The Importance of Friends - Beyond the Obvious

Last Friday, I attended the Sister to Sister Heart Health Fair at the Verizon Center in Washington DC to network and learn about heart health (my grandmother passed away of heart disease when I was in college so I've always tried to support these types of events). My good friend, Kendria, came along as well to promote her wedding planning business.

I brought a copy of my book because I knew a local radio DJ, Tricina Grey, would be there, and I'm always looking for opportunities to get on the air and spread the word about Glori. But when we walked into the crowded arena, and I caught site of the WHUR booth, can I just tell you that I completely lost my "cool," and had no desire to approach Ms. Grey!?!??! I'm not sure if it was the hustle and bustle, the feeling that she might not want to be bothered, or what, but I turned right around.

If it hadn't been for Kendria, that book would still be sitting in my bag. She shook me back into reality, told me I better not leave without giving Ms. Grey a copy of my book, and walked me back over to the booth. (What would we do without friends who lift us up when we need it most?) In the end, Ms. Grey was completely gracious and told me many of her listeners have teenagers and would love to hear about my thoughts on the current state of teen pregnancy. She took my book, and my card, and I'm eagerly awaiting her call. :)

Thanks, Kendria, for giving me a swift kick in the butt. I needed it!

Nicole

Monday Afternoon Mantra- 2/9

Good afternoon all!

Sorry the mantra is late today. I've had a splitting headache since yesterday and have been a bit slow to start. Eeks!

Here's your mantra for the week:

"Never work just for money or for power. They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night." -- Marian Wright Edelman

Set your sights on being fulfilled this week!

Love,

Nicole

Facebook Celebrates 5th Birthday

Are you the only person on the face of the earth who still doesn't have a Facebook profile? Today Facebook, an online social networking site, celebrates 5 years of connecting people. It has also become the world leader for this type of thing - surpassing MySpace.

I avoided creating a profile on Facebook for as long as I could until I read that online social networking can be beneficial to a business, and I'm in the process of growing mine! But once I joined, I quickly became addicted. Catching up with old high school friends, seeing pictures of my readers, and meeting new people has been really fun!

For those of us already on Facebook, go by the Facebook gift shop and pick up your birthday gift!

So just give in already. I'll be your first friend!

Nicole

Ben Carson Movie

Here's a great movie to lift your spirits this weekend - "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story". It airs on Saturday, Feb. 7th at 8:00 PM on TNT, and Cuba Gooding Jr. is playing the part of Dr. Carson who is an amazing pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Children's Center here in Baltimore, MD.

Dr. Carson overcame a challenging childhood, which included poverty and being raised in a single-parent home, low self-esteem, poor grades and more to become one of the nation's 20 foremost physicians and scientists (according to CNN).

I have a feeling this will be a tear-jerker. :)

Monday Morning Mantra - 2/2

Happy Monday guys!

What a Superbowl last night, right?!?! It was a nail-biter until the very end!

Today's quote really sums up the importance of dreaming big. Although they didn't win, the Arizona Cardinals made it to a point that many never thought possible. The same can be true for you.

"You see things, and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'" -- George Bernard Shaw

Dream big this week, and don't let anyone make you doubt yourself!

Nicole

Operation Smile in Haiti

If you received the latest edition of our newsletter, you saw my note about "Throwing Out the 'Blinders,'" meaning opening our eyes to the struggles going on all around us. I mentioned the current hunger crisis in Haiti, which I was really unaware of until last month. About 80% of Haitians live in absolute poverty. It's unbelievable.

My girlfriend, Dena, who works with Operation Smile told me about the organization's missions to Haiti. I went on Operation Smile's website, and here's what I found. It's really inspiring stuff:

An Operation Smile team of volunteers worked in the city of Hinche to change the lives of children from throughout Haiti. The mission team, including more than 30 medical and non-medical volunteers from Brazil, Canada, Colombia and the United States, along with local Haitian medical volunteers at Saint Theresa Hospital, provided 91 patients with physical examinations and provided new smiles to 64 patients... Click here to read more.

It's great to hear about the good work being done in Haiti, and the hope it offers for the future.

Nicole

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Monday Morning Mantra - 1/26

Happy Monday everyone!

It's snowing here in Maryland, which is nice. I hope you're staying warm wherever you are. Here's a mantra for the week that will keep you focused on exactly what YOU want out of life:

"If you only try to please others, you're going to resent those people you're trying to please; the ones who are often closest to you. If you choose a path that you yourself want to take, then you're going to be much kinder to the people in your life.” -- Sarah McLachlan

Think about exactly what YOU want this week and make that your number one priority.

Nicole