Regardless of whether it is a modern-day designer’s kitchen or just one of the so-called “timeless” efficiency kitchens, it is time for it, to claim center stage. It will serve as the hub for the transformational loving energy that will bind families and friends alike during this holiday season.

Known as the heart of every home, the kitchen is the place that will serve as a wonderful backdrop where you will always find an abundance of joy and laughter from family and friends reminiscing and sharing meaningful communication, from knowledge gained to lessons learned.

As you already know, you do not need to know how to cook to be drawn into the kitchen as your five senses will eventually draw you straight toward it once the mouth-watering aromas start to fill the air.

My late Southern Belle mom, Eleanora, once eloquently described to me that being in the kitchen is like being a mother; it is about creating something special. It requires patience, a happy attitude, and a touch of love. It is the perfect blending of all these ingredients that ultimately produces a signature dish.

Since we now live in a global village, with the lifestyle to match, where families can only get together during special occasions, the holiday seasons have become more meaningful than ever. Although there are many of us who are fortunate to have a family to spend the holidays with, there are those of us who are less fortunate due to various reasons. We are the ones that, over the years, are able to find home from within our own hearts. Then, there are those among us who are fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the family holiday spirit thanks to the generosity of our friends.

Whatever the situation may be for you, if we can all take a moment to be mindful, perhaps we can truly experience the true holiday spirit as it is meant to be experienced.

For mothers — They cannot wait to have the family back home together to break bread with.

For children — Believe it or not, your mom will always be more excited to see you than you are to see her.

For singles — For those who are fortunate to have the generosity of a friend’s invitation to be with their family, be very thankful for the love you are receiving.

For those who will be by themselves — Always remember that you are never alone. Home is where the heart is, and be very thankful that you have made it this far. Happiness and glee are always generated and experienced from within.

For the families who will be celebrating this holiday season together with their loved ones — I would like to share with you what my Cajun mom, Ginger, told me a long time ago: “The natural life can always be funny and humorous. The most ordinary events usually end up being the sweetest memories. Being present during the small moments will always make us appreciate the happiness when it happens.”

For the families and individuals who have graciously opened their hearts and homes, and to those who are contemplating doing so — I would like to share with you what my German mom, Dianne, told me a few years back: “Every once in a while, a situation may occur that requires us to radiate our energy of positive goodwill, compassion, and love for others. Until we try to put ourselves beyond our comfort zone, we will not realize we have what it takes to make a difference in that person’s life and in ours.”

For those of us who will be spending this holiday season by ourselves – I would like to share with you what my Malaysian mom, Nyah, told me just before I left home to come to the United States: “Since childhood, you have been and will continue to be exposed to all kinds of experiences. Some experiences, good or bad, will stay with you for the rest of your life. However, it is how you manage them that will ultimately determine your idea of success and happiness, or failure and sadness, in your life. Always remember you are never alone, and although food may fill your tummy and the camaraderie of friends gives you a sense of belonging, it is the loving energy you generate from within you that will nourish your mind, body, and soul. This spiritual grounding is what will ultimately touch the heart and move the soul of others.”

Finally, here is my wish to everyone during this holiday season:

Health — makes all things possible.

Wealth — makes all things work.

Love – makes all things beautiful.

May you have all three.

Johnny Tan

Leadership speaker
Talk show host: FMMKTalkRadio
Multi-award winning author: From My Mama’s Kitchen-”food for the soul, recipes for living”
(Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold Recipient – Inspirational/Motivational)

Kathleen Koch spent much of her childhood on the Mississippi Gulf Cost, where on August 29, 2005, entire towns were reduced to shoulder-high rubble by Katrina’s roaring winds and unprecedented thirty-plus-foot storm serge.

As a CNN correspondent at that time, she was assigned to cover the storm and its aftermath. Little did she know that this assignment became a very personal one. Kathleen reported form the sites of once-beautiful homes – including her own – stripped to their concrete pads.

Despite her two award-winning documentaries and countless reports on Mississippi’s recovery for CNN, it is Kathleen’s inspiring new book Rising from Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered that truly takes us on a journey of human triumph. The catastrophic hurricane may have devastated the landscape but not the hearts and souls of the communities.

Kathleen and I will be discussing a story of courage, hope, faith, and above all else, about bravery and resilience of the Gulf Coast residents coming together as a community of one, and her own personal path to recovery.

Please call 347.327.9995 on Tuesday Sept 28th from 10-11am U.S. CDT to join Kathleen and I live on the air with your questions and personal stories.

According to Buffett, “… there is no power on Earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it, it’s not uncritical love, that’s a different animal, but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that [who] can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being.”

As an expert on the subject, I am impressed with his acknowledgment.  Although the credit to the source of this awesome teaching is different, for this CEO it was his father, and for me, my 9 moms. Thus, the validation of the power of unconditional love is unequivocal.

The wisdom of this knowledge opens an additional window of opportunities for creative communication, unparalleled understanding and respect that would otherwise not exist because of the limits induced by our own conscious and subconscious self-centeredness. Whether fatherly or motherly love, when it is given without regard to conditions to your loved ones at any age, and in any setting, in our personal or professional life, it will serve as a catalyst to catapult an individual to a higher level of self-actualization.

It is true as Warren Buffett said, there may be days we don’t feel like it, but to know you can always rely on this level of devotion is a huge vessel in life. With the thorough understanding of the power of you can create and foster an environment that promotes harmonious relationships in both your home and business life.

In your home, you can create a perfect setting that offers a fresh perspective for embracing natural nurturing instincts. This approach empowers loved ones from within and allows them to achieve individual excellence. From identifying their personal strengths and weaknesses to formulating a plan of action, helping them accomplish their personal dreams, goals, and desires becomes a heartfelt passion.

When you unleash the power of this phenomenon into your business, you demonstrate potent leadership with a unique approach. You are now teaching, coaching, and counseling individuals and team members to achieve the synergy of corporate oneness. This will enhance personal and professional development, and create a happy working environment, resulting in better interpersonal relationships, increased productivity, and improved profits.

As my Italian foster mom, Carol, would say, as indicated in my book, From My Mama’s Kitchen, “Wisdom comes when we combine knowledge, understanding and compassion. We do not need more logic in our life. We need to use our rationality to work collaboratively with our intuition instead of using it to overrule what we instinctively know.”

The sage of Omaha, successfully used the power of his dad’s technique for his personal and professional life. Although my own dad had passed on at a critical time in my life, I did not lose the opportunity to learn this valuable lesson thanks to my 9 moms. The power of unconditional love transcends genders and cultures. It reminds us that we are all part of the bigger world. Always remember that we all have the same potential. It’s just a matter of what strengths we are willing to utilize. We can choose to use it at any time for the greater good of our family or to enrich our business with spicy leadership.

So when do we use this power? To answer this question, I would like to share with you this recipe for living from my German mom, Dianne, as indicated in my book, From My Mama’s Kitchen, “Every once in a while a situation may occur that requires us to radiate our energy of positive goodwill, compassion, and love for others. Until we try to put ourselves beyond our comfort zone, we will not realize we have what it takes to make a difference in that person’s life and in ours.”

Throughout our life’s journey, we will continue to gain and encounter new experiences. Some experiences, good or bad, will stay with us for the rest of our life. It is how we manage them that will ultimately determine our idea of success or failure. Applying the power of unconditional love to either situation will always lead us to living a memorable and satisfied personal and professional life.

Johnny Tan
Leadership speaker
Talk show host: FMMKTalkRadio
Award-winning author: From My Mama’s Kitchen-”food for the soul, recipes for living”
(Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold Recipient – Inspirational/Motivational)

The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) is an awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services.

Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on MCA evaluations when selecting quality materials for children and families. The Mom’s Choice Awards® seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of our panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of PBS’s Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times best-selling author, Priscilla Dunstan, creator of the Dunstan Baby Language; Patricia Rossi, host of NBC’s Manners Minute; Dr. Letitia S. Wright, D.C., host of the Wright PlaceTM TV Show; and Catherine Witcher, M.Ed., special needs expert and founder of Precision Education, Inc.

MCA judges are bound by a strict code of ethics which ensures expert and objective analysis free from any manufacturer association. The evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost.

To be considered for an award, each entrant submits five identical samples of a product. Entries are matched to judges in the MCA database. Judges perform a thorough analysis and submit a detailed assessment. Results are compiled and submitted to the MCA Executive Committee for final approval. The end result is a list of the best in family-friendly media, products and services that parents and educators can feel confident in using.

For more information on the awards program and the honorees, please visit MomsChoiceAwards.com. For more information on From My Mama’s Kitchen-“food for the soul, recipes for living” please visit FromMyMamasKitchen.com.

To read more recipes for living – please click here to purchase From My Mama’s Kitchen-“food for the soul, recipes for living” book, and help us make a positive difference in our preferred charities.

Johnny Tan created From My Mama’s Kitchen™ concept to honor his 9 incredible moms who changed his life, and to honor moms everywhere by bringing “motherly love” to the global center stage by recognizing the significant roles mothers play in making a positive difference in our daily lives.
Our weekly From My Mama’s Kitchen Talk Radio Show (FMMK Talk Radio) on Blog Talk Radio also serves as a resource center for mothers everywhere by bringing inspirational, spiritual and motivational stories from our special guests of ordinary moms doing extraordinary things. All shows are archived. Please click here to listen at your leisure.
Thank you for helping us spread this wonderful unconditional gift “Motherly Love” to everyone you know!

Listen to FMMK Talk Radio Show

The Real Housewives of New York City has made Jill Zarin one of the most beloved Jewish mothers in the country. When her mother, Gloria Kamen, made her appearance in Season 2, the world came to know the origin of Jill’s style.

Lisa Wexler, Jill’s sister, who has her own award-winning daily radio show embodies the same authentic, caring, and over the top style.

Together as a terrific team, they have written a wonderful book “SECRETS of A Jewish Mother” – filled with lessons on friendships, marriage, dating and money that will help us live a meaningful life and maintain lasting relationships.

As an added bonus, we will also learn how to make a mean matzoh ball soup!

These wonderful ladies will be sharing with me their Secrets for a success family that everyone can embrace because “unconditional motherly love” transcends all cultures.

Please call 347.327.9995 on Tuesday July 27th from 10-11am CST US to join Jill, Lisa, Gloria, and I live on the air with your questions and personal stories.

Ever had questions you would like to ask your gay, lesbian, bi loved ones, and perhaps feel uncomfortable to do so?

Author Abby Dees shows it’s OK to be a little nosy – no matter how intrusive or personal the questions may be. There are no bad questions or wrong answers. Queer Questions Straight Talk (QQST) helps people break the ice and spark a necessary, often difficult conversation.

From leading gay public figures such as former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, to Married with Children actress Amanda Bearse, executive director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights Kate Kendall, and humorist Kate Clinton, QQST gets it all out on the table in a loving and respectful way.

Abby Dees is also a civil rights attorney and editor for St Lynn’s Press. She and her partner Traci were one of the 18000 same-sex couples in California who married in 2008.

Abby, her mom Cathy and I will be discussing this long overdue “Public Service Book” that is serious yet fun, and with deep wisdom that creates a better understanding for everyone from an honest and loving perspective.

Please call 347.327.9995 on Tuesday July 20th from 10-11am CST US to join Abby, Cathy and I live on the air with your questions and personal stories.

Every once in a while, life presents an unexpected challenge that requires you to stay in faith; that all things are meant for some greater good, perhaps not seen immediately, but non the less for the “Greater Good.”

Until we are able to put ourselves beyond our comfort zone, we will not realize we have what it takes to make a difference in our life and in others as well.

At 13 years old, Melinda Marchiano began feeling ill. No one took her seriously except her mom Lee. Together they started on a journey that eventually tested their faith, while strengthening their love for one another when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in December 2007.

Now cancer free Melinda had written a memoir titled, Grace – a child’s intimate journey through cancer and recovery which recently won the 2010 International Book Award, to help inspire others.

Please call 347.327.9995 on Tuesday June 29th from 10-11am CST US to join Melinda, her mom Lee, and I live on the air with your questions and personal stories.

Regardless of which group you fall in, you may not realize this, we all have several moms in our life. The first mom is obviously our birth mom, and the others are women who have already contributed or will soon be richly contributing to our well being as our mentors and counselors. They are the ones that are always available and are always happy to help us with the things we needed the most, and with the one thing we don’t always know yet we need.

In my weekly radio program (From My Mama’s Kitchen Talk Radio) this past Tuesday morning, I kicked off our month long Mother’s Day Celebration theme. Although I say it is a month long, in actuality it is going to be three months long. Yes, that is correct – three months long!

The reason being, when I did a query last month looking for some interesting mother’s day stories I did not realize I was going to get so many heartfelt, soul moving stories to choose from. After much internal debate I decided to pick the thirteen very best heart warming stories that simply had to be told.

I divided these wonderful tales into three categories to discuss over the next three months. The themes are: for May – Motherly Love from a Mom’s perspective; for June – The Experience of Motherly Love from a Child’s perspective; and for July – Mother and Child sharing their Motherly Love experiences.

From stories about “Operation Babylift” – the largest humanitarian initiative our United States government ever undertook in foreign adoptions, to delivering Hope as a surrogate mom, a son’s tribute to his single mom who raised him by herself, a daughter’s Emmy award winning songs expressing her mother’s love, and moms who finally came to terms and realized that “hey I am now a mom, and I need to be more…” will all be covered in the next three months.

Reflecting on these great stories, I realize that none would have taken place if not for “Motherly Love” in our varied lives. As an adopted child from birth, having had the opportunity to be mothered by eight other incredible women over the years, I have to confess that perhaps I am spoiled by the love and attention I have received from my nine moms. They all had a part in moulding my soul and guiding my heart.

Earlier this year, just days after celebrating her 92nd birthday, my Progressive and Spiritual mom, Elsa Mae Stevens, peacefully passed on. Although I was not present during her final hours, I was glad we were able to share some happy memories together a week earlier on her last birthday.

Elsa Mae, who I have known for 23 years, has never forgotten to make that one call every year. She is the only mom who calls me right after midnight on my birthday to wish me “a happy birthday.”

In her many words of wisdom she imparted to me, one will always be part of my very being.

According to her, “In a real-life situation, happiness is always felt by the heart rather than thought of by the mind. Although we can choose to be happy, we still need to feel happy. When we approach everything in life with a heartfelt passion, we are putting the human factor into the equation. By just doing this, the energy of humanness will take over and create a synergy of respect, love, and understanding.”

Elsa Mae taught me to live life by balancing the right amount of heart and mind in everything I do. She said “Although bruises and scars may remind us where we have been, they certainly do not dictate our future.”

She continued by saying “it is always pleasing when we do something good for ourselves, however that good deed dies with us. On the other hand, when we do something good for someone else, it not only feels good to ourselves, it lives on as a legacy in the memory of those who’s hearts we touched.”

On this mother’s day – Elsa Mae Stevens, your legacy lives on!

I love you and may God’s eternal light shine ever so bright upon you in heaven.

To read more recipes for living – please click here to purchase From My Mama’s Kitchen-“food for the soul, recipes for living” book, and help us make a positive difference in our preferred charities.

Johnny Tan created From My Mama’s Kitchen™ concept to honor his 9 incredible moms who changed his life, and to honor moms everywhere by bringing “motherly love” to the global center stage by recognizing the significant roles mothers play in making a positive difference in our daily lives.
Our weekly From My Mama’s Kitchen Talk Radio Show (FMMK Talk Radio) on Blog Talk Radio also serves as a resource center for mothers everywhere by bringing inspirational, spiritual and motivational stories from our special guests of ordinary moms doing extraordinary things. All shows are archived. Please click here to listen at your leisure.
Thank you for helping us spread this wonderful unconditional gift “Motherly Love” to everyone you know!

Listen to FMMK Talk Radio Show

I would like to share this wonderful article, titled “Is it a Choice or a Chance?” with you and hope that you will get out of it as much as I did when I first read it several years ago.

Is it a Choice or a Chance? – author unknown

When you meet the right person to love, you are at the right place at the
right time.
That is a chance.

When you meet someone you are attracted to, that is not a choice.
That is a chance.

Being caught up in the moment (and there are many couples who
get together like this) is not a choice.
That is also a chance.

The difference is what happens afterward.
When will you take that infatuation, that crushes, that mind-blowing
attraction, to the next level?

This is when sanity kicks in; you sit down and contemplate on
whether you want to make this into a concrete relationship or just a fling.

If you decide to love a person, even with his/her faults, that is not a chance.
That is a choice.

When you choose to be with a person, no matter what, that is a choice.

Although you know there are many people out there who are more attractive, 
smarter, and richer than your mate is, and yet you decide to love your mate just the same, that is a choice.

Infatuations, crushes, and attractions come to us by chance.
However, true love that lasts is truly a choice, a choice that we make.

Regarding soul mates, there is a beautiful movie quote, which I believe is so
true: “Fate brings you together, but it’s still up to you to make it happen.”

I believe soul mates do exist, that there is truly someone created for everyone.
However, it is still up to us to make the choice if we are going to do something
about it or not.

We may meet our soul mate by chance, but loving and staying with our
soul mate is still a choice we have to make.

Our challenge in this world is not finding someone perfect to love, 
but rather to learn how to love an imperfect person perfectly!

…have Hope, have Faith, and most importantly – have the greatest of all – have Love.

To read more recipes for living – please click here to purchase From My Mama’s Kitchen-“food for the soul, recipes for living” book, and help us to make a positive difference in our preferred charities.

Johnny Tan created From My Mama’s Kitchen™ concept to honor his 9 incredible moms who changed his life, and to honor moms everywhere by bringing “motherly love” to the global center stage by recognizing the significant roles mothers play in making a positive difference in our daily lives.
Our weekly From My Mama’s Kitchen Talk Radio Show (FMMK Talk Radio) on Blog Talk Radio also serves as a resource center for mothers everywhere by bringing inspirational, spiritual and motivational stories from our special guests of ordinary moms doing extraordinary things. All shows are archived. Please click here to listen at your leisure.
Thank you for helping us spread this wonderful unconditional gift “Motherly Love” to everyone you know!

My Malaysian mom Nyah, always told me that the day we stop learning is the day we give up on living. This recipe for living is one I always remember on my birthday because it has been a natural occurrence for me to go through a process of rebirth every year, filled with a renewed right spirit, ideas, and enthusiasm.

Every year since ninth grade, on the eve of my birthday, I spend some quiet time in personal reflection on how I have lived my life for the last 12 months. From a simple review of the year’s various hits and misses, to contemplating life-changing experiences, I eventually learned to identify potential opportunities on not only how to live my life, but how to live my life with passion in the upcoming year, by adjusting my thought process and my behavior tendencies.

I also use this same process at the beginning of each year to evaluate past accomplishments before planning for the current year. My Texan Earthly mom Terese, told me a while back about being lucky and being wise. She said, “Luck is the intersection of faith and destiny. The stronger our faith is, the luckier we are. The positive energy we radiate into the universe will always attract like positive energy back to us.”

According to my Progressive and Spiritual mom Elsa Mae, what we give out is what we receive in return. As we are the author of our thoughts, and if we are to receive and be showered with good things and favors in life, we need to be having those positive thoughts throughout our daily lives.

My Italian foster mom Carol, added, “Wisdom, on the other hand, is what we experience when we combine knowledge, understanding, and compassion.”

Over the years whether it is pure chance or divine guidance, I am grateful I have experienced significant increases in both luck and wisdom in all areas of my life by keeping my mind focused on having faith and meditating on enlightenment.

As for 2009, I am thankful to have more pluses than minuses, and more hits than misses. I have certainly learned a great deal from all the minuses and misses while at the same time enjoyed all the pluses and hits.

In a nutshell: Regardless what transpired in the past, there are always lessons to be learned. If we are to ensure ourselves a successful 2010, we need to lead from within, that is – “Respect the past because it will always be a classroom for lessons learned. Be prepared for the future because it is our destiny, and Always live in the now because every moment is a memorable experience.”

To read more recipes for living – please click here to purchase From My Mama’s Kitchen-“food for the soul, recipes for living” book, and help us to make a positive difference in our preferred charities.

Johnny Tan created From My Mama’s Kitchen™ concept to honor his 9 incredible moms who changed his life, and to honor moms everywhere by bringing “motherly love” to the global center stage by recognizing the significant roles mothers play in making a positive difference in our daily lives.
Our weekly From My Mama’s Kitchen Talk Radio Show (FMMK Talk Radio) on Blog Talk Radio also serves as a resource center for mothers everywhere by bringing inspirational, spiritual and motivational stories from our special guests of ordinary moms doing extraordinary things. All shows are archived. Please click here to listen at your leisure.
Thank you for helping us spread this wonderful unconditional gift “Motherly Love” to everyone you know!