-Question submitted by Anonymous

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Dannielle Says: 

2013 is The Official Year of Taking the Bull by the Horns & What Not. 

In honor of this world renowned year slogan I’d like to offer a few suggestions. 

1. Get rid the negative. I mean ALL THE NEGATIVE. People, shitty books, restaurants that give you bad vibes, EVERYTHING. If it’s negative, chuck it. You don’t deserve to deal with extra bullshit hanging around for no reason.

2. Stop making excuses. If you want to take a class, DO IT. If you want to go on a trip, DO IT. If you want to talk to an old friend, DO IT. ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING you’ve always wanted to try, DO IT. This year will be your year to follow your heart and not that stupid thing in your head that tells you not to take a risk. 

3. Forgive yourself. You will live this life once and only once. Do not waste time feeling awful for things you can’t control or regretting your past. You have to live in the present to create an awesome future and you can’t even GET to the present if you’re stuck in the past.

4. Smile. If you’re feeling sad / annoyed and you can’t shake it FORCE YOURSELF to smile for at least 30 seconds. Even if it’s the fakest smile you’ve ever smiled, by the 20 second mark you will have tricked yourself into actually being happy. 

5. Breathe in, breathe out, repeat. 

Kristin Says:

2013 is what I would like to call the year of the Ninja.

I have, in all honesty, spent the past bunch of years doing things at a moderate pace, slacking off here and there, getting frustrated and overwhelmed, fighting against those feelings, and doing a MODERATE job. Not a poor job, mind you, but like… I haven’t pushed myself to see what I am truly capable of achieving. This is the fucking year. This is the year that I look those doubts, those insecurities, those fears in the eyeballs and I say to myself, “No, Kristin. You are a goddamn ninja. Do this. Achieve it. Fucking GET THAT SHIT.”

So, how about you join me?

Here is my list of the everyday ways that you can shake off the sadness and move to a place where your inner strength (we all have it) will lead you to awesomeness:

1. Exercise. YES, EVEN RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU WANT TO STAY ON THE COUCH AND WATCH ANOTHER EPISODE OF TEEN MOM. Get up. Exercise. Sweat. Push yourself. Rest. Repeat.

2. Eat healthy. Balance your meals, eat vegetables, replace chemical-laden bullshit with pure ingredients. Give your body what it needs to create the NATURAL chemicals in you that sustain happiness and motivation.

3. Do three kind things each and every day. Go out of your way to make someone else smile. This will help to give you faith in humanity… which isn’t always so easy. The goodness in other human beings is uncovered by simple acts of kindness. Trust me on this one.

4. Choose one way that you will give back to your community this year. Volunteer, help a local charity, donate to a cause that matters to you, write a letter to someone who inspired you. If all of us gave back, even the tiniest bit, you’d all be bowled over by the amount of wonderful that would take place.

You are going to have moments of sadness, moments of annoyance. That is human. When you feel them, remember these lists and remember that you are a goddamn ninja. Stand up and take a positive action. It really, truly works. Just believe and keep moving forward.

#NINJAS2013