Like many, I too have difficulty finding the right gift or sentiment that will be a meaningful gift for mom on Mother's Day. This year, my job is made easy. We all need the power of courage--the courage to try something for the first time, the courage to call to someone who we've had a falling out with, the courage to overcome daily challenges. My mom has taught me to be courageous and in return I wish to provide her a constant reminder of this important lesson.

Courage is represented by the Rhyolite crystal, which fortifies the body's natural resistance, gives strength, unites our energies and allows us to achieve the goals that our inner spirit intended. The Chi Bella (beautiful energy) piece for my mom will feature the Rhyolite.

This Mother's Day consider giving a piece of meaningful jewelry--a beautiful, hand-crafted Chi Bella piece with the crystal of your choice. Each piece incorporates organic crystals and fresh water pearls on natural leather to help focus our thinking and overcome the struggles we endure. Each gift also includes a copy of "Eight Little Lessons of Hope & Healing."

Explore the variety of Chi Bella hand-crafted styles, including the new lotus design. Give a gift from the heart. A gift she'll love.

Chi Bella (beautiful energy) jewelry pairs crystals, which are known to have metaphysical properties, within each design.  Natural quartz crystal is used as a cleansing stone to eliminate negative energies from other stones and amplifies the powers of the positive energy stones. It is believed to be a powerful tool  for memory improvement and bringing clarity to one's consciousness.

Consider giving yourself the gift of a trip to the beach to enjoy the sugar white sand and surround yourself with the positive energies of the quartz crystal. If you can't get away right now, consider giving yourself the gift of hope with a quartz crystal Chi Bella jewelry design. Most importantly, we must learn to stop and be quiet. In this fast-paced society, we must practice allowing our minds and bodies time to be still. We must make time to listen to our inner voice.

Not a week goes by without some article that focuses on some type of craving whether it be food, a relationship, a substance or a gadget. I personally crave silence! I am so tired of a world that seems to have the need to fill every moment with some kind of sound. I never thought I would come to the place where I felt the desire to simply listen to nothing. When I was a high school student in a Catholic boarding school silent retreats were part of the curriculum, occurring every few months. Imagine a gaggle of teen age girls trying desperately not to talk and me in particular trying not to laugh. My particular group of friends would do anything in our power to get one of the so called “goody two shoes” to break. Which of course always led to us being separated and confined to our rooms. Waiting for the three days and nights of silent hell to be over with was a nightmare.

I could not possibly understand the value the good sisters were trying to impart to us, since my internal chatter needed to be shared with anyone I came in contact with. “After all” Sister Immaculata would say “one does not need to express every thought they have”. I wonder what she would think of the reality shows. Oh how time changes our perceptions. I have spent years on the road and been inundated with sounds of all kinds, and the amount of noise that surrounds us seems to have grown exponentially. No matter where you are now, you can hear someone talking on their cell phone.

Do we have that much more to share? Is it necessary to report every moment of the day to anyone who might be available? Perhaps we are trying to find someone who will actually take the time to listen. That’s a pretty tall order these days. Since many of us feel overwhelmed and are lacking in the “self care” department. How can we pay attention to what someone is saying when we don’t take the time to listen to ourselves? That’s where silence and solitude come into play. Without them we lose our ability to cultivate an” interior life”. You might want to give yourself permission to just be quiet and still. It will probably be a struggle initially since the mind is often buffeted by sights, sounds and experiences. But, I can guarantee that if you make the effort to honor silence periodically, you will feel more inner peace and tranquility.

Thanks for these words of wisdom, Mom!

To read more of her inspiring words, visit her blog at http://www.lorettalaroche.com/get-a-life-blog

My rule of thumb is to try to stay away from sugar and processed food. It seems like it takes about two weeks to kick the sugar habit completely. When you first stop eating it, your body will crave it, sometimes something fierce. Eat fruit, whole grain, something that is naturally sweet and just keep telling yourself that this is good and healthy, and eventually you won’t crave it so badly.

We tend to crave sugar in the middle of the afternoon because our blood sugar has dropped from lunch. Instead of a sugar snack or even chips, try eating a hardboiled egg or some turkey. The protein will satisfy the sugar craving and it will last you through to dinner.

Also beware of hidden sugar—it’s used in practically everything. It’s vital to read those labels. If it’s got sugar in it, don’t eat it. The same holds true for chemicals. If what you’re about to eat has a chemical you can’t pronounce, chances are, it’s not really going to do your body any good. And watch out for sugar substitutes, too.

It takes a little bit of work to eat wholesomely. It’s so easy to buy some frozen dinners and pop them in the microwave, but the end result can be extremely harmful to your health. I'm a huge fan of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which has provided me a wealth of information in creating a healthy diet. Check out their blog which includes the Health Food Store Tour for a great 101 on some important foods with suggested recipes!

Once you start to detoxify your body, the foods you thought tasted great will soon taste like chemicals. And that’s a good place to be! There’s a whole new world of food waiting to be found, so happy shopping and bon appetit.

As outlined on TM.org, "The Transcendental Meditation technique allows your mind to settle inward beyond thought to experience the source of thought — pure awareness, also known as transcendental consciousness, or the unified field. This is the most silent and peaceful level of consciousness — your innermost self. In this state of restful alertness, your brain functions with significantly greater coherence and your body gains deep rest."

Last Sunday, several hundred thousand people tuned in to watch the Oprah Winfrey Network’s most recent episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter: a one-hour special on the Transcendental Meditation program and its application in different areas of life. This week Oprah visits the safe, green, and unusual community of Fairfield, Iowa. It’s the last place you’d expect to find huge golden domes where thousands practice the Transcendental Meditation technique twice a day. I encourage you to watch this edition of the Oprah's Next Chapter on Sunday at 8 p.m. CST to learn more about this powerfully centering technique.

The meeting will be held at the John Horton Senior Center on Hwy 393 N. I hope you'll be able to join us for some much needed quiet time and to hear a few of the lessons that I learned in my journey battling cancer. Simply put "you have the power" to be a healthier, happier you.

I would try desperately not to have a rise in blood pressure, but it was very difficult. I desperately needed to give myself time to get ready for the day which was often filled with lots of talking, book signing and more travel, all of which can be very stressful. Yes, I believe in different strokes for different folks, but the latest greatest research on how we can navigate our lives without feeling crazy by the end of the day, states that getting your brain in the right zone starts by how you greet the day.

I know this can be very difficult when you have kids and they begin their “woodpecker drills” as soon as they open their eyes. But it is possible to set your alarm to go off a few minutes early so you can lie awake in bed and allow your thoughts to focus on how grateful you are for what you have and not what you need to do. In fact, I believe this could be a great lesson to teach your children. Today’s kids are suffering from stress overload. If you allow yourself to be led by the incessant inner chatter you will leave your house feeling like a whirling dervish and your body will be in a vigilant state ready to slay a dragon.

There was a time when we could put things off and get away with it. But with the advent of e-mail, texting and cell phones, you are pretty much at the mercy of ASAP. It doesn’t matter where you are, you can’t hide from the technology that demands immediacy. Your only defense is to learn to create good mental habits that allow your brain to have mini-vacations from the cacophony of daily life. The ultimate irony is that productivity increases when we take time out to refresh ourselves. Lily Tomlin said it best ”The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat."

--Thanks, Mom (Loretta LaRoche), for these words of wisdom that I have willingly and lovingly learned to adopt.

"Eight Little Lessons of Hope and Healing" reminds us that each individual has their own healing power within.  This month, Laurie is highlighting the chapter on "passion."  With passion in our hearts, we foster the ability to remain calm in times of turmoil and bring resolution in a loving way. Passion is the warm caring touch that promotes peace, forgiveness and motivation. The intention of passion embraces self-affirmation and self-love. She reminds us to love ourselves first so that we may share love others  more deeply.