME

EN WOM

rising

t, Ph.D.

ia Chris

By Rev. Bas

42

Spirit guided her to interview 25 extraordinary women from around the world so she could learn valuable life lessons.

Amazing Women January 2015

For more information, email basia@ basiachrist.com, visit www.basiachrist.com or call 949.690.1257.

Some of the women are:  Erin Runnion, California  Marilyn van Derbur, Colorado  Trisha Meili, New York  Ngawang Sangdrol, Tibet  Mariane Pearl, France  Mukhtar Mai, Pakistan  Erin Brockovich, California  Fauziya Kassindja, Togo  Judge Zakia Hakki, Iraq  Sibel Edmonds, Turkey  Denise Brown, California  Fran Drescher, California  Wangari Maathai, Kenya  Niemat Ahmadia, Darfur  Azam Kamguian, Iran  Somaly Mam, Cambodia

5

Ways to Improve Your Life Skills and Your Life

By Bonnie Terry, M.Ed., BCET he struggles with spelling. He is a haberdasher, a hat maker. He said he was never able to do what he really wanted because of his struggles with spelling and writing.

One of my adult clients, Rachel, was stuck in her job and thought she’d never move forward. As she improved her reading and writing skills, her confidence improved as well.

It took her a few months, but her persistence paid off. With her new skills and confidence, she went for it, and got the job of her dreams.

Reading matters. Writing matters. Spelling matters.

T

here are many important skills you need to succeed, such as computer, answering emails, doing Internet searches, money management, problem solving, relationship, communication, daily living, such as how to do the laundry, and relationship, but the basis for most of those skills depends heavily on the basic skills you learned in school…reading, writing, and math.

When you improve your reading skills (and you can, no matter what your age), you automatically improve every life skill. After all, managing money and deciding what to buy or invest in relies on reading and math skills. Solving problems depends on reading skills; researching anything depends on reading skills. Communication skills, even posting on Facebook, are impacted by reading skills. I could go on and on, but I think you get it.

When I spoke with my neighbor, she said her husband dropped out of college because he didn’t know how to take notes. He wasn’t able to do what he really wanted; he settled for less.

Then there is Hector from Philadelphia, who called because

As an adult, is it possible to improve your skills? Is there something you can do to improve your reading, writing, or spelling skills? Can you improve your skills by helping your kids improve their skills?

Reading Skills…One of the Most Important Life Skills Reading isn’t "rocket science," but there are factors which impact it. There are two areas of reading which can be improved easily. One is the speed and accuracy with which you read.; your ability to sound out words and read smoothly and quickly, or reading fluency. The other is the understanding or comprehension of what you read.

Reasons for Reading 1. Sometimes we enjoy reading for the sheer pleasure of reading a book or magazine.

2. We read for specific information …we skim an article.

3. We are looking for deeper understanding so we read closely.

4. We read to learn how to do something.

5. We read to compare products or politicians' viewpoints.

In each of those scenarios, we do slightly different things to gain information and understanding. Sometimes we need January 2015 Amazing Women

43

LIFESTYLE by about 50%. Use specially designed note-taking, paragraph, and essay-writing graphic organizers to guide you to improving your reading comprehension skills.

This is your time for building your success. Use 5 steps to improve your reading fluency and comprehension. You can live the life of your dreams!

There are resources bonnieterrylearning.com.

are

available

at

www.

Terry, M. Ed., BCET, is internationally recognized as a dyslexia and ADHD expert with 40 years of experience, the best-selling author of Five Minutes to Better Reading Skills (Fluency) www.bonnieterrylearning.com/ p ro d u c t / i m p ro ve - r e a d i n g fluency-speed-help Bonnie

to look at the author’s purpose for writing. For example, a politician may write an article to convince you to vote for him or her, or a company will write an ad to convince you to buy something. A scientist may write an article to share research findings. Keeping the author’s purpose in mind while reading will help you make decisions for yourself.

When you help another with any task, you help yourself in the process, too. These same 5 action steps will help both you and your children improve reading skills.

5 Steps to Improving Reading Skills 1. Take five minutes daily 2-3 times a week to improve your reading fluency and accuracy with a fluency program 2. Decide if you can skim for the specific information you are seeking 3. Decide if you need to stop and re-read portions for greater clarity 4. Look at the author’s purpose: Is their purpose to entertain? To convince? To inform?

Minutes to Better Study Skills (note-taking graphic organizers) www.bonnieterrylearning.com/product/ improve-study-skills-in-ten-minutes-a-day Ten

Awaken the Scholar Within Programs: w w w. b o n n i e t e r r y l e a r n i n g. c o m / p ro d u c t / learning-reading-writing-study-skills-program/ The

Strategies for ADHD Kids www.amazon.com/ Family-Strategies-ADHD-Winning-Battle-ebook/dp/ B00CAB41MU Family

Strategies for ADHD Kids http://www.amazon. com/School-Strategies-ADHD-Winning-Battle-ebook/dp/ B00BJCFN50.

School

She is founder of www.bonnieterrylearning.com and host of Learning Made Easy Talk Radio. www.bonnieterrylearning. com.

5. Take notes while you read. which will improve retention

Click here to

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Amazing Women January 2015

S

elf-confidence Strategies to Bring in the New Year

H

aving self-confidence is an important step towards a successful lifestyle. Although others can influence your life, you are the only one who can ultimately determine your level of self-confidence.

By Consuelo Meux, PhD.

1. Get Real. I know you hear a lot about setting big goals, but if you continually set goals which are out of reach, unrealistic, or hard to complete, your motivation to succeed and self-confidence will decrease.

It takes realistic skills and talents to achieve goals. Like everyone else, you have skills which showcase certain talents while you might need to develop skills in other areas. If you haven’t used certain talents for a while, it might take time to sharpen these skills.

Keep working on these areas to develop proficiency as you move towards your goals. It’s alright to adjust goals along the way as you move forward to higher levels.

Without a healthy level of self confidence, you might have some hit and miss successes, but a lifestyle of sustained success will be difficult to achieve.

If self-confidence is escaping you, don't sit around feeling powerless to change yourself into the person you deserve to be. Here are several strategies to guide you in boosting self-confidence so you can live a better life in 2015.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE

Once you get into the habit of accomplishing goals, set even higher ones which test more skills. Be realistic about what it takes to reach the goals you want. Let your goals give you some quick “wins” along the way so you feel the taste of success quickly and often.

day spoil your confidence. Don’t allow others to create a bad day for you.

When others control whether you will have a good or bad day, they gain power over your emotions. For instance, what if a person walks into your workplace in a bad mood? Their mood is not your problem unless you allow it to affect your mood. You don't have to let that person's attitude provoke you into saying, doing, or feeling something that sucks you into the negative mood. Take a moment to consider how you can deal with the situation which will make things better for everyone involved.

To be strong and confident, develop an attitude that no matter what happens, you’ll keep going. It’s true, the more you learn in life, the more difficult the challenges will be. Getting through hard times increases your skills, expands life lessons, and improves decision making abilities. You can only get to a higher level of wisdom and self-confidence if you keep going when things get tough.

2. Take Your Own Side. Something you might not think about is the need to stand up for yourself when you’ve been wrongly accused or mistreated. When others say wrong things about you, you have the right to speak up.

Remember the words they speak are their opinion and it doesn't have to be accepted. Your opinions are what matter. This isn’t to negate the importance of receiving useful critique and feedback nor is it to discourage you from gaining wisdom from right sources. The point is to support you when something is not right and you need to speak up.

It takes confidence to be your best advocate in difficult situations. The more you learn to judge between what is right and wrong when it comes to personal situations, the more confident you become in your ability to be forthright about what’s correct for you.

3. Change Your Acquaintances. A time might come when it will be necessary to change with whom you socialize if the friends you have aren’t as supportive as they should be. You probably won't have to get all new friends, but you do need to be with the right type of people to build self-confidence.

If the people you surround yourself with tend to be negative, bring you down, or destroy your confidence, it's time to make changes. The people you hang out with should have positive energy which lifts you, encourages you, and supports your goals.

To attract these types of people, it’s important to show the characteristics of true friendship to others, too.

It creates mutual positive reactions when you build confidence by being with positive people who support you while you equally support them back.

4. Get a “Keep Going” Attitude. Bad days are going to come. Without them, life couldn’t teach you great lessons or open new doors of opportunity. Embrace opportunities which let you learn how to deal with difficult situations. Keep going forward. Don't let a bad 46

Amazing Women January 2015

5. Focus on You. Confidence grows when you care for yourself. Keep physically fit and eat right in order to stay healthy. Exercise can calm your nerves, help manage stress, and let you sleep better. Engage in regular daily exercise to feel more upbeat which in turn makes you feel better.

Eating right means to only put foods in your mouth which help feed your cells, the building blocks of the body. Substances such as sugars, bad fats, chemicals, and preservatives offer no nutrientional value. Instead, a diet of processed, fat-laden products will make you

stages in front of thousands of people. Whatever your purpose, it has a vital role to fill in the whole scheme of life. Having a strong level of confidence is necessary to pursue your life purpose.

feel tired and dragged out. Because your body is not receiving adequate nutrients when it’s fed the bad stuff, you put your health in jeopardy. Feeling bad affects your self-confidence.

Seek out the best foods possible is a reflection of your self care. You might not be able to always eat fresh, wholesome foods, but do the best you can at every meal. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, and spend time meditating and praying on what matters.

6. Release Stale Stuff to Embrace the New. Everyone messes up at some point. If you’ve made mistakes, you’re only normal. Of course, the magnitude of the offense must be considered, but once something has occurred, you have to know how to move ahead to live with good self-confidence through self-forgiveness. But this is one of the toughest things to do.

Forgiving yourself might take time and the support of a professional who can assist you to see the situation in a correct light. You will also want to see how you can right any wrongs done to the best of your ability.

Turn what happened into a life lesson which lets you know what not to do again. Forgive yourself for the action, but remember the lesson learned so you don't live in regret for the rest of your life.

When it goes the other way, such as when someone hurts you, try not to take it personally or hold a longterm grudge. I realize this is easier said than done, especially if an incident is aimed at you. However, there are also things which will occur if you're around or not. You might feel slighted if you happen to be in the middle of the situation, but if you hadn't been there, would the same thing have happened to someone else?

If so, don't take the situation personally.

You might ask, “What is life purpose and how do I find it?” These are very legitimate questions which often have no easy answer.

One way of understanding a life purpose is it is a philosophical ideal which lets you know what you are supposed to be doing which is congruent with who you are as a person. It is somewhat intuitive, yet also built on the totality of your life experiences. It is often centered in the areas where you might feel the most trouble, lack, conflict, or fear throughout your life.

For instance, if you grew up always feeling devalued or unloved, your purpose might be helping others learn to value their life or helping the world understand the depth and necessity of love to all of life. Finding and living your life purpose is at the heart of being selfconfident. When you honor who you were born to be, self-confidence will be in your heart and hands.

As you put these strategies into practice, they will soon become habits which lift your spirits to new heights. As your self-confidence grows, you'll start to pursue new goals with more commitment. Although personal changes may not happen overnight, if you apply these strategies consistently, you'll be able to build your self-confidence a little each day. Make it a point to implement at least one confidence-boosting technique daily.

Consuelo Meux, PhD. is a Master Clarity Coach/Consultant, Certified Health & Weight Loss Coach, Raw/ Vegan Chef & Trainer, author, writer and entrepreneur. Visit her website for FREE resources to help you gain clarity in your online writing and marketing.

Learning it's not always about you is important to be able to get over problems and move on to the next life event with confidence.

7. Honor Your Life Purpose. I believe everyone is born with a purpose in life. This means there is something you have to share with the world only you can do. The part of the world you might affect could be to impact the life of just one person, or you might be born to stand on

www.consuelomeux.com

Click on the book to purchase it on Amazon.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE

D

ying with Joy or Sorrow

E

ach of us will face death in our special way; however a common sentiment amongst many of us is we fear we might have to endure excruciating pain and we might die alone.

Some of us have large families while others do not have any members who can be with us during our final moments.

As a life coach for families and an owner of an elderly care home for more than 15 years, I have observed many 48

Amazing Women January 2015

By Annette Pang

different ways, choices, and cultural traditions as in the case of one beautiful lady.

A Beautiful Life Aunt Lily knew she had a few more days left. She was tired and ready to pass on because, at 94 years old, she lived a long, healthy life filled with trips, including going to Las Vegas twice a year to play Keno and the slot machines.

She enjoyed stable health and enough money to afford stunning pieces of jewelry, a diamond watch, fashionable clothing, a 3-bedroom, 3-bath home and condo, and a Lexus, one of her favorites cars, still gleaming, though dusty, in the garage after she stopped driving over 15 years ago because her eyesight was failing and she couldn’t park it without bumping and scraping other parked cars.

While she had many material advantages, she couldn’t talk to her children, especially her daughter. She often argued with them and, over the years, they stopped communication, exchanging Christmas gifts and eventually never making time to get together.

Rather than reaching out and smoothing over hurt feelings, both mother and children were unable to make peace or settle unfinished issues. They could not unravel the knots which locked them into a choke-hold grip of sadness and bitterness. They had no daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly conversations with each other.

She also increased the estrangement by stubbornly choosing her husband’s nephew who took charge serving as her executor and health advocate even though her adult children could fulfill this role. She cut off her ties and was angry with them for not coming over to honor and visit her.

On the other hand, her children were peeved which stemmed from a series of incidents which happened 35 years ago with a business transaction which favored a business partner outside the family.

Both sides were irritated and didn’t have any loving feelings with each other. It got stuck further into a huge impasse.

Dismissing the Pain Each side was riveted into their stories. Her children decided “Life is better without my mean, stingy mother.”

She complained, “My children are horrible and ungrateful.

They punish me each time I try to be nice to them.”

Both sides seemed to go along with disconnected and separate lives, justifying this altered way of living for 25 years.

Naturally, they did not know about her aging through the years, her new life, friendships in her care home, and how she felt and managed.

On the other hand, she didn’t know any of her family members, like grandchildren. She had no information about their daily routines, birthdays, or holiday celebrations.

Yet, she thought of her children, and they thought of her on a daily, even nocturnal basis. They had sweet dreams as well as nightmares about each other. They truth is, they couldn’t easily “shake off” the anger, the blame, the wounds which kept them apart.

While they thought separation was a solution, they really couldn’t escape the sadness and bitterness hovering over and inside of them which were the things they wanted to dismiss and banish. They each thought they were “right” the other was “wrong." It was a no-win situation which advanced into a lose-lose battle, even though they thought they can waive off each other.

As she lay on her deathbed, surrounded by caregivers who rotated on various work shifts, she longed to see her children again, just to say goodbye…just for one last touch of hands, one last glance, and perhaps a hug which she received often from the caregivers.

When her doctor thought her “time was near…this was the end and nothing else could be done for her,” brightly, she instructed the caregivers to call her children, who lived less than three miles away.

Finally a Hopeful Sign The staff was happy and thrilled. The word spread amongst them quickly: "Hooray! Aunt Lily was finally 'softening," coming around, melting away years of crusty thoughts and ways of relating."

They found family phone numbers and started dialing… making sure the family members knew they had 24/7 access to come and visit whenever they wanted to see their Mom. After all, nothing could be greater and more lasting than those final goodbyes around her bed.

Caregivers are witness to seeing families express their final farewells, sharing their gratitude, laughing about memories, giving a rousing send-off towards a new adventure on the last days and moments.

They assured Aunt Lily, “Yes, we called your family and left clear messages and instructions about how to visit and January 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE where to park.” They told her her children would arrive soon.

even have to talk to her. It would have been divine just to be present in the same room.

Each hour weighed heavily as her breathing got shallower and the doctor said she only had a day or two remaining.

However, she hung on the next day and next day and three more days, waiting for her children to come through the door.

From that moment, I vowed if there was a small way I could be an influence to bring forth new viewpoints or an awareness with deeper connections and healing between adult children and their elders, it would make a priceless difference and the greatest gift to share with anyone.

Aunty Lily clutched her teddy bear looking, waiting, and hoping for comfort. The caregivers said, "Your children are busy working, but when they get off, they will come to visit you.”

Many people have the same stories as Aunt Lily’s. Why not begin steps for transformation to bring resolution earlier?

We ought to consider stepping out of our comfort zone with small steps and huge courage to break through any size and any kind of obstacles before it is too late.

But another day passed, and another, turning into two, three, and four more days, which surprised her doctor because she was not eating and taking fluids. She was in her bed, comfortable, not in pain, though not comatose. She lay there waiting for the staff to tell her when her children arrived.

At the last moments, she lay there with an eager, sincere and open heart, waiting to be together again. They never came. They chose not to have that last goodbye with her.

Her Last Hurrah Sadly, Aunt Lily breathed her final "aaahh" and likely exhaled with resignation.

In our opinion, she passed away, unfulfilled, even though she had a hand in setting her destiny and relationships with her children over 30 years ago. The pain was too ingrained to rebuild bridges and yield any forgiveness between them.

At the care home, we stood next to her bed, stroked her hair, and rubbed her feet to let her know she was not alone.

We sobbed, mostly because there was a huge, unfinished missing and deep cavern of sadness. It was not a celebration; there was deep remorse and regret for what she desired, but couldn’t have with all the money available.

We guessed there was so much hurt and pain, perhaps they couldn’t bear to see her again. She never gave up and kept up her vigil; however, in retrospect, she could have began reaching out to them years earlier and vice versa.

During the last few weeks, and on her deathbed, she didn’t yearn for anything else, except for the love and sweet touch of each other. She wasn’t asking for much…they would not 50

Amazing Women January 2015

Annette Pang is Founder of Life Coach Village and has been the owner of an elderly care home in Honolulu, Hawaii for 15 years. She coaches adult children, especially daughters, who make breakthroughs and increase deeper and loving connections with their aging mothers. She is the Executive Producer and Founder of Legendary Wisdoms Radio and www. legendarywisdoms. com. She is a former licensed teacher in California, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii and an active real estate agent and developer. She has been married for 45 years, a mother of three adult children and two grandchildren.

T

en Tips for Bliss: A New Year, A New You

By Diana Micucci

A

s I try to get energized for the year ahead, I’m expecting messages in my inbox to assign a theme to 2015. Years past have been dubbed by sundry sources The Year of Miracles, The Year of Graceful Exits, The Year of Reckoning, The Year of Truth, and The Year We Have Been Waiting For. How we like to order and define. Even as we set our intentions, we have no idea how the year will unfold, what gifts and challenges it will bring, or what truths and miracles will be revealed. How we will be asked (or forced) to expand beyond our comfort zones with "the wisdom of insecurity,” the title of a wonderful book by the philosopher Alan Watts, who said the quickest path to enlightenment is to embrace and flow with the one thing that is certain....

Uncertainty When I read The Wisdom of Insecurity many years ago, it was as if Watts shined a light in the darkness. “The further the power of consciousness ventures out into experience, the more is the price it must pay for its knowledge,” he wrote.

The wild rapids of uncertainty can leave us feeling vulnerable, frustrated, and directionless. Yet this is where the mystery and magic happens, even exhilaration, as we keep learning to let go—of expectations, attachments to outcomes, perceived hurts and injustices—just a little more.

“But wait!” we protest. “Haven’t I done that already?

Haven’t I worked on myself enough, endured many trials, passed all the tests, walked through many (figurative) fires?

How long must this continue?!”

Spirit answers, “As long as it takes. There are a few more January 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE tweaks, more testing, clearing, releasing required to make you the best You yet.”

1. Don’t Be Afraid of Your Power

Brought to our knees, we (may) reluctantly acquiesce, “Okay, okay, bring it on!”

3. Surrender to the Universal Flow of Abundance

No Time to Waste

5. Say Only What is Necessary, Truthful, and Loving

The perseverance, passion, and courage it takes to embody our divine truth and power is often daunting. Yet there is no “time” to waste, as I was reminded recently while watching the film “Jobs,” a portrait of the Apple Computer genius.

6. Stop Your Mind, Drop into Your Heart

In it young Steve traveled to India and had an awakening, overlaid with the words “there is no time to waste.” Later, he said he wanted “to put a dent in the universe.”

9. Forgive What Seems Impossible to Forgive

So supremely aware of his brilliance, so uncompromisingly devoted to his vision, Jobs proceeded to do that in his short 56 years. What an inspiration. The film reminded me we all have our unique brilliance and contribution to make in the linear timeframe allotted to us.

I felt the same urgency on my journey years ago to the Yucatan, where the Mayan elder Hunbatz Men continually urged, raising his fist in the air, “People, do your work! Do your work!” He meant the disciplined inner work required to reach our full divine potential.

This inner work can be undertaken through a consistent, ongoing spiritual practice such as prayer, meditation, yoga, affirmations, or gratitude, for example.

However, we choose to conduct our inner work, any kind of disciplined focused attention—free of the distractions, doubts, worries, and fears which keep us needlessly separate from Spirit, each other, and our higher selves—typically ignites positive changes in our everyday experience.

Ten Tips for Bliss Each moment offers us a choice—either to trust and embrace all that we are capable of becoming or stay stuck in outmoded beliefs and perceptions which keep us playing small.

My Ten Tips for Bliss, drawn from the main themes of my latest books, The Third Muse: A Novel and Sojourns of the Soul: One Woman’s Journey around the World and into Her Truth, offer a road map to self-mastery and living your best life ever: 52

Amazing Women January 2015

2. Be Present Now and Let Go of Desired Outcomes 4. Step into Your Divinity and Know That You Are a Master

7. Trust a Higher Guiding Force is Always Conspiring on Your Behalf, No Matter What the Circumstances 8. Allow for Miracles 10. Love Without Limits No matter how uncertain the journey, let 2015 be your year to shine!

Dana Micucci has enjoyed a decades-long career as a widely published journalist and author writing about culture, travel, and spirituality. She is the author of a new novel, The Third Muse, a metaphysical mystery set in the international art world and inspired by divine feminine wisdom.

Her last book, "Sojourns of the Soul: One Woman’s Journey around the World and into Her Truth," was a gold winner in the 2013 Nautilus Book Awards. She has a private healing practice and conducts transformational talks and workshops nationwide. For more information, go to www.danamicucci.com. 575-758-8504 Join Dana each Wednesday at 12 p.m. Central for her show, “Awakening the Mystic Within,” on the Amazing Women of Power Radio Network, powered by Raven International.

Just Released! Get The Third Muse on Amazon, a new novel by Dana Micucci.

A metaphysical mystery set in the international art world, The Third Muse, celebrates the divine feminine wisdom of the ages and the healing power of love.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE

W

hy the Status Quo Isn't Always Healthy ... and What to Do About It!

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Amazing Women January 2015

By Dr. Anastasia Chopelas

Y

ou might ask the question why you would want to reprogram your mind or thought patterns. Many of them we get from our families of origin, the society in which we grew up, our chosen religious beliefs, and things we tell ourselves as we read something which caught our interest. Have you heard people spouting off declarations which made no sense?

Yesterday I was commenting on how can someone today still believe alternative healing methods, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, or homeopathy are devil’s work? These are based in science and have been well studied. There are many things which have been repeated so many times they sound like they’re truth and they aren’t.

For example, the Eastern Orthodox believers don’t recognize there is a hell or purgatory. There is nothing in their Bible or traditions which speak to this. Yet Catholics use these devices to keep their devout on their path. Both can't be true.

Other familiar tribal patterns are girls can’t do math, women belong in the kitchen, various acts of normal emotions are mortal sins, and men don’t cry. These are harmful. Let's look at the seemingly innocuous statement men don't cry.

Bud, a former Captain in the Marines and member of my family is typical of the men who think they need to bury their emotions and not cry. When his friend Frank died of lymphoma at the young age of 30, Frank’s wife, Linda, gave a moving eulogy about the bravery Frank showed while going through hellish chemotherapy treatments. He had professed how much he loved her and their friends so much: she was reading the messages he left for us. His last words to them were: "What made my life so wonderful was the wonderful people in it."

As she concluded the eulogy, there was not a dry eye in the house, except Bud’s. He leaned over and whispered as I wept openly and said, “You aren’t going to cry, too, are you?” I looked at him in the eye and said, “Yes, I sure am!”

I knew that was typical for Bud. He never showed his emotions or feelings. You never knew what he was thinking: he was the perfect stoic Marine, and exactly as his parents brought him up to be: a “brave” boy who doesn’t cry.

Fast forward 25 years. Bud never married; he couldn’t get close to any woman, despite being handsome and

heterosexual. Unable to express his feelings, he remained alone. Holding in negative feelings keeps the energy locked down in our bodies. Low energies resonating on the organs depletes them of the life-giving energy they need to repair and thrive.

Bud, now 56, was hiking with a good friend. Nothing strenuous, just a walk. Holding in the sadness and grief all those years took its toll on his heart. Suddenly, he sat down as he became weary and his heart gave out. It is a true story and I still grieve for his loss as he was too young to die. Meanwhile, the irony of it is his parents, who taught him his values, are still alive in their nineties.

How do we reprogram ourselves to undo the religious and tribal programming?

One of the problems with this kind of programming is it is hard to undo once programmed in. Many people are afraid to question it, to get into conflict with the status quo. They’re afraid because they think they’ll be rejected.

They’ve held those beliefs for so long they think they’ll look foolish changing their minds.

You don’t need to have any of those fears. Those who discard the mantle of popular belief and go with real truth stand in their own power. They become internally driven, which means outside opinions don't matter. The driving force becomes their own divinity. There is something magnetizing about those people: you are naturally attracted to them.

Not only that, if you are internally driven, you will model it for other people and they will match you. You will help shift them towards also becoming internally driven. The real truth is you are a powerful creator, the relatively arbitrary and even punitive rules by which most of people live(d) don’t serve you any more.

To overcome old programming, talk therapy has been usually the answer. How else do we reprogram what’s been told except to talk about how those rules don’t work for you any more?

Not surprising is even after years of talk therapy, the client is not much further along than when they started.

They go, dredge up the past, cry about it, and don’t take steps to move forward. They get upset again, talk about it, get relieved, and go out and continue life as before. The January 2015 Amazing Women

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LIFESTYLE undoing or reprogramming requires an energetic shift.

There are common beliefs I’ve learned which hold people back. One is they forget love is a gift. You don’t have to earn it. Look at how a child feels about the parent. You can be the worse parent in the world, yet your child still loves you. You did not earn their love; you receive it because you are. There is no need to worry you will not be loved if you are just yourself.

Another myth is your abundance is separate from your love. Your love is your abundance. Your health, wealth, and relationships are proportional to the love you have for yourself and others. Chasing money without love is a hollow persuit.

Now for removing tribal and common beliefs without the aid of energetic shift from someone who is capable helping: To learn anything new takes practice and consistency until you’ve arrived at mastery. Following are suggested steps to do this: 1. Listen to a guided meditation or meditate daily, such as the one I offer free at http://diamondhealingmethod. com.

2. Start a practice of gentle yoga, one which stimulates your meridians. Gentle stretches and poses you hold will activate your body in positive ways. Doing it quietly will allow you to reflect, get reacquainted with your physical self, and make you more mindful of your being.

3. Write or find a set of daily affirmations which speak to programming yourself to accept and love you as you are. Remember you are on a spiritual path to learn about your true nature. You are discarding things which aren’t you to find your true essence and nature. Here are some suggestions to begin with:  I love and accept myself unconditionally.  I am perfect as I am; I am in exactly the right place to be exactly who I am meant to be.  I acknowledge my accomplishments and the effort and courage it took to achieve them.  I recognize the divinity in me. I respect and treat myself with kindness and love.  I accept myself for who I am. My path is to continue on this journey of self-discovery.  I am a valuable person. I am pleasing and helpful to the people around me.  I am worthy.  I am my best friend.  I treat myself as if I am the most valuable person in the world.  I am loved for who I am.

4. Take good physical care of yourself as if you are the most important person to you. Fix yourself healthy meals daily, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of good clean water, and refrain from recreational drugs,

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Amazing Women January 2015

smoking and alcoholic beverages.

5. Make a gratitude list every morning and say it out loud. "I am grateful for....."

As she practiced the scientific protocols on her clients, she found they were powerful enough to create 250 medical miracles for her clients last year. These include resolution of asthma, migraines, fibromyalgia, tumors, diabetes, arthritis, lack of energy/fatigue, relationship baggage, obesity, chronic pain/fibromyalgia, immune deficiency, ADHD, to name just a few.

Anastasia lives in Torrance, California where she has a private practice and travels extensively teaching people how to maintain and sustain their health long term. If you are interested in either private sessions or having Anastasia speak to your group or center, please go to http://diamondmethod.com/contact or call 310-692-4036 to receive your free copy.

Dr. Anastasia Chopelas is the Scientific Healer.

She is the founder of the Diamond Healing Method, a sophisticated healing technique which includes molecular and vibrational healing, nutrition, herbal medicine, and fitness.

After completing a Master’s in Geo Science at Caltech, Anastasia graduated from UCLA with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. She spent the following 38 years in geophysical research at prestigious institutions, where she contributed chapters in numerous books and published scholarly articles in major international journals. Several of her articles have since become the genesis for courses.

It was while studying mineral vibrations at extreme conditions and the properties inherent in them, that Anastasia became aware of her gift . . . the ability to psychically tune into the cellular, emotional, and physical levels of human beings and shift them. Understanding quantum mechanics helped her to see how healing energy permeates time, dimension, and space.

Her knowledge of chemistry allowed her to envision and create healing from the molecular level.

After years of training and learning about various healing modalities, she created one based on scientific evidence and principles, which she calls the Diamond Method. It covers seven broad areas of healing, including relationships to oneself and others; emotions; DNA; food and environment; your spiritual, emotional, and physical inheritance; curses and spirits; and your language.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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ENTERTAINMENT

C

By Raven Blair Davis-Glover who is one busy lady, recording and running the Chilli Crew, a non-profit organization we are excited to learn more about.

hilli

Raven: Welcome to talking it up behind the mic with Raven, I’m glad to have you and am very excited to be talking with you, thank you for the time.

Chilli: Thanks for having me Raven: You know that movie, I have watched it two or three times since it came out. Every time I did, I realize regardless of how young you guys were, all three of you had really big dreams.

Chilli: We definitely did.

Raven: And it always seemed to me your biggest dream was to be a Mom. Chilli: Yes, that was definitely one of my dreams for sure. Once I became a mother, it changed my whole being. I just didn’t want to be a Mom, I needed to become a Mom. Raven: Are you an only child?

R

aven: I’m talking today with a women with a vision, power itself, surely you remember the amazing female group TLC! Selling more than 65 million albums

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Amazing Women January 2015

Chilli: I am the only child my mother had, but I also have a little sister.

But I don’t think this had anything to do with it. Sometimes people feel certain things, want certain things for themselves. I knew I always wanted to be a Mother. worldwide, their true story/movie Crazy Sexy Cool, The TLC Story was recently shown on VH1 and they are also releasing a new album – Twenty!

Our topic today is "Don’t Wait to Be Great – Do It Now." I’m featuring Chilli

Raven: You are a great mom as I watched “What Chilli Wants,” your reality show. It was great. It covered meeting your Dad. Was this one of your dreams as well?

Chilli: Yes, I wanted to meet him and am glad I did. I think all children or

January 2015 Amazing Women

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ENTERTAINMENT people deserve to know who their parents are, whether they had a great upbringing or not. You should know for medical reasons, if nothing else.

Raven: I guess without that you feel there’s something missing.

Chilli: You want to know about the rest of your background.

Raven:You all had some great dreams.

Chilli: All of us had the same dream, we wanted to be entertainers. It was each person’s dream because we had performed since we were kids.

Because we had the same dream, I believe God wanted us to be together.

That’s why it happened.

Raven: I know one of the things you say is “TLC is meant to be” and watching the movie you could see the closeness.

Now I want to talk about our topic today, "Don’t Wait to be Great – Do It now!" We are on a huge campaign to get people to wake up and live their dreams. We feel so many people are missing this and are waiting for THE day. I noticed one thing you said was “go for it.” What does this mean when you talk about enbolding yourself?

Chilli: It was facing LA and Baby Face who I sang for. I went up to them and said I can sing. For some reason, I don’t know maybe fate took over, and I knew it was my only opportunity to say something. I think everyone should be this way when it comes to something you want to do, within reason, of course. You don’t want to make a fool of yourself because bad timing is bad timing. But when the opportunity presents itself, go for it, jump on it!

Raven: And not hold back.

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Amazing Women January 2015

Chilli: Right, don’t hold back.

Raven: I know you all had quite a journey with ups and down and some tough experiences for being so young, sickness, and losing an eye. How did you get past these? What was the reason for you to push past the pain to your power?

Chilli: It depends on each thing. At the end of the day, having supportive family and friends, and especially mothers, I think you can get through just about anything. Being raised a certain way is important. We were raised to be strong women. Not getting what you want, you can’t let certain things stop you. You must keep pushing. You never know why things happen and you can’t hurt yourself mentally by overthinking why why why? You get what is coming to you regardless if you are a good person or not, pray to God and, if blessed to have a great Mom and family and friends to help you along the way, this is definitely a good recipe.

Raven: Having family and not being afraid to go to them and ask for help

in your time of need… Sometimes people are afraid to ask for help Chilli: It’s ok to be afraid to ask because every family or friend you ask may not be able to help. You have to know who you trust and connect with. That’s who you should turn to.

It could be a neighbor, when I say family, that’s whoever I have a strong connection to, those you love and trust, the person doesn’t have to be blood related. Those I can count on are my family. You have each other’s back.

Raven: You definitely need to know who you can lean on. You talk about connection and having a connection.

You three have an amazing connection, do you think this is something which naturally happens when you get together and start singing with a group or was TLC special?

Chilli: Definitely something special about us connecting and how we continue to connect. You can be around or in a group with a person and you don’t have this connection; it's only business. We have a special thing and we are thankful for it.

Raven: Definitely memories here!

Chilli: When you connect with the right person, you know it and you know when it’s really there. I don’t care if it looks good on paper or not, it must be good all the way around. You are the only person who knows. It’s your decision so don’t listen to the noise. Only you know if it is right and your decision.

Raven:Sometimes it takes more than one to get it right, but when you do – you know you have it right.

Chilli: Sometimes you don’t get it. I don’t believe we get everything in life.

I don’t care how great we are as a human being or if you are praying to the Big G; sometimes we don’t get everything we want; all things are not in the cards for everyone.

Raven: I learned this the hard way – better late than never. 65m albums worldwide. Congratulations, girl. You dream big and when it happens it probably gets even bigger than you imagined. What is this like?

Chilli: It feels amazing. We know the albums we sold and are continuing to sell. This movie made album sales go up even more due to the new generation the movie has captured. It’s weird, almost hard to believe it’s happening.

Words can’t describe how excited and over the moon we are. We are so blessed and thankful for the things we have done and continue to do in our lives on a business level and certain ways personally we share with people which affects them and makes them want to do something wonderful with their life. Pursue whatever career you want, drop the deadbeat boyfriend or husband, and prioritize the right

way; all the good positive stuff is all that matters at the end of the day.

It’s all you want, what we have done and continue to do, we want to touch people in the most positive way.

Raven:You guys have done it! When you were starting out, young people were getting what you had to say, you dressed in a style that was fitting to the audience and they related to your message. I think people resonated with you because you are real, not fake being you and being from the heart that’s what I like to pass on to my listeners… be free to be you. Feel free to be you.

Chilli: You understand.

Raven:We have a caller from the audience with questions, "Some time ago there was a rumor you considered singing with Little Kim. Is that true?"

Have you ever thought of adding someone else and having TLC again?

Chilli: That’s not true. We never had a discussion with Little Kim about being in our group. We’ve been open to working with other celebrities and peers we respect and think it would be fun if it happens. As far as having anyone take Lisa’s place, we said millions of time we would not have someone replace her. We like working with Little Mama and Missy – that’s the direction we want to go for now. TLCis the group and it will never be over!

Raven: We have to wrap up and have not covered all the items we wanted.

Would you consider coming back to the Amazing Women of Power you Amazing Woman? Next time you are in LA, let’s have lunch!

I applaud you with the big hit on VH1 with your Crazy Sexy Cool movie. It was a great name: Crazy Sexy Cool.

You are all so cool. You are an amazing woman of power! My parting words to you, "Don’t Wait to be Great." What do you have to say Chilli?

Chilli: Like you said – execute. Easy to say, but you have to do – just do it.

Raven: There you go, girl. Have a fantastic day.

Former CNN / CBS radio personality Raven a.k.a. the Talk Show Maven, known by many as the Queen of Internet Radio Conversion is an award winning talk show host, a speaker, an author, celebrity interviewer, and founder of Amazing Women of Power Network, the world's leading positive programing network.

Raven has 30+ years of sales expertise and worked for some top fortune 500 corporations, like MCI and Cendant. She teaches entrepreneurs and talk showhosts worldwide how to Rock their business or radio talk all the way to the bank by turning their conversations into cash... right from their kitchen table!

Stay tuned for Amazing celebrities in upcoming issues, such as: Actress Lindsay Wagner; Talk Show Host, Montel Williams; Actress, Fran Drescher (TV's "The Nanny"); Hip-Hop & Business Mogul, Russell Simmons; Acclaimed Actress Jayne Kennedy; Actor Ernie Hudson; Comedian Sinbad; Actor Glen Moreshower ... and more!

It’s been a pleasure talking with you.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Amazing Women January 2015

Amazing men

a publication of Raven International Media

magazine

Turn the page to see who is featured in this month's issue >

January 2015 Amazing Women

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AMAZING MEN

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Amazing Women January 2015

K

eeping the Right Perspective Pays Off

W

e sometimes perceive we're in a situation with which no one else is dealing.

Actually, thousands of people have been there and thousands of people are

currently there.

Keeping the right perspective in business is important to stay in the race. It's tough doing business. There is no need to make it tougher by having the wrong perspective.

Most of us have heard of the top 2%. These are folks who have stayed the course and worked themselves out of the 98%. Having a perspective of being the best of the best is for serious folks. To have this kind of perspective and not do what it takes to get there is a sign of having a wrong perspective.

Success is not handed to folks who stay in the race. It's a reward for those who do what it takes to win. Success is reserved for champions.

To overcome being part of the 98% takes more than talking about it. The requirements are demanding. The routines are rigorous. What we expect shows up on a different schedule.

The nature of entrepreneurs is not one of proper perspective, at least not in the eyes of most people. Entrepreneurs march to the beat of a different drummer.

Is it possible for entrepreneurs to keep what others believe is a right perspective?

The perspective of entrepreneurs varies at different stages of their journey. Therefore, keeping a right perspective depends on the entrepreneur. If you believe you're on your

By Ced Reynolds

way to the 2% but you're a long way off, your perspective could be shattered or you could be encouraged. It's up to you.

Here's the real deal. The 98% will be the 98%. Those who join the 2% never believed they were meant to be part of the 98%. That's why they are not shocked when they reach the 2%.

Liken it to being at the bottom of the ocean without an oxygen tank knowing you have a 2% chance of making it above water. Some folks wouldn't even try to survive. Some would give it a shot hoping they make it. While few would see it before they tried it and go for it until they make it.

Are you really part of the 2% or are you wishing you were? There are entrepreneurs and there are those who are in love with the idea of being an entrepreneur. Which one are you?

It's time to join the 2%.

Ced Reynolds, Entrepreneurial Pastor. Host and producer of The Entrepreneurial Pastor Speaks. He has been an entrepreneur for more than 30 years and a pastor for more than 20 years. The skills he has honed over the years has enabled him to empower entrepreneurial-minded Christians to evangelize everywhere everyday via social media.

How to Start Your Own Social Media In Ministry Outreach Team is a popular audio to help any person or non-profit ministry start their own outreach team online. Visit http://howtostart. socialmediainministry.com to receive your free copy.

January 2015 Amazing Women

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AMAZING MEN

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nowing Your True Value for the Coming Year

T

he New Year has passed and we made resolutions which we rarely will follow the rest of the year. I want talk make you aware of something more important than resolutions.

Being really successful in your personal life and career depends on you knowing your true value. This has nothing to do with your bank account, your assetsm or what others think about you.

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Amazing Women January 2015

By Fred Simkovsky

 Your true value is what you think about yourself!  What kind of a person are you?  How do you treat others?  How do you want others to treat you?  How do you want to make a difference in the world and know you matter?

Let me tell you my story how I learned my true value.

On Father’s Day 2012, I was driven to the hospital in an ambulance, unconscious because of a second black out in two days, having a convulsion, vomiting, and fighting the EMTs all the way, unaware of what was happening to me because, again, I was unconscious. My wife told me this because I don’t remember any of it.

I went into the ICU and my doctor put me into an induced medical coma to control me. I had a breathing tube in my throat because I couldn’t breathe and was still fighting everyone around me.

All this happened while I was in the induced medical coma. During the next three weeks, doctors tested me for everything and found nothing. They finally determined that whatever started this resulted in pneumonia.

During the three weeks I was in the coma, my vital signs dropped so low, I almost died. However, because of my great doctors's efforts and hundreds of people praying for me, I lived.

a difference in this world. How you matter. Only you know the answer to these two questions. No one can show or tell you. You need to experience the answers internally.

But you never will, as I didn’t, until it was almost too late, unless you take a hard look in the mirror and ask, “What is my true value to ME first and then to others? This is what life and career are really about!

When you come to know your true value, your whole life will change like mine did. Start today and never stop getting better.

Ph.D. in Management and Behavioral Science, California Pacific University, Escondido, CA M.A. in Management and Human Behavior, California Pacific University, Escondido, CA B.S. in Business Administration, Utica College of Syracuse University, Utica, NY Certified Master Coach, Certified Coaches Federation Board Member, Professional Speakers Federation fredsimkovsky@yahoo.com; 210-540-8608

I worked for threee months before I was able to walk without a walker, talk without slurred speech, remember what I was saying, eat without others cutting up my food, use my computer, and return to my talk show with the assistance of my family and many friends.

What I found out about myself has nothing to do with some sign from God or an epiphany. It was not that dramatic.

But I had to ask myself, “Who am I really? How did I get to this point in my otherwise good life with a devoted wife of 45 years, four successful children, and 15 grandchildren?"

What I realized was I had lost sight of my value as a person! I was so busy for 45 years taking care of everyone in my life and business, I didn’t know what I was giving back to my life and career, to others. I was taking all the time to reach some height of dream for success when, in fact, it was around me.

It’s about what you share and give to others. I am not talking about money, gifts, or donations. It is about what I share with others about myself with myself. How you make January 2015 Amazing Women

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