Affirmative Prayer

Widowhood can happen anytime. Take it from Carole Brody Fleet, who became a young widow with a 9-year-old daughter in 1998. Widowhood doesn't just happen to older women. That's why she wrote Widows Wear Stilettos five years after she lost her husband. She says that, while there are different ways of becoming a widow and different reactions to it, there are four ways that can help us live happily 'even' after. For more information about Carole and her programs that serve the widowed community, go to www.widowswearstiletos.com.

Author and former reporter Lu Ann Cahn has discovered the secret to a fun and fulfilling life-do something NEW! Even if you're in the ho-hum doldrums, Lu Ann tells us how we can get started. Whether it's returning to play, taking a class, or facing a fear, there is always something new and different you can do. Choose to have a more interesting life, and start by listening to this show. Find out more about I Dare Me at www.luanncahn.com.

Are you stuck in the same clutter you had in 2014? A brand-new year can bring a brand-new you, especially when those piles of possessions don't take your power away. Professional Organizer, Marcia Sloman, specializes in maximizing and managing limited spaces. Wouldn't it be nice to save time, money, and energy with an organized home that suits who you are and what you want right now? Don't live in the past ... you have your present and future to look forward to!

Grief and loss is difficult any time of the year, and when the holidays come around, it's particularly painful. Whether your loss is recent or long ago, there are things we can do to recover. Dr. Gloria Horsley, cofounder of Open to Hope, describes how we can expect to go through our grief after the first, second, and third years, and even into the future. Are you a friend of the person grieving? Here are some suggestions: Just show up and sit, bear witness to the loss, don't try to be profound or philosophical, and do an act of kindness (like walk the dog). You'll find what you need at www.opentohope.com.

Not all forms of abuse are physical. Emotional abuse can be hurtful and deadening in another way. The emotional abuser starts insulting, belittling, and making you feel inadequate. This can lead to a feeling of anxiety, depression, and even gastrointestinal problems. Author Amy Lewis Bear describes what to look for so you can recognize and stay away from an emotional abuser, whether the person is a mate, parent, sibling, or "friend." The book is a must-have: Charm to Harm: The Guide to Spotting, Naming and Stopping Emotional Abuse.

Many of us dream about writing a book, but few of us actually write it down and then get it published. Mari Selby, of Selby Ink, and Jacqueline Simonds, author of The Self-Publisher's FAQ, talk about how to Activate the Power of Yes in your book by starting at the beginning ... deciding what you want to write and who you want to read your message. It takes time, money, and creative thinking to make sure your book is one people want to read. That's why Mari and Jacqueline are called "book shepherds." They keep your book going in the right direction-toward being published and purchased!

Ron Pevny has some questions and some possible answers for boomers who are coming of age in a new way. Ron has created a new model for aging and shows us how we are not entering the twilight of our years, but a new dawn. Let's identify new goals, navigate grief and loss, discover new ways to contribute, and uncover avenues of profound personal development. Sounds like fun!

Children's Grief Awareness Day is November 20, always held the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Our special guests, Barbara Ann and Pete Simone, founded Kids' Grief Relief out of Fripp Island, South Carolina, when they realized how many children are in pain with the grief and loss they suffer when a loved one dies. How do children move beyond the loss of a parent or sibling? It may take a while, but it can happen. The Simones explain the most important needs of a child during this crucial time and tell us about some activities and rituals that can honor their loss and help them heal.

David Ault is a busy guy! His book, The Grass Is Greener Right Here, has just been released; and he is headed back to Cambodia to further the impact of the Khmer Child Foundation he founded five years ago. He is also the senior minister at the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta. His story is fascinating and filled with ups and downs and twists and turns. Did you know he was a backup singer for Louise Hay as she was starting out? It's a fun hour-join us!

Karen Hering is a "literary minister" who encourages writing as a spiritual practice that can open the sacred conversation within. Along with her student, Candace Mainville, we talk about how to put thoughts into words and stories and interpretations of life. Like Karen says, "We are all writers; our writing is a new birth." We respect it, love it, appreciate it, and look forward to it growing and maturing. Have fun imagining your way into a new life story. Listen to yourself and put it on paper. Visit www.karenhering.com for the book and more.

If you have never really grasped how affirmative prayer works, you will after listening to this show! Rev. Nancy Fagen is the senior minister at Center for Spiritual Living Jacksonville (Florida) and has written It's a Divine Done Deal, and Essy Freed leads the Caring Ministry at the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta. You will find a new way to look at and talk about your life. You can know your greatest good in any situation, even if you can't quite understand that right now. It's a done deal! Visit www.nancyfagen.com and find Essy at hypnosisdunwoody@msn.com.

Dr. Bernie Siegel changed our minds about medicine when he wrote Love, Medicine, and Miracles in 1988. His new book, The Art of Healing, takes our thinking ever further into the journey of self-healing. Bernie (as he likes to be called) says, "Medicine treats the results, not the cause." For instance, it treats the depression, not what has caused the depression. He explains how emotions change the body chemistry and the health of a person; so make sure you are coming from love, not fear or anger. So many profound thoughts on this show! For more information, go to www.berniesiegelmd.com.

Baptist de Pape left a "perfect" career opportunity (according to everyone else) and decided to follow his heart, instead of his brain, and pursue "The Power of the Heart." On a five-year quest that took him around the world, de Pape interviewed 18 icons, including Isabel Allende, Maya Angelou, Deepak Chopra, Paulo Coelho, Jane Goodall, Eckhart Tolle, Marci Shimoff, Marianne Williamson, and Gary Zukav to create a compelling, moving portrait of the heart. He shares his personal experiences and has some great suggestions about how we can pursue the power of our own hearts every day. To order the book or film, go to www.thepoweroftheheart.com.

Chris Attwood worked with Janet Bray Attwood and Sylva Dvorak, Ph.D., to create Your Hidden Riches: Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose. Chris describes how we can use everyday rituals and ceremonial rituals to Activate the Power of Yes and keep us focused on the kind of life we want. How does Simon Cowell stay focused? He climbs a tree every morning! To find out how to get the book (free through October 10), go to www.thehiddenriches.com. There is also a sample list of rituals to spark your imagination.

If you want to have a good guest, choose someone who has a good topic AND has achieved International Speaker Accreditation through Toastmasters International-only one of 65 selected for this honor throughout a 30-year period!! Ron Chapman, transformational philosopher, has a deep understanding of the complex ways we have cobbled ourselves together-and he helps us to get down to the basics, such as, "Thank you that my well-being is not dependent on anyone or anything." Find out more at www.seeingtrue.com.