Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5
Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you Shire and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can’t wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we’ll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps. 

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren’t so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world’s first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond–or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity’s baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don’t do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn’t want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother’s hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya–the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, “I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm.” The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. “We don’t have enough food now…our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues.”

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on–in nine generations of 5x5x5…we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to
help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support,
healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It’s so so simple; here’s what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I’m looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you’re interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn’t wait. She doesn’t wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn’t wait for us to decide if she’s important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on…please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped–you are saving lives and changing history.

p.s. Please don’t move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you’re life is busy like mine, you probably won’t get back to it later. Let’s not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let’s leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!

The exciting news is that the luxury blog fashion + class & jet lag and American retailer Nordstrom will hold tweet-ups to spotlight Zaharoff’s collection in Seattle, Chicago, and Washington DC at the following Nordstrom stores and dates:

-Seattle Bellevue Square: September 24, 4-7 PM

-Washington, DC Pentagon City: October 1, 4-7 PM

-Chicago Michigan Avenue: October 8, 4-7 PM

If you live in these cities or have the opportunity to attend these tweet-ups, you can meet George Zaharoff. How many times do we get the chance to meet our favorite fashion designer in person?

For more information, please visit The World of George Zaharoff: FALL 2011: NORDSTROM TWEET-UPS

Much Love,
~Shire

I began pursuing a BIG dream two weeks ago. After deciding I could no longer avoid the news about the famine in the horn of Africa, I had that gut feeling that I couldn’t sit this one out. I HAD to do something because I could. Something bigger than I could do alone.

Two of my children, Ashen and Bereket, were adopted and are from the region affected by the drought in Ethiopia. They would be two of the statistics if they still lived there. I see my son’s and daughter’s faces in the photos of those suffering in the refugee camps. It could have been him. It could have been her. The thought haunts me.

And moms just like us are watching their children go hungry day after day. I can’t imagine what it’s like, but I have to –I have to be there to help them, because it could have been my children. These families have lost their livestock, their crops, food prices are inflated at the market if there any food there, and don’t have any more lifelines to tap into. Many are traveling hundreds of miles through parched land in hope of finding help. Many are dying along the way. It is estimated that 29,000 children have died in the last 90 days in the famine in Somalia alone.

But I KNOW we can do something about it. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed, we can rally ourselves and our friends to respond! I set up a fundraiser through See Your Impact. 100% of your gift will go to the relief and development organization World Vision, where it will be combined with government grants to multiply up to 5 times in impact!

You’ll receive updates on just how your funding is being used to help save lives affected by famine in East Africa. I’m amazed at how much we’ve raised already — over $7,000 in just four days! We blew through our first 3 goals in just 3 days and are well on our way to $10,000 and beyond!
I need you to help me save lives. It’s so so simple; here’s what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share Ask5for5 on Facebook to stay updated too!

I’m also looking for 100 bloggers to stand with Ask5for5 to spread the word during Social Media week, September 19th – 23rd. If you’re interested, email me, ask5for5@gmail.com.

Thanks! Please donate and email your friends right now–don’t wait for a calmer moment, because if you’re like me, other demands inevitably crop up and you won’t get to it. A child’s life hangs in the balance, but you can help save her!

Photo Courtesy of George Zaharoff

I was fortunate enough to meet Fashion Designer George Zaharoff on Twitter. He is humble and down to earth. He found his passion (his life’s purpose) in fashion design. He understands that the source of all abundance in life is not something you search for. It’s a resource you tap into from inside yourself. I believe this is what makes him successful along with his love for life and his popular dog Piccolo.

George traveled extensively all over the world throughout his life. Traveling and living in other cultures bring balance, serenity and wisdom. George recognizes the beauty, the kindness and the goodness in all things. He gives every element of life his fullest attention. His enthusiasm is contagious. That is the “fuel” for a successful life. You can feel his passion in his writing.

“Georgisms” are sayings he has written from the time he was 19 year old. They are beautiful sayings such as: “I am in control of my own destiny” and “I Look Within Myself for the Answers”

George Zaharoff is inspiring. In his own words: “Zaharoff isn’t a just a label, it’s a lifestyle.”

George accepted my request to interview him. I am thrilled to share my interview with all of you.

SHIRE: Dear George, Thank you for allowing me to interview you.
Was fashion your first business idea? Have you considered others?

GEORGE: The fashion house was my very first business idea, I was 18 years old and a sophomore at DePaul. What I am doing now is what I wanted to do when I was a child. Every time I have tried to do something else, the Universe would throw me back on this track. After failing miserably in Milan at age 20 (twenty!), I remember being in my third interview with Anderson Consulting and being told when I meet the big managers to dress a little bit more conservative. Now remember, this is 1994-ish. I said, “but Valentino Couture is conservative.” While that was happening, I thought of going to YALE to do my MBA. And I remember I was wearing this beautiful Rene Lezard white and black checkered double-breasted sport jacket with a pair of black pants, a shirt and a floral Chanel Tie – gorgeous. I walked into this room and everyone was wearing these boring BORING black pin-striped suits. I was the only one, in the entire room, wearing a sport jacket. There are so many other stories like that – but for some reason, I was always “pushed” back on this track.

SHIRE: If fashion design hadn’t been your “calling”, can you imagine doing anything else?

GEORGE: I don’t know what else I would be doing. If I can tell you how much I love LOVE what I do – words can’t describe. When I am creating, I feel like I am one with the Universe. I feel like I am in flow.

SHIRE: I believe we can become better, wiser even stronger through hardships. Have you gone through some hardships?

GEORGE: I don’t think words can say the hardships I have been through. BUT I’ve never felt alone, I never once thought, Dear God, where are you? And my immediate family, my parents and my brothers and sisters, were also always there for me. I do feel like I am Dante from Dante’s Inferno – I have come from the depths of hell and I am back to talk about it. As long as you have your health, including your mental health, everything else can be dealt with…and never give up, never ever ever EVER give up.

SHIRE: How does an entrepreneur recognize a good idea?

GEORGE: There are people out there that come out with a constant flow of ideas, incredible ideas. Entreprendre is Old French for “undertaker” – the act of undertaking “x”, in this case the idea. To undertake takes a great deal of chutzpah – it’s a scary world out there and for someone to take money from their savings….or to take money from someone else to go after their dreams isn’t easy. An entrepreneur just knows…and if a road block comes, they find their way around it. There’s no such thing as failure, just “what’s next”.

SHIRE: What attributes do you think are important in becoming a successful entrepreneur?

GEORGE: In 2004, I remember an executive from Nordstrom asked me, “how does it feel to be successful?” And I stopped for a minute and said exactly what my thought was, “I never considered myself successful.” I am so much into the “game” with my eye on the ball, I don’t think about “oh I am successful”. With that little thought I just shared, people equate success with money, and it’s not right. Success is taking an idea and bringing it to the marketplace and have people use their hard earned money to buy it. We equate success with Donald Trump, but was Mother Teresa successful? Success comes in different ways.

SHIRE: What is the main key ingredient to your success?

GEORGE: The main key to Zaharoff being successful, no doubt, number one – the Zaharoff team. With the right team in place, everything can be dealt with. With our team, it’s about the brand – what is best for the brand. Not about Joe, Jane, or Steve. When you come with that perspective, it is easier to make decisions. Then there is the product and service; it has to be world-class otherwise customers will go elsewhere. What we do at Zaharoff is give the same fabrics as the Italian brands, equal or better quality than them, at half to 70% less the price. How are we able to do that? We don’t mark up our goods as high as our competition. And our clothes are made in a brand new state-of-the-art factory outside of Boston.

SHIRE: What was your biggest challenge to become a successful designer?

GEORGE: The biggest challenges the brand has experienced were always external. The WTC attacks on 9/11/2001, directly affected the company and it took me two years to get back on track. And finally this year, 2011, we have been able to recover from the 2008 financial meltdown. To be a successful design house, a brand needs to have a very strong identity and exceptional managers, it must know exactly what it stands for. I refer to a brand as if it was a person, because it is, a brand is a living breathing entity, the managers and designers are its organs.

SHIRE: Was living abroad a beneficial experience for your business? Would you recommend it to other entrepreneurs?

GEORGE: The world was a different time and place when I lived in Europe and I am SO fortunate to have experienced it at that time. The Italians taught me excellence – what luxury actually is – and the beauty in an item we would normally take for granted, like a cashmere sweater. Yes, there is a difference between something that is well-made and something just put together for the sake of being put together. The Germans taught me the finishing of a product – the edges of a box coloured so the white doesn’t show. It changes the way you live your life. There’s a reason why the Italians are so good in what they do, they eat, live, drink, breathe fashion. They wear the clothes they make…and if something doesn’t fit right, they fix it, they adjust the pattern, etc. Over time you have the best tailors in the world. This is also why Germans make incredible cars, because they are passionate about driving.

SHIRE: Please tell me about your fragrance line.

GEORGE: Zaharoff was selling a very successful line of men’s and women’s fragrances in 150 Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus & Bergdorf Goodman doors up until 9/11 – which directly affected the company. I had no choice but to focus on my clothing. We are relaunching Zaharoff Pour Homme at Nordstrom in the Fall of 2011, which is thrilling. The cycle, for me, has never completed itself. You can’t imagine…I’m just very excited. We are going to start with the launch of Zaharoff Pour Homme and then the women’s probably some time in 2012. My dream from day one was to have an entire personal and home fragrance collection as well as beauty, such as skin care and color.

SHIRE: What stores carry the distinctive Zaharoff collection?

GEORGE: Zaharoff can be found in select Nordstrom stores and smaller specialty stores all over the country. You can go to www.zaharoff.com for information.

SHIRE: What is included in the Fall/Winter 2011 Collection?

GEORGE: As of September, 2011, Zaharoff will be doing men’s and women’s tailored clothing (suits, sport jackets, formal wear, trousers, shirts, neckwear, accessories), men’s and women’s outerwear, men’s and women’s sportswear, like items you can wear casually. Finally the launch of Zaharoff Pour Homme, men’s fragrance. Also, there are some plans with Piccolo too…yes, that’s right, my pooch has the DNA for design.

When do I get to drive?

SHIRE: What is the most important thing to you in life?

GEORGE: The single most important thing in my life is Peace of Mind. Peace of Mind means health, happiness, love, fulfillment, prosperity, etc. With Peace of Mind, my personal relationships with my family – my grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. – friends and others as well as my professional relationships with my colleagues, partners, and retailers, flow. Peace of mind brings unlimited creativity and unlimited possibilities. My Peace of Mind is the most important thing to me.
Note the key words in my life: Flow, Peace, Happiness.

SHIRE: If you could travel back in time, what time period and where would you go to?

GEORGE: We all talk about a “Golden Age”, a time where things were more fabulous. The Ancient Greeks spoke of a Golden Age, the Romans spoke about Ancient Greece as being the Golden Age….in the 80s we spoke of the 50s as the Golden Age. Honestly, I don’t think we live in a better time than today. Yes, things can always be better. But we are in a time when technology is changing so quickly and to see that is very exciting. The world is becoming one community – we haven’t gotten there yet, but it has begun, and that is exciting for me. We are also living in a time where we are living the longest we ever have in history.

SHIRE: Thank you so much for your time. Wishing you continued success and happiness.

Find inspiration in George Zaharoff’s powerful blog:
The World of George Zaharoff www.georgezaharoff.com

Follow George Zaharoff on Twitter @Zaharoff and his adorable dog Piccolo @PiccoloZaharoff.

Keep up with George Zaharoff on Facebook.

Visit www.zaharoff.com to see Zaharoff collection.

My favorite fashion designer is George Zaharoff

Chef André, along with Landscape Designer Nicholas Walker, the outdoor living specialist of kathy ireland Worldwide® ( kiWW® ) are brand ambassadors who support Kathy Ireland in her mission of “…finding solutions for families especially busy moms.” ™

kiWW® is a $1.5 billion a year (Forbes) lifestyle design and marketing firm where Chef André develops for the ACafe Brand products that range from entertainment, home, fashion, candles and jewelry designs. Chef André’s designs have received one of kiWW®’s many Good Housekeeping Seals of Approval.

Chef André has appeared on several major Television and Radio shows as well as lending his talents to private Fund Raising Wine Pairing dinners for Kathy Ireland or attending the Food & Wine Festival Palm Desert™ and El Paseo Fashion Week.

One of Chef André’s newest endeavors is contributing to Janet Jackson’s new book with his delicious and healthy recipes. This year Janet Jackson published her first book, a New York Times Number One Bestseller titled True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself. Janet Jackson reveals her perspective on exercise and healthy eating with the help of the personal trainer Tony Martinez and Chef André.

Chef André is cooking up healthy recipes!

The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is on the rise. Almost a third of American children are obese. It’s a sad fact. Poor nutrition can result in less productivity at work & school, mood swings, depression, diabetes and hypertension. The cure for obesity is simple. We’re designed to actively use our bodies, not to sit in front of television sets and computers all day. If we eat a variety of healthy foods and exercise enough to burn more calories than we eat, we’ll lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

I love Chef André’s nutritious, tasty and NO-FUSS recipes.

Generous with his time and talent, Chef André inspires us to take care of ourselves while giving back to others.

With Much Love & Gratitude
~Shire

For more information on Chef André and the ACafe Society Brand, please visit www.kathyireland.com.

A child suffering with serious illness is one of the saddest things in the world. Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has given hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

One of these children is Erik “Electron Boy”. He wished to be a superhero. On World Wish Day® 2010, Erik transformed into Electron Boy. More than 350 people helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation® make Erik’s wish come true on this special day. Watch this video to see Erik’s wish, one of the many wishes, that was granted last year:

World Wish Day® 2010 – Erik’s wish to be a superhero

World Wish Day® 2011, a global celebration of wish granting, is coming up on Friday, April 29, 2011.

Please visit Ways to Help: World Wish Day® and get involved in World Wish ® 2011. There is a variety of options for helping and giving.

Follow Make-A-Wish Foundation® on Twitter @MakeAWish and “like” on Facebook at facebook.com/makeawish.

Everyone should get involved in supporting the World Wish Day campaign on April 29, 2011.

Spread the word!

With Much Love & Gratitude
~Shire

I prefer candles that are environmentally safe. I want to know I’m burning a candle that is healthy and pure in my home. Hanna’s Candle Co. makes candles that are SOY based which supports American farmers. The candles burn cooler and much longer. Soy also burns cleaner and is an environmentally friendly alternative to regular wax. More economical too! The candles come with different high quality fragrances to choose from. The wonderful aromas are to die for. They smell as divine lit as they do cold. I love the way they burn and scent the air. They burn with a wonderful glow.

I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing their CINNABON Classic Roll, JOLLY RANCHER Watermelon, NATURAL SOY Mulberry and kathy ireland Home® Jardin J du J SOY candles. Not long ago, I experienced the awesome Strawberry Shortcake candle from their kathy ireland Home® Acafe Home Baked Collection and a Jardin J du J candle. They have a unique design and look great everywhere. They fill my entire home with a blissful scent. The fact that it was a gift makes it all the more special.

Kathy Ireland, Chef Andre and Nicholas Walker have candle solutions that offer special designs and are multifunctional. They’re all soy blend candles, wonderfully scented and made in the USA. No lead or metal wicks!

CINNABON Classic Roll: I love cinnamon and I love the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. This candle is a special treat for anyone who loves cinnamon. It smells like I am making cinnamon rolls, without all the work in the kitchen. A smooth and rich cinnamon roll!

JOLLY RANCHER – Watermelon Scented Jar Candle: This brightly colored candle is irresistible, fun, trendy, deliciously fruity and refreshing.

NATURAL SOY Scented Soy Candle – Mulberry: Absolutely beautiful fragrance. A unique combination of heavenly scented candle. So warm and sweet smelling!

kathy ireland Home® Jardin J du J SOY Candle : A Garden Scents Soy Candle with decorative floral arranger lid. For anyone who loves the great outdoors, this is a perfect treat. Just taking the lid off scents my home. Awesome candle that burns clean and even.

Would I buy all these wonderfully scented candles again? Absolutely!!!
Looking forward to trying more!

With Much Love & Gratitude
~Shire

BEAUTY IN THE SKY by Danielle Helms

During this period of hardship, I moved from the apartment I shared with my brother. I formed a special friendship with my new neighbor. A very kind, elderly lady who lived alone in her two bedroom apartment. She had the most beautiful curly gray hair with a smile that could make your heart sing. We connected with each other in a miraculous way. I called her Grandma and she treated me as if I was her biological grand daughter. However, my new Grandma was very ill. She gave me a key to her apartment so I could check-in on her. Although she had children and grandchildren living in the same city, she was by herself most of the time. I didn’t know then that my beautiful Grandma was an Angel showing up in my life to ease my pain, the loss of my only brother.

One day I felt an overwhelming urge to go home at 5 pm instead of working overtime. When I entered the hallway of my apartment building, I smelled a strong burning odor. I remember being nervous and opening Grandma’s door with shaky hands. I found her on the kitchen floor. She had turned on the hot plate but fainted shortly thereafter. I called the paramedics and followed her to the ER. She was sent back home the same night. I remember, I didn’t work much overtime after that. I would rather come home and spend my evenings and weekends with Grandma. This special lady with her witty nature enhanced my life profoundly. She would always thank me. My answer would be: “Grandma, I’m sure I will never be able to express my gratitude for how much you helped me to become a stronger and better person.”

Ironically, I never would have met her if not for my brother’s sudden passing.

Years later, I was deeply affected by the loss of my Grandma. I’m grateful for knowing her. We shared so many things. I feel Grandma is my Guardian Angel. I love her with all my heart and I always will.

Your heart tells you who your true “family” is.

The love within us is the source of all good.
The act of giving fulfills a fundamental need.
It’s our spiritual fuel.

If we don’t love ourselves, how can we offer a loving act? My “best friend” could not bear to spend time with me after the tragic loss of my brother. She was not strong enough (emotionally and spiritually). That’s when I began (practicing) being nonjudgmental and compassionate towards others.

When we lend our hand to someone who needs it, the universe rewards us. Even when we don’t, the universe does not judge us. The universe is compassionate. The universe loves us unconditionally. When each of us act the same way as the universe, we form a loving circle. Giving gives back, becoming a “good” habit. A joyful experience enhancing our lives.

With Much Love & Gratitude
~Shire

Jill Bolte Taylor, a 37-year-old Harvard-trained Neuroscientist, had a research opportunity few would wish for, when a blood vessel exploded in her brain causing a massive stroke. In the video below she talks about how she watched as her brain functions — motion, speech, self-awareness — shut down one by one, and about the spiritual and medical metamorphosis she experienced after.

Taylor explains how the brain is split into two hemispheres, and how each processes information differently and thinks and cares about different things, essentially having it’s own personality.

The right hemisphere thinks visually and learns kinesthetically. It is all about the present: “right here, right now,” which is the basic teaching of Zen philosophy; Zen meaning to wake up to the present moment. It is empathetic and sees that “we are energy beings connected through the consciousness of our right hemispheres as one human family.”
The left hemisphere thinks linearly and methodically and is all about the past and the future. It thinks in language and creates on-going brain-chatter, being the source of the little voice that says, “I am,” giving the sense of ego and separateness. On the morning of her stroke, Taylor’s left-brain was knocked out of action by a blood clot the size of a golf ball. She lost the ability to speak and read as her left-brain began to shut down. At the same time she stepped into the right-brain world of connectedness and empathy which she affectionately calls “la la land”. When she woke in hospital later that afternoon, she was shocked to still be alive. “I’m still alive, and I have found Nirvana, and if I have found Nirvana and I am still alive, then everyone can find Nirvana! I pictured a world filled with beautiful, peaceful, compassionate, loving people who knew that they could come to this space at any time and that they could purposely choose to step to the right of their left hemispheres and find this peace, and then I realized what a tremendous gift this could be, what a stroke of insight this could be, and it motivated me to recover.”

Fortunately, her left hemisphere was not permanently destroyed, and over the course of eight years, with an angel of a mother by her side, she made an awe-inspiring complete recovery.


Today, she says she is a new person, one who can step into the consciousness of her right hemisphere on command and be “one with all that is.”

I was deeply moved by her astonishing story which brought to tears when watching the video for the first time. Taylor’s drive and enthusiasm is infectious, and the combination of her science expertise and personal stroke of insight was profound and penetrative. It allowed my left-brained way of thinking to be utterly convinced of the reality of something else, something natural, something that was “part of the potential experience of every person.”

Through the process of meditation – a right brain activity – we can each cultivate a greater sense of peace, teaching our right-brains to dominate our left, and thus really harness the power of the left-brain, with the ego being tamed; perhaps converted from a perceived enemy into a friend.

Jill Bolte Taylor believes that “the more time we spend choosing to run the deep inner peace circuitry of our right hemispheres, the more peace we will project into the world, and the more peaceful our planet will be.”

What an amazing insight she has brought to us by means of her own personal, somewhat traumatic experience! I’m tremendously grateful for the blessing and see it as an incredibly important message that really needs to be shared with our world.

I hope one day everyone on our planet will embrace these profound insights and begin to develop their own sense of inner peace, for which meditation is an invaluable key.
Peace on Earth – it’s only a breath away.

About the Author of this Article: Matthew Fry is a Positive Change Agent and Social Activist. His Love and Enthusiasm is contagious.
You can follow him on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lovepeaceunity
You can help him unleash his Best Idea For Humanity by voting here: http://www.bit.ly/votepeace

“Begin each day in ways that are consistent with love and harmony. Do not attach yourself in any way to the fruits of your labor. If you attain this state of grace, your life will have peace, stability and serenity. Live your life entirely with purpose (giving) and selfless action; by renouncing fruits of action and by dedicating all activities to God. At all times, honor God and serve others in any and all of your actions.”

Then, my husband told me whom it reminds him of. He said the name Chris and everything came rushing back.

We had a brief encounter with Chris 10 years ago. We were moving into a beautiful new place, but they had one rule: We had to complete our move-in by 5 pm. It was late in the afternoon. We still had lots of things to unload, including heavy furniture. We were both tired and worried we couldn’t finish in time. I remember wiping my tears and saying a silent prayer in the elevator. Shortly after, Chris showed up like an angel. He was so kind and gentle. He said hello and asked if we were moving in. We said yes and explained we had to be done by 5 pm. He was on his way out to get himself some dinner, but instead, he took off his jacket and helped us finish moving in to make the 5pm deadline. I was in tears again when we thanked him. We invited him to dinner. He paused a moment and said “I didn’t help you to receive something in return”.

We have never forgotten Chris or his selfless act of kindness after all these years. We rarely saw Chris after that. Our schedules never seemed to come together, except for that one moment in time when we needed a small miracle from a kind and generous soul.

We never had that dinner together. He must have quietly moved away one day, leaving us the same way he entered our lives, with humility and grace.

What would happen if we all lived our lives like Chris with selfless action? Spreading love and good will everywhere, everyday….leaving behind our soul prints.

What a wonderful world it would be!

With Much Love & Gratitude
~Shire