Express Yourself!

“Reality is merely an illusion; albeit a very persistent one.” ~Albert Einstein Two fantastic guests are interviewed by host Asya Gonzalez in today’s program focusing on reality. Both guests have become accidental celebrities. Alice Abruzzini, AKA Nonie, and now referred to as Vanna 2, made TV history by being the first person other than Vanna White to share the stage with Pat Sajak as he ends Wheel of Fortune. At 87 years young, being “Vanna” on a reality game show was living her dream. Venezuelan born Michelle Poler began a school project of 100 Days without Fear that has become a life changing experience .. In efforts to become a braver person, Michelle completed a project where she faced one fear a day for 100 days. She recorded herself on each challenge and posted them daily to YouTube. What she didn’t expect was get 4.5 followers! Asya wraps up the show by discussing her charity, She is Worth It, and the efforts to stop the reality of sex trafficking in the United States.

”To be a leader, your must be a reader. Read, lead, succeed!” This is the motto of Be the Star You Are!® charity. Hosts Asya and Zahra talk with Book Smart reporter in NYC, Maria Wong about her love of reading and some of her favorite books for young adults. Multi-award winning author Geoffrey Saign joins the conversation with his book series, Whipeye Chronicles, thrillers about love, nature, wildlife, intuition, and trusting yourself. Aim to Shoot Reporter, Katie Choo discusses occupations that would involve reading or being part of publishing. A book is like a garden in your pocket. Pick up a book and find the wonder.

Do you believe in possibilities? Host Asya Gonzalez interviews the inspirational founder and member of the largest wheelchair dance group in the nation, recently seen on the Sundance TV show "Push Girls” Chelsie Hill. At the age 17 Chelsie was tragically injured in a car accident leaving her T-10 Paraplegic. With the help of her dad, she launched a foundation, Walk and Roll, to educate others about the possibilities for a full life after an accident. Book Smart reporter, Maria Wong delves deeply into the young adult novel, You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis that focuses not only on the endless opportunities available in life but also on family life, secrets, and the glamour of NYC. Asya shares the story by T.J. Hoisington, The Gift of Possibiiity, from the book Be the Star You Are!® for Teens which encourages everyone that “YES, you CAN!”

Guest author of “How to Heal Yourself When No One Else Can”, Amy Scher, offers numerous tips on how to be calm, stress-free, and focused as well as healing yourself through positivity. Amy’s energy and enthusiasm sparked the admiration of hosts Asya Gonzalez and Brigitte Jia who chimed in with their personal experiences in how being positive boosted happiness. Health Rap Reporter, Alex Pawlakos offered scientific studies and examples indicating that positivity increases heart health, reduces pain, decreases crisis recovery time, and adds to general wellness. Asya read Ivan Burnell’s chapter, The Gift of Positivity, from the book, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens encouraging everyone to say YES to life. Lower your blood pressure, heal your self, and be positive!

‘Tis a lesson you should heed. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.' Edward Hickson Two hosts who are currently attending Harvard join together for an exhilarating program celebrating the importance of perseverance. Henna Hundal and Ryan Sim are not only hosts and reporters on Express Yourself!, but, they have taken their experiences from Express Yourself!™ to launch a new talk show on Harvard radio and, in addition, Henna spins as a DJ for a program of blues. They read a chapter by Cynthia Brian from Be the Star You Are!™ for TEENS which illustrates the importance of never quitting. Today’s guest, exuberant Kamil McFadden, a Disney star on “K.C. Undercover”, inspires listener with his dedication to perseverance despite the odds, his belief that it is critical to be kind to everyone, and his gratitude for his mom, family, friends, TV colleagues, and everyone who has been a ladder in his life. “Paralyze resistance with persistence.” -Woody Hayes Never GIVE UP on your dreams!

We live in a disposable society and almost everyone collects too much junk. Rather than wearing things out, we either throw them away or jam them in a closet creating more clutter. Being unorganized creates a life of chaos. Hosts Asya Gonzalez and Jennifer Lee tackle the bedlam. Cynthia Brian’s chapter, The Gift of Organization, is read and discussed from the award winning book, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens followed by energetic and enlightening conversations with Health Matters producer and host, Heather Brittany. Heather shares multiple tips on how we can all organize our lives and environments with small simple steps to clear the clutter and be more productive. The show ends with a soulful rendition of Rihanna’s “Stay” sung by our Express Yourself!™ teen host chanteuse, Jennifer Lee. Grab the broom and dustpan. Clear out your locker. Create space and a place for everything. Shine up your life by eliminating clutter. There is meaning in cleaning.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill Optimism doesn't mean life will be perfect, just that we can imagine positive outcomes. Given a choice, we all have the power to write our own personal happy ending. Dr. Bud Bilanich, the Common Sense Guy, leadership consultant, career success coach, motivational speaker, bestselling author, and influential blogger, joins hosts Asya Gonzalez and Jennifer Lee in an uplifting romp through the power of hopefulness. The program ends with Jennifer singing “Put Your Records On”. Be an optimist and take advantage of the opportunities to accomplish that which you thought you could not.

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a mystery, and today is a gift. That’s why we call it “the present”! Hosts Asya Gonzalez and Caiseen Kelly focus on the now with an uplifting interview with author of A Short Path to Change, Jennifer Mannion, who found her passion when she healed herself from a chronic disease. The hosts also read the chapter, “The Gift of Now” by Davis Lunsford from Be the Star You Are!® for Teens emphasizing the importance of living in the present. Finally, our career reporter, Katie Choo, takes her Aim to Shoot segment to one of the top ten jobs of today, software analysis. Your preparation today leads to your success tomorrow. Be now.

Leaders are not born, they are made. It’s hard work and diligence that grows a leader. Hosts Asya Gonzalez and Zahra Hasanian conduct a vivacious and impactful conversation on the meaning of leadership. They read the chapter by Sujin Park on Leadership from Be the Star You Are!® for Teens, then spend two segments sharing their personal stories on how they are developing their leadership skills. The hosts talk about the importance of failure to learning to succeed. The issues about the Presidential election are discussed with the focus on the importance of electing a responsible leader. Reporter of Lion Roars, Katie Lyons, talks about leadership by offering quotes by the famous sports coach, Vince Lombardi. The leaders of the 50th SuperBowl with the Denver Broncos is also featured.Teamwork is essential to leadership and great leaders instill a sense of camaraderie. Leaders must motivate, know what they want, and make it happen.

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace”-Jimi Hendrix Express Yourself!™ shares the love with hosts Brigitte Jia and Zahra Hasanaian as they interview two authors who know a lot about amour. First up is Jennie Lee, healing yoga therapist and author of True Yoga, an inspirational guide through the Yoga Sutras outlining how to create enduring happiness, overcome life's challenges, and experience the Universal Love that is available through meditation. Numerologist Michelle Arbau, author of The Energy of Words, shows us how the numbers are never wrong as she offers predictions for 2016. Whatever your question, love is always the answer.

Nature photographer, Carol Freeman, joins Asya Gonzalez and Brigitte Jia for a fascinating program on the passion of learning. Carol reveals how she never set out to be a photographer and how she learned to love the craft as she is happiest when she is outdoors, investigating prairies, wetlands, nature preserves, examining endangered species, and discovering new ways to make a difference. Her Walk in Beauty series educate, enlighten, and inspires people to connect with and learn to appreciate nature. the Asya shares the differences in learning applications that happen from high school to college. In Art Attack, Brigitte discusses the value that illustrators bring to visual learners. Immerse yourself in learning for life. and you’ll live your dreams.

Opportunities for laughter are everywhere, in everything, everyday. Laughing is a healing drug with no side effects. And it's free! Hosts Zahra Hasanian and Brigitte Jia bring laughter to the show with a reading from the chapter The Gift of Laughter by Jill Byington from the book, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens. Zahra conveys her Hope Heals segment with a conversation on how genuine laughter can help hopelessness. Numerous medical studies indicate that the deep breaths we take and the chemicals our body releases when we laugh hasten healing and reinforce the body's immunity. In Art Attack, Brigitte shows how Manga artists use a variety of different techniques to make people laugh through their drawings. Asya Gonzalez joins the discussion with her view that spreading laughter is the same thing as spreading kindness, you are giving someone an experience that gives them joy. Make time to laugh every day. Humor is food for the soul. . You don't stop laughing because you grow old.

With the return of our host, Henna Hundal, who is currently going to Harvard, Express Yourself!™ boasts three fabulous hosts for this important show on tolerance, Asya Gonzalez, Zahra Hasanian, and Henna Hundal. Henna provides an update on her Harvard experiences and the new radio network she’ll be working with at the university as the ladies chat. The hosts also discuss their personal viewpoints of what tolerance and intolerance mean to them. Prolific author of YA novels, Paullina Simons brings her fascinating insights about tolerance and how she writes her characters. Paullina grew up in Russia where she never saw a person of another race or color. When she came to America, she went to a school that was 80% Latin and African American. She advocates defining what tolerance is to you and surround yourself with people who feel positive and have beliefs that are similar. Be open-minded. Be respectful. We may disprove of what someone says, but everyone has the right to say it.

Kindness is a gentle powerful act. It is the quality of being pleasant, friendly, and concerned for others. Hosts Courtney Cheng and Zahra Hasanian read Cynthia Brian’s Gift of Kindness from the book, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference. New reporter, Katie Choo joins the team with her segment, Aim to Shoot, focusing on college professors today. In Hope Heals, Zahra restores our trust and faith in humanity as she shares her experiences of kindness as courageous acts. Courtney brings us a recap of a best selling novel in her Book It segment revealing a character lacking kindness. We may not remember what people say to us in life. We will remember what they did to us and how they made us feel. Kindness is a virtue that manifests from our deepest being. It is who we are and what we become. Ask yourself what you can do to be kind today. Create peace on the planet through kindness and empathy. Do you dare to care?

Have a dream and follow it. Have a plan and stick to it. Have a goal and achieve it. Every January, people make resolutions to lose weight, earn more money, sleep more hours, travel to distant lands, and spend more time with loved ones. By the beginning of April, most of those great intentions have been long forgotten. Hosts Asya Gonzalez and Brigitte Jia show us how to create goals and make them achievable, whether it be in business, art, school, or relationships. Book Smart reporter, Maria Wong discusses the book, Willow, whose main character has the goal of stopping self-harm. Make a goal to be there for your friends. A new sports reporter is introduced today, Katie Lyons with her segment Lion Roars. Katie discusses setting specific goals as an individual and as a team and gives easy ways to do just that. Remember, don’t have to break records. Goals are best when they are challenging yet also achievable.