“We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better. “~J.K. Rowling
I recently started reading the book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne.
Rhonda Byrne is the creator behind The Secret, a documentary film that swept the world in 2006, changing millions of lives and igniting a global movement. The Magic is one of the books in the trilogy of The Secret and is basically a “how-to” guide on using gratitude to manifest anything you want into your life. It’s basically a 28-day guide to magically manifest anything you want into your life.
Now, I’m not sure if I actually believe in Magic per se. But I do believe in consistency and the power of believing in yourself and I think J.K. Rowling says it well.
So maybe she’s born with it or maybe it’s magic…
Either way, I’m all about gratitude and positive thinking – so why not give it a shot.
We ALL desire something we don’t already have.
There are two reasons I decided to go ALL IN on this. A couple of weeks ago my friend Cherie Marquez (aka The Dog Mystic) asked me to form a Facebook group with her. And inside the group, she wants to do the 28 days of Magic together.
This way we’ll hold each other accountable and lift as we climb.
This is why we’re inviting you to join us.
The other reason is that I did my research as any good copywriter would do.
I read the reviews and here’s what I found: The book has a 5 out of 5-star rating on Amazon with 87% of readers giving it 5 stars and that’s with 12,490 reviews.
One verified purchaser, a person by the name of E. Blossom said, “ABSOLUTELY LIFE CHANGING. Went from roughly $70 in my bank account to traveling and making over $78K in 3 months.”
And we can all use a little extra cash. I also truly believe in the power of community.
When we band together the magic happens…
So here’s the deal: each day, one of us (either Cherie or I) will be going Live inside our Facebook group and sharing how to use gratitude to manifest anything you want in your life.
This could be with your health, relationships, money, career. your business, abundance, love, passions, material things, or anything your heart desires. Even finally writing that book you’ve thinking about. We’re starting this Wednesday, May 5 (which happens to be my Mom’s birthday, and what a fitting memorial tribute to the wonderful woman she was). This way, the 28th day will be June 1st which is Cherie’s birthday. That one we planned. 🙂
Which I thought makes a perfect birthday gift for my friend. We named the group Find Your True Bliss.
Because to me, that’s what life is about. Finding joy and happiness in all that we do. To join us inside our brand new Facebook group and find your true bliss use the link below.
P.S. If you need some one-on-one help with anything pertaining to writing your book or getting clarity on your path (or your business) hit reply to schedule a private coaching session with me.
I’ve opened up just a few spots this week for the first 3 people who respond. I don’t do this very often but I’m offering an enormous discount so grab it now before it’s too late.
We’ll schedule a live 60-minute Zoom call for only $97. These spots fill up quickly… So hit reply now to save your spot before they fill up!
The Importance of Early Detection in Breast Cancer
The first time I found a lump on one of my breasts, I was in my early twenties. Actually, I didn’t find the lump, my doctor did. It was during a routine annual exam. It was a little scary going for my first mammogram at such a young age.
Fortunately, everything turned out fine for me.
It turns out I have dense tissue in my breasts. This means I develop lumps fairly frequently. They’re usually nothing to be concerned about. But the only way to know for certain is to have a mammogram.
A mammogram is a breast exam used to screen you for breast cancer. They squeeze your breast between two cold, hard, flat surfaces. Then they take x-rays of your breasts at various angles. It’s sometimes painful but mostly uncomfortable.
How to Prepare for a Mammogram
There isn’t very much preparation for a mammogram. It is recommended that you avoid chocolate, coffee, or caffeine before the test. The caffeine can make your breasts more tender making it more uncomfortable during the exam. You should begin to avoid them about a week before your exam.
Hopefully, where you for your exam will be as cool as mine. They have coffee readily available and giant jars of Hershey kisses in the waiting rooms. To make up for all the chocolate you gave up
On the day of the exam, do not put on deodorant, lotion, perfume, or anything else on your breasts or under your arms. If you do, you should thoroughly wash it off before the exam. It could alter your test results or prevent the x-rays from being clear.
After checking in for your exam you will be asked to undress from the top up and put on a gown. You should wear a skirt or pants so you can at least have your bottoms on when they remove the gown during the exam.
The worst part of a mammogram is trying to hold still while they take the x-ray. If you move while they are taking the x-ray, it could come out blurry. Making it difficult for the doctor to make an accurate assessment.
Then you have to do it again. Which is a little more painful now that your breasts are already tender. After years of experience, I’ve mastered the art of holding my breath while they are taking the x-rays.
When Should You Have a Mammogram?
Your doctor will recommend a mammogram if there is something unusual or suspicious about your breasts. Like a lump, tenderness, pain, unusual changes or discharge from your nipples; or any other unusual changes to your breasts.
If you’re old (like me) it is recommended that you have a mammogram once a year. Typically if you are over the age of 40 or if there is a history of cancer in your family. Speak to your doctor if anything seems unusual about your breasts or to find out when you should have your first mammogram.
If you have any of the above mentioned symptoms, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately. Early detection could mean the difference between life or death.
After they take the x-rays you will be sent to a waiting room. They recommend that you keep the gown on in case the doctor recommends more testing. Then you sit in a room with other women all a little nervous while waiting for their test results.
The doctor will call you into a room where you go over the x-rays together.
If everything looks good they send you on your way. You can breathe easy now knowing you’re okay.
If something looks suspicious, then further testing is recommended. They typically start with more x-ray taken from multiple angles and more advanced technology like 3D images.
If something warrants concern, the next step is to have a biopsy. Where they extract samples from the breast tissue to run more tests.
After your mammogram, you will most likely be offered a choice whether to stay and wait for your results or to leave. If you decide to stay you will wait to see the doctor and go over the results together. If you decide to leave they will call you with the results.
Keep in mind, if you are called back it is no longer considered prevention. Your health insurance may charge you differently for your follow up visit. I learned this the hard way by having to pay out of pocket. Apparently, had I stayed the entire appointment would have been covered under prevention saving me money.
I usually wait since I want to know the results as quickly as possible. One year when I was there for a routine visit, it was kind of busy and I didn’t feel like waiting. Since I was there for a routine visit and not because of any unusual changes I wasn’t too concerned.
As Murphy’s Law would have it, things looked suspicious.
I was surprised when I received a call to come back for more testing.
This time when I arrived at the facility, they sent me to the other side. This side is where the women go who failed the initial breast screening. I call it the scary side. It was not fun sitting in the waiting.
You can’t help but people watch while you’re there. Wondering who has cancer. It makes me happy to see women come out of the doctor’s office with expressions of relief and joy. I too felt relief on that day. It turned out to be nothing.
My sister Natalie wasn’t so lucky. She died of breast cancer. She had been struggling with her weight and was taking high blood pressure medication.
She was only 46 years old when she died. She found the lump between her regular checkups and annual mammograms. Only 7 months after having a routine mammogram. She wasn’t scheduled for another one for 5 months.
It turned out to be the most aggressive form of breast cancer. After careful consideration, she decided to have the most aggressive treatment. Her doctor scheduled a double mastectomy and both her breasts were removed only 2 weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer.
Six weeks later, she went back to have her stitches removed. Another cancerous lump had already formed on one of her scars. She went back to surgery to have the lump removed. Then she went through chemotherapy, radiation, and chemotherapy again. Despite the early detection, cancer spread rapidly into stage 4. Once in her lymph nodes, cancer spread everywhere including her lungs. She died exactly one year after having her breasts removed.
My sister Natalie didn’t win her battle with cancer but many do.
Her overall health wasn’t very good, to begin with. She was overweight, was taking high blood pressure medication (which completely killed her sex drive), and she smoked.
Your health and choices can significantly impact your treatment. Including your chance of survival and risk of contracting other deadly diseases and breast cancer.
There are many cancer survivors who are alive today because of early detection.
As well as their overall health and choices.
It’s scary to think about but extremely important. Early detection and immediate treatment is the best way to battle this deadly disease.
Check your own breasts every month. Only you know what your breasts feel like. What is normal for you and what is not. If you have any unusual symptoms or any of the above mentioned symptoms, it is critical that you call your doctor to have your breasts examined.
As quickly as possible.
On a side note, my sister was an organ donor. Because cancer had spread throughout her entire body, only her corneas could be donated. I learned shortly after her death that two people can now see because of her. An eighty year old woman in WNY and a 44 year old man in Tennessee.
Knowing her death at least allowed two people to use their eyes helped make the healing process and loss of her death a little bit easier.
Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Discover how you can lose weight fast and keep it off for life.
Instantly, brighten your day (or someone you love) by doing this one simple thing. If you’re feeling a little discouraged or things aren’t going your way, use this simple strategy to brighten things up.
No matter how big or how small your troubles may seem, you can easily lift your spirits. In a flash! The only caveat is you need a friend or another person for this to work. Which in itself can brighten your day simply by connecting with someone.
This can work with absolutely anyone. Even a perfect stranger.
The really cool thing is, that it will brighten their day too. Sometimes just hearing a kind voice on the other end of the line can instantly make you feel better.
Let’s be honest, people run from negativity. It’s human nature to repel things that can bring you down. But if you’re dealing with a difficult situation it can be hard to always put on a happy face. Which can make people close to you not pick up the phone so much. Or stop making time to see you.
As sad as this may seem, it’s a reality.
It’s not their fault per se. Everyone is going through something. We all deal with difficulties at some time or another and sometimes you can’t expose yourself to people who might bring you down.
It doesn’t make you (or them) a bad person. It’s simply a defense mechanism to feel happy.
The good news is there is an answer! Which is why I am telling you something good. So you can reach out to people for help without bringing yourself down, harping on your problems, or worse, bringing your friends down too.
So if you’re feeling down and out, dealing with stress (or a difficult situation) or simply need a quick pick me up, listen carefully to something that works for me. Every… single… time.
Often when I need to hear a friendly voice I pick up the phone and call a friend. They’ll ask me, “How are you?”
Then I’ll reply, “Fine” or “I’m good. How are you?”
If they know I’m going through a rough time they can smell my BS a mile away. But still, maintain your composure, and simply say something like, “I could be better but I really don’t want to talk about it.” Then say…
“Tell me something good.”
They will usually ponder for a moment trying to think of a funny story to tell you. Instantly relieved they don’t have to hear about your troubles…
Sharing is caring.
Before you know it you’re both laughing over some silly story. Or some achievement, or some cool thing that happened. Then you too start sharing something good that happened. Or begin reminiscing about a similar situation.
You and your friend both instantly feel happier. They are also way more likely to pick up the phone and call you again soon.
Don’t believe me?
Try it. Pick up the phone right now. Call someone you know and simply say, “Tell me something good.”
If you want someone you care about to feel happier, share this with everyone you know. Go ahead. Then reach out to me. On social media or wherever and tell me something good. Hopefully, you’ll tell me how my sharing this with you helped you (or someone you know) feel a little bit happier.
Want more happy stories like this one? Sign up to receive Lifestyle & Happiness news. Straight to your inbox!
One morning, I was walking to my car from the grocery store. I was feeling a little discouraged and sad about some challenges I am facing. As I was getting into my car, I heard a woman’s voice.
She said, “I was looking at your cute little figure and I started to feel a little bad about myself.”
I turned to see a beautiful woman sitting in the car parked next to mine. The window was open, so I could see her clearly.
My first thought was “Angels are real.”
Admittedly she looked overweight. I personally see beauty from within. As it goes far beneath the surface of our skin.
I responded by telling her that she was beautiful.
And that I truly believe sometimes Angels are put in our paths. Often when we need them the most. She asked me to share my sorrows and offered to help by listening.
But her kindness was enough.
We chatted for a bit longer and she told me a story about the tragic loss of her young daughter. It immediately made me realize how minimal my problems were. In comparison anyway.
I’ll soon be giving her a copy of yet another book I am writing. She will be in this book. As a key character and as my inspiration to begin writing the new book. It’s about angels in our path. The real life Angels we meet in our day to day lives.
Angels are real.
Incidentally, my heart wasn’t the only thing hurting that morning. My whole body was sore from exercising. Not in a bad way. It was the good kind of muscle ache that makes you proud of your accomplishments. I have been working out really hard lately.
It’s hard work getting (and keeping) your body in shape. It takes time and dedication.
If you have the desire to turn heads and get noticed, all my secrets are packed into 12 little chapters. Of the same book I offered my beautiful Angel that morning.
If you want a cute little body that turns heads, gets you noticed and has perfect strangers dishing out compliments – out of the clear blue…
Discover *exactly* how I do it.
You can find my little black book (black, white and red to be exact) on Amazon in Kindle and in print. Just click the link below:
