Ever have a love/hate relationship with a place that you enjoy so much, yet it causes you great anxiety when you are there?

In my experience, this place has been the water’s edge (i.e., the beach).

Happy 2013! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends.

I'm looking forward to getting back to posting regularly after January 12th (when my book is done).  I have some wonderful "Profiles of Perseverance" interviews and personal stories to share with you.

Other than spending time with loved ones, I devoted my time to finishing my book "Stand Tall & Speak From the Heart: How to Find Your Way," which is due out this month.   As a result of all the writing I am doing, I chose a song of the week which has helped the process.  The song is "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield which encourages me to be vulnerable and write.  Natasha is an amazing singer and songwriter who speaks from her heart. I hope you like it!

Someone asked me "Who are your role models?", and to be honest, I had a hard time answering it.  I couldn’t think of very many females of my generation (i.e., in their twenties) who I wanted to aspire to be like.  The person who asked me the question was looking for examples of famous people.

I have had encounters with some famous people who I looked up to when I was a child, but when I met them in person years later, they were unfriendly and standoffish. I lost respect for them as the image they portray in the media is disconnected from the real version of themselves.  There are many people that are the same onscreen as they are in person; those I respect and model after.

Over the years I have received the comment that I’m too nice when responding with anything that life throws at me. The comment is usually seen as a bad thing – that I didn’t handle the situation properly.

Our society tends to favour loud and aggressive people. I have been told that I should be more assertive to get ahead in life.   However, when they mean be more assertive, they mean aggressive and loud.  Just because I don’t respond in the same way that they do doesn’t mean my opinion is less valuable or I’m less powerful than them.  Sometimes their opinions and comments are hard to ignore; you always hear them because they make a lot of noise. However, I truly believe actions speak louder than words.

I love combining my images and favourite quotes. Here is one I made for you. Motivational words to tell yourself each morning!

Changing your thoughts can really impact your life.  I have been changing mine and recommend that you should try it! Get involved by clicking here and sharing why you are a star! I'm only on day 4 and LOVING it so far :)  Imagine what you will get to see and experience.

I have to share this short film, called "Validation," that my uncle showed to me a couple days ago.  You have to watch, as it is such a beautiful and touching film!  I will be sharing my thoughts on this film in an upcoming post; until then, please enjoy and reflect on "Validation."

Julie Parker is a certified coach and clinical counsellor for women who want to shine with passion, confidence and unshakable self-respect - and take magnificent strides towards beautiful bodies, beautiful businesses and beautiful lives. Through 1:1 sessions, both in person in Melbourne and virtually around the world, Julie’s clients sift through their dreams, set crystalline goals, dissolve limiting beliefs and celebrate their successes as they begin to live their song. At Beautiful You, Julie shares inspiring images and empowering words to help women cherish their bodies and claim their brilliance. She just recently created the Beautiful You Coaching Academy to help mentor life coaches.  So exciting. Find her online at BeautifulYouCoachingAcademy.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

I'm so proud to be a Canadian, especially with the Olympics coming up in less than a month. I can't wait to cheer on all our athletes and watch them GIVE THEIR EVERYTHING!! I didn't chose a song of the week yesterday but it would be "O Canada." In honour of this special day, I thought I would show you my favourite parts of this wonderful country I call home. It is such a beautiful country from coast to coast! Here is a very small collection of pictures from my travels all over Canada.  I still have so much more to see.  Enjoy!!!

I have always been fascinated by rocks – to the point that my friends and I even started a “rock club” in elementary school.  To this day, I have a rock jar that consists of beautiful rocks from the various beaches I have been to; each was associated with a great memory.  Every time I look at the jar, I think of happiness and the lessons learned. Many individuals view rocks as a source of strength, but they also have deeper meaning for me.  They are symbolic of being solid as they are resistant to damage and hard to break.  You may have heard of the terms “rock solid” or “solid as a rock”. However, when the rocks are broken; true beauty is exposed. 

I'm truly honoured that See Beautiful has awarded me with the title "Woman of the Month" for June. See Beautiful™ strives to be a place where girls and women feel empowered and recognize their beauty. I'm so flattered and humbled by the award.  Thank you, Lydia Cryss Mays, for this and for being such an active contributor to my blog. I'm so glad I connected with you. Keep up the amazing work! Please check out the See Beautiful site after you read this and connect with them too!

I just heard the song "Unstoppable" by Rascal Flatts for the first time in a while and was inspired.  I want to print out this lyric and post it so I can see it everytime I am working.

"REMEMBER WHAT ONE DREAM CAN DO. YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE!!!!"

This song is so beautiful and empowering, you should check it out. Let me know what you think after hearing it :)