MAKE '08 GREAT! Sponsored by DeKalb Medical Center and Wordsmiths Books

Russ Marshalek of Wordsmiths Books brainstormed a great kick-off to the new year and invited three Atlanta authors & speakers to hold forth at the Women's Pavilion of DeKalb Medical Center at Make '08 Great! Pictured are Russ, Patrice Dickey, Darlene Wofford, author of Edgewise: An Assignment to Remember, and dietician Carolyn O'Neil, whose slogan is "the more you know, the more you can eat." For example, did you know that chickpeas are oh-so-great for you and low in calories? High energy without the guilt.


My talk, "How to Get the Life You Love--And Afford It!" had eight points (imagine that) on empowering yourself--including The Power of the Peaceful Heart (and how to get it) and the Power of the Picture (and putting yourself in it). Here I'm holding up a Treasure map or Vision Board that I created a few years ago and last October manifested a free trip to ATLANTIS, Paradise Island Bahamas, where I received the royal treatment at Mandara Spa as a complimentary invited guest! This is what I've been teaching at Evening at Emory since 1999,
and recently decided that everybody wants to get the life they love--and in order to do that they need to afford it! So that's what I'm developing in my home study course to roll out soon.

The Power of Persuasion
I also discussed that mortifying job interview (back in the day) when the high powered executive held up his Mont Blanc and said, "Sell me this pen," and I sat there absolutely speechless, wishing the floor would open for me to drop through it. Sometimes it's those painful moments that teach us the most powerful lessons--and it was then that I decided I needed to learn the fine arts of persuasion--which morphed into 15 years as an instructor of Dale Carnegie Sales Training!

At this very moment the talk is being edited into a DVD that will be available separately, and I'll also include in my home study course on How to Get the Life You Love--And Afford It!

CONTEST AT POLKA DOT BANNER (We Can All Win!)
The lovely and talented Jamie Saloff, who formatted my multi- award winning book BACK TO THE GARDEN: Getting from Shadow to Joy, has also created her own author promotion website, which anyone can join--authors, readers, tire-kickers...

Jamie says, "The Polka Dot Banner continues to grow and change. We expect to have 100,000 hits in January 08. If you haven't stopped by recently, please do.

"It is very simple to list your book with the PDB. Just register, then login and fill out the different fields with your book's information. If you need help, or want us to do it for you, we have upgraded listings that offer those features. Those who are listed are telling me they are seeing a tremendous increase in traffic on their personal web sites, so if you want to increase your book's exposure, list it on the PDB." Check it out! http://www.polkadotbanner.com

When you check out MY profile (which will help me become Featured Author next month) remember to register as Book Friends so you are eligible for PDB's monthly giveaways. This month PDB is giving away a $25 Amazon.com gift card.

And if you want to hear more about Jamie's services as a book formatter, please email me and we'll discuss!

Introducing Our Next President

Hey, if you're disenchanted with the current crop of presidential candidates, here's a canny feline ready to jump into the ring. She appeared on my scene about 12 years ago--1996--when I stopped at a crossroads store in Cherry Log, GA, up near the Pink Pig Restaurant (it's a hillside show stopper).

As people are fond of doing in the country, someone had dropped off this kitten at the country store. It was about 16 degrees out (today it's in the 60s in January, hmmmm)and since I couldn't tolerate the smoke that was choking the store, I went outside along with the little kitten, who promptly climbed up my arm and glommed onto my head, which was the warmest thing around.

The proprietor said, "You can take that damn cat with you too!" and I said I might be back in a couple of days to pick her up. "She ain't gonna be here in a couple days."

I knew what that meant.

At that moment, as yet unnamed, the kit decided to ride back to Atlanta with me-- she sat on my shoulder the whole two hours south. As my beau-friend said, "That's the most spontaneous thing I've ever seen you do!" (Little did the kitten know she'd have to contend with Boog, my 18 year old deaf, blind and tiny bonsai cat at home, who ran the show!)

TRAINED BY A MASTER

Now, years after her master trainer Boog has gone to the Happy Hunting Ground, my little kitty has grown shrewd from years of hunting impertinent chipmunks and perfecting her stump speech.















She knows her way along the Path of Possibilty.



















Although she's tough on the campaign trail (watch out you varmints) she also knows how to relax like a Zen Master.
















She knows her way around the stars and big shots, and she will always be a contender -- and yet she's one of the happiest creatures I've ever met!















But probably most important of all, she's had plenty of experience and feels extremely comfortable in the Oval Office. Introducing HILLARY RODHAM KITTEN!



Let me know if she gets your vote too! XO, Patrice Dickey

ONTO 2008 LIKE A RUNAWAY TRAIN!

Just off the phone with my Wellness Coach in Pebble Beach, CA, Jo Perron (fondly known as YogaJo since our Peachtree Yoga Center's Yoga Teacher Training in 2002).

Talk about transforming HER life-- she's been an OB/GYN for years, and then when a mastectomy for cancer prevented her from using her arms for her medical practice, she dusted herself off, changed directions, got new training and is creating her new
life. Go YogaJo!

One great thing about working with Wellness Coaches is that they teach you about the flexibility of goals for your own wellness path and plan.

She was the one who suggested that rather than beating myself up for not being a "perfect meditator" that I just try to capture several five minute snippets of contemplation or relaxed mind each day--12 snippets adds up to 60 minutes. I can manage that--and leave the guilt behind.

UPBEAT AFTER THE HOLIDAZE

I am delighted to report that a lot of my stress has lifted post-holiday and visiting the family in Philly. Here's Grand Dad (my father Joe), sister Sue with her arm in a sling, niece Elizabeth and me celebrating on Christmas Eve a couple days before Soeurx had her broken wing spliced back together in surgery. Even with a pack of frozen broccoli on her arm she managed to muster a smile. I don't know how these nurses do it (she's a PhD RN--professor at Temple University), whipping around and staging Christmas for us. But she did--more power to my sis!



While she was in the hospital for a couple daze, Eliz & I bonded over nature walks on which we caught the whoosh of deer through the forest (at first I thought it was a group of cyclists, silently whizzing down the trail). We also baked a WEL-COM cake, and enjoyed the Polar Express. Yes, I BELIEVE! As Wayne Dyer says, "Believe it and you'll SEE it!"

HOLIDAY VISIT



Last week I also dropped some gifts and the mini-basketball hoop with my young friend Tiawanna and her brood-- 4-year-old Davon, 2-year old Davonte (Tay-Tay), & little DeAngelo. They are the cutest! Somehow (working as a waitress at Pizza Hut) she's managed to wrestle herself out of the old apartment complex (we agreed there was a bit too much "action" on the streets)--and everybody feels safer. She plans to get into Georgia Perimeter College and start making something of herself. I've known her since she was six and Oakhurst Presbyterian Church was helping raise her and her younger sister, who also lives with them and helps with child care.



We all had a big time with the nerf balls & the basketball hoop, and Davon shot a pretty decent photo for a little tyke. Amazingly, she had a bunch of gifts stacked up under a little tree. They don't have a car and surely no credit card. Last year at this time the two teenage girls and Tia's two little boys were living in one room at an extended stay motel--what a dump, and so expensive!

"You've come a long way, baby!" I told her. Now she needs to concentrate on raising these kids and leaving the Baby Daddies alone. Although I certainly understand teenage hormones, I'm also a big advocate of Planned Parenthood.

WHO NOSE? / DOC HOLLYWOOD



New Year's Day brought two great soirees-- a Polar Bear Plunge at one friend's pool, followed by a bonfire and walk through the woods at David Moscovitz & Nancy Gaddy's spread in Stone Mountain. All kinds of film people, writers and creatives attended, including Neil Shulman, author of DOC HOLLYWOOD, with whom I'm pictured.... along with his co-star in WHO NOSE? the beautiful Zoe Huaga and their darling son, Myles.

WHO NOSE? from Wet Sock Productions is a romantic comedy from "the real Doc Hollywood," author of the book on which the hit movie starring Michael J. Fox was based. Neil Shulman, who plays himself in this quirky Woody Allenish feature film, is a middle-aged doctor / author / comedian who considers himself a failure --no kids, no wife, no life!

Conspiring to capture love, he lures a young theater student (co-director/actor Zoe Huago) into co-starring in a romantic film with him in which SHE pursues HIM. But the plan doesn't run as smoothly as he hoped, so he takes to the streets for romantic advice from a broad spectrum of everyday Americans. What happens when the merging of fiction and reality causes a silly old man and a serious young woman to stumble into the generation gap and fall in love? Who Nose? An unexpected and surprising voyage of love!

It's a very sweet film--go to www.whonose.com and check it out!

Happy New Year-- and I know you've heard it before--2008 is gonna be GREAT!