The Charmed Monday Minute, May 14

Hi, everybody, and welcome to subscribers from Indiana, North Dakota and everywhere else -

I hope that the mothers and daughters (and sons) reading this had a good Mother's Day. We went to my favorite restaurant, Caravan of Dreams. It's a vegan restaurant in the East Village that reminds me of what it must have been like in Berkeley in the 60s. I love the ambiance, the neighborhood, the food---and last night, of course, the company.

My trip to the Midwest was great - the First Lady's Health Summit in Fargo and Speaking of Women's Health in Merrillville. In Fargo, I noticed that the North Dakota license plates have the motto, "Discover the Spirit." I borrowed that for my presentation, discovering the spirit within each of us.

As the pub date for Fat, Broke & Lonely No More gets closer and closer, I feel this lovely peace that, even though I'm doing everything I can to help get media attention, exposure, speaking gigs, and the rest, I'm not in charge of how this book is going to find its way to the people it's supposed to help. It's nice to remember that even in the thick of things, I don't have to feel responsible for what is beyond my control.

I have also been in a decidedly uplifted frame of mind since I've been reading The Science of Getting Rich, written in 1910 by Wallace Wattles. That's the book that inspired Rhonda Byrne to write The Secret and Barnes & Noble has republished Wattles's nearly 100-year-old book. It's tiny but powerful, and despite the title, it's about so much more than money. He says that all life wants more life, that that's why we want to grow and learn and prosper. And that the more life we have, the more we can give. I haven't been this moved (nor have I done this much underlining) in a book in a long time.

This week's Minute is kind of packed (quite a bit more than a Minute, I'm afraid). The Minutes will stay weekly through May and go to every other week through the summer. With my tour and all, it will be too much to keep up with doing a weekly.

Stay happy, stay healthy, enjoy the spring -

Victoria

Happy Freedom from Self-Improvement Day! This fun idea comes from my friend, author Jennifer Louden, who has declared May 15th "Freedom from Self-Improvement Day." She hopes to make it an annual event to spread the word of self-kindness and take a break from our constant attempts at perfection. Check out the website at freedomfromselfimprovement.com.

Photo of the Week: Reader Heather Burtner from Orlando sent in this lovely picture of herself, her daughter Brooke, and Victoria at the Deltona Unity Church in January, 2006.

The Fat, Broke & Lonely No More Store is Open for Business! We just created a whole bunch of t-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, and other great gear featuring the cover art from the new book! They're available at our very own CafePress.com store. Here's the link. Enjoy, and tell your friends! Book of the Week: Evan Drake Howard, author and pastor of the Community Church of Providence, RI, has a wonderful new book coming out entitled The Lost Epistle of Jesus. It's an epic love story set in first century Jerusalem that explores Christ and Christianity in revolutionary new ways. The story revolves around a miraculous epistle that Jesus wrote to help people in all generations through the storms of falling in love and loving. Here's what I said about it in my endorsement: Entrancing, chanting, and one gripping read. The Lost Epistle of Jesus and its characters, both historical and fictional, bring the era to life. The ending left me in tears, but Howard's storytelling had me on page one. Check it out today!

Workshop of the Week: Gina Ogden will be teaching a workshop called "The Heart and Soul of Sex: Making the ISIS Connection" on September 21-23, 2007 at the Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, MA. This innovative weekend merges the latest research with women's stories, sacred ceremony, and shamanic journeying. For more info, check out her website at ginaogden.com.

COUNTDOWN TO VICTORIA'S NEW, 10th, and (we're hearing!) BEST BOOK EVER, Fat, Broke & Lonely No More: Your Personal Solution to Overeating, Overspending, and Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places coming from HarperOne on June 1, 2007 ...18 days! If you'd like to pre-order online, here are links to the big guys (who say they'll ship it early, around May 22nd!): Amazon Barnes & Noble Or, call your favorite independent bookstore to reserve your copy! (To find an independent bookstore in your area, you can search on booksense.com here.)

Happy week, all!

My very best,

Victoria Moran