Flaw or Asset??

What do you *THINK* is your greatest physical flaw? For a moment, imagine that this so-called "flaw" is actually your greatest asset. What if it is? You are uniquely beautiful. You only need to realize it. ♥

Simple words of wisdom....

HEALTH:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is
manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to meditate.
6. (Breathe)
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

PERSONALITY:
11. Comparing our lives to others is fruitless. We have no idea what their journey is about.
12. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones especially about things out of our control. Invest energy in the positive present moment.
13. Try not to over do. Understand limits.
14. Why take ourselves so seriously. No one else does.
15. Gossip drains precious energy.
16. Dream more while we are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. We already have all we need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Let go of our partners mistakes of the past. Focus on our present/future happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Make peace with our past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of our happiness except us.
22. Realize that life is a school and we are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons we learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. We don’t have to win arguments. It’s ok to agree to disagree.

SOCIETY:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is insignificant compared to what you think of yourself.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends & family will. Stay in touch.

LIFE:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. (Higher powers) heal everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how we feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When we awake alive in the morning, be thankful.
39. Our Inner most is always happy. Release your “Inner Happy” on the world every day!

The Price of Beauty

Did anyone watch Jessica Simpson's new show The Price of Beauty???

She said, “I have always believed that beauty comes from within and confidence will always make a woman beautiful, but I know how much pressure some women put on themselves to look perfect. I am really looking forward to discovering how beauty is perceived in different cultures and participating in some of the crazy things people do to feel beautiful."

*What do you think?
*What is beautiful to you?
*When do you feel your most beautiful?
*Have you ever done anything crazy to feel beautiful?

Tell us your thoughts!

Great quote to start off the week!

"Sometimes we want so badly for others to believe in us that we often forget the most powerful thing of all - we must believe in ourselves. If you can reach that place, you'll be unstoppable. Be unstoppable" ~Revolution of Real Women~ ♥

No matter how sophisticated and grown-up we become, everyone has her insecure days.

Dear Paper Dolls,

Take this oath as a challenge-
"I believe in you. I believe in your authenticity, your uniqueness, your intensity, your wildness. I love the way you blare your music while you lip sync every single memorized lyric. I love your restlessness and your hunger. You possess the energy that, if unleashed, could transform, inspire and heal the world."

Everyone seems to have a certain way they want you to be - your mother, father, teachers, religious leaders, politicians, boyfriends, fashion gurus, celebrities, girlfriends.

DISTURBING STATISTIC NEWSFLASH: 74% of women say they are under pressure to please everyone.

I have done a lot of thinking about what it means to please; to be the wish or will of somebody other than yourself. To please the fashion setters, we starve ourselves. To please men, we push ourselves when we aren't ready. To please our parents, we become insane overachievers. If you are trying to please, how do you take responsibility for your own needs? How do you even know what your own needs are? The act of pleasing makes everything murky. We lose track of ourselves. We stop uttering declaratory sentences. We stop directing our lives. We forget what we know. We make everything OK rather than REAL.

I have had the good fortune to travel around the world. Everywhere I meet teenage girls and women giggling, laughing as they walk country roads or hang out on city streets. Electric girls. I see how their lives get hijacked, how their opinions and desires get denied and undone. So many of the women I have met are still struggling late into their lives to know their desires, to find their way.

Instead of trying to please, this is a challenge to provoke, to dare, to satisfy your own imagination and appetite. To take responsibility for who you are, to engage. Listen to the voice inside you that might want something different. It's a call to your original self, to move at your own speed, to walk with your step, to wear your color. I dare you to live as an emotional creature. Learn the difference between pleasing and loving, obeying and respecting. Be OK with being different, with being this alive, this intense. Learn to be you and love it!

Happy International Women's Day!

"With love and care, a woman becomes more open, alive, and beautiful. As she grows, she attracts other rosebuds around her and before long she is part of a beautiful, blossoming garden." - Mary Kay Ash
Happy International Women's Day! Share with all the women who inspire you!

Winter Blues to Spring Fever...

We've all been there. When we have weeks and months of rain, snow, storms, and gray skies, it's easy to become "blue". We might feel sluggish, lazy, down in the dumps, or even depressed. As the month of March begins, the hope for Spring arrives! We expect the sun to shine, flowers to bloom, birds to sing, and blue skies to appear. But how do we shed off our winter blues?

Here are 10 great ways to change your mood, give you more energy, and get you ready for a new season!


1. EXERCISE: Do something active or go for a walk, even if it's just for 15 minutes.

2. MUSIC: Make a new iPod playlist or a CD with your favorite songs. Music can instantly change how we feel so make sure you pick songs that make you feel your best!

3. MAKE A FUN PLAN: Write a list of the fun things you want to do now that the sun is out and better weather is on it's way. Looking forward to something in the future can boost your mood.

4. GET GRATEFUL: Start a gratitude journal - write down three things you are grateful for every day. Start with anything, even if you feel they are simple choices like, "I'm grateful for waking up today"...just keep at it and you'll discover how much you have to be grateful for.

5. TAKE A RELAXATION BREAK: Turn the lights down low, put on some soft music, and sit back in a comfortable chair for half an hour. You could even try 20 minutes of simple "counting" meditation: Sit up straight, close your eyes, and count each breath as it comes. Whenever your mind wanders or you lose count, start again. It's remarkably effective, and there's virtually no way to do it wrong.

6. GET SOCIAL: Just hanging out with a group of friends can provide an instant pickup.

7. CLEANSE: Drinking more water and eating healthier can jumpstart your body and give you more energy quickly.

8. HELP A STRANGER: Hold the door for someone. Offer to carry a heavy package or box. Give directions when asked. A little kindness goes a long way. You’ll immediately feel happier when you take a minute to assist another human being—even in the smallest way.

9. MAKE A VISION BOARD: Grab a few magazines, a poster board or large piece of paper, scissors, and glue. Start thinking about what you want in your life...think today, tomorrow, and in your future. Cut out words, pictures, sayings, or anything that catches your eye. Glue these on your large paper to create your vision board!

10. LAUGH: Find a way to laugh—jokes, movies or tv, funny books, playing with your pets and watching their silly antics, being silly with a friend. Laughter is an effective way of changing your mood, and can help your body as well as your emotional state.



If you're feeling really awful, you may not be able to shift your mood as far as you'd like to, right away — and that's okay. It's actually more reasonable to expect little shifts, rather than an extreme shift. Each movement you make matters. Even a small shift in your mood might bring relief, or make it easier to laugh or to have fun. But most importantly, Paper Dolls, figure out what techniques work for YOU and use them!

Tell us what worked for you or give us some new ideas of your own!