The birds are singing, the sun is shining… what a glorious day to be alive! How often do you feel like that when you wake up? To be truthful, I don’t say or feel that way nearly enough. Most work days begin with this thought for me: “Shit. I have to get up”. Not a very productive way to start a morning. Yeah, maybe work sucks, but if you open up the scope of your life and focus on everything that’s around you, your attitude can change.

Let’s take my example above. What happens when you wake up and immediately think of what’s wrong with your day? Maybe you rush to get showered and out the door so you can get to work. Your irritable, easily frustrated and just generally dumpy. From the get go, you have set yourself up to think about and therefore notice all aspects of your day that are not… divine. By the time you get off work, you’re exhausted and tired and- well, still dumpy. So, you go home and instead of having the energy to do things that would add joy to your life you end up sitting on the couch with a bag of Frito’s watching TV.

What about the reverse? You wake up, look outside and realize it’s absolutely beautiful (even bad weather can be beautiful). Maybe you think about how lucky you are to have a nice place to live, a steady job, great kids, or just the fact that you get to be alive today… whatever it is, this feeling of being grateful and happy means that you will spend your day noticing and appreciating all that’s right in your life. Driving to work isn’t frustrating because you refuse to let crazy drivers and traffic ruin a good mood. This good mood increases efficiency to the point that you end the day feeling really satisfied with what you accomplished. The workday comes to a close and you drive home energized and excited that now it’s your time. For some of us, we go to the gym or meet up with friends. In any case, the positive attitude you woke up with carries you through the day.

The point I’m making here is that everything is attitude! The two hypothetical days were the same day. The same bad and good things happened. The only difference is perception. In one case you wake up in a bad mood, and that bad mood inevitably sets you up to see all the negative aspects of that day. Conversely, waking up happy just to be alive puts you in a frame of mind to see the good in your life. This is the first step towards making lasting change in your life. How can you accomplish anything when you feel bad? If you’re drained and tired and dumpy, the motivation is not there to go above and beyond your current situation to create a new one. You can read personal development blogs and books all you want, but reading won’t make the change happen. Your attitude will.

For me, real change requires inspiration. A lack of positivity in my life creates the opposite of growth. The happier I am, and the better my attitude is at the start of the day, the better my day goes and the more I accomplish. This is what I believe is the most important aspect of personal development. It all begins with the first 10 minutes of your day. It’s your choice to make your day great, just as it is your choice to be dumpy. Remember that the next time your alarm goes off. Here are some suggestions to get you moving towards a positive attitude in the morning:

• Open your blinds before you go to bed. That way when you wake up, the sun is shining in your room. Even if you don’t take a moment to look outside, natural light has a way of making a day feel brighter and more cheerful.
• Write down the three things you are most grateful for in your life. Post those three things somewhere you’ll be each morning. Could be your bathroom mirror or your refrigerator. When you pass by the list, read it aloud to yourself. Eventually you’ll begin to think of other things and you won’t need a list. I try to run through my gratitude list every morning while I shower.
• Get up an hour early. At first, this sucks… I admit. That said, having an hour to get ready and eat breakfast without rushing around is a far more relaxing way to start your morning.
• Music, Music, Music. If you have an alarm that you can play CD’s, great. If you don’t, consider getting one. Or get an alarm for your iPOD. There’s nothing like waking up to your favorite song; a song that makes you want to dance or sing. If this isn’t an option for you, try setting your alarm for the radio on your favorite station.

Making your first 10 minutes the most important time of your day each morning WILL make a difference in your life. The more days you do it, the easier it gets to wake up already with the right mindset.

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Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? When you stop to think of it that way, it makes more sense why we should take better care of it. Between sun exposure, wind, humidity, lack of humidity, cold weather, rain, tattoos, and everything else- we’re pretty brutal to the organ which protects all others. Some of struggle with acne, dry skin, and even more difficult issues such as psoriasis. Beyond wanting to avoid wrinkles, warts and sun spots there are a multitude of benefits that come with taking good care of our skin. Here are some small, but very effective ways, to start making some positive changes to the quality of your skin. Most of these won’t be new to you, but from time to time, we all need little reminders…

• Moisturize! Dry skin can be pretty uncomfortable, and when winter sets in it can only get worse. Cold air doesn’t hold moisture like warm air, so if you live in a temperate climate, the dry air exacerbates any dryness you’re already dealing with. Any lotion is great to put on everyday, but if you want a super moisture boost, try putting on something like Eucerin lotion after you shower but BEFORE you dry off. When you shower, the warm water opens up your pores. When you get out and dry off, you immediately start losing moisture through those open pores. If you put lotion on before you dry off and get out, you seal all that moisture in. The difference you’ll see doing this vs. just putting in on before bed is huge.
• Use Sunscreen. Most people are pretty good about wearing it on hot sunny days in the summer, but fail to realize that even cloudy days or sunny winter days can bring sun damage to your skin. In many cases, the winter months can be worse; depending where you are the ozone layer can be thinner in the winter, making the sun more intense. Buy yourself a face lotion that has a daily SPF in it; there are body lotions on the market now that also contain SPF- Alba makes a great one. You’ll never have to leave home without it!
• Don’t be picky. One of the best things you can do for yourself if you suffer from acne is leave it alone. Picking at your skin introduces a multitude of bacteria, only making it harder for your body to heal and get rid of the zit.
• Water. We all know this one, but it can be difficult to get in the habit. Start slow, and by a bottle that makes it easy for you to measure what you’re drinking. I buy 24oz disposal bottles even though I hate throwing them away. The reason? Each one is exactly 3 “glasses” of water. If I drink two I’m doing great. If I get to three- even better.
• Nutrition. Some people will tell you that chocolate or fried foods don’t have any effect on skin condition, but I whole heartedly disagree. I see it with my skin anytime I “relapse” and decide that I have to have something greasy and bad. I’ve been eating my kids Halloween candy this week, and I have a big ‘ol zit to show for it. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables can make a big difference, and there’s obviously a ton of other benefits to healthy eating.
• Rid your addiction to “products”. Look in a woman’s make-up drawer and your sure to find at least 25-30 different things we put on our bodies and faces. Lotion, base, powder, blush, eye liner, mascara, perfume, etc. Here’s what’s in my drawer that I actually use: a 15 SPF face lotion, mascara, and some Burt’s Bee’s lip balm. Sure I have all the other stuff, but I found once I stopped using all that crap, my skin condition improved and I didn’t actually need all that “cover up”. As far as perfume goes, find a aromatherapy soap that you love. I use something called Zumbar and I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve had about how nice I smell.
• Exfoliate. I love using a body scrub in the shower after I shave. Aromatherapy stuff is best for me, so I look for a salt or sugar scrub that’s usually in a grapeseed oil base. Getting rid of all the dead skin that’s hangin’ around helps your health skin to breath.
• Get your fatty acids! This is easier if you love fish, or live on the coast somewhere, but if neither is the case, try a good Omega supplement, add flaxseeds to your diet (I sometimes put them in my cereal or in some yogurt), or eat some walnuts.
• For anyone with a specific skin condition that requires special treatment, here are some great sites dedicated to skin health.
  • Dermatology Care has some great tips, as well as treatments for specific skin ailments.
  • The Skin articles and Tips at Pioneer Thinking has some great information on creating your own natural skin products.
  • Got Acne? Visit the Acne Care Tips blog…
  • Check out ScienceDaily’s skin care page for some great articles on a mutlitude of skin related topics.

Got any other tips for readers? Share them here! Here’s my Mom’s #1 tip for me about my skin: “Don’t forget to take care of your neck… especially the back of your neck“. I believe this is purely coming from an anti-wrinkle standpoint, but nevertheless, good tip Mom.

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As a woman, I am aware everyday of my body. As an American Woman, I am particularly aware of its flaws. My awareness begins when I wake up and put clothes on, then repeatedly throughout the day when I eat. It can sometimes be overwhelming to be expending so much energy on something such as this, but it is nevertheless, a huge part of my day.

I would never claim to know what or how all women think, but most of the women I know are just like me; Forever fighting an ongoing struggle to be or look like someone we’re not. It’s a difficult habit to break too, because we are inundated with images that remind us of what we “should” look like.

In the last two weeks, I’ve started to become far more aware of how much energy it takes to worry about and think about my body image and the need to change it. Last week, my focus was on just not thinking about it any more. Eliminating it as a focus in my daily life was an incredible change. Until it was gone, I had no idea how much time I spent feeling guilty. I began to wonder how long I have been dieting, and I realized that since about 7th grade, I have never stopped. Yikes. Needless to say, it was an uplifting experience.

This week I have focused on acceptance. Realistically, I have always known in my heart that no matter how much fretting and dieting and worrying and anger and guilt I put on myself about my body, I’m never going to fit the American image of a woman. Personally, the older I get the less I want to. I don’t really want to weigh 80 pounds and walk around with my hip bones poking out of my jeans. This is something I think all women realize deep down somewhere that they are unique; the trick is being proud of the uniqueness rather than punishing yourself for it. Bringing it into your conscious thought is difficult though because we have years of programming that tells us we are unacceptable.

Here’s how I have changed my thinking. I remind myself in the morning that this is Me, and this body is mine. There’s a line from the movie The Secret that I often think about. It is the idea that our life today is a residual of our past actions and choices. I remind myself that while I accept myself today exactly as I am, I am also making choices today that will affect my tomorrow- that I am living today to improve my tomorrow. Making this daily assertion allows me to make proper, healthy decisions about my life; whether its about body image or attitude or something else.

In this way I have learned to think different- not just about my body and my body-image, but to also successfully believe what I’ve always known: that my body is what it is and getting caught in the trap of trying to be something akin to a Cosmo magazine is neither healthy nor realistic. You see, even though I knew this, there was programming going on in my brain that still made it difficult for me to truly believe. So, here I am today. I am less stressed out; I feel no guilt for eating a bowl of oatmeal in the morning; I spend almost no time thinking about food or dieting; I feel free.

Earlier this week, Goddess was tagged to participate in the Think Different Challenge by Peter at I Will Change Your Life. Visit Peter’s site for information on how to participate. I tag the following:

• Bloggrrl…
• Millionaire Mommy Next Door
• Scott H Young

So, here’s to thinking differently. Thanks to Peter at Iwillchangeyourlife.com for the great idea, too.

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I have known for sometime that I am not quite where I want to be. I visualize a path… my path, and I can see it so perfectly in my mind. It is beautiful, harmonious, peaceful and full of joy. I am not on that path. I have somehow deviated from it, and so while I see it just to the left of me, I am trudging my way through thick brush, mud, and ducking out of the way of low hanging branches. I think everyone has a path… a flow of life that is in harmony with their soul. I believe that if you are on that path, life is a wonderful journey. Will there be the inevitable “downed tree” or pot hole on your path, of course, but that’s a lot better than tree bashing and fighting through the whole journey. Some people are fortunate and find their way early in life. Other people don’t find it until they’ve been on the wrong one long enough to realize where they are. Sadly, I have known people who appear as though they’ll never find what they’re looking for. It’s easy to get distracted and caught up and busy and ___ and pretty soon you don’t even know how you got to where you are. Think about a college degree. How many people do you know who work in their chosen degree field? I don’t know very many. I think it’s difficult to know what your path is when you’re 18, 19, or 20. I mean, my priority at that point in my life was making it to the weekend so I could party, and I’m pretty sure that isn’t my life path.

I work in the environmental industry, and it happens to be my chosen field. However, my intentions for using my degree are not even close to what I’m actually doing with them. I had this grandiose plan to be a field research scientist, studying rivers and fresh water systems, improving ways to utilize technology that would help to preserve this precious resource. Really, I wanted to wake up everyday and feel like I was doing something to better the world; something that went beyond boosting the economy. My job, which I will say that I am grateful for (it’s really a good job), does not leave me with the feeling that I’ve produced something meaningful. The most meaningful thing that is produced by my current employment is a paycheck. To me, that’s just uninspiring.

So how do you know if you’ve lost your way? Well, besides the resounding “off” feeling that you might carry around with you,

1. The snooze bar is your best friend. Think about it, have you ever in your life overslept on a Saturday when you were going to leave for vacation, or heading up for a day of surfing or snowboarding? Probably not. When we are excited and passionate about what we’re doing, nothing will keep us from beginning each day.
2. Your input is questionable. How many of you say you give your current career 100%- day in and day out? I can honestly say that while often I am assigned a project that lights a fire under me, there are other times when I am just skating through the day, trying to make it to the end so I can go home. Again, if we are passionate about what we’re doing, we give it everything we’ve got.
3. You do it for the money. In today’s money-focused world, it’s difficult for anyone to say they don’t work for the money. Still, there are people out there who do what they do because they love it, and they would do it regardless of what it paid them.
4. You question your purpose. Have you ever looked at the function of your job on a larger scale… the worldly scale? Can you look at your job, a job you devote a precious 250 days out of each year and say that what you provide to the world is worth that much of your life? It’s kind of a scary way to look at it, but it is the reality of a career. Shouldn’t it be worth giving that much of your life to?
5. You don’t need no stinking path. Otherwise known as denial. Sometimes I think we can get so far astray that it becomes easier to tell ourselves that the current situation is fine. Maybe it’s not exactly what we have envisioned for our life, but it provides a paycheck and allows time for shopping and football. It’s good enough… forget the path and just make the best of this one. If you find yourself feeling this way, you’re making excuses and therefore avoiding the necessary change to bring yourself full circle.

Why is this important? Beyond the joy of doing something everyday that inspires you (whether it’s helping the world or not), finding your path can increase your success. I truly believe that the most successful people in life are where they are because they’re following their path… their path has the least resistance to happiness, income, love and everything else.

I think we often find our path again during times of great hardship. When things are ok… when the status quo is functioning, it’s much harder to put yourself out there and decide to turn your life upsidedown. Whether it’s a job or a relationship, it’s easier to just get by with the way things are because what’s familiar seems safe and easy. But, when things have already gone haywire, readjusting your direction to get back on the right path doesn’t seem like such a stretch. This week, I was warned that lay offs are a possibility in the near future. I was so scared earlier this week, but as days have passed I’ve realized that if I were to get laid off, I would utilize it as an opportunity to discover something new. Just the idea has made me rethink some things about life. I came to realize that much of what I’m doing every day is just fulfilling the status quo, and that’s not exactly what I had in mind. I’m not talking about leaving my job per se, but I am talking about spending some time to reflect on what aspects of my life can be improved so that I can begin to travel the path of least resistance again.

If you find yourself relating to the 5 tips, it might be time to examine what you want our of your life, and whether you’ve somehow ended up off-track. Only you know where your path is in relation to your current direction; it’s up to you change course.

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If I Were President, I would:

1. Fire Everyone in the White House.
2. Find an American who has spent his/her entire life helping people worldwide, and I would put him in charge of foreign affairs. It would be even better if that person hated oil.
3. Locate some truly grateful and joyful people who love what our country should stand for and want to make a difference to become the domestic policy and public affairs department.
4. Hire a pacifist to head up the defense department.
5. Hire an environmentalist to run the energy department.
6. Hire Jon Stewart to be my Press Secretary.
7. Ask Maya Angelou to help me write my speeches.
8. Put together a cabinet consisting of kids ranging in age from 7-17. They still remember what life is all about.
9. Find the wealthiest person in America who also gives the highest percentage of that wealth away to help others; he/she would be my economic adviser.
10. I would require lobbyists to prove they are lobbying for things they are truly passionate about by working for less than a teacher’s salary. And maybe on that note, pass some kind of amendment that gives teacher’s the salary of oil and gas lobbyists…. hmmm.
11. Remind people of the reason for separation of church and state.
12. Ask every American to read the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence at least twice a year, rather than one time in Junior High School.
13. Get a jump plane and set up a landing area for the White House lawn so I could skydive into work everyday (just kidding. It would be cool though).

The way I see it, anything is an improvement over the current situation, although it’s probably a good thing I’m not leading the country! What would you do if you were President? My son answered this question when he was 5, and you know what his answer was? “I would make all the people eat Broccoli”… Just an example of how you should impose NO limits on answering this question for yourself. Your answers could very well help you make a proper decision come election time for who you feel would best function as our President.

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