Express Yourself!

When you are resilient, you’ll laugh more, play more, and enjoy a higher quality of significance. Host Siri Phaneendra brilliantly shares how she bounced backed from adversity to develop strength through love and support of family. She orchestrates a fascinating interview with author of Everything is Not Fine, Sarah Carlson who advises to give oneself time to grieve, space to mourn when times are shattering. A short preview of her novel: High school senior Rose is a pro at using art to ignore her mom’s heroin addiction . . . until Mom almost dies of an overdose, leaving her family in ruin. In the aftermath, Rose no longer has the strength to pick up a paintbrush. But then she discovers the power of admitting everything’s not fine. Siri believes that loving oneself and sharing your love with others helps build inner strength that cannot be disturbed by any external circumstances. To be resilient means to bounce back . It is not what happens to us that matters, it is how we respond.

Host Rachel Glass begins by reading the chapter, The Gift of Youth by Victoria Whitebread from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World. She also reads the chapter she wrote, The Gift of Self-Love and provides an update on how she has grown and changed since writing the chapter. Her chapter’s purpose is a call to action for people to individually look inward and be thankful. People across the country are facing real issues like hunger, poverty, and racism, and it’s not as simple as just staying positive and being thankful. We must help and love others. Author of For Teenagers Living with a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs, Edith Lynn Hornik-Beer, is interviewed. Edith was inspired to write her book after she was approached by teens after they read her newspaper column, The Young World. Edith wants everyone to remember: You are not alone. You are not a prisoner. Establish a healthy lifestyle. There is help.

What does adventure mean to you? Veteran radio host and BTSYA volunteer, Rachel Glass spearheads this exciting program about experiences and adventures. As part of our Super Smart Sundays, Rachel interviews author C.R. Kahme about her Libbie Lyndton series. The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island has always been a retreat from the modern-day world. For C.R.’s main character, Libbie Lyndton, the Grand Hotel is far more than that - it was both a paradise for a horse-loving girl and a mystery that begged to be solved. C.R. is a great storyteller and fills us in on the joys and beauty of Mackinac Island. They also discuss dyslexia and how anyone with any disability can still do what she/he loves. Rachel also reads Cynthia Brian’s chapter, the Gift of Adventure from the book Be the Star You Are! 99 gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference. (www.StarStyleStore.net) To expand who you are, look for the adventure in all things. Life is an involuntary bungee jump. LIVE!

The climate revolution is the global transition to a clean energy, low-carbon future, saying “yes” to life. What’s good for our planet is also good for human beings—especially the smallest and most vulnerable ones. Host Arjin Claire interviews author Mary DeMocker about climate change and discusses her book, The Parents Guide to Climate Revolution. Mary advocates for blocking a new fracking operation which helps the climate, and also protects our kids’ drinking water from hundreds of chemicals that fracking injects into groundwater. Cultivating awe in nature makes children more likely to protect it, but it also makes them happier people. Reducing materialism is good for the planet and family budgets and closet-space. Arjin reads the chapter, The Gift of Nature by Cynthia Brian from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, which offers ways we can save our planet and our population. Listen to scientists.

“The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.” - Host Siri Phaneendra interviews Nadalie Bardowell, Founder of It's All You Boo, a personal development blog, that helps you plan your goals and become a more positive, productive person. The duo discusses how to create colorful, imaginative vision boards to help you manifest your destiny and how to visualize your reality. Productivity is doing something in a timely manner. Contrary to popular belief, humans were not meant to multi-task but single-task. During Covid-19, set personal goals that will benefit you in the future. Read a book, journal, paint, cook, garden, clean, learn a language. Do things that will help you feel empowered. Focus on what is going to create growth and gives you a positive thought for the future. Siri shares her thoughts about the future and reads, The Gift of the Present, by Cynthia Brian from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers reminding us to plan for the future, LIVE TODAY.

From veteran journalist, Yasin Kakande, expelled from two Middle East countries because of his daunting investigative reporting, comes the real story of why Africans flee their beloved homelands for unfamiliar and uncertain surroundings with his book, Why We Are Coming. Host Siri Phaneendra talks with Yasin about his amazing journey to combat corporate greed, exploitation, political greed, and the plight of migrants worldwide. Economic, social, and political conditions in his own country of Uganda made living there impossible. Yasin provides glimpse of the migrant crisis and asks us to acknowledge that migrants need to be allowed to live and work legally in a country to be productive citizens. Siri also offers a method to meditation and shares her family’s exodus from India and their struggle to become US citizens. Why We Are Coming is a book that sheds a light on a vulnerable population. Immigrants add value to the economy and culture of a country. Immigrants built the USA.

Host Siri Phaneendra was born into a very strict vegetarian family. With that mindset instilled from a young age, she found solace in gardening and nature. She talks about the nutritional value of eating a rainbow of vegetables and fruits. She interviews Lucia Rivera, an intern with The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG), a leading non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. Lucia talks about being a vegetarian Latina, the challenges for teens, and instructs us on the differences between being vegan, pescatarian, and vegetarian. Many people choose to be vegetarian to protest the abuse of animals, others choose this lifestyle for health reasons, or because they can’t afford meat or fish. Reporter Katelyn Darrow wraps up the show by focusing on being a vegetarian to save the environment. She states that her food choices are mostly plant based and exclude meat.

The healthier we are the more we can enjoy our elder years and the more we can pass down the wisdom that each one of us has gained over our lifetimes. How can an integrative approach to medicine help us age gracefully? Hosts Siri Phaneendra and Brigitte Jia join Dr. Bonnie McLean O.M.D., A.P., M.A., B.S.N, an award winning Doctor of Oriental Medicine and author of Integrative Medicine: The Return of the Soul to Healthcare, to find out how we can stay healthy through this Covid-19 crisis and beyond. Brigitte is studying to be a physician and shares her thoughts on the medical field. Siri talks about how virtual reality is playing a growing role in the healthcare industry. Virtual reality is a technology that creates a stimulated, artificial environment as it helps to diagnose diseases and treat illnesses. A salute to all healthcare workers as heroes for their selflessness and dedication. Thank you. “Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity.” Hippocrate

Host Arjin Claire reads Karen Kitchel’s chapter on mentorship from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World which asks us what we can offer someone who needs guidance. Be the Star You Are!® 501c3 has invited Authors Guild members with new books to be interviewed on our programs with Arjin interviewing Angie Rooker for her novel, Enchanted Sacred Garden: Dragon, a powerful story about being true to ourselves, self-acceptance, and illustrating how the choices we make impact the magic we wield. Angie discusses the power of art and writing to mentor others and discourage bullying behaviors. Katelyn Darrow chronicles her personal experiences indicating that mentors are incredibly important as they can help set you down a life path. She relates how mentors have assisted her with every aspect of her life including her career in journalism. Katelyn is giving back by being a mentor.. Share your talents. Be a Mentor.

After watching a series of brain-related TED Talks for her neuroscience class, host Brigitte Jia extracted fascinating facts about the brain and this new, exciting field of study. She shares her own experiences with neuroscience research and discusses the surprising science of happiness. Dallas Woodburn guests with her debut novel, The Best Week That Never Happened, a love story set in Hawaii, with a dash of mystery and magic, about living each day to the fullest. Kirkus Reviews raved, … captivating and moving. A dazzling, emotional story of love, loss, and living in the moment.” Dallas talks about writing as a form of self-car, a way to connect with oneself in a nurturing way in our chaotic lives. For those who want to write, she encourages writing for 30 minutes every day. And during this covid-19 lock-down, her respite is to go in nature because even if you can’t be with humans, you will be with living entities. Siri Phaneendra finishes with the best herbs and spice for the brain.

Brigitte Jia hosts a meditative hour that includes research on the neuroscience behind staying connected during the lockdown of the corona virus. Forced isolation studies conducted on animal species that have definitive social orders have returned results that evidence a hugely negative impact on subjects’ brains, cognition and physiological conditions that is replicable in human cohorts. Brigitte discusses long distance planning using Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, etc. If you’re looking for activities to engage in with long-distance friends and family during the quarantine period, you can try some of the following: • Watching movies together via Netflix Party • Hosting weekly remote “book clubs” • Holding weekly art sessions • Cooking or baking together in a video call • Group study sessions for high school and college students • “Ordering” dinner together • If you’re a musician, playing duets and ensemble pieces over video Excerpts from Richard Wagamese's Embers, is read. Calm.

o Times of chaos and uncertainty bring out the best and worst in people. We believe in effective altruism and our hosts, Joven Hundal and Siri Phaneendra explain how scattering kindness and being altruistic is bringing people together during this Covid-19 pandemic. To bring a bit of light-heartedness and fun to the show, they interview author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong about her newest book, Pop Star Goddesses, a compendium of 35 incredible female popstars, whose energies, virtues, and vices make them our role models, whether we’re getting ready to walk onstage or into a meeting. With her energetic flair, Jennifer highlights Beyonce, Pink, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez and more and matches them to revered mythic goddesses. Pop Star Goddesses explores the significance of 35 of music’s biggest goddesses and examines what they have represented through their lives and careers, as well as what they have meant to critics and fans. The human spirit is resilient. Tune in!

How do you connect with your friends, family, and colleagues during this time when we are sheltering at home? Veteran reporter and host, Rachel Glass, shares tips on the importance of staying in touch through text, phone, chat, video, and writing letters with hosts Arjin Claire and Siri Phaneendra. Author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and branding expert, Priya Florence Shah, joins the conversation from India to discuss happiness, women’s empowerment, climate change, journalism, and careers. Priya addresses fear and how to overcome it while imparting wisdom that people of all ages can utilize today. Arjin wraps up the hour with an installment of Innovation Nation discussing the role of non-profits and charities providing services to any population or people that might not have access to those services otherwise…the ultimate outreach. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” -Winston Churchill

“-No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt The mega best-selling author and role model to millions, Dr. Bernie Siegel joins radio hosts Katelyn Darrow and Siri Phaneendra to discuss feeling proud of accomplishments and being the best “you” possible. Katelyn shares her struggle with “imposter syndrome” despite numerous awards and accolades offering tips on how to re-wire our thinking. Siri encourages us to walk in the woods, exercise, journal, and meditate to overcome self-doubt and become more centered. Dr. Bernie Siegel offers stories from his years as a medical professional as well as personal tales of trials and tribulations. Two new books will be published soon, No Endings, No Beginnings about mystery of life and a novel, Three Men, Six Lives focusing on past lives. Tune in to see why you’ll want Bernie to be your CD: Chosen Dad. Be proud of yourself. You are enough. You are a STAR!

Siri and Kenneth lead an informative and lively episode focusing on being an entrepreneur, experimenting, and start-ups. Siri shares her start-up of a digital build-a-book platform where a person designs a personalized, customized book for a special someone for a special occasion, Draw My Love.www.DrawMyLove.com . The teens interview Trevor Blake about his newest book, Secrets to a Successful Startup: A Recession-Proof Guide to Starting, Surviving, and Thriving in Your Own Venture. Trevor Blake built five successful startups and sold them for more than $300 million. He’s written a complete instruction manual that covers everything the budding entrepreneur or existing business owner needs to know to build the career or business of their dreams. Start with a winning idea. Technology has changed so much in the last twenty years that it can be overwhelming to contemplate starting an adventure. Start with the WHY. There is no failure, only lessons to be learned. Keep on going.

The word science derives from the Latin word scientia, meaning knowledge”. Host Kenneth Jeon opens this installment about science with an article written by Be the Star You Are!® volunteer and radio personality, Brigitte Jia where she describes neuroscience with the joint roles of depth and breadth in understanding how the brain creates the individual. He then interviews former attorney and current author of Earth Speaks Up, Mary McNerney, about to earth’s vibrations and energies that enable us each to re-awaken our skill and ability to listen to Earth and work together with her in a fundamental new way. We learn how each one of us can engage with Earth and work collaboratively to benefit not only our planet but ourselves. During the segment of 20/20 Vision, Kenneth discusses his perspective on science with the changes in science fiction since the “Golden Age” of Sci-Fi of the 1950s and 60s.

“A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings.” Hippocrates Brigitte Jia recounts her teenage angst with body image and eating as she found a way to be healthy. She interviews author of The Clutter Remedy, Marla Stone, and asks her about ways we can organize our life to be happier, healthier, and clutter-free. There are many valid approaches to getting rid of stuff and creating neat and tidy spaces. But like many diets, most of these approaches fail long-term. That’s because lots of us like our stuff. Marla makes it clear that we should always keep the items we use and love and not worry about becoming a minimalist. She advocates organizing and de-cluttering that reflects and suits the individual, and not some “expert’s” ideal. In Innovation Nation segment, Arjin Claire challenges us to think about how innovation relates to healthy eating and healthy living. It is not just the food that has changed, but the concepts behind the food. Health=wealth!

While some people think of angels as being sweet, loving, heavenly beings who sit around singing and playing the harp, author of The Angel Experiment, Corin Grillo (http://www.CorinGrillo.com) assures listeners that angels are powerful allies who are always available to help them manifest the health, wealth, and life of their dreams. Hosts Katelyn Darrow and Siri Phaneendra talk to Corin about how to communicate with angels, and how to have angels help with our everyday lives. Katelyn shares the chapter she wrote, The Gift of Kindness, from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, (https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books) and provided insight into the charity she founded when she was just eleven, Angels Community Outreach (https://angelsoutreach.org/). Siri reported on archangels and guardian angels and told a true story of a human angel coming into her life. Invite angels into your life for healing & support.

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment. Host Katelyn Darrow shares how to get clarity and peace of mind to ride oneself of anxiety, stress, and to help with connecting with others. An in-depth interview with Tom Voss and his sister, Rebecca Nguyen, authors of the book, Where War Ends, provides insight into moral injury and how mindfulness and meditation can alleviate the pain. Tom served as an infantry scout in the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment’s scout-sniper platoon. While deployed in Mosul, Iraq, he participated in hundreds of combat and humanitarian missions. Through a newfound interest in meditation, he gained understanding that eases the pain of the past and offers real hope for healing in the present. Simple breathing exercises gave Tom what medication, therapy, alcohol, and drugs couldn’t: the chance to heal a soul he didn’t even think he had anymore. He pursued meditation training and discovered breathing techniques that he teaches to veterans.

Hosts Katelyn Darrow and Kenneth Jeon discuss productivity and hindsight and how to get a clear vision in 2020. Katelyn shares her top tips to increase productivity which include starting with the most challenging tasks firsts, making lists, unplug, and taking breaks. The hosts interview author of Letters to Freedom, Dr. Patti Ashley who ascertains the best way to know what we want is to use a little hindsight to determine what it is that we don’t want. Patti talks about her familial relationships, how journaling helped her to write her book through her sorrow, healing shame, expressing grief, authenticity architecture, and creating vision boards for the future. Kenneth’s Hindsight 2020 takes us to the movies with the newfound recognition and status of foreign films, including Korean film Parasite that is sweeping the awards seasons.