Category: Gratitude

Kryptonite Can Give You Superpowers!

By on • ( Leave a comment )

If there was ever a person who possessed the qualities described above it is Lidia Szczepanowski, Esq., Model Citizen’s 2021 Woman of the Year. She inspires and brings hope to others the way a beacon of light guides ships at night. Lidia exemplifies the real-life embodiment of the words success, independence, entrepreneurship, and glamour and she does so with humility, integrity, and passion. Lidia acquired a plethora of knowledge over the years as a litigation and business development attorney, business strategist, entrepreneur, black belt in karate, and international spokesmodel. More importantly, despite her extraordinarily busy schedule, she has always been most passionate about “giving back” through proactive “hands-on” participation in philanthropy and philanthropic activities. 

Model Citizens Magazine Survivor Of The Year 2021 Scott Cooper

By on • ( Leave a comment )

John: Scott this is John Dowling the publisher of Model Citizens Magazine. I would like to congratulate you on being nominated as Model Citizens Magazine Survivor of the year 2021. Please starting with that horrific hit and run, please share what you have been through.

Scott: In 2011 my wife and I me were going to Arizona. We were going to North Carolina before heading there to say goodbye to her sons. On our way in Virginia getting gas, we were in a car accident on a head on collision. It was a lifted pick-up that hit us. We were stopped and not moving, when they it hit us. They were drunk and it was a woman driving. They hit-and-run, but we were lucky that my wife took a picture of their license plate. We called the police and they were able to find them and it found out that she was a armed robbery and she was out on parole. We had to take a tow truck to take us to Charlotte.  After we said goodbye to the boys, we had to take a rental car to take us to Arizona. When we got there, we went to the ER and they said we had to go to see a spine specialist. Luckily my wife wasn’t hurt  but I was lucky that I wasn’t paralyzed. The doctor found that my spine was compressed from my 2nd to the 7th vertebrae. I needed surgery and to have them fused. Since that time, I am not able to work anymore. We got an attorney and after 6 months in Arizona, we needed to go back to Charlotte. Thankfully, we still retained the attorney.  I got disability but it did not kick in until 2015. In November 2017,  I had a stroke that hit aortic heart went to the left side of my brain. Then a week after, I had a second stroke. I was sent to rehab and I was there for about a month and a 1/2. In February 2018 I had a seizure and I was dead for about 2 minutes. The ambulance brought me to the hospital. Since the rest of that year, I had 8 more seizures and I am on blood thinner and many other medications. The doctors had a few months until they were able to control my seizures. Since then, my strokes and my seizures have stopped. I have a very problem with my speech and my balance and confusion. Since the strokes and the seizures, I am not allowed anymore to drive myself.  I am home bound, I now to have depend friends or Ubers to take me back-and-forth for doctor appointments. Recently I had a bad fall.  I was coming down on the stairs to and hit my door and cracked it with my head. Obviously,  I no longer allowed to go on stairs.

The Science Behind living, A life of Gratitude.

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Gratitude is one of the most nurturing of human emotions. By sharing moments of appreciation to ourselves and to others we truly benefit from gratitude. Gratitude is derived from the Latin word ‘gratia’,  which means gratefulness or thankfulness. In its simplest form, gratitude refers to a state of thankfulness’ or a ‘state of being grateful’.

In motivational psychology, gratitude is the human way of acknowledging the good things in life. Scientists have defined gratitude as a positive emotional response that we perceive in giving or receiving. Some say that gratitude is associated with a “benefit” that was not intentionally sought after. Others say that gratitude is a response to feeling deserved. Many would define gratitude as both as well as a feeling earned because of the good intentions of another person.

Thanking yourself, thanking God, thanking nature, thanking your friends, and even strangers…. Gratitude in any form stimulates our minds and makes us feel happier. Gratitude truly has a healing effect on us. The benefits of gratitude are still not completely known but we do know many of the ways in which gratitude affects us, and it is significantly.

Gratitude in all forms is associated with happiness. Whether we say “thank you’” like someone’s blog post, listen to someone’s podcast, or just tune into a connection with appreciation, gratitude just does it for our “souls”. Yes, our souls. Gratitude inspires a feeling of pure satisfaction and encouragement. Expressions of gratitude help in building and sustaining long term relationships, deal with adversities and bounce back from them with strength and determination.

Take Control of Your Life With An Unlikely Partner

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I promise I am not going to start this article by saying things like, what a terrible year this has been! Will this ever end? Isn’t there anyone who can reboot 2020, turn it off, and back on again? No, I am not going there. Instead, I am going to ask you to close your eyes and visualize a busy highway in the evening. I know this may seem a little strange, but just go with me on this one.

It is nighttime, and all the lanes are filled, but traffic is flowing nicely. There is a plethora of red and white lights that are glowing like twinkling stars. It is quiet but for the sound of a gentle wind. 

Now think back to a time when you have felt stress. Maybe it was something small like you got into the shower and realized you have no shampoo, you were late for work, or you have teenage children. Perhaps it was more significant and life-altering like the death of a loved one or the breakup of a marriage. 

How are the highway and your stress connected? Well, when you feel stress, whether it is big or small, your body goes to work by releasing hormones and starting processes to help you manage. These natural chemicals and neurotransmitters are jolted into action as if they got a green traffic light. It happens when you feel things like annoyance, happiness, excitement, sadness, or anger. When you feel these emotions, you may notice that your heart starts pounding, maybe you get a stomach or headache, you sweat, or your face turns red. These real symptoms are the result of your natural response systems, and guess what? You can affect the outcome, to make the good better, and lessen the bad.