A booksigning… a panel discussion about women and careers… and intriguing people from across America… all set amidst the magic of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. That’s where I had the honor of autographing copies of White Chocolate beside a life-sized rhinoceros standing in a jungle-esque display in the middle of the ballroom at the Disney Yacht Club. Wearing a tiger-striped dress, I joined about a dozen authors in the literary gala where Sybil Wilkes of The Tom Joyner Show introduced each of us and allowed us to speak for one minute. How do you captivate a crowd of hundreds in 60 seconds? And in a predominantly African American crowd, how does the white-looking blond woman make folks understand why she’s there?
With a poem–my signature, sultry one, called White Chocolate, that I wrote to explain my genetic potpourri of English, French, African American, Italian and Cherokee. After that, men and women who didn’t know my name called out “White Chocolate” in the conference center’s hallways. It is my brand, the idea that helps people remember me. And it’s all positive. Because the wonderful warmth of acceptance and celebration by complete strangers—after they hear the love emanating from my colorblind spirit—is an amazing gift. It is fuel for my mission to inspire human harmony amongst all people by using my gifts of writing and speaking about life and love, race and romance.
Speaking of which, The Man of My Dreams and I indulged in the Disney experience by spending a day at Epcot Center, where we were wowed by The Land exhibit. Riding a boat through a solarium bursting with trees bearing coffee and vanilla… bushes boasting huge pineapples… space-age domes sprouting arugula… we were awed by the innovations that Disney is creating to grow food without soil. I guess that shows we’re real grown-ups, getting so excited about science in the midst of Mickey and Goofy.
Another high point? Speaking on the “Women of Influence” panel about balancing career, marriage/divorce, motherhood and adventure. Sitting beside author Terrie Williams, actress Victoria Rowell and U.S. Army Brigadeer General Marcia Anderson, we shared our life experiences to uplift and inspire dozens of women and men in the room.

Another remarkable moment was the sight of scores of teenagers walking alongside African American men in immaculate business suits, serving as mentors to young people who can choose to rise up into education and professional success… or follow the many fast tracks to becoming statistics. The organization emphasizes mentoring to make sure the young folks choose the path to success, prosperity, and positive contributions to the world.

It was an honor to participate in this most meticulously and gracefully orchestrated conference.  Friendly people… uplifting speeches and seminars… the opportunity to share knowledge… all of this inspired an even more urgent commitment to make a positive difference in the world. That is my White Chocolate dream. And that is how I Find My Daily Bliss. May you find and savor yours…

Posted: June 18th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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How do you get back on track when your brain becomes a run-away train of worry, fear and anxiety?  I found myself chugging into a very negative zone recently.  Then a magic moment happened, as close to heaven as we can get.

I was on an airplane, looking out the window at the amazing formations of white plumes above the clouds. It was near sunset, so the soft yellow sunshine cast a cozy glow over the cottony puffs.

That majestic vision was so beautiful, so powerful, that it made magic in my mind. Suddenly the relentless roar of what ifs became silent. The celestial sight soothed my senses; an overwhelming sense of serenity and optimism welled within me. Mesmerized by Mother Nature’s skyscape, I stared with wide-open eyes, allowing these feelings to fill me down to my soul.

And I was transformed.  That night, I slept like a baby.  I awoke feeling happy and peaceful.  Now, back into my daily routine, I focus on the above-the-clouds image whenever I feel tense or anxious. And it takes me back to that heavenly vision where I know, everything is in divine order. I hope you can Find Your Daily Bliss today by marveling at the power of nature.

Does your brain ever become a run-away train of worry, fear and anxiety?

Posted: June 18th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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Like attracts Like. It’s the ancient Law of Attraction that, as you know from reading The Bliss Report, is one of my favorite subjects. Because it works!

So it’s only natural that several amazing people have come into my life to invite me to participate in a weekend conference this Fall, here in Detroit, where we can share our knowledge to empower you! Each of us is living proof that what you create in your imagination can manifest in glorious ways in real life. Now we’re going to share our secrets with you.

Joining four of these six entrepreneurial spirits for a dinner meeting at one of my favorite restaurants, Union Street in Detroit, last night was so exilirating! It was so awesome to see and feel and hear my exuberance and energy and positive outlook mirrored and echoed back at me during our lively conversations about visualizing goals, staying positive and affirming great things into reality.

Our minds and lives are so transformed by the power of this knowledge that we feel called to empower men, women and children to make magic happen in their lives, too. Right now we’re confirming the date, location and details. So stay tuned to The Bliss Report!

We’re going to help you Find Your Daily Bliss in ways you never imagined!

Posted: June 18th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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Want to make more money?  Enjoy better relationships?  Embark on the career of your dreams?

You can do it!  And you can learn how by reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.  This global phenomenon, featured on Oprah and a DVD, is so powerful, yet so simple… you’ll be amazed.  Of course, since reading it more than a year ago, I’ve shared its magic in many entries here at The Bliss Report.  Because it’s working wonders in my life.
But I’ve recently become re-invigorated with The Secret because it keeps showing up in my daily interactions with people I admire.  Friends and colleagues are talking about it with a bedazzled sparkle in their eyes.  They’ve changed their thoughts and their lives, quickly and easily.

How?  By using the law of attraction.  It’s nothing new; sages have known for centuries that your thoughts — good or bad — ultimately manifest in 3-D.  So if you worry about bills, more will come.  If you envision prosperity, and believe that you can become prosperous, you’ll make more money.  If you call yourself fat, you’ll keep eating junk.  If you envision yourself as slim and energetic, you’ll take action to become that.  It really works!

So please, read the book and/or watch the DVD.  Think about how you can apply this awesome power to create the life of your dreams.  Because I guarantee, the law of attraction will help you Find Your Daily Bliss!

Posted: June 12th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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“I’m calling from Louisiana… Texas… Utah… Colorado… Nevada… Oregon!” Catherine’s calls over the past five days have been from highways and hotels across America, as she journeyed toward a new town, in a new state, for a new adventure.

After stopping to explore a cavern, she phoned to describe the thrill of squeezing through narrow underground passageways during the guided tour. This, while driving alone for five days across America. I would never do that, but I admire my sister’s courageous and adventurous spirit.

Catherine loves to pick up and go. After growing up in Michigan, she zig-zagged from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to the University of San Francisco for her master’s in creative writing. Then she moved to Reno, Nevada. Most recently, she lived in Chattanooga, Tennesee. She always lands a cool job with nice, interesting people. She always explores the new region’s terrain, cityscapes and cultural attractions. And she always seeks out unusual restaurants that serve things like menudo or rabbit stew.

Catherine is living life to the fullest.

And a brain tumor makes her do it. Yes, six years ago, a surgeon removed a golf ball sized growth from her head. Fortunately, it was benign, and she suffered no residual problems (some people have to re-learn talking, walking, eating, everything!)

Staring into the scariest potential scenarios during that ordeal inspired her to dare and dream and do all that she desires. That includes the simplest pleasures, like enjoying chocolate, or gardening, or even hiking up a mountain trail. For all that, Catherine is my hero.

May Catherine’s adventurous lifestyle inspire you to Find Your Daily Bliss by daring to do something new and exciting!

Posted: June 7th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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“You look healthy,” my aunt said from her hospital bed. After years of smoking, emphesema is tightening its evil grip on her one working lung. Watching her struggle to suck air down into lungs that just won’t budge made me flash back 10 years.

Double pneumonia. Fever of 105. A giant fist squeezing my chest, refusing to let air in or out. Sheer misery for five days. It happened after giving birth, and it took months to stop wheezing and feel good again.

But asthma, inhalers, steroids, pneumonia, antiobiotics, breathing treatments… all that was a big part of my life until a few years ago. That’s when I discovered the wicked trigger that enraged my bronchial tubes, making me cough, wheeze, and cough up pneumonia phlegm. The trigger? An ingredient in wheat called gluten. Since I cut it out of my diet, I’m breathing easy—and loving it.

Of course bread, pasta, cakes, cookies and pizza look mouth-wateringly delicious. But thinking about the consequences that a few minutes of pleasure would cause—days and weeks of misery and medications—squash my appetite immediately.

Sitting with my aunt, I took deep, clear breaths, grateful for the ability to eliminate that breath-stealing substance from my lifestyle.

But for too many smokers, it’s impossible to resist the pleasure of the moment by thinking about the horrific consequences that might strike in the future. As we left the hospital, my mother recounted the man she saw last summer. He was smoking a cigarette through a tracheotomy hole in his throat, probably because of throat cancer caused by smoking. She also remembered a woman at a store who smoked a cigarette, had a violent coughing fit, then sucked on an inhaler. Those stories, and our visit with my aunt, reinforced my commitment to keep my diet “clean” of stuff that makes me sick. Because breathing is much more fun.

So if you smoke, or you continue to consume something that aggravates a health problem, please visit your local hospital. Observe someone who’s suffering. Then vow to stop. Feeling better, or even saving your life, is the ultimate way to Find Your Daily Bliss.

Posted: June 7th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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I closed my eyes and savored the sensation of the meat melting in my mouth…

Oh my goodness, it was SO delicious! This culinary thrill happened during an evening rendez-vous with The Man of My Dreams at the cool restaurant where we had our first date.

“I just want meat,” I declared, staying consistent with recent cravings for steak. So I had these amazing slices of “beef brisquette” — the tenderest, stringy meat topped with a super-flavorful char. The textures and flavors had a party on my tastebuds. All while I admired the tantalizing vision of that heaping mound on my plate. It was enough for four people—and the take-out box for yummy leftovers.

Mmmmm…. this feast followed a great conversation about nutrition and fitness. Wearing a red halter top and slinky skirt, I pointed to biceps, triceps, abs and quads that prove “you are what you eat.” Meat is protein, which makes muscles. That, plus strength training and fat-burning cardio equals a lean, strong body… great mental clarity… and a bangin’ immune system. Not to mention, looking and feeling far younger than my date of birth might suggest. I say this not to boast, but to prove that with hard work (I was a chubby child and was 100 pounds bigger at the end of my pregnancy a decade ago) can dramatically change your body.

Being a Midwestern girl, I was raised on meat and potatoes. But as an adult, I became a vegetarian. I would eat nothing that ever had a face. The meat aisle at the grocery store repulsed me so much, I avoided it altogether. Until I got pregnant—and started daydreaming about my mother’s pot roast. She happily obliged, providing all those delicious amino acids that created my giant baby boy. Clearly, my body needed the meat to do its job to build a little person.

But why crave beef now? Don’t know. I just love it. It’s so rich, I don’t splurge too often. But when I do, I savor the sensory extravaganza: sitting beside The Man of My Dreams, laughing and talking; staying in the moment, loving life; and feeling grateful for the awesome pleasure and luxury of eating delicious food in a hip restaurant with the king of my heart.

Looking for Your Daily Bliss? Order up a plate of your favorite food… and indulge!

Posted: June 7th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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Three couples… a trivia game… and tons of laughs. Three Harleys… a map… and one big adventure. Three days… six people… and an awesome sense of inclusion.

Even my 10-year-old son knows this one. “What makes you feel happy?” I asked him. “Being with my friends,” he said.

That happiness is so powerful that it actually keeps us healthier, more youthful and far more cheerful than folks who are alone and lonely. Been there, done that, hated it.

Joining The Man of My Dreams and his friends on this past weekend’s motorcycle road trip reminded me just how good it feels to be included in a group of friends, or at least friendly people.

Underscoring this wonderful feeling is the fact that as both a writer and as a biracial person, I have often felt isolated, like a one-woman island between black and white shores, hunkering down in the safe harbor of my imagination. But that place lacks affection and conversation and fun interaction with interesting people.

So feeling accepted for just being me is an incredible thrill. Just as my first Christmas with The Man of My Dreams made me teary with gratitude after several holidays alone, our motorcycle road trip made me grin and glow.

Remember, there’s a place where you can always Find Your Daily Bliss: with friends who celebrate you for you!

Posted: June 5th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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I had so many things to do here at my desk, I didn’t know where to start. Overwhelmed and irritated, my thoughts hop-scotched from email to manuscripts to contracts to my calendar. “How am I gonna get all this done?” I groaned.

Suddenly my favorite mentor’s voice shot up out of my mind and asked, “How do you eat an elephant?”

Years ago, when he posed this riddle, I was stumped. Until he said, “One bite at a time!”

Remembering that in the midst of multitasking helped me see each tree in an overwhelming forest. First I retrieved phone messages, returned calls and contacted folks regarding different projects. Next, I completed edits on a manuscript and emailed the novella to the editor. Then I emailed pictures to a newspaper for a story about me. I sent a slew of emails. And I tweaked several newspaper columns that will be published soon.

Bite by bite, I devoured the elephant that had plopped down on my desk. My energy and optimism surged as I completed each task. The sun even brightened through the clouds. The accomplishment and relief makes me feel lighter and happier.

So if you feel overwhelmed and edgy, you can Find Your Daily Bliss by sticking your fork into the elephant, and eating it one bite at a time.

Posted: June 4th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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The sky was gloomy… gray fog shrouded the street… and my coffee had yet to kick in.

So I turned to the tool that most of us have at our fingertips at all times — my cell phone.

“Happy Anniversary!” The Man of My Dreams said on the other end of the line. I smiled, happy that we’ve enjoyed six months of fun, romance, companionship and Bliss. His voice was the sunshine that the morning lacked. And suddenly my energy surged.  I worked out, then came to my desk to jam on a zillion tasks. Sure, we all have the power to change our own moods. And of course we shouldn’t depend on others to make us happy. But the people we love — friends, family members, romantic partners — they have special power to help us adjust our brain channels from the Gloom & Doom Network to our personal versions of The Bliss Report. We’ve got 24 hour access to both, but sometimes it feels like the tuning dial in our brains defaults to static or black and white “snow.” Thankfully, awareness of this helps us change the channel as quickly as possible.

I do—with action. Once, after a stressful time in divorce court, I was having complete meltdown. In the privacy of my car, I called my sister. Her voice soothed me; her words even made me laugh. In just minutes.

So if you’re feeling sluggish or stressed, call your mentor, your brother, or the love of your life. And they will help you Find Your Daily Bliss.

Posted: June 4th, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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