June 2012
15 posts
56. Offer to buy a round.
If people are just standing around, buy a round. If people look bored, buy a round. If you need to get the party started, take charge and buy a round. Don’t be the girl that just waits to be handed a drink.
55. "You are what you do, not what you say."
- Carl Gustav Jung
54. Don't be flakey.
If you said you’d do it, do it. If you said you’d be there, go. If you have no intention of doing either, it’s infinitely better to say “no” with an apology than it is to flake out.
Reliability is an important, but humble trait to have. Know that people may not always thank you for being dependable, but no one will hesitate to criticize you for being flakey.
53. After a breakup, cut off all lines of...
ALL. I mean it. That means no calling him (even if he calls you first) and no texting him (even if he texts you first). I don’t care if it’s his birthday, if his mom is sick, or if he’s crying - DO NOT make contact with him.
I know it’s hard, and I know you miss him, but believe me, you’ll never get over him if you don’t let yourself see what life is like...
52. "Happy girls are the prettiest."
- Audrey Hepburn
51. If you don’t like something about yourself,...
Hate your hair color? Dye it.
Unhappy with your weight? Change your diet.
Wish you were more outgoing? Talk.
Unhappy with your surroundings? Move.
You have so much more control over your own life than you realize. Don’t ever let YOU be the factor that holds you back from what you want out of life - it is YOUR life, after all. Own it. Once you can realize and embrace your own...
50. Visit a foreign destination long enough to...
Beyond sight-seeing and and tourist attractions, try to stay an extra day or so and just live in the city - without itineraries or to-do lists. Hop in a cafe and spend an afternoon sipping coffee and people watching. Lay out a blanket at the park. Pick up groceries at the neighborhood market and have dinner at home. One of my personal favorites - shopping their local pharmacy or convenience...
49. Be friends with your husband.
Or your fiancé, or your boyfriend, whichever the case may be. You should be friends with that person. Those titles of HUSBAND, WIFE, BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND can oftentimes cause us to settle into a particular role that makes us forget who we were before those titles became so heavy on our shoulders. Sometimes we forget that the person we spend the most time with, day in and day out, should also...
48. Instead of thinking of your next great idea,...
You can think of great ideas all day long, but until you actually take steps to bring one of those ideas to life, all they’ll be are dreams. It’s the same with plans. You can make future plans until the cows come home, but they’ll never become real life events until you execute one of them.
Go ahead, take that first step. Make that reservation. Call your mom. Open up a Word...
47. Save your receipts.
Make it a habit to save ALL your receipts, even if it’s just stuffed into your wallet. You’ll probably change your mind. You know you will.
46. It's impossible to be bored.
The phrase I’m bored should never pass through your lips. The only person that can make you feel “bored” is you. There are an infinite number of ways to make your life exciting - all you have to do is pick one. Choose your own adventures.
Only boring people get bored.
July 2011
5 posts
45. "Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds...
- Eleanor Roosevelt
44. Know how to throw a proper dinner party.
As archaic as it seems, knowing a formal place setting is actually a useful skill to have. At the very least, you won’t be as flustered at the restaurant.
Start with the outer utensils and work your way in.
43. Make your bed.
I’m serious. Take those 30 seconds before you rush out the door every morning to straighten up that comforter and arrange your pillows. Then come home to your bedroom after a long day of work or school and tell me that wasn’t completely worth it. Your bedroom should be your sanctuary. Make it a calming place to visit.
42. Attention is not the same thing as affection.
Don’t act (or dress) for attention, believing that this will gain you affection. Don’t get these confused because they are two very different things.
Now true affection? That’s given without you ever asking for it.
June 2011
7 posts
41. How a man treats his mother -
- is a good indicator of how he’ll treat his wife. Does he love and respect her, or does he expect her to wait on him? It’s as simple as that.
40. Drink a real drink.
Learn how to drink a real drink. Keep the liqueurs to a minimum; they give you hangovers. Girly drinks in martini glasses are too hard to hold anyways.
39. Self esteem: get some.
I will do my very best to raise you to be confident and to know the incredibly high value of your own self worth. However, as you go through life, you will encounter mean people. People who never learned “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” You’ll quickly learn that the root of almost every mean act comes from lack of self esteem.
...
38. Don't fish for compliments.
Praise-worthy behavior will win you compliments. Don’t ask for them. An air of desperation is never attractive.
37. Get a professional to do your eyebrows.
When you are about 12, you will suddenly realize how hairy you are and that you must IMMEDIATELY get rid of all excess hair. You will find my tweezers and you will painstakingly pluck all your eyebrows off into oblivion.
PLEASE DON’T.
Come to me and not only will I promise to let you pluck your eyebrows, I will take you to have your eyebrows professionally shaped. Please do not do them...
May 2011
6 posts
36. You're allowed to change your friends.
Everyone inevitably grows up and grows into themselves as they get older. You aren’t the same person you were at 15 as when you’re 25. As you grow up, who you’re friends with at each point in your life is allowed to change - and you don’t have to feel guilty about that. Pick good people to be your friends.
35. Never stop being curious.
Always be curious. Curious to explore, curious to experience, curious to learn. It’s a trait that you can possess at ANY age. Really.
34. Develop your own personal style; avoid...
There is a difference between having style and being trendy. Trends are looks that are pre-created for you to simply follow. Style is what you create for yourself. Trends take no effort. Style require awareness and deliberate choices. You know that girl who always looks put together in ensembles that “are so her?” She has style.
33. Don't be with someone who doesn't want to be...
Another one of those things that sounds obvious, but we often forget when we’re caught up in the turmoils of our relationships. Don’t date someone who doesn’t want to be with you. The person you are with should always, ALWAYS want you by their side. Not only when things are good, and not only when things are convenient. If there is any situation where the boy you date...
June 2010
4 posts
32. Surround yourself with people you're proud to...
Have relationships with good people who add something meaningful to your life, whether it be experience, humor, or wisdom. Fun’s fun, but life can be much more than that.
31. The busier you are, the more you can get...
Keep your mind active and your hands and feet moving.
March 2010
1 post
30. Make decisions, not reactions.
You are always given a choice. It is up to you to choose whether or not to make a decision and act upon it. The power to decide is what separates the evolved from the unevolved.
February 2010
10 posts
29. Relationships are like bank accounts.
You cannot make all withdrawals. You cannot make all deposits. This goes for any and all relationships - family, friends, lovers, spouses. You can only receive what you’re willing to give.
Keep this in mind, this applies not only for yourself, but for the person you’re in the relationship with.
28. Adapt.
Sounds easy, but it’s something that takes years to master.
Be able to adapt to whatever situation you’re in. If you’re in an uncomfortable situation, you can either shrink back and shut down, or you can adapt. Always adapt. Things cannot always go your way, so never expect them to.
27. Always look polished.
Be put together, no matter what you’re doing. Do not wear sweatpants outside the house. This includes Juicy Couture. Which you shouldn’t wear in the first place.
26. Don't let your shirt touch your stomach.
Seriously? Unfortunately, yes. That’s when you know you need to hop on the treadmill an extra day a week and cut out the white bread.
Not just “be healthy,” but “want to be healthy.” You CAN have toned arms. You CAN have have a flat stomach. You CAN lose those last 5 pounds. But know that it takes work. You’ll be so much prouder of yourself for getting...
25. Have an opinion. About everything.
Positive, negative, just have one! ”I don’t know” tells people nothing. A person with no opinion is a person who commands no respect.
24. Be self-aware, not self-indulgent.
Being aware of yourself and your surroundings is so necessary. Know who you are and be confident in who that person is.
That said, there’s a fine line between being confident in who you are and being completely immersed within yourself. Because really, no matter how cool you believe you are, there’s someone out there much cooler; no matter what trials and tribulations are going on...
23. Fall in love with books.
Fall in love with being able to hold a book. The smell of books. The ability to dog-ear a page and come back to it later. The feeling of putting a book down before going to bed and anticipating being able to pick it up again as soon as you wake up.
Reading can take you to places movies can never go.
January 2009
32 posts
22. "But I believe if you see something you like...
- Coco Rocha
21. Take care of your skin.
This means:
- Moisturize daily
- Use night cream daily
- Use eye cream daily
- Exfoliate regularly
- Use something with at least SPF15 daily
- Never fall asleep with makeup on / wash your face before going to bed
Makeup can only do so much. Starting off with a good foundation of good skin will make things a lot easier.
