Virtual Book Tour - Committed by Paolina Milana - Guest Post

A Sip of Hope: 4 Ways to Finding Fabulous (Even in the Middle of Madness) 

As a successful career woman who rose to executive ranks at global for-profit and non-profit companies… 

As a published award-winning author, writer, and creative content producer… 

As a woman who finally found the perfectly imperfect love of her life (very late in life and without “settling”)… 

I might appear as if I live a fabulous life. And in many ways, I do. 

That doesn’t mean, however, that my journey’s been free from crazy, and in my case, it’s quite literal. Mental illness took root in my family tree with schizophrenia claiming both my mother and my sister and nearly sending me over the edge as I became their primary caregiver. Caregiving for loved ones who have a mental illness is hard enough. Keeping it secret from the outside world turns a challenging situation into the kind of tragedy we see way too often headlining the news. 

Your brand of madness may or may not be related to a mental illness or to being a caregiver. For you, madness could have something to do with your work (a four-letter word), your love life (or lack thereof), your feelings of not being good enough (no matter how much you accomplish), or never being able to afford what you want (no matter how much you scrimp and save), or maybe…just maybe…you don't even know what’s driving you mad. All you really know is that you’re far away from where you want to be, you've lost your joie de vivre, and you’ve given up on dreaming those dreams of what could be. 

I get it. Cuz I’ve lived it. And have risen above it. So grab your goblet, fill it with your favorite Malbec, and take a sip of hope with these four ways to finding your fabulous, no matter the madness that surrounds you:  

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2. LOVE WHAT IS 

If you’ve never seen the 1980 comedy Oh, God!, you are missing out on a gem. The late George Burns plays the Almighty and explains this thing we call life: “You ever see a front without a back? A top without a bottom? An up without a down? There can’t be good without bad, life without death, pleasure without pain. That’s the way it is. If I take sad away, happy has to go with it.” So keep that in mind no matter what life is throwing your way. And make a point to LOVE WHAT IS. Yes. Even the stuff that hurts your heart or frustrates you to no end. LOVE IT. Why…? Because while you can’t control the cray-cray, you can control how you react to it. THAT is your CHOICE, and in that is your POWER.  

 

2. TAKE A WALK THROUGH MEMORY LANE 

As humans, we tend to do a better job of recalling the less-than-happy moments of our past. But I challenge you to revisit what came before and everything that has made you who you are today.  The bad and the good. Because when you do, you’ll realize that your fabulous isn’t that far away…you were there before so take some time to look back at old photos or what music or movies were popular a decade ago. Put yourself back to a time when you remember how much you loved bike rides or gardening or bubble baths. Let yourself feel your own moments of joy from the past, then take a baby step and do just one of them. Stay with those moments for even just a few minutes each day, and then increase those minutes daily. Here’s a free little workbook to help you revisit the things that made you feel fabulous and get you back on the path to wherever you really want (and deserve) to be.  

 

3. STOP “SHOULDING” ON YOURSELF 

Social media is great for a lot of reasons. But it also can be toxic. How much time are you spending scrolling through your Facebook feed? How many times do you see others living their fabulous lives and wonder, “Why them and not me?” Social media can have us entertaining a lot of “shoulda, woulda, couldas” about our lives. What we need to remember is that what we’re seeing isn’t the full picture. It’s people’s “highlight reels” – you know, just like when you see coming attractions for a movie, you’re only being given the best clips. So stop “shoulding” on yourself. Give yourself a social media break. Go for a whole week without it, and I bet you’ll suddenly start feeling your own fabulous.  

 

4. LET YOUR INNER KID OUT TO PLAY 

This past year has been a tough one for our mental health. The pandemic, politics, personal and professional issues: It’s no wonder so many people are experiencing less-than-fabulous feelings. I think we all can agree that adulting hasn’t been a whole lot of fun. So here’s an idea: Let your inner child out to play. Children are resilient. They can handle whatever’s thrown their way because most if not all of them live in the moment and feel every emotion. So do something every day that makes you feel like a kid. Want to eat chocolate cake for breakfast? Go ahead. Want to take your next ZOOM call wearing only a scarf around your neck, do it! Go ahead and be naughty. It’ll help you get your spark back I’m sure. 

Bottom line is that it’s okay not to feel as fabulous as we deserve to. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by our circumstances. What’s not okay, however, is suffering in silence and thinking you’re alone. Mental health matters. You matter.  So if you’re struggling, reach out. If you notice someone else who seems a bit discouraged, you reach out. If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that we’re all in this together. Your fabulous life is waiting for you. Go get it. 

Author: Paolina Milana

Paolina Milana is a marketing, PR, and media professional with journalistic roots. She’s the author of several books with her latest COMMITTED: A Memoir of Madness in the Family publishing May 4 in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. An award-winning writer, Paolina uses storytelling techniques in her resilience and empowerment coaching to help people become the heroes of their own stories -- reimagining their circumstances, rewriting their next chapters, and stepping into their power. 

Website and Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/madness2magic/

https://twitter.com/MadnessToMagic

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolinamilana/

https://www.instagram.com/madness2magic/

https://madnesstomagic.com/ 

Virtual Book Tour - Catch 42 : A Novel about Our Future

Are We Headed Toward a World Where Every Dream Comes True? 

Or will science and technology destroy what makes us human? 

 

A glimpse of a future that may be right around the corner. Tech thriller Catch-42 offers a mind-blowing tour of potential uses for AI, biotech, quantum computing, and robotics, all within a suspense-filled story packed with unexpected twists.  

Dan is an ordinary guy, scrambling to make a living, who has the most extraordinary dream. A mysterious voice from the future asks for his help. He finds himself transported to a technological wonderland where everyone’s dreams can come true. Could this be nirvana, a peaceful and clear state of mind, or is this life destroying the one thing that makes us human? Whose vision of the future should Dan believe: that of the New World Order of WeYou, or the revolution of an underground movement called Teccupy?  

Before Dan can make his choice, he must learn how we got from here to there. We are with Dan at every moment as he is forced to choose sides and think the unthinkable, make the impossible possible, and turn a hopeless situation into a solvable problem in his search for the ultimate catch-42.  

Brimming with current scientific findings, Catch-42 is a novel like no other that raises fundamental and philosophical questions whose answers depend on us all. 

 

“We added some new letters to the alphabet of life. Catch-42 turns these new letters into a fascinating story about technology, our society, and future.” —Floyd E. Romesberg, Chemist, Synthetic Biologist, TED Speaker 

 

“Creative, inventive, an enjoyable read.  Stretched my thinking with an outstanding understanding of emerging technologies and what's possible today, coupled with a futuristic mindset that challenges the reader to explore what's real and what's right.”  —Michael Fulton, Academic Director of Digital Executive Education at The Ohio State University 

 

“In Catch-42, Felix Holzapfel spins his deep understanding of today's most important technology trends into a gripping narrative about choice, ethics, and the nature of humanity—and shows us that the future will truly be what we make it.” —Greg Verdino, Futurist, Author of Never Normal 

 

“Like it or not, technology will rapidly change our world. Catch-42 demonstrates why it is so important that all of us get involved in the decision-making process that is nearly upon us.” —M. Sean Coleman, Author of Netwars: The Code 

 

“Catch-42 is not a classic page-turner but a demanding idea-turner. The novel covers many trending topics and important current questions. You might need some time to read it, but it’s worth every second.” —Brett Greene, Founder, New Tech Northwest 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thinkers 360 recognized Felix Holzapfel as a Top 10 Global Thought Leader in Digital Transformation. During the last two decades, Holzapfel has been privileged to support many global players on their way to the digital age. While he has published several books about technology, trends, and the shift in our media landscape, Catch-42 is his first novel and a book he has wanted to write for a long time. Having sold his digital marketing agency to one of the world’s leading IT services providers, he now has time for this passion project.   
To learn more, visit www.felixholzapfel.com. 

Website and Social Media: 

www.catch-42.com 

www.linkedin.com/in/felixholzapfel 

www.twitter.com/felix_holzapfel 

www.facebook.com/felixholzapfel 

www.instagram.com/felixholzapfel23 

Question and Answer with the Author:

12. Is there a message/theme in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

13. Yes! Don’t ever think you’re not capable of influencing the bigger picture. If everybody felt that way, a few would paint the bigger picture for all of us—a picture that’s not likely to match our expectations. If we each contribute our little piece, the bigger picture of our future will become more significant, more colorful, and more beautiful than we can imagine. Contributing is up to all of us. With this book, I want to encourage as many people as possible to think—from radically new perspectives—how humanity, technology, the economy, and our society might develop in the future. Even better, I want people to think about how they would like our world to change and how each of us can become an active part in the decision-making process that has already begun. 

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15. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

13. Until now, I only wrote professional books about marketing, technology, and our media landscape shift. I underestimated the intensity involved in writing a novel. Mostly, I was fascinated by creating the characters, the plot, the worlds of WeYou, Catch-42, and Teccupy, and how much fun it was to turn my ideas into words. I thought I would pace myself, but I just couldn't let go. I worked on the manuscript 24/7 for months.

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15. What was your greatest challenge in writing this book?

16. I thought my greatest challenge would be writing the book in English instead of my first language, German, but thanks to the support of my wonderful editors Howard and Darby, language turned out to be a minor concern. The greatest challenge was creating a complex plot with all its layers and linking different storylines and demanding topics across different worlds and times. I'm pretty good at being able to stay focused for a very long time. But writing this book brought me from time to time to my limits. Sometimes my wife or the kids would enter the room and ask me a simple question, or something would distract me for a couple of seconds, and an entire construct in my mind would collapse, forcing me to start all over again. But over time, I got better. And—I'm still married to my wife, and the kids have forgiven me for not giving them the attention they deserved while I was in the zone writing the manuscript.

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18. On a Friday night, what are you most likely to be doing?

15. My father-in-law is from Peru. We meet most Friday nights at his house with the entire family and follow a strict routine: First, the children have dinner and go to bed. Once they fall asleep—usually at about 9 p.m.—it’s time for a Pisco sour and a four-course feast that lasts until well after midnight. The first two courses can be ceviche, gambas, snails, or something similar. The third course, which is the main course, is carved in stone: meat with some salad. The fourth course is a desert, usually cheese, ice cream, or fruits—sometimes you can even replace the "or" with an "and." Now before you even start protesting—yes, the kids get dinner with several courses as well, but without the Pisco sour and with a more kid-friendly menu.  

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17. What do you like to do when you are not writing?

18. I'm a very social person, so I spend a lot of time with my family. Whenever a global pandemic does not limit us, I also love meeting my friends, enjoying delicious food in popular restaurants, and traveling. I‘m a workaholic who also plays a lot of sports. 

Virtual Book Tour - Kicking and Screaming by Melanie D. Gibson

One Woman’s Life-Changing Journey from Troubled Lost Soul to Taekwondo Black Belt

Despite the immense efforts to promote mental health awareness, cultural and societal stigma exists and is very pronounced in certain cultures and communities. Kicking and Screaming illuminates how people with mental illness usually hide behind their accomplishments while suffering in silence and often alone.  The author of Kicking and Screaming shares how taekwondo transformed her life and provided emergency mental and emotional healing.

Readers, who are attempting to overcome adversity and dealing with setbacks, should definitely read Kicking and Screaming. In my opinion, Kicking and Screaming provides motivation and inspiration for readers to move forward despite the plateaus and possible entanglements from toxic relationships.

“I am left in awe of Melanie's courage to reveal her darkest struggles in the hope of helping others. Her fight to find the light inside herself and share it with the world is a tale of inspiration for anyone--martial artist or not. Let the breakthrough in these pages be a call to us all to transform from our own worst enemy to our own best friend.” – Ando Mierzwa, Happy Life Martial Arts

About the Book

Melanie Gibson was an independent woman with a good job, multiple college degrees, and a condo in the trendy part of Fort Worth. She also had a few mental illnesses, a minor substance abuse problem, and rotten relationship skills. She was nearing a total mental breakdown and needed a good kick in the pants, literally and metaphorically.

As a last desperate means to save her sanity, Melanie turned to a nearly forgotten childhood activity: the Korean martial art of taekwondo. To her surprise and delight, she discovered her childhood taekwondo instructors’ Grandmaster operated a taekwondo school a few miles from her home. She restarted her training as a white belt and quickly learned that taekwondo had much more to offer than just learning how to kick and punch.

In taekwondo, Melanie felt like she had a fresh start in more ways than one. She found an inner peace she’d never known before, a sense of community, a newfound confidence, healthy relationship stability, and a positive outlook on life. The kicking and screaming she was doing in class quieted the long-suffering kicking and screaming in her mind. Funny and frank, Kicking and Screaming is the story of Melanie’s life-changing journey from troubled, lost soul to confident taekwondo black belt.

About the Author:

Melanie Gibson began taekwondo training at age ten. At age twelve she stopped taekwondo to pursue other interests and resumed training in her early thirties.

Although Melanie had academic and career achievements throughout her life, she struggled with mental illness and low self-esteem. After making some progress through psychiatric treatment and counseling, she knew she needed to do something more substantial to make lasting changes. Returning to taekwondo had always been in the back of her mind, and the timing was right.

Taekwondo proved to be not only an opportunity to re-learn a beloved skill from her childhood but also a means to build her self-esteem and confidence and heal from old wounds. It brought a needed excitement and purpose to her life, which she shares in her blog Little Black Belt (http://littleblackbelt.com). While continuing to work at her full-time job, Melanie dedicated herself to taekwondo training and earned her first-degree black belt in 2015. In 2017, she earned her second-degree black belt. Although a pandemic and knee injury sidelined her training in 2020, Melanie plans to return to taekwondo and test for her third-degree black belt. 

Connect with Melanie on social media:

Website: http://littleblackbelt.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melaniegibsonauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaekwondoLBB

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniegibson/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniegibsonauthor/