For anyone slogging through an internship right now and wondering, will this ever pay off? allow Victoria’s story to give you some concrete hope; her journey proves that keeping your nose to the grindstone can really make a difference.

The Importance of Being an Intern

Victoria graduated from the University of Florida at Gainesville in May 2011, but rather than applying blindly to a variety of PR jobs in multiple industries, she knew exactly where she was headed. “During my time at UF, the professors stressed internships and gaining experience before graduating, so I did just that. I completed more than 6 internships and held multiple leadership positions throughout college.”

Two of those internships were at Broward Health. Victoria interned with the Corporate Marketing and Communications department in 2007 and again at another marketing department the summer after graduation, proving that internships are not just for undergrads. By getting her foot in the door she was able show off her skills so that when it came time to hire she was fresh in the minds of the Human Resources department.

Making good impressions is important, especially as a PR newbie, and Victoria must have done just that as she was offered a full-time position as a marketing and community relations specialist after completing the internship. “The people I work with are absolutely phenomenal,” boasts Victoria—and gaining their respect is one of her greatest accomplishments.

While her internship experiences convinced Victoria that Broward was the right place for her, there are other perks that come with the job: such as living only fifteen minutes from the office.  When she’s not at work, she spends as much time as possible with her 21-month-old daughter and works out regularly; she plans to lose forty pounds by January.

Real World Scenarios

So what exactly does a marketing and community relations specialist do? “My main responsibilities include all media for the hospital as well as marketing and community relations,” she explains. “We consider ourselves a ‘community hospital’ so we spend a lot of time in the local community providing health screenings and physician lectures.”  Victoria feels that her professors at the University of Florida’s PR program really prepared her for her career and regularly finds herself applying what she learned in class to her job.

Public relations is definitely a career for people who like variety. For Victoria, every day is different. “Some days I am at senior living facilities, some days I am writing one [press] release after the next, and other days we are deciding which billboard to use.”

For readers who want to follow in her footsteps, she offers some advice—network, network, network. We’ve all heard it before, but Victoria is the professional proof. “I cultivated relationships with almost every manager of the companies I did my internships with,” she says. By keeping up the relationships Victoria had a strong network of resources at her fingertips when it came time for her to look for a job. She advises that undergraduates to use their time in college to make as many connections as possible and then continue to grow and maintain those ties.

So what does the future hold for Victoria? She has an entrepreneurial spirit and her ultimate career goal is to own a bi-coastal public relations company. Ever the go-getter, she says, “Right now I am networking with different people and industries and working on relationships that will hopefully prove useful.” And Victoria seems to have enough moxy to make that happen.

Article written by Danielle Bullen for Moxy Magazine, May 2012.

There are many reasons why women make that change; statistics show their child’s age could be one factor. The 2011 “Employment Characteristics of Families Summary,” the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that 36.1 percent of mothers who had children under the age of six were not part of the labor force; and many of the women within that group didn’t just go back to work once their children were old enough to go to school—the study also showed that 23.9 percent whose youngest child fell within the six to 17-year-old range were not employed.

After working hard to pursue a degree, land an internship and sweat through at least one entry-level position, why would a woman choose a completely different lifestyle?

Making the Choice to Leave the Workforce

Though the decision was not easy, it was the logical one for Colleen McCutcheon-Cho. Now the mother of two children, a five-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter, McCutcheon-Cho never envisioned motherhood as part of her plan. She graduated with a B.A. in English then served as an assistant language teacher in Japan and a writing tutor at Hunter College prior.

Then, while trying to plan her graduate school route, McCutcheon-Cho unexpectedly became pregnant with her first child. Her husband’s financial support allowed her to make the transition to full-time mother, but left no room to pay for a reputable nanny if she wanted to reenter the workforce. “I wanted to be back at work, surrounded by other adults and stimulating work and conversation,” McCutcheon-Cho says. “It was a really, really hard transition for me. But…I knew that I would be the best influence on my child.” She says she also found the idea of leaving her child in another person’s hands made her anxious and caused her to become a nervous wreck. So she decided the stress wasn’t worth it.

She is not alone. In “Becoming A Stay-At-Home Mom—One Woman’s Experience”, Lauren Kimmel describes her foray into her new mommy role with many of the same conflicting feelings as McCutcheon-Cho. Kimmel writes that she, too, saw the negative aspects of leaving the workforce. “I miss the adult interaction and camaraderie that comes with working alongside your peers,” she wrote. But she found a unique sense of fulfillment from being a full-time mother. “I love being their primary caretaker and influencer,” her article says.

Being a Good Parent Rates More Important Than Having a Career

In the seven years since her daughter was born, McCutcheon-Cho has not only learned the art of motherhood, she’s added a son to her family and completed a master’s degree. Beginning in the fall, she will begin student teaching. These women put their careers on hold and found it was much more rewarding than if they had waited to have children. Each found that on both on personal and professional levels the decision to nurture their children through the first few years of development was the better choice.

Enjoying a successful career is no longer measured by the same standards that governed the baby boomers. Previous generations felt pressured to support a family at a younger age, either to impress parents or because it was expected. Our generation of young women measure success in long-term comfort and high quality of life, instead of just a higher paycheck.

So although many women are waiting to start families in favor of focusing on a professional life—the study “A Gender Reversal on Career Aspirations,” from the Pew Research Center found that two-thirds (66%) of young women ages 18 to 34 rate career high on their list of life priorities—being a good parent, when the time is right, remains important. The percentage of working-age women and men that place a high priority on being a good parent exceeds 90-percent.

Of course the decision remains a personal preference; buy when the time comes, many women may choose to extend the standard eight-week maternity leave for a more permanent situation. Regardless of which path they choose, one common theme remains: failure is not an option.

Article written by Dorothy Crouch for Moxy Magazine, May 2012. Image credit: flickr.com user familymwr. 

Chewing the Facts is a round up of recent news for Moxy readers to chew on and chat about at their after-work cocktails or during mid-day coffee breaks. Published twice a month, this brain candy is meant to create an open conversation about the things happening in our world today. 

* * *

Women’s Boxing First for Olympics 2012

The upcoming Summer Olympic Games will be the first ever not to host any  men only sporting contests.

Having approved introduction of the boxing for ladies during it’s 2009 meeting, the International Olympic Committee will stage Olympic competition in the sport for the first time during the London Games.

Though 2012 marks the first time medals will be awarded for the controversial sport, female athletes to the Olympic boxing ring as far back as 1904, when it was staged as a demonstration sport. (Read the full story on Women’s Views On News)

Harvard and M.I.T. Team Up to Offer Free Online Courses

Members of the Ivy League and other elite colleges are teaming up to offer non-credit online classes, free of charge.

The most recent partnership of this kind: Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology together in what has been dubbed edX.

The project is similar in scope to a partnership that formed last month consisting of Stanford, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan, which also offers free non-credit online certificate courses. (Read the whole story at The New York Times)

Scarcity of College Men Leads Women to Choose Briefcase Over Baby

Statistics tell us that about 57% of bachelor’s degrees in the United States are obtained by women these days, meaning that women are starting to outnumber men on college campuses. And while it may seem like no more than an interesting factoid, studies indicate that the gender disparity may have an impact on a woman’s decision to pursue a career vs. starting a family.

Kristina Durante, assistant professor of marketing at the UTSA College of Business says of such findings,

“When a woman’s dating prospects look bleak — as is the case when there are few available men — she is much more likely to delay starting a family and instead seek a career.” (Read the full story at Science Daily)

Your Left Side is Your Best Side: Our Left Cheek Shows More Emotion, Which Observers Find More Aesthetically Pleasing

Do you turn your best side to the camera when people take your picture? Recent studies suggest that everyones best side is in fact their left.

According to a recent Wake Forrest University study, published in the current edition of the journal Experimental Brain Research, the left side of the face is rated as more pleasant by test subjects than the right side. The study theorizes that the left side of the face presents a higher intensity of emotional expression. (Read the whole story at Science Daily)

“War On Women” isn’t Over

President Obama addressed the Women’s Leadership Conference on Friday, May 4. Included in his remarks were a direct condemnation of recently passed state wide anti-abortion measures, leading some pundits to conclude that, for the President, the “War On Women” had just begun.

“They’re pushing and passing bills forcing women to get ultrasounds, even if they don’t want one,” the President said. “If you don’t like it, the governor of Pennsylvania said you can ‘close your eyes.’ It’s a quote. It’s appalling. It’s offensive.” (Read the whole story at Salon.com)

1. The Go-Anywhere Night Out Outfit – Sequins are fun, but can also read very Vegas if you don’t play your cards right. By pairing a sparkly skirt with a low key chambray shirt and edgy flats you can go from dinner with the girls to an all night dance-a-thon. Keep your accessories simple and let the sequins take center stage.

2. Wine Tour – Once the warm weather hits it’s time to plan outfits for outdoor events. Whether you’re going to a picnic at a vineyard, a barbecue or backyard party it is easy to look chic when you combine two of this season’s hottest items: the maxi skirt and the chambray shirt. Selecting a bright color, like the tangerine pictured here, and tying the shirt at the waist add to the casual vibe.

3. Cocktails al fresco – Denim on denim can conjure up horrible images of Canadian tuxedos, but by mixing it up with white jeans you can avoid having to blame Canada for a bad outfit. Summer nights can get chilly and by doubling down on your denim you’ll be able to look cool, but stay warm. A statement necklace adds some color and interest at the neckline and a metallic bag and shoes pull the look together.

4. Beach Day – Need a cover-up that can multitask? Since denim is a neutral your chambray shirt will go with any number of bathing suits. A button-down is easier to get on and off than the popular, but slightly awkward, rompers we’re seeing everywhere. Put a pair of shorts in your beach bag in case you need to run some errands or want to grab a bite to eat once the sun goes down.

Article and images by Kim Coughlin for Moxy Magazine, May 2012.

From the Ground Up

It started back in 1991 when a single Habitat for Humanity home was built by a female construction crew. By 1998, the Women Build program was officially recognized by Habitat for Humanity. Now in its 14^th year, with the program offering home building assistance to families around the globe—from Boston to Bangalore—Habitat for Humanity will celebrate National Women Build Week May 5-13, sponsored by Lowe’s.

Over the last 21 years recognizable women, including Hillary Clinton, Trisha Yearwood and Yolanda Adams, have participated in the Women Build program. While these famous ladies have drawn attention to the cause, it’s the women who help each other through the process of building a home who are the real foundation of Women Build. Whether they are volunteering to build a home for someone else or working alongside another woman to build their own home, every woman within the Women Build initiative takes away something valuable from the experience.

Finding a Forewoman

Stephanie Sylvestre participated in her first Women Build event in 1999. Sylvestre is now Habitat for Humanity Miami’s lead volunteer on Women Build, a well-deserved role for the hardworking, generous woman.

When asked about how she became involved in the program, Sylvestre recalls returning to Women Build after an absence, “In 2008 I was at a home dedication and met the director who said, ‘it’s been a long time since you did a Women Build.’ She told me that I needed to organize one.” Sylvestre set out to quickly organize a Build and her team gained momentum rapidly. “We were getting these emails from women everywhere and they wanted to help, but we told them, ‘We have no room for you to participate in this project.’ So we [included them in] another build.”

Sylvestre’s success as a leader with Women Build drives her to do more for the community. She constantly raises the bar with each Build, discovering new methods to form a stronger group of female builders. She also spends time managing the recruitment efforts of her area. “After each Build day I create a YouTube video with all the pictures and email them to my distribution list. It’s completely grassroots. A number of women’s groups are involved. I am floored with how awesome the women are.”

Building ten houses in five years is Sylvestre’s most recent goal. “Two and a half years later we are on house number five.” And house number five just happens to be Teresa Colston’s. When describing Colston, Sylvestre adds, “She has this infectious energy. She comes out and works really hard. On one of the days, I wrote this email [regarding Teresa’s house] and said, “There is this house that I can stand inside and feel the love. And the love is intertwined within the walls and the pipes.”

Building Benefits

A widely believed misconception regarding Habitat for Humanity’s services is that homeowners wait for a finished house while volunteers work hard on the project. This is not Extreme Makeover Home Edition—this is Women Build. As a recipient of Habitat for Humanity’s assistance, Colston helps build her house. She will also learn how to maintain a home, both aesthetically and financially.

Through Women Build, Habitat for Humanity has afforded home ownership opportunities to women who want the independence of owning a home, an option they never thought possible. According to Colston, “I always knew I wanted to be a homeowner and didn’t see it in my immediate future. Basically, for me, [Habitat for Humanity] is an organization that takes me by the hand and through the process of owning a home. Step by step they assist with classes for homeownership, how to go about paying a mortgage, taxes and insurance and [planning] wills. We pay 30% of our income toward mortgage.”

Homeowners aren’t the only beneficiaries of the program. Volunteers report being incredibly satisfied with their work on a construction site, helping someone in need and learning a new skill. The program is not about offering charity or simply building a house; the true value of Women Build is its potential to build communities. “We rally behind someone who is trying to help themselves,” explains Sylvestre. “My emails are from the heart. I talk about the wonderful feeling you get. You might discover a skill or learn a skill that you didn’t have.” Women Build is not simply handing over a donation, it’s about lending a helping hand.

A Foundation for the Future

According to the program’s associate director, Lisa Nickerson, the theme of this year’s National Women Build Week is “The Build Generation” which emphasizes the efforts of Women Build to recruit and train a new generation of volunteers. The purpose of the 2012 campaign is to instill values of service. “Our core group of women volunteers are between the ages of 36 to 50 with a fair number of younger women,” says Nickerson. The Women Build leaders are hoping that by finding younger volunteers, the organization can create a larger group of long-term or even lifetime members. Women such as 82-year-old, San Diego resident Jean Wright-Elson and 2011’s Golden Hammer recipient Barbara Reid have set the standard for success for longtime Women Build volunteers. “This year’s theme of the Build Generation pays homage to our honored volunteers,” reveals Nickerson, “while reaching and mentoring the next generation to give their time in service and learn new skills.”

It is this next generation that Teresa Colston would like to influence and her mission starts in her new home. “My daughter will be able to grow up in a stable environment, do well in school, be a productive citizen and go college.” Through their efforts to help her build a home, the Women Build program has found a new recruit in Colston. “I am going to continue to build after my home is finished. I would like to keep working with Stephanie. Whenever she needs me I will be there. I will come out and help someone build a home.”

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity and Women Build Week, please visit http://www.habitat.org/wb/.

Article written by Dorothy Crouch for Moxy Magazine, May 2012. Image courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Charlotte.

Yet there are still some areas where women haven’t broken through. Even though girls take more math and science classes and get higher grades at a younger age, few follow that path through to a career; in a room of 25 enginners, only 3 will be women.

The infographic below shows why this is counter-intuitive and shares some sad truths. Will this be the final frontier for the women’s rights movement?

Created by: EngineeringDegree.net

April Brain Candy: Hilary’s Hilarious Text Messages, Being too Pretty and this year’s Women-centric sitcoms.

Our second installment of the Moxy podcast Brain Candy, our commentators tackled 3 things in this month’s edition: Hilary’s hilarious text messages, when being too pretty makes you a target and why this year’s women-centric sitcoms suck so, so, bad.
Click here to download the podcast to your ipod or have a listen online and hear the full story.

Is Life Different after 300 Facebook Friends?

A guide for going pro when it comes to social media, this piece will help you fit facebook, twitter and all those other social sites into your life without letting them take over—and while keeping our offline life alive.
Click here to learn what it takes to become a social media expert.

Chewing the Facts: 675 Russian Fisherman and How Tearjerkers Make You Happy; and Barbie for President, the Secret Service Hired Prostitutes and Treating Depression.

Chewing the Facts is a round up of recent news for Moxy readers to chew on and chat about at their after-work cocktails or during mid-day coffee breaks. Published twice a month, this brain candy is meant to create an open conversation about the things happening in our world today.

During April we talked about 675 Russian Fishermen lost on ice, how tearjerkers actually make you happier, the US Capitol Police and what they’re doing to mix things up (racially), Western Europe’s earliest string instrument and how a dog and a veteran saved each other in the first installment. Our second post was on serial career changer, Barbie, who has now decided to pursue the presidency. We also talked about a recent study on empathy and its inability to cross the political aisle, the Secret Service’s dirty secrets, a new trick for treating depression and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un’s first public speech.

Click here to learn about Russian Fishermen and Tearjerkers; click here to learn about Barbie for President, the Secret Service Hired Prostitutes and Treating Depression.

Making a Difference—Then Passing it On

Ever wondered about the impact of your good deeds? Well, Ashley LeMieux of The Shine Project has devised a way to track just that—while inspiring more people to do more for others. Her Pass it Forward cards are beautiful in their simplicity.
Click here to learn how you can change lives and help make the world a better place, one good deed at a time.

How to Speak Up in Difficult Situations

At one time or another we’ve all found ourselves pinned in place, searching for words to express what’s in our head. Life Coach Alexia Vernon shared some tips for talking about it, even when it’s tough this month. Top Tip? Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Click here to learn how to navigate through a difficult conversation of your own, be it at work or in your everyday life.

Tackling the Trend: Colored Denim

Do you want to look concert cool or maybe you’re just trying to jazz it up with a pop of color for date night—well Moxy’s Editor-in-Chief is here to give you the low-down on tackling the latest trend: colored denim. She shares 5 ways to make it your own (and restyle those jeans, to make them work just about anywhere).
Click here to learn how to dress it up or dress it down with colored denim.

Breaking into The Old Boys’ Club—On the Green

After this month’s controversy around the Augusta National Golf Club, associate editor Dorothy Crouch decided to share some tips on breaking into the old boy’s club and heading for a hole in one.
Click here to improve your golf game and get to 4-1-1 on the Augusta scandal.

Does something in your life need some spring cleaning?

The Audacity Coach is back this month, talking about how you need to know yourself to grab your goals. With her “life spring cleaning” tips you can spot check yourself and figure out what areas of your life might need a quick cleaning.
Click here to spring ahead with Jennie’s tips.

The Language of Flowers: A Book About Regrowth

New York Times Bestseller, The Language of Flowers, shares one woman’s story after the foster care system and the way she built a future, flower by flower. Moxy interviewed the author to learn what inspired the book and what she’s doing now.
Click here to read about how Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s explanation of what her book is meant to teach us about the foster care system.

In April’s episode, we discuss Hilary’s hilarious text messages, when being too pretty makes you a target and why this year’s women-centric sitcoms suck so, so, bad. 

Just click on the “play” button above, or the “download” link to load us onto your ipod or other favorite listening device!

Here is your cast of commentators:

Princess Jones (PJ) is a freelance copywriter, reluctant New Yorker, and recovering television addict. She enjoys a good laugh, a great story, and stirring the pot. You can follow her on Twitter @iampsjones.

Natalia Sylvester is a copywriter, freelance journalist, and fiction writer bent on stretching that English degree as far as it will go. A Peruvian-born Miamian now living in Austin, Texas, she’s currently plotting her next big move. Follow her on Twitter @NataliaSylv.

Kimberley Coughlin is a freelance writer with a full time non-writing gig who is convinced that she will someday be able to create more hours in the day. She enjoys good food, NYC and shoe shopping. She is always flattered by a Carrie Bradshaw reference. You can follow her on Twitter @KimboNotKimmy.

Diffenbaugh’s debut novel is both captivating and heartbreaking. In it, we meet Victoria, the main character, on the first day of her freedom from the foster care system; she has nowhere to go and no one to look after her well-being. We watch as she grows,  creating her own language through flowers. It is her use of flowers that draws people to her and, by the end of the novel, it is the flowers which give her a life and a family.

Diffenbaugh is an expert on the foster care system, as one of the co-founders (she teamed up with brand strategist Isis Dallis Keigwin) if the Camellia Network, a non-profit organization for foster children. It’s mission is to “activate networks of citizens in every community to provide the critical support young people need to transition from foster care to adulthood.” With that support, former foster children will hopefully be able to avoid homelessness, incarceration and unwanted pregnancy—leading to a child who would be twice as likely to suffer the same fate—and they will be able, instead, to lead the fulfilling lives they deserve.

Diffenbaugh took time out of her busy schedule—and we mean busy, as she’s a foster parent, mother, wife, and non-profit runner—to sit down and share with us.

Moxy Magazine: How did begin your writing career?

Vanessa Diffenbaugh: I always wanted to be a writer. I wrote my first novel in second grade because my second grade teacher gave me the time to write my novel during school. I had a lot of encouragement from a young age.

MM: What motivated you to write this novel?

Diffenbaugh: I was living in Sacramento, California and I’d just had my second child. I have a phenomenal husband who was very supportive. After six months I had my children on the same nap schedules so I had two hours to write everyday until one of my children cried. My husband would give me long stretches on Sundays. It took me a year and a half to write my novel. When you have children an hour is a miracle, you don’t procrastinate.

MM: What did you want your novel to teach us about the foster care system?

Diffenbaugh: I really wanted to do what I felt was an honest and complex portrayal. I feel that what you see in the media are children who have behavioral problems or you see a very super human example where someone saves the life of a foster child. I felt from my experience being a foster parent is like being a parent; it’s about being dedicated no matter what happens. My first job out of college was working with an afterschool program where I mentored young women. I became close to these women who ended up in foster homes which is why my husband and I decided really young that’s what we wanted to do.

MM: Did you research flowers just for this book? Or did you always have an interest?

Diffenbaugh: I discovered the language of flowers when I was sixteen. For the novel, I did really extensive research on flowers. I realized that my one flower dictionary was not enough that there were a variety of definitions for flowers and it overwhelmed me.

MM: How would you say your novel re-defines the current image of a flower?

Diffenbaugh: There is a lot of strength in the delicacy of a flower. People often tell me they don’t think flowers have lost their value in a technologically driven world.

MM: How did you universalize your own experiences as a foster parent to work on this piece?

Diffenbaugh: I think that the best fiction is not didactic; I don’t think I was trying to universalize it. All and I wanted to tell was a very specific story about a person connecting and finding love and that’s the part that’s universal.

MM: If you could change the world through flowers what bouquet would you choose and why?

Diffenbaugh: The two flowers that I’d choose are: Gentian, which means intrinsic worth; I think so much of the violence in the world comes from not seeing others intrinsic worth so I’d choose that. I’d also choose purple hyacinths [because they] mean please forgive me and I think a little more forgiveness could go a long way.

MM: What would you like to tell us about your non-profit?

Diffenbaugh: My non-profit is called Camellia Network and I’d love readers to help the non-profit with young adults who are exiting the foster care system. I’d like people to go to our splash page and sign up and keep in touch on how people can get involved and help.

Article written by Kali Lamparelli for Moxy Magazine, April 2012. Image courtesy of Random House Publishing Group.

To start, consider the different areas of your life that could use a little love. To get clear on what needs some work, just be honest with yourself as you read through these questions. I promise all the answers are within.

Aspirations Makeover :: Do you know what you want? You can’t accomplish your goals unless you know what they are. So what do you want to do/see/experience/accomplish? What are you driving at right now? Clarity about your aspirations will make those goals seem a lot more possible. Why do you want this? What’s in it for you? List any potential obstacles that come to mind, and brainstorm ways to get past them. What do you need to have in place in order to make this goal a reality?

Attitude Makeover :: It may be hard, but be honest with yourself: Do you need an attitude adjustment? Are you spewing negativity, judgment and complaints all over the place? Negativity doesn’t just change how others see you, it actually impacts your ability to believe in yourself. Is that who you want to be and how you want to be perceived by others? If you’re not sure if you’re guilty of being a negative Nancy, try the following: For one day, count how many times you complain. To whom? About what? Then try doing the opposite—count how many times do you express gratitude in a given day. To whom? About what? Then think, who in your life exemplifies the kind of attitude you want? Why this person? What attitude do you want to have/ develop that would match the person you want to be? Just being aware of the attitude you want to have will help you notice when you deviate from it, making it easier to change. If you could sum up this new attitude in one word, what would it be?

Financial Makeover :: Money can’t buy happiness, but having a plan in place can help make the rest of life much more manageable. Do you have your finances under control? Are you saving enough? Is your spending in check? Sit down with your most recent bank statements and make sure you know where your money goes each month. Are you stable and comfortable, or one paycheck away from moving back to your parents’ basement? How much debt do you have and what is your plan of attack for paying it off? Create a budget that you think you can follow. Do you earn what you are worth? If not, are you driving toward the income you deserve? Evaluate your career thus far and be realistic—are you heading where you want to be?

Personality Makeover :: Are you fun to be around? Are you joyful enough? Supportive enough? Interesting and engaging enough? If you’re not sure, sit down with a trusted friend and ask them for feedback. What do you like best about your personality? Least? Knowing yourself inside and out makes living the life you want do-able. Think: What kinds of personality feedback have your received lately that hit home? If you were not you, would you be the kind of person you’d want to spend time with? And If not, what are you going to do about it?

Priorities Makeover :: Your aspirations may be what you want to happen, but your priorities are what decide your course from day to day. What are your top priorities? Do your current activities align with your goals? If so, good for you! If not, what on earth is distracting you? Are you spending most of your time and energy contributing or caring for the things most important to you? Think about an average day. How many times do you do something completely opposite of your purported priorities? How can you get back on track?

Relationships Makeover :: None of us live in a bubble—we can’t go it alone. Yet often we push relationships to the back burner. Instead, consider: who are the most important people in your life? Who do you spend the most amount of time with? Are these the same people? If not, what’s up with that? Imagine that the quality of who you are and how you are perceived by others is an average of the five people you spend the most time with. Are you proud of your five people? Or do some adjustments need made?

{Fill in the blank} Makeover :: Fill in the blank on whatever area of your life you think needs a makeover. Maybe it’s your health, your home, your approach to work, your romantic relationship, or your ridiculous addiction to your smartphone. Whatever the case, follow the logic above to figure out the questions you need to ask yourself, bring out the truth in the situation, and then dive into addressing the challenge full force.

Article written by Jennie Mustafa-Julock for Moxy Magazine, April 2012.  Photo credit:by Malakh Kelevra.