24-46. Be the Peace


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from November 12th

I recently had a wonderful conversation on my podcast with David Wick, a dedicated peace advocate who’s been with the UN and involved in global peace efforts for over 40 years. It’s a conversation on peace—its possibility and its necessity in today’s world. So often, people think of peace as a distant ideal, something that may never be achieved. But I believe peace is not just an idea; it’s a way of being, a state we cultivate within ourselves and share with others.

True peace starts within each of us. When we cultivate peace, love, and purpose inside, that energy naturally radiates outward, creating a ripple effect that touches everyone we encounter. This doesn’t mean ignoring the world’s challenges; rather, it’s about seeing the issues clearly so that we can address them from a place of compassion and conviction. In our world today, we’re often sold illusions, particularly in areas like healthcare, where profit sometimes overshadows true wellness. It’s vital that we hold these systems accountable, advocating for practices that honor holistic health and well-being. Restrictions on healthcare choices, especially those that impact women’s health, call for our attention and action.

Living peacefully isn’t about having everyone agree. It’s about approaching each other with openness, compassion, and understanding. Life will always bring challenges—unexpected twists and hardships. But when we’re grounded and centered in peace, we see through the fog. Instead of reacting with fear or anxiety, we can move forward with purpose, finding creative solutions and choosing a balanced, harmonious way to live.

If we’re serious about giving peace a chance, we must start within ourselves and allow it to expand outward. Together, we can shape a world where peace is more than just a vision; it’s a way of life.

Today brought me unexpected news—not the kind I wanted. America has taken a turn not for the better, and, on top of it all, I now face a hefty bill for a new heating pump. So, how do we move forward? We’ll need to look at options, explore costs, and check payment plans. Many of us are facing financial strain, and fortunately, businesses now offer more flexible payment options to help ease the burden.

Life throws unexpected challenges our way, and while we can’t control everything that happens, we can control our response. When something goes wrong—like losing a heating system—it’s natural to feel worried. But instead, I take a moment to pause, breathe, and think it through. Yes, it’s an expense I hadn’t planned for, but approaching it calmly allows me to focus on solutions, not stress. The peace we bring to each situation shapes the outcome, helping us see possibilities rather than limits.

From health scares to financial hurdles, life will always bring obstacles. We can’t avoid every hardship, but we can choose how we respond. Sometimes, we need support; other times, we might just need a breather. The journey can be tough, but it also teaches us resilience. When we choose to meet challenges calmly, anger and stress don’t consume us. Instead, we find clarity and strength, which is where true peace lies.

Here’s the choice we all face: we can dwell on what’s wrong, or we can focus on our options and move forward with peace. True peace doesn’t come from avoiding life’s challenges but from staying centered and open to solutions. In that calm, we often find the answers we need.

Peace isn’t just a lofty idea—it’s a choice we make to step into calm, clarity, and centeredness no matter what storm we face. When life throws curveballs—financial struggles, health diagnoses, unexpected twists—it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even angry. But here lies our power: in our ability to pause and find that inner sanctuary, that core of calm that supports us through anything.

This calmness isn’t passive; it’s a foundation, a conscious decision we return to whenever we feel overwhelmed. In that calm, we see solutions we might miss in a panicked state. This core of peace lets us respond wisely and act from strength.

We each play a role in creating peace in the world. When we choose calm, compassion, love, and patience over anger and resentment, we lift not only ourselves but those around us. It’s not about ignoring our emotions but about choosing not to meet anger with anger, or hate with hate. When we do, we avoid getting lost in the chaos.

Instead, let’s be the peace we seek. Let’s live it, breathe it, share it, embody it. We are the creators of the love, kindness, and calmness we want to see. It’s up to each of us to be that higher frequency, that example that helps elevate ourselves and others.

When you walk in this divine calm, you become a beacon for others. You’re living proof that life can be filled with compassion, joy, and connection. You’re inviting others to rise, to find their balance, and, together, to build a world built on peace and love.

I invite you: take this journey. Embrace the peace, live the love, and let’s transform the world one calm, compassionate choice at a time. Because that’s what living truly means.

When anger arises, let it out. Feel it fully, then let it go. Take a deep breath and ask, “What can I do about this?” If there’s something you can change, take action. If not, sometimes the best choice is to simply walk away.

Peace is a choice we carry within us. It’s a state of being that we each have the power to access. This peace and love isn’t external; it’s within. Tap into it, let it flow, and share it. When you do, you create a ripple effect, an invitation for others to step into that calm alongside you.

By being this light, this vibration of peace, we become the solutions this world so urgently needs. Let’s approach life with calm strength, becoming the peace we wish to see.

Until next time, I wish you a beautifully peaceful journey.



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 RG24-45. Amy Meislin Pollack, The Adventures of Jelly Bean 


Raising Our Gifted Children with Sara Troy and her guest Amy Meislin Pollack, on air from November 9th

Coming-Of-Age Book Series Helps Middle-Graders Navigate The Challenges Of Growing Up

 Amy Meislin Pollack, author of The Adventures of Jelly Bean series? Ever since she was in fourth grade – back in 1960 – Amy Meislin Pollack was writing and telling stories about a character named Jelly Bean. She never stopped telling those stories, sharing them with her students over a teaching career that spanned 40+ years. She shared them with her three children when they were younger – and then with her seven grandchildren. Now her stories have been made available to everyone with the recent publishing of two coming-of-age books intended for middle-graders. 

“My books touch upon topics of friendship, popularity, death, race, drugs, alcohol, feeling neglected, family issues, and the types of things many kids today are confronting as they look to find their way in an ever-changing world,” says Pollack. 

Retired Teacher & Grandparent Amy Meislin Pollack 

 The Adventures of Jelly Bean and The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean are the stories of a fourth-grader who faces challenges that just about all children her age can recognize.  Her parents don’t approve of her favorite friend in the whole world. She has trouble getting along with the brother who is closest in age to her.  The uncle she loves so much is about to marry the most awful woman she could ever imagine, and the girl who used to be her best friend has turned on her. Jelly Bean faces these and other stumbling blocks, including: the difficulties in achieving and maintaining popularity and how important having certain friends should be to her; difficulties inherent in relationships with various friends and family members; and learning how to make decisions on her own.  In these first two books of my middle-grade series, Jelly Bean comes to understand that much of life is trial and error, and that the only constant in life is that it is always changing.

Coming-of-age stories remain essential for children, offering guidance on friendship, popularity, and navigating life’s challenges. Parents may find helpful insights on managing disagreements with their children, raising healthy and successful kids, and supporting them in facing today’s issues. Grandparents, too, play a role in guiding youth through these formative years. One retired teacher and grandmother of seven recently published her middle-grade fiction, a story developed 60 years ago, aiming to inspire meaningful family dialogues and pass down generational wisdom to today’s young readers.

“Because I was a teacher for 40 years,” says the author, “and because I raised three children and am now an active participant in the lives of my seven grandchildren, I have observed and dealt with many different individuals, a potpourri of whom are depicted (and hopefully immortalized!) in my books. 

I have been told my Adventures of Jelly Bean and The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean are reminiscent of Judy Blume’s and S.E. Hinton’s books.  Many “middle grade” boys and girls – as well as their parents – have found my stories compelling.  I hope others will too.”



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Amy Meislin Pollack was a teacher for over four decades, raised three children, and loves to play with her seven grandchildren. From her own childhood to the classroom and as a parent and grandparent, she is perfectly positioned to pen her coming-of-age book series.

The Adventures of Jelly Bean, followed by The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean, first came into being when the author’s fourth-grade teacher used to ask her to get up in front of the class and tell the stories about this character she would make up as she went along.

Several years later she started writing these stories down, and would work on them periodically in any free time she had during her teaching career and raising her three children.

Now retired from a 40-year career in teaching – spanning a wide range of subjects and grade levels – she has embarked on a lively writing career.
The silver lining of the Covid pandemic for Pollack was that she was more or less forced, after approximately 60 years, to finish her Jelly Bean books.
Her books are about a young girl whose life is always changing and how she adapts to these changes. She tries to work out relationships with her friends, her parents, her older brothers, her uncle. Her parents do not want her best friend, who is of mixed race, to visit. Another friend is anorexic. One brother drops out of school. A grandparent dies.

Pollack earned a BA in English from Goucher College in Baltimore and received her Master’s in English from University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She was certified as a secondary education and reading specialist for grades K-12 and earned a special education teaching degree from NYU, allowing her to teach disabled students. 
For six years she was a professor of writing, and a teacher in the tutoring center at Montclair State University in NJ.  She lives in central New Jersey with her husband and their dog named Bunny.  



www.amypollack.com

instagram.com/jellybeanthebookseries

facebook.com/Author.AmyMeislinPollack

//x.com/AdvOfJellyBean

linkedin.com/in/amy-pollack-


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TSM24-45. Elizabeth Mehren The Immigrant Story.


Their Story Matters, with Sara troy and her guest Elizabeth Mehren, on air from November 5th

Elizabeth’s volunteer work with The Immigrant Story, a small nonprofit in Portland, Oregon, inspired her to write I Lived to Tell the World. Through her involvement, she heard powerful stories of resilience and hope from immigrants and refugees who had overcome incredible challenges. These experiences deepened her appreciation for the courage and strength it takes to start anew in a foreign country and motivated her to honor these narratives. Her book serves as a testament to these remarkable individuals, capturing their enduring spirit and the invaluable lessons they impart.

Elizabeth’s mission is to spark a national dialogue on immigration and honor the lessons taught by survivors of the Holocaust, genocide, and war about overcoming unimaginable adversity. Her work celebrates the democracy many take for granted, emphasizing that each survivor in her book, I Lived to Tell the World, treasures every day of freedom. She carefully chose over 50 survivors from diverse global conflicts to capture a broad perspective, and each story resonates with hope, resilience, courage, faith, humor (even dark humor), and a profound gratitude for the opportunities they found in America. Though these individuals now live in the Pacific Northwest, their experiences are universal, reminding us of the enduring impact of hope and resilience. With a growing focus on Holocaust and genocide education and the pressing issues surrounding immigration, racial justice, and refugees, I Lived to Tell the World shines a light on lives shaped by strength and purpose despite painful pasts.



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ABOUT THE AUTHORElizabeth Mehren is a writer, editor, and educator based in Portland, Oregon. After working at The Washington Post, she became a national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and later spent a decade on the faculty at Boston University. Mehren earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at UC Berkeley and has written for national magazines, appeared on television and radio, and received awards for teaching and journalism. I Lived to Tell the World is her fifth book.

Stories from Survivors of Holocaust, Genocide, and the Atrocities of War  

“Machetes were for the poor. You had to pay to be shot. Can you imagine paying someone to shoot you?” 

Emmanuel Turaturanye, recalling the bloody irony of the genocidal massacres in his native Rwanda  


https://www.elizabethmehren.com

www.theimmigrantstory.org

elizabethmehrenauthor@gmail.com


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GV24-45. Colonel William Dunn, Middle East War.


Our Global Veterans with Sara Troy and her guest Colonel William Dunn, on air from November 5th

The Middle East powder keg, ignited by the Hamas terrorist’s bloody attack on Israel over a year ago, now appears ready to explode. Iran has launched over 180 missiles into Israel, pushing the entire Middle East closer to a regionwide war. Meanwhile, a ground offensive into Lebanon is underway. Israeli forces are following up their stunning attacks on Hezbollah terrorist’s pagers and walkie-talkies with deadly airstrikes on key Hezbollah strongholds. Israeli forces have effectively wiped out most of Hezbollah’s key leadership and a top leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran in July.

Marine Corps Colonel William “Burner Dun” ’flew dozens of combat missions in the world’s most dangerous hot spots including the Middle East during his three-decade military career. Dunn’s firm, Strategic Resilience Group, just had personnel in the war-torn region. He can offer us easy-to-understand insight and analysis into this latest escalation in the war-torn region, including:

This latest escalation highlights the complex and volatile situation in the Middle East, with the potential for significant regional and global consequences.

The intensifying violence in the Middle East could lead to a broader conflict, potentially pulling in neighboring nations and risking a regional war that could strain alliances, disrupt peace efforts, and even require intervention from major powers, raising the stakes for global involvement. Although Americans may be geographically distant, they are closely tied to the region due to diplomatic relations, military alliances, and economic interests, particularly in energy. Understanding the conflict’s implications is crucial, as it could impact U.S. foreign policy, affect domestic energy prices, and shape national security and humanitarian response efforts. Additionally, the estimated one million Lebanese civilians displaced by the violence may seek refuge in nearby countries and Europe, placing pressure on infrastructure, economies, and resources, highlighting the need for international aid and resettlement support. While peace efforts continue, historical tensions and active foreign interests suggest that an all-out regional war remains a possibility, making diplomatic intervention, including potential U.N. peacekeeping efforts, essential to preventing further escalation.

Understanding these dynamics is critical for Americans, as they underscore how deeply interconnected global stability is with regional conflicts like this one.



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William Dunn is the President of Strategic Resilience Group, LLC. He started the company in July 2016 after his retirement from a thirty-three-year career in the United States Marine Corps, during which he rose through the ranks of Private through second lieutenant through Colonel. He attended Old Dominion University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and Boston University, where he completed his master’s degree in Business Administration. He also completed a master’s degree in Strategic Studies. Upon completion of the Marine Corps Basic School and the Infantry Officers Course in Quantico, Virginia, he reported to NAS Pensacola for flight training. He was assigned as a Marine Cobra pilot and completed multiple deployments including a seven-month deployment to Iraq as commander of HMLA-369, “The Gunfighters” in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08. He is married to his wife, Mimi, and they have two daughters, Sarah and Laura.

Marine Corps Colonel William Dunn (Ret), President of Strategic Resilience Group, LLC and author of Gunfighters Rule! He founded the company in Sept 2015 after completing over 33 years in the United States Marine Corps. Colonel Dunn flew in many of the world’s deadliest hot spots in dozens of combat missions as an attack helicopter pilot.

He and his team currently support U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), Marine Forces Central Command (MARCENT), U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), and Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) around the world.


https://www.srgadaptive.com

William.dunn@srgadaptive.com

Marine Corps Colonel William Dunn (Ret),

Gunfighters Rule!

https://www.instagram.com/369burner

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-dunn-21765118

https://x.com/SRG_Adaptive


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24-45. Is it really True?


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from November 5th

This week, as the U.S. election approaches, I’ve been reflecting on what to discuss. Conversations with people across the country reveal that many are influenced by sensational headlines, often taken out of context, rather than seeking a fuller understanding of the issues at hand. While this episode airs on Election Day, I encourage everyone to look beyond quick snippets and investigate the truth behind damaging claims before forming their opinions in any area of their lives.

In our fast-paced digital landscape, particularly on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, quick, surface-level content dominates our interactions. This impulsive, reactionary culture affects more than just politics; it permeates our everyday lives, leading to superficial judgments and misunderstandings. As we engage in the electoral process, we should focus on qualifications and abilities rather than popularity, emphasizing depth of understanding over knee-jerk reactions in both voting and daily interactions.

When faced with negativity or cruelty, it’s crucial to pause and ask ourselves, “Is this true? Is this a fact?” We must challenge ourselves to engage meaningfully with issues rather than jumping on the bandwagon of outrage. Establishing clear boundaries against harmful conversations is essential. We need to hold ourselves accountable for our words and actions; if we don’t, we risk perpetuating a culture that dismisses kindness and empathy.

I recently learned about a heartbreaking incident in Kamloops, British Columbia, where a 13-year-old girl was brutally attacked at a beach party, and bystanders cheered and recorded the event instead of intervening. This appalling behavior reflects a troubling cultural issue we all must confront. If we allow bullies to thrive unchecked, we share the responsibility for creating that environment. It’s essential to stand together against bullying and establish a culture of accountability in our communities.

Leadership should embody responsibility by promoting support, encouragement, and respect rather than humiliation or cruelty. Unfortunately, in many spheres, we often see individuals in power resorting to demeaning behavior, setting a poor example for others. It’s imperative that we model kindness and solidarity, especially for the younger generation, ensuring they understand that it’s never acceptable to bully or remain passive bystanders when witnessing harmful actions.

In a world filled with conflict and division, we are being called to evolve beyond outdated survival instincts and embrace a higher consciousness. This evolution requires us to tap into our intellect and use our voices for good, advocating for the oppressed and marginalized without elevating ourselves at the expense of others. Self-love and accountability are crucial in breaking cycles of harm, both for ourselves and for those around us.

As we reflect on our collective resilience, we must consider how we can uplift our communities and contribute positively to the world we share. Each of us has the power to promote joy and understanding in our interactions, creating a more compassionate environment. Let’s commit to this journey with love and courage, recognizing that our strength lies in unity and collaboration. Together, we can cultivate a brighter future for all, ensuring our voices contribute to the harmony of our shared existence.

May we continue this journey with love, balance, and the courage to face whatever lies ahead. We are stronger together.



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