On April 4th, my heart hammered with excitement as I sat in a seminar at Columbia University… while the dean schooled us on Blogging. Amongst hundreds of alumni of the Graduate School of Journalism, I realized, I have everything at my fingertips to inspire Bliss around the world. I already had a blog… and suddenly the vision crystallized.
On April 19th, two weeks later, I sat in a TV studio, telling the world about my new Blog on Fox 2 News — and the video reports that share positive news stories with anyone on the planet who visits MyFoxDetroit.com. Click here to watch the video clip. And click here to read The Bliss Report — my new feature on Fox 2 showcasing people who are overcoming obstacles, living life to the fullest, and helping others. It’s interactive. It’s uplifting. And it’s inspired by my divorce, lifelong weight struggle, and racial identity challenges. I escaped The Abyss by choosing to live and think in The Bliss Zone. And I’m inviting you to join me. Now, by putting action behind my vision, and sharing it with folks committed to spreading positive news, we are creating magic on live TV and on the Internet. So, if you’re looking for a way to Find Your Daily Bliss for Life… focus on your vision and your dreams, take action, and soon — maybe in just two weeks — you’ll be making magic on live TV and sharing it with the world!

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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Ask kids how they Find Their Daily Bliss, and I guarantee you’ll smile. I did, this morning, as a group of 10-year-olds chimed, “Recess! Video games! Playing with friends!” The exuberance in their voices was matched only by the joyous sparkle in their eyes. As I spoke about writing and my new TV/Internet project — The Bliss Report on Fox 2 and MyFoxDetroit.com — my son’s fourth grade class and their awesome teacher got a first-hand lesson on blogging, writing and following dreams. What a thrill to share that! But it’s their example of enjoying life’s simplest pleasures that inspires me. Like when I explained that anybody can have a blog — or online journal — about any subject. You should’ve seen the girls’ faces light up when I said, “You can have a blog about cool hair styles, like when you go on vacation and come back with your hair braided with beads.” (These girls are very smart in math, reading and science, too!) And the boys practically leaped up when I said, “You can have a blog about video games.” Every day, I try to emulate their in-the-moment enjoyment of life. Reminders: watching my son eat a Snickers bar and chug chocolate milk (he eats lots of veggies & fruit, too). He’s totally focused on the deliciousness of the chocolate, peanuts & caramel, and the cold, sweet milk to wash it down. Likewise, the other day, at a little girl’s birthday party, us adults marveled at how the kids were so excited to play with a bunch of balls on the lawn. And in the after school creative writing that I teach as a volunteer at my son’s school, I loved a first graders’ totally serious question regarding the book he’s writing: “Hey, can you hot-wire a time machine?” His intense expression rivaled an official talking about the stock market or the presidential election. “Of course, it’s your story, you can make anything happen,” I answered, loving the metaphor for life. So if you’re looking for Your Daily Bliss today, ask a child about theirs…

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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You have to be right, in order to get right. Mr. Right, that is. Or Ms. Right. Recently someone said I get my happiness from my romantic relationship. Yes, it is thrilling, exciting, fulfilling. But another person is not the main source of my Bliss supply. It comes from within. And I had to tap into that geyser of good energy BEFORE I could attract The Man of My Dreams. Conversations with friends conclude: if we’re not happy with ourselves FIRST, then we’re miserable in a relationship with someone else. Why? If I don’t love me, how can I believe someone else loves me? Here’s proof: Last week superstar songstress Mariah Carey told Oprah that she has felt UNWORTHY of true love. So she threw herself into her career to escape the sadness and loneliness of failed relationships, including marriage. WOW! My jaw dropped. If someone as beautiful and accomplished as Mariah Carey could feel unworthy of love, then what’s the prognosis for the rest of us? The answer: reaching deep down, figuring out WHY, and fixing it. Only then can we love ourselves and know that we deserve the best love ever. Once that light glows from the inside out, it magnetizes us to attract relationships that enhance our happiness. Mariah told Oprah that she’s figured this out—and attracted The Love of Her Life! So yes, I love every second of mind-blowing Bliss with The Man of My Dreams. But I got it goin’ on inside myself, FIRST.

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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Laying awake at night… eyes wide open in the darkness… That was me, too many times in recent years. Because the nasty churning of The Abyss kept plunging me deeper into loneliness… panic… sadness. My sleep switch, it seemed, was stuck on Toss & Turn.

Well now, thankfully, my sleep dial is turned to Blissomnia. Last night, despite fatigue, the day’s highlights titillated my mind like a dozen movie trailers. The thrilling motorcycle ride… the romantic moments… the satisfaction of solving some cyberspace and computer things… great moments with loved ones… a sunshine run by the river… and the fact that I’ll be on TV today — for my booksigning and fiction workshop at The International Book Fair at Wayne County Community College District on Saturday in Detroit.

My Blissomnia is also fueled by the excitement of launching a phenomenal new project so that I can share Bliss with the whole world. Details coming soon… Meanwhile, if your sleep switch was stuck on Worry or Stress last night… please use my story for faith and proof that if just hold on and believe in better days… soon you’ll be “enjoying” Blissomnia, too. And if you did have a rough night, make a special effort to Find Your Daily Bliss!

Posted: April 17th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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I loved every thrilling second of My Daily Bliss — on a motorcycle! The speed… the freedom under the wide open sky… the romantic adventure of hugging tight behind The Man of My Dreams as he drove with skill and stealth… All I could do was shriek! Zooming around the six-mile loop of our urban park, Belle Isle, I marveled at the evening sky. A vast swirl of orange and pink, it set a dreamy backdrop for downtown and our riverside ride. With each upward shift of gears, his gleaming Harley roared louder… we zoomed faster… I shrieked louder. Entranced by the magic of the moment, I savored every sensation—the wind on my face, My Love’s deep voice describing the liberating thrill of the ride, the leathery scent of his black jacket… It felt like a movie scene, but it was real. And I glowed with gratitude for having the courage to rewrite the script for Elizabeth’s Life as a blockbuster of happiness, love, adventure, fulfillment and phenomenal experiences like this. What a difference a year makes, I thought, grinning. What a difference five years make. As my body tingled with euphoria, mind whizzed back over past moments when I’d circled Belle Isle by foot, bike and car while wallowing in The Abyss of disappointment… fear… loneliness. No more! Because tonight confirmed my favorite psalm: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Well, I’ve been through the abysmal night. Now it’s morning. And it’s pure joy.

Posted: April 17th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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I’m loving this supreme moment of Bliss.  I’m actually tingling. And I feel like a non-stick Teflon coating is protecting me from even a glance toward the churning depths of The Abyss. In a split second, any item on my “worry list” could plunge me into its inky darkness… like two weeks ago, when something made me a crying, cringing wreck. Or other days, when my brain is a run-away train of worry, anxiety, fear.  Those moments in The Abyss show me just how great it feels to get My Daily Bliss. And today I’m finding this happiness in a choice to live in a positive light. Literally. During my afternoon run, the sidewalk was half in the sunshine, half in the shade. Metaphorically and physically, I chose to jog in the brightness.  That sunshine beamed on my whole day. Picking up my son from school, I playfully marveled at how my baby boy now wears such big gym shoes. Visiting with The Man of My Dreams, I expressed how much I appreciate sharing life and love with him. Seeing my mother and talking with my sister, I said, “I love you.”  When I feel this great, I savor every second, because — like a chocolate truffle or a romantic moment — Bliss is a fleeting phenomenon. We’re lucky to experience even a few seconds of it in a day. So when we get it, we have to grab ‘hold for as long as it lasts. I’m doing that, tonight, hoping that every word I type will prolong and preserve this euphoria. And I hope that when you Find Your Daily Bliss, you hold on tight, and let it light up your day.

Posted: April 15th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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As I enter the kitchen, the coffee beans beckon like black diamonds. I bend toward their glass canister, close enough to kiss this beautiful Latin American blend. Closing my eyes, I inhale. “MMMmmmmm.” A troupe of endorphins dances through my brain and body. And this sensory extravaganza symbolizes my conscious decision to celebrate life, from the mundane to the magnificent, every moment for the next 24 hours. Because waking up to smell the coffee immunizes my mind from plunging into The Abyss of negativity. Instead, by delighting in life’s simple pleasures, I cherish the present — the gift of now — while creating better tomorrows.

Most days, My Daily Bliss begins during the silent stillness of dawn.  I can’t wait to splash my slumbering taste buds with liquid pleasure. But it takes a little work first. Grasping the coffee grinder, a foot-high white silo, my hands are on autopilot as the beans ping into the silver cup. I secure the clear plastic dome, push the button… Whirr! I pour the potent powder into the scalloped embrace of a filter. Filled with ground coffee, it’s like a sunflower with white petals and a brown center. Mr. Coffee stands by, his belly full of water, his little orange button awaiting my touch so he can brew my Bliss. I gently place the coffee-filled filter into the white plastic cradle and snap it shut. Gurgle…splash…drip… Bliss in a Cup is just moments away…

Posted: April 13th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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Part 2 —
Indulging the Deliciousness…

The rich aroma of brewing coffee makes my tastebuds tingle with anticipation. So I grab a jumbo mug, a silver spoon, and hazelnut-flavored creamer. Then, once the glass carafe gleams like a giant onyx crystal, I grasp the handle, tilt it over my mug, and ogle the brown stream splashing into my cup. Creamer creates light-caramel perfection. Then I spoon up enough steaming sweetness to tantalize my taste buds. I savor every sensation as the creamy coffee warms my sleep-dry throat… splashes into my empty stomach… soothes my very soul. For a moment, I am one with my coffee, oblivious to anything but Bliss. If Juan Valdez — the poncho-wearing, mule-pulling star of TV commercials for Colombian coffee — were to enter the kitchen, I’d propose marriage. Because I’m so grateful for this Bliss in a Cup.

Posted: April 13th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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Part 3 —
Java Jolts the Day Ahead!

The sudden surge of caffeine energizes my body and electrifies my brain to Snap! Crackle! Pop! So I sit down at my computer and let my fingertips dance over the keyboard. Or I scribble a TO DO list. As I savor the second half of my cup, I apply the same focus and fascination all day. Especially while gazing at my little boy’s face as his mini-man morning rasp recounts Batman’s blow-by-blow defeat of the Joker in his dream. While writing, I groove on the melodic flow of phrases, the aesthetic beauty of the written word, for a business letter, a novel, an article, a journal entry. While taking a call from The Man of My Dreams, I close my eyes and let my name ride the bass of his voicebox ‘round and ‘round in my mind. While looking at the sky, whether gray or glorious blue or full of sunbeams shooting down through fluffy clouds. And while running or lifting weights, I soar on endorphins. My body and brain are turbo-charged. Yours can be, too, when you Find Your Daily Bliss!

Posted: April 13th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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When I got up this Friday morning, I had no idea that 12 hours later I’d be sitting in the sunshine on a big rock by the river, staring at the beautiful city skyline, listening to waves crash near my feet… and sharing a super romantic moment with The Man of My Dreams. But this surprise moment of Bliss magically unfolded after our spontaneous decision to enjoy the Springtime warmth with a drive around the Motor City’s answer to Central Park—an island in the Detroit River. There on Belle Isle, all anxiety dissolved. And I focused on the sensory extravaganza of the present: holding his hand, listening to birds, inhaling the fresh air. I realized, as much as I seek My Daily Bliss (like earlier with an invigorating run through downtown), this time it came to me. But I had to be open to it. Because I could’ve missed it altogether. Yeah, I could’ve complained that it was too windy… the rock was uncomfortable… or that I was hungry. Instead, I focused on the positive, because I needed some Bliss to balance too many hours I’d spent this month in The Abyss of worry or anger or disappointment. And the wild thing is, the more determined I feel to stay happy, the more moments like this I attract. Because, a short time later, after we enjoyed delicious salads at my place overlooking downtown, we were wowed by yet another surprise moment of Bliss. Suddenly these fluffy white clouds parted and huge, golden beams of sunshine shot down onto the city. It was so breathtaking, we stared in awe. It was a divine reminder that Finding Your Daily Bliss can be as simple as looking out the window.

Posted: April 12th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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