Good Evening Friends,

Yesterday I received a text from a woman I work with, who is also in the Club that we are starting in school.  I respect her and admire her, she was helpful to me years ago when I needed her opinions.  She told me that she had a little gift for me.  She said, when I saw this I thought of you.

 I went to receive my gift from Sue.... a pink towel with the Eagles Logo from the Pink weekend.   I was touched that she wanted to give this to me.  I actually smiled, telling her that a year ago, if she had given this to me, I would not have been able to accept the gift.  Anything with the Breast Cancer ribbon, anything pink turned me off completely.  It actually made me feel sick to my stomach.

  I had a very hard time initially dealing with my diagnosis and subsequent surgeries.  I remember Shawn telling me, Mom, just take your time and think about everything.  You always make good decisions.  My decision was to keep the whole experience to myself until I was able to digest it, and accept it.  It took roughly 5 months before I told anyone of my ordeal.  During those months of quietly listening to my inner voice, my intuition and asking for God's guidance, I came to know and understand that this was a part of my journey.

  I began to actually be thankful for this cruel experience and loss of my breasts and grateful that I survived.  Shawn suggested that I read the book "The Shack," to help me overcome the anger I initially had....  the time when I told God He was very disrespectful and rude to me, for I did everything that I was supposed to do with my body in caring for my family and my babies.  I learned that the only way that I could lead the life I was truly meant to live, the only way that I would take the leap of faith and become an Inspriational Speaker, living my highest intention, was if I was able to move forward with my life and help other women find their constitutional strengtgh.  Amazingly, He guides my every step, and actually helps me find peace and solace in my new endeavors.  I walk confidently in His shadow, knowing that I am loved and cared for by Him.
After sharing my thoughts with Sue, she said she was sorry that she gave me the towel, but actually. NOW, one year later,  I can talk about the journey and share all my feelings openly.  I am in a much better place, THANK GOD!  Thank you, God.

Sue gave me a book and marked the pages that she believed were meant for me.  The pages read:

"Truly brave individuals slowly but surely rebuild their lives after suffering profound personal losses.  The most important example of real courage is having the strength to pursue our dreams in a world full of obstacles and excuses."  ~Bradley Trevor Grieve

I am in gratitude Sue for you, thinking that I am a brave woman with courage.  I know I want to be brave and as the last page of the book says;  "You will be someone who has the courage to seek out anything that stirs your heart and soul.  And when opposing forces great and small shout out their dark challenge, you will be able to answer calmly and clearly, Bring it on, baby!"~ BTG

And so, my wish for you tonight is that you find your courage to face your opposing forces.  You have a vanguard, you are prepared.  You are brave.  Every single thing that has happened to you in your life, has prepared you for this moment.  God Bless

En` Joy,

Marialyce

Good Evening,

I got a text today from one of the teachers in our club at school. She said, it was so nice what the other teacher said about you when he introduced himself and told the group why he wants to be a part of this club. His words truly touched my heart. I was moved by his kind words. I may have shared this thought on an earlier blog but it bears repeating. What this teacher did for me by sharing his kind thoughts of me publicly was make me feel like I mattered and made a difference. It was another God wink for me, because how else would I know that I am living my highest intention if I didn't have messengers giving me uplifting messages that I am doing good things. I feel like the winks are my sign.

So people need three things in life. They need to feel Valued, Important and Needed. I remember this and teach this life lesson using the acronym VIN. When you make people feel valued, important and needed, not only do you lift them up, but they want to be around you all the time, because they like the way they feel about themselves when they are with you. What this wonderful man did was publicly share his thoughts, making me feel valued as a leader of our club. Wow! Thank you, MC.


We attended a birthday party today for our friend, Dave.  Dave is a great man.  I admire and respect him as a friend, husband and father.  He has a quiet confidence and is a gentle soul.  His daughter is a sweetheart, Danielle.  She always has a warm smile, hug and a kind word.  Dave's family surprised him and the party was a celebration of life for all who attended.  Well Done!

I received this quotation today.  "The best way to keep relationships happy, healthy and supportive can be summed up in one word:  Appreciation.  What you appreciate, appreciates.  When we demonstrate our appreciation for the support we receive from others, it reinforces that behavior and deepens our conncetion to them."   ~Marci Shimoff

How true!!!!   And so, I wish for you this day, that you express your appreciation to another person in your life.  Be specific in your expression.  I am thankful to MC,  and to SM for making me feel worthy of my efforts to get our club off the ground.  I can tell you our club is a FORCE FIELD.  IT WILL BE HUGE.   I feel it, the energy is palpable.  If you are interested, let me know and I will give you the website.  I would like to keep the lid on this a little while longer, out of respect for the other school and their plans to reveal.  But, trust me, the work we are doing will benefit all of our children.  God Bless our children.
And God bless, Dave and Denice's children, Devin and Danielle for all their efforts to show their love, support and appreciation for their Dear Dad!

En `Joy,

Marialyce

Good Evening,

This has been a busy time for me.  I am working hard on building our Club at school and making sure that we are on the same page with the other school.... I feel as though this club is a movement and is taking on a life of its own.  Induction is two weeks away, we have a meeting tomorrow, and I am preparing for both.  I am filled with enthusiasm, passion and excitement. 

I wanted to post today because I love the date...10/11/12.   I kept mentioning the date to our students because I loved saying it.  Today is 10/11/12!  Even the date is in alignment!!!!!!   God wink!

I read this quote today that I want to share....

"Trust yourself.  Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.
                                                                      ~Golda Meir

I have been watching inspirational clips to show to our students that come to our meeting.  The one I chose for tomorrow is very good.  I will provide you with the link....  I hope that you enjoy this clip!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3sy630dY_k

And so, my wish for you this evening, is that you are in alignment with YOUR CALLING!  Look for the God winks, they are all around you, if you only pay attention.  Write to me, tell me when they happen to you.  Thank you, Claudine, for sharing your synchronistic moment, your God wink, with me, this day!   You made me feel so good within my heart when you said, that I inspired you to have the courage to step out of your comfort zone!  

En ` Joy,

Marialyce

Good Evening My Friend,

I received an email from Paul Taubman and I would like to share this quote with you. 


"Carpe Diem!  Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have.  It is later than you think."   ~Horace

How true!   I do seize every moment of every day, and I am truly thankful for everything in my life, the good and the not so good.  Today in my Inbox at school a teacher asked for my help.  Her friend passed away from Breast Cancer 2 weeks ago leaving behind her six year old daughter.  This teacher who died,  worked at one of our Elementary Schools.  She was only 36 years old and she LOVED LIFE!

My friend, Stephanie just told me, I sent an email out to the staff Marialyce , but only one person responded to my request for donations to help her family.  Steph asked if I had any ideas on how to get everyone at our school on board.  I responded, Steph, I will put my thinking cap on.   Lo and behold, I had the idea that since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, perhaps we could give out pink ribbons to everyone who donated  a nominal amount to help one of our own.  Tomorrow we launch the idea.  We have permission to do so, and I kind of think that it will be a successful endeavor.  I think so, because it really was not my idea, I was just the messenger.  We shall see......I will keep you posted.  I just spoke to Steph, and she told me, "I awakened in the night and I thought that I should ask you Marialyce if you could help me.   OH MY GOODNESS....   Really?   Thank you, God for using me, using my life, to help another human being.  Thank you for giving me an extraordinary life....  I didn't know it until a year ago, but I really do desire to live an amazing life!   Bring it on....  I am fearless!  I TRUST YOU GOD!


And so, my wish for you today is that someone asks you to help them, help another.  It is a tremendously wonderful feeling to be of use in your life, to feel needed.  It makes one feel worthwhile.  Ahh, to be a giver, instead of a taker!

En` Joy,

~Marialyce 

Good Evening,

Our meeting on Thursday was successful.  We had 5 adults present and 8 students.  As one teacher said, you have to walk before you can run.  Truth is, I was quite pleased that we had 'such a good turn out.'  After all, it is all about perspective.  At the end of the meeting, which was 20 minutes long, I said the words of the teacher at the other school, " wouldn't it be great if we somehow got 500 students to be members of this club?"    One of the girls that was at our meeting said, I will make that happen.  She actually spoke out and said, I have your back, Mrs. Keane, I can make that happen.  I will get everyone to join this club.   God Bless her.  She is strong and she attracts.  She has a smile that brightens a room and commands attention!  It's funny.  When I told another teacher that she joined our club, they said, she is just like you.  I am humbled once again.  I am so attracted to a strong constitution.  Our next meeting is on Tuesday after school.  I hope it is well attended.  

Our family went to the viewing and funeral of our Dear Uncle Jack Killion on Thursday evening and Friday.  There were so many people there.  A little boy , about the age of 4,  was leaving the church, after the viewing.  He said, Daddy, there are a LOT OF PEOPLE here.  That was a testimony to the great man who lived.  John, his eldest son, said in the eulogy, that there weren't many tears coming through the receiving line.  Everyone was smiling and recalling wonderful memories.   I can attest to that. Uncle Jack gave us experiential gifts.  He and Aunt Sis gave us tangible gifts as well, but the experiential gifts were blue moments.  At the grave site, there were approximately 250 in attendance.  After the final prayer and before we were handed red roses to place on the coffin, Shawn, my daughter noticed 2 butterflies that were dancing above the coffin.  She said, Mom did you see the butterflies?   I thought, yes, I did because she was so excited and described the moment with such detail.  But I didn't really see the butterflies.  I thought, darn, I wish I would have seen them.   And my next thought was, no, I am happier that she saw them, because they were a god wink for her, and perhaps will encourage her to look for those blue moments that present themselves to her in life.   I commented, earlier that I saw Uncle Jack and Aunt Sis dancing, in my mind's eye, as he entered heaven.  And the butterflies were their way of affirming my beautiful vision.   Thank you God, for our Uncle Jack and Aunt Sis Killion.  They were gifts to all of us in this life.  When I shared the moment with my friend Tim, I said, How do you teach faith?  He said, you model it.  I knew that answer.  I am thankful that for the 26 years that I have had my Shawn, I modeled my faith and she "gets it!"   Thank you, God, for allowing me to witness her faith!

On Friday night we went to OCNJ for the weekend and for the block party on Asbury Avenue.  The Lynch's invited us down again this year to their home and we had the most wonderful time.  We had crab cake sandwiches, lobster sandwiches, calamari, and the most delicious ice tea that is a concoction of sorts.  Tim and I love it, and I think it is the Mount Punch that we made for all the open houses we ran for Mount St. Joseph Academy for  so many years.  I have the recipe and plan to make it and see if I'm correct.  Tim and I got so excited over that tea! 

I ran into a woman at Weichert Realty named Aria Mazer.  She created the most beautiful logo for Breast Cancer awareness.   It says Celebrate Birthday's Toast Pink and had the breast cancer awareness ribbon turned upside down to look like a martini glass.  Absolutely beautiful!  We talked at great length and I made a new friend!  I would love to work with her on a project in the future.  We discussed some ideas, and somehow, I believe we were supposed to meet. God is so AWESOME. She is a piece of my puzzle.  She fits perfectly.  She whispered in my ear, take me with you on your journey.  She touched my heart.  God Bless, Aria.

And so my wish for you this evening, is that you have trust.  It is hard to imagine that when something terrible happens to you in your life, or something perceived as terrible, that there could possibly be something good that could come of it.  Something far beyond your wildest imagination.  But I am here to tell you, that my life after breast cancer is truly magnificent.  I am doing things I never thought I would do.  I am listening to my heart and intuition and they are not failing me.  I trust that everything will turn out as it should and Thank God everyday.  It's a Wonderful Life!

En` Joy,

Marialyce

Good Evening Dear Friend,

This is the eve of the launch of our new club at school!  I am so excited!   Three students told me that they are going to attend.   I wonder how many will be there?   Our fearless leader (fearless is my new favorite word, it sounds powerful to me) from the other high school sent me a message to deliver to our students. I can't wait to share his thoughts with our students.  He is such an amazing person.  I truly admire and respect him for all that he is doing to empower young people.

   Calling another human being to their excellence, their greatness, their absolute highest potential is an extremely moving experience.  I tell you, the experience is palpable. I feel the energy within my being.   If we, as a club, are able to affect the life of one human being because we invest in them and help them to feel worthy of achieving their dream, than that would be a success.  DM says, his intention is to look at kids and think, "Hey, you are an amazing person and I can't wait to spend time with you.  You have unlimited potential.  I am interested in who you are now and who you will become."  His idea to start this club came "out of the response of the inner inertia of not being able to stand by and watch our students and community succumb to the atrophy of the poison that can surround us.  This won't go down without an honest fight on my part." He is lion-hearted!

 He definitely has a gift for inspiring others.  AND I GOT TO MEET HIM ON MY JOURNEY!   Oh, Thank YOU, God, for the honor and privilege of meeting this remarkable man.  Thank you for the honor of working with him.   He is so humble and he works so hard for the benefit of OUR CLUB, for the benefit of all of our children in our school district.

Today on the news, 6 ABC, there was a teacher from Roxborough, PA who was named "Champion of Change" and invited to visit the White House.   I feel inspired to write a letter to the White House and share with them all the ways that Our Leader is a "Champion of Change."  I actually felt called to write this letter and already mentioned to a VIP in our school district that DM should be "Teacher of the Year."

 Please, God, inspire me to say and do everything that will attract these young adults in our school building and allow your messages for them to come forth.  Choose me, please, to be your vessel, your messenger.  I am not afraid, I am fearless, I have courage. 

And so, my wish for you this day is to be fearless as you live your life.  What do you have to lose?  Do you want to step up to the challenge to live an amazing life?  As OUR LEADER said, "Don't be afraid to go for the life you were born to live.  I believe in you."   I concur, wholeheartedly!

En `Joy,

Marialyce

Good Evening My Dear Friend,

Today was an amazing day!   My morning was exceptional!  Thank God, everything worked out perfectly.  ALL WAS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD.  Things always work out for the best,  I just needed patience and faith.  There were many smiles, and for that I am truly grateful.

Today was also the kick off to the Club that we are starting at school.  We will have 6 meetings within the next few weeks, in an effort to give students an opportunity to become inducted into the club on October 26, 2012.  If I check my ego at the door, and have faith, things will work out well.

I received an email today from Paul Taubman II.  In the email he asks the reader...  "Do you know the difference between a Dream and a Goal"?

"There is a small distinction that makes a huge difference.  A Goal is a Dream with a Deadline.  Until you assign a date to when you want to accomplish something, it is a dream.  Once you know when you want to achieve it, it becomes a goal."     It is all about perspective. 

I am most grateful that my goal to have the Club up and running by October 1, 2012 came to fruition.  It is only because of the collaboration and enthusiasm of all the adults leading this Club that we are able to make it our own at OUR high school.    The motto is "I am a champion, I am a hero!"   I think when I hear our students reciting this oath on Thursday afternoon it will surely be a Blue Moment.

And so, for today, my wish for you is to realize your dream, assign an achievement day and you will have achieved a personal goal.   It is a wonderful feeling!

En` Joy,

Marialyce