David Mezzapelle's Blog, page 3

Contagious Optimism featured in list of top 12 inspiring interviews

Since its launch in March of 2013, the radio show “On Purpose” has produced more than 40 episodes with authors, entrepreneurs and experts. In their recent release of “12 Gems from 2013,” hosts Rikk Hansen and Susyn Reeve named David Mezzapelle  as one of their top twelve inspiring guests. Congratulations, David!

Read the release here  and listen to the episode here.

Exciting announcements

A couple of months ago, we posted a picture of David Mezzapelle on location with Smile TV in Los Angeles. Smile TV was working on our media reel and now it’s finished! Check out the video below and see how the “Contagious Optimism” movement is spreading across the country.

And here’s more good news:

We are happy to announce the title for the next volume of “Contagious Optimism”:

10 Habits of Truly Optimistic People

Power Your Life With the Positive

Stay tuned for more! We hope you’re having a great time with friends and family during this holiday season.

David Mezzapelle: 2014 will be great

As we head into the holiday season and prepare ourselves for the new year, we reflect on everything that had happened to us. We are sure that you are smiling widely at some memories. We are sure that you are cringing at some not-so-fond memories.

But relax: Many people, including David Mezzapelle of “Contagious Optimism,” think there are so many reasons why we should look forward to 2014. Skip to number 20 for David’s message, or enjoy yourself and click through slides from people like Mitch Albom (author of “Tuesdays with Morrie”), Dr. Sanjay Gupta (medical correspondent for CNN) and Wally Lamb (author of “She’s Come Undone,” which was selected for Oprah’s Book Club).

This feature is published in the January 2014 edition of “Reader’s Digest.”

What makes a great leader?

“Contagious Optimism” author, David Mezzapelle, answers this question in his latest article, “Crossing the Chasm to Success.”

Enjoy and please share with friends.

 

 

Care2 to feature David Mezzapelle

​Happy Friday,

Great news. InspireMeToday loved David’s blog post so much that they’ve decided to feature him on Care2.com.​

At 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time, look out for his feature here. David’s message will be seen by more than 23 million people around the world.

Congrats, David, and thanks for making optimism contagious.

Seizing the day

Kimberlee and her family today.

Meet Kimberlee Hooper.

Kimberlee contracted encephalitis at 21 years old, went into a coma and lost all of her memories.  She had to start her life over as if she was a child.  Every day, she lives with the possibility of a recurrence, meaning she could lose the new memories she made with her husband and children and everything else she has rebuilt.

Well, good news, I am happy to report that Kimberlee truly found the bright side of the situation by choosing to seize the day – an expression we have all heard but seldom follow. For the first few years she feared another bout of memory loss but now she embraces life every day and doesn’t let that negativity into her head.  Absolutely incredible.

Today, Kimberlee is 34 years old and doing well.

Mezzapelle in Milwaukee

From NBC Milwaukee’s “The Morning Blend” show

Author David Mezzapelle recently appeared on NBC Milwaukee’s ”The Morning Blend” show.

David talked about his life experience and how he was inspired to start “Contagious Optimism.” When asked why optimism is so important, he said that it allows us to live “with the confidence that tomorrow will be better.”

Check out the full video here.

Can’t get enough of David? He and a few awesome co-authors will host a book signing at Boswell Books in Milwaukee on Oct. 8 and on Oct. 11 at Women and Children First Bookstore in Chicago. Both events begin at 7 p.m. Stop by and learn more about making optimism contagious.

David Mezzapelle on Inspire Me Today

Dear Friends,

We are so excited to share some great news with you. On Sept. 30, 2013,  David will be the featured Inspirational Luminary on InspireMeToday.com, sharing his wisdom with the world.

Inspire Me Today is a website that spreads daily inspiration through essays, stories, interviews and more. Every day, a Luminary answers the question “If I could share 500 words to inspire, this is the important wisdom I’d want to pass along to others … ” You can start your day with the wisdom of esteemed company such as Sir Richard Branson, Guy Laliberte, Seth Godin, Neale Donald Walsch, Marci Shimoff.  We are so honored to be a part of this community.

Please visit the site on Sept. 30 and help us inspire others. If the traffic and comments break records, InspireMeToday.com will share our content with millions of additional people as well.  We hope you’ll check it out, leave a comment and share it with your friends.

From the folks at Inspire Me Today and Contagious Optimism, thank you in advance for your kind support. We know you’re going to love InspireMeToday.com!

Be Inspired,

The Contagious Optimism Team

Call for submissions!

Do you have a story of optimism to share with us? We want to hear from you!

Body Image: We are looking for people who have (or had) body image issues regarding things such as weight, skin, wardrobe and physique. These real stories tell our readers that we are not alone and we do have the ability to persevere. We will also accept essays that offer guidance or insight on this topic as long as they also include example stories within the essay.
Tragedy: We are adding a “tragedy” chapter to a future volume. We believe that people need to read about how others have persevered through tragedy to help them cope and get through it themselves.  We all hear that “time heals all wounds.” At “Contagious Optimism,” we also believe that sharing our stories is critical in that process as well.

Ready to submit? Here are our guidelines. If you have questions, comment below!

Ricky Wade, recognized for his altruism

Meet Ricky Wade.

Ricky grew up in Jamaica with poverty all around him. He always dreamed of becoming a pilot but everything changed when his father died in a plane crash.

But Ricky never let obstacles stand in his way.  He eventually came to the United States, completed his education, and took a job at McDonald’s. And, over the course of 18 years, he saved up, got a loan, and purchased his first McDonald’s franchise.

Today, he is a major South Florida franchisee whose number one priority is to give back to the community. Last year he even earned the coveted Golden Arch Award, which is given to a franchise owner who has exhibited outstanding dedication to customer service and community involvement. Only 1 percent of franchisees worldwide receive this award!

We’re glad to have Ricky on our “Contagious Optimism” team!