“Dreaming, not expecting, allows Spirit to step in and surprise you with connection, completion, consummation, celebration. You dream. Show up for work. Then let Spirit deliver your dream to the world.”

The best way to make your dreams come true is to write them down. You don’t necessarily need to make a list of dreams to accomplish; you can create a vision board or poster of magazine pictures that represent things you love.

What are my dreams?

• To write See Jane Soar under a publisher’s contract. I’ve always wanted to be a published author, and I don’t want to die with that dream unlived.
• To encourage, inspire, and motivate women to succeed. My dream is to help other women live the life of their dreams!

How do I show up for work?

• Research, write, and polish sample chapters for See Jane Soar
• Refuse to rush my sample chapters and book proposal. Take my time, and do it right.
• Keep knocking on literary agents’ doors until I find the right one to represent me

What about you, fellow dreamers? What are your dreams and how will you show up for work?

Source of the quotation: Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort of Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach – one of my favorite books.

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“I used to be The Wife,” said Shirley Valentine. “I used to be The Mother. But now I’m Shirley Valentine again. Would you like to join me for a drink?”

This woman – who was living an “unused life” – lost her self-identity and the pizzazz of her youth. The young Shirley Valentine had personality and attitude, but she drowned in her marriage and kids. Her daughter and husband took her for granted and treated her like a servant…but she let them. Somewhere along the way Shirley Valentine taught her family how to mistreat her.

Valentine eventually found her way home to herself, and what a journey it was! If you haven’t seen Shirley Valentine, you must rent the DVD or borrow it from the library – it’s a great example of how to “See Jane Soar.” And if you feel like you’ve lost yourself, here are Susan Liddy’s tips for reconnecting with who you were….

Finding Strength and Wisdom in Your Past

“You are a gifted and empowered woman,” says Liddy, who created a free Passages to Empowerment video series. “You have a brilliant mind, a beautiful heart, and a spiritual and deep soul.”

And all those “younger you’s” who live inside you – who were rebellious, naive, feisty, curious, artistic (like Shirley Valentine!) – can serve you now! Embrace and love them, listen to them, feel them, and understand them. Follow your heart, and make choices based on who you are (and were!), what fulfills you and what brings meaning to your life.

4 Ways to Reconnect With Who You Were

1. Play with different careers. Be aware of the moments that feel passionate and purposeful. Find out what you were meant to do… maybe it’s even a number of different things or a career change. Approach your job with the same, open-minded inquisitiveness you had when you were fresh out of school.

2. Open your heart to romance. Let yourself love and be loved… even if only for a fleeting moment. Invite someone to go beyond that protective exterior, to meet the youthful spirit living inside, who yearns for affection, adventure, companionship and passion!

3. Explore new friendships; rekindle old ones. Give all of yourself, should that be your wish. Step out of your circle and welcome relationships with different kinds of people. Allow yourself to learn something from a new friend. And take the risk to love and find out how lovable you are!

4. Take up an old forgotten pastime. Or, take the time to master a few new tricks! Write, paint, dance, kickbox, run, read, create. Volunteer. Do something because a friend invited you and you’ve always wanted to try. Or, do something that no one is doing… just because it’s what you want to do.

Acknowledge and love yourself every step of the way.

Have you lost yourself – and do you want to reconnect with who you are? I welcome your thoughts and comments below…

 Susan Liddy is the founder and CEO of AspireLifeCoaching.org, a life coaching company on a mission to empower women globally. Susan is the author of the “Secrets to Ultimate Living; What you wish you knew when you were 20!”

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financial independence for women

Personal finance may not be every woman’s favorite topic – but it’s one of the most important things she’ll ever take care of in her life! Here are six steps to financial independence for women, with inspiration from the strong, successful author Ayn Rand.

“You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.” ~ Ayn Rand.

If you’re not taking control of your money, sooner or later you’ll face the consequences of your inaction (or your irresponsibility – ouch!)…and it won’t be pretty. These steps towards financial freedom for women are from Lois Frankel’s Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich: 75 Avoidable Mistakes Women Make with Money– click for more information. And, read on for six ways to strengthen your sense of personal finance….

6 Steps to Financial Independence for Women – Ayn Rand

1. Schedule your “retire rich” or “find financial freedom” time. Take an hour a month to think about how you can be a financially independent woman. Do you need to learn about basic personal finances, figure out where to invest $100 a month, or learn how to put money towards your retirement or children’s education? Block off an hour a month (or an hour a week, if you’re really motivated!) to pursue your financial goals.

2. Identify the flaws in your personal finance plan. If you’re not financially independent, then figure out where the wheels fell off the bus. Are you charging up your credit card bills and avoiding your student loan or mortgage loan debt? Are you financially supporting a spouse or family member when they should be doing it themselves? If you’re not financially independent, it’s for specific reasons – and the sooner you uncover those reasons, the further along the road to financial independence you’ll be.

3. Attend one personal finance course or investment seminar a month. “You can find these classes at community colleges, extension programs, credit unions, and even online,” writes Frankel in Nice Girls. “Many investment firms offer short evening programs designed for the financial novice.” If you’re going to a seminar at an investment firm, resist their sales pitches…learn as much as you can about investing your money, building your retirement income, and living within your budget. As Ayn Rand said “The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity” – and those opportunities may be right in your back yard!

4. Learn where your money “should” be going. Financial experts say your income or earnings should be divided up in specific ways. For instance, 10% of your income should be going to savings or investments, 25-40% to mortgage or rent, 8-15% to home-related expenses, 10-20% to food, 15-25% to transportation, 8-15% for medical expenses, 3-5% for clothing, 5-10% to personal or miscellaneous, and less than 5% to personal debt such as student or personal loans. If you’re spending more than these suggested amounts, then it may be time to consider shifting your expenses.

5. Take care of your credit rating by balancing your checkbook every month. “If you’re one of those women who make deposits but don’t reconcile their checkbook, then you’re more likely to treat money as dispensable – not something that has to be cared for and looked after,” says Lois Frankel. She encourages women who want to be financially independent to reconcile their accounts every month (or more often!). Your financial activities directly affect your credit score, which affects your ability to get mortgage or business loans. And if you want to be a female entrepreneur or start your own business one day, you’ll need a strong credit rating.

6. Remember that you can control your money – it doesn’t have to control you. Ayn Rand said, “Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.” Maybe you were taught to let men manage money when you were growing up, or that money isn’t feminine or ladylike. Banish those thoughts! Remember that money is just a tool to help you enjoy life – it’s doesn’t have to be something to avoid. Use your “financial freedom time” to learn as many money lessons as possible.

Here’s one of my favorite quotations for successful women: “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” ~ Ayn Rand.

The only person who can stop you from achieving financial independence is you. Get out of your own way – and See Jane Soar!

If you have any thoughts or questions on these steps to strengthening your sense of personal finance, please comment below…

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One of my favorite women here on See Jane Soar is Queen Latifah, who repeatedly said she wasn’t on the Jenny Craig diet to lose weight for appearance-based reasons. Her weight loss goals were based on having a healthier body and lifestyle. I love that!

And here’s what else Queen Latifah says:

“All my life I’ve been in a battle to overcome my fears. I’ve had to take that chance with everything I’ve done, from riding my bike down that driveway, to skateboarding, to soccer, to every sport I every tried out for.”

That’s what increasing low self-esteem is all about: trying things that scare you and dealing with the fallout. To learn more about taking risks and growing as a woman, click Know Yourself: A Woman’s Guide to Wholeness, Radiance & Supreme Confidence. And, read on for five ways to increase low self-esteem…

5 Ways to Increase Self Esteem for Overweight Women – Queen Latifah

1. Don’t feast your eyes on models. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that an overweight woman’s self-esteem plummets when she looks at photographs of model in magazines – no matter how thin or overweight the model is. The more models overweight women saw, the worse they felt about themselves. These researchers recommend avoiding women’s magazines, but that’s well-nigh impossible! Not to mention Hollywood movies and TV shows, which revolve around think beautiful women. For tips on increasing your self-esteem while surrounded by skinny people, read Increase Your Body Confidence While Reading Women’s Magazines.

2. Move your body. The more you put your body through the paces – dance, yoga, Pilates, hiking, swimming, or whatever you love to do – the better you’ll feel about yourself. This isn’t about weight loss; it’s about increasing the mind-body connection and taking risks. Don’t fall into the “I’m too fat, I’ll look stupid in Zumba class, everyone will laugh at me” trap. Instead, find an activity you enjoy (for instance, I’m a huge fan of the 10 Minute Solutions DVDs), and commit to moving your body and getting your blood boiling at least three times a week.

3. Know your self-esteem pitfalls. To increase your self-esteem as an overweight woman, figure out when you feel the worst about yourself. Is it after a visit or phone call with your mom or sister? Is it at work, when a certain coworker is around? Is it at night, when you’re tired and stressed? You don’t necessarily need to change those triggers; simply being aware that you will feel bad about yourself after X will help you avoid the consequences (binge eating, if you’re like me!).

4. Differentiate between external and internal triggers. An example of an external trigger for feeling bad about yourself is when someone criticizes or insults you. An internal trigger is you telling yourself you’re overweight because you’re bad, worthless, dumb, or lazy. What type of trigger decreases your self-esteem most often? And, is there anything you can do about that trigger? Taking control of the situations and people that decrease your self-confidence is empowering. And, anything empowering you will increase your self-esteem.

5. Keep doing what you’re good at. Identifying what you’re good at – or your best qualities – is difficult for many women. For instance, I’m trying to think of what I’m good at right now…and I can’t! Not all of us are taught to be our own cheerleaders or share our strengths. We tend to focus on our weaknesses, mistakes, and regrets…not on the things we do well. So, to increase your self-esteem, don’t just remember what you’re good at…do that thing regularly. And, savor your ability or talent! It sets you apart and makes you special – and it has nothing to do with your weight.

“It might sound cliché, but beauty for me really does start on the inside,” says Queen Latifah. “It’s like a state of mind, a state of love if you will. Then, whatever you can do on the outside is all like a bonus.”

If you want to lose a few pounds — though that doesn’t guarantee high self-esteem! – read 10 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds – Julia Cameron.

And if you have any questions or thoughts on these ways to increase low self-esteem, I welcome you below…

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“The willingness to win OR lose moves us out of an adversarial relationship to life and into a powerful kind of openness,” writes Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen in Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal. “From such a position, we can make a greater commitment to life.”

Kitchen Table Wisdom is one of my all-time favorite books because it’s all about accepting — living and feeling – both the bitter and the sweet parts of life. There’s no doubt that life brings rejection, failure, heartache, disappointment, and pain…but it also brings success, healing, joy, fulfillment, love and laughter.

We — to be successful women – have to snuggle up to failure and increase our “bouncebackability” factor!

How to Fail and Bounce Back – Rachel Naomi Remen

Dr Remen is an oncologist who never married or had children. She struggled with Crohn’s Disease for most her life, and when she was in her 20s had surgery to remove most of her intestines. Remen knows failure and heartache…and she teaches people how to bounce back to live full, passionate lives.

“Joy seems to be part of an unconditional wish to live, not holding back because life may not meet our preferences and expectations,” writes Remen. “Joy seems to be a function of the willingness to accept the whole, and to show up to meet with whatever there is.”

To bounce back from failure,  let go of your attachment to a specific outcome. Work towards your goal of healing, achieving, or being — but be open to other paths! You’ll be surprised at how many roads to and forms of success exist. For instance, one of the magazines I often wrote for last year has suddenly collapsed…and poof! Just like that, one stream of income burbles down the drain. And, my agent recently reported that his top publishers for my See Jane Soar book have more or less all rejected my proposal. Sigh.

“Rather than the warrior who fights toward a specific outcome and therefore is haunted by the specter of failure and disappointment, it is the lover drunk with the opportunity to love despite the possibility of loss, the player for whom playing is more important that winning or losing,” writes Remen.

To bounce back from failure, trust your gut. For instance, at a party last week I was fascinated by a businesswoman. When she went to refresh her drink, I followed. Five minutes later, I discovered that her health company was looking for a freelance writer to interview doctors and write articles — and I’m a freelance writer who specializes in health articles! We exchanged cards. She’s not a publisher or the editor of a national magazine, but she’s a successful businesswoman – and together, we could achieve goals that we didn’t even know were possible.

To bounce back from failure, don’t fight with your life. Dance with it. To be a successful woman — and better yet, to enjoy your life — practice trusting your gut and following up on events or with people. Be curious about life and people, not stuck on the way things “should” be. Be open to taking new paths, not focused on what “should” happen.

Have you failed and bounced back? Do you let fear of failure (or success) paralyze you? In my writing career, I’ve received dozens of rejections from magazine editors, book publishers, and literary agents…and each rejection matters less.

Don’t be afraid to take a few knocks, my friends. They’ll make you stronger!

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“It would have been odd to have made this choice if I was able to have had successful pregnancies since my son’s birth,” said Parker in an Access Hollywood interview.

She’s talking about the twins she and husband Matthew Broderick are expecting by a surrogate mother. They have a six-year-old son together, want more children, and chose surrogacy as a final option. To delve further into authenticity and self-acceptance, read The Courage to Be Yourself: A Woman’s Guide to Emotional Strength and Self-Esteem by Sue Patton Thoele.

Accepting Your Infertility – Sarah Jessica Parker

I love that Sarah Jessica Parker is open to talking about not being able to get pregnant! I don’t know if being a star makes it more or less difficult to accept and talk about infertility (her fans will love her no matter what) – but I think she’s normalizing the fact that there are other ways to have children.

Parker is also defending her surrogate mother: “The most unsavory things have been done. She’s had her phone hacked, her personal computer information hacked; she’s had threats against her and true harassment.” Parker also says that the surrogate’s friends and family have been targeted.

All Parker wants is for her surrogate mother to stay healthy, and her twin girls to be born without stress and anxiety. But we hunger and thirst for every detail — which is the price famous women pay.

I’m not a fan of the whole “Sex and the City” part of who Sarah Jessica Parker is – but I love her honesty and willingness to share who she is. I think there’s a huge life lesson there!

Accept your body the way it is. A woman coping with infertility once told me, “I hate my broken ovaries.” I don’t think I’ll ever forget that, because it’s so unhealthy to reject – hate – part of your own body! It creates emotional barriers and physical animosity within yourself. Hating even a fingernail decreases your self-confidence and self-esteem.

To accept and honor who you are as a woman – like Sarah Jessica Parker accepts her infertility – you need to talk about your “weaknesses” in a nonjudgmental way. My friend who hates her broken ovaries has to practice accepting her female parts just the way they are. “My broken ovaries are part of me. I accept them – because I can’t reject a piece of who I am.”

Do you think Sarah Jessica Parker is a successful woman?  I’m also curious what you think of my not liking her TV show, yet holding her up as an example of how to See Jane Soar. Can I dislike her job (and how that affects how women see themselves), but like what she’s doing in her personal life?

If you’re coping with infertility, visit my Quips and Tips for Couples Coping With Infertility blog. You’re not alone, my friend!

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Morissette knows what she wants out of life – which means she’s on her way to getting it.

“Down the road I would love to have a full-blown family, but I am nowhere near ready to be married,” she said in Chatelaine, April 2008. “I have a ways to go before I am emotionally mature enough to sustain a healthy connection. I’m too much of a kid still, but I’m growing up. And I mean that in a positive way.”

Morissette is perfect example of See Jane Soar: a Canadian rock star who has reinvented herself several times. She’s gone from “mall-rat pop princess” to spiritual seeker, and she is the inspiration for these strategies for life success. For more info on getting what you want out of life, click on Creating Your Destiny: How to Get What You Want Out of Life by Patrick Snow.

5 Strategies for Life Success – Alanis Morissette

1. Enjoy your past achievements. Getting an education, finding the right job, raising your kids, or surviving a health crisis are steps to success in the future. The first strategy for life success involves reminding yourself of how far you’ve come and what you’ve survived. Use that knowledge to help you get what you want out of life!

2. Learn from your failures. If your relationships keep ending in disaster, be honest with yourself or go into counseling to find the truth. If you didn’t lose weight on one diet, try a new fitness routine (and read 6 Ways to Increase Weight Loss Motivation – Martha Beck). If you didn’t get hired for the first few jobs you applied for, figure out why. The second strategy for life success involves not ignoring your mistakes and failures! Let your past guide your current decisions.

3. Break your goal down into small steps. Whether you want to get a medical degree or welding ticket – break your goal down into smaller, easily accomplished steps. Get information. Collect applications. Put feelers out. This third strategy for life success involves taking action to avoid feelings of being overwhelmed and scared.

4. Tweak or abandon what isn’t working. You can’t get what you never had by doing what you’ve always done, my friend! How are you contributing to a situation you dislike? You can’t control other people’s behavior, but you can change what you’re doing. The fourth strategy for life success is about replacing what isn’t working with new (sometimes scary) behaviors. Or, take Alanis Morissette’s cue and put some life goals on hold until you’re ready to handle them.

5. Envision what you really want. The final strategy for life success involves visualization. Picture where you want to be: honored by your partner, earning a decent income, standing up for yourself. What you envision, you will achieve! Focus on getting what you want out of life – not what you don’t want. For more motivation, read Getting What You Want Out of Life – Angelina Jolie.

A final word from Alanis Morissette: “This is about as happy as I think I’ve ever been in my whole life. So much has to do with being able to take care of myself. Before I was looking outward. Now I know there is no way anyone else can parent me or love me in the way I have to do. There is a peace that comes with that for me.”

What do you think of these strategies for life success? I welcome your big and little thoughts below…

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“I don’t act the way society dictates that a woman ‘should,’ writes Queen Latifah in Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman. “I am not dainty. I do not hold back my opinions. I don’t stay behind a man. I’m not here to live by somebody elses’ standards. I’m defining what a woman is for myself. Simply put, I am not interested in subscribing to what society has decided for half of humankind.”

Queen Latifah said this even before starting Jenny Craig’s weight loss program – and she’s been very clear that she’s not losing weight to society’s standards. Rather, she wants to be fit, healthy, and strong for herself — which is the best reason! Click on Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman to learn more about her, and read on for ten ways to build your self-confidence levels.

10 Ways to Build Self-Confidence – Queen Latifah

1. Accept that you might feel guilty when you say no – but say no anyway. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you fulfill everyone else’s expectations and behave the way society thinks you should. Instead, say “yes” only to the requests you can fulfill without depleting yourself, and separate others’ expectations from your own.

2. Make your appearance a part of who you are as a whole woman. You dishonor yourself when you dress for others and change your body to please your partner (wax, botox, hate your body, envy skinny models). Don’t compare yourself to others, especially images of air-brushed perfection. To build the self-confidence of Queen Latifah, remind yourself that you are MORE than your appearance!

3. Plan small steps that move you towards your dreams and goals. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you: Clean the house, garden, ferry kids to soccer practice, paint the deck, cook meals, darn the socks when you need to take care of yourself. Stop wishing, and start acting in ways that move you forward.

4. Own your career. Think of yourself as an entrepreneur, even if you work for someone else. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you: don’t speak up at meetings, accept extra work even though you’re overloaded, let others take credit, don’t consider pursuing the education or job that you’re passionate about, or let colleagues destroy your self concept and self esteem. To build your self-confidence, focus on your career as if you were an entrepreneur.

5. Avoid soul-deadening activities. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you participate in activities you feel lukewarm about or outright hate, go to places that make you feel uncomfortable, or act like a martyr. Instead, tune in to your spirit through mediation, prayer, and time for yourself.

6. Take control of your health issues. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you ignore your physical problems and let your doctor, psychiatrist, or counselor totally control your prescriptions, diagnoses, and schedule. Instead of hoping that they know what they’re doing, you can build self-confidence by taking charge of your health.

7. Know what you really think – even if you choose not to voice it. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you swallow your opinions, ignore your ideas, and stifle your creativity. To build the self-confidence of Queen Latifah, express yourself through writing, painting, creating, producing, etc.

8. Learn why you’re overeating, overspending, overcriticizing. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you bury your feelings in chocolate ice cream, heroin, cigarettes, wine, excessive activity. Stop immersing yourself in shopping, watching TV, gossiping, and extreme busyness! Instead, face your feelings head-on. Face what you’re afraid to know.

9. Pick friends who support, honor, and love you. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you spend time with people who criticize, condemn, or deplete you. Instead of letting your family, friends or society dictate who you are, build your self-confidence by tuning into what you really think and feel.

10. Define what “taking risks” means to you – and take a little one every day. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you don’t trust yourself, don’t reach out to others, don’t be vulnerable, and above all don’t make waves. Take a small risk every day, whether that’s saying hi to your postal carrier or saying no to your mom!

My new favorite saying is: “To get something you’ve never had, do something you’ve never done.”

How do you build your self-confidence levels? Please comment below – I’d love to hear from you.

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How do we know Maathai wasn’t well-behaved? Listen to how her ex-husband describes her:

“…too educated, too strong, too successful, too stubborn, and too hard to control,” he said.

You gotta admire his honesty! Mr Wangari wanted a woman he could control – but you can’t control women who aren’t well-behaved. For Wangari Maathai’s biography, read Unbowed: A Memoir. And, here are her recent comments about Barack Obama and Kenya, two life lessons, and a dash from her past…

Living Lavishly in Poverty – Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was the first woman in Africa to earn a PhD. She taught veterinary anatomy at the University of Nairobi, where she earned her doctorate. She also studied in Kansas, Pittsburgh, and Germany.

Maathai has won at least 20 international awards, prizes, and medals – from the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 to the Woman of the Year Award in 1983. She’s received four honorary degrees and is featured on the United Nation’s Global Hall of Fame. Maathai has been named one of the 100 heroines of the world – she’s currently into environmental and sustainability issues in Africa.

Life lesson: it’s okay to be the way you are. “African women in general need to know that it’s OK for them to be the way they are – to see the way they are as a strength, and to be liberated from fear and from silence,” says Maathai.

That life lesson from this woman who wasn’t well-behaved woman isn’t just for African women…it’s for women all ’round the world. It’s okay to be the way you are.

Living lavishly in poverty. “Power in Africa is not about serving or working for the people,” said Maathai in a recent speech to Japan’s Prime Minister at the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama. “It’s about acquiring wealth and living lavishly, even when surrounded by poverty.”

How do you live lavishly in poverty – whether you’re living in the slums of Nairobi or the spiritual wasteland of Vegas? You focus on the good you have, whether it’s a soul sister or a car that gets you from Point A to Point B. You stay connected to your spirit, dreams, and faith.

You chase your dreams with dogged determination, and realize that setbacks, obstacles, and delays are part of the journey.

Maathai’s comments about Barack Obama and Kenya. In a recent interview with The Daily Nation (April 12, 2009), Maathai said Obama can’t help Kenyans if they don’t help themselves.

This is another life lesson from this successful woman: nobody can help you if you don’t help yourself. Some Kenyans see Obama as “Father Christmas” – and Maathai says that’s a mistake.

Can you live lavishly in poverty? It’s definitely a matter of attitude, not circumstance! And by the way – money can weigh you down (though I’ve never felt the weight of too much money!).

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The life lesson: the better care you take of your breast health, the better equipped you’ll be to face breast cancer. The successful woman: Renée Zellweger.

“[Every woman] should put breast exams on a list of things you deserve to do,” says the Academy award-winning actress Zellweger. “You deserve to have a mammogram every year after a certain stage of life.”

Here’s how Renée Zellweger coped with a breast cancer scare, and how to take care of your own breast health. Being proactive and responsible not only gives you power, it increases your ability to cope with health scares…even the nasty ones like breast cancer. And, click on Better Breast Health for Life by Tirza Derflinger et al for more info on preventing cancer and other diseases.

Here’s a different take on health and illness: Making Yourself Sick With Breast Cancer? Olivia Newton-John.

Taking Care of Your Breast Health - Renée Zellweger

1. Do regular breast self-exams. How many times have you heard the importance of regular breast self-exams? Hundreds, I bet. How often do you actually check your breast health? If you’re like me, it’s “almost never.” Here’s Zellweger’s advice: “It’s your responsibility to be proactive. It’s your power. It doesn’t belong to someone else. It’s you in your shower, doing your self checks.”

2. Get your lumps checked right away. Zellweger found a lump in 1996, right after finishing the movie Jerry Maguire. She had a fine-needle biopsy at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and found out that it was benign (no breast cancer!). The life lesson from this successful woman: take care of your health even if you’re scared of the results. Whether it’s a breast cancer lump or a changing skin mole – you need to be proactive and take care of your health concerns as soon as they arise — and overcome your fear.

3. Find ways to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. “I love my salmon really crispy on a spinach salad chopped up with lots of onions and tomatoes,” says Zellweger. “It’s my favorite, favorite thing…I’d eat it every day if I could. I like to eat healthy food.” To take care of aspects of your health, find enjoyable ways to get and stay healthy! Play with different foods and ingredients until you find healthy recipes that you like – like Zellweger’s salmon and spinach salad. Find physical activities that you actually enjoy (read 10 Workouts to Boost Your Metabolism), that you look forward to doing.

What do you think of this info about taking care of your breast health? I welcome your comments below…

To learn more about taking care of your breast health, go to the American Cancer Society. And, read Women’s Health Tips for Disease Prevention for general health info for women. Source of Renée Zellweger’s info: Self magazine, “Facing Forward: Renée Zellweger confronts fears the same way she finds joy: head-on.” October 2008.

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