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Linda Noble Topf's Key Accomplishments Include . . .
Linda Noble Topf is a 56-year old woman with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the possibility of strength, courage and wisdom. Day by day, moment by moment, she does her best to overcome what is happening to her physically. A graduate of Moore College of Art and Design, Linda became a renowned creative director and graphic designer and in 1978 founded Noble Design Associates, an award-winning image development, design, and marketing company. A highlight of her career included being one of the creative forces behind -Philadelphia's highly acclaimed 300th birthday celebration. Linda was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1981. Even though she is challenged daily to manage the normal reactions of anger, fear, denial, and depression, Linda feels compelled to express herself creatively. One of the gifts of facing her illness has been developing a strong desire to share with others the process of acceptance, forgiveness, and support for herself regardless of the situation.
In 1984, Linda was ordained as a minister of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. She also founded The MS Initiative, exploring alternative approaches and positive attitudes for people with MS. The MS Initiative expanded to nine states and was in existence for five years. In 1992, Linda earned her Masters Degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Santa Monica, CA. She wrote You Are Not Your Illness: Seven Principles for Meeting the Challenge, which was published by Simon and Schuster in 1995 as well as writing for Inside MS, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society magazine, and was a former columnist for i-Can.com, the largest disability website in the world.
More About Linda
Noble Topf . . .
Currently, Linda is the inspiration for and designer of Exceptional Americans Who Have Achieved Remarkable Success, a permanent exhibit at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia. The museum is dedicated to bringing Americans together to defuse violence and bigotry. It celebrates our nation's heritage of freedom by honoring the contributions of citizens of all backgrounds. The Exceptional Americans exhibit highlights me and 33 other Americans who have achieved extraordinary success. The exhibit is the first in the country to celebrate heroes and heroines who have dared to step beyond their challenges and comfort zones to create a new conversation about possibility . . . against all odds. These 33 individuals have proven that despite extreme physical challenges, they can experience life as something extraordinary. The exhibit focuses on the relationship between the inner spirit of mind and body and the outer life of service, action, and contribution.
Linda is also in the process of completing her second book: What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?: The Seven Noble Truths of Optimistic Aging. It is based on her belief that the challenges of aging are remarkably similar to the challenges of living fully with chronic illness. In it, she urges readers to reclaim the joy of living a good and meaningful life even as they come to realize that they have less, not more, time ahead of them. In What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?, she also explores how we can stop fearing death and instead effect positive transformation as we age and change. Linda wants fellow baby boomers to know that they do not have to see themselves as in a decline- the best is yet to come.
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You
Are Not Your Illness: Tapping into Your Own Spiritual Healing
