Be The Star You Are!® 501 (c)(3)

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WINTER 2000 NEWSLETTER

It is not now, and has never been, our intention to send this free newsletter to anyone who does not want it. If you received this in error, please respond with "REMOVE" on the subject line. Forward this to anyone who you think may be interested in its contents. If this was forwarded to you, and you want to receive it monthly, reply with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line. Visit our web site at http://www.bethestaryouare.org. Please note, by responding to this email, you do not reach the charity. To reach Cynthia Brian directly, email her at cynthia@bethestaryouare.org. Thank you.

Hello power partners as we welcome in the season of thanksgiving and giving. We are grateful to you for your dedication and assistance and wish everyone a magical and loving holiday season.

MIRACLE MOMENT™ OF THE MONTH:
The more you are grateful, the more you will have to be grateful for!

Since our last newsletter so much has occurred here at our charity, Be the Star You Are!™ and we are delighted to share this terrific news with you.

A NEW FACE IN THE OFFICE
Be the Star You Are!™ welcomes our new office assistant, Michele Philip, who is in the offices Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:30am - 5:30 pm. Michele had been working with the animals of Marine World, Africa USA, and as you know, everyone in our organization loves animals, so Michele is a perfect fit! She's doing a great job in a high energy environment and we're delighted to have her with us! If you have any questions, want to volunteer or donate dollars (we always have to ask...we're a charity!) give Michele a call at 925-376-7126 or email: michele@bethestaryouare.org.

SUPERSTARS SPOTLIGHT
Philanthropist:
Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises has named Be the Star You Are!™ one of the beneficiaries from the profits of the newest Chicken Soup for the Soul book, Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul which debuts February 15, 2001. We want to express our deepest gratitude to Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and all the board of directors of Chicken Soup for the Soul for choosing so wisely. Make sure you go out and buy several copies of this book which is filled with 101 stories to sow seeds of love, hope and laughter. After reading it, you will know the rewards of gardening are not always flowers, fruit, or vegetables! Thank you Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul and the co-authors Cynthia Brian, Cindy Buck, Marion Owen, Pat Stone, and Carol Sturgulweski for believing in Be the Star You Are!™ along with Mark and Jack.

Publisher:
Two Superstars in the publishing division this season: our good friend, Raymond Teague, author of "Reel Spirit", in conjunction with Dawn O'Malley of Unity House Publishers, donated 5000 beautifully illustrated children's books to our library which will be used in our Reach Out Reading Program in hospitals, schools and other facilities valued at over $65,000. Each child will get to take home the book, "I Turn to the Light". We are so appreciative and thank Unity House for this amazing donation. Unity House is located in Unity Village, MO.

Our Second Superstar award is given to the publishing house of Wildcat Canyon Press. Wildcat Canyon Press donated 450 empowering books, specifically those for women, to our media library. We love promoting the books of this wondrous positive publisher and thank them for their regular donations.   We appreciate you, Wildcat Canyon. http://www.wildcatcanyonpress.com

Authors:
Four Superstar awards this month in our Author division. Richard Paul Evans deserves thanks for his donation of 200 of his best selling book, "The Christmas Box" which is always a hit, especially at this time of year. Thank you, Richard. http://www.richardpaulevans.com

Artist extraordinaire and author, Thomas Easley donated another 100 books (he donated 100 last year) of his phenomenal book, "On the Elephants Knee". Thomas wrote us from India where he was working on another book and painting in his new impressionistic style. He wants to participate in our Positive Programming Symposium we are planning for 2001. Thanks, Thomas, for getting in touch all the way from Hindu-land. http://www.thomaseasley.com

Our good friend, Patrick Combs, author of "Major in Success" donated yet another box of 80 books as he was so happy with our distribution of his others to the right charities. Patrick and Cynthia have been chatting up a storm brainstorming ideas for the Positive Program Symposium. http://www.goodthink.com

Brian Biro, author of "The Joyful Spirit" and "Beyond Success" donated 100 books to our library and is an avid supporter of our charity.

Volunteers:
What can we say...Kim Carlson, our webmaster, is just extraordinary! She is the fastest web designer on the planet. Kim lives in Washington State where she is a bookkeeper, mom, wife, artist, and of course webmaster! No sooner do we email her a new item for our site, than she has transformed the information and made it look terrific! She's like snap, crackle, pop with lots of good humor thrown in. If you need a terrific webmaster or bookkeeper, email Kim. kim@accountech.com We can't say enough fabulous things about her...we love KIM.

Pat Hallberg here in California has been very busy with the distributions of our resources to other needy charities while at the same time making time to come into the office and stamp and organize books. She has also taken the leadership of our Reach Out Reading literacy program. Thank you, Pat for your continual great works on behalf of Be the Star You Are!™ If you'd like to volunteer with Pat, contact her at: patnross@earthlink.net

Sara La France is another out-of-state volunteer, living in Nevada. Sara has been writing grants for Be the Star You Are!™ and would appreciate any input or help in choosing the right contacts and more. Thanks, Sara, for your dedication. You can reach Sara at: saral@sierra.net

Event:
For our Founder's 25th wedding anniversary and her husband's birthday, Cynthia Brian and her children celebrated with a food, wine, and dance party. It was requested that in lieu of gifts the guests consider making a donation to this charity. To date over $1,750 has been donated in their honor to Be the Star You Are!™. We want to recognize the donors here and gratefully thank them for helping us help others.

Michael and Robyn Papenak
Frank & Jamie Bonetto
Petite Abruzzini and family
Richard and Julie Meister
Marlin and Patricia Flannery
Ronda Abruzzini Robinson
Lisa Brown
Joseph and Darlene Oster
Robert and Ellen Swensen
Gerald and Brenna Long
Richard and Adrienne Lanza
Judy and Mike McGourty
Linda Abruzzini
Jack and Marilyn Scroggins
Ken and Melissa Lanza
Louise and Kramer Klabau
Kim and Lena Martin
Michael and Joann Fox
Terry and Deborah Blanc
Scot and Juli Cunningham
Mike and Tootsie Chouinard
Barbara Gabriel
Michael and Linda Lyons
Edward Silver
Ron Borer
John and Francine Russo
Eileen and Eric Strom
Steve and Janet Kahane
Gina and David Tarke
Brian Sheaff and family
Bob and Jean Roberts
Barb and Joe Clement
Gary and Patrice Bernie

Gratitude to all of you.   We appreciate your dedication to empowering others.

Thank you to all our Superstars! You too can be a Superstar! Make a contribution as a tribute to someone you love! Get involved with us. Make a donation. Feel great!

And the next time you are having a party or event, consider inviting others to make a donation to Be the Star You Are!™. It's 100% tax deductible and the services we provide to people in need of inspiration and hope are changing our communities for the better, individual by individual!

SHARING THE WISDOM!
During the Olympics, you may have seen the appalling Nike commercial depicting a chain saw wielding masked man chasing a woman from her home through the woods. Be the Star You Are!™ was outraged that a company like Nike would stoop to such degradation in their media campaign. Marianne Williamson as well as our volunteers wrote letters to Nike, their advertising agency and the network, voicing our disgust and dismay and invoking respectful life enhancing portrayals on television. The commercial was pulled from the air. It is the responsibility of all of us to be aware of the negativity around us and the images we allow to penetrate our homes and hearts. We must all take a stand for family values and respect for all living creatures.

Welcome to our new office assistant, Michele Philip. She is in the charity offices Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:30am until 5:30pm and will be delighted to answer any questions. She's a real go-getter and brings lots of energy and enthusiasm to Be the Star You Are!™

Cynthia Brian joined Gina Horan, fashion columnist and TV personality as the keynote speakers for the fantastic event, "Beauty From Head To Soul, An Invitation To Celebrate Your Spirit" sponsored by the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Changes Salon and Day Spa, and the Chopra Center for Well Being in Walnut Creek. Our volunteers, Rebecca Schmidt and Pam Center were in attendance at the Be the Star You Are!™ booth offering guests information on our volunteer and outreach program. Thank you to all involved.

WINNING A SHARE OF MIND
Bryce Courtney sent this note to Mark Victor Hansen and Mark sent it to our office. We would like to share it with you.

"No matter what country on the planet earth, as of this moment, America owns the largest share of mind.

* It owns the largest share of mind as the bully or in the kindest sense as the world's politician.
* It owns the largest share of mind as the greedy exploiter or in the kindest sense as a multinational business.
* It owns the largest share of mind as a purveyor of violence, or in a kinder sense an exporter of action movies and television drama.
* It owns the largest share of mind as a communicator and what it communicates is that having things is more important than doing things or put into a kinder sense that Capitalism solves all ills.

The Share of Minds America doesn't enjoy

* Every minute of every day ten acres of the Amazon Basin is cleaved to grow grass to raise cattle for hamburger meat for the American fast food market.

The Amazon Rainforest, Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Congo Basin are the lungs of the planet earth, at the present tale of tree telling it will be all gone in another 20 years, but for small display areas for Eco-tourism.

* America has no share of mind as a replenisher of the earth's resources but only as the chief culprit in its destination.

* We must grow more trees, America, and only America has the power and the money and the communication systems to nurture and replenish and to create a share of mind among the world's people that saving the world's Eco-systems is in fact saving human kind.

* America doesn't enjoy a share of mind in the education of the earth's people. More than half the world cannot read or write. America herself has an illiteracy rate of 35%; by the year 2020 it will be nearer to 45%. Yet we have the capacity and the communication systems to teach every human on earth to think and to have the intellectual means to eliminate their own poverty.

* We must teach the world to read, write, and count.

* 50% of all the world's people will die of malnutrition and yet we have the capacity and the means to feed every hungry mouth on the planet. America does not have a share of mind as a nation willing to feed the hungry except in an emergency. American money enslaves the poor nations by committing them to debt they cannot repay and their people starve trying to repay these loans.

We must cancel these debts and create the means to feed every hungry mouth. We must win the share of mind. Which says America cares. Americans are caring people.

This is the journey; this it the task ahead. It cannot be done by Government or decree, but can be done by people, by you and me.

Let us Begin.
Bryce Courtney"

We agree...Join us on our mission!

WE ARE WHAT WE THINK!
Our friend, Ivan Burnell in his book, "The Power of Positive Doing", quoted shocking statistics: according to leading psychologists, psychiatrists and researchers in the behavioral sciences, as much as 77% of everything we think is detrimental and negative. At the same time, researchers in the medical field say that as much as 75% of all diseases and disorders are self-induced. We have become our own worst enemy. How do we turn the power of positive self talk and begin programming ourselves to understand how magnificent and important we really are?

Everyone receives an equal supply of time. The only difference between us is the way we spend it. Each week brings us 168 golden hours. We spend approximately 56 hours for sleep and recuperation. We spend approximately 28 hours for eating and personal duties. We spend approximately 40-50 hours for earning a living. We have 30-40 hours left to spend as we wish. How we spend them makes a difference in the quality of our living.

Imagine what a difference it would make if every American gave an average of 2.5 hours a week to volunteer or charity work; it would be equivalent to mobilizing an army of 20 million full time volunteers. Our country could become a therapeutic community, one in which the problems of the world could be eliminated. Who knows what would happen as millions of people tap into the mastery within?

Call us and get involved. 877-944-STAR or email us at
info@bethestaryouare.org

BENEFICIARIES OF Be the Star You Are!™
Our Fall resource distribution has been completed by our indomitable coordinator, Pat Hallberg. In all, over $20,000 in books, tapes, videos, CD's, art, and magazines were donated to several agencies including Born Free for teenage, unwed mothers and their babies, Wardrobe for Opportunity for underprivileged women entering the work force, Boys and Girls Club, Safe Haven for Little People, a safe place for teenage runaways, Children's Literacy Program, Children's Hospital, Community Substance Abuse Center, LITA (Love is the Answer) for people in nursing homes, and Juvenile Hall Auxiliaries for kids at risk.

We are currently serving Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, and Napa Counties. We want to expand our base and welcome your suggestions for other charities. At this time all donations are delivered by our volunteers, however, if we can get monetary donations for shipping, we are delighted to ship to charities in other areas. If you can support us in donating dollars so that we can serve more people, please contact our office toll free at 877-944-STAR or send contributions to PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca. 94556

REACH OUT READING PROGRAM:
The Be the Star You Are!™ Reach Out Reading Program has begun. Pat Hallberg has organized our reading and literacy program with volunteers Sheri Minch, Sheila Morrison and Melissa Ma who have signed on as readers for three months. If you would like to volunteer your time for an hour a week or an hour a month, contact our office at 877-944-STAR. Volunteers take books from our library into assisted living residences, hospitals, senior housing, shelters, and children's groups to read appropriate stories for about one hour. We believe that positive stories can change lives and we want to do our part in improving literacy in our country. For more information, contact us at Reach-out@bethestaryouare.org.

ON THE RADIO!
Starstyle™ Be the Star You Are!™ has been bringing you a star studded line-up every week on our upbeat positive radio program airing Sundays from 4-5pm on Business Radio 1220 and streamed live on the web from our web site as well as http://www.businessradio1220.com. Our new format includes two to three exciting guests every week. Some of our recent guests have included: Victoria Secunda, Mary Rockwood Lane, Andrea Warren, Dr. Gerald Jampolsky, Carra Robertson, Zimmy Zimberg, Neale Donald Walsch, Rabbi Irwin Katsof, Ivan Misner, PhD, Patty Aubery, Mark Honas, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Sue Zoglio, John Kremer, Albert Mensah, Mark and Chrissy Donnelly, and Richard Steckel.

Check out our web site for the latest updates in guests at http://www.bethestaryouare.org/schedule.html. We believe in their books and tapes and know they offer invaluable insights to assisting you in living a meaningful life.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Be the Star You Are!™ is planning some big events for 2001. One is an Empowerment Symposium and another is a positive media film festival. We are currently seeking underwriting from major contributors and corporations as well as volunteers who wish to work with us on these exciting celebrations. If you have any interest in participating or want more information on how you can be involved, please contact our office at 877-944-STAR or email us: events@bethestaryouare.org. We'll keep you posted as the events evolve and you will be invited to attend.

If you or your company are planning an event or party and would like to have a charity involved, please call us. We can offer radio promotions for your event! Everyone wins!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
In order to make a difference in communities, our country, and our world, we need your support. Financial contributions assist Be the Star You Are!™ in its mission to provide, promote, and distribute positive message programming to groups in need of hope, inspiration, and tools for daily living.

Here are some specific ways you can sponsor or financially support Be the Star You Are!™:

*Send a tax deductible contribution (every dollar is appreciated)
*Advertise on our radio program, Be the Star You Are!™, which is broadcast Sundays from 4-5pm on Business Radio 1220am and live on the world wide web at www.businessradio1220.com
*donate air miles
*donate a portion of your sales to our charity
*donate goods that can be auctioned off at an event
*Sponsor an event making Be the Star You Are!™ the charitable beneficiary
*Ask your company to match your donation or make a contribution
*Purchase books, tapes, and video through the non profit
*Make Be the Star You Are!™ a beneficiary of your estate or Charitable Trust Fund
*Volunteer time

Sharing Your Wealth...it's a time for giving
Here is a convenient tax-effective strategy for supporting Be the Star You Are!™: Use a Charitable Gift account through a brokerage firm such as Charles Schwab, or Fidelity. Here's how it works:

Contact the brokerage firm of your choice and ask about their Charitable Giving Account. Each firm has a special name for their charity account but they are basically set up the same as an independent, nonprofit charity, earning the donor immediate tax deductions. Choose the investment pool you are interested in such as growth index, balanced index or gift preservation where the assets appreciate tax free.

Advise the fund that you want to nominate Be the Star You Are!™ as the beneficiary of your contribution. The fund then ensures that the charity is registered as an IRS-qualified non-profit organization (which we are). Once that process is complete, the fund sends the charity a check. Donors can remain anonymous, or the fund will provide their names to us. Donors can also ask the fund to direct their grant towards a particular project or division of our charity. For example, if you wanted to fund our radio program, you could direct your dollars to go to that endeavor, or if you wanted to fund the distribution of books. Fund donors benefit by the ability to give more with contributions growing tax-free, so you have more money to grant. If you are in the 39.6% tax bracket, a $10,0000 contribution costs you only $6,040 after taxes. In the 36% and 31% brackets, a donor would pay $6,400 and $6,900 respectively for that same post-tax donation. Your contributions to the charitable gift account are tax deductible in the year you make them. You also pay no capital-gains tax on appreciated securities that you donate to a charitable gift account and you also reduce the amount of holdings in your estate as money in a gift account is not part of your estate, therefore your heirs won't have to pay tax on it.   For more information about charitable gift accounts, call our office at 877-944-STAR or your favorite broker. Charles Schwab is 800-746-2160 and Fidelity is 800-544-7272.

Be the Star You Are!™ 501(c)(3) is a volunteer self help media library.

Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers and to you, our outstanding supporters around the world. We value you and couldn't do what we do without you. Please tell a friend about us and have them tell a friend. Send this newsletter to everyone you know! If you would like to volunteer or get involved with our charity please contact us at volunteer@bethestaryouare.org. (PLEASE NOTE, BY REPLYING TO THIS EMAIL YOU DO NOT GET TO THE CHARITY). If you wish to reach Cynthia Brian, send to cynthia@bethestaryouare.org.

All donations are 100% tax deductible according to law. It's the end of the year so what better time to make a tax deductible donation. We appreciate all contributions. We care.

Be the Star You Are!™
PO Box 376
Moraga, Ca. 94556
877-944-STAR
http://www.bethestaryouare.org

Be the Star You Are!™ a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.

Tune into our positive upbeat radio show every Sunday from 4-5pm on Business Radio 1220 AM, KBZS and streamed live from our web site.

YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have comments, questions or suggestions for this newsletter, please write to Kim Carlson, your Be the Star You Are!™ newsletter coordinator at: bethestaryouare@hotmail.com

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
It is not now, and has never been, our intention to send this free newsletter to anyone who does not want it. If you received this in error, please respond with "REMOVE" on the subject line.

If this was forwarded to you, and you want to receive it monthly, reply with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.

To subscribe to the text-only version of this newsletter, reply with "TEXT-ONLY" in the subject line.

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
To request previous issues of our newsletter, contact our newsletter coordinator at bethestaryouare@hotmail.com.

FORWARD TO A FRIEND
Forward this to anyone who you think may be interested in its contents. Keep the special people in your life informed as to what is happening in the world of positive programming!

Visit our web site at http://www.bethestaryouare.org. Please note, by responding to this email, you do not reach the charity. To reach Cynthia Brian directly, email her at cynthia@bethestaryouare.org. Thank you.

Be The Star You Are!™
PO Box 376, Moraga, CA 94556
Tel: 877.944.STAR or 925.376.7126
Fax: 925.376.7142

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