Friendship

Friendship is essential to balance in life. We all need friends we have history with, people we are comfortable with, people we can 'be ourselves' with.

One of my dear friends is embarking on a wonderful, planned transition. She'll be moving from the LA area to a lovely small town in Oregon. We had a 'goodbye' dinner last night and had a nice time talking about our 18 year friendship. I know that we will remain friends and that I will be able to make a trip to her new home soon.

This is a good example of a transition that comes from 'the inside out' - in other words, a transition that was initiated by the person, rather that thrust upon her. In these transitions, we receive great joy and satisfaction from the logistical planning, the dreaming and visioning (Point 2) and the activity surrounding the event of moving. Then there is usually a time of let down. The mundane sets in and we feel disappointed.

Know that this might happen. Prepare for this event and give yourself permission to have this let-down period. It will pass. Your new environment will kick back in and your enthusiasm for this new adventure will return. I wish my friend the very best in this welcome new chapter of her life.

Bill Wilson in TIME Magazine

My talk last night at USC was very well received. I'll be editing down the DVD and posting it shortly.

I have also been preparing for the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Educators (CAADE) conference I'll be speaking at next Friday, April 21. I found out that Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was listed in the TIME 100 - the most influential people in the 20th Century. That's pretty impressive. I'll mention that during my talk.

I had the honor of being the President of the Board of Directors of Friendly House, a women's alcohol recovery program in Los Angeles for 4 years. The Board's mission was strictly fundraising and we did that very well. So I do have familiarity with the 12-Step program of AA through that service. AA has apparently helped millions of people - for free. I like the spiritual aspect of the program.

Speaking at USC

In addition to teaching at UCLA, I am often asked to speak to other groups. Tonight I'm off to USC to speak about healthcare marketing. My company, Y&M PARTNERS, has a very robust healthcare practice and I love to talk about marketing. I'll be putting the presentation on my website under "News" later this week.