Reading Resolutions

Everyone is making goals and checking them twice. Welcome to January! Fresh ideas, new perspective and a clean slate is on the horizon. As an author and an avid reader my goals tend to lean towards literary objectives. Do you have any goals that focus on literacy? Here are a few of mine: Have at least four library visits each month, read and complete one fiction book and one business oriented book monthly, read through my son's personal library collection in entirety every week (this goal is shared between my hubistrator, sitters and myself because he has a lot of books), write in a gratitude journal daily, work on incomplete manuscripts. Those are my reading resolutions-what are your goals when it comes to literacy? Read to a classroom, volunteer at your library, work on a project related to helping others with their literacy goals. The list can be quite endless. Readers are leaders-let's begin this year by leading by example. Read something great.

PREVENTION AND PRE-SCHOOL

Today marks the 1st day of National bullying prevention month. I am often asked at what age should we talk to our kids about bullying and related behaviors. I am pleased to share that many pre-schools and early learning centers have asked me to read my books to their students and talk to parents about pro-social education. It is never too early to teach our kids to be kind. To share with them the importance of caring about others and to try to use practical examples to allow them to work on compassion development. As many of you know I have my own little tot and we are already working on feelings identification exercises. Bookstores and resource stores like Self-esteem shop carry many tools to begin this process. If we can teach young people early how to recognize emotions it is a great step in the process of pro-social learning. Does your center need assistance? Can your family benefit from a personal consultation on emotional understanding and prevention? Please let me know. This Friday I will be at Kindercare centers reading my picture book series to students and beginning the process of pro-social education. If you need an Unbully kit we send great resources through the mail that includes information, tools and resources that aid in prevention. -Read something great

HIGHLIGHTS, THANK YOU'S AND BIG DREAMS FOR '11

I love to reflect before the new year rolls in and reflect upon milestones that I have experienced.

Highlights include building amazing bridges with various community organizations, planning and leading diversity walks, a 5K and being a coach for Girls on The Run. We were able to make so many kids smile by offering various workshops and outreach programs for young people in Michigan and on the East Coast. We celebrated literacy by launching "Summer Camp Survival" our first chapter book this year! We fought hard to get people to recognize the damage and impact that bullying and destructive behaviors adds not only to the intended victim (s) but the whole community. This year we were recognized by CORP Magazine for our work in Diversity and for the "Who I Am" series. We shared the message of my books at Princeton University and had an amazing speaking engagement at their National Symposium on Race. We celebrated our mission by allowing others to join us as we participated in laptops drives, beautification projects and conferences that celebrate the hope that is amongst us. I met some amazing people who nominated me and allowed me to receive A Yellow Envelope Award (A project based in Texas) which celebrated my work in our local community. If I leave anyone out I am sorry but a special thank you to: Jason Michener-My Hubistrator, Joni Hubred-Golden, Chelsea Rodgers My intern and Marketing Associate/Consultant, Social Media Club Detroit, Tweetea, Black Women in Business Brainstorm, CORP Magazine, PBS: A Wider World, Operation: Kid-Equip, Lighthouse PATH, Salvation Army, Princeton Prize in Race Relations, Detroit Soup, Michigan Diversity Council, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, Detroit Church of Christ, Holocaust Museum, Celebrate Michigan, CW50, MYTV20, #BackChannel from WXYZ, Stephen Clark, Alicia Smith, Ann Arbor Book Festival, Workantile, Flourish Florals, Mia Verde, Trinity Life Solutions, Girls on The Run, Biggby Coffee, Bonefish Grill, Borders, Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Synergy and so many more that are in my heart even if not in my head at this point. Let's make 2011 amazing! I am so excited to step into new territory, take on new ventures and create content that allows us to grow, be entertained and to make a difference! Thanks for reading and for being a part of WHOIAM! -Read something great!

Guest Blog By Chelsea Rodgers #Breakingthepattern

Educators: Mentors or Bullies?
We have been discussing over the last month about students being bullied or the one who does the bullying. Recently, I have had an encounter with a professor and it was not a good one. I was insulted and bullied through e-mail. She tore me down and accused me of things that were not true and she passed this along to other professor that I admire and look up to and this really got to me. I have been working so hard and in a matter of one e-mail she made me look incompetent. That being said after all the professors saw her e-mail, this event I was throwing was canceled. I had a complete melt down. This came out of no-where and I could not figure out what to say to her. I also could not believe that she was such a mean bully. At that moment I felt defeated. Once I got it together and got some advice from an amazing mentor, this incident reminded me of something that happened to my brother as a child and it made me wonder; are the kids really the ones to blame for being bullies or are they acting out what they see in the classroom?

Teachers are supposed to be an important figure in a child’s life. Besides the children’s own parents teachers see their students for six hours or more a day. Teachers are to be mentors not bullies. They are supposed to help children find their skill and to develop it, not tear it down. Teachers are supposed to pick a child up if they fall down. Teachers are supposed to stop bullying if they see it happening. Are they the real bullies and is this why teachers have not put a stop to bullying in the past? Many admit to seeing the bullying occur in the hallways but do nothing to stop it, is this because they started it? What happens when that trusted mentor turns out to be the bully; the instigator. Children act out what they see and hear every day.

When my brother was in third grade he had a teacher who was a bully to him. She was so bad that she got the whole class to pick on him. I remember him coming home one day crying because during story time he raised his hand to ask a question about the story and when he asked the teacher in front of the class called him stupid. He said after that the kids started laughing and called him stupid all day long. He even said on recess one of the kids pushed him outside and not one teacher stopped this boy from harassing my brother. Every day my brother dreaded going to school knowing what was to come. He said it did not matter if he did anything because she found something to yell at him about everyday and that it was always in front of the class. This teacher was such a bully that she even began talking to other teachers about my brother saying that he was uncontrollable. My brother is smart and he would get done with the work before all the other kids so he would get restless and this teacher never gave him anything more to do. She would wait for him to do something so she could pick on him in front of the class.

It got so bad at one point of the year that my mom and dad went in to a meeting with her. The principal, and this counselor and they told my parents that my brother had ADD and needed to be medicated. My mom said no but just to make sure she took him to the doctor. The doctor examined my brother and told my mom he did not need medication. He said he is sitting in this room calmly and listening to us, he is fine. This was a relief to my mother but this also showed her that these adult figures were not going to challenge my brother’s creative mind. They were going to keep on bullying him. It was shortly after this doctor visit that my parents decided to move my brother up a grade because this teacher was still singling him out. This was the best decision made for my brother. He still got teased shortly after moving up a grade but he soon made a good friend that he still has in his life today.

In the end, where is bullying stemming from, the students or the mentors in our school system. Are we paying these professors/teachers to be bullies? The answer is no, we are paying to be educated and to be taken care of. Parents drop their kids off everyday thinking they are in good hands and the truth may be that they are placing them right into the hand of the bully. We need to start holding teachers accountable for not stopping bullying when it occurs. Being a bystander is just as bad if not worse. Teachers need to lead by example and to be mentors and teach children respect.

Do kids see color?

School is back in session. The supplies are bought, the lunches are packed-it feels like you are done right? Wrong. The best thing about a new school year is meeting new people. Your kids are exposed to people from every background, culture and ethnicity in their learning environment. They are getting regular lessons on math, English and history...what about race?
You may be thinking that it is not necessary to discuss this topic with them. Many people have shared with me at book signings that their kids do not see color. I smile and say untrue. Kids are learning their colors everyday. Crayola has a ton of names for them. When we avoid simple questions such as "Why is she brown and I'm not" we may be avoiding a teachable moment.
Some parents have shared that they feel that it is awkward to bring up ethnicity and race with young people because they are afraid of making them focus too much on the outside and not enough on the inside. I understand this concept but try this on for size. Take your children to museums, read them books and have conversations about a variety of cultures so that they can be...well you know cultured. Children shape ideas about the world when they are very young and when they are able to read books with characters from all walks of life it only expands their mind-it does not close it. Many people feel as though they need help bridging the conversation about race-my 1st book helps with this.
"Who I Am Not What I Am" was mentioned in the last edition of Corp! Magazine for the principles that it shares about diversity and inclusion for children. The main character is Janelle and she is asked "What are you?" by her classmates. In the book Janelle has a talk with her parents that help her to understand that she is not a "what" she is a "who". She also learns more about her Multicultural heritage. In the end she also learns that who she is includes her love of biking, ice cream and pets. Have a talk today-even if you've discussed it before. Many awesome stories are available to make the topic fun and interesting and if you get one of my books-I promise to sign it. :)
Read something great!

Guest blog from Jessica Presner & The Village Kid's Club

Note: I had the pleasure of partnering with this amazing kid's club in Rochester Hills, MI. This guest post should inspire and inform. -Read something great!

Seven-year-old Rochester Hills Resident Names
Village Kids Club Mascot

The Village of Rochester Hills announced the winner of the “Name the Kids Club Mascot Contest” during their free story time on Wednesday, July 21. Over 75 children submitted entries suggesting name for the Village Kids Club bluebird mascot. Zachary Oberdier of Rochester Hills suggested the name “Chirpy”, which was selected as the winning name. Zachary, a seven-year-old Musson Elementary student, was awarded a $25 Village of Rochester Hills gift card and a prize from Brilliant Sky Toys and Books.


The Village Kids Club, sponsored in part by Cornerstone Community Financial of Auburn Hills and Kiddie Klub of Rochester Hills, provides free children’s activities to community all summer long. Every Tuesday from 11:00AM to 12:30PM, children are invited to create a free craft in the Village’s Fountain Park. On Wednesdays, children can bring their favorite cuddly pal to Festival Park to enjoy free story time from 11:00am to 11:30am. Each child in attendance receives a free membership card to have punched during weekly activities. Children will receive a prize pack for collecting ten stamps throughout the summer. In addition, participation prizes are awarded after story time every Wednesday.


¬The Village of Rochester Hills brings fashion, dining and ambiance together to create Rochester Hills’ very own downtown. From Parisian to Whole Foods Market and fifty more shops and eateries, there is something for everyone. With parking available in front of your favorite store, shopping the Village is easy and convenient. The Village is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 9:00pm and Sundays from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. Village gift cards are available at Whole Foods Market or online at www.thevorh.com.

Wisdom I Planned to ignore Guest Blog by Kea Wheeler

Wisdom I planned to ignore
There are famous words that reverberate through homes around the world “You’ll understand when you’re older.” But to me, it always seemed that I would never be that old to understand. So why wait? I just figured that the words that some people told me would literally jump in one ear and fall out the other without ever embedding themselves into my gray matter. But words have a funny way of drifting up from underneath years of forgetfulness to present themselves to help you understand the world around you. So here are a few of the words of wisdom that I planned to forget but never had a chance to…
Wisdom #1: Expand Your Mind
One of my mother’s favorite sayings whenever she felt that my sister and I had made a less than stellar decision was “You have a mind of an acorn.” Really? I didn’t know acorns had minds, but apparently they do. And I had a mind just like one. Eventually I realized she meant that she believed my actions to be short sighted and my decisions were of those more suitable to an inanimate object then a person with common sense and reason. Ah ha! Well with that light bulb moment my mind capacity just had to increase to at least…a pine comb. And a good thing too. There was more wisdom that was thrown at me throughout my years and an acorn just didn’t have enough storage space.
Wisdom #2: Be Proud
My mother didn’t always point out me or my sister’s shortcomings. She has also helped us to be stronger. When I was younger, I had a hand puppet that looked like a sleeping baby. The baby’s head and hands were covered with nylon for whatever reason. But I knew I loved that hand puppet and played with it constantly. In fact, I played with it so much that the nylon had snagged and started to run. My sister, who loved me dearly but still fell prey to sisterly duties, teased me over that doll and its face and hands with nylon runs in them. I remember crying in my bed over the fact that my sister made fun of my beloved doll. My mother heard me crying and came and knelt down beside my bed and told me, “Don’t ever let anybody make you so upset over something. Don’t give them the satisfaction.” So I held my puppet baby even tighter that night and played with her the next morning. And with that knowledge my now pine comb sized mind had to be at least….a coconut. Score one for me!
Lesson #3: Entertain Yourself
Speaking of my sister, she is six years older than me. The big joke in our family is that I’m her first child and she is my second mother. So as surrogate mother, she instilled her own brand of wisdom in me. I can admit now that I did not make her job easy or pleasant. There were plenty of times that my mother’s wisdom of “kids can wait” was reinforced to my sister by my many childhood antics. From the time I got in the shower with all of my clothes on because my sister just wanted me to be clean and I couldn’t think of anything more ridiculous, to the countless times I wanted to sleep in her bed until she moved to the basement to get away from me. But I digress. This is about a lesson she taught me, not the lesson of patience that I taught her.
As I was a rambunctious child, there were times when she watched me when I was bored. Not just normally bored but the type of bored that dissolves an overactive kid into a big pile of crabby, unreasonable madness that finally explodes into a colossal whine of “I’m soooooooo bored!” And my sister would look at me and reply, “I’m not Michael Jackson. I’m not here to entertain you.” Well….she was right. She was not Michael Jackson. I mean, she did have a red jacket like his, but moonwalk she could not. So thanks for the lesson, dear sister, if you want to be entertained, entertain yourself.
Wisdom #4: Scars are badges
And entertain myself I did. I entertained myself in the summer by climbing trees and playing in the creek near our apartment complex and in the winter by sledding or having snow ball fights. Inevitably, there would be some sort of incident where I would end up with less flesh and red stickiness seeping from the aftermath. And off I would go limping, running, and even on occasion, being carried back to my home. My mother would always do the things that mothers do to make you feel better. My father would tell me that I would be fine and send me back outside. Whenever this would happen, there were sometimes “discussions” between my mom and dad that went something like this:
Mom: “You know she is going to regret when she is older that she has so many scars, especially on her legs. She may actually want to wear skirts one day.”
Dad: “Don’t worry about her, let her go out and play.”
But secretly my dad actually did have a lesson for me about my scars. Whenever I had a new injury and he would ask me what happened and then tell me, “Well then maybe you’ll have cool scar. And don’t pick at it.” I probably would not have so many “cool” scars if I actually listened to that second part of the advice. But of course I didn’t. But each one of my scars has a story. They are their own little markers of the roadmap of my life. And I don’t regret them, even the ones on my legs.
Wisdom #5: Be Grateful
I am grateful of my scars because they remind me of a life lived. But being grateful was something I learned from my Uncle Gary. Every year at Christmas my mom would give me money to go to the dollar store and buy gifts for my family. I was so happy to buy my gifts for others and couldn’t wait to wrap them and put them under the tree. One year, I remember giving my uncle a shoeshine kit with shoe polish and a little rag. At the time, I had thought the shoe polish was some sort of car grease as my uncle was always working on refurbishing a corvette that he kept in his garage that was always in a constant state of rework. When he opened the shoeshine kit he said with a smile “Thank you sweetheart. It was just what I wanted.” I know now that shoe polish is not the ideal gift to receive, but my uncle made me believe that it was the perfect present. Thinking of this moment reminds me to be thankful for any good thing that is given from the heart. And although my Uncle Gary is no longer here, I still carry his words, and him, with me.
Wisdom #6: Old people will make you old
As I get older, I do realize that the words people have told me do stay with you even if you planned to not listen. But as I collect years under my belt, I will take with me many wise words, but I will take an especially large collection of wisdom from my grandmother.
When my grandparents first moved to Florida a number of years ago, my grandfather had picked out a lovely ranch style home in a retirement community….and my grandmother hated it. I would talk to her on the phone and she would say, “You know what Kea, all the people here don’t want to do anything. They just want to sit around and be old. But I refuse to have these people make me old.”
My grandmother has always been a get up and go type of person: volunteering, taking line dancing lessons, attending fashions shows and the list goes on. So to put her around a group of people that believe that retirement is a comfy spot on the sofa and the remote in one hand and a snack in the other was just not her speed. I knew what she meant when she said “old people make you old.” It didn’t have anything to do with the age of the people around her. It was the lack of fire to keep living and not to just exist. I want to never just exist, I want to live at any age. My grandparents eventually did move to another community, one my grandmother felt had more lively activities and was not for the old of heart.
Now in my musings about these lessons I have collected over the years, it may seem that I took the advice at exactly the time it was given to me. But that was definitely not the case. It took me becoming older in years for these words to manifest themselves at appropriate times and situations to make me actually listen to them. But I am fortunate that the words of wisdom I planned to ignore never truly were ignored or forgotten. They were just laid in different areas of my mind for later use. So I guess it is a good thing that my mind didn’t stay the size of an acorn’s…perhaps it’s even a watermelon by now.

Happy April...more than just showers!

Readers, if you are ever wondering how you can be more involved in your community-try researching the themes that coincide with the month. April brings many special topics to celebrate. I thought that today's blog would concentrate on sharing some of these with you. Many people are on spring break and this is a great time to build up your own self-esteem or someone else's in a creative way.
Take a look....

April Is Autism Awareness Month (find out more about charity walks, research, etc.)

April Is International Guitar Month (plan a concert in honor of this theme)

April Is Keep America Beautiful Month (volunteer to clean a park or neighborhood)

April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month (donate goods to a shelter or youth organization)

April Is National Frog Month(read books based on frogs, have a event w/this theme)

April Is National Garden Month (plant a herb garden, help someone with their yard)

April Is National Humor Month(tell a joke a day)

National Volunteer Month (help someone in need-many opportunities are out there!)

April Is National Mathematics Education Month(tutor a child in math)

April Is National Poetry Month(send a poem to my blog-via comments!)

April Is Stress Awareness Month(Be aware of the stress in your life and take time to relax!)

-Read something great!

Inspiring the Dream...

I was fortunate enough to speak at Baker College of Allen Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The staff wanted me to explain how King's life influenced my own. I talked about the freedoms that I have because he fought so hard in the face of adversity. I shared that because he protested, went to prison and even died for civil rights I am able to have small blessings like a Diet Coke at a cafe.
I realize that the national holiday is over but I want to implore the readers to remember that when you stand for something and fight hard enough you not only change history but you create a new future for others.
Read something great!

(Inner) Beauty Basics

In the same way that we prepare our hair and our skin for beauty treatments...we should prepare our hearts. When you think of beauty do you think of long lashes and great shoes? When I think of beauty I think of traits like kindness, self-control, and the like. So the next time that you decide to get a makeover...have a makeover on the inside as well. As an advocate for self-esteem and diversity and a author children's books I realize that their is value in feeling great about who you are as well as accepting others for who they are as well. Have you seen my Beauty Shop Channel on YouTube? http://www.youtube.com/user/whoiamnotwhatiam Mini-videos are posted about Inner beauty, self-esteem, etc. Be sure to give it a look and comment if you like. Be beautiful!
Read Something great!

Update from the weekend and more!

Readers!

I hope that you enjoyed a great thanksgiving this past week. I was able to reflect on my blessings and enjoy lots of time with family and even friends. My friend from college showed up to my signing at Borders Express/Great Lakes Crossings Mall on Saturday with her niece Skylar. Skylar's official birthday is Monday...a big Happy B-day to her. She was treated to the "Who I Am" series by her aunt and I gave her a Janelle glitter pen. The staff at the signing was great and I truly enjoyed signing out books for so many great people over the weekend.

If you would like to come and see me and get a signed copy of my series...you are in luck! I will be at Briarwood Mall (Ann Arbor) in the Borders/Waldens bookstore this Saturday from 12-2! The first 15 people that mention this blog post will get a free gift! I hope that you are there.

In honor of cyber Monday I am throwing in a special gift for all orders of "Who I Am" merchandise purchased on my blog today...remember these books and accessories make great gifts!

Read something great!

Happy Thanksgiving from Janelle & Zoey!

What Janelle is thankful for: I am thankful for my mom & dad! I am thankful for my best friend Zoey. I am thankful for my cat & dog. The book that brought me into your lives was the first in the "Who I Am" series and I am more than thankful for you-the reader! I am blessed, I am short for my age, I am a girl who loves to talk and I am more than just a color or two! Happy Thanksgiving!
What Zoey is thankful for: I am thankful for my new family which includes my mom, dad & brother! They are the best! I am so thankful for Janelle and my teacher Mrs. Deneen! I don't have any pets but that's okay because I can play with Janelle's anytime that I want to. I guess my biggest thing to be thankful for is that 100% Real is a book mostly about me! Have you read it yet? Make sure that you do!
-Read something great!

So you think you can network??

Readers,
Over the last 24 hours I have been on a true challenge. I committed myself to social networking for a whole day. I tweeted, facebooked used Linked In, emails and of course my blog for more hours than I ever have in one day consistently. I decided to take this feat on because I realized that our global economy allows us to connect directly with our readers...all of the time! I figured I would take some time from my schedule and truly stay plugged in to give 24 hours around the clock attention to you my readers!
Okay I had a few breaks...which were needed tremendously but I think this may have been a harder challenge than my 1/2 marathon that I ran this year. My tenacity rsulted in more facebook friends, twitter followers and Linked In users and I'm impressed to say that even more people are following my blog after my adventure.
It's not all about the numbers though...I was able to chat with people that I have never met but who love my books and the message that they bring. I received inquiries to meet up in person and collaborate with more people. I was able to remind many people that I don't always have access to to come and see me on Saturday at Great Lakes Crossings Mall at Borders Express from 12-2. I enjoyed listening as well. The other perk that few realize is that our global communications allow us to listen to our base. I read other blogs, tweets and statuses that I would normally miss. I was inspired by quotes, informed by articles and humored by jokes.
The challenge is complete and I'm glad that I did it! We should always push ourselves past our limits from time to time.
Read something great!

Young guest blogger....with a purpose!

I had the pleasure of networking with an inspiring young lady and thought that my readers could profit from her story and her dedication to literacy. Riley will share why it was important to her at the age of sixteen to have a book of her own and to make a difference for others with her literacy efforts. Riley is our guest blogger today and her words are unbolded below...Enjoy & Read something great!
-Tara


It was important to me to try to get published for a number of reasons:

First, I think I wrote a great fantasy adventure story, which I loved writing and which I loved reading enough to edit it repeatedly, and I’d really like to share that story with other kids.

Second, I am very involved in children’s literacy and I think a lot of kids stop reading between the ages of eight and fifteen, especially boys, and I think the fantasy genre keeps those readers interested and engaged in reading. It was important to me to publish because I hope that a boy or girl somewhere enjoys my stories enough to keep on reading.

Third, some of the proceeds from my books sales go to my nonprofit for literacy, Breaking the Chain.

Fourth, because I’ve written and published books, I am able to go to schools to speak. I am speaking at schools around the country to students in grades 3-8, and I talk to them about writing books and about literacy and Breaking the Chain. I hope to make them aware of how important their education is, what their lives would be like without an education, and to encourage them to take ownership over their own education.

I am passionate about promoting global literacy because I believe that the way to help people, especially children, break the cycle of poverty and exploitation is through literacy.

I created my nonprofit for literacy, Breaking the Chain, when I was fourteen, after learning that there are 120 million children around the world don’t have the opportunity get an education and that there are 800 million adults that cannot read or write, two-thirds of whom are women. These women and children are very vulnerable to exploitation. They are unable to get jobs and they cannot feed or clothe themselves. Only through education do they have the opportunity to make their lives better.

The mission of Breaking the Chain try to eliminate the bonds of poverty and illiteracy for children and their communities through education and sustainable development, both domestically and internationally. Building schools in places where the government cannot or will not build schools for their citizens seemed like a good place to begin. I adopted two villages in Africa, one in Kenya and one in Sierra Leone; I was able to raise enough money to build a school for each village, and to provide both villages with a water purification system. I’ve also created a children’s literacy center at a women’s shelter in Colorado, and bought over 1000 new children’s books for Reach Out and Read and The Heart of America Foundation.

This year, Breaking the Chain achieved tax-exempt status and my older brother, Nick, who is twenty, joined me (I wasn’t old enough to sit on the Board of Directors or to file the paperwork with the IRS).

I am really excited about our new projects this year. We have adopted another village in Sierra Leone, and will provide the funds to build a school and a water purification system there. We are also developing a domestic program which I think can have a direct affect on kids in the United States. It’s more difficult to dramatically impact children’s literacy in the United States because we already have schools in place, but many schools in the U.S. have very low reading proficiency rates. We are going try to have an impact on those kids. We hope to have that program in place within the next month or two.

As for my books, The Fire Stone is the first book in The Reign of the Elements series and it was just released. There are five books in the series and I have written all of them. The book is for ages nine to about fifteen, but even adults like teen fiction so there’s really no age limit. It is fast-paced and exciting, but the characters are very real; I think kids relate really well to my characters because my fifteen/sixteen-year-old voice resonates with them. I’ve also written the first book of an urban fantasy trilogy and I’m currently working on the second book.

Donations to Breaking the Chain are tax deductible and they are very welcome - even a small amount can make an enormous difference. You can find out how to donate at: www.linkbylink.org.

My other websites are:
www.rileycarney.com
www.rilcarney.blogspot.com

THINK BIG!

One thing in this life that you have control of are your thoughts. It is ironic but those very thoughts dictate your actions, your character and in essence your life. How often do you think of your dreams and goals? Many people are nervous about putting the effort into a vision board...so let's start with the thinking cycle before we move on to practical application. How positive are your thoughts? Do you believe that you can reach your goals? I remember being a little girl and being told that I had a vivid imagination. In middle school a friend drew a "say no to drugs" poster. She felt pretty proud of herself and she should have because the poster was nice.

I asked her to show it to one of the teachers that started a school campaign and maybe we could have the drawings copied and made into replicas all around the school. I shared with her the fun and awareness that would come from making the theme into a skit or a featured assembly. She looked at me with her mouth open and simply said you think too big and you are blowing this out of proportion. We never did anything with her creation. It set in her notebook and no one was ever able to see the effort she put into the beautiful and descriptive drawing.

We did not tell our teacher...we simply did nothing. In retrospect...I still think it could have been great to at least try and present it and see how lives could change from a simple picture. But my friend had thoughts that held her back from exposing her creation to the rest of the school. She thought that it should not be a big deal. Obviously it was her drawing and her choice but this made me think about her words to me..."You think too big".
Can someone really think too big or is their faith too small? When I told a girl that I wanted to be an author she smiled at me and said "yeah right" the class laughed and told the teacher about their desires to obtain more traditional careers.
Did they laugh because they thought it was funny? No...I think they laughed because they could not envision "Tara Michener author of the Who I Am Series," Celebrating diversity and
self-esteem in kids.
This is not a hit towards the kids that I grew up with but something that I am asking you the reader to ponder in your own life. Do you encounter people on your job, at school or in your family or circle that don't believe in your dreams?
How does this change your thinking about yourself? If we choose to think big there is nothing that we cannot accomplish! Keep your thoughts positive and faithful and you will be surprised at the reward that follows.
Read something great!