Express Yourself!

Those who do not volunteer believe that those who do are driven by warm-hearted intentions and pure purposes. However, people volunteer for hundreds of different reasons. Host Brigitte Jia reads The Gift of Volunteering by Katie Choo from the book Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World,and offers her insights on personal volunteering experiences. She then engages in a riveting conversation with journalist Christina Adams about her book, Camel Crazy, and the effects of camel's milk on autism. Adam's excellent book makes the case for camel milk's medicinal value and for treating camels with the respect, compassion, and even reverence that they deserve from humans. In the final segment, Arjin Claire talks about how innovation and volunteering work well together. Social media can be used as an outlet for volunteering in so many different ways—to document the progress, before and after.

Being earnest and being playful are not antonyms. To be successful, we need both traits. Host Kenneth Jeon interviews a former Express Yourself! Reporter, Isaiah Rankin, who is now the hip-hop musician known as Zaya. Zaya blends new school modern rap with his own San Francisco Bay Area local taste, delivering a sound that aims to immerse the audience through his lyrics. Drawing comparisons to West coast artist Lil Mosey from his hyper upbeat melody, Zaya even some echoes of Juice Wrld. Zaya is dedicated to his craft and strives to make the best music possible. Although he is in the infancy of his career, he advises others to follow their passion, work hard, and be dedicated so that life can be a play day. Kenneth reads Cynthia Brian's chapter, The Gift of Play, from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, then discusses the evolution of entertainment with livestreaming. Take a break. It's recess time!

• For most of us, the holidays are a time to eat, drink and be merry with good friends and family. Holistic veterinarian and author, Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM., joins host Kenneth Jeon to offer pet lovers tips to refresh your pet IQ and offers some helpful hints so the Yuletide traditions are as merry for you as they are for your pets. Dr. Carol wrote the book, Naturally Healthy Dogs and Naturally Healthy Cats. Dr. Carol has the information on everything from homemade treats to making sure your pet is comfortable in inclement weather. (Info visit http://ChagrinFallsPetClinic.com)Kenneth reads Cynthia Brian's chapter on The Gift of Nature from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World. (Shop books at https://www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store) Kenneth also discusses environmentalism in political landscape and his dog shares a bark to wish everyone a happy holiday.

Brigitte Jia brings an hour of music appreciation and learning to Express Yourself!™ From the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, Brigitte reads The Gift of Music by Jack Pawlakos followed by interviews with four guests. Kia Portekas is the music teacher who introduces her young students, Ethan Dohrmann, Easha Ashraf, and Helena Häber. Kia's book, Making Music with Your Child is designed for music and elementary teachers, parents, and children, and highlights simple, effective activities to build musical skills and awareness, while providing ways to encourage freedom, self-expression, and individuality. The teaching method helps cultivate in the whole child, unique forms of expression and communication. promotes the processes of thinking, creating, and reinforces self-esteem and the joy of learning. Listen to the sounds if the teens. Music truly is a gift to be shared. A gift, that keeps on giving.

Kenneth Jeon and Brigitte Jia welcome the ebullient Dr. Tom Worthen, editor of the empowering book. I Am Me: Teen Artists and Writers Speak Out on Being Yourself . Award winning art is paired with poem, both created by teens, to help shake off negative influences and realize it is okay to be themselves. Each piece of art is skillfully matched with writing to reflect the attitude of a generation of teens who want to fit in, yet, feel inadequate due to societal pressures. The book is an optimistic look at the struggles that youth face and a creative way to express what they are feeling. The Gift of Optimism by Cynthia Brian from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World is read and discussed as Kenneth and Brigitte share their views on how being more optimistic has impacted their lives. You don't have to achieve "perfection" tp be "perfect!"

Henna Hundal reads The Gift of Mentoring by BTSYA volunteer Karen Kitchel from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World. De La Salle High School junior varsity water polo coach and Founder of Green Air, an energy solutions company, Nicholas Donzelli, converses with Henna about his philosophy about the importance of mentoring. Henna interviews her personal mentor, Founder of Be the Star You Are!® and producer of Express Yourself!®, Cynthia Brian, to find out why mentors are necessary to success and how to establish a beneficial mutual relationship. Cynthia finds out more about Henna's radio show where Henna is currently interviewing 2020 Presidential candidates. (www.thehennahundalshow.com) Both guests agree that to achieve your dreams and goals, it is essential to have a mentor to guide and ground you, holding you accountable, focused, and on the right path. Mentorship empowers us to accept the struggles.

"Let not the seasons, nor the sun nor the stars nor the moon, or planets make a timetable for your life." Frank A. Carlyle Life expectancy has changed dramatically since the time of the Roman Empire when the average lifespan was 22-25. In 1900, the world average was 30. Fast-forward a hundred years where the average man is expected to live to 75 and woman to 80. Siri reads Cynthia Brian's chapter from Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World. Brigitte and Siri introduce author of Earth Frequency Melissa Alvarez who explores unique locations that are overflowing with the positivity of the planet's energy. In her book you will discover visualizations and exercises designed to increase intuition and the dynamic power of a place. The hosts end this episode with personal expectations for longevity. "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that counts. It's the life in your years." Abraham Lincoln

Host Siri Phaneendra began the show by reading The Gift of Literacy by Kimberly Morgan from the book Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World available at www.StarStyleStore.net. Studies show that children who are read to during the first few years of their life have a larger vocabulary, score high on standard tests and have advanced mathematical skills. We listen to alternative pop artist, Kyle C. A.'s single, "Save Yourself", a soulful, choral, alternative feeling composition relating to the tragedy of 9/11, an event that happened before Kyle was born. History is made as Kyle is the first guest to come into our studio! Siri asks Kyle questions about his rise in the music world. In Innovation Nation, Arjin Claire sheds light on literacy while taking us back to 1440, the Dark Ages, when few people could read or write then catapults us into the techno age of today where global literacy hovers at 86% of the population.

Asya, Siri, and Brigitte co-host a somber show that provides preventive awareness and critical information about human trafficking and suicide. Asya provides listeners with an in depth look at the horrors of modern day slavery. Human trafficking is a global crime worth about $150 billion dollars per year that is happening in our own communities with severe physical, psychological and social impacts on the trafficked person. Brigitte and Siri interview LeAnn Hull discussing the journey to create Andy Hull's Sunshine Foundation after the suicide of her son. Her goal is to spare others the pain and anguish.Her book is How to Live when You want to Die. She advocates active listening as individuals may be crying our for help. Impacting many children, teens and adults, the Foundation talks about coping skills, triggers, and tools to use during difficult times, all with a "You Matter" approach. This interview is an informative, heart-felt conversation that will save lives. Tune in.

Katelyn Darrow and Brigitte Jia discuss the topic of language with Katelyn's experience living in Japan. She was able to learn the basic phrases while struggling with pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure, because Japanese is vastly different from English! Despite her lack of verbal and written communication, Katelyn was struck by the ability to communicate in other ways and the eagerness that Japanese people had when corresponding with her. Brigitte reads The Gift of Language by Vann Ackerman in the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World whereby Vann attempts to learn Russian so she can read Tolstoy's War and Peace in its original language! As a neuroscience major, Brigitte gives us a glimpse into our brains and language from a neuroscience point of view. Language is a higher order function that requires multiple associations across various neocortical regions. Speak up, speak out, express yourself!