Dear Dolphins,

Once again, we are shocked and horrified to learn of the devastation one man’s rage can cause as we view the events unfolding at Virginia Tech. I remembered back to the carnage at Columbine in April of 1999, when I was deep into the writing of my first book, The Wealthy Spirit. I watched Oprah talk to the survivors and cried with them, then wrote a page about the dark and the light that dwell among us. This page was not included in the final book, but I share it with you today, as we mourn for the fallen and celebrate their lives.

Wishing you all smooth seas, sunny skies, and treasure ships at your docks!
Love and blessings,
Chellie

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ARTICLE: Columbine and Virginia Tech

“Somebody ought to tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit every minute of every day. Do it, I say, whatever you want to do, do it now.”—Michael Landon

Oprah broke down crying, put her hand up to the camera and said, “Go to break, please.” I needed a break myself. It was the day after two students ran amok with guns and bombs at Columbine High School, killing themselves and thirteen others. I cry again as I remember it, determined to use one page, this one day, to memorialize these loved ones who left the earth this way, so suddenly, so finally, so bloodily.

Hearts ached for the loss. Minds and voices questioned, “Why? How? What can we do to change this, stop this, control this?” The raging gun control debate flared again, all the usual suspects appeared on television shows to give their opinions, make their suggestions. But the beat goes on. This has happened before. I don’t want to write the next words: It will happen again. Soon, it does—in Oxnard, California. Then again in Santee.

I weep for the disenfranchised, the lonely, the quiet, the Others whose hearts seethe and roil with longing for belonging they feel denied. They blanch at the names they hear, “Nerd. Jerk. Loser.” Bitterly, they turn up the volume on the demon radio station in their minds and order the angel voices to pipe down. They feed the flames of anger and madness with the dark side of the moon: Harsh music, horror movies, hideous dreams of revenge. Some few take the final step and act out their rage. West Paducah, Kentucky. Springfield, Oregon. Jonesboro, Arkansas. The world is filled with the images of just how to do it.

And I weep for the beautiful ones, dreaming their golden dreams of prom dates and lettermen jackets. They take their beginning steps on life’s stage, safe in the sunshine of their parents’ love, their friends’ regard, their teachers’ praise. Birthday parties and ballet and baseball fill their lives between class times. All the while they thirst for knowledge and possibility. Some of them spread their angel wings and became angels unexpectedly one sunny afternoon. “In the midst of life we are in the midst of death.”

The ancient contest of darkness and light, devil or angel, sun versus moon, takes center stage once more. This is the essence of all wars, all hatreds. On which side of the battle do you stand? Are yours children of the sun or dwellers in the dark? Do they have empathy for people who are not like themselves? Do you? Listen to what they say; watch what they do. Then listen to what you say; watch what you do. The lessons of your life are being passed on.

Oprah wept that day. Many of us wept with her. Will we weep again?

We know for whom the bell tolls—it tolls for We.

Today’s Affirmation: “I am a beacon of God’s light, and my gift is to help others know that they are, too.” (Contributed by Lisa Hagan)

CHELLIE’S UPCOMING APPEARANCES:

April 22, 2007: Chellie will be the keynote speaker at the Women Entrepreneurs of Santa Clarita Valley Women’s event that features vendor booths, a speaker program, a small fashion show, shopping, food & more. Go to www.WEofSCV.com or call Tera McHugh at 661-775-0422 for more information.

May 1, 2007: Chellie will be the featured guest on the Spirited Woman Circle Conversation Series 1-hour Telechat at 10:00 am PST. Hosted by Nancy Miller of The Spirited Woman, this series focuses on authors and book publishing, and has had such best-selling authors as Fannie Flagg, Carly Phillips, and Gayle Lynd. (Special note: the April 3rd TeleChat will be with Lisa Hagan of Paraview, Inc. – Chellie’s literary agent!) Call: 888-428-1234 to sign-up or register online at: http://www.thespiritedwoman.com/spirited_woman_circle/

May 17, 2007: Chellie will be the featured guest speaker at Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) First LA Meeting! Please RSVP to Sharon Stark at 818-510-1015 (sstark@massmutual.com) or Lisa Shaver at 323-782-3181 (lmshaver@newyorklife.com) If you would like to download the Fyler for this event please click here (WORD Doc).

Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops New evening classes begin Monday, February May 7 and Wednesday, May 9 from 6:00 – 8:30 pm and the daytime class begins Tuesday, May 8 from 1:00 – 3:30 pm for the 8-week series. Achieve extraordinary results in your money and your life!  Call 310-476-1622 or visit www.chellie.com for more information..

A LITTLE ABOUT CHELLIE . . .

Chellie Campbell is a former musical comedy actress and past owner of a business management firm who’s been a professional speaker for over sixteen years. She’s the author of The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction (Sourcebooks, 2002), a GlobalNet book-of-the-month selection. Chellie has been quoted in the LA Times, Good Housekeeping, Lifetime, Essence, Woman’s World and many books, and she’s featured in How to Run Your Business Like a Girl by Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin and Money, A Memoir: Women, Emotions, and Cash by Liz Perle. Her new book, Zero to Zillionaire: 8 Foolproof Steps to Financial Peace of Mind was released by Sourcebooks in the spring of 2006.

CONTACT CHELLIE!

Chellie can be reached at chellie@chellie.com or call 310-476-1622.

Campbell Consulting Company
409 Bonhill Road,
Los Angeles, CA 90049