The Bounce Back Book

I LOVE  The Bounce Back Book: How To Thrive In The Face Of Adversity by Karen Salmansohn - it is a beautiful gem filled with great wisdom, humor and wit.  All the tips that Karen Salmansohn offers are inspirational and thought-provoking.  I highly recommend it for anyone who is going through change, or if you are looking for a pick me upper. I also suggest that you browse Karen's website - lots of great stuff ( love boosters and joy jolts) available including more of her awesome books. 

Here is a tip directly that I took from the book:

Tip #3  There is no such thing as normal.  You are not alone. You are not being singled out by the fates to suffer.

I hope YOU are having a SUPER SATURDAY!

Book Giveaway Winner

My nephew, Alex (4 years old) picked the winner this time. I wrote all the names on little pieces of paper and threw them in a small bucket for him. He glowed with excitement as I shared with him, what we were about to do. And, the winner of this book giveaway.....drum roll please..... Cynthia!  Congrats Cynthia! Please send me an email to beautifulnessa@yahoo.com  with your contact information.

Thank YOU to all of you who participated. I really enjoyed reading all your responses. 

I hope you are having a SUPER Sunday!

Book Giveaway

I love Nina Garcia's latest book, The Style Strategy: A Less-Is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart. It's a guide to looking your greatest without spending a fortune. She offers a wealth of advice on fashion and style. I highly recommend all of her books. I also love Robert Toledo's fashion illustrations - he is an extremely talented artist.

In life you need strategy as well in style. Style is not about having tons of expensive designer clothes (although it is great having designer clothes), it's about knowing what fits you best and wearing it well - it's who YOU are

To enter my book giveaway contest, leave a comment in response to the following question, What is your favorite place to shop for great styles? I will pick a winner this Friday!

I Believe in You

I love this video by Jon Gordon. He is the bestselling author of many great books such as The No Complaining Rule, The Energy Bus and many more. Enjoy my friends and thank you so much for visiting my blog!

It Is Your Faith

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of true greatness and amazing words. His legacy clearly shows it.

How many times have you been short of faith? Or, wishing that things were different for you? I know for me, as I grow older, it is my faith that has allowed me to stay strong. Last year, when my sister, Bernice (34 years old) was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, I was devastated and scared but it was my faith that kept me believing that everything would be okay. It was my faith that gave me hope and courage that my sister was going to live to see tomorrow.

At times, unfortunately, you become blind sighted by circumstances and challenges that you experience in life and really unable to see the light. I say to you my friends, ARM yourself with one of the greatest weapons that you have, it is YOUR FAITH. Yes, YOUR FAITH in knowing that no matter what happens in life you will overcome and achieve your God-given greatness. Strengthen your faith daily just by believing in the infinite possibilities that life has to offer.

Book Recommendation

I recently was gifted a copy of Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson of True Leadership by the author, Steve Farber. As a avid reader, collector of books, this was a wonderful surprise and delight.

I highly recommend, Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson of True Leadership, this book will inspire and empower you to lead and mentor others to be greater than you - it's an amazing concept that we need to see more of in today's day and age. It is a definite must-read and must-have in your success library.

I encourage you to purchase a copy for yourself and identify someone in your family, community or work and give them wings to fly - lead them to their highest potential, one that is even higher than yours. It will be a very rewarding experience for you and they will thank you for it.

Life Challenges

When life gets tough you need to get TOUGHER. Oh, and I don’t mean the type of tough were you go kick somebody’s butt – not at all. I mean tough – in heart, mind, body and soul. Many times life challenges shake you at the very core of your being. You figure it is what it is, things happen for a reason, right? That is such a cliché. My belief is not just things happen for a reason but things happen to you for a reason. Whatever, that reason maybe at the present moment in your life. Understand that challenges occur to transform your life. Remember, that nothing is ever permanent unless you choose it to be. You have the power to make the appropriate changes to resolve anything. Don’t focus on the problem, sometimes you focus so much on the problem that you feed it energy and suddenly YOU become the problem.

At times, it will not be easy to look past your current situation but I assure you that if you look deep within, change your frame of mind and have FAITH you will find that there is a gift waiting for you. You need to be open to receiving it. Don’t just settle for what has occurred in your life. I say NO to settling! Don’t allow life challenges to hinder you from achieving your full potential. You need to be resilient, find ways and methods that will breed solutions, ask for help if need be. Find mentors that will help you shed some light in your current situation.

Life occurs in cycles good and bad ones. If you have certain problems or challenges occurring in your life repeatedly, pay close attention to them. Look at your environment and ask yourself, what areas in my life am I neglecting? Or, what is the lesson to be learned here? There is a lesson behind every challenge, whether or not you want to believe it, it is up to you. Life challenges allow you to grow, reshape your beliefs and test your faith.

It is in times of challenges and problems that you truly find out what you are really made of. So my friend, the next time that you find yourself in a difficult situation or a bit challenged, I want YOU to say to yourself, “When the going gets tough I need to get tougher.”

Book Recommendation - Journalution

I have been reading the book, Journalution: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life, and Manifest Your Dreams by Sandy Grason. The author, Sandy Grason, offers valuable insight - guides you through various exercises and shares some great personal stories of her own on how she was able to manifest many serendipitous events with people like David Cassidy through journaling.

Here is an excerpt that I took from the book that I love....

When you write in your journal. I want you to feel the rush of "I cant believe I just wrote that!" Journaling is the ultimate tool to take you wherever you want to go. Dream big - dream the biggest dreams you can imagine. Every single one of them is within reach. It only takes belief on your pat and the willingness to go for it.

I highly recommend Journalution: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your LIfe, and Manifest Your Dreams. It is a definite must-read for anyone who wants to ignite their passion for journaling. Make some time everyday to journal your thoughts, your dreams, your deepest desires and see them come to fruition by taking daily action.

If you are looking for a place to purchase some great journals, try Fiorentina they make beautiful leather journals. I buy all my journals there.

Michael Jackson

I was in disbelief when I heard that Michael Jackson died. So much so, that I texted messaged three of my best girlfriends: Angela De La Fuente, Gina Utria, Gisela Diaz to confirm the reports. Sadly, it was true! He died way too soon at the age of 50. I have so many great childhood memories of my sister, Bernice, and me learning how to do his moonwalk dance move in our living room. I used to love dancing "P.Y.T." and "Billie Jean" with the music full blast. It was so much fun. Despite much controversy, I still love Michael Jackson. His legacy is truly astounding, one that will always be remembered and cherished for many years to come by his family, friends and fans.

What is your all-time favorite Michael Jackson song? I would love to hear from you.