The best resource we have in affecting change and improvements in our lives is ourselves, writes Cathy Holloway Hill in "Lies, Love & Life," (www.chollowayhill.com).

"Relationships are ruined every day because of lies," says Hill, a former IBM executive. "The most damaging lies are the ones we tell ourselves."

While it may seem obvious that personal well-being is largely based on self-determination, the reality is that too many of us - perhaps most of us, at least sometimes - not only forget that we have the power to change; we often tell ourselves lies that impede our own progress, she says.

"No one wakes up and says, 'I want a miserable, unfulfilled and unhealthy life.' What then prompts people to continue dysfunctional and toxic, limiting, self-destructive behaviors?" Hill asks. "The book brings this self-sabotaging behavior to the surface and guides you through a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement."

In the forward of "Lies, Love & Life," best-selling author and psychologist Dr. Alan Zimmerman provides an overview of all that people risk and lose when "they pretend not to know" what they know, in fact, is true.

"If you're ever going to be truly happy and really successful, you've got to stop 'pretending' ... or as Cathy Holloway Hill says ... stop lying to yourself," Zimmerman writes.

"Reading Hill's book is as good as hiring a life coach," writes best-selling author Simon T. Bailey. "... The book challenges us to see all the ways we deceive ourselves into living half lives and to jump from that sad state into a life of real meaning and truth. This book will make your life a lot more authentic .... Everything worthwhile requires work, and Cathy has mapped it out for you in a very easy-to-understand manner."

"Holloway-Hill's book is an honest and insightful examination of the powerful ways lies grow and shape our reality once we allow them to become a part of our personal narratives," writes CNN, E! and MSNBC media personality S. Tia Brown. "(It is) a critical resource for anyone ready to move beyond feelings of inadequacy and lack."

About Cathy Holloway Hill

Cathy Holloway Hill is founder of C. Holloway Hill Enterprises, an international consulting, training and professional speaking firm focusing on personal and professional growth and effectiveness. Her guidance is sought by Fortune 100 companies, youth organizations and individuals who want to transform their lives. Hill has a bachelor's in computer science, a master's in psychology and numerous life coaching certifications. After 25 years in the corporate world, she walked away from her successful career at IBM in order to pursue her passion - helping people live happier lives. She is a winner of Indiana's Torchbearer Award for contributions to her state.

Ongoing effort aims to end child hunger by serving healthy breakfast at school 

BERWYN - October 12, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today visited Irving Elementary School to emphasize the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and to participate in the school's "breakfast in the classroom" program as part of the 2012-2013 Illinois School Breakfast Challenge. A partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Midwest Dairy Council and the Illinois No Kid Hungry Campaign, the effort challenges every school in the state to make school breakfast a top priority. Governor Quinn sent a letter to superintendents throughout Illinois encouraging them to participate in the challenge earlier this year.

"No child should begin their school day with an empty stomach," Governor Quinn said. "The Illinois School Breakfast Challenge will help children across the state have a nutritious start to their day, so they are ready to learn, grow and play."

Serving breakfast in the classroom is a proven way to eliminate child hunger and help students succeed in school. Studies indicate that children who come to school hungry report headaches and stomachaches more frequently, have trouble focusing in class, make more errors and have slower memory recall. Researchers have also found that just by serving breakfast at school, students perform better on standardized tests and show a general increase in reading and math scores.  "Breakfast in the classroom" programs also help children develop healthy habits for life.

The state of Illinois offers a federally funded School Breakfast Program for children who come from households that struggle with hunger; however, less than 40 percent of the students who qualify participate. The Illinois School Breakfast Challenge encourages schools to take advantage of this program and prevent children from coming to school hungry. Schools with the largest percentage increases in average daily breakfast participation rates for August-December 2012 compared to January-May 2012 will receive awards. There are four tiers of awards, with each tier awarding three prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000. The Challenge kicked-off in Illinois in April 2012 as part of a nationwide effort to close the school breakfast gap.

Since Irving School introduced their classroom breakfast program, students' standardized test scores have dramatically improved. In 2010 - before the program was implemented - only 79% of third graders at the school met or exceeded state standards in math, but in 2011 - the first year of the program - 92% of third graders met or exceeded this standard. In 2012, it went up to 98%. As of Thursday, October 11, 2012, Irving School has served 9,271 breakfasts since the first day of school.

The Breakfast Challenge is part of the Illinois No Kid Hungry Campaign to end childhood hunger in Illinois. Governor Quinn launched the Illinois No Kid Hungry Campaign earlier this year with the Illinois Commission to End Hunger and Share Our Strength, the nation's leading child anti-hunger organization. The campaign is one of the key recommendations made by the Commission to eliminate hunger throughout Illinois.

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Haunted Island will open at 6 p.m. October 12 and 13 at Credit Island, 2200 W. River Drive, Davenport. It will include a bat presentation at 6:30 p.m., hayrack rides from dark until midnight, and a bonfire with a storyteller. Concessions will be available. Admission is $12; $8 for ages 4-11; free for ages 3 and under.A $2-off coupon is available online. Proceeds benefit the Friends of Credit Island. Rain dates are Oct. 19 and 20.

This weekend - Family Friday Nights

Join us for Family Friday Night at Junior Theater. We're featuring "Jumanji" as this month's movie. 6pm - 9pm.
Fee: $2.50

Beauty and the Beast, by Vera Morris is the featured fall presentation in October: Cursed! A young prince is transformed into a Beast because of his selfishness and locked away in an enchanted castle, along with all who serve him.  To break the curse, he must learn to love more than just himself.  Beauty, a young girl from a nearby village, finds her way into the cursed castle.  Join us as the magic unfolds onstage.

@ 1:00 and 4:00 pm;

@ 2:00 pm.

Admission is $5 anyone 3 and up.

If Sydney Rose, 20, could talk to the young contestants wowing audiences on "The Voice" and "The X-Factor," she'd tell them: Even if you don't make it to the end, if you have a vision and a talent, don't ignore it.

The singer/songwriter whose debut pop single, "Breaking Rules," hit No. 21 on the national radio Top 40 chart in October, says she tried to put her dream on hold - and couldn't.

"I've been in love with music all my life," says Rose (www.sydneyrosemusic.com). "I've learned it's an important part of who I am and you can't ignore that, no matter what your age."

Rose grew up honing her singing skills, then learning guitar ("My first chord was D") and dancing. She overcame any lingering shyness about performing before audiences by joining two other girls in a pop/dance group called Rosemadayne.

But when it came time to attend college, she decided it was best to put her dream on a back burner.

"I was afraid," she says. "I wanted to experience college without the pressure of a music career, but I actually felt more pressure without my dream and I knew I had to nurture that passion that is so a part of me."

That's when she wrote her newest album, "Rise," an up-tempo celebration of life. It's getting airplay on radio stations across the country, a development that never ceases to amaze and delight the rising star.

"Listening to myself on the planet 96.7 right at this moment!!!" she posted recently on Twitter (@itssydneyrose). "This is surreal!!!! #bestdayeverever."

Rose offers tips for other young people who are determined to follow their dreams:

• Get your support team together: Whether it's parents, other family members, friends or teachers, you'll need people who encourage and help guide you. Coaches, mentors or instructors can help you improve - because no matter what your talent and how much of it you've got, you can always expand your abilities with help. Depending on your age, that may require financial and transportation support. "I started voice lessons when I was a tween, and to this day I get intensive voice training," Rose says. "But the more skills you have, the better, so I also started working on dance when I was 13 years old. No matter what type of creative talent you have - singing, acting, writing or painting - if you want to become a professional, you need training." Anyone who is supportive in your life, including friends, other family members and teachers, are reminders of why dreams matter to you.

• Set realistic goals: You may dream of being in the movies or on TV, but don't expect to start there! "I happily performed at bar and bat mitzvahs (bonus! - I met my manager through those), book stores, Best Buy stores, and at my vocal school," Sydney says. "These were great opportunities to get used to being in front of live audiences and learning how to interact with the audience." The smaller goals are there for you to reach the bigger ones - Rome was not built overnight, she says. Those who are supportive will remind you of the big picture.

• Remember, it's OK to be scared: Doing something for the first time can be really scary, and it's perfectly normal to be nervous. But don't let that stop you from getting out there and trying! "From experience, I know that almost anything that seems scary the first time gets much easier, and less scary, every time you do it," Sydney says. "Don't let fear keep you from ever taking the next step."

• Have fun! "With 'Rise,' I wrote songs that are fun and upbeat. I thought, 'If I'm going to do this for the rest of my life, I have to have an amazing time. Right?' she says. Part of what has helped the album's success is that she was genuinely happy and having a good time when she recorded it. No matter what you're doing, your true emotions tend to color your work - they're hard to hide, so work with them.

About Sydney Rose

Sydney Rose is a 20-year-old recording artist who has worked toward her success the old-fashioned way - through training, practice and dedication. She credits great coaches for helping her develop her talent for singing, dancing and songwriting, and she has become a rising star on the pop music circuit. Her new album, "Rise," is now available on iTunes.