Why I’d rather be a guest on the Rachael Ray Show than the others

For an author, being a guest on a major television show is a huge benefit. Most of us would be thrilled to be on any show and many of my fellow authors dream about a shot on Oprah, GMA, Today, or at least, Dr. Oz.

For me, personally, my number one choice for a guest appearance is the Rachael Ray Show. Yes, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Dr. Oz, and a host of other shows would be great and a huge boost of publicity for my work but I’d really love to be on Ms. Ray’s show.

I’m sure the other show hosts are wonderful people but there’s something about Rachael Ray that I admire and feel a connection to more than the others.

It all began several years ago as I watched her for the first time, not on her show but on a Travel Channel special covering her wedding. We were on vacation at the time and I happened to turn the TV on in our hotel room.

Not really knowing much about her other than she was the attractive woman whose face I’d seen on the covers of a series of book in the bookstore, I took this opportunity to learn about her.

During her special day an impending storm threatened to destroy her beautiful outdoor setting. A stressful time for any woman (or man), something like this would have caused many brides to run away screaming or, at least, break into “Diva” behavior.

I watched as this young woman, rather than fall apart, took complete charge of the situation and shifted her attention to what was going right and what she could control. As a result, her special day was saved from what surely would have been a total disaster. Her resolve to hold onto her personal power and take charge of the situation impressed me and I wanted to know more about who she was.

Fortunately, a short time later, I had the opportunity to watch a biography channel documentary about her life. It was then that I learned about her, not one but two, brutal attacks at the hand of some low life on the streets of New York City. After her first attack, she had the courage to testify against her assailant, only to have him attack her a second time in retaliation.

She exemplifies the inner strength I write and speak about. Rather than be a victim to whatever is happening in her life, she uses her personal power and takes whatever action is appropriate.

These are character traits any of us can learn and use to effectively handle whatever life sends our way. What happens to us is not nearly as important, as Norman Vincent Peale taught us, as how we react to it.

Whatever is happening in your life, in order to have a successful outcome, it is essential that you do certain things.

For starters, you must ascertain the difference between what you can and what you cannot control. Then, in order to change those things you can control, begin by focusing your attention on what you are grateful for and what is going right in the situation, and follow that line of thinking.

In the case of a storm threatening your wedding day, you can’t control the storm, even though many people will spend a lot of time and energy complaining about it.

What you can change is how you handle the situation whether it’s a storm, a relationship, or a financial situation.

Whatever happens, focus on gratitude and on what’s going right and go from there.

People who have survived tornadoes destroying their home will stand there, in front of the TV cameras, looking at the rubble, and tell you how thankful are they weren’t hurt.

That’s how they, and you, get through whatever comes your way. And how Rachael Ray became my “Shero.”