Mary’s story demonstrates that all of life is Good and very good indeed, if we take the time to experience it from the inside out, receive it’s gifts and be of service. I am excited and pleased to introduce Mary McManus

In December 2006, my life came to a screeching halt with the diagnosis of post polio syndrome, a progressive neurological disease. I was told I needed to make major lifestyle changes including quitting my full time award winning career as a social worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. I was three years ‘shy’ of retirement.

Because of the nature of post polio syndrome, I had no choice but to get still and go within and oh the blessings I discovered wrapped up in the gift of post polio syndrome. In February of 2007, I discovered the gift of writing inspirational poetry in my soul.  I always enjoyed creating original poetry to celebrate special occasions for family and friends. A new world was unfolding before me. Opening up to a new path in life, I am now living life like never before.

Writing inspirational poetry opened my heart to healing through messages of hope, visualizing and claiming wholeness and experiencing God’s Love and abundance in my life. My heart sings with joy when I write poetry and I am transformed. I am blessed to use my gifts to bless the lives of others. I donate 20% of book proceeds to two charities near and dear to my heart.  I have helped heal relationships through the original poetry I create for New World Greeting Cards. A father did not know what to say to his daughter on her wedding day; a daughter did not know how to say happy birthday to a mom with whom she recently reconciled.  After speaking with me to create a keepsake poem, they discovered the transformative power of forgiveness in their lives. The recipients wept with joy to experience messages of love – relationships and lives are healed.

Mary McManus is the owner/creator of New World Greeting Cards, original poetry for every occasion where “It’s more than a card, it’s a gift from the heart.” She is a 2009 Boston Marathon finisher! She is the author of “New World Greetings:Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World” and “Set Sail for a New World:Healing a Life Through the Gift of Poetry”.  Mary donates 20% of book proceeds to Hope Charitable Trust to help children crippled by polio in India to walk again and to the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. She is a spokeswoman for polio and post polio syndrome, working tirelessly to raise money and awareness to help end polio now and help polio and post polio survivors worldwide. Mary’s website is www.newworldgreetings.com. Her blog Welcome to a New World can be followed at www.newworldgreetings.blogspot.com

On this particular day, as I browsed his site, I remembered a practice that I started doing years ago but have not done since February. The part of my practice that I neglected was my Be, Do and Have list.

I remember the exhilaration that I would feel as I would update my list and accomplish a goal, attain a state of being or purchase a new toy. A particularly special time for our family is at the beginning of the year when we plan for the year and create our new list.

Over the past five months, I have been embracing wholeness, being and creating and have forgotten about the adventure in me. Watching Marvin as he enjoyed his first skydiving experience, I smiled and said, “Oh my goodness, skydiving was on my list!”

I then thought about how every week as we drive to church, we drive past an indoor skydiving center. Each week, I say, “One day I’m going to do that” and then jokingly ask one of my family members if they would like to join me. ‘No way’, they laugh and we continue on our way.

Well, I’ve decided to not only create a new list to accompanying me on my journey; skydiving will be on the top of the list – indoor then tandem! So, if you’ve put your dreams on hold as I have, I invite you to gear up for an inner and outer adventure and create or update your list. There is no better way to follow your inner compass then to go where it leads you.

Stay tuned… you’ll find me in flight!