Affirmative Prayer

When you were 13, were you homeless and couchsurfing with anyone who would take you in so you could stay away from a mentally ill mother and foster care? Were you in and out of foster care, group homes, and psychological facilities after you had been abused in every way? While many would say no to life under these circumstances, Sandra LeMieux and Deadrick Leonard both Activated the Power of Yes by choosing a better way. They got involved with the Orange Duffel Bag Initiative, a nonprofit providing at-risk youth (and those aging out of the foster care system) with programs to improve their chances at better education and work. It also provides ongoing support and advocacy and offers hope for lasting change. Diana Black, Vice president and board member, explains how it works.

Host Beverly Molander is joined by her husband, Dave Savage, as they give thoughts and suggestions on planning for that inevitable day. Based on their book, Heartfelt Memorial Services: Your Guide for Planning Meaningful Funerals, Celebrations of Life and Times of Remembrance, you will get some commonsense insight on how to prepare for this well in advance.

Having a joy-filled spiritual life sounds energetic and robust, doesn't it? Rev. Richard Burdick, spiritual leader of Unity North Atlanta, reminds us how spiritual practice leads us closer to being our own point of power. Do you feel overpowered by the chaos that surrounds you? Richard shows us how to stop, look, and listen ... to make changes that matter in our everyday life.

In 1999, Brenda Cobb was diagnosed with two kinds of cancer and was ordered to go the surgery, chemo, and radiation route that she simply didn't do. When a book on healing through food nearly leaped into her hands in a health food store, Brenda took heed. Her tumors dissolved, she lost 75 pounds, and then she went on to found Living Foods Institute. Is it time for a new lifestyle?

According to Bill Martin, author of The Activist's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Wisdom for a Modern Revolution, the word revolution means "turning over or returning." When we use force we are counterproductive-we fight against something that fights against us. Activism is alive and well: this kind starts with quiet and responsible disengagement so we can then engage in our natural virtue that will heal our planet and ourselves.

Singer-songwriter Daniel Nahmod is the first to admit that his life was turned upside down when his son Jude came into the world four years ago. You can hear it in the tone of his just-released CD, Cornerstone. It's down-to-earth and philosophical ... just the way Daniel has become. You'll simply have to listen to hear his animated opinions on lots of things-the hour zipped by! To subscribe to a series of his live performances, search for "DanielNahmodUS" on YouTube.

Linda and Charlie Bloom got married in 1972. They have plenty of ideas about the myths that surround that "happy union." They also have suggestions about how to live a realistic and happy life together, as described in their book, Happily Ever After... and 39 Other Myths About Love. Beverly's 87-year-old mother-in-law Erma Savage joins us with the toast she offered her grandson and his bride. After being married for 67 years to Shep Savage, she knows the difference between myth and reality!

Author Gregg Levoy says "yes" is like a muscle-it can be strengthened with more practice. In his book, Vital Signs: Discovering and Sustaining Your Passion, he shows how to find out why and where we lost our passion we once had; and then he gives us ways to start small to regain our vitality, spunk, mojo, or life force to have a curious and more interesting life. How about an "encore" career that has meaning?

To Dean Sluyter, author of Natural Meditation, anyone can meditate, at any time, and during any circumstance. The key is effortlessness. Beverly says, "Whatever we think, say, and do can help Activate the Power of Yes." Dean suggests that we Un-think, UN-say, and UN-do; and it's easy to see how that can be the core of deep meditation. If you're thinking to yourself, "I've already tried meditation," stop thinking and stop trying. That's a good first step!

Your "new year" could start today! Author Tama Kieves gave up being defined as an honors grad from Harvard Law School and a successful corporate lawyer to become a wildly successful author, speaker, and coach. Her book, A Year Without Fear: 365 Days of Magnificence, offers daily readings and affirmations that speak to us, no matter where we are. "This is the year I stop pressing my nose against the glass, wishing for another life."

Helene Segura is the president of the International Board of Certification for Professional Organizers, and you'll understand why. As "The Inefficiency Assassin," she shows us how we can Activate the Power of Yes by saying "No!" to requests and activities that don't support us in accomplishing our goals in our personal and professional lives ... and even into retirement. She tells us how we can change situations like "I am often late and miss appointments" and "I've got Brainus Interruptus and Ideas Overload."

Do you have muddied relationships filled with grudges? Who wants to live a life like that? Joan Gattuso, author of The Power of Forgiveness: Forgiving as a Path to Freedom, says it's not about "them." It's about "you." You can make peace with someone, whether they are actively involved or not. After all, once you let go of your story about why you were wronged, you'll be free to walk into a life that is fulfilling and a lot more fun.

Rev. John Strickland (currently senior minister at Unity Atlanta and a delegate to the Parliament of the World's Religions) and Mike Basch (a cofounder of Federal Express in the 1970s) describe what it's like when the heart and brain are connected ... and then when that energy is connected to the electromagnetic fields of the sun, the earth, and the planets. The HeartMath Institute has been around since 1991, and the team of scientific leaders keeps uncovering how using simple tools in stressful situations can increase confidence and trust ... in ourselves, our workplace, our country (no matter who is "winning"!), and the world.

My husband, Dave Savage, and I know all too well why planning ahead for a memorial service works for nearly every family. When the inevitable (end of life) is getting closer, emotions are heightened. Grief starts setting in and it is difficult to think straight, much less plan something as important as a memorial service. Dave and I share some ideas and ways to plan so you have the time and energy to do it just right for the person you care about.

Mary O'Malley, author of What's in the Way Is the Way, has been through fear, self-hatred, shame, and struggle, as have many of us. As much as we would like to run the other way from those bad times, it may be better to stop and take a second look. Mary shows us how we can Activate the Power of Yes by allowing those great teachers-compulsion, illness, pain, finances, and uncomfortable relationships-to open the door to a more energetic, fulfilling life.