Last month, I talked about the importance of listening to your parents; in this issue, I would like to focus on parental rights, specifically the lack of parental rights in children's medical care in the United States. This serious issue has affected my mother's and my lives in a horrifying way, and July 13 will mark the 18th anniversary of the day I was snatched away from my mother for the second time only after she bravely stood by my side.

Did you know that in America, parents risk losing custody of their children forever if they disagree with doctors' recommended treatments or even when they want a second opinion?

This nightmare has happened to multitude of parents and children, especially in the past decades. Below is what happened to Tina Phifer when she only wanted her daughter to receive the best treatment for her disease.

Tina Phifer, a New York City accountant and single mother, lost custody of her nine-year-old daughter, Amkia, and all visitation and contact rights, when she wanted to seek a second opinion for her daughter's treatment. She disagreed with doctors at Montefiore Hospital over the correct course of treatment for Amkia's gastrointestinal condition, which was first diagnosed as anemia, then as irritable bowel disease, then finally as ulcerative colitis.

Amkia's health deteriorated only after doctors began treating her with drugs she could not tolerate. Tina wanted to take Amkia to see other doctors, but the hospital promptly charged her with medical neglect. Tina said that for blood drawings, they had student interns who could not find veins and would stick her daughter four times, damaging her arms. She informed the hospital that Amkia was allergic to Amoxicillin in the past, but they still administered it to her.

The court ordered that all communication between mother and daughter be audible to the social worker monitoring their weekly one-hour visits; she lost visitation and contact rights when she violated the order.

Before the custody loss, Tina had taken Amkia to three different specialists in late 1996 and early 1997 to find the right diagnosis. Tina was also accused of "educational neglect" because she homeschooled Amkia, even though her education has been tested to be superior than other children her age.

Amkia had lived in six foster homes in two years, among rats and roaches. After two years of the living nightmare, she was finally allowed to live with her mother again on a trial basis, but had to receive biweekly visits from child protection authorities.

The above case is an example of an average case. There have been some farfetched cases, such as the one below (but aren't all cases where parents are forced to give their consent for unwanted treatments farfetched?).

One February day in 2000, five-year-old Anthony Mitchell accidentally stepped on a nail playing with his brother. Anthony's mom, Pam Anderson, took him to the emergency room at Terre Haute's Union Hospital. While there, a mix-up of words led to the forced treatment of a negative disease. Anthony called the nail a needle, prompting the doctor to give him a dose of AZT, the DNA-chain terminator widely prescribed as an anti-AIDS drug, without performing any test, and called CPS. The doctor automatically thought that since they are black, they were using drugs (black-needle-drug-AIDS). Pam heard the doctor saying the f-word when he realized he had made a mistake, after speaking to the child's father over the telephone, but did not withdraw his diagnosis or treatment plan.

Child Protective Services (CPS) decided that Anthony should keep taking AZT, just in case he had stepped on an AIDS-infected needle, and ordered Pam to take Anthony to see a doctor at a clinic to see how he was doing on the medicine. Pam took her son to the clinic but did not put him on the drug. CPS called her, and armed police with dogs surrounded Pam's mother's house. Pam then got in touch with Deane Collie, executive director of Coalition for Medical Justice, who spoke with CPS. CPS then dropped the case, but warned that if Anthony were to come back with a positive HIV test within the next twelve months, Pam would be charged with felony criminal intent to harm.

Patients already have more than enough to deal with. It hurts parents a great deal when their children are suffering from illnesses. Snatching their flesh and blood away from them at such times is cruel, ruthless, and heartless.

"We want to protect the children's interest; since children cannot defend themselves, we have to speak for them.," is the #1 defense doctors, social workers, and the state have for taking away parental rights.

Well, then I would like to know: how would they know what children want when children do not have the right to speak out? How would they know they are speaking for them and defending them? During my mother's custody case in 1990, absolutely not a single person from the side who took me away from my mom's loving arms ever asked me what I wanted. I did not want the surgery from the start, but who listened?

Of all the cases I have read so far, not a single child had the right to pose their own opinions, not even those minors who were sixteen and seventeen at the time of dispute!

Parents have no right to say no, children have no voice to say no, and strangers have the right to say yes for them. What is wrong with this picture?

If you support my cause, please by all means sign my "Give Parents the Right to Say No" petition at: www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html Please pass the petition on to anyone you know! Parents and children need all the support they can get. By uniting our power, we can move mountains.

This could happen to you or someone you love. Prevent another case from happening by signing my petition.

In my advocacy book, "Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Where Is Our Freedom to Say No? A Look at the Injustice of the American Medical System," I have included some of the common arguments to my issue, and I am pasting a few below.

1) We can't let children suffer for their parents' poor choices.

Are children not the victims of martyrdom when doctors force treatments on them?

2) Doctors are more qualified than parents to make medical decisions.

Out of the one hundred doctors graduating from the same class with the same degree, ten percent may be excellent doctors; seventy percent may be average skilled; and the rest of them may be not that smart at all. All one hundred of those doctors are well-educated, holding the same degree from the same college. Should we listen to all of them? Do all of them know best? Plus, as every individual is different, each doctor is different, so will recommend different treatment for the same disease.

3) Doctors are human, too; they can make errors in judgment.

So you would call forcing unwanted or unnecessary--and sometimes harmful--treatments on children a mistake? You would call forcing a parent to give his or her legal consent a mistake, too? And I suppose opposing a parent's disagreement is a mistake as well. Well, even if they are mistakes, what do you think these mistakes cost parents and children? What if my mother had lost custody of me the first time?

I wrote the advocacy book not to vent about what happened to my mother and me personally, but for the entire American society to 1) make parents aware of the problems that could affect them and warn them of the legal consequences if they disagree with a medically recommended treatment, 2) to advocate for parents, and finally, 3) to put an end to this crime against humanity.

When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no.

I repeat, this nightmare can strike anyone. It could be you on your next visit to your child's doctor, it could be your loved ones, or your neighbor.

Grab an autographed copy of my book at www.shirleycheng.com

Shirley's Corner

On a lighter side--actually, on a very sparkling side--I have been notified that my book, "Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide" has been placed as a finalist in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Motivational category! After winning eight awards, I am practically left speechless. What else is there to say? What words could possibly describe how I feel right now?

As you know, this book has received many rave reviews (and more are to come, I'm sure), and here are a couple of them:

Review by Dr. Paul A. Johnson, Ph.D., Clinical & Consulting Psychologist:

"Shirley Cheng is new to my awareness and very unique, to say the least! This young lady has not only accepted, but embraced her physical handicaps in a way that gives hope and inspiration to all of us human beings. Her book, Embrace Ultra-Ability, is filled with wise, practical, and eminently usable advice and guidance that can be utilized as a whole, or in discrete segments, depending upon the reader's needs and situation. Everything Shirley talks about has a backdrop of deep spirituality and strong ethics, which convinces anyone who reads her carefully, that here is a person who works every hour of every day to practice her faith, to celebrate her blessings, and to constantly resist falling into self-pity or bitterness. This is an inspiring book and can be used daily by most readers to keep their spirits uplifted and their love of life, reinforced!"

Review by Ann Heizer, Functional Fitness Expert:

"Embrace Ultra-Ability! by Shirley Cheng was such a joy to read, and feel Cheng's energy, wisdom and insight for this life we have to live. Cheng is such an inspiration to so many people through her forthright way of truthful communication --lovingly describing what we face and how to respond. The dance of life has so many melodies and she have found the words for us to hear the music and really dance. Cheng's techniques focusing on faith, love and gratitude are so pure and simple that they speak to the very soul of a person. This allows us to learn by experience and become more conscious every moment. I especially loved the language in which Cheng wrote and it almost felt like she was talking to me as I read it. This is a book everyone needs to have in their collection --to review often and be inspired every time!"

Denise Mistich invited me to submit my personal testimony on how God has affected my life, and I am honored that she has posted it on her site to share it with you: www.spiritual-health-source.com/christian-authors2.html If you are a Christian writer and would like to share your own story, you may do so on that page.

This is all for the June issue. Until July warmly pokes its head through our windows, I wish you much peace, happiness, love, and justice in your life; and may you share all those goodies with others. You can start spreading good now by signing my petition at: www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html

Thank you in advance, and best wishes always!

Content Copyright by Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

You are permitted to only give out or link to this website or post; all other distribution and copying is prohibited without the prior written permission of Shirley Cheng. Contact Shirley at www.shirleycheng.com

Did you get this from a friend's forward and would like to subscribe? Then send a blank e-mail to subscribe@shirleycheng.com from the e-mail address you'd like to sign up under.

Read previous issues of Inspiration from a Blind at blog.shirleycheng.com

Best regards,

Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of seventeen books by age 24, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
Sign up to Inspiration from a Blind newsletter by sending an e-mail to: subscribe@shirleycheng.com
Please sign the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2008-05-31T17:12:42Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/05/17/blind-disabled-author-wins-eighth-book-award.aspxShirley Cheng, a blind and physically disabled 25-year-old author, has been named a finalist in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Motivational category for her new book, "Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide."

"After winning eight awards, what else is there to say? How could I possibly describe how I feel write now? But don't be surprised if you see me dancing on a cloud," says Cheng.

"Embrace Ultra-Ability!" has received many rave reviews, including from Kirkus Discoveries and ForeWord Magazine Clarion Reviews.

"If there is ever to be a poster person for people with ultra-abilities, it would have to be twenty-four-year-old Shirley Cheng. ...(a) power-packed guide...full of sage advice, helpful exercises, common sense analyses...tough love prescriptions..." -ForeWord CLARION Reviews

"(Written) with verve and conviction...ever cutting to the chase." -Kirkus Discoveries

"...filled with wise, practical, and eminently usable advice and guidance...a backdrop of deep spirituality and strong ethics, which convinces anyone who reads her carefully, that here is a person who works every hour of every day to practice her faith, to celebrate her blessings, and to constantly resist falling into self-pity or bitterness. This is an inspiring book and can be used daily by most readers to keep their spirits uplifted and their love of life, reinforced!" -Dr. Paul A. Johnson, Ph.D., Clinical & Consulting Psychologist

"I was impressed with the scope of this material. Cheng manages to do a more than credible job of addressing nearly every roadblock to personal success... I recommend this book to conscious people in the act of living the best life possible." -Patricia Hamilton, Publisher, Park Place Publications

In life, everything is divided into mainly two compartments: the spiritual and the worldly. What belong to the worldly will die along with the flesh, while the spiritual know no time or age. "Embrace Ultra-Ability!" covers the fundamental spiritual realm to gently guide others to turn their disabilities into ultra-abilities to live an everlasting happy and successful life, while leaving a legacy.

ISBN: 978-0-6151-5522-7
167 pages, trade paperback
Available where books are sold

Cheng's previous seven awards all went to "Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings," which was published in May 2007.

Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of seven books and contributing author of eleven, and a parental rights advocate, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Cheng lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.

Cheng is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. Visit http://www.shirleycheng.com]]>Book Awards Contest FinalistShirley Cheng2008-05-17T13:17:08Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/05/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-why-listen-to-your-parents.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com !

Once upon a time, a man built a breathtakingly stunning palace. Surrounding the palace, he planted plants of all colors, textures, and sizes; many of them were fit to be eaten. He also introduced many animals to the land; animals of all imaginable kinds, yet none was dangerous. They freely roamed about the green, rolling land that was dotted with tall trees, providing shady spots for any passersby. The man had built the great palace for the children he will have, who would inherit the palace and the land. He imagined his children playing in this land, running around hither and thither, in and out about the palace.

By and by, the man had children, who indeed inherited the land. The man could not help but smile whenever he watched them play about. His heart and soul were filled with immeasurable joy when he pictured the children of his children inhabiting the land and enjoying all that it had to offer.

One day, he could not find one of his children, so he asked the rest where the child was, but did not receive any definite answer. Soon, he was shocked to find the dead body of the lost child, and found out he was murdered by his own siblings. He was more than horrified; and anger was not absent. He detested evil. He had especially carefully taught his children well. How could something so vile have happened? Despair soon replaced his anger. He knew that his children did not love him as they had claimed; they would not have done this if they truly loved him.

Does this story sound familiar?

Okay, so this is not the best adaptation of God's magnificent creation story, but that is all right since it is just my intention to illustrate why it is important to listen to your parents. There are many reasons why we should pay attention to our parents, but I am just going to cover the three top reasons.

1. Returning your parents' love. The number one reason why it is a good idea to pay heed to what your parents say is to show that you love them in return. I have heard people posing the question, "Why was God so terribly angry in the Old Testament?" Well, let me ask you this: Would you not be upset if your children constantly do things that are downright evil after you have told them what not to do over and over and over again? Only an uncaring parent would not mind what bad things their children do. So God was truly loving when He got angry at His creations' wrongdoing. Above all, it showed that His children did not care about His feelings; they did not love Him back after He had so painstakingly created them after His own spiritual image. So show that you love your parents back by obeying their wishes.

2. It is best for you. God created us human beings, so He obviously knows what is best for us, yet countless people since the beginning of our kind have not followed His advice. Parents, who took care of us ever since we were tiny, helpless babies, know what is best for us, yet not many of us like to listen to our parents. I agree that we cannot agree to everything our parents tell us, but it is essential to think carefully about the large issues, the most important things in our lives. If parents tell us that smoking is bad for our health, then we should consider their warning before sticking a deadly cigarette into our mouths. It is best for you.

3. You receive support. When we listen to people's advice, we are being supported at the same time. Talking with and receiving insights from your parents will not only help you live a better life but will strengthen the bond between you and your parents. If all human beings listen to God's loving words, imagine what a beautiful world this would have been for each and every one of us! Even now, having God close to our hearts and doing what He loves, bring us spiritually closer to Him. Personally, it makes me very happy when I pay attention to His words in the Bible. It gives me a sense of security and support, as I know I am doing what is best for me, that whatever I am doing could not be wrong since it has been laid by the most supreme being ever, and above all, that I am not alone--I have Him to guide me.

Parents should be their children's best source of support. My mom is my #1 confidant and best friend. No one, except God, can take her place. When I listen to her, it means I love her, I trust her, and I won't feel alone to deal with things on my own.

It is true that not all parents' advice are right, but we should at least consider them instead of turning away from them immediately. It is up to your value system and judgment to judge whether what your parents tell you is good or bad. If you need guidance, flip through the Bible. Who could give better advice than the Parent of all parents?

Shirley's Corner

I have happy news to share with you this month! (But don't I always?)

I received my copies of the Vietnamese edition of my book, "Dance with Your Heart," straight from Vietnam, and oh my, are they beautiful or what! My mother and I were delighted to discover that between their pages, beautiful illustrations accompany my poems, fairy tales, fables, and myths. I am absolutely thrilled to say that some copies (out of my original fifty copies) have been donated to the Art Club for Disabled Children in Hanoi. The chairwoman of the club said that each tale will be read to the children every Sunday evening.

The book, which is published by Women Publishing House for the non-profit market for low-income families and schools and with an initial print run of 1,500 copies, is already receiving great feedback. A woman wrote this to my translator Nguyen Bich Lan: "Last night I had difficulty making my daughter go to bed on time because she entreated me to let her finish the tale 'Blooming Hope'. I myself like the book very much. The words she used are so pure, emotive. I like the fables most. They bring the useful lessons which are easily absorbed. The way you translated the tales and poems is so impressive that I forget that I am reading a literary book written in a foreign language."

I mentioned previously that I will take autographed copies for the book, and now I am keeping my word, but for only THREE copies. Yes, I am only making three of the ten copies I received available for ordering because I want to keep the rest for myself (can you blame me?). The three copies will be available on a first come, first serve basis, so if you or a friend can read Vietnamese, grab a copy quick by simply going to my site www.shirleycheng.com

In March, journalist Vu Anh Tuan wrote an article about our story--Nguyen Bich Lan's and mine--and the full-page article (yes, full page!) was published in Tien Phong Chu Nhat (Pioneer Sunday), Vietnamese's largest newspaper for youths. The news story, which is titled "'Dance with Your Heart' and the Two Girls Who Live in Two Different Hemispheres," can be found at (if the link is still live) www.tienphong.vn/Tianyon/Index.aspx?ArticleID=115906&ChannelID=7

Gnuyen Bich Lan is a marvelous person. Born and raised in a small village in Thai Binh, Vietnam, Bich was chosen for a class for gifted children with very good skills in literature. Before stopping her schooling at the age of 14 because of muscular dystrophy, she knew no English. Despite her bad health, she spent almost her time teaching herself English and reading a lot. Four years later she began giving English lessons to children in her area. Now in her early thirties, she has had more than two hundred pupils, eight of whom have gone on to become teachers of English. She is the translator of ten compelling books, including "From the Nile to the Jordan" and "A Thousand Faces of Night." Bich says she herself chooses which books to translate.

You know that one of my personal quotes is: "Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains." Well, a lady brought my attention to Blindsight, a fascinating film based on a true story that gives a new literal meaning to my motto. The documentary is about a German woman, Sabriya Tenberken, who lost her eyesight at age twelve. Her interest in Tibetan and Chinese culture brought her to opening Braille Without Borders, a school for the blind in Tibet (where blind children are not allowed to attend school because they think blind people are demon-possessed). By and by, she got in touch with a blind mountaineer, Erik Weihenmayer, who is the only blind person to have climbed the tallest mountains on each continent. The film is of the amazing team of Erik, Sabriya, and six of her blind, Tibetan teenaged students as they climb Lakpari which is on the north side of Mt. Everest. Each of the blind people traveled with a sighted climber/guide. Sabriya has been deservedly nominated for the Nobel Prize--I hope she wins it! Learn more about the film at www.blindsightthemovie.com/

Life coach Nickolove Lovemore, who interviewed me back in February, interviewed Jennifer Mannion, author of "How I Used the Law of Attraction to Heal Myself from Chronic Pain," and I thought I would share with you the interview recording because Jennifer's story is quite remarkable, and may benefit you or someone you know who is suffering from chronic pain. For nearly ten years, she suffered from chronic and debilitating illnesses, and amazingly, she was able to almost completely heal herself in a few short weeks using Law of Attraction. This story demonstrates the powers of gratitude and positive thinking. To listen to this interview, go to instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=2512911

I have released another new book, "Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Where Is Our Freedom to Say No? A Look at the Injustice of the American Medical System," and I will talk more about it in my next issue, so stay tuned!

Until next month, remember--when you need guidance, seek your parents; when you need even more guidance, seek your Heavenly Father.

Best wishes always!

Content Copyright by Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

You are permitted to only give out or link to this website or post; all other distribution and copying is prohibited without the prior written permission of Shirley Cheng. Contact Shirley at www.shirleycheng.com

Did you get this from a friend's forward and would like to subscribe? Then send a blank e-mail to subscribe@shirleycheng.com from the e-mail address you'd like to sign up under.

Read previous issues of Inspiration from a Blind at blog.shirleycheng.com

Best regards,

Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of seventeen books by age 24, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
Sign up to Inspiration from a Blind newsletter by sending an e-mail to: subscribe@shirleycheng.com
Please sign the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2008-04-30T11:59:17Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/04/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-how-well-do-you-speak.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com !

A man named Jordan has two good friends, Jim and Bruce. One day, he called both of them over and asked them to help him with some carpentry work for the following month. Both of them gladly said yes and that they would do a great job. When the day arrived, both friends showed up as promised. But by the end of the day, Jordan and Bruce wound up doing most of the work, even cleaning after the mess Jim made.

There was a man, Steven, who constantly told his wife, Judy, how much he loved her and how beautiful she was, while the man of their neighboring couple, Tom, rarely said "I love you," to his wife, Julie, yet both pairs seemed happily married. One day, Judy got extremely ill and had to bedrest for days. She was dismayed when Steven not only failed to claim his love for her but also treated her roughly, nearly making her cry a few times. In the meantime, Julie also got ill, but her suffering was not as great, for she had a doting husband who looked after her every need. She got well more quickly in her happiness.

Linda was a regular Church goer. She even taught Bible studies every week. She also enjoyed volunteering in her community and donating to educational institutions and charities. People viewed her as a model citizen. But if they had a hidden camera in her home, they would be appalled to see that she did not show the same kind of love and care toward her grandmother, who seldom had enough to eat.

Vincent, a man known for his strict moral teachings, was found having an extramarital affair and. Soon, it was also discovered that he physically abused his only child. Everyone was shocked, for they had always viewed him as Mr. Virtuous, whose teachings were against the exact sins he had committed.

What do all these fictional stories have in common? Yes, all of them illustrate the fact that actions speak much louder than words. Just like a photograph, a single action speaks one thousand words.

What else can you learn from the third story? While Linda's actions in her community are highly admirable, she showed her true nature at home. This story demonstrates that true love starts at home. If you cannot love the people who are closest to you, how could you truly care for strangers? Could Linda's actions outside of her home be truly honest?

The two most important commandments in the Bible are 1) love Jehovah God and 2) love others. Many claim to love God, while they do not care much for fellow humans. How could you truly love God, the Great Creator you cannot see, when you cannot love those who you see every day? You cannot do the first without doing the other. It is important to show your love to God by loving His creations. Do not forget that we are all His creations! For instance, a parent who loves his or her child will automatically appreciate the artwork the child creates.

How are you at home? Are you doing good in secrecy, without letting the world know about it (yet God will record down your every good done behind closed doors)? Your actions at home are manyfold more important than your actions performed outside. But that does not mean you should treat your family with love while treating outsiders horribly! Remember, just as with the two commandments above, you cannot do one without doing the other. If you are good at home, you ought to be the same outside, and vice versa. I repeat that love starts at home, then it should spread outward like ripples.

Some people ask, "How can you know if someone is faithful, loyal, and good?" You know if they are good by their actions. If someone says he or she is faithful, but does not show it in his or her actions, then that person is faithless. For example, there are folks who claim to have faith in God, yet they worry all the time. Is that an action of a faithful person?

Lastly, doing good does not mean speaking bad is acceptable. Speaking is also an important action. A rash word spoken is hurtful and wrong, and should be avoided. One of my biggest pet peeves is people speaking without thinking first and say something that is either hurtful or untrue. Doing good does not give people the excuse to speak bad.

Do you speak with words or actions? How well do your actions speak for you?

Shirley's Corner

I am absolutely thrilled to tell you that my book Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings has received more awards! Yes, more awards as in plural! I could hardly contain my joy when I was notified that I am a winner in THREE categories of Reader Views 2007 Annual Literary Awards: First Place in Poetry Nonfiction, and Second Place in both Spirituality/Inspiration and New Age Nonfiction. That is triple the joy!

Besides those awards, Waking Spirit also received the Avatar Award for Spiritual Excellence in Literature. This award is given to spiritual resources of exceptional quality and clarity. It is given to those writers, authors, musicians, editors, etc. who have displayed excellence, clarity, and a non-compromising stance when assisting in humanity's spiritual awakening. The award is presented by Avatar Publications, in association with "ALL THINGS THAT MATTER," a blog devoted to exploring issues that confront today's society. The selection committee is comprised of experts in the field of spirituality and spiritual awakening including authors, publishers, and academic professionals.

To receive the Avatar Award, books must be well written and they must convey a clear spiritual message and content. Books that promote a specific religious ideology are not considered. Books must be informative, easy to understand, documented (non-fiction), enjoyable and uplifting. They must point the way towards a new direction for human spiritual evolution and/or present a spiritual concept or message with new clarity and a deep sense of understanding.

"As a member of the award committee I had the pleasure of reviewing Shirley's book. Shirley is a shining star in a world in need of light. Her writing is straight forward,inspirational and uplifting," says Philip Harris, nationally syndicated writer and radio host of All Things That Matter. "To read Shirley's writing is to dance with life. For her, there is truly no mountain high enough."

Kathy Andrews recently asked me, "Do you experience miracles every day? Describe a typical day of miracles," and I thought I would address her question in my newsletter.

For those who know me for even just a little while, they could answer the first part of Kathy's question for me. Since I consider the gift of my life as my biggest miracle, I definitely experience miracles every day. Everything I do and experience--from typing this newsletter to listening to oldies (yes, I love oldies!)--is a miracle. A typical day of miracles for me, then, would simply be any usual day that I am alive to experience life! To me, a "tiny" miracle is tremendous. Think about it, the grass growing at your backyard, your heart beating rhythmically, the ocean waves splashing--are you not in awe of them all? Can these phenomena possibly be created by you and me? No, they are miracles of life. A computer, a mere gadget, is considered a human miracle, so imagine the immeasurable extent of life's miracles!

Kathy Andrews is an international business consultant and a certified Miracles coach. She's combined these skill sets to create a site dedicated to help people easily create miracles in their life. Visit her at www.miraclemarvels.com

I had a wonderful interview on Calling All Authors with host and publisher Valerie Connelly on March 25, even though I was so sleepy. I was there for two segments because there was a mix-up of time for another author scheduled for the second segment, so I took her place. I was on Valerie's show back on May 30, 2006. On Tuesday's show, I updated the listeners about my adventures and new book releases I have had since two years ago. Listen to the show (filled with plenty of giggles from both of us!) at globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors and click on the episode date.

I end this issue of my newsletter with: you are an agent of free will and choice, so make the wise decision to do good in every way possible!

By the way, I did not play any April Fools trick. Yes, all the awards I received are for real! Don't forget to celebrate with me!

See you in May!

Content Copyright by Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

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Best regards,

Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of seventeen books by age 24, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
Sign up to Inspiration from a Blind newsletter by sending an e-mail to: subscribe@shirleycheng.com
Please sign the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition: www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html ]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2008-03-31T17:38:33Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/03/19/blind-author-wins-best-book-in-poetry-new-age-spiritualityinspiration-in-reader-views-2007-annual-literary-awards.aspx "I am absolutely speechless with elation," says Cheng. "I ran out of things to say after receiving one award after another. But what I can never say enough is that I am absolutely honored and delighted. I must thank Reader Views for bestowing this honor upon Waking Spirit and rewarding me for what I love to do, and that is bringing humor, hope, and healing to as many people as I possibly can."

"Reader Views reviews more than 2,000 books per year from budding authors who have worked hard to achieve their dream of being published," Reader Views Managing Editor Irene Watson says. "Our Annual Literary Awards recognize the very best of these up-and-coming authors, all talented writers who we know have very promising writing careers ahead of them."

Earlier this month, Waking Spirit has received the prodigious Avatar Award for Spiritual Excellence in Literature. This book is also an award-winning finalist in the national Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards in the new age nonfiction category, Honorable Mention in the 2007 New York Book Festival in the poetry category, as well as Honorable Mention in the 2007 DIY Book Festival in the poetry category.

"Waking Spirit celebrates life while encouraging us all to appreciate what we already have. It's a book of survival, a tome of devotion, a bible of being," wrote New York Times bestselling author, Cynthia Brian, in the foreword. "Serve yourself a big helping of Shirley Cheng's inspiration and you'll be motivated to shoot for the stars."

"An inspirational miscellany from one of the braver souls on the planet...a menagerie of lyrics, haiku, short personal essays and even briefer aphoristic words to live by---all on the theme of leaping over seemingly insurmountable hurdles..." --Kirkus Discoveries

"This book is an amazing read by an amazing person. Her writing is very accessible and enjoyable as she 'shows without telling,' without arrogance or preachiness...an expression of joy...wonder...passion...teaches simple truths..." --ForeWord CLARION Reviews

"Her wisdom and captivating writing style reveals a rare beauty of the heart. Humorous haiku blends effortlessly with devotional selections as quotes sing a wisdom we want to hear and live." --The Rebecca Review, Top Ten Amazon.com Reviewer

"...a masterpiece... The Positive Thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible. That is what Shirley is all about!" --Ken Bossone, President of World Positive Thinkers Club

"Shirley is an excellent thought-provoking writer...with a charm and intelligence that would make anyone envious. Her inspiration and never ending strive to see all good in life is rare and commendable..." --Dorothy Lafrinere, WomensSelfEsteem.com

The 141-page book is available through Ingram, from Amazon.com, BN.com, and any book store, and autographed copies from Cheng's website www.shirleycheng.com ISBN: 978-0-6151-3680-6 (trade paperback); 978-0-3893-0 (trade hardback)

Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author, motivational speaker, parental rights in children's medical care advocate, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of seven books, and contributing author of eleven books, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.

Cheng is also the author of Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide (ISBN: 9780615155227); The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations (ISBN: 9781411618602), Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells (ISBN: 9781411618589), and Daring Quests of Mystics (ISBN: 9781411656642). With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Cheng co-authored Wake Up…Live the Life You Love: Finding Life's Passion; she is also the co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, with experts Jack Canfield and Dr. John Gray.

Cheng is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events.]]>International Annual Book Awards Winner Inspirational New Age Poetry SpiritualityShirley Cheng2008-03-19T01:38:22Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/03/04/waking-spirit-book-by-blind-and-physically-disabled-author-wins-spiritual-excellence-award.aspx "I am greatly humbled, absolutely honored and delighted to win The Avatar Award," says Cheng. "I've made it one of my life's missions to touch as many people as I possibly can to bring humor, hope, and healing. To be recognized for what you love to do, well, that's a huge cherry on top of an ice-cream sundae!"

To receive The Avatar Award, books must be well written and they must convey a clear spiritual message and content. Books that promote a specific religious ideology are not considered. Books must be informative, easy to understand, documented (non-fiction), enjoyable and uplifting. They must point the way towards a new direction for human spiritual evolution and/or present a spiritual concept or message with new clarity and a deep sense of understanding.

Waking Spirit (ISBN: 9780615136806), with foreword by New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Brian, is a heartfelt collection of inspirational short prose and poetry, including 102 beautifully written haiku of nature wonders and delightful animals, to empower readers to embrace the sky. Waking Spirit is an award-winning finalist in the Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards in the New Age Non-Fiction category, and Honorable Mention in the Poetry category in both the 2007 New York Book Festival and the 2007 DIY Book Festival.

The 141-page book is available through Ingram, from Amazon.com and BN.com, and autographed copies from Cheng's website www.shirleycheng.com

"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!" --Shirley Cheng

Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of seven books, contributing author of eleven books, and a parental rights advocate, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Cheng lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.

Cheng is also the author of Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide (ISBN: 9780615155227); Daring Quests of Mystics, a soothing read to relax the mind, body, and spirit (ISBN: 9781411656642); an empowering 700-page autobiography, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of 20-Year Victories over Victimization (ISBN: 9780615150444); and Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells, a collection of inspirational and fantasy short stories (fairy tales, fables, and myths) and poems for the heart from the heart (ISBN: 9781411618589).

With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Cheng co-authored Wake Up...Live the Life You Love: Finding Life's Passion, the latest installment in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love series; she is also the co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, along with leading experts Jack Canfield, John Gray, Richard Carlson, Alan Cohen, Bob Proctor, et al.

Cheng is also an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care, and aide/caregiver monitoring and screening for students with special needs and disabled people. As a parental rights advocate, she wants to help today's loving parents protect and keep custody of their children. "When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no," says Cheng, who is the survivor of the five-month 1990 internationally broadcast mother Juliet Cheng's custody battle with a Connecticut doctor. Juliet was on CBS This Morning show with host Paula Zahn.

Cheng promotes aide advocacy for the disabled because she was mistreated and abused by one-on-one aides when she attended school. "The trouble with the uncaring aides actually lies with the authorities," she says. "If they listened to my complaints and kept a close watch on the aides, I wouldn't have gone through all the suffering."

Cheng was published twice before her writing career. One of her short stories, Mary Miller, the Elusive Lady, received Honorable Mention and was published by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 1997, and a poem, The Colors of the Rainbow, earned merit status and was published in Celebrate! New York Young Poets Speak Out in 1999.

In 2006, Cheng tied for 1st place in the national writing contest for Be the Star You Are! founded by New York Times bestselling author, TV/radio personality Cynthia Brian, garnering her a third appearance on Cynthia's live radio show. Cheng's winning entry, titled The Jewel from Heavenly Father, is dedicated to her beloved mother Juliet Cheng. In 2007, Cheng received Honorable Mention in the same contest for her essay, I Hold the Power, her personal story of overcoming blindness at the age of seventeen. In 2008, Cheng was yet again one of the honorees, this time winning Honorable Mention for her essay, My Mother: A Fighter, a Victor, a Lover, which applauds her stellar mother for being such a courageous and loving fighter to protect her life at all costs.

Cheng is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. She has been on over twenty radio shows, including Be the Star You Are! for three times, The Donna Seebo Show, and Stu Taylor on Business. She was featured in World Journal, the largest Chinese national newspaper in North America, in July of 2004. Contact her via her site at http://www.shirleycheng.com]]>Book Awards Spiritual ExcellenceShirley Cheng2008-03-04T01:33:44Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/03/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-what-is-your-most-precious-gift.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com!

What is the most precious gift you have ever received? No, it is not that BMW or that diamond necklace. Think again. Read below to see what is my most precious gift, and you will know what yours is. Yes, we have the same precious gift, though each of our gift is unique from the others'.

I was lucky enough to have met a kind lady over the Internet. Her name is Beth Tabak, and she is a business and life coach. I was honored and delighted when she featured me in her newsletter; and below, I have included the interview portion. You may visit her website at www.StartingNowCoaching.com to know more about the good things she does and brings to others.

Q: What went through your mind as you encountered each hurdle?

A: Whenever I run into a challenge or obstacle, I always think to myself that this is not the end of my life. I still have a long road ahead of me that I need to travel. It is completely up to me to make a difference in my life, and I want to make the best of what I have, make the most of my situation, so I have chosen to move forward with a smile. I am so honored and delighted to be living, that God has chosen me to have a life, so I want to show Him how much I am grateful to be alive. Why have a little negativity stop me? Yes, you may think agonizing physical pain and blindness is not little, but compared to the entire wondrous universe--all the beautiful things it contains--it is tiny.

Q: What drove you to excel in school?

A: I absolutely love to learn since I am so madly in love with life--I want to learn as much as I possibly can about something I love--so that passion is the fuel that allows me to achieve what I have achieved in and out of school. How could I not want to know more about the place I call home (Earth)?

Q: As you lost your eye site you learned through only listening which takes a tremendous ability to focus. What helped you be able to focus so fully?

A: I believe God gave me the ability to focus well. Ever since I was a baby, I have been a very alert individual who cherishes the "small" things in life--nothing in life is ever too small. God also gave me artistic talents, so I am able to picture things well in my head, so that was how I was able to do math and chemistry in my head without Braille and how I was able to solely depend on listening to my teachers as they taught. But I must admit, it was hard in math and chemistry, because when you have never seen a specific formula and you only hear the teacher talk about it, it does get confusing! But I managed! But unfortunately, I never finished math that year when I lost my eyesight. The tutor the school sent me (I stopped going to school then) did not know how to describe the equations/formulas to me--I don't blame her!

Q: Did you ever ask 'why me'?

A: Of course, but never in a negative way. I believe that every person has a purpose in life, and everything happens for a reason. God works under mysterious plans, and I am often curious about His plans for me.

Q: What explains your strong drive to achieve followed with action?

A: My strong drive to achieve has to do with my passion for life, for doing my best to live my best. I believe that to love and accept life is to love and accept God; I love life because I love God, and I am so grateful to Him for my life. Why ruin His gift of life by not achieving and doing my best? When you buy an expensive set of furniture (or anything you love), would you not take good care of it? Would you not love your children with all your heart, soul, and might?

Q: Shirley, do you have any wisdom for my readers?

A: ~"Overcoming negativity is not necessarily about making a physical difference. Many times, we cannot physically change the situation we are in. I lost my eyesight, and I can't make myself see again (sure, I can have an eye surgery, but I, alone, cannot make myself see). Conquering negativity is about making a psychological difference for your spirit. By being happy when I am blind, I am successfully conquering negativity."

~"Let us face it, everyone has limitations. But the thing is that we can live in a way that do not let our limitations have the most effects on our lives. We need to live in a way that is most beneficial, with the least hindrance, and that is by limiting your limitations. For example, if you are good in math but not good as a cook, focus on your talent in math, instead of focusing on your inability to cook well. So focus on your strong points, not on your weak points. Concentrate on what you are able to do, not what you are unable to do. If you lose your left hand, you will not try to use your left hand to do everything. You will instead use your right hand and train it how to do the things your left hand could do. I am blind; that is a fact. That is a limitation I have, and I will not deny it. But what I do is to limit my limitation by focusing my attention on what things I am still able to do and enjoy doing without my eyesight. When you are good at something, then do it and do your very best with it."

~ "Be your own true best friend and you will become a true best friend of the world."

~ "If you do not let obstacles disable you, they will not disable you. Only you have the power to disable yourself or enable yourself. I have chosen to be ultra-abled. Yes, I'm not disabled--I'm ultra-abled!"

~ "Find the positive side to a negative situation. I know it can be quite difficult to always be able to find the good side of something bad; you will have to look at your situation from every angle. While at times, the good thing does not come out of the bad until some time has passed. After I lost my eyesight, I became an author and motivational speaker; that was the good that came from the bad. This way, I am able to touch others in ways I could not have if I had not lost my eyesight; at least, it would not have been so soon or exactly in this way. Another example is that I have periods of severe insomnia, and it is during my insomnia that many of my great writing ideas come to me, so that is the positive side of insomnia. In life, there are always something good and something bad happening at the same time, and there is always a positive side to the negative, and even a negative side to the positive. And there are times where the bad actually becomes the good and vice versa. So in actuality, it can be too hard at times for us to judge what is truly good or bad. What we can do is always try to look on the bright side and do our best to live our best, and put all faith in God--that is the secret that gets me going; everything else is just strategy!"

Q: Any final words, Shirley?

A: Remember, God has given you the most precious gift--your life--so live it and love it with all your humanly might!

Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!

Shirley's Corner

My heart is beating with excitement as I am typing this: the Vietnamese edition of my book Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells has just been released in Vietnam by the Women Publishing House, who will make my book available to low-income families, schools, organizations and clubs for the disabled, and the like. What better places to read my message than those riches of the world? The book is translated by the talented and bright-hearted Bich Lan, who is an immensely strong individual who has overcome muscular dystrophy. Who else could be more fitting to translate Dance with Your Heart than she? I must say I am extremely honored and delighted! Can you read Vietnamese or do you know someone who does? Well, then good news: I will have autographed copies of the Vietnamese edition for ordering on my site soon! I do have the cover posted; check it out at http://www.shirleycheng.com under "News Flash!" This is my first foreign translation, so this is a brand-new kind of excitement!

What is success really about? What is my golden rule to everlasting success? Find out in my 40-minute interview hosted by Mohamed Tohami from Egypt at my site under "Radio Interviews & Audio Clips": http://www.shirleycheng.com

Spirituality is vital, but why? Why do you need to possess spiritual qualities? See what I think in my one-hour interview hosted by Nickolove Lovemore at my site, also under "Radio Interviews and Audio Clips." Nickolove also recorded a two-minute audio from my newest book "Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide," and you can listen to it at my site as well, under my book's description. It's a beautiful recording with soothing nature sounds and bird chirps in the background.

That is all, folks! I will return next month on April Fools Day. Remember the stupid trick I played last year? Well, I promise I won't do that again--I mean the stupid part.

Have a wonderful March! Until next time, always march on, never give up, and enjoy the scenery as you go along! I repeat: life is the most precious gift, so love it with all your humanly might!

Shirley Cheng, www.ShirleyCheng.com]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2008-02-29T18:41:58Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/02/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-how-helpful-are-you.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com!

How helpful are you? Let us find out by first asking: why do you help others? There are mainly two kind of helpers: one group helps because they truly enjoy helping for the sake of helping, while the other seeks help or some kind of benefit in return.

Let me focus on the ladder group first. People love win-win situations (trust me, I do, too), where one helps the other to get something in return, such as in a joint venture. While it is perfectly fine in a business situation, always expecting rewards when you help others is not the way to go. But still, even in a strictly business setting, it does not hurt to help out.

And there are those who absolutely enjoy helping others. They ask for nothing in return. They ask only for the joy that comes with helping others. These helpers make the receivers feel best. When they help, they do not make the recipient feel guilty or obligated to return a favor. Do not make the helpee feel like they owe you anything but a ton of thanks! This kind of help is most appreciated.

True helpers help without boasting; they do not brag about their help. Instead, they enjoy helping in secrecy, for they know goodness is their reward. If you help so and so, do not tell the town what you did to help so and so. If you help someone, do not look as though you have sacrificed something; look happy and be pleased.

Do you offer to help others? Whenever you feel help is needed, ask if that person needs help. Not everyone feels comfortable asking for help, while some are too proud to do so. When my mother and I go out, for example to the malls, we often run into trouble with the doors. She will use one hand to keep the door open as she uses the other hand to get me inside the building. More often than we like, some folks will just look on, without asking her if she needs help. Luckily, we are grateful to have quite a few people who initially help us.

Lastly, remember to help yourself--love and take care of yourself. And ask for help if you need. It will not make you any less independent or make you lose your dignity. We are created to help one another in order to live harmoniously on this planet. Without people helping people, we would not go too far in life. So if you know what you ask for is necessary, without taking the advantage of others, then ask by all means.

And when done straight from the heart, help brings smiles to both the giver and receiver. Now that is what I call a win-win situation!

I have so many exciting things to share with you today that I don't even know where to start! I guess taking them in chronological order will be the best way, so here goes.

On January 12, I received an e-mail from Cynthia Brian with the subject "Good News." "Oh, my," I thought to myself. Could it be--? And boy, I was right and was I happy or what--for the third year in a row, I am again one of the winners in her national annual Be the Star You Are! essay contest, this time earning Honorable Mention for my piece, My Mother: A Fighter, a Victor, a Lover, which applauds my stellar mother Juliet Cheng for being such a courageous and loving fighter to protect my life at all costs. In my story, I talked about the 1990 internationally broadcast custody case my mother had battled and won against a Connecticut doctor after she refused harmful treatment. To read my winning entry, go to my site, and it's under "News Flash!" http://www.shirleycheng.com

I have officially released my long-awaited book, Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide, late last month. I am so excited that I have finally delivered this book baby. I have put so much of my heart and soul into this project. I have to admit that this is my favorite book yet. If you enjoy reading my newsletter, I am sure you will certainly enjoy this book manyfold. And today is absolutely the last day I am offering this book at the low price of $12.97. After midnight, it will be available at the regular retail price of $14.97, so do not miss out on this time-limited offer! Grab an autographed copy or two at http://www.shirleycheng.com While you're there, you can read an excerpt from the book.

On February 4 at 10:10 in the morning, Dr. Frank Fowler will interview me live on his radio show Let's Talk About It on WRNJ 1510 AM, which is broadcast in New Jersey. If you have that station, please tune in. I will talk about how to overcome disabilities and life's challenges to create a rewarding life. I'd love to have you join me live!

I am delighted that my well-received short story, Those Unforgettable 180 Days, is featured on www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com for your enjoyment. The site has many wonderful inspirational stories to awaken your soul and warm your heart, and they are always looking for new writers to submit stories, so by all means check it out. Happy reading!

On February 12, Mohamed Tohami will call me all the way from Egypt to interview me about my secrets on how to be truly successful. He interviews ultra successful people and posts the interviews on his website, so needless to say, this is quite an honor! Once my interview is up, I will let you know.

Want to know how you can awaken your spirit to live a happy and successful life? Want to know how to conquer negativity? Then join me live on Wednesday, February 20 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on a teleseminar hosted by life coach Nickolove Lovemore. To listen, you can either call in at 218-486-3696 (USA) then enter in the conference ID: 579802# (the numbers followed by the pound sign #), or go to instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=1691643 If you would like to have me answer any of your questions, submit them on that page, and I will be more than glad to answer them during the interview. It is bound to be a power-packed hour of inspiration, so be sure to let your friends and family know!

Once in a while, I will recommend something I feel you would like and that would benefit you on your quest to achieving a good life. This time, I would like you to listen to the teleseminar "How to Make 2008 Your Best Year Yet!" hosted by Joshua Stein at: http://www.instantconference.com/RecordingDownload.aspx?R=385888&C=615&E=854017

Whew! Didn't I tell you that I have lots to share?

Until next time, remember to have your heart lend out a helping hand! And don't forget to check out my new book Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide, and grab a copy while my special offer lasts!]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2008-01-31T14:00:34Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/01/12/blind-authors-honor-to-brave-mother-wins-honorable-mention.aspxShirley Cheng is one of the winners in Be the Star You Are! National Essay Contest, this time receiving Honorable Mention for her heartfelt piece, My Mother: A Fighter, a Victor, a Lover, which applauds her stellar mother Juliet Cheng for being a courageous and loving fighter to protect her life at all costs.

"My beloved mother Juliet Cheng is a fighter, a victor, but above all, she is a lover. I am darn proud to have her as my mother," is how Cheng starts her winning entry. "Since I am severely physically disabled with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, my mother has not only stood up for me countless times, but she has also saved my life on numerous occasions."

"What can I possibly say to express how I feel right now?" says Cheng. "Let's just say I'm dancing on Cloud Nine. Earning Honorable Mention means a lot to me, not just because it is an honor itself but because my essay honors my mother and it's important to let the whole world knows what a truly loving human being is all about."

"She constantly shows me her unconditional love and unwavering support by protecting my life using her wits and guts, not by simply telling me of her love (though she does that quite a bit, too)," is what Cheng further wrote in her essay. Juliet used her wits and guts to battle and win the horrifying custody case against a Connecticut doctor after refusing harmful treatment--the story told in Cheng's essay. "And won the case she did, but only after five long months of fighting in court and sheer terror; after appearing on CBS This Morning show with Paula Zahn and being interviewed by major media outlets, including The Associated Press and the New York Times; and after I vomited blood and became all skin and bones under the doctor's 'care,' which consisted of administration of naproxen to me on an empty stomach and frequent x-rays and blood tests, at times weekly."

"Moreover, it's about fighting for justice," says Cheng, whose forthcoming release is a parental rights in children's medical care advocacy book to help today's loving parents protect and keep custody of the children of our future. "When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no."

Cheng's entry can be read on her website at http://www.shirleycheng.com

Previously, in 2006, Cheng tied for 1st place in the national Be the Star You Are! Second Annual Essay Contest founded by New York Times bestselling author, TV/radio personality Cynthia Brian, garnering her a third appearance on Cynthia's live radio show. Cheng's winning entry, The Jewel from Heavenly Father, is also dedicated to her beloved mother. In the following year, Cheng received Honorable Mention for her essay, I Hold the Power, her personal story of overcoming blindness at the age of seventeen.

Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of seven books, contributing author of ten books, and a parental rights advocate, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Cheng lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.

Cheng is the author of the 3-time award winner Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings (with foreword by New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Brian), a heartfelt collection that explores a world of dancing hearts, singing spirits, with infinite love from life (ISBN: 9780615136806 paperback; 9780615138930 hardback); Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide, a self-empowerment book to empower the readers to empower themselves (ISBN: 9780615155227); Daring Quests of Mystics, a soothing read to relax the mind, body, and spirit (ISBN: 9781411656642); an empowering 700-page autobiography, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of 20-Year Victories over Victimization (foreword by Cynthia Brian) (ISBN: 9780615150444); and Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells, an anthology of inspirational and fantasy short stories (fairy tales, fables, and myths) and poems for the heart from the heart (ISBN: 9781411618589).

Waking Spirit is an award-winning finalist in the national Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards in the new age nonfiction category, Honorable Mention in the 2007 New York Book Festival in the poetry category, as well as Honorable Mention in the 2007 DIY Book Festival in the poetry category.

With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Cheng co-authored Wake Up...Live the Life You Love: Finding Life's Passion, the latest installment in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love series; she is also the co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, along with leading experts Jack Canfield, John Gray, Richard Carlson, Alan Cohen, Bob Proctor, et al.

Cheng had been published twice before her writing career. One of her short stories, Mary Miller, the Elusive Lady, received Honorable Mention and was published by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 1997, and a poem, The Colors of the Rainbow, earned merit status and was published in Celebrate! New York Young Poets Speak Out in 1999.

Cheng is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. Visit http://www.shirleycheng.com]]>Child Prodigy Receives Honorable Mention in National Writing Contest for Inspirational EssayShirley Cheng2008-01-12T22:31:07Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2008/01/12/embrace-ultraability-to-welcome-everlasting-successnew-book-released-by-blind-disabled-child-prodigy.aspx CONTACT:
Shirley Cheng
Website URL: www.shirleycheng.com
For Immediate Release

Embrace Ultra-Ability to Love the Life You Live

How would you like to see far and wide and dance with your heart like the blind and physically disabled author Shirley Cheng? Would you want to live positively and passionately, and welcome ultra-ability into your life? Embrace Ultra-Ability! will gently guide you through the dance steps so you can waltz to the music of life. Filled with the blind author's precocious wisdom, insight and personal experiences, this new book empowers you to accept all the jewels Jehovah God Almighty abundantly supplies us, and supports you on your journey to using the gifts wisely. Once you have welcomed all His treasures--from love to hope--be ready to soar with ultra-ability!

"If there is ever to be a poster person for people with ultra-abilities, it would have to be twenty-four-year-old Shirley Cheng. ...(a) power-packed guide...full of sage advice, helpful exercises, common sense analyses...tough love prescriptions..." -ForeWord CLARION Reviews

"(Written) with verve and conviction...ever cutting to the chase." -Kirkus Discoveries

"…very effective and empowering in teaching positive affirmations, self-confidence, self-love and true sight." -Dorothy Lafrinere, WomensSelfEsteem.com

"Shirley Cheng's vibrant prose refreshes the soul. Her positive message of hope and love has universal appeal." -The Rebecca Review, Top Ten Amazon.com Reviewer

"Readers will be able to understand Cheng's message thanks to her clear and simple writing peppered with colorful, non-cliched metaphor. No psychiatric jargon will plague them." -H.A. Senidal, Writer

ISBN: 9780615155227; trade paperback with 167 pages

Release date: January 2008; autographed copies are available for order from www.ShirleyCheng.com

Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author, motivational speaker, parental rights in children's medical care advocate, self-empowerment expoert, poet, author of seven books, and contributing author of eleven books, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.

Cheng is also the author of award-winning title Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings (ISBN: 9780615136806); The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations (ISBN: 9781411618602), Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells (ISBN: 9781411618589), and Daring Quests of Mystics (ISBN: 9781411656642). With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Cheng co-authored Wake Up…Live the Life You Love: Finding Life's Passion; she is also the co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, with experts Jack Canfield and Dr. John Gray.

Cheng is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. She has been on over twenty radio shows, including Be the Star You Are! for three times. She was featured in World Journal, the largest Chinese national newspaper in North America, in July 2004.]]>Self-Improvement BooksShirley Cheng2008-02-29T18:54:42Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2007/12/31/01012008-1000-am.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com!

Happy New Year, my loyal subscribers as well as my newcomers!

What is at the top of your list? No, I'm not talking about your New Year's resolution or shopping list. I am talking about your all-time to-do list. You know, the virtual list of things you would like to accomplish in your lifetime, of what you'd want to be and how you'd want to be. So what is at the top? Take a look, and let me know if it is love.

Put love at the top of your list. No, make it the first item on your list. It is never too late to move or add love in the #1 spot. Make it your priority to be more loving, to show more love to your fellow mankind, animals, the environment. In other words, to all of God's creations; never leave one out!

Being a loving person does not mean you have to fall madly in love with everyone, heavens forbid. We all know that not everyone is loveable, quite on the contrary to say the least. What does being a loving person actually mean?

A loving person is an understanding person who treats everyone with equality. A loving person will embrace the sickly, the poor, and the not-so pretty like a sibling. They will lend a helping hand to those in the need and will not expect any monetary or material benefits in return. Instead, they will only ask for the good feeling that only helping others can bring.

A loving person seeks spiritual gifts, not people's spotlight. A loving person embraces others around them and do not care of what others think of them. They fear not of any rumors said of them, for when they know they are good, they would have nothing to worry about. Only the guilty worry about what others whisper behind their backs. Why should the loving worry? What would they have to worry about?

A loving person is filled with compassion for others. They understand what others need and will not question the actions of the good. The loving will honor and respect others even when they could not understand them.

Above all, the loving love honestly. They do not express their love falsely; they do not use love to get what they want. They love with real love. If they do not love someone, they would still be kind and nice to them, and they do not hate anyone.

Why do you love someone? If someone could not promise you riches, would you still love them? Would you just love someone just because they promise you such and such?

Why do you love God? Do you love God because He is your Heavenly Father or do you love Him because He promises everlasting life? Would you still love Him if He does not promise riches? Again, the loving do not use love; they do not "love" to get what they want.

The loving love for the sake of love, not for rewards. They simply love love. They love because they love the lovely feeling and the virtue of loving others. They love because they are glad to be alive, they love because they have the privilege to love, and they love because God made us so we can love.

If love is not #1 on your list, put it there. 2008 is a great time to start loving!

My already well-received book, Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide, will be officially released late this month! What does that mean to you? Well, it means you can grab the discount while it lasts! Save $2 when you pre-order it before its release date. Get an autographed copy at http://www.shirleycheng.com

Below I'm featuring another great review I've received for this book...and this time, from Kirkus Discoveries, another well-respected reviewer!

Motivational speaker and poet Cheng offers a heartfelt guide to building the foundations for a good life. Cheng has had her share of miseries: A crippling case of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which was not only excruciatingly painful but kept her from school and almost sent her into foster care, was followed by the loss of her vision at the age of 17. So if she chooses to live in happiness, then her tools to achieve that state certainly have fashioned one shining example.

Cheng is a forceful believer in God Almighty: "God is everything. He is all virtues…He is infinite, total, and all-encompassing." Well, perhaps not all the time-"He is absent during your every fall"-and she is not the first to appreciate that "He works under mysterious plans." But readers need not be believers to find the everyday wisdom in her life purposes: to be a good person with good intentions and to enjoy life to its last sensuous, joyous morsel. Her advice is to live moment to moment, guided by a foundation of values and virtues.

Writing with verve and conviction, and ever cutting to the chase, she covers the ingredients of the foundation: faith (in God, perhaps, or maybe simply the allegiance to a cause), finding gratitude (or at least an education) in all things, discovering your core value (hers is goodness), loving life and yourself and others, and having hope that things will go right. Who's to argue with that? As you wend your way to being good, Cheng is adamant about putting your needs first (only when you have cared for yourself can you fruitfully care for others) and being yourself, finding what is important to you, learning to say no, giving yourself a break, kicking back and taking risks. Then she provides working examples of how to handle the negativities that enter life-deaths, physical ailments-moving beyond simply tendering good words.

Cheng could easily have become sad and bad, but good and happy is her path. These lifeways were her ticket to the high road.
--Kirkus Discoveries

Until we meet again in February, spend your time now as a lover....and why not give that frog a kiss?

Have a splendiferous 2008!

Shirley Cheng, www.ShirleyCheng.com]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2007-12-31T18:46:06Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2007/12/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-do-you-see-the-light.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com!

At this time of year, I always like to remember the good times, the good things, I am fortunate to experience and have. Although I've had some bumps along the way to get where I am today, I am able to nod at my life and think back with gratitude.

If you could nod with approval at your life--though there have been ups and downs, with downs so overwhelming at times--then you would be able to move forward with life and be grateful of life; you would be happy with your life.

I have mentioned that gratitude is the most important element you need to have in order to live a happy life and to overcome negativity. You not only should be grateful of things you have right now but of the things you had the privilege to have in the past. One other gratitude is being grateful of even the negativity in your life. This is the kind that can help you climb high mountains and cross deep oceans.

There are almost always positive sides to any negative situation. I know it can be so hard to find the light amid the darkness, but there usually is. Yes, I also know that the positive side to a negative situation will not show up till some time has passed.

To give you an example of positivity in negativity, below is my own list...some of the positive sides I realize only until some time has passed.

1. Physical pain:
It allows me to sympathize with those who experience physical pain. I believe that one has to taste the ordeal to truly understand what it is like and to have full sympathy for those who have experienced it. When you can see or hear and you say to a blind or deaf person, "Oh, I know how you feel," that would not be true. You could not really know how it feels without going through blindness or deafness yourself. Just because you fumbled around the room in darkness does not mean that you have experienced blindness.

2. The fright of nearly losing my mother twice during the custody cases:
Because of the horror and injustice both my mother and I had experienced in the American medical system, I have become an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care to help today's loving parents protect and keep custody of their children, so they would not experience the horror we had gone through. When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no.

3. Having asthma attacks:
It strengthened my faith in God. When I was having an attack at age fourteen, I was running out of ways of relief; none of my emergency-room visits could help. My mother then prayed to God with all her heart and soul, and instantly, the name, Medicus, a medical center for emergency visits popped into her head. I received immediate relief from there.

4. Being mistreated by one-on-one aides when I attended school:
I have become an advocate of aide/caregiver monitoring and screening for students with special needs and the disabled people in general.

5. Staying in hospitals:
The hospital stays in China had been quite beneficial, as my life was saved a few times, and I was able to walk for a full year at age four while receiving effective shots combined with massage therapy.

6. Losing my eyesight:
Then becoming an author, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, and advocate! Need I say more?

7. Insomnia:
When great ideas for my writing come to me.

So, yes, you would have to look at your situation from every single nook and cranny to find the light...with plenty of openness in your heart, mind, and soul.

This is one of the ways how I am able to be so grateful and so joyously alive.

In this issue, I would also like to briefly mention a significant date in my life: December 12, 1990. It was the day my mother Juliet Cheng won her second custody case against the doctor in Connecticut, thus she regained the right to be my own mother, and as a result, I did not receive the unwanted and harmful treatment that could have sent me to my grave, or worse yet, paralyze me. To read more about this case, visit my site http://www.shirleycheng.com (go to Parental Rights Advocacy at the top of the site) Better yet, pick up a copy of my autobiography! I'm having a new edition out in early 2008. Check out the new cover design at my site--it's under "Coming Soon..." You will save $12 if you pre-order it right now!

Lastly, I would like to feature a five-star review I recently received for my upcoming release Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide. I call it a five-star review because it's the perfect rating the reviewer M. Wayne Cunningham gave my book, and it is the rating I give his very well-written review (trust me, it means big when I give out five stars). I was--and still am--thrilled when I received five stars; the review is from quite a prestigious source.

Review:

If there is ever to be a poster person for people with ultra-abilities, it would have to be twenty-four-year-old Shirley Cheng. The author has turned her disabilities into an ultra-ability and written the awe-inspiring Embrace Ultra-Ability! Cheng's slim but power-packed motivational guide delivers what it promises with its wisdom, insights, and motivation. It is a volume to be read, re-read, and treasured for its originality, readability, and courageous approach to dealing with life's adversities, and from an individual who has had far more than her fair share of them.

Cheng is a first-class role model for taking the cards one is dealt in life and turning them into a winning hand. With clinical objectivity and without a sniffle of self-pity she describes the setbacks she suffered at eleven months of age when she contracted severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and later when she became fully blind at age seventeen. The story of how she overcame these disabilities as well as several misdiagnoses by medical practitioners, other attempts by legal authorities to rip her from her single mother's custody, and a delayed start in her formal education, is an inspiration for all readers--sighted, blind, abled or ultra-abled. Among Cheng's achievements are several books she has authored, edited, and designed, including a work co-authored with self-help icons such as Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy. She also does motivational tours and runs her own Web site.

Cheng's basic philosophy is, "If I have succeeded, so can you." She lays out in detail the guidelines to follow and the criteria to observe to obtain spiritual fulfillment, happiness, love, and respect, among other benefits. She stresses, however, that it is the reader who must take ultimate responsibility for his or her own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. With typical humility she refers to her volume as only a basic guidebook. But it is a guidebook full of sage advice, helpful exercises, common sense analyses, and tough love prescriptions in chapters such as, "Go For Your Gold Medals in Life," memorable anecdotes from her life experiences, and two more detailed stories, one about her own birth, the other about her mother's custody battle to keep her, that are gems of classic storytelling. The latter is also frightening because of what could have happened if Mrs. Cheng had not been able to stave off the misdiagnosed medical procedures with which her daughter was threatened. It seems that bravery and persistence are common threads with the Cheng women.

The author's attitude toward life's obstacles is perhaps best summed up in the following quotation from her chapter, "Always a Tomorrow," about everyone's need for hope. It is a mantra well suited for others to follow too: "No mountain is high enough to hold me back; no wind is strong enough to blow me down. There are stars I must reach; there are roads I must take, and with my blooming hope inside, I spread my wings wide to embrace all that tomorrow will bring."
--M. Wayne Cunningham
ForeWord CLARION Reviews

Want an autographed copy of "Embrace Ultra-Ability!"? Want to save $2? Then get a copy at http://www.shirleycheng.com before the offer ends in January, when it'll be released!

Other than that, I do not have much to update on, as I have not had an engagement since July. I'm taking a vacation from public appearances to primarily focus on my book projects--I like to call them my book babies. I will have four books out in 2008, so I have plenty to do now.

Have a wonderful and blessed holiday season and a very happy New Year! Remember that light is there for the good; you'll just have to open your heart and above all, be patient. God rewards those who He sees are good.

Shirley Cheng, www.ShirleyCheng.com]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2007-12-01T09:30:11Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2007/11/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-abandon-your-disability.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com!

How many disabled people do you know? No, I am not referring to the people who simply have a physical disability. I am talking about the ones who allow themselves to become disabled or let others make them disabled. A person, healthy or otherwise, can be disabled if he or she lets everyday negativity or problems hinder them from truly loving the life they live or going after their heart's desires.

Many people tend to let a negative comment ruin their mood for the rest of their day, without having the ability to ignore it in order to focus on the good things they do have. Why is it so easy to focus on or be preoccupied by a bad event than it is by a positive event? It is unfortunately the nature of humans to be drawn to bad news--bad news sells, so that is why media love feeding us bad news because it works--many of us do love bad news, even though none of us want any of the bad events to happen to us! I believe the reason why we are drawn to other people's negativity is that it brings suspense and intrigue. It is the same reason why many of us, including yours truly, love to read murder mysteries and thrillers and watch horror films. We want that sense of adventure, a shiver down our spines, and yes, things to criticize about.

Another reason why we seem to be drawn to negativity--or actually why we have so much negativity--is because negativity comes in too many forms, outweighing the positivity. Think about it for a minute: goodness can only come in one form, one order. I compare it to a suit in a deck of cards. If you put the cards in order (positivity), and then you drop it, it will most likely go out of order (negativity). If you drop the cards five times, it will likely have five different disorders (negativity). So as with a deck of cards, goodness only has one face while negativity has many faces. A good person will be good. Period. A bad person may be a liar, a cheater, a thieve, or a murderer--so they come in all different forms. There's only one way to be good; there are countless ways to be bad. So in essence, it is easier to be bad than it is to be good, therefore it is easier to be attracted to negativity than it is to be attracted to positivity.

So how do we ignore these many faces of negativity to live happily? The answer is in the question--we MUST ignore them at our best ability. If you truly, seriously, undoubtedly want a positive life, putting some effort in blocking out negativity will no longer seem hard; it will actually be invigorating. Remember what I said in the last issue about your desires? That is exactly what I mean here--you must have the desire to live positively. You need 100% desire for it; 99% will not be enough to maintain it. If you are not finding and focusing on the positivity steadfastly, that tells me that your desires are not strong enough, no matter what you say.

Are my desires strong? You bet! My desires are as sturdy as they get. My desire for a positive life is steady--I can count on it as easily as I can count on the sun to rise tomorrow. I may be wheelchair-bound and blind, but I am in no way disabled. So fire your soul for desires for a positive life, not a negative life.

I have some happy news to share with you--my book Waking Spirit has been awarded the title of honorable mention in the 2007 DIY Book Festival. That's a third accolade! What can I possibly say this time? Last time, I said that I was floating on Cloud Nine. Well, let's say I'm dancing on it now.

I am currently working on my seventh book, a short memoir, so I hope to have four books out in 2008. Indeed, I have been a busy bee. I am taking pre-orders for two of the upcoming titles at http://www.shirleycheng.com

You get a limited-time offer of $2 off for each book, so act fast before it ends. The books are listed under "Coming Soon..."

I thought I'd keep this issue short and sweet.

Until next time, remember to always desire the good, the beautiful, and the positive for a meaningful and happy life!

Shirley Cheng, www.ShirleyCheng.com

All content copyrighted 2007 by Shirley Cheng. All rights reserved.]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2007-10-31T17:20:57Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2007/10/21/waking-spirit-by-prodigy-shirley-cheng-receives-third-accolade.aspxShirley Cheng, her third accolade for this book.

"What can I possibly say this time?" says Cheng, a blind and physically disabled 24-year-old author and motivational speaker. "Last time, I said I was floating on Cloud Nine. Well, let's say I'm dancing on it now."

Waking Spirit's last two accolades are an award-winning finalist in the national Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards and an honorable mention in the 2007 New York Book Festival.

"Waking Spirit celebrates life while encouraging us all to appreciate what we already have. It's a book of survival, a tome of devotion, a bible of being," wrote New York Times bestselling author, Cynthia Brian, in the foreword. "Serve yourself a big helping of Shirley Cheng's inspiration and you'll be motivated to shoot for the stars."

ISBN: 9780615136806 paperback; 9780615138930 hardback 140 pages Released in May 2007; available through Ingram, from Amazon.com and BN.com, and autographed copies from www.ShirleyCheng.com

"An inspirational miscellany from one of the braver souls on the planet...a menagerie of lyrics, haiku, short personal essays and even briefer aphoristic words to live by--all on the theme of leaping over seemingly insurmountable hurdles..." --Kirkus Discoveries

"This book is an amazing read by an amazing person. Her writing is very accessible and enjoyable as she 'shows without telling,' without arrogance or preachiness...an expression of joy...wonder...passion...teaches simple truths..." --ForeWord CLARION Reviews

"Her wisdom and captivating writing style reveals a rare beauty of the heart. Humorous haiku blends effortlessly with devotional selections as quotes sing a wisdom we want to hear and live." --The Rebecca Review, Top Ten Amazon.com Reviewer

"...a masterpiece... The Positive Thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible. That is what Shirley is all about!" --Ken Bossone, President of World Positive Thinkers Club

"Shirley is an excellent thought-provoking writer...with a charm and intelligence that would make anyone envious. Her inspiration and never ending strive to see all good in life is rare and commendable..." --Dorothy Lafrinere, WomensSelfEsteem.com

Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of six books, and contributing author of ten books, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Cheng lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.

"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains," says Cheng. "Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"

Cheng is also the author of Daring Quests of Mystics, a soothing read to relax the mind, body, and spirit (ISBN: 9781411656642); an empowering 700-page autobiography, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials and Tribulations (ISBN: 9781411618602); and Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells, an anthology of inspirational and fantasy short stories (fairy tales, fables, and myths) and poems for the heart from the heart (ISBN: 9781411618589).

With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Cheng co-authored Wake Up...Live the Life You Love: Finding Life's Passion, the latest installment in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love series; she is also the co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, along with leading experts Jack Canfield, John Gray, Richard Carlson, Alan Cohen, Bob Proctor, et al.

Cheng is also an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care, and aide/caregiver monitoring and screening for students with special needs and disabled people. As a parental rights advocate, she wants to help today's loving parents protect and keep custody of their children. "When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no," says Cheng, who is the survivor of the 1990 five-month internationally broadcast news of mother Juliet Cheng's custody battle with a doctor. Juliet was on CBS This Morning with Paula Zahn.

Cheng promotes aide advocacy for the disabled because she was mistreated and abused by one-to-one aides when she attended school. "The trouble with the uncaring aides actually lies with the authorities," she says. "If they listened to my complaints and kept a close watch on the aides, I wouldn't have gone through all the suffering."

She had been published twice before her writing career. One of her short stories, Mary Miller, the Elusive Lady, received Honorable Mention and was published by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 1997, and a poem, The Colors of the Rainbow, earned merit status and was published in Celebrate! New York Young Poets Speak Out in 1999.

In 2006, Cheng tied for 1st place in the national writing contest for Be the Star You Are! founded by New York Times bestselling author, TV/radio personality Cynthia Brian, garnering her a third appearance on Cynthia's live radio show. Cheng's winning entry, titled The Jewel from Heavenly Father, is dedicated to her beloved mother Juliet Cheng. In 2007, Cheng received Honorable Mention in the same contest for her essay, I Hold the Power, her personal story of overcoming blindness at the age of seventeen.

Cheng is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. She has been on over twenty radio shows, including Be the Star You Are! for three times, The Donna Seebo Show, and Stu Taylor on Business. She was featured in World Journal, the largest Chinese national newspaper in North America, in July of 2004.]]>Shirley Cheng Honorable Mention 2007 DIY Book Festival Contest AwardShirley Cheng2007-10-21T20:17:52Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2007/10/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-are-you-hungry-enough.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com!

What directly affects your actions in life? It is your attitude: it is your opinion of the situation you are in--how you view what you are going through. For example, let's say you just broke up with someone you've been dating for two years, and you could either react positively or negatively. If you think, "Oh, this is not the end of my life--things could be a lot worse," you will not fall into any hole you might have otherwise created for yourself; on the other hand, if you say, "This is it! I'm unloved and I feel miserable," it will definitely throw you into a giant hole, and you will in turn feel unmotivated to move forward.

Being positive and remaining positive in negative situations can be easier said than done--and it is. How can you achieve positivity when you are in the dark? Get your deepest desires out!

Your desires should be the driving force in making you positive. Your desires are the fuel that get the vehicle--your attitude--going in the right direction. It all depends on your desires. If your desire of moving forward is strong enough, it will be able to conquer your negative feelings. For instance, when I lost my eyesight, my desires for a happy life defeated any feelings of sadness, frustration, depression--those feelings did not even get a chance to show their ugly faces before my desires prevailed!

Why many people cannot seem to get out of their holes is that their desires are simply not strong enough. They may feel the desire to do something, but if they are not achieving a positive attitude, that tells me that their desires are still lacking. You absolutely have to be hungry and thirst for happiness and moving forward. Just like a starving person in search of food, your desires have to propel you forward in search of the light at the end of the dark tunnel.

So your desires are everything! Only they will give you the attitude you need in order to take your giant steps forward. And in the below interview, excerpted from the radio transcript I received from the host Phil Harris, you will read more about how my own desires have helped me fight off negativity to find positivity in my life.

All Things That Matter radio show with Phil Harris on June 18, 2007

Phil: Folks, I want to get right into this tonight because I have a fantastic person, her name is Shirley Cheng. Shirley, welcome.

Shirley: Hi Phil, good evening, thank you so much for having me.

Phil: My pleasure. I'm just going to give everybody a quick rundown about you Shirley and then we are going to jump right into this. Shirley Cheng, award winning writer, finalist in the new age non- fiction national excellence 2007 book awards, miracle survivor, inspiring author, and contributing author of thirteen books by the age of twenty-three, poet, motivational speaker, self empowerment expert and co-author in the best selling, "Wake Up, Live the Life You Love" book series, and board member of World Positive Thinkers Club. Her website by the way is http://www.shirleycheng.com. Here's a quote from Shirley, "Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide, even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains, let the ropes of hope haul you high!" Shirley, you have an absolutely fantastic background and we could probably spend the whole show talking about some of your accomplishments, but for the sake of our listeners, while we may get into that a little bit more, what I really want you to focus on is, how do you do it?

Shirley: How do I do it? Well, that's what everyone asks, well most of them anyway. What I tell them is that life inspires me. Actually I love life, I'm crazy about life, I feel that life is simply too precious to be wasted. When you are given life, you should cherish it; I know I cherish my life. I value it every minute. I hold onto the happy moments and don't let them pass me by, I don't dwell on the negativity that's surrounds me, I choose to move forward by focusing on the good things I do have at the present and the positive side of things so life lets me move on and move forward. I enjoy every minute of my existence. I thank God for everyday, I thank God for the countless blessings I have.

Phil: Basically you talk about a positive mental attitude, you've managed to get through --I'm not even going to call them disabilities because I don't think they are, I think they were gifts to you, Shirley. You were born with --you may have some things that other people label as disabilities but it seems to me that those have been gifts to you to help you soar and to let your spirit rise above anything that comes your way.

Shirley: Absolutely, my personal motto is "I'm not disabled, I'm ultra-abled."

Phil: Now, let me ask you this? You talk about negative versus positive thinking and most people probably have no clue about some of the things you have probably have had to experience when you were growing up. So many people tend to go through life with very negative attitudes; I mean everything gets them down. The coffee's too cold in the morning, somebody cuts them off on their way driving to work, the boss might be snapping at them, the weather isn't right and the world is going to hell in a hand basket. How do you get people to get over that mental mindset?

Shirley: There are always two roads to choose from in life, the road to happiness, which leads to ability, success, and self-fulfillment and the road to unhappiness, the road to misery, which leads you to disability. You have the power to disable yourself or enable yourself. If you choose the road to misery, you have put yourself in a much more miserable situation then the one you are already in and also being miserable, you are going to make others around you more miserable. Also, happiness attracts happiness, the same goes with misery. Misery attracts misery, so when I choose my road, I ask myself "Hey, do I want to be happy or do I want to be unhappy which will make my situation worse." So I choose to be happy because of the good things I do have, I try to think of how I can make the situation better and whenever a door is closed to me, I find another door to open.

Phil: You make is sound so simple, I'm sure people listening have got to be sitting there saying, "Wait a minute, like I said when I have an argument with my wife or the dog pees on the floor, how do you expect me to have such a positive attitude?" How do I get over the negative forces that sometimes impinge upon us from the moment we open our eyes?

Shirley: Think about it, it could be worse than it is already. You could be homeless, you could not have that dog, and you could be "pet- less." So instead of complaining that the dog peed on your floor, you say "Oh, I have a pet that loves me unconditionally, so hey it's okay if he peed."

Phil: What about the person who is homeless though, how does the person--you obviously started with what some people would say a lot of strikes against you, but you're saying, " No, uh-uh that's not for me, these are strikes for me. From the person who is homeless, the person that may not be experiencing the highest level of employment or maybe they're either unemployed and facing harsh economic issues, and they're like, "How do those people who are inundated every moment with negative thoughts and ideas about themselves and about the world, how do they dig themselves out of that mental hole?

Shirley: They HAVE to --you HAVE to have the determination first of all to get out of that rut. If you don't, then you are always going to be stuck in that hole. So focus on what you need to do to get out of that hole. If you don't think about how you can do it, you might never do it. You may never accomplish anything. You have to plan and act upon your plan.

Phil: Yeah, that's true if you begin to say, "Gee, I have a terrible situation," it's kind of an oh poor me attitude which tends to just generate, oh poor me.

Shirley: Yes, it doesn't do anything for you; it doesn't get you out of the bad situation.

Phil: Okay, you didn't view any of your physical conditions as real limitations and it's because you obviously moved past them. You moved past them with energy and grace instead of complaining, what kind of energy are we talking about here?

Shirley: Mental energy, believing in yourself, believing in the fact that you can achieve what you want to achieve, believing in your future is up to you and that you have the power to change it --not really change your future, but change how your present is. I lost my eye sight at the age of seventeen, but I can not give up. Although I cannot continue with schooling, I had home tutoring classes by completing my schoolwork, using different cassette tapes and a tape recorder. I also wrote and balanced my own chemistry formulas and equations in my head without Braille. I became an author at age twenty, I now have five books and I am working on the sixth title. I do not let my blindness stop me.

Phil: Well, okay. So, I have to ask this because anytime I send you an e-mail I get an e-mail right back and I absolutely adore you for that. Do you have a special typewriter, how do you know what I'm saying?

Shirley: I use a screen reader. It's computer software that reads what's on the screen and tells you which key you type. So, it reads e-mails to me and I type. I can type with only my two index fingers because of my severe arthritis but I manage quite well at about sixty words per minute.

Phil: How many?

Shirley: Sixty words per minute.

Phil: I'm lucky if I do twenty and that's with ten fingers. That's incredible, two fingers and you do sixty words per minute and blind to boot. Okay, obviously there is somebody not dealing with his or her limitations by any stretch of the imagination. Shirley, you've written a lot of books, you've done poetry and everything. What piece of work would you say --if you were to recommend one thing that you've done to help people get out of their rut, to help them think more positively to understand the fact that we do create our own reality? What would that piece be? What's your favorite?

Shirley: I would recommend my latest book, which is, "Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the spirit Sings." It just happened to receive honorable mention in the New York Book Festival Competition. It has personal tales such as "I'm Not Disabled--I'm Ultra-Abled, to empower you to embrace the sky. I would also like to recommend my autobiography but it's seven hundred pages long, but people say it's a fast read because when they began reading it, they couldn't put it down and it's called "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations."

Phil: Where do you feel the inspiration comes from?

Shirley: Life

Well, folks, I'm going to end this month's issue here. Catch me live on the radio show Calling All Authors with Valerie Connelly on October 9. Details are found on my site under News Flash: http://www.shirleycheng.com

Until next time, remember to hunger for the desirable--success, happiness, and love--to lead you to a desirable life!

Shirley Cheng, www.ShirleyCheng.com]]>Inspiration from a Blind Monthly NewsletterShirley Cheng2007-09-30T10:51:25Zhttp://blog.shirleycheng.com/2007/09/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-are-you-wasting-time.aspxwww.ShirleyCheng.com to return the greeting?

For this issue, I want to talk about time, specifically how we waste such a precious resource. Below is excerpted from one of my forthcoming books.

We all know that time is a precious resource. (You do, do you not?) But quite often enough, our actions do not match our belief and thought on the matter. We do things that waste our times while putting what we should do way behind us--right at the back of our minds. Sure, you need to relax and not to work all the time, but I am referring to the activities you often automatically do without giving much thought to it. Relaxing and meditating are productive; smoking, gambling, and sitting in front of your television set for an extended period of time are not. Below I will briefly touch upon the most common time wasters we encounter, some of them you may never have realized as such.

Smoking is a huge time waster. All you can do while you are smoking is, well, smoke--unless you are one who does deep thinking about life's issues during smoking. Not only is smoking wasting your precious time, it is costly to both your health and pockets, but your health is what it is mostly costing.

Gambling could be fun if it is not done excessively and especially if it does not involve money--so, yes, gambling is a no-no. It is an extremely expensive time waster. It is an activity that can potentially cost you everything. Many people sell their belongings and go through heavy debt and financial burdens and troubles as a result of excess gambling.

We all know what drinking too much can do to you. Social drinking is perfectly fine. Many people become aggressive and do silly or dangerous things on impulse when too much alcohol gets into their system.

As for watching too much television--quite a few people have been guilty of it, but I am glad to say that I am not one of them. Watching one or two hours of television is perfectly fine, especially if the content is educational or entertaining without corrupting your mind. Television viewers are exposed to so much inappropriate content nowadays that young audience are taking them as the norm--and sadly, many have become the norm in our society--and they feel whatever they see on television--including murdering and raping their classmates--is acceptable. Television watching used to be a safe source for education and entertainment. Now it has turned into a source where parents have to guard what their children see. Sitting on your couch in front of your television, with a bag of popcorn (it may be your third serving)--is not only wasting your time but filling your mind and tummy with valueless fillers.

There are plenty of other time wasters that people do, and they can also do you harm if they are done excessively. Vanity and paying too much attention to your outward appearance does not only waste your time but it also wastes your true self. We are the way we are born, but sadly, not everyone likes to accept the way they are. Instead, they hide themselves under false coloring and heavy makeup, and some go to the extreme by having plastic surgery and receiving implants that are risky to their health, not to mention to their banks. How come it is so hard to accept the way we are? Why can we not realize what truly count are the values we hold inside? Everyone can become a beautiful paper rose. What good is that when it does not hold any inner worth? While I do not have anything against fixing yourself up a bit to look presentable, being fake and artificial is not desirable. Everyone wears different clothing--some with floral designs, some with stripes, while others wear solid colors. Just as you would not judge someone by what they wear, you should not judge someone by their natural outward appearance. How we naturally look is the clothing we are born in. So accept the clothes life supplies you. Always value what is inside of you and others. If other people cannot accept you and they instead judge you by your appearance, then too bad for them!

Speaking of being fake, fake gentility is another of those things that wastes your time. You might not have thought of it wasting your time. But think about it, everything you do uses time, so pretending to be someone you are not is no exception. Pretense is void; it holds no value in itself, and someone who lives with pretense lives with no meaning. It is not the same when you grit your teeth to be polite to someone you do not quite like. Fake gentility is pretending to be a different person all the time in front of many people. You are, in turn, living someone else's life, not your own.

And that brings us to the activity of showing off. As with fake gentility, it wastes your time as you perform a void task. Being arrogant and snobby also falls under this category.

Worry can be harmful when every second counts. You are letting time slip away when you fret over an urgent matter.

Gossiping and spreading rumors can waste your time as well. While chitchatting with your friends is fun and memorable, spreading the untruth is not a wise w