In the past, all of my shifts in life came about from "hitting bottom. But this year I have experienced major shifts in my life as a result of love and friendship. About one year ago I had a "chance" meeting with Erin. We became fast friends and eventually we started our own BlogTalkRadio show. The conversations I have with Erin are life-transforming, mainly because of her ability to remain non-judgmental and to listen to what I have to say. I would like to think I offer the same benefit to her and we have both become a better version of our "Selves" because of this relationship. As a result of this relationship and our talk show together, we are able to reach out to others so they can also experience the impact of friendship, mutual respect and unconditional love. This is a very gratifying, soul-satisfying way to experience the shift and I hope to shift even more as I move toward my greater destiny.
In the same e-mail, Oprah posted a video blog about Marget & Joe – two people who managed to find an unlikely friendship 30,000 feet above sea level. Then she asked readers to write about how they found friendship in the most unlikely of places.
Here's how I answered:
About one year ago I met my friend and co-host Erin at church. The fact that we met at church is no big deal. But what makes it seem miraculous is that she only went to this church one time and one time only and I am a sporadic attendee. So, the chances of us meeting were very slim. She was sitting in the after-church refreshment area alone and I invited her to sit next to me. I didn't know many people and I always liked it when someone made me feel welcome so I simply extended a gesture. We discovered instantly that we had many similar interests and we became fast friends. Over the past year we have had hundreds of phone conversations for thousands of hours. After 4 months of knowing each other, we started a BlogTalkRadio show so we could talk some more and also share our insights and favorite things with an internet audience. The experience of having a show has been so magical that we hope we can do even more and eventually get a T.V. talk show together. In any case, our friendship has impacted our lives and the lives of many others all because of a "chance" meeting.I think it's important to share the good things in life with each other. On The Sheri and Erin Show we dedicate the second Thursday of the month to talk about Master Minding. This is a great way to build mutually respectful and supportive relationships with other people. Click on the player below to hear one of our shows about Master Minding or visit our show page today.
Listen to internet radio with Sheri and Erin Show on Blog Talk Radio
I'm here to tell you it's never too late to change your mind and thereby change the course of your life. If you need help, there is a 
If you need help learning how to love yourself as you are, consider the 
Appointed to the Ambassador Council of the National Eating Disorders Association, Jenni Schaefer is a singer/songwriter, speaker, and author of Life Without Ed and Goodbye Ed, Hello Me. She is a consultant with the Center For Change in Orem, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit 
Songs to Galvanize Your Mind - A List for Strong Minds with a Purpose by Sheri Zampelli is available for immediate download today. This list includes songs by artists such as:
James Brown
Stevie Wonder
The Ramones
Naked Raygun and
Ugly Duckling
The list is designed more as a mood enhancer and character strengthener than anything. I pull from genres as wide-ranged as gospel, hip-hop, punk rock and soul. The list includes 4-subcategories:
• Dare to be Authentic and Have Fun
• Get Pumped Up
• Get to Feelin’ Groovy
• Blow Off Steam
Songs include:
Boom by P.O.D.
Viva La Revolution by the Adicts
Can I Kick It by A Tribe Called Quest and
Think by James Brown
Get your list free today by subscribing to Get Galvanized below.
Yesterday at Agape Toastmasters we celebrated by holding a Red Carpet Awards event. It was a great opportunity to converse and get to know each other a little bit better. The room was festive, we had delicious and nutritious food catered by Linda Lloyd and many of us dressed up in evening wear even though the event started at 8:30 a.m.
One of the highlights of the morning is to hand out awards. There were many fun awards like Best Actress and Most Likely to Succeed and then there is the Toastmaster of the Year award that is won by popular vote. I really hadn't been thinking much about awards that day. I was in charge of the entertainment for the party so I was busy setting up my iPod and my microphone and making sure the program was as enjoyable as possible.
When club president and Toastmaster for the day Cynthia Lamb was describing the winner she talked about someone who was dedicated, always of service to the board and someone who participated in events outside the club, at the District level. I thought to myself, "oh my goodness, Cynthia is the winner, why is she awarding herself the award? Why didn't someone else give Cynthia the award?" But then Cynthia announced the winner's name, Sheri Zampelli. That's me. I was honored, surprised and shocked. I was also excited.
Winning the award was symbolic for me because it was an outward validation of an inner feeling that's been growing in the past 6 months. I have literally felt myself break free from my shell each time I speak at Agape Toastmasters but I wasn't always sure that others could see what I was feeling. Now I know they can and this encourages me to continue the journey of facing my fears and breaking out of the box completely. Several members of the club pulled me aside and told me how much I've changed in the year they've known me. It felt good to have witnesses because in someways, nothing has changed about me and yet everything is different. The trophy to me is simply a reminder that that "something" is real and I plan to continue on this journey and embrace the next adventure.
It is so appropriate that Cynthia Lamb is the one who handed me this award. It was after listening to her speech where she recounted her family's dysfunctional behavior with a humorous twist that I opened my eyes and my heart to a way I could share my message and help others while also maintaining my dignity and integrity. I asked Cynthia for help, guidance and support and she gave me that and more. Agape Toastmasters gave me wings and made me feel like a star and for that, they deserve the award.
For more about Agapge Toastmasters, 