Gratitude!

by Kellie Kuecha

This time of year is so special to me now that I am a mom and a woman in my thirties.  As I think about the Holidays in my twenties, I remember working so hard to have the prettiest wrapping and bows on my gifts.  I competed for the "best" holiday turkey dinner in the family and of course my tree and decorations took months of strategic planning so that I was sure to include every shade of pink on the planet.  During that time in my life, "looking good" by way of my meals, gifts and decorations was important to me as I was still a young woman trying to find my way in life and feeling that need to be "accepted."

Today the Holidays mean something completely different to me.  Especially this year.  I wanted this Holiday season to be a quiet and humble reflection of this year's challenges and how I have learned from them.  More importantly a reflection of who I am, what I am becoming and a time of gratitude for all I have been given in my life. 

As I think about the word "gratitude" I can't help but become humble in my thoughts  for all that I have, my health being one of the most important.  I encourage you to make a gratitude list this week when all is quiet at night.  Sit outside with a candle and make yourself a list of all the things you are thankful for.  Put it by your nightstand and read it daily before bed.  "Gratitude" is a word that has come up so many times in the past few months for me in email, in conversations and in general.  So this year, I have scaled down on the decorations and the pretty bows.  I am going to spend a quite Christmas enjoying my family and children and thanking God for all of our health and all that we have. 

We had our first Women's Wellness Society Holiday party last week and we all had a magnificent time.  I wish I could share all of the emails that came in the next day.  With all of your support, we were able to donate close to 50 toys to Kids in Distress and we all left that night with the peace in our hearts that we were able to give back to those who aren't as fortunate as us. 

I have enjoyed some much needed time this month getting to know some of our members more personally and again, I come back to gratitude.  I can't imagine what my life was like anymore before this organization got it's start.  I want to personally thank some people that are very near and dear to my heart and without their commitment this past year, none of this would have been possible.  Jill Evans, my best friend and mentor in all of my life's lessons.  You mean so much to me and I can't thank you enough for all that you do.  My Mother-in-Law, Irma, for taking such great care of my children so that I can spend my days being creative.  My husband for supporting me in every endeavor I have ventured into and never questioning whether or not something will work and of course for being my number one fan. 

My parents, for adopting me and bringing me into this wonderful country of freedom.  My children, for understanding that mommy has to go to another meeting instead of being able to bake google berry pies and do projects.  My chapter leaders who represent the backbone of the Women's Wellness Society.  Thank you all so much for your dedication to your chapters and our mission.  Laura Norman, the first woman on our Advisory Board.  Thank you for all of your belief and wonderful energy that you have brought to us.  Melody Smith who was our very first sponsor when there wasn't much to sponsor.  Thank you for your belief.  All of our Gold Sponsors who have continued to help pave the way.  Marilyn Mullen, who has been with us since inception, helping to make sure much of the behind the scenes work was getting done and keeping me organized.  Phil C rescenzo, my business mentor and the amazing artist behind the WWS website graphics.  (And no, it wasn't his idea to include all the pink.)  Sean Tomlin, my webmaster.  Thank you for vision and support and for putting up with 25 emails in the middle of the night when I have my epiphanies.  Our new and growing Medical Advisory Board. All of you have expressed being honored to be on the board, however I am the one who is grateful and honored.  To all of our speakers, a special thanks to you because without you, none of our meetings would have been possible.  And last but not least, a huge THANK YOU to all of our members.  It has been your love for the Women's Wellness Society and your support that has enabled us to continue to keep growing and helping women nationwide.  It is your beautiful faces that grace our meetings with such enthusiasm and your commitment to your health that has helped put on us on the map as a viable resource for information and education for women. 

In closing, I want to remind you not to forget those who are most important to you.  I don't mean with a gift.  Take the time this Holiday to thank the people in your life who mean so much.  Try not to get so caught up worrying about shopping for that last gift or baking that last batch of cookies to remember that our lives are too important to take any part of them for granted. 

I will be speaking at several of the chapters in the coming year and look forward to meeting all of you throughout the country.  Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays to You and Yours,

Kellie Kuecha

Do you remember when we were younger, we used to talk about and imagine what we would be when we grew up? I remember teaching school to my dolls. I used to play house, make believed getting married and feed my baby dolls, imagined being the priest blessing people with the censor and giving out Holy Communion, make believed I was a concert pianist, make believed I was a famous folk singer/guitarist and much more. Do you remember those days? What did you make believe about?

It is never too late to make those dreams come true. As we mature, our dreams mature along with our interests. In our childlike imagination, we believed anything was possible and we never doubted those potential realties. In order to become that person, we must reconnect with our childlike imagination. Recreate those daydreams. Dream big and believe that everything and anything is possible. In that big dream is the ability to create what each of us is looking for. It is up to each of us, individually, to allow the dream, think about the dream, feel the dream, and act as if the dream is already a reality.

In order to do this, we must take actual steps to make it so. I will share my own steps that I have taken as I prepare to have my CDs recognized and ordered by stores nationwide. I prepare by taking ads in national retailer magazines. I imagine which venues will ask me to come speak, in person, to share my knowledge. I prepare to travel around the country and perhaps to Great Britain to do workshops and speaking engagements. I imagine where they will have me stay, exercising in the hotel’s exercise room and having breakfast in the nice hotel restaurant downstairs. Also, I am planning to be a published author soon. So I take the time to write and edit what I’ve written so far. I will be traveling to promote my books as well. I shop for clothes that would be better suited to public speaking engagements in small and large venues. I prepare and act as if it is already in fact true that my gu ided meditation CDs and my books are recognized and well distributed on a national scale. I share with others, as in this writing, about how the guided meditation CDs and books, will be accepted and known in the mass market. Dr. Wayne Dyer has shared in his book Power of Intention, “Think from the end and act as if it already is so.”

So, stop a moment here. Answer this question: What do you want to do when you grow up? Who do you want to be? Or, shall we revise that question and say, “Now that I am grown up, I would like to ___________.” Fill in that blank. Spend time and energy making lists on how you can manifest that dream. If you don’t know how to get started, get together with someone you trust and respect and then brainstorm with them. Ask for help. Do the research. Read the books. Make the list and take some action on that list. I, personally, like to keep a notebook that contains all my Things to Do Lists. 

So, stop a moment here. Answer this question: What do you want to do when you grow up?

Who do you want to be? Or, shall we revise that question and say, “Now that I am grown up, I would like to ___________.”  Fill in that blank. Spend time and energy making lists on how you can manifest that dream. If you don’t know how to get started, get together with someone you trust and respect and then brainstorm with them. Ask for help. Do the research. Read the books. Make the list and take some action on that list. I, personally, like to keep a notebook that contains all my Things to Do Lists. The notebook also ends up containing vital phone numbers and addresses. It gives me plenty of room to draw, make notes, doodle, and make addendums to my notes and more. I especially love to cross entries off the list as I accomplish these and move closer to my goals. If you want to read a book to motivate you to do this list-making to create reality, pick up Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want and Getting It by Harriet Ann Klauser.

At the end of the day, you too will be pleased when you realize that you can cross off many things on your list that leads you to the person you want to become. Create it daily. Dream it daily. Imagine it daily. Replace any energy you spend on thinking about people, places or things that upset you with imaging the person you are yet to become. This replacement of negative thoughts with positive creative thoughts allows the new reality to evolve before you know it! Have the faith and trust to do it.

One thing to realize and become aware of is that someday you will be sitting in a rocker, older and much greyer. You will look back on your life with great perspective and I pray that none of us will say, “I would’ve, could’ve, should’ve . . . if only.” If you really think from the end, then imagine that distant day as a wise elder looking back on your life and imagine that you are saying that you are so glad that you had the courage to step forward into the unfamiliar. Hopefully, we will all feel very good about our contribution to this planet. I believe there is a saying, “Don’t die with the music still in you.”   Make it happen. Start today.

May we all find the courage to step outside of our regular thoughts and think new thoughts. May we have the creativity and motivation to happily create a new or better reality for ourselves and others. May we find joy, passion and happiness regardless of what we choose to do with our time and energy.

Blessings and Love,

Margaret Ann Lembo

Margaret Ann Lembo is an author, motivational speaker and spiritual teacher.  Margaret has her own series of Guided Meditation CDs: Short Meditation for Busy People, Color Meditation and Open Your Heart to Love, to name a few. She is the Owner of The Crystal Garden located at 2610 North Federal Highway in Boynton Beach.  Email: info@thecrystalgarden.com  website: www.thecrystalgarden.com You may contact her at 561-369-2836 or        1-877-4 44-5099.

Holiday time is here again and I never seem to be ready. Year after year I promise myself that I will plan ahead, shop ahead when all the great sales are on, and then comes the end of December and I start the whirlwind express. I guess that little voice within keeps talking in my ear about all that must be done. This year I told that voice to Hush!!!

I actually stopped, took a deep breath and bathed myself in the moment, reflecting on this past year. I realized all that I had accomplished this year and smiled. I began construction on my new home (which is almost completed, thank goodness), helped to start the Women’s Wellness Society (which has now opened many Chapters), helped plan The Soulful Journey Retreat (which was truly a life changing weekend) , became a Chapter leader for Central Boca, started a new partnership with Staci Smith expanding The Healthy Home Coach business, worked with Laura Norman on exciting new workshops for the New Year, traveled to Oregon to see my son Brett and my daughter-in-law Antoinette and my three amazing grandchildren Ami(who  just had her Bat Mitzvah, broken leg and all) Emunah who turned two, and Emanual who is eight months. I also made several trips to Philadelphia to visit my daughter Rene and her husband Adam, along with my grandson Ethan who is speaking Spanish in first grade, and Jack who is three and thinks he is a Power Ranger. I await their arrival this week for their annual trip to Florida. How blessed I am to be able to give and receive so much love.

I also met and worked with some of the most incredible women through the Society, that have nestled their way into my heart.

As I take stock of the past year that lead me to this moment, I feel wiser and happier then I have ever been. There is a sense of balance, and awareness that has brought me to this moment. After witnessing the hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and tornados, it reconfirmed that we must all seize the moment and slow down, take a deep breath, and stop rushing around trying to make it all perfect and take stock of what we have and who we can share it with.

As I clean my home sweeping and vacuuming all the dust bunnies from beneath my beds, to get ready for this holiday, I come to the realization that we all get to start over for the New Year and clean out our dust bunnies that may have dragged us down this year. So out with the old expectations of what we “should do” and in with the new, a fresh slate for 2006.

I wish all who read this newsletter, a very joyful holiday. Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah. May your wishes all come true, may you take the time to laugh, love and learn

In Good Health….

Jill Evans

Important Membership Changes!

Due to the fact that we will be adding several new staff members in the new year to run the Women's Wellness Society, we will have to raise our membership prices moderately.  Now is the time to join if you are not yet a member.  Please keep plugging into our site for further information on this.  Also starting in January, members will need to choose what chapter they will want to belong to.  Up until this point we have allowed members to visit all of the chapters, as we have encouraged getting as much knowledge as possible, however there have been some drawbacks to doing this from a company and chapter standpoint.  We want to form a cohesive group of women helping women and have found that dfficult to do without having women committed to a particular chapter.  So, starting in January, you will need to first pick a chapter to become a member of and then if you choose to visit other chapters, you will need to purchase a National Membership Upgrade.  The cost of the upgrade will be $50.00 for the year but will enable you to visit chapters in your area and all across the US.  Thank you for understanding!

Referral gift if you locate a new Chapter Leader

As we set our mission into motion of “Bridging the gap between Women and Wellness,” new chapters will be opening across the county.  If you know someone who may be interested in becoming a Chapter Leader, please email Kellie at kellie@womenswellnesssociety.com.  We are offering a referral gift of $100 for your recommendation, which will be paid when the new chapter reaches a membership of twenty.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Meeting Sponsors are a great way for our members to learn about you and your business. The cost is $200 for the meeting which includes a five minute presentation, a business profile on the Meeting Program and your logo/link on our site for one month. We also offer table sponsorships for $50 where you can network with our members, display products and materials and stand out among the others.

Submit your Business listing today!

All Professional and Corporate business members are entitled to a business listing on our site.  We want to begin filling up our listings and we need your help.  If you would like to be listed in this section we will need the following information:  Name, email, phone, web address, profession.  You will need to submit this information to our web support department at support@womenswellnesssociety.com.

Let's Barter!

Many of our members have expressed an interest in bartering with other members.  We think this is a great idea and we would love to start a formal WWS barter club!  Please email us if you would like to belong to this elite group of women and men!

Job Boards

Our Job Boards are available for anyone wishing to post a position in the company for others to view.             

Please mark your calendars for the follow meetings:

East Boca - Meets the 4th Wednesday of the Month (Lunch)

Central Boca  -Meets the 2nd Tuesday of the Month

Ft. Lauderdale - Meets the 3rd Thursday of the Month

Coral Springs - Meets the 2nd Thursday of the Month

Jupiter- Meets the 3rd Wednesday of the Month

Orlando - Meets the 1st Monday of the Month

Delray - Meets the 3rd Tuesday of the Month

Lake Worth, Wellington, NY City and Cincinnati are all coming soon!

Please check the website for further meeting details!

Welcome to our new Medical Advisory Board Members

 Dr. Christine Horner       Dr. Eudene Harry

Dr. Jeffrey Kamlet          Dr. Stephen Silver

You can read more about these doctors by visiting our site!

December Healthy Recipe

This newsletter is sponsored by: 

Your Body Speaks Volumes…Are You Listening?

The human body does not reason or judge; it simply and magnificently responds in its own unique language with its own innate wisdom  to a symphony of stimuli that bombard it every day.

Did you know that these (and other) challenges are just some of the ways our body speaks to us, letting us know there is something wrong, needed or lacking:

· Physical Discomfort

· Inflammation

· Loss of Mobility

· Restlessness

· Hunger

· Emotional Challenges

· Immune System Issues

What Can You Do Naturally?

Essential oils come from plants—and plants are quite literally chemical factories.  Essential oil are the life force of the plant just as blood is for the human body.  These unique oils have many health-enhancing properties.  They are not ‘oily’ because they are not fatty oils like olive or flax seed, but rather they are composed of hundreds of constituents that have a combined anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and immune stimulating effect.

How Do Essential Oils Work?

By utilizing the various methods of delivery, a person can quite literally affect change in their bodies within minutes—instead of weeks or months.

· Sense of Scent—Essential Oils affect people first through their sense of smell with the information being relayed to your hypothalamus.

· Sense of Touch—The molecular structure of essential oils are rapidly absorbed through the skin

· Ingestion—Certain essential oils may be ingested to strengthen the immune system

· Inhalation—By diffusing essential oils (with a cold air diffuser), you can disperse them via a very fine mist.

Quality Makes a Difference in Performance

Did you know that the FDA allows an essential oil to be diluted up to 60% and still be called PURE?  They are lengthened with both chemical or natural ‘extenders.’  While some extenders are perfectly safe, others are not.  And, if an essential oil is lengthened with a natural extender such as sweet almond oil, it can go rancid very quickly once it is opened.

These are the kinds of oils you will typically find at a health food store or most internet sites.

It only makes sense that you will get more effective results if you use a quality product.  New Vision Aroma Essentials only markets 100%  premium grade pure essential oils that are either organic or wild crafted.  What this means is when you purchase a bottle of peppermint oil—that’s all that’s in it—peppermint oil.  You can literally smell the difference.

How to Get Started with Essential Oils

The goal is to determine which essential oils will be the most beneficial to an individual’s particular condition.  This approach supports the body’s healing in a holistic manner—as a fusion of the mind, body, and spirit.

Depending upon the need, we will make appropriate recommendations.

Essential oils are safe for children and a great alternative to OTC and prescription meds.

Email:  Debbie@MyMomWorksFromHome.com for a copy your FREE Essential Oils First Aid Kit.

To learn more about how to use essential oils or about our upcoming classes for both professionals (they carry CEUs), and the lay person, contact:

Amanda Haley ~ 954-444-2283   Kathy McGurn ~ 954-941-1494

Copyright Women's Wellness Society Inc. 2005 All Rights Reserved