Smart Girls Know Update

Smart Girls Know Affirmation: Smart Girls Know How to Be in the Moment

Do you ever find yourself totally preoccupied about something that happened yesterday, last week, or even last year? Do you stress out about things that haven’t happened yet or might not even happen at all?

You’re not alone. It’s completely normal to get caught up thinking about our past and future lives. The problem is, all of this attention on yesterday and tomorrow takes away from our actual lives…what is happening in the now.

Here’s why living in the PAST isn’t a great idea:

• You can’t change what’s already happened
• If you’re looking backward, you’ll miss what’s right in front of you

Here’s why living in the FUTURE doesn’t work so well, either:

• There’s no way to know what the future holds
• Worrying about what hasn’t happened yet won’t change anything
• If you’re looking forward, you’ll miss what’s right in front of you

Here’s why living the PRESENT is a GREAT IDEA!

• You will get the most out of every experience
• You will be more content and happier overall
• You will be much less stressed out
• You will see the possibilities in everything

It’s clear that living in the present is definitely the way to go. The question is…how is it done? Here are some tips for getting the most out of every day and being fully in the NOW:

• Notice something beautiful everyday… a gorgeous full moon, a droplet of rain on the car window, the smell of banana bread baking
• Take five minutes each day to STOP and be still…check in with yourself to make sure you’re making the most out of whatever it is you’re doing
• Tell the people you love how you feel…often
• Take a break from multitasking each day…it’s okay to watch TV, text on your cell, and surf YouTube…just not all at once!
• Do something you LOVE…play piano, go for a bike ride, paint a picture…connect with your personal passion

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WHAT’S NEW

If you haven’t visited my author’s website, do so now (or at least when you’re done reading this update…)! and check out the feature where you can download some of my original interviews with the fabulous women of In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers.

I just posted a new interview with inspirational environmentalist Severn Cullis-Suzuki. Click here to listen to the entire interview, and find out why Severn is so passionate about her work, why it’s so important to make all our voices heard, and what we can each do to save the planet.

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2007 GIRLS FOR A CHANGE Summit

I had the honor of being a part of this year’s national Girls for a Change Summit held in San Jose, CA last week. Girls for a Change is a national organization that empowers girls to create social change.

I led workshops for middle school girls called “Smart Choices: Finding Your Voice & Speaking Your Truth,” where I challenged girls to discover where their passions lie and speak up for themselves as they make choices to bring them closer to their dreams.

The highlight for me was being a huge room teeming with girl power potential – more than 1,400 girls wearing t-shirts declaring themselves “Social Change Agents.” Imagine all the change that will happen when each and every girl in that room takes action in even one area of her life!

There were incredibly cool women speakers at the conference, including Olympic Gold Medalist Jessica Mendoza, as well as amazing organizations doing work on behalf of girls. I’ll be highlighting these various speakers and organizations at Smart Girls Know over the next few weeks, so check back soon to read more.

To find out more about Girls for a Change, visit their website.

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This Month’s MUST READ

While at the GFC Summit, I caught up with author Audrey Brashich, who wrote the book All Made Up: A Girl’s Guide to Seeing Through Celebrity Hype…and Celebrating Real Beauty.

Have you ever dreamed of being a famous model or celebrity? Are you obsessed with shows like America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway? Then this book is for you. All Made Up takes us behind the scenes in the modeling world and in Hollywood to show you what’s real and what’s, well, made up.

Audrey includes all kinds of fun and fascinating info in her book, including:

• a history of the rise and fall and rise again of supermodels
• the lengths people really go to in order to achieve “the look”
• how our relationships with boys affect the image we have of ourselves
• suggestions for some inspirational, real role models

For more information on the book, visit Audrey’s website. To join in a conversation about body image and the media, check out Audrey’s awesome blog, Don’t Believe the Hype.

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Debbie Named ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

I had the cool, surreal, and unbelievable honor of being named Alumni of the Year by my alma mater, Oley Valley High School. Cool because if you’re going to go back and visit your high school twenty years after graduation, what better way to do so than by winning such a great award. Surreal because I graduated from high school twenty years ago (!!!) and the last time I was on stage was to sing and dance to Lionel Richie’s hit song All Night Long in the spring concert (this was the 80’s…what can I say). Unbelievable because, well, I was named “best excuse maker” and “class clown” in my senior poll back in 1987. All I can say is…I’ve come a long way baby!