The Power of Peace and Literacy
- Cynthia Brian
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
MIRACLE MOMENT®
“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” – Benjamin Franklin
A MESSAGE from Founder/Director, CYNTHIA BRIAN
Are we on the verge of World War III? The chaos, corruption, and cover-ups that are happening in government circles concerning the takeover of countries and their resources are extremely disconcerting to most Americans. Here at Be the Star You Are!®, our main focus is improving literacy and increasing positive media messages to empower women, families, and youth. Yet, how can there be positive media messages when we are watching ICE agents murder innocent citizens on USA streets, with our leaders challenging the rule of law while announcing that they are in charge of a foreign sovereign country?
From the time of creation, our world has been unstable with plagues, wars, injustice, greed, and uncertainty. Yet throughout history, individuals have fostered deep peace. Peace is not dependent on circumstances. Peace is rooted in our responses. We must be responsible and accountable for our actions. When we anchor ourselves in meaning and not just money, the chaos isn’t erased, but it becomes less threatening. Through love, faith, truth, service, and creativity, we each create a life of meaning.
Every individual has the opportunity to grow peace through honest conversations, forgiveness, justice, and care for the vulnerable. Retribution and vengeance against those we perceive as having wronged us is a prescription for war. Because of nuclear power, the next war could mean the annihilation of the human race.
We can debate ideas, politics, and policies, yet respect one another as neighbors and human beings. As we begin a new year, my prayer is that each of us, regardless of politics, race, religion, gender, or ideology, refuse cruelty, reject chaos, reveal cover-ups, and demand truth, positivity, and kindness so that peace will prevail.
May we all heed the words of the legendary Jimi Hendrix: “When the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.”💖
To create the future, we must harness our power to create it. Stand for peace.
Wishing you improved literacy and the rewards of peace in 2026.
With gratitude,
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Mother Teresa
PEACE IN THE WORLD
by Gowri Kamatchi
Peace in the world starts with me, and with you. You can feel it when you slow down and choose patience instead of anger, when you smile at a stranger or listen to someone who needs to be heard. Peace feels like warmth in the chest, knowing we belong to each other more than we realize.
And from here, peace spreads outwards. It crosses borders, languages and beliefs, reminding us that every life has value. World peace grows when nations choose cooperation over conflict, when communities protect the vulnerable and when differences are met with curiosity, not fear. Unity does not mean we are the same, it means we stand together despite our differences. When we act with compassion, speak for justice, and care for our shared planet, we help build a future where everyone can live safely and in hope.
Gowri Kamatchi is a content creator volunteer with Be the Star You Are!®. She is a 16-year-old junior with a deep interest in global issues, journalism, storytelling, and climate policies. Gowri’s hobbies include reading, listening to music, and rollerblading!
“Imagine all the people living life in peace.” John Lennon
LITERACY, PEACE, AND KINDNESS
by Karen Kitchel
Literacy, peace, and kindness are deeply interconnected. Every book we open is a door we unlock. Literacy is more than just the ability to read; it’s the bridge to empathy. When we step into someone else’s story, we trade our assumptions for their insights, and our judgment for their perspective.Peace is found in the presence of understanding. Understanding is the blueprint for peace. This new year, let’s not wait for the world to change; we can be the authors of change. Choose to be the bridge where there is a divide.
Reading builds empathy. Empathy builds peace. Peace builds a future. In a world full of uncertainty, let’s make kindness our common language and make this new year one of growth, understanding, and love.
Karen Kitchel is the Kindness Coordinator volunteer with BTSYA. She purchased the book, No Barnyard Bullies, as a gift for every kindergarten student where she is a volunteer teacher. www.scatteringkindness.com You can read more about Karen’s adoption story in the book Be the Star You Are! Millennials To Boomers. https://www.bethestaryouare.org/book-gift
“We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.” President Jimmy Carter
FREE SUMMIT ON WELLNESS FOR ALL
Be the Star You Are!® is happy to announce that our Founder and Executive Director, Cynthia Brian, has been selected as a featured expert for Wellness from the Inside Out for Home & School Life, a global online interview series kicking off on January 19th. Cynthia will be joining forces with Deborah Myers, a certified acupressurist and recipient of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. For over 30 years, Deborah has been helping youth, families, and educational communities discover how to be partners with their bodies to reduce stress and increase focus. Deborah has curated an incredible panel of 22 educators, doctors, and parenting coaches to create a “360-degree toolkit” for the learning community. This online series is completely free to attend, and it’s designed to fit into your busy schedule, even in your pajamas. Listen to Deborah discuss the summit in her interview on the radio broadcast, StarStyle®-Bethe Star You Are!®. https://sites.libsyn.com/556617/wellness-with-deborah-myers-and-evolution-of-business-cards
If you are a parent, a teacher, a school leader, or anyone who cares about the next generation, you need to be in this room. Register for FREE here https://www.deborahmyerswellness.com/cynthia .
“When the heart is at peace, the body will be healthy.” ~ Chinese proverb
LITERACY: The Right to Read: The Power of Literacy
Compiled by Shanin Shapiro
The most important way to tell if a child will succeed in school is to look at his or her mother’s ability to read.1 Illiteracy, or the inability to read and write, has far-reaching consequences for us as individuals and for our communities. Illiteracy greatly impacts our ability to obtain high-paying jobs and gain access to healthcare and community services. It may keep us from participating in important civic events like voting in elections. Illiteracy also affects our self-esteem, making us feel isolated and left out from the world around us. Read the full research at https://www.bethestaryouare.org/_files/ugd/d2f78a_01f950b88fa94fc599ccd7e990ad290e.pdf
For information and statistics about the importance of literacy compiled by our BTSYA researchers, visit https://www.bethestaryouare.org/about-us/research
“Nothing can bring youpeace but yourself.” Ralph Wald Emerson
OUR RADIO BROADCASTS INSPIRE AND COMMUNICATE
Every week under the auspices of Be the Star You Are!® charity and produced by StarStyle® Productions, LLC, listeners are encouraged and inspired on our two international radio broadcasts, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® and Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio. StarStyle® is a lifestyle program bringing information and innovative ideas that will help with daily living, while Express Yourself!™ is hosted by teens, for teens, with discussions about everything and anything that interests youth today. Both programs are unedited, uncensored, and unapologetically authentic.
Listen to all Express Yourself!™ Teen shows at https://sites.libsyn.com/560220
Listen to StarStyle®-Be the STAR You Are!® shows: https://sites.libsyn.com/556617
“Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” Albert Einstein
ABOUT BE THE STAR YOU ARE!®
Be the Star You Are!® is an all-volunteer organization that operates through contributions, in-kind donations, and proceeds from fundraising events. Be the Star You Are!® does not receive state or federal funding and is solely dependent on contributions from the community and corporations. Be the Star You Are!® is consistently honored as a TOP NON-PROFIT by Guidestar and Great Non-Profits.
Be the Star You Are!® supports all ethnicities and has no religious or political agendas or affiliations. Be the Star You Are!® is proud to have been serving the community, country, and world since 1999.
DONATE: https://givebutter.com/BTSYA
“Fighting for peace is like screaming for silence.” Unkown
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” Mahatma Gandhi
StarStyle® Empowerment is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/the-power-of-peace-and-literacy?
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