Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Take Good Care of Your Skin.

January 17, 2016January 17, 2016 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Take good care of your skin. You are never too young to begin a daily routine. This is the outer layer of your Earth Suit and it needs loving-kindness every bit as much as your heart and mind and spirit, your muscles and bones, your blood and sinew. It’s what you present to the world initially and it always makes a first impression whether you like it or not. But the beautiful thing is you have the power to make this perception good if you choose to.

This isn’t about looks or appearances – although if you do look after your epidermis you will definitely reap the benefits – it’s about health and wellbeing. It has absolutely nothing to do with vanity. Your skin is the largest organ and it has the very big job of protecting your inner being. Every second that you walk this good earth it is doing exactly what it needs to do to preserve, maintain and sustain you Girl Warrior. But it does need you to do your part.

It’s pretty simple really. You didn’t get this far without knowing the drill. The secret to achieving a Cleopatra-like complexion isn’t that complicated. There’s no mystery here. It’s all about habits. Good ones. Daily ones. Circadian ones. It’s about mindfulness and awareness, practice and routine.

And it’s about knowing and abiding by these basic rules.

Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. Start your day with a clean palette and smear on your favorite face cream and body lotion. Don’t step out the door without protection. Take off all your makeup at the end of the day. No matter what. No exceptions to this rule. Then moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. And remember, while you’re in the Land of Nod your skin is exercising its super healing powers. So remove the residue and remnants of the day and get your beauty sleep.

Be good to your skin Girl Warrior. It needs to last a lifetime.

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Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Press Pause.

December 31, 2015December 31, 2015 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Press pause. Give yourself a time out. Take a break. A breather. Remove yourself from the busy-ness of life. Especially when you feel you have no time to do so. For that is when you need it the most.

Step away from the chaos that surrounds you. Separate yourself from all the noise and nonsense. Beat a hasty retreat from the racket and wild rumpus. Clear the incessant commotion inside your head that’s tearing your fragile spirit to shreds. And wreaking havoc with your overloaded senses.

Stop the madness Girl Warrior. Check out of Hotel Crazy. Find your place of refuge. We all have a sacred space, a thinking spot, and a place where peace is waiting. Go there. If you don’t have one, find one or create one. It’s that important. And once there, take the time you need to revive, rejuvenate and refresh. Breathe new life into your weary bones.

Resist the urge to overthink or complicate things. Finding a place to rest and recover can be as easy as drawing a hot bath filled with your favorite fragrance, locking the door to the outside world, lighting a few candles, pouring a beverage that nurtures your spirit, and closing your eyes as you sink into the sweet soothing serenity of silence.

Then just let it all go Girl Warrior. Let it go.

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Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Listen Up.

December 12, 2015June 25, 2016 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Listen up. Listen attentively and actively when someone is speaking to you. Listen empathically. Sympathetically. Conscientiously. Listen with your ears. Listen with your eyes. Listen with your heart. Engage all your senses. And your extra senses also.

Give all your attention to the one doing the talking. Whether they have come to pour their heart out and confide in you. Or pour you a cup of tea and all that is required is some comfortable conversation with a cookie.

Focus on the one across from you. Do not allow yourself to become distracted, diverted or drawn away. Don’t let anything trump or eclipse this moment between you. Turn off your cell phone. Close your tablet. Shut down your laptop. Turn off the TV. And tune in.

Then lean in. Look hard into their eyes. Let them know they matter. What they have to say matters. Their thoughts and feelings and fears and hopes and dreams count for something. This is important stuff Girl Warrior. Respect, regard and reverence are composed and crafted here in these everyday exchanges. These ordinary little tête-à-têtes that happen so often we take them for granted. These soulful heart-to-hearts that we assume will always be. But the truth is, they won’t. So don’t squander even one single solitary conversation by not being fully present.

Girl Warrior let the one across from you know that you have not only shown up, but you are fully engaged. And listening.

Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Be Resilient.

November 15, 2015 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Be resilient. Flexible. Pliable. Adaptable. Bend and sway like an elegant Willow tree. Full of grace and economy. Follow the ebb and flow of your wonderful awe-inspiring life. Embrace the wind that moves your sturdy spirit. Take courageous steps into the blinding light and the dark places of your soul. There is nothing to fear.

You are stronger than you think Girl Warrior. You are hard-wearing and tough. Like an indestructible black leather jacket. But you are also supple and nimble. Like a Ninja cat. Both contain the secret to resiliency at its finest.

Study intently the skill of quick recovery. Practice diligently irrepressible comebacks. Master the fine art of give and take. Rise from the ashes like the magnificent Phoenix you are. Rally and return stronger and more resourceful than you could ever imagine.

But remember Girl Warrior, it’s not an all or nothing life that we live. That’s the true wisdom in resilience.

Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Have Impeccable Manners.

November 8, 2015 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Have impeccable manners. There is no excuse for rudeness. Anywhere. Anytime. Treat everyone respectfully and politely. Please and thank you go a long way.

Be courteous and considerate at all times. Especially in those situations when you’re on the receiving end of someone else’s bad form. Take the high road. Always. Pump up the volume on your pleasantness. And you will see how disarming it can be. It’s powerful stuff.

Remember the Golden Rule. Carry it around in your hip pocket. And pull it out whenever you need a little reminder. Treat others the way you would like to be treated Girl Warrior.

It’s that simple.

Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Defend and Stand Up for Something.

October 17, 2015 / boo king / 2 Comments

Girl Warrior. Defend and stand up for something. That’s what true Girl Warriors do. Don’t stand on the sidelines. Believe in something. If you haven’t got a cause. Find one. The mission is personal. And it’s critical. Don’t worry if you’re the only one fighting for it. That’s not the point. If it’s meaningful to you, then get behind it.

Breathe life into it in a way only you can.

While you’re standing up for something, avoid putting someone else down. No matter how much you disagree. Cheap shots are easy and beneath you. Defend their right to have their own beliefs. Don’t kick or trample on the weak. Reach out and extend a helping hand.

Girl Warrior, invite them to stand with you.

Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Help One Another.

October 11, 2015October 11, 2015 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Help one another. By doing so you elevate everyone. You all rise to a loftier place. Reach that higher ground of understanding, compassion, empathy and healing. You have this power, not only in your hands, but in your great big expansive heart. This is one of the most profound secrets to accomplishing great things.

Go out into the world shoulder to shoulder. Hand in hand. Side-by-side. Create a brighter future. Together.

Be there when called upon. Be there when and where you are needed. Be there when it’s achingly difficult. Be there in good times and in bad. Be there even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable. Be the girl you’d want in your corner, have your back, when life delivers its worst blows or finest triumphs.

Be that girl.

See your face in the face of other girls. Although they may look differently, don’t be fooled by exteriors, by facades or appearances, for they are Girl Warriors just like you. They have dreams and plans and visions for their lives. Exquisite minds. Magnificent intelligence. Beautiful brains. You aren’t merely sisters with travelling pants. You are sisters with travelling spirits that transcend the limitations of time and place. You are connected and united in more ways than you may realize. And you can make an enduring difference. You possess the power to change things.

Know this.

None of this is easy work. No small feat. Not for the faint-hearted. But you are a Girl Warrior. You are cut from a different cloth. You are not only up for the task but you were born for it. It’s tailor-made and designed just for you. So go out and celebrate one another. Applaud, cheer, praise, encourage, comfort, inspire, motivate, support, respect, and above all, love one another.

Reach out. Extend your hand. Help each other. Not only to get through this life but to create a life that is mind-blowingly extraordinary. Beyond your widest imaginings.

Go Girl Warrior. Go now and handcraft a brighter future.

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Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Watch What You Say.

October 4, 2015October 4, 2015 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Watch what you say, especially to yourself. Pay attention to your inner dialogue. The relentless non-stop conversation you have inside your head. The bitter discourses, fiery discussions and heated debates that turn and churn like a broken record in your mind. All the random thoughts that come and go but have such a powerful impact on the person you are. And more importantly, on the person you will become.

You are what you think Girl Warrior. And what you think you are is in essence who you are. Every second, of every minute, of every day, your self-talk shapes your reality. For better or for worse. It’s critical that you understand that your exterior world is actually your interior world manifested. Everything around you begins as an inside job. Think about that. Ponder the potency of that idea and just how empowering it truly is.

So first and foremost, don’t tell lies to yourself. Like I’m not good enough. Not smart enough. Not talented enough. Not pretty enough. Not enough of anything. Stop the self-condemnation and self-flagellation. Stop all the crazy-making put-downs and criticism. Stop saying all the hurtful things you would never say to anyone else. Stop the little inside bully. Right here and now.

Stop.

And instead, tell yourself the honest truth. The brave and fearless bloodletting truth. You are more than good enough. You are smart. You are beautiful. You are a brilliant. You are talented. You are tough. You are courageous. You are loving. You are kind. You are gentle. You are strong. You are large-hearted. You are a force to be reckoned with. You are spectacular in every way. You are a Pink Stone Diamond. The rarest of rare.

Tell yourself all that Girl Warrior. And only that.

Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Follow Your Passions.

September 18, 2015 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Follow your passions. Therein lies your love affair with life. Be curious. Channel your inner Curious George. Do things that you love to do. Be enthusiastic. Keen. Overflowing with zeal, zest and gusto. Embrace new ideas and ways of doing the things you already know. Be creative. Imaginative.

Take the magical mystery tour. Expand. Grow. Cultivate. Hone. Set your heart on fire. Grab a handful. Then another. And another. Gush about the things you love. Take risks. Embrace the failures on the way to your successes. Learn and get on with it.

Dive in with your whole heart Girl Warrior.

Diaries of The Breadman’s Daughter: Dream Big.

August 9, 2015 / boo king / Leave a comment

Girl Warrior. Dream big. In ultra-high-definition. Of epic proportions. Beyond the beyond of the beyond. Without brims, borders or boundaries.

The sky isn’t even the limit when it comes to your dreams Girl Warrior. That’s just for starters. Your little aspiration appetizer. Amuse-bouche. Take these dreams of yours to the moon and back, from here to infinity, and then some. See what happens.

And don’t stop at just one. Have so many dreams your heart and mind and spirit cannot contain them. Break all the rules here. There is no magic number. You are not born with a finite quantity. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Dreams are designed to be an embarrassment of riches.

These sweet dreams are the beautiful seeds that grow the beautiful you.

And always remember that you are the star of your dreams. They belong to you. They are the essential element of your blockbuster kick-ass tale. And absolutely crucial to your never-ending life story. These supernatural keys unlock every door of opportunity. Every possibility, promise and potential begins here. And the best thing is, they are yours to shape and mold and refine in any way that pleases you. Plus the bonus bit is, you can change your dreams at any time you choose. That’s the beauty of it. Nothing’s ever really locked in.

So start dreaming Girl Warrior. And blow the roof off this place.