Last week, I was invited and had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed on Close Up - The WMUR-TV Sunday talk show - and help get the word out about the great progress we are making with the Newport Sunshine Initiative. Please enjoy this short 2-3 minute clip above.
Meanwhile, given these and the other civic activities I have been involved in, such as Children of Fallen Patriots, there has been speculation about my running for office. Specifically, whether I would consider running for the U.S. Senate in 2020.
I must say that while I am deeply flattered by the encouragement and support, the truth is that as of now, I do not have plans to do so. While circumstance may evolve that warrant deeper consideration at some point down the road, the two major efforts I’m leading – the Newport Sunshine Initiative and Fallen Patriots - are just way too important at this point – and require my total focus. We are gaining momentum on both – and we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball at this critical time.
Let me explain what these initiatives are – and why they are so important.
The Newport Sunshine Initiative is all about revitalizing the economy of my hometown and providing opportunities for the next generation of Newporter’s. It’s a grassroots effort, powered by positive energy. And, intended to breathe new life into a once vibrant town, now suffering a prolonged economic decline. So many wonderful, deserving people. People I grew up with – and their families – many of them truly being left behind. We have an opportunity to turn this around. We are making great progress and we need to keep our energies fully focused on our efforts.
Likewise, Children of Fallen Patriots. One of the most deserving of all causes. Dedicated to making sure that every child who loses a parent in active military service has their education paid for all the way thru college. So far, Fallen Patriots has helped more that 1,150 such surviving children – with much more work to do. There are nearly 20,000 children in our country who have lost a parent. We in New Hampshire are leading an effort build support for this cause, raise critical funding and achieve awareness. We have aggressive goals for 2019 and need to maintain a keen focus.
So, in sum, while I am honored to be considered and do have a strong commitment to public service, I’m thrilled to be engaged in my current activities and intend to continue to focus my energies on leading these efforts, achieving meaningful results and accelerating their positive momentum.
Staying Positive - Never Be In A Hurry!
It is so very important to maintain a calm, positive demeanor. If you have faith in your purpose, there is no need to rush frantically or be in a hurried state. It can only cause anxiety, worry – and weaken your resolve.
I have heard it said that when we are most effective – we are in what can be considered a state of ‘flow.’ We are in full confidence, operating at our peak potential. Our creative energies are at the max. Meanwhile, if we let worry creep in or experience even the slightest sense of fear, this condition changes in an instant. We tighten up. We hold back. We lose our power consciousness.
And, how does ‘hurry’ fit into this equation? At its core, hurry causes worry. And to make matters worse, it starts a vicious cycle in that the reverse is also true – worry also causes even more hurry. An accelerating downward spiral of worry, haste, wasted energy, anxiety and ineffectiveness.
So, next time you start to hurry – rushing anxiously for whatever reason, please just take a deep breath. Take a pause. Slow your actions. And, key back to your central purpose, with faith and confidence in your ultimate success. Stay positive. Relax. Never be in a hurry!
Women’s Group – Coming Together with Positive Vision:
Sometimes something good just spontaneously happens. Takes hold in a surprising way. That’s the case in what is happening with a group of women who have come together in Newport – pictured above recently at their first meeting. Women of all ages and backgrounds have formed a group and are dedicated to making a positive difference. They are getting together to share their visions and aspirations, advance their skills and education – and reach out to be supportive to one another and to the greater Newport community.
To give you a sense of this positive vibe – here below is a terrific statement outlining the agenda for their meeting this week – written by my good friend, Jenn Stark, who is chairing the session. As you will see, it oozes with positive vibes.
“Hello Newport Women’s Group,
Welcome to our very first creative session filled with positive vibes and visionary thinking.
We will be creating Vision Boards. Do you know what a Vision Board is?
It’s a way to manifest the life you dream about. When you make a Vision Board, you get clear on what you want to create in your life. In our meeting on
March 19, we will be creating a vision board to manifest the goals we have for our women’s group and our community.
Once you get clarity, you select images and words from magazines, and paste them on a big poster board. Seeing this board each day aligns your brain with the outcomes you most want to attract. (Oprah, Ellen Degeneres, and Katy Perry all swear by Vision Boards!)
It sounds pretty simple. (And yes, there is a process to make your Vision Board more powerful.)
So why doesn’t everyone create Vision Boards? Well, in my experience, most of us never make the time. We let our busy, distracted lives get in the way.
It’s time to change that.
On March 19, we are gathering together to focus on our core values, to gain clarity and ideal outcomes for our women’s group.
Do you know that with common goals that are in service to one another and our community we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish? If you dream of a flourishing and connected community then take these thoughts and dreams, with passion and action to your board and make it all happen!
How to Gain Clarity
You may be asking yourself…how do I get clarity? I’m not sure what that means. Well, clarity comes by clearing away extra thoughts and distractions.
Often, people gain clarity by taking time to meditate. If you’re not sure how to meditate or feel maybe that’s not for you, that’s perfectly ok.
What I’d like to suggest is to take some time over the next couple of weeks to concentrate on why you joined the group, what you want to see happen through the group and what exactly you think is the best possible result(s) for our community by engaging with one another and the community at large.
This way when you attend the meeting you can use the short time we have together to get a solid start on creating your board. Your board is unique to you and will serve as a guide and reminder of the things you hold dear and want to manifest for the betterment of everyone around you.
This will be a wonderful way to connect with one another in a positive way and fuel the fires of positive change!
Peace be with you,
Jenn Stark
Profile of the Week: Sarah Josepha Hale:
Our profile this week is a tribute to Sarah Josepha Hale – a most remarkable native of Newport, N.H. She was born in Newport in 1788 and is primarily remembered for two notable achievements. Through a series of letters to President Abraham Lincoln, she is generally considered to have been the moving force behind the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. And, quite famously she was the author of the poem, a childhood favorite, ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb.’
While these achievements are how she is remembered today, it is not generally known the extent to which she was a powerful influential force in the world of fashion, style and taste during the mid-nineteenth century. For forty years, she was the editor of ‘Godey’s Lady’s Book, and as such, the arguably the most important female opinion leader of her time.
So, hats off to Mary Josepha Hale, our Profile of the Week. A bit of history – right here in Newport.
Quotes of the Week – Never Be In A Hurry:
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
- Saint Francis de Sales
“One of the great disadvantages of hurry is that it takes such a long time.” ― G.K. Chesterton
“The novice in the military art flew from point to point, retarding his own preparations by the excess of his violent and somewhat distempered zeal; while the more practiced veteran made his arrangements with a deliberation that scorned every appearance of haste” ― James Fenimore Cooper