Tue, 24 October 2006  Welcome to the inaugural Peace of Prosperity podcast. My name is Joyanne and I'm absolutely delighted to embark on this journey with you. It seems to me that the best place to begin is with the truth. And the truth is that I'm a little scared, because I'm in uncharted territory and I can't really be sure what's going to happen. Even though my podcast is new, my path is not. While this isn't my first step along the way, it's a big one! It's one I won't take by myself because if there's anything I've learned in life, it's that you don't have to do it alone. About a week ago it became very clear to me that the theme of my first podcast would be friendship. After all, friendship is critical to success. When you combine challenge and togetherness you get effort, but challenge and solitude is an equation for struggle. And I don't know about you, but I've had enough struggle to last me a lifetime.
So I took a look at the word friend. It's an old English word which means "to love or to favor". And I remembered a time during my junior year of college when I really needed a friend. I was at a new University with a new major in a new town and I didn't know a soul on my first day of class. Midway through the day, I mustered my courage and walked right up to a girl sitting across from me. With a big smile, I cheerfully said "Hi!"
To my total dismay, she said nothing. In fact, she didn't even look up at me, but stared straight ahead as if she hadn't seen me at all. I went back to my seat confused and embarrassed and tried my best not to look hurt. That was almost 20 years ago, and yet I can remember it vividly. Like a majority of painful memories it was based on lies; the lie that I was invisible and the lie that I was essentially alone.
So much has changed since then. I've grown and evolved and discovered the truth that I'm never alone. I learned that what's most important is to be honest and be myself and understand deeply that that is enough. And I learned that by entrusting others with the truth, it creates a conduit through which the favors and love of friendship can flow outward. It's only when I trust that magic happens. Magic is full of wonder and life is full of magic. It happens when you need it the most and when you expect it the least. In fact, it happened just this afternoon.
As I worked in the garden, I considered how to approach my first podcast. I was pruning back the overgrown rhododendrons and the blackberry brambles and thinking all the while. The light was growing dim as I moved closer and closer to the mailbox. I set down my rake, crossed the street and pulled out my letters. Among the junk mail I discovered a card with a return address of a very dynamic woman I'd coached over the summer. The envelope was torn and taped and oddly postmarked twice. I could see that the card had become lost along the way, trying to keep up with me as I'd made two moves in just six months. The letter had come from across town and had started its journey in the middle of July. Here it was the last week of September, but the timing of its arrival couldn't have been more perfect.
I opened it to find a sweet illustration of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet having tea with honey. The caption read "It's so much more friendly with two". Inside, I found a beautiful heartfelt inscription: "Joyanne, thank you for your guidance and light as I continue my journey toward abundance, prosperity and joyful living. Woo hoo!"
I smiled with my whole body and I marveled at how life gives us such magnificent surprises and support in ways you could never imagine. I was reminded that true friendship is an invaluable exchange of a joy that encourages all life. With that, I welcome you to the Peace of Prosperity podcast. And I look forward to our friendship, to sharing our many steps, our truths and successes. In the words of Donna Roberts:
"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you've forgotten the words." Until next time, I leave you with abundant peace.
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