Hello Beautiful Actionists!
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GET A SWIMSUIT REALITY CHECK!
Swimsuit season is here and you know what that means. Everywhere you turn you'll be faced with a lot of pressure to buff up, tone up, or slim down to fit into the perfect swimsuit. Many a tear will be shed in dressing rooms around the country as women go into the dreaded fluorescent lit chamber of terror to try on (gasp) a tankini (only the brave really try on bikinis in that light!~).
Maybe you'll lament that you didn't meet your New Year's goals to firm up or eat better. Or, maybe you'll decide that you won't step foot out of your house until it's fall because you don't want anyone to see you in a sarong.
Well, stop it! Let's get a swimsuit reality check. Let's turn this crazy pressure around and focus on what really matters - having fun. The more time you spend obsessing over the right bathing suit the less time you have at the pool with your kids or the beach with your friends.
Trust me: everyone out there is more concerned with how they look in a swimsuit than they are in critiquing yours. Focus on the great pleasure you can have hanging at the lake, taking a boat ride, learning to surf, or just lazing by the pool. The activity and the people make these summer memories come to life - not the fit, cut, or color of your swimsuit. So don't bow down to the pressure to buff up just to get into the sun this summer - take care of your body (and wear tons of sunscreen) and nourish yourself because that's what feels best to do - not because some two-dimensional ad told you to!
BUFF UP YOUR FINANCES!
If you are going to buff up anything this summer, maybe it's time to focus on our financial fitness. Clearly, you can't escape the destructive language people out there are using about our economic situation. If you listen closely, it reminds me a lot of the fear-based diet talk we can hear. The government is "trimming the fat" on assistance programs. Corporations "binged themselves" on unsecured debt and now have to "purge themselves" of their toxic assets. It can be disheartening to watch banks and other financial institutions lining up to file for bailouts, and it can be easy to feel like you have no control over your own money issues. But, you do! You may not have the personal wealth to rescue the bad debts of a nation, but you do have the tools to position yourself in a more financially secure situation.
This month’s Actionist®, Shannah L. Compton, has embarked on a journey to help the women of America do just that. Using her years of real estate, consulting and financial experience, she has customized a program to help women enjoy life now, while also planning for the future. Ironically, I met Shannah through Step Up Women's Network where I participate in a mentoring program. She was assigned to be my mentee and has ended up mentoring me! She's helping me look at my relationship with money, spending, and saving in a whole new light. No blame or shame here. She has tangible goals and realistic and common-sense advice.
Most of us can have a block when it comes to money - we either don't have a grasp on how much we spend, we are afraid we aren't saving enough, or we feel powerless around the notion of creating wealth in our lives. Some of us may be experiencing the threat of bankruptcy right now or watching those around us go through horrible foreclosure on their homes.
One of the best lessons I've learned from Shannah so far is that it's never too late to change your relationship to your finances. Check out this great article she's written entitled "Girls Just Want to Have Funds"(Click here to read).
READ THIS AMAZING TWEEN'S BOOK(AND WIN A COPY, TOO!)
You know how much I love meeting amazing tween and teen Actionists® out there - but when I encounter a kick-butt mother/daughter team I am even more inspired! Check out Brittany and Terri McLeod's new book: 113 Things to Do by 13! It’s overflowing with eye-candy graphics, stylin’ sidebars on everything from DIY fashion crafts to 13 ways to volunteer at 13. I was excited when they asked me to contribute to this book so you can check out my tips along with others from various role models, celebs, and real girls. It's a great book to share with the tween in your life. And I have a few to give away.
WIN A COPY! Write in to info@jessweiner.com and tell us what advice you'd give to tween girls today (in 150 words or less) and we'll send you a copy! Don't forget to include your name, email and mailing address!
As always, my beautiful Actionists®, continue to learn more about yourself, find ways to give back to the world around you, and remember that small steps lead to big change in our lives. Whether it's choosing to not bash your body over bathing suit season or choosing to take action around your financial fitness, start small and plan big - but take that first step today!
Love and Light,
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