I now have 72 reasons to be smile,  adding to the list from yesterday, as today I was suprised with two more reasons!!

The first is because I have been in touch with many inspiring inviduals over the past couple of weeks.  They have volunteered to share their stories with all of us.  I'm really looking forward to hearing what they have to say! Thanks :)

Secondly, I get to share with you my new promotional material. Amy designed this for me this afternoon and this poster is too beautiful not to share (I'm totally not biased :P).  I have received many queries as to the reasoning of my blog title.

I was sitting by the ocean this past weekend, and was rather pensive.  I find that when something hard happens in life, the event can often become one's main focus.  Sometimes you can magnify the event, so much so that it can seem to occupy most of your thoughts.  However, sitting by the water made me realize that there are so many things in this life to be happy about!  All you need to do is to shift your focus and remember all the reasons why you should be happy!

I am a strong believer that goals should be written down.  It is easy to set a goal (i.e., have a mental plan), but I think it is more effective to have the goals some place where you can refer back to them in detail.  I find if I have my goals written down somewhere, they provide me with a greater sense of accountability. Therefore, since spring is here and bathing suit season is just around the corner, I thought I would share a plan for getting back in shape.  Since many think their stomach is their problem area, I thought I would focus on strengthening our cores.  Check out the detailed plan below.  You can use this template for detailing any goal you wish to achieve.

My name is Kelsey Goodwin, and I am a people photographer. Arianna has asked me to share my story, because when you pursue any passion, its path is sure to be discouraging at times. I'm going to reflect on those times, the "lightbulb moments" I've gained as a businesswoman and how the support of those around me has always shone brighter than any setback.

Luckily, I had the chance to watch Ellen (aka The Ellen Degeneres Show) today. The last segment featured two guests and the host – all empowering stories of perserverance, hope, and inspiration!  

Ellen had Justin Bieber and his new artist, Carly Rae Jepsen, on her show.  All three individuals are examples that if you work hard, persist (or “Never Say Never”), follow your passion, overcome setbacks, and don’t let the critics take you off path: you can achieve your dream!

Each of these three celebrities had a different story and setbacks, but each let their times of struggle build their character and improve their inner strength.  Most importantly, they haven’t let their setbacks change who they are. 

I’m Sharon Hughes; from Perth, Western Australia.  I was raised in a large family (the eldest of 6).  We had a relatively adventurous life, growing up on the road – Dad was with the circus until marrying Mum, then he drove long haul trucks around Australia, with family in tow. We were often left with carnivals, the circus, acquaintances or our maternal grandmother, if dad and mum couldn’t take some or all of us with them. Unfortunately, because of dad’s mental illness, he was violent, so the adventures were often marred with sadness. I stuttered severely from the time I could speak, this meant constant taunts from fellow students and teachers at school, not to mention always being the new kid (due to moving around so much).  We went to over 20 schools around Australia (apparently).  I was taunted by dad, teased for stuttering and all sorts, my self-esteem sucked.

I love when messages come into our hearts at the moment we need them the most.  I had such a chance encounter today.

I went into a coffee shop this morning for my morning java, where I saw numerous people on their laptops.  As I was waiting in line, I overheard people talking about their favourite blogs.  There it hit me: my thoughts are online and totally public.  Anyone can access my blog and know the random thoughts that are going through my head. All of a sudden, I became a little anxious about “putting myself out there” through my blog.  I feared that people may judge me, thinking I am weak for exposing my insecurities and being vulnerable on my blog.

I am so delighted that Tina Steinberg is sharing her story with us. I came across Tina's jewelry when I was reading an article in a magazine and saw Kara Goucher wearing the "I am Not Afraid" necklace.  I loved the necklace and contacted her immediately to get one.  She is so talented.  I highly recommend checking out her site after you’ve read her post here. She has really inspired me. It is also through her that I met Amy Thackery, who designed my logo.  THANK YOU TINA!

This story is becoming far too prevalent in my generation not to share. The common reality of new graduates in this struggling economy is that many thousands of these individuals will be without work in their chosen field.  I wish this wasn’t the case.

However, this situation isn’t isolated to only Canada; it is happening in countries across the world.  My generation, “Generation Y,” is now being called, “Generation Jobless.” Even the name makes us feel powerless and at a position of inferiority to others.

Many young adults feel that they are overeducated and unemployed.  This belief comes as a result of applying for jobs after they graduate.  They are not hired because they are inexperienced for the jobs they would like to pursue but overqualified for the jobs they will get.

In my personal life, I have been challenged with staying true to myself on many occasions and levels.  “Staying True to Myself” means that I keep my values, beliefs, idiosynchasies, morals, etc. and do not change them for anyone else.

The world constantly wants to change you.  However, you know what you want and need to be strong enough not to be swayed.

“You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.” – John Mason

I have written about this before for my post “Am I Really Free to Be Me?” where I discuss people’s comments about me.

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.

I love swimming!! If I had it my way, I would spend all day in or around the water.  It makes me feel alive.

As I have said in a previous post, sometimes I feel as if I am part fish.

If I could do one activity every day for the rest of my life and not get bored of it, it would be swimming.  The water is almost as essential as oxygen to my survival.  Maybe that's because I was raised always being near, in, or on the water.