Therefore, to continue the conversation, I reached out to Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin to share her Record Worthy Practice with us.  She is a mom, wife, and “busy” professional. Despite her packed schedule, she has been a mentor to me, giving me lots of advice through sharing her personal insight. Dr. Nina (as she is known) is a psychoanalyst, an author, an award-winning blogger, and the creator of the ‘Win the Diet War’ program. In the past, Dr. Nina has been on the blog sharing her insights; we’ve also been following each other on Twitter since we have similar professional interests. I emailed her to ask how she finds time to incorporate self-care into her busy schedule. 

As the Director of Athletics at Ryerson University in Toronto, Dr. Joseph leads the university’s sports community of 12 varsity teams, more than 20 multi-tiered intramural leagues, several sports clubs, and other extensive offerings.  He shows the participants how to be their personal best athletically and mentally, both as individuals and as a group.

In his former role of recruiting student athletes, he was often asked what skill he was most searching for when looking for potential members to his teams; was it speed? Strength? Agility? In Dr. Joseph's TEDx Talk, he answers this question, explaining how self-confidence is not just the most important skill in athletics, but in our lives!  Watch Dr. Joseph’s talk here:

What is one word that would describe summer for you?

For me, I think of SHINE! Perhaps it is because of the warm sunshine, or that every living thing seems so alive and free.

One of those things that I keep free and flowing during the summer is my hair. You see, those who have naturally curly or wavy hair will totally understand; no matter how hard you try to straighten your hair, heat or moisture cause it to go back to its flowing state. Therefore, in the summer, I spend less time straightening my hair, as there really is no point with the humidity and my love of being in the water.

Ever wondered how you can get in touch with your soul, connect with like-minded people, and support one another on your journeys? I’m excited that today my friend, Jodi Chapman, is “Speaking From the Heart” and soul, and sharing her experiences with all of us.

Jodi Chapman is the author of the award-winning blog, Soul Speak, the creator of the Soulful Life Sanctuary, and the co-author of the bestselling Soulful Journals series, which she wrote with her husband, Dan Teck.  Thank you Jodi for speaking from your heart and soul! Keep up the beautiful work you are doing! Read Jodi's interview below and find out about joining the sanctuary at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

Happy Start to Summer! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend celebrating its arrival.

When I think back to my summers as a child, the term ‘care-free’ comes to mind. Being out of school, you can sleep in, go to camp, and pursue more activities you enjoy outside the classroom. How do you have fun in the summertime?

Summer has always been one of my favourite times of year, as it makes people get outside more and enjoy the sun and warmth. Especially in Canada, summer is the season for refueling after a LONG winter.

Anne-Sophie Reinhardt is an anorexia survivor, body image expert, author, and blogger at Anne-Sophie. She empowers you to achieve a healthier and more successful life by returning to your true purpose and values.  Anne-Sophie graciously offered to take part in the series and also has a special suprise for the first twenty people to comment on her interview.   Thank you Anne-Sophie for sharing with us. Curious as to what the suprise is, you will have to get to the end of the article to find out :)

I have heard about extreme dieting in the past, but the new diet, called the "K-E Diet" or " The Feeding Tube Diet,"  lives up to the name "EXTREME". The article I read this morning in the Globe and Mail discussed this trend.

Brides are paying $1,500 to have a feeding tube administered into their bodies which provides them with an 800-calories-a-day diet (i.e., very minimal food intake).  These women are using this method to lose the last few pounds so they don't "Look Fat" on their wedding day.  According to the diet, you lose twenty pounds in ten days.

I am excited that Tara Jacek is sharing her story with all of us.  I stumbled on Tara's blog (Girl Seeks Career) last week and I'm so glad I did. She is a young professional blogging about her experiences and provides advice to young women entering the work world. I highly recommend checking out her blog after you’ve read her post here. She has really inspired me. We each shared our stories for the others blog.

While I have been talking about relationships for the past week or so, I have yet to bring up a very important relationship in people’s lives.  The one with yourself.  Many put this relationship at the lowest level of priority.

Many of us want to help others; I am the same.  However, you can’t help others in the most effective manner if you aren’t helping yourself first.  If you have ever been on an airplane, you have probably heard the safety announcement, “Make sure that your own oxygen mask is on first before helping others.”  The same principle applies here. You’ve got to attend to your own needs, before you can go about helping others effectively.  My struggle has involved making other people the focus of my relationships, without first taking time to nurture a love for myself.  While I was always going out of my way to help others and to let them know how great they were, I would never do this to myself.  I was just me.  I was certainly not like the girl in the video below.

Have you ever hiked up a mountain? Or driven up one?

It honestly doesn't matter how you got there (although, hiking is way more fun); there are many routes to the top. As a recent graduate, I feel there are many ways for me to get to the top of my personal mountain (i.e., achieving what my goals are in life).

Red is such a strong colour; when you wear it on your lips, you will stand out.

I had forgotten about that, as I have stuck to wearing neutrals and light pinks for a long time now. I'm not a fan of attention.

However, it became a realization when I went out with my friends this past weekend for a Ladies Night and decided to be bold and pull out my red lipstick.

My friend took the attached shot of me. Her first comment was, "Wow, you remind me of your mom with the rosy cheeks and the red lipstick." I took that as a compliment.  I have heard similar comments from other friends after they saw the picture.