Thank you Mark Hamilton for giving me the power, skills and …

I had a wonderful career working for 47 years for the largest non-profit in the USA and around the world dedicated to serving girls and women. The last 29 years of my career I was CEO of the local organization. In my career I saw young women grow in leadership and decision-making skills and develop a high level of self-confidence so that they went out into the world and pushed up the glass ceiling.

I also saw women who had been stay-at-home moms come into our organization as volunteers and leave to take positions in the workforce at a much higher level than would be expected, because they had taken volunteer training for their volunteer jobs and had a very high level of skills and self-confidence. They also helped push up the glass ceiling. I loved everything about my job: working with the staff, volunteers, board, donors, and community people. I especially enjoyed seeing girls and women surprise themselves with what they could do.

I worked until I was 68 years old and quit because of family issues that were causing me stress that competed with my ability to do my job well. My great-niece, who lived in another state, had spent summers with me and attended our camps and programs for her age group since she was six years old. Then, at age nine, her mother committed suicide and left this child an orphan.

She is now 16 and has lived with me these past seven years. She is both a joy to my life now as well as the pain any teenager can be, but I love her dearly and know that she is going to do well and change her part of the world with her life.

When I retired I had skill in trading stocks, as I had taken lots of courses and had already improved the value of my 401(k) using this skill. In retirement I had more time to tune these skills, and I've been doing so. That freed me from some financial worries. I am teaching my niece to trade as well; she is taking the course right now and I go with her. She is also practicing trading.

I went through a period after retirement when I was very depressed. It seemed like I was in a rut I had never been in and couldn't seem to get myself out. It was so strange to me, but after being so much in the public eye and at the top of my career, working with very interesting and challenging people and issues every day, I guess I was no longer challenged and was stagnating.

I decided to look for an "at-home" business for money but also for fun. I tried several things for a while, got ripped off a few times, and wound up with an online travel agency that has become a lot of fun for me.

Then I got a letter from "Kristin" telling me about Neothink and her life, and I thought I would give it a try. One free testimonial book and three multigenerationals later, I wanted to meet other people who had read these and get involved. I found other Virginia people on the Neothink website and wrote to all of them, offering to develop an email list so that we could all keep in touch. I did that and sent them all copies, and suggested we have a meeting to get to know each other.

Randy B emailed me back and wanted to know how he could help. I said I would find a meeting place in Williamsburg and he would chair the meeting. Our first meeting had eleven members, and we were immediately a loving family. That was a new experience for me, to have such immediate close friends who a day before had been strangers.

We all hugged as we left for our homes across a very big state. We planned to meet once a month from that, and we still are doing that.

I know now that what was missing from my life was the people I had worked with every day. In my non-profit, we thought we were changing the world, one girl at a time. We even had a song: "We Change the World." And it is and was true, as these young women with high values will make a difference in their world as they reach adulthood.

In Neothink, I found that family again, and more. We are a cross-section of people but with the same values and sense of purpose, people who care about the future of planet earth. We will make a tremendous difference over the next few years as we grow, reach out, tell our story, and bring others into our clubhouse circles across the country.

The heirloom packages, those three wonderful books, I read and re-read. I wish I had had them years ago and could have used so many of those tools and techniques in my business then.

When I read the first book and got to the part about Power Thinking and Mini-Days, I stopped immediately, followed the directions, and built my plans for the next week, day by day. These tools and techniques have made it possible for me to carry the very heavy load I have right now and thrive on it. I have two home businesses now, plus trading stock; I'm also working very hard as a member of our A-Team, and I am raising a teenager, the biggest task of which is being her taxi now. By the way, she is now reading Miss Annabelle.

I am no longer depressed and in a rut. At 71 years old, I am thriving and joyful. Again, I am working very hard in a group that is changing the world and will save our planet earth as well. I count on that, and I am glad I am a part of making history for our world.

Thank you, Mark Hamilton, for giving me the power, skills, and opportunity to make a difference. I love you, too.

Nellie H