Can amazing news and good feelings be overwhelming?

Today, I awoke to the amazing news that I will be presented the 2016 Hind Rattan award in India on January 25, 2016. As I write this, I find that I am at a loss for words and feel completely overwhelmed – overwhelmed with gratitude that the universe has been so appreciative and generous.

Recently, I wrote about my trip to London, England to accept the Mahatma Gandhi Parvasi award.  This award was given to only a few people of Indian origin living outside of India for their good and inspirational work.  People travelled from around the world to accept this prestigious award. It was an amazing experience that I was able to share with my sons. 

Upon returning to Malibu, I plunged back into my work and published a beautiful October/November issue of Malibu Chronicle magazine. The magazine is very well liked and received. Within two days of hitting the stands and delivery to Malibu homes, we started to

hear from our happy advertisers that they were already getting calls. Our online publication www.MalibuChronicle.com is growing in following, and our clients are getting calls and leads from their ads and articles online.  One of our online advertisers reported he received 35 leads in just a little over a month of being with us. All in all, I am happy to report we are doing well! 

I am also pleased to be a part of the team bringing Peer Mediation to Our Lady of Malibu (OLM) School.  OLM is the first school in Malibu to offer Peer Mediation as a course elective, teaching children how to resolve conflicts peacefully instead of with anger and force.  As one of the teachers in this program, I get to use my skills as a mediator with an MDR, Masters in Dispute Resolution from Straus Institute at Pepperdine Law School.

In the last couple of weeks I was invited and nominated to be the co-chair of the Entertainment and Tourism Committee for BizFed, the Los Angeles Business Federation.  I am honored, and even though it is a significant time and work commitment, I want to be part of a wonderful group like that, where I feel I can make a difference.  I am currently talking to our Malibu Chamber of Commerce to see if I can also represent them in this organization. I have attended a couple of meetings at BizFed through SABAN, South Asian Biz Awards Nationwide, and have learned BizFed is very well connected with businesses nationwide. It has an elite membership with a seat at the White House level. I believe I can help bring state and national recognition and support for our Malibu business issues.

Amidst all these events, I woke up today with an email from NRI Welfare Society of India, the same organization that presented the Mahatma Gandhi Parvasi Samman  to me in September. They have selected me for an even more prestigious award  - HIND RATTAN AWARD, 2016. This will be presented to me in New Delhi, India (the Capital of India) among the celebrations of India’s Constitution day on January 25, 2016.  I am so overwhelmed by this good news that I still have not responded to the Advisory Board for this huge honor. I am still letting it sink in before I can properly respond.

The universe is wonderfully accepting and appreciating my work and me in general. I am grateful to all good things and people in my life. It just is overwhelming sometime, in a good way of course!

               *****

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Learning to L.I.V.E. was written to increase awareness of domestic abuse  and eradicate this cancer from our society by empowering women and men who are suffering due to this epidemic.  My goal is to help them believe that they deserve a life in freedom and self-love.  

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Key Elements for Solving Conflicts

Key Elements for Solving Conflicts

I sometimes wish grown people acted like grown people and not like children. 

Children who learn to resolve disputes peacefully will be able to deal with disagreements better when they grow up by using the skills they learned from their more peaceful role models.

One of the most important things in resolving disputes is to acknowledge it to yourself and not ignore it. 

Next, it is important to know with whom you have the conflict, and what your relationship is with them.

You have to find a calm, clear and peaceful way to communicate your grievance to the other party.

You must give the other party an opportunity to say their side.  You must listen peacefully, with the intention to understand what is being said. 

Most conflicts take place because of a simple misunderstanding. Misunderstandings only grow when grievances are ignored.   

Misunderstandings can be cleared and relationships can be salvaged if grown-ups act as mature adults. The same principles can be taught to children through good example.

Both parties must be willing to apologize if they realize they are in the wrong.

Everyone needs to keep an open mind and not judge anyone without knowing a definitive wrongdoing.

To achieve a peaceful lifestyle, it is important for everyone to remember author Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Principles:

1.     Be impeccable with your word.

2.     Don’t take anything personally.

3.     Don’t make assumptions.

4.     Always do your best.

Life is not as hard as we make it out to be with unnecessary dark clouds of complications from misunderstandings, assumptions and harsh words.

Let’s please revisit our part in the conflict and try to understand the other person before we take things too far and misbehave. Let’s keep the love alive, for ourselves and for others.  That is all that matters!

Veera