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A Be the Star You Are! Summer By Cynthia Brian

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A Be the Star You Are! Summer By Cynthia Brian

July 2017 Newsletter for BTSYA

Miracle Moment®
In less time than it takes to tell what a tough day you’ve had, you could be relaxing already.
~Source unknown

A Message From Our Founder, Cynthia Brian

Summertime and the living is easy or perhaps easier, at least that’s what the songs tell us. Kids are out of school, families enjoy vacations, barbecues, concerts, and cookouts. Interestingly for many of the volunteers of Be the Star You Are!®, we are busier than usual reading books, writing reviews, planning radio broadcasts, and working on new book projects. Since spring, eleven new teen book reviewers have joined our STAR Book Review Team and our Book Review Coordinator, Maria Wong is posting new reviews daily. Read reviews at http://www.btsya.com/book_reviews.html.

Chelsea Pelchat, our Teen Event Coordinator has planned a pop-up orchestra recital for Saturday, July 15th at 2:30pm at Aegis Living in Moraga, California with our musician volunteers. More info at http://www.bethestaryouare.org/events .Elizabeth Aquilar, our Newsletter Director, continues to assemble this monthly circular in between her exciting travels. Read about her latest adventure here.
I am busy proofing the final publishers copy of my new book, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, with pre-orders available now at http://www.cynthiabrian.com/books. 25% of the proceeds from the book will benefit BTSYA. Our most exciting news is our work on the third book in the Be the Star You Are!® series, Be the Star You Are!® for Millennials, with extraordinarily poignant chapters from 30+ BTSYA volunteers, supporters, and radio personalities. 100% of all proceeds will be directly donated to BTSYA to continue our uplifting, life-enhancing literacy and positive media message programs. This is a gift of love is keeping me very occupied with writing, editing, proofing, and communicating with our talented contributors. In 2018 we will base the themes of our weekly radio broadcasts on StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® and Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio to a specific chapter in the book, inviting authors and experts with complementary ideas. It is going to be a spectacular season and the book is going to be a fabulous read.


We will again have a booth at the Pear and Wine Festival in September and are seeking sponsors. Thinking ahead to our 20th anniversary in 2019, we are in search of a talented event coordinator to help us celebrate. If that person is you, please email me at Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org.
Enjoy summer. Stay cool! (And I have a few easy tips for you to do just that listed below!)Swim, play, spend time with family and friends, and take it a bit easier. You deserve a break and if you can’t have a week long holiday, try Karen Kitchel’s 6 Minute Vacation below.
Whatever you do, make time to make a difference in the life of someone else. Everyone counts.
With gratitude and joy for your support,
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 422
Moraga, Ca. 94556
925-377-STAR
www.BetheStarYouAre.org
www.BTSYA.org
Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org


TIPS ON STAYING COOL THIS SUMMER
1. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine when it’s hot as they cause dehydration.
2. Use sunscreen every day and reapply as directed.
3. Wear a hat and cotton clothing.
4. Avoid sports and high-energy activities when it’s really hot, especially mid day.
5. Take a dip in the pool, wade in a river, swim in a lake, play in the sea, or just take a cool shower.
6. Relax in the shade. A cold cloth around your neck helps.
7. Keep ceiling fans on, close draperies and window treatments during the heat of the day. Open windows for cross ventilation when the temperatures are lower at night.
8. Make sure your pets have plenty of water.
Enjoy this wonderful season of the year when you can be outside in nature.

6 MINUTE VACATIONS
By Karen Kitchel
Summer disappears so quickly that we all need to pack in as much vacation time as possible.  While trips to faraway places are nice, our bodies and souls can use fun breaks far more often than we can pack a suitcase.
Consider taking a six-minute vacation every day this summer.  Begin by making a list of the little things you enjoy doing like eating an ice cream cone, picking some wildflowers,  listening to your two favorite songs,  looking at vacation photos from years ago,  or closing your eyes and imagining you are in Bora Bora enchanted by the turquoise water.  Then take that list and schedule six minute vacations on your calendar for every day that’s left of summer.
You just might find these six minutes every day are your favorite part of summer.
Karen Kitchel is passionate about helping those in need. As President of the Cheerful Givers nonprofit organization, she helped to bring birthday gifts to more than one million less fortunate children. Prior to that, she created a corporate university at BI Worldwide.  Currently she serves meals to the homeless, is a job coach, teacher, writer and mentor. She can be reached at karenkitchel@comcast.net.

Somewhat Sleepless in Seattle
An Update from Liz Aguilar

Leaving home again to start up research wasn’t easy after having a month of vacation at home. While I loved the idea of traveling again, I had gotten quite comfortable enjoying home, family, and friends. But the longer I explore Seattle, the more I love it more each day. I’m extremely grateful and lucky to have already made wonderful friends and to have supportive mentors working with me in lab on my research. For those of you who may not know me as well, I’m majoring in biochemistry and minoring in computer science with the hopes of someday pursuing graduate school to study computational biology. With my work, I’d love to be able to help make advances in medicine by understanding the underlying cause of genetic diseases. The University of Washington in Seattle has so far provided me with a wonderful environment to personally grow and learn from other peers who are also motivated to make a difference through their work.

While research has been enjoyable, exploring the city has given me a greater appreciation for the culture and the beautiful pacific northwest. Last weekend, I went on a seven mile hike with several friends in the Bandera Mountains, which are just an hour away from the city. While the hike was long and challenging, the gorgeous views and sights were absolutely stunning. It truly reminded me of when I was back in Switzerland!

I hope to continue making these memorable experiences and I hope to also share them with you. I hope you are all doing well and that you also manage to take time for yourself to enjoy this wonderful summer!

p.s – Seattle hasn’t had a drop of rain since late May!

Shop, Give, and Get Connected
If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our PayPal page!
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Ways to Help

1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882
2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link
4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores,. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too! http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are
5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA
6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net
7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc
8. Designer Clothes to Buy or Sell: https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop

If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3

Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!®
Positive Results: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/positive-results
About Us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/about_us
Programs: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/programs
How to Help: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/how-to-help
Blog:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog
Events:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/events
Contact us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/contact
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Please join us on Star-Style Radio and Express Yourself! Teen Radio. Please also visit our calendar to find local events. http://www.BetheStarYouAreRadio.com
Care to see what other people are saying about us? See our reviews at Great Non-Profits! GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/

Thanks for supporting Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
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Tai Chi Wednesday with Winston Price

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Tai Chi Wednesday with Winston Price

_22 Tai Chi Wednesday Pic

If It Works Don’t Over-Think It: Just Be … for a While

Taking time to be set and comfortable in a positive situation seems to be hard for some and too easy for others.  There is great virtue in always push and striving for better.   Also, there is great virtue in being able to disengage and allow things to just be.   As I believe Aristotle would contend, these virtues are character states of which exist in a continuum.  Within the continuum of which these virtues exist lies the ruinous nature of these states and the states that provide efficient growth.  I do implore you readily familiarize yourself with Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.  When looking through the lens of constantly questioning and pushing toward understanding the root issue of a cause, and adding the filter of utilizing a passive state to reflect and revel in progress; I believe the path to an efficient nature and environment becomes clear.  There are times for both, actively seeking and passively seeking, and when properly regimented positive growth can be not only consistent, it can be constant.

When instructing students in Tai Chi Chuan, a question that consistently comes up is, “How did I do that?  It felt like I didn’t do anything.”  My general response is, “Well, you know you are doing something right when you, and the people around you, feel like you’ve done nothing at all, and you generate the proper product”.  After my response, normally, I will watch what they did and will see them try to recreate the occurrence.  What happens when they cannot recreate the event is the student begins to become frustrated with the situation.  This is when we disengage from the setting.  Many times this is where the lesson of “letting go” starts.  I allow them the information that being worried and getting frustrated are not good states to be in when living.  I tell them that many people mix-up frustration and worry with care and concern.  The difference is the negative nature that worry and frustration carry.  At this point, the point of trying to recreate an occurrence and the outcome generated is a negative environment because they are unable to recreate the occurrence, I invite the student to understand that sometimes instead of trying to dissect a positive observance they should solely revel in the fact that it happened.  What happens, when training this approach with my students, many times they do not exactly replicate what they did; however, what is found are many other efficient ways of producing the product desired.  They learn that relaxing and letting go is not solely physical.  It comes easily to people to attribute relaxing and letting go as a physical occurrence when training the martial arts.  What many fail to realize is that for the physical to truly be relaxed, the mental and emotional states of a being need to be at ease as well.  Many practitioners get caught-up in the desire to “win” and be “perfect in technique”, because of this they become myopic.  Often they get so caught-up in what they want they miss out on many other possible efficient outcomes, and in many cases their myopia breeds corrupt techniques; techniques that are possibly effective however not efficient.

Too often, I believe, we cause a grand amount of stress in our lives trying to recreate great moments of our past.  Sometime we get caught-up in the memories of our happiness and never truly are able to live in the present which would bring us much more pleasure if we were able to let go of the past.  I believe that there is nothing negative about remembering all of the joy brought to us by the things we have done in our past.  Also, I believe that understanding what we have done and how we have done things in our past, which were completely productive and pleasurable, is necessary to have a positive and productive present and future.  However, when one becomes wrought with worry and despair attempting to generate past occurrences, the proper positive nature of regenerating past happiness and joy is lost.

Always be prepared to learn from your past mistakes, understand your past joys to be able to bring about future happiness, and be able to let go of the past and the future so that you are able to revel in your current successes.  Redefine your idea of winning if and when you become overly stressed.  That is not to say you should lower your standards.  Never lower your standards.  However, find a different approach that will allow no stress and complete efficient fulfillment of the product and pleasure desired.

Sometimes to find the most efficient way we must stop our taxing pursuance of what we did and how we did it, and rejoice in the moments positive products are produced.  When we willfully relax and allow thing to happen we open ourselves to many new and efficient ways for things to happen.

For more information Winston’s his martial arts academy please visit Internal Magnification.  

Winston Price, Executive Producer, has over a decade and a half of marketing, advertising and public relations experience. He began his business career in 1995 and is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington. Winston also is a master martial artist and personal trainer with over 2 decades of knowledge and experience. Winston runs his own school, Internal Magnification Martial Arts, where he focuses on helping people reach their personal goals of health and fitness via At-Home personal training with martial foci of Taekwondo, Tai Chi Ch’uan, Hapkido and Ba Gua Zhang. As an executive producer for VoiceAmerica, Winston utilizes his skills in business and personal training to help new and existing hosts maximize their opportunity with the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network by supporting his hosts with the business and personal aspects of creating and developing their show. Winston believes that each host brings their own flavor to the Network. By properly coaching and motivating his hosts, they are able to produce THEIR show with THEIR style and THEIR passion being at the forefront of every broadcast.

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