OYou Bootcamp Challenge

Fill Up Your Soul While You Fill Up Your Shopping Bag – Shop for a Cause

by patricia on September 21, 2012

Fashion is constantly evolving just as our views do. What customers scammer for one season, they may not be caught dead in it the next. As Heidi says, you’re either in or you’re out! Although most of us aren’t as harsh as the catwalk critics, designers have been known to find trouble. Racist comments, unhealthy endorsements or inappropriate actions can cause the friendliest of customers to outstretched nails and eye designers like prey. Boycotts of products aren’t unheard of but what bothers me is that it takes “bad” behavior for consumers to send messages with their wallets. Although I am grateful that we do, I wish we did the opposite as well. There is no arguing that money is power and consumers as a whole have a tremendous amount of it. Instead of waiting for a fashion faux pas, why not put our money to work?

For instance…everyone likes a simple tee. Whether you get them from Nordstrom or Target, we all have a dozen or so in our closets. Think of the difference we could make if the next t-shirt you purchased supported a cause. Imagine if we all tried to purchase with the intention of giving our money to something that personally matters to us. I am not saying that everything you buy should represent your causes, but when you can…why not consider a few of these stores?

  • Beulah London – Elegant dresses that help bring awareness to human trafficking, as well as help the survivors. http://www.beulahlondon.com
  • Baby Gagoo, Gagoo FatKat - A clothing line with heart and soulfulness.  This new line of ECO friendly clothing with something for kids of all ages gives back in  a big way for a little company starting out.  For every pair of pajamas sold, one pair will be given to a child in need at Nkosi’s Haven in South Africa. The Baby Gagoo line also helps to support SOJOURN, which is a safe haven for battered women and their children in LA. https://gagoofatkat.com/store/
  • Tom’s – Started in 2006, this shoe company has a mission.  Here’s their slogan – “With every pair you purchase TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One.”  If you are looking for a little fashion for the feet, take a look.  http://www.toms.com/
  • Same Sky – Same Sky wrap bracelets are made by Rwandan women who survived the 1994  genocide.  100% of the proceeds are reinvested into the company to buy more  materials and employ more women artisans. http://www.sameskyshop.com
  • Global Girlfriend – Supporting women worldwide rise up out of poverty while a portion of the sales also go to end world hunger.  It’s a win-win with this one.  https://www.globalgirlfriend.com/store/ggf/site
  • LSTN Headphones - For every product purchased, LSTN gives the gift of hearing to one person in the world. WOW. What a gift to be in the business of giving. One purchase and you directly change someone’s life. Amazing. http://www.lstnheadphones.com
  • Akawelle - True one of a kind jewelry that will touch your heart and change the world. http://www.akawelle.com/Jewelry.php
  • Radiant Cosmetics – Cosmetics that help to bring awareness for human trafficking and to provide resources for those on the forefront of change, as well as to the victims. http://radiantcosmetics.org
  • Jusani -  Clothes for men, women and even a few things for the fur family. $5 of every order is donated to provide food, supplies and help in the adoption of homeless pets. http://jusani.com/shop
  • (Red)  – One of our favorite shops supports the work of ONE.org.  Here’s a piece that we simply love…their (RED) Beaded Bracelet. http://joinred.shop.musictoday.com/Product.aspx?cp=55840_56520&pc=1OAM31

So while fashion can be found absolutely everywhere, next time you start to think about adding to your collection, consider adding a piece that brings with it a tremendous amount of good energy. Shop for a cause…and fill up your soul while you fill up your shopping bag!  And…if we missed any of your favorites, leave a comment and share them with us!  We always have room for more great energy in our life!

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

Bump On the Road to Living Your Best Life

by paula on September 1, 2012

The road that you are on is your journey.
This, a lesson from a Super Soul Sunday a few weeks back, keeps popping up into the internal conversation in my head all of the time.  And this week, that journey has led me back to Bob Greene in our OYou Health Week Challenge.  As I struggle through the bumps in the roadmap each day, I also struggle with the authenticity of moving through the world and this boot camp as  best that I can.  The internal voice is like an unrelenting personal trainer…who is now being silenced and balanced this morning by Bob Greene…who is telling me all you need is self-esteem. This is the answer.

In an article in Good Housekeeping, Greene says, “To change, you’ve got to feel these three words: ‘I deserve this.’ Bob reminds us that we are all emotionally hungry for something…love, acceptance, worthiness…and that understanding will move you leaps and bounds towards living your best life.   ”The hard work is looking at every area of your life and making it more  fulfilling,” Greene explains, “so that food is not your only comfort. Don’t get  me wrong: Food is meant to be enjoyed. But eating is not supposed to be the main  source of joy or your main response to stress, boredom, or emptiness in your  life.”

Once you see where the hunger comes from, you will understand what you need to feed your life with.  As an emotional person by nature growing up with a southern grandmother from the land of fried chicken, biscuits and gravy for everything, food has always been comfort food in my family.  It’s what brought us together, celebrated the holiday, showed us love and cheered us at any moment.  But if you are eating to cheer up, mend a heart, feel better, have a good time or ease the pain, here is what is perfectly clear – the comfort is short-lived but the impact is long term…and usually, the self-esteem is nowhere to be found.

For years, Bob Greene has been beating the drum so to speak – “You are worthy of a better life.  You deserve this.”  What he shares is so easy and straight forward.  Nothing complicated.  It’s a three ingredient recipe:  Eat less. Move more. Be happy.  If someone told me that this was the recipe for making a million dollars and living comfortably for the rest of my life, I would be living and breathing these things 24×7. So why isn’t it that easy for living your best life?  To me, it seems like it’s all about perspective…and seeing things clearly.  Greene explains. “Every day of your life,  when you wake up, you have a choice: Am I going to build on the positive  momentum, or am I going to let negativity take over? Success comes when you say,  ‘I might mess up, but I’m going to start again and keep going.’”

Today, I’m starting again. Today, I’m making a choice. Today, I’m going after the million dollars. Bumps in the road and all…I’m still on the road to living my best life.

 

*Bob Greene Quotes/Sources: End Emotional Eating for Good – Good Housekeeping

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 3 comments }

10 Smart Foods that Help You Stay Young

by patricia on August 28, 2012

OYou 2012 Boot Camp: Healthy You, Healthy Life– Week 5

“You are what you eat.”  We all heard that growing up, yet still so many of us struggle with the life-long lesson.  So today I am sharing my top 10 foods that will help us all of us stay young…providing a little more time to enjoy life!

  • Blueberries- My personal favorite!  This food seems to do everything.   Containing powerful antioxidants that slow down brain aging, boost your memory function, protect your eyes, fight cancer, reduce belly fat, sharpen your memory, fight inflammation, reduce wrinkles and even strengthen your blood vessels.  Seriously!!!  And that isn’t even all.  The point is….you should be eating them and sharing them with those you love.
  • Greek Yogurt – The live Greek-style yogurt enhances your ability to fight off disease, builds your immune system, helps you to lose weight and contains vitamin B 12 that helps prevent dry skin, premature aging, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.   Totally packs a punch!
  • Cucumber- The high water content of cucumbers makes it a great hydrating food preventing dryness and wrinkling.  But more importantly, it assists in the removal of toxins that age you.  This simple food helps balance your body’s water, lowers your blood pressure and prevents you from retaining water.  Who knew?
  • Almonds – I know…you have heard this one before but let me tell you what you may not know.  Many of us are aware that almonds regulate blood-sugar levels and lower the bad cholesterol, but it does more!  Not only do they contain vitamin E that helps protect against age spots and wrinkling, they give us omega-6 fatty acids which helps the heart and regulates mood swings and menopause.   So when I start to feel a little cranky, I’m reaching for the almonds!
  • Celery- Within this simple veggie there is a chemical that helps to expand blood vessels lowering our overall blood pressure…with as few as 4 stalks a day.  PLUS, celery contains a protein that helps with anxiety and insomnia (both of which cause premature aging).  So when packing a snack for work, throw in some celery!
  • Quinoa- This power food actually amazes me.  For many vegetarians, it is hard to find plant foods that have all the necessary amino acids.  Quinoa totally solves their problem!  It contains all the essential amino acids, a great range of minerals and vitamin B giving your body the fuel it needs to renew skin, hair, teeth, nails, bones and organs.   It also contains Omega-6 fatty acids which help to fight off inflammation.  All of which helps our body to stay young!  Another cool fact…Quinoa is actually a seed and not a grain making it a great alternative for vegetarians who can’t tolerate wheat or gluten.
  • Cilantro – You are constantly exposed to metals in our body but with the help of this delicious herb, you can fight back.  Studies show that Cilantro helps to breakdown the buildup of toxins in your body, bones and blood which may cause symptoms associated with anxiety, poor memory, skin complaints, insomnia and depression.  So not only does it protect our liver from these toxins, it helps fight invaders looking to compromise our immune system…like an aging super hero.
  • Avocados – A true super food, avocados help to keep our hearts, eyes, brain and liver healthy as well as helping to keep our skin looking youthful by fighting off wrinkles and changes in pigment.  I even like to save the outer peel to run on my elbows or give myself a quick facial.  Fantastic and yummy!
  • Turmeric – Traditionally used in Chinese and Indian medicine for many years, this well-known Indian spice hasn’t found its way into everyone’s spice rack…BUT it should!  Statistics have shown that heart disease, inflammatory diseases like arthritis and cancer are much lower than those in the West and it may be due to the high levels of turmeric in the Indian diet.  Its active compound, Curcumin, helps to prevent multiple sclerosis, most digestive disorders and Alzheimer’s disease and more.  If you don’t have it….get it!
  • Garlic- This stinky yet yummy essential has an anti-fungal and antibacterial compound, Allicin, that helps to fight off invaders and cancer, strengthens your cardiovascular system, fights acne inflammation and decreases your storage of fat.  Not only will it help to keep you well, but it keeps you young.  SO worth it!

The reality is that we don’t really need all of the expensive creams and anti-aging concoctions.  We simply need to do what we learned when we were children…become what we eat.  So be sure to bookmark this page and refer back to it before you make your next shopping list.   It may just add a few years to your life!

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

A Quick Yoga Challenge for our OYou Boot Camp

by paula on August 12, 2012

Learn to strengthen your inner core and discover just how strong you are. We found this simple yoga challenge from Fitness Guru Bob Harper of the Biggest Loser that you can do any where.  It’s only a little over 3 minutes…so no excuses. You have that much time for YOU! Watch it. Do it. Repeat. It’s that easy and it’s that good for you!

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

OYou Boot Camp Challenge Brings Buckets of Inspiration

by patricia on August 3, 2012

OYou 2012 Boot Camp Challenge – Week 1

Change doesn’t always come in waves.  Inspiration is often sprinkled throughout our lives.  Yet these droplets can make a tremendous impact on our lives…if you catch them.  Last year during out first OYou boot camp, I created my very first vision board.  So it doesn’t surprise me that when I tackled the same task for the second time, I was overly excited.  In fact, I was a bit all over the place.

My dining table resembled a go-back cart at Barnes & Noble.  With four piles of magazines lining the center of the table, my excitement grew.  What did “I” want my life to look like?  It was finally time for a much-needed, self-focused moment.  Typically filling my days with the wants and needs of others, this was special for me. 

My family filled in the empty seats around the table and for the next three hours, we laughed and talked and shared creative and inspiring cut-outs from the piles that sat before us.   I was completely lost in the moments and it was spectacular.  Wrapping the first night with piles of photos and sayings, I decided to wait to complete the process.  However, my dreams and hopes filled my thoughts until I was able to carve out enough time to make it back to the table.

Laying out my dreams before me, some small and others a little crazy, I didn’t know where to begin.  It had been a long time since I allowed myself to dream so big and honestly I was surprised.  My photos weren’t of fancy cars, big houses or jewelry.  I wasn’t looking for lots of money or super success.  My desires were so much simpler and honestly VERY doable.  I realized I didn’t need much in my life to be happy.

With that in mind, I divided my clippings into piles…feeling the need to hone in strongly on each vision board.  Yes, I said “each.”    By the end of the night I had five very specific vision boards.  What surprised me is that the process left me feeling more centered and focused than ever.   This experience was completely different from my first vision board.   I wasn’t worried about making my dreams come true…I was confident they would.  In a week filled with soul-searching, this task couldn’t have come at a better time and I did my best to catch each and every inspiring sprinkle.

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

Waiting for Words

by paula on August 1, 2012

OYou 2012 Boot Camp Challenge – Week 1

Some writers have a rhythm or a schedule to write to. A blog over morning coffee.  A hotel room getaway to help the words flow.  For me, it’s simple. My words come at the end of the night…as if they have accumulated all day and rain down on me during a late night shower just before bed. I have tried to stop and listen for them in the early morning…but that’s not when they flow. They wait. So when I should be winding down for bed, my words are waiting for me…and just getting started.  Last night was no different.  The first night of our OYou boot camp this year…and flooded with words.

Throughout the day the same words kept coming to me.  Live your best life.  This is what week one’s all about…but what does that look like?  Words kept coming as the world kept coming reminding me that figuring it sounds a lot easier than it is.  I mean, I’m pretty grounded.  I live what I can “on point” to who I am and what I believe.  I am kind, loving, giving and open.  But often, life takes the energy and there’s none left for “my passion” whatever that may be. 

Tonight during my nightly downfall of words came the word “confidence.”  A word that has resonated in my life since I was a little girl.  I was never picked first for sports; never the prettiest or the smartest or the earliest or the tallest. Just me. I didn’t end up on any of the “most likely” pages of my high-school yearbook.  I survived high-school…with a great GPA, a good reputation and no idea where to go next.  I didn’t go to a fancy college with outrageous loans. Just a college.  When I look around, it was a life full of lessons, survival and grace.   All those bring me back to the word – confidence. What does this mean for me and living my best life?

Oprah has talked about it with a different word.  Worthiness.  Really sometimes they seem the same.  Am I worthy of being confident?  Tony Robbins says yes.  Actually, in my only Tony Robbin’s experience at Lifeclass in NYC, I received the one lesson in 60 minutes loud and clear.  “YES!YES!YES!”  he says with confidence as he awakens your own inner giant and reminds you of the greatness that is possible in your life.  So, standing at 5 foot 6 inches and holding my one Tony moment close to my heart, I’m looking for that inner giant…and some confidence to move forward into my best life.

At the words left me questioning myself on day one of this Oprah OYou Boot Camp challenge, I lost focus and a little confidence.  I turned to the comments on our site to move away from this post and what I was feeling.  In turn, the world redirected me to what I needed to focus on. This was the comment that I read:

This lesson is so on point, for ME. These last three years I have been caring for my son, Bobby. He was diagnosed w/Lymphoblastic Lymphoma , a very aggressive cancer, in March 2009.It has been a rocky road. We almost lost him a couple of times, and he has developed diseases from the chemo he received. He currently suffers from a bone disease for which he takes Valium & various pain medications. His cancer is finally in remission, yet he is so weak. His digestive system is shot, & he’s still on multiple medications. Bobby just turned 18. He no longer needs the constant care he once did. Although, he is far from healed, I find myself floundering. I want so much to be a part of OYou Boot Camp but I’m not quite sure how it fits my life at this time. HELP!

This person’s words remind me of what we are doing here.  Of why we started this OYou journey and of why it’s important to share it.  THIS is my confidence. The thought of inspiring one person to move towards living a better life…of wanting more for themselves and feeling worthy…of rising to meet each morning with a little more strength…of celebrating the life that we are living today.  This is why we take this OYou journey.  To strengthen our mind, body and spirit…to change our own lives…and to inspire others to live their best life.  Tonight, words will be waiting.  And with a greater understanding, I will let them rain over me and take me wherever they lead.  Trusting…and confident.

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }