Motivational Mondays: Do You Have What It Takes To Become a Superhero?

*Photo Credit

Thought for the Day: This weekend I was fortunate to overhear a conversation between three teenage boys. They were discussing the benefits of having different super powers. They were trying to decide which super power was the most beneficial. The influx of movies about super heroes like, Superman, Man of Steel, The Amazing Spiderman & Iron Man 3, prompted the discussion. If you could choose any super power, what would it be? The question prompted me to think about what I would want & I realized I already had created my "super power," but I need your help to make it work!

Personally, the concept of having endless physical strength or the ability to fly or climb tall buildings does little for me, although I must admit that being able to fly without paying the cost of airfare or having to wait at airports is appealing! The ability to make a difference in the world to help others is  what makes a superhero in my eyes. When I wrote my book, helping others accomplish their dreams, from wildest dreams to the simplest ones, was my objective. Having discovered & created techniques that enabled people to reach their dreams while working as a psychologist was what motivated me to write & self publish my book, The Wake Up and Dream Challenge.

After I thought I had completed the book, I realized that I wanted to do more. That was when I decided to feature 21 nonprofit organizations in the book that help people accomplish their dreams. These organizations & their founders are real superheroes. They do things like rehabilitate wounded warriors, Higher Ground, rebuild communities after hurricanes & other disasters, New York Says Thank You, fight prejudice, Eliminate Prejudice & teach blind athletes to compete in judo, the Blind Judo Foundation, to name just a few.  Their stories offer examples of ways to help people accomplish their dreams at any age regardless of their physical, emotional or financial handicaps.

If you want, you too can become a superhero, you can. By purchasing the book you can help one of these organizations help others while learning how to accomplish your own dreams.  I hope you will take the time to read about the nonprofit organizations on my website before purchasing a copy of the book on Amazon.com. Then, when you purchase a copy you can donate half of the profits to a specific nonprofit & become a superhero. Thanks in advance for taking the time & for your help!


* Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_react/6028293726/">Rob React</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Bullying Part V: Tragedy at Movie Screening "The Dark Knight Rises"

Ironically, I started this post a couple of days ago. In light of the horrendous tragedy in Aurora Colorado, the questions I posed raise even more serious questions about the rise in violence & bullying in our society. My heart goes out to all the victims of this senseless crime. The details of the crime & information about the gunman will soon be evident. As I prepare for a journey from CT to Virginia to Ohio, I welcome your thoughts comments & ideas on how to help stop the bullying & violence. Here's what I wrote a few days ago:

Thought for the Day: I saw the new Spiderman movie last week & loved it. I had forgotten the story line, since Spiderman was not my favorite comic strip growing up. Since I am focusing on the topic of bullying at one of the stops on my Dreams On Wheels, 2012 Tour, I paid attention to the victim turned superhero & defender of targets aspect of the film. Do victims who fight back & defend themselves become heros, popular even with the bully who tormented them, or bullies? Often parents encourage their bullied children to fight back. Does this work or does it lead to more bullying? I'd love to hear your experiences with bullying.