A Letter from President & CEO, Shari Brink

Dear Friends,

How are YOU doing in these turbulent times? In the midst of “social distancing,” it’s good for us to reach out, to really ask about each other’s well-being, and then to wait and to listen.

Here’s what I’ve heard and seen, in addition to the anxiety, confusion and fear that is all around us and inside us:

  • a renewed sense of our connectedness in the face of physical distance
  • mindful ways of tapping into deep wells of resilience
  • optimism about new ways of being – of working and playing and really seeing each other

Here at Blanton-Peale, we are grateful that we are able to continue our work. By “here,” I mean “in the digital world.” At Blanton-Peale, we have transformed ourselves into a Virtual Counseling and Training Center. Our 80+ therapists are now providing high quality therapy and support to their clients via phone and video and our courses have moved online. And the rest of our staff are working safely offsite too.

Our work is more needed now than ever. Throughout this crisis, we continue to help vulnerable New Yorkers – some of whom will be hardest hit by this epidemic and its economic fallout – to deal with whatever life throws at them. Mental health needs don’t just stop as a virus sweeps across our globe, and we haven’t stopped either.

As for the Norman Vincent Peale Awards for Positive Thinking, we had been excitedly preparing for our spring Awards Gala. We have now postponed that event and have a new date.

On November 9, we’ll come together to celebrate Joe Namath, LinkedIn, and Stephanie Bailey. We’ll be ready to honor each of them and each other. All of us can embody the spirit of Norman Vincent Peale, after whom our awards are named.

Dr. Peale put it this way: “A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative; he refuses to dwell on it. Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results from the worst conditions.”

Please mark your calendars – Monday, November 9, 2020 – and we’ll look forward to seeing you at the Metropolitan Club in New York City.

In the meantime, be well and stay in touch,

Dr. Shari K. Brink

President & CEO