As happens each month, tonight at my home in Castle Rock will be another wonderful WWW event. Our speaker tonight, Karen Loucks Rinedollar, author of Working for Peanuts, is a delightful gift to lead us toward the holiday season.

On a wintery December Sunday morning more than a decade ago, Karen was divinely inspired by a Parade magazine article. There, in an article entitled, “Joy to the World,” written by Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Eddie Adams were photos and words that drew Karen in like the steam from the warm tea she sat drinking. In the midst of the two-page article was three-year-old cancer patient Laura Williams who stood holding a blanket–her security blanket–which, made by her aunt, went with her to all her appointments and procedures and through her day-to-day life. It was as if Laura spoke directly to Karen that day. As Karen says in her book, “My mind churned. What about the children who did not have someone to make one of the ‘magic’ blankets for them?” Karen’s book is a must-read. Her story is an incredible one, telling how because of her experience that morning she went on to found Project Linus, a nonprofit organization with presence around the world.

Tonight Karen will share her story and inspire us. We all have the ability to make a difference in the world. We were each born with gifts, talents and passions inherent in our beings. Sometimes all we need is a light tap on the shoulder or a nudge from the Divine to remind us of our calling. I believe Karen was whispered to on that December morning and she heard the urging. Because of her vision, determination and unwavering belief, children who struggle with loss, illness or traumatic life experiences can have the gift of a Project Linus blanket lovingly made by one of the hundreds of PL blanketeers.

We don’t have to found an organization to make a difference in the world. There are many ways to be of service. All we need is the belief that we are here to serve in some way, the openness to listen within, and the willingness to be inspired to action. Maybe tonight is your night to be touched by Karen’s story. Whenever it is and whatever it will be, I wish you the patience to listen, belief to see your true value, and the courage to step into the light.

I’m so excited to share my story “Child of My Heart” in our newly released book “Speaking Your Truth – Volume II.”

This book is finally available to the public and can now be purchased on Amazon at http://amzn.to/sytbook2. Forty-three women have shared their stories of courage, inspiration, and love on topics ranging from Self-Discovery, Family Matters, Surviving to Thriving, Grief and Loss, Finding Your Path, Faith and Spirituality, and more.

I would love to have your support!

Today is the day of our official launch, and we are aiming to receive “best-seller” status. Your purchase can help make that happen!

This book is a great read or an inspiring gift for a friend, colleague, or family member.

Here’s a brief sample of some of the stories in this book:

* A young girl’s innocence is lost at an early age, when a friend of the family abuses her. Her life is ultimate changed forever.
* A woman who was born without hair, learns to love and accept her herself and live boldly.
* A 9-1-1 operator answers a chilling phone call…and the caller is someone she knows.
* An actress battles with the loss of her father, the loss of her career, and the loss of her voice – only to come out stronger than ever before.

Go to http://amzn.to/sytbook2 right now to order your copy. You can also qualify for free shipping when you order two or more.

I thank you in advance for your support and kindly ask that you spread the word today by letting all of your friends, family, and colleagues know about it.

I’ m honored to be a part of an incredible book filled with amazing stories of courage and inspiration, and I look forward to hearing what you thought of my story!

“A single rose can be my garden . . . a single friend my world.” ~Leo Buscaglia

This morning, I had a chance to get together with a girlfriend I haven’t seen since last summer. It was so wonderful catching up. She had breast cancer a year after I did. Neither of us appear to be survivors–we are most definitely HUGE thrivers!

Since our cancer, we each continue to be called by Spirit to discover and live our passions, create community, and inspire others. Theresa shared with me how she continues to hear in her head the ideas of what she eventually wants to create–a place of community for women where each can develop, nurture, and share their creativity, along with her desire to work with textiles and design, create and refashion clothing.

Whether it was our cancer which woke us up or the fact that we are both in mid-life, it’s obvious that we are seeking ways to give voice to our authentic selves. Theresa shared that much of what she does right now is on behalf of her family. The work she and her husband each do offers financial support and benefits for themselves and their children. For now, she sees the importance and value of being able to provide that support through steady work. However, she is already laying the groundwork for what she ultimately wants to do–and it is NOT to climb the corporate ladder.

We shared how sometimes we each feel things are not moving quick enough, yet we found ourselves telling each other that everything is unfolding as it should. The important piece is to stay awake, aware, and remain willing to consider the possibilities.

She has a handful of women who share in some of what she dreams. When, and if, the time is right, they will find their way to be the beginning of the community she envisions. Everything in its time. For today, it seems what we needed most was the conviction and inspiration of a fellow traveler on the journey of life.

Theresa, I am so blessed to have you in mine. You told me today that I am an inspiration to you. The funny thing is that I feel exactly the same way about you. You light up my life with the endless possibilities of exploration and creativity.

Friends are an amazing gift!

Have you ever noticed that when you have a new idea or awareness, it seems to pop up everywhere? The new word, phrase, or “thing” comes out of people’s mouths, shows up in the articles or books you read–sometimes it even appears on billboards! You begin to see and hear about it everywhere. It’s as if everyone has just woken up along with you.

So, what exactly is this phenomena? Well, I believe it’s the Universe’s way of letting us know we’re on track. We begin attracting people, places and things to align us more closely with this new idea or thought. In the past two months, since I began connecting more deeply with my need to share my message about “finding your voice,” the Divine has brought home this idea for me on an almost-daily basis. The latest message came this morning through today’s “Daily OM” email. Guess what today’s title is? “Letting Your Voice Be Heard–Writing Your Story.” Of course, it is!

Yesterday, I offered my latest seminar at a children’s boutique. It’s entitled, “Find and Follow Your Inner Voice.” Unfortunately, no one showed up. The afternoon turned out beautifully anyway. Naturally Loved‘s owner, Ally, and I had a wonderful time getting to know each other. We discussed ways to collaborate in the future–including a playshop entitled, “The Clean, Green Home” which we’ll offer her patrons in June. Yesterday unfolded just as it was supposed to.

This morning however I wondered about my presentation. Should I continue to offer it? Where should I offer it next? Is the message as relevant as I believe it is? On and on went my questions. And then…there it was. The Daily OM email. And do you know what that message said? Well, in a nutshell, it spoke of the importance and relevance of writing and sharing our stories, whether they be our entire life stories or a specific event. It spoke of the healing our stories provide us as well as the help they can offer by allowing others to know themselves better.

These are exactly the reasons I created this presentation to begin with! I want to share a painful part of my life which opened me up to my inner voice. In doing so, I want to offer others inspiration to connect with their inner knowing without having to experience a traumatic life event.

Yesterday, I shared parts of my story with Ally, and she shared parts of hers. We connected at the heart level. I believe we each took away from the other inspiration and validation that we are doing exactly what we’ve been called to do. This morning’s message “sealed the deal” for me. Yes, I’ll continue to offer my talk, telling about my “mack truck experience” (my friend Jan Haas’ wonderful phrase) which led me to a deeper connection with myself. Yes, I’ll continue to share the tools and practices which can help us stay connected to our inner voice. Yes, I’ll continue to write and offer my story in other ways as well.

Whether my message reaches one person or one hundred, it will be worth it.

Four years ago today I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now with gratitude and love, I live a healthy, vibrant life, passing on all I’ve learned to others through my business and personal relationships.

I had the honor of being interviewed by Jan Haas,The Present Path, last Friday. In honor of my anniversary, she posted my story today. Because she portrayed my journey so beautifully, I am reposting it here. I wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day, life with an open heart, and good health always. In love and light, Donna

“Donna Mazzitelli has a special reason to celebrates Valentine’s Day today. She was given an uncertain future four years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her suggestion to anyone going through a challenging experience is to ‘open your heart a little more to the Love that will see you through.’ Thanks Donna, for opening your heart and being willing to share your story with others.”

This is my 200th post–unbelievable! I hope you’ve enjoyed the depth and breadth of content as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing information and reflections of a passionate, bellisima life in progress. I look forward to the next 200!

Yesterday, I received DailyOM’s inspirational daily message, an online community whose mission is to nurture mind, body and spirit. I subscribe to their daily email messages and must admit that I don’t read them every single day. This message however begged reading. It is filled with great insights about how every single life is rich–filled with the gems of life experience, lessons, and insights. I’ve included the message in its entirety at the end of this post. The bottom line for me was a reminder that if we’re open, we can take in a little about the people we encounter even in such mundane circumstances as the grocery store line.

Coincidentally, I also had the privilege of being interviewed yesterday by my friend Jan Haas for her blog, The Present Path, regarding my “Mack Truck Life Experience.” Although I was the one telling the story yesterday, I’ve enjoyed getting to know Jan and hearing part of her incredible life story, which she is currently writing and expects to publish this year. Keep an eye out for “She Moved Mountains.” I know it’s going to be a profoundly moving, loving and healing book for many of us.

As Jan and I have discovered about each other, everyone has a story–actually we all have many, many of them which make up our lifetimes. All any of us have to do is ask and be open to listening for awhile. So, the next time you’re with someone, even a stranger, I hope you’ll take the time to learn a bit of their story. Who knows, it might even be exactly the message you need that day…

Everyone Has A Story
Interesting People Everywhere (FROM DAILY OM)

Bearing this in mind, we have the opportunity to approach the world around us in a new way. There is never any reason to be bored at a party, or on the bus, or in a conversation with a stranger. When we retain the spark of curiosity and the warmth required to open someone up, we always have in front of us the makings of a great story. All we have to do is ask.

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” –Albert Einstein

I’ve learned that intuition doesn’t come riding in with horns blaring or on a chariot of fire. Intuition comes to us softly, quietly, almost imperceptibly–part of the reason so many of us don’t tap into it. Oftentimes in the past, I didn’t understand that gentle nudging as intuitive messages. I thought those little inklings, those gut feelings, those goosebumps and tingles, were nothing. Through being with people who have stretched and exercised those intuitive muscles for far longer than I and through my own experiences, I now know that those little “nothings” are really big “somethings.”

Connecting to my intuition allows me to connect to my authentic self. In order to hear and connect to it, there are actions and ways of “being” which allow me access to that deep insight. It’s up to me to open and lengthen my receptors and pay attention so that I can hear the soft, quiet voice of inner knowing. So how do I do that?

The best way for me to get started is through my morning ritual: journaling, listening to meditative music (such as singing bowls), reading inspirational messages, and meditating. Most days, I start my day this way. Other days though I can let family demands or perceived outside needs prevent me from connecting with that Divine intuition and inspiration. When that happens, I notice that my day is a bit more frazzled and scattered, less focused and grounded. Sometimes I flit from thing to thing without really knowing what I’m doing or why. At other times, I succumb to fear or anxiety, accomplishing little and being completely detached from my own creative self.

I’ve learned that it’s also important throughout the day to allow for moments when I can hear that inner voice. If I’m so busy running and scrambling to accomplish the next item on my list, it’s difficult to hear anything but the chatter of trying to get things done or the worry of not meeting my goals. When I’m only thinking about checking one more thing off my unending list of tasks to create finished products, there’s little time for checking in with that inner voice. In the process of chasing accomplishments, I lose my relationship with my authentic self.

So, in addition to a morning ritual, I need little reminders throughout the day to check in with myself and listen. Here are some of the ways that work for me:

*Take a shower or bath. Water flows. For me, connecting with the flow of water or being immersed in it allows me to connect with a deeper, calmer, more grounded “me” and the flow of a divinely connected self.
*Look at my vision board. The board I made in January serves as a reminder of the life I wish to create. It points to the authentic me, filled with images and words that speak to my spirit and are messages from my spirit.
*Carry a mini-vision board. By creating an index card of images and words, I can carry reminders of my authentic self and my connection to my intuitive, creative being.
*Revisit my intentions. In January, I also created a list of intentions for the life I wish to manifest this year. Reading my intentions allows me to once again tap into my deeper knowing and deepest desires. As I read them (aloud is best), I am inspired to be the architect of the dreams I wish to create and make manifest in my life.
*Just breathe. Whenever I pause and take some deep breaths, I am brought back to the present and to the divine expression that I am. I am reminded that I am and have everything I need. The flow of the life force is with me and courses through me–because of that, anything and everything is possible.

This morning I read from Sarah Ban Breathnach’s “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy.” In part, here was a lesson on intuition and authenticity:

“But each of us is an artist. An artist is merely someone with good listening skills who accesses the creative energy of the Universe to bring forth something on the material plane that wasn’t here before. It was a part of Spirit before we could see it as a book, a painting, a ballet, a film.

“Each time you experience the new, you become receptive to inspiration. Each time you try something different, you let the Universe know you are listening. Trust your instincts. Believe your yearnings are blessings. Respect your creative urges. If you are willing to step out in faith and take a leap in the dark, you will discover that your choices are as authentic as you are. What is more, you will discover that your life is all it was meant to be: a joyous sonnet of thanksgiving.”

Our intuition is the pathway to our authenticity, our most sacred gift to ourselves and to all others. What are you doing today to tap into your intuition and authentic self?

Listen with your heart! Listen to your dreams! Listen to your desires! Listen and never give up!

My mentor, Deb Roffe, of Summit Life Coaching, came across this video. As I watched it, I felt my heart expand and my mind soar. May you be equally moved and inspired! Have a bellisima weekend!