Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year (17 page)

Goal:
Work hard to achieve your dreams and goals. Only you can bring your dreams to life.

November 9

We all need someone to look up to.

Where I am today . . . I still have my ups and downs, but I take it one day at a time. I just hope that I can be the best that I can possibly be, not only for myself, but also for others. We all need encouraging influences in our lives and it’s important to surround ourselves with them.

Goal:
Who looks up to you? Make sure you are being a good influence and inspiration by helping others.

November 10

Accept that living in the present moment, with your present desires, is the best, the highest thing you can do.

—DEEPAK CHOPRA

All we can do is take things one day, one moment, at a time. To get too caught up in where we’ve been or where we’re going only takes you off your path. The present is all we have, so in order to honor your existence here on this planet it’s important to root yourself firmly to the moment you are in.

Goal:
Pull your mind from the past and future. Live in the now.

November 11

When you choose to enjoy the process, your happiness is no longer reliant upon an outcome.

—YEHUDA BERG

If you have your heart set on a specific outcome, don’t obsess. Outcomes change and vary too much to be exactly what we hope or wish. Just take the time to savor and enjoy the process and trust that the rest will happen when it’s supposed to.

Goal:
Think back on a time when the process of achieving a goal was better than reaching your actual goal.

November 12

Whatever your practice or passion is, you must exercise discipline.

It’s not enough to just love doing something if you want to be good at it. You have to practice every day. Before I perform, go on tour, or record in the studio, I have to practice singing and playing my music. If I just show up on the day unprepared, I won’t fulfill the high expectations that I have for myself.

Goal:
Take time out of your life to practice your passion. Do whatever you need to do that will propel you toward your goals.

November 13

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.

—FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

When it feels like there’s nothing you can do—hold on. In time, something else will show up and present you with another option and you will know what to do. Never give up and let go.

Goal:
Have faith in tomorrow even when you don’t know what it looks like.

November 14

Let your conscience be your guide.

—
PINOCCHIO

Your conscience is an inner feeling or voice that acts as a guide to your behavior. Through the years we’ve received so many lessons from our parents, teachers, friends, and colleagues. At the end of the day we only have those lessons and our instincts to ultimately tell us what’s right for us.

Goal:
Clear your mind and conscience by righting your wrongs—no matter how small.

November 15

Life is more fun if you play games.

—ROALD DAHL

More than anything I really believe we are put here on this earth to enjoy the time we have. Life is precious so don’t get hung up or bent out of shape over the small stuff. Enjoy the present moment and have fun, whatever that means to you.

Goal:
Enjoy free time with family and friends. Enjoy a laugh and make some memories.

November 16

“No” is a complete sentence.

—ANONYMOUS

Just saying “no” is fine. Nobody else in this world but you knows what your boundaries are. If something feels off or wrong, you have to listen to that voice. When you say yes or no that’s enough; you don’t have to explain yourself. The people you surround yourself with should understand that.

Goal:
Don’t be afraid to say no. You are not obliged to give any answer or response you don’t want to give.

November 17

Not all who wander are lost.

—J. R. R. TOLKIEN

Every road you take will lead you to a destination you were supposed to arrive at. Whether that destination was a dead end or a light at the end of the tunnel, know that you were never lost. You were just meant to learn something from the journey you were on.

Goal:
Remember that if you don’t have a clear path at the moment, don’t worry. It doesn’t mean you’re drifting, it just means you’re going about your journey in a different way.

November 18

Girls will be your friends—they’ll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything—they’re your true best friends. Don’t let go of them.

—MARILYN MONROE

Girls can be really hard on each other. I experienced so much bullying and heartache from girls who teased me. I now know what to look for in my girlfriends and I know when to walk away too. When I’m down or having a rough day or need a shoulder to cry on my truest friends have risen to the top.

Goal:
Make a list of your closest girlfriends and call them to tell them how much their friendship, support, and love mean to you.

November 19

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.

—OPRAH WINFREY

When we choose to focus on what we have we are instantly happier people. Gratitude is said to be the emotion that is most connected with happiness. Even the wealthiest person in the world can think of things they don’t have. It’s not about accumulating more things; it’s about focusing on the joy and beauty in your life by focusing on what is great in your life.

Goal:
Don’t decide happiness based on your material possessions, but on the love in your life today.

November 20

The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.

—GEORGE ORWELL

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I see people not being genuine with others. People can always tell when you’re not being sincere and if you’re not staying true to yourself, you’re only fooling yourself.

Goal:
Only speak genuinely and cordially.

November 21

Spiritual realization is to see clearly that what I perceive, experience, think, or feel is ultimately not who I am, that I cannot find myself in all those things that continuously pass away.

—ECKHART TOLLE

It’s the things we cannot express or grasp that are the truest and hold the most meaning. There’s also something humbling and beautiful when there are no words to properly relay how profound something is. We don’t always have to find the perfect words.

Goal:
Trust in your own ability to feel something and be thankful you have the depth to feel things that you can’t always express.

November 22

If I choose to bless another person, I will always end up feeling more blessed.

—MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

Whenever you are feeling sorry for yourself or full of self-loathing, it’s always best to do something for others to get out of your own head. When you were a kid there was really no greater feeling than opening up Christmas or birthday presents. But when you get older you realize it’s putting a smile on someone else’s face that really is the biggest gift of all.

Goal:
Spread joy by giving to others.

November 23

Do you not see how necessary a World of Pains and troubles is to school an Intelligence and make it a soul?

— JOHN KEATS

We are here on this earth to experience every emotion under the sun. This gives us strength, heart, and character. It shapes who we are today and what sort of person we’ll be in future.

Goal:
Think about or talk to the people in your life you admire and ask them what experiences shaped their lives.

November 24

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.

—NAPOLEON HILL

Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to sing and perform. What I know now that I didn’t fully understand as a child was that the visions and dreams I began having at such a young age were paving the way not only for my success, but more importantly, for my happiness. I’m so thankful that I listened to those feelings, dreams, and visions at such a young age.

Goal:
No matter how old you are it’s never too late to live the life you have always dreamed of.

November 25

I am not fearless. I get scared plenty. But I have also learned how to channel that emotion to sharpen me.

—BEAR GRYLLS

All fear has ever done is hold me back. I have so many things I want to accomplish in my life. For myself and for the world. Fear is useless; it just gets in the way of accomplishing everything.

Goal:
Overcome fear today, and confront one of your phobias.

November 26

I don’t think anyone can give you advice when you’ve got a broken heart.

—BRITNEY SPEARS

No matter what people tell you when your heart is broken, there’s nothing that really makes it feel better than time and space. We can’t get through heartache without the love of our family and friends, but sometimes there’s nothing anyone can do to make it better. There’s a difference between feeling supported and feeling like someone’s trying to fix you. So when your heart or someone else’s heart is broken just remember the most important thing you can do is let it run its course.

Goal:
Offer your shoulder to cry on for a friend or family member.

November 27

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

—MARK TWAIN

Kindness transcends the boundaries of language, sickness, or disability. It is a universal human gift we all have to give and receive so don’t waste it.

Goal:
Be kind to a stranger today.

January 28

Life is too short to not be grateful for every moment we are alive. Today I have so much to be thankful for.

Sometimes in life it’s easy to focus on what we don’t have. It’s imperative to remember to be thankful for all you have. When you focus on all the beautiful things in your life, you will attract that in abundance and you connect with the many blessings in your life. Sometimes when I wake up or before I go to sleep, I make a list of everything I’m grateful for and before I know it, I have pages of things and I am smiling and beaming with complete happiness.

Goal:
Make a donation to a charity or volunteer your time this month to help others less fortunate than yourself.

November 29

Everyone has been made for some particular work and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.

—RUMI

We all feel lost at one point or another. Sometimes in order to really understand and know where we want to go, we need to feel lost. No matter what you’re feeling, just remember that each and every one of us has been put here with a purpose and a passion. Our only job is to realize and follow it. If you haven’t realized it yet, don’t feel bad. Trust in the universe that you will when you’re meant to and in the meantime stay open and grateful for everything that comes your way.

Goal:
Take your time to wander when you’re feeling lost. Sooner or later you’ll decide which direction to go.

November 30

Love is louder than the pressure to be perfect.

Don’t worry about being perfect. Spend your time and energy making sure that you are spending your life giving and receiving love. Nobody will remember you for your imperfections—they will remember you for your kindness, good humor, and compassion.

Goal:
Stop trying to be perfect, and start loving more.

December 1

How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?

—DR. SEUSS

It never ceases to amaze me how time moves so quickly through our lives. The older I get, I find that it just goes faster and faster. When you are a kid, each day seems like it could last forever. It makes me realize that we have to savor each moment, however big or small, and every person that comes into our lives.

Goal:
Don’t let the day pass you by—do something meaningful for yourself or someone else.

December 2

There is only one page left to write on. I will fill it with words of one syllable. I love. I have loved. I will love.

—I Capture the Castle

You don’t have to be a ten-year-old girl to keep a diary or a journal of your life. Keeping a daily record of the things that take place in your life and the way you feel about them is incredibly profound. Not only does it help you come to a deeper understanding of what’s going on around you, but it’s an incredible thing to look back on as you get older. We always think we’ll remember a certain incredible moment in life but if we don’t write it down we probably won’t. Think about what a cherished treasure it will be for you to read about your life in years to come.