FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 11, 2021 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
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Taking comfort in family
and inspirational words
For years I’ve enjoyed
summers in bucolic
Westhampton and,
since owning Dan’s Papers, it’s
become a year-round pleasure
to be there. But I also go “up
island” to my new home near
Manhasset.
The magnificently serene
and glorious views of snow are
apparent in both my “worlds.”
Th e recent storms made me stop
venturing out. At fi rst, I felt lonely
watching the dramatic snow
silently fall and not being able
to share it with anyone. But then
the phone rang.
Human contact — it’s a
remarkable thing! As much as
the impressive views of snow
inspire me and bring a smile to
my face, I came to realize my
family, friends and colleagues
create bigger smiles! So, it was
a delight to talk on FaceTime
with my grandchildren during
the stunning seven-hour snowfall.
Sloane even created a portrait
of me in watercolors and
then colored pens while we
talked on the phone!
Another comfort I’ve taken in
being alone is reading. I’ve been
watching the pile of books on my
nightstand build and now I have
the time to go through them.
Last week I wrote about my
brilliant friend and colleague
Dan Rattiner’s book, “In the
Hamptons.” Th is week, I read
two books that nurture the mind
and body.
Th e fi rst book is a self-proclaimed
do-it-yourself resource
book by Debra Smith-Milberg
called “Every Body Is Diff erent.”
As a professional wellness coach,
her book is a tutorial in how to
have a healthy lifestyle.
For me, that means being wiser
in choosing what I eat, exercising
more eff ectively and managing
stress. Her easy-to-follow
chapters helped me refocus and
remind me of what I needed to
do to lose weight. I’ve already
shed fi ve pounds by dropping
dairy products!
I also had the opportunity
to speak with Debra and learn
about her philosophy fi rsthand.
She even got on a video call with
me to guide my workout session!
Debra is truly a pragmatic
guide who off ers concrete ideas.
I loved the testimonials from
her successful clients with their
words and what really caught
my eye were the before and aft er
photos featured in the book!
I also loved her easy-to-manage
tricks to portion control! For
women, she off ered the following
tips (men can double these!):
• One serving of protein is the
size of your palm
• A serving of veggies is the
size of your fi st
• A serving of carbs is your
cupped hand
• A serving of fat is the size of
your thumb.
I try to keep her book near me
to be reminded and re-inspired.
A few months ago, I had the
pleasure of meeting and honoring
as a Power Woman of Long
Island Joanna Dodd Massey.
I learned that she had written
several books based on her
decades of running public relations
departments in multiple
national media companies.
Her latest book,
“Communicating During a
Crisis,” has a very powerful subtitle:
“Infl uencing Others When
the Stakes are High.”
Th e book off ers exactly the
right mix of practical, truthful,
funny and personal experiences
of handling crises and is fi lled
with specifi c suggestions to cope
with the COVID-19 crisis we are
all facing in our businesses.
One paragraph really resonated
with in which she wrote,
“Lighten the ‘f ’ up — things
always work out.”Having been in
business for so long, I have lived
that advice.
Th ere are many more words of
wisdom to be found in her book.
Read both Joanna’s book and
Debra’s books for inspiration
during these diffi cult days as we
continue to fi ght the disease that
has struck us in countless ways.
Stay strong and keep your
courage! The stunning view from my terrace.
Joanna’s book offff ers advice
on how people skills can
help businesses cope with
the COVID-19 crisis.
I keep Debra’s book on my
night table to be reminded
and re-inspired.
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