Be Your Best Self

Top-Vintage/Thrifted, "Leather Jeans"- Gap, Shoes- Steve Madden

(pics by my amazing friend Tiffani)

I love the obsession that people have with change at the beginning of every year.

I just wish that it would last. 

Could you imagine what it would be like if everyday,

 everyone was committed to creating a better self?

But we get overwhelmed with what we "should" be doing,

and it's easy to just let everything slip all-together.

For example, you're setting your New Year's resolutions,

and you set a goal of losing 50 pounds, going to the gym 6 days a week,

and eating no carbs.

The problem is that you currently go to the gym 0 days a week, love carbs,

and feel so completely overwhelmed with your goal

that after 1 week you've lost hope and feel like you're a failure.

Change is not an event. It's a process.

A process of doing little things, a step at a time, until they become who you are.

I love goals. I love reaching them even more. And I love helping others do the same.

There's going to be big changes at The Shine Project this year,

that will be happening little by little,

and you're going to see me squirm a little as I completely

step out of my comfort zone.

So what do you say? Let's go through change this year together.

To start, I'm bringing back weekly challenges.

I realized that they were the focus behind my blog,

and I want us all to encourage each other.

Every Monday, I will post a new challenge. 

Something that's going to help you become a better YOU.

It will help you realize that you have a fight within you

that you didn't even know was there.

Then, on Fridays, you'll post on your blog how the challenge went,

thoughts on it, etc...and link it back to my blog.

We're all here to motivate each other along our growing pains of change.

So! Your challenge to kick off the new year is simple.

Answer this question,

"If I could change one thing in the world, what would it be?"

Write down the first thing that comes to mind.

Then make a list of ways that YOU can help make that change.

Make it as simple as possible.

I'm excited to see your thoughts on Friday.

And I even have a little surprise for you...

Happy 2012...Let's be our best selves.