Personal Growth Princess » Being a Princess

The Science of Getting Rich – February self-help summary & bonus content now available

Nina East — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:52:55 +0000

All new February 2011 content is now available in the Members-Only Area.

This month’s featured summary is The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace Wattles.

This is a classic self-help/personal growth book, quoted by many, but apparently read by few. Most of the people I talked with knew of the book, and had even referred to it in conversations, but had never actually read the book. That told me it was a perfect selection for a book summary.

Just as with last month’s summary, 6 Styles of Procrqstination, by Dr. Linda Sapadin, this information on understanding yourself in relationship to mindset and what works best for you is particularly useful as you think about living into your goals for 2011.

Want to see all the content? Become a member!

Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?

Nina East — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:16:30 +0000

Do Princesses wear hiking boots?

You betcha!

This book is one in a series of girl-empowerment books by Carmela LaVigna Coyle, designed to let little girls know that yes, indeedy, princesses can do whatever they please, and that being a princess has nothing to do with outside trappings, but with inside feelings. Feelings of goodness and worthiness, mind you – not entitlement, beauty or putting on airs.

Cole says she was inspired to write this book after her daughter asked her the title question. It is written for pre-school level, so be prepared for the cute, whimsical rhyming. The text consists of a mother’s rhymed answers to her daughter’s questions about princesses, such as, “When princesses laugh, do they sometimes snort? They have manners of every sort.”

What’s great about these stories is that they expand the idea of what it means to be completely and fully all of who you are – that self-esteem is based on accepting and loving you exactly as you are – the same message inherent in everything here at PersonalGrowthPrincess.com. Considering how many messages girls (and women) get about not being good enough, not being worthy, and, of course, that being pretty is what counts, this book is a wonderful counter-message.

Here’s a snippet from Carmela LaVigna Coyle’s biography:

“Hmmmm. An uncommon princess!? What’s that all about… well it’s about YOU!! And who you are on the inside. I wrote my first “published” book for my daughter Annie after she asked me the title question. “Do princesses wear hiking boots?” We were getting ready to go on a hike in the Rocky’s when she plopped down next to me wearing denim coveralls, a pink sparkling tutu, an old t-shirt, mismatching socks and a crown askew on her head. Before I could answer her question, she fired a second one; “Do princesses have to brush their teeth?” and then a third. (Can you believe it? Hand-fed a storybook title by a four-year-old? Happens all the time, I am told.) Quickly I discovered that she was trying to learn if she, herself, could possibly qualify as a princess.

The princess in my princess series climb trees, ride bikes-fast, plays soccer, dresses up (on occasion,) does chores, and loves to be outside in nature. Sound familiar? A princess doesn’t have to be fluffy and frilly to be the real deal… unless, of course, you like that sort of thing. Anything goes, my dears. “…A princess is a place in your heart.” And the best part? You decide what that is! Or not!”

I’m always drawn to these books, in part because of all the anti-princess messages I heard growing up (along with the “not yet worthy” ones), but also because of how they can impact grown women as well. Some members of Personal Growth Princess tell me that initially they were not drawn to the name of the program, because of the word “princess”, but once they read more about it and understood they were reacting from the negative conditioning they received as young girls, they jump on board. There’s something liberating about being able to think “princess” without thinking “wimpy”.

There are other books in the series, which seems to have become a runaway hit: Do Princesses Really Kiss Frogs? and Do Princesses Scrape Their Knees? and other titles. The rumors are the latest book in the series, Do Princesses Have Best Friends Forever?, will be out near the end of the year.

What messages did you receive about who you were as a child? And was it OK to be interested in princesses? Could you kick butt and be girly?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

The Princess School – the book series for empowered princesses

Do you have a manifesto?

Nina East — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:40:39 +0000

I have been attending the Wealthy Thought Leader conference this week, but as is typical for personal growth enthusiasts, it’s hard to separate business from personal. In fact, I suspect that for many of us business really IS personal, so the separation is somewhat artificial anyway. Which, if you think about it, makes having a manifesto all the more relevant.

Today’s conference sessions focused on creating your manifesto – the WHAT that you stand for, the grit in your oyster that gives you purpose or passion, the thing that you just can’t not do.

If you haven’t seen The Think Big Manifesto by Michael Port, it is one of the best, most compelling statements of being and purpose I have found. It’s the book that launched PersonalGrowthPrincess.com – literally and figuratively.

In fact, I felt so strongly about it that I am giving away copies of it to new annual members. (There are a handful of copies left, so if you haven’t registered, make sure you do in time to get your free copy.)

But writing my own manifesto has been a bit hard. I have notes and ideas, but it hasn’t quite jelled yet. I know it will have something to do with the value of creating validating environments and the eradication of the imposter phenomenon. (In fact, it wasn’t until I just now typed the words “eradication of the imposter phenomenon” that I realized how strongly I feel about that topic.)

In the process of my own exploration I decided to read other manifestos to get a feel for them. What are people writing about? How are they writing about it?

A great resource for manifestos is ChangeThis.com. There you’ll find hundreds of manifestos on a whole range of topics, and in a multitude of formats.

One that really stood out for me is The Four-Letter Word That Makes You and Your Work Irresistible, by Mark Sanborn.

In it, the author says that “Love is a four-letter word in the business world”. He suggests redefining the word Love as “finding a deep-seated passion for what we do, the people we do it with, and the people we do it for. ”

We can all get behind that, right?

This is definitely a manifesto worth reading. It will give you a refreshing take on your relationship with your work or your business.

When I get my own finished I’ll post it on the blog for you to see.

In the meantime…do you have a manifesto? Would you be willing to share?

Or what do you think about this whole “manifesto” movement anyway? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Earning Compound Interest on Personal Growth

Nina East — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:42:55 +0000

You already know about earning compound interest on your money, right? The earlier you start putting money away, and the more consistently you do it, the more you will have when you retire. Exponentially more.

Have you considered that the same may be true for your approach to personal growth and the payoffs it can have for you?

I came across this concept reading an old post about earning compound interest on your knowledge, by Colin Wright. Here’s what he said:

Consider this: making connections between a new concepts and tidbits of knowledge that you already posses increases recall (that is, you are more likely to store it in your long-term memory if you have some context to put it in). The chances that you will know something that relates to a new concept are increased with every new bit of knowledge you already posses. It would seem, then, that it is in your best interest to learn as much as possible about as many topics as possible in order to achieve an optimal learning situation.

– Colin Wright

Extrapolating from that, it makes sense that the more you connect what you learn about yourself with new personal growth information, the more likely you are to retain it. As you do more and more of this, consistently and over time, the greater the awareness and personal insights grow, and theoretically at least, the more likely you are to apply what you know. This, in turn, produces more self-learning, followed by deeper insights, etc. As this compounds, and you know yourself better and better, the more you will come to appreciate yourself, acknowledging the gifts and talents you have, as well as the inherent greatness within you.

What suggestions does Colin make for compounding your knowledge?

He gives three:

Be Reading
Be Referencing
Be Studying

Since one of the characteristics of personal growth princesses is that we are a bit on the book-junkie end of the spectrum, this fits right in with our natural tendencies.

In other words, it ought to be easy for us to do this.

But it’s not always easy, right? Life is busy. We have a lot on our plates. We might still buy the books, with all the best intentions of reading them, or at least skimming them, but if we’re honest, we’ve spent thousands of dollars over our lifetime on un-read and un-helpful self-help books.

That’s actually why I have such a passion for providing the self-help book summaries via PersonalGrowthPrincess.com. I just had not thought of it in terms of “compounding knowledge” before.

What do you think about that idea? How do you compound your personal growth knowledge and experiences? Or do you?
Leave a comment below and let us know!

Princess Ring…a royal gift from Alicia Smith [video]

Nina East — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:50:19 +0000

I just received the most delightful gift from Alicia Smith – a long-time colleague and lovely supporter of PersonalGrowthPrincess.com.

It is a ring shaped like a crown. I made a short video of it so you could actually see it in action, as it were.

In the video I also mentioned the place you can get it if you want one…or if you want to send it to another princess in your life. The site is Personal Growth Cards – it’s an innovative card and gift service. You really have to see it to believe it!
You can select a card that will then be printed, written in your own handwriting (if you want), have a real stamp applied, and then mailed through the regular postal service. It’s pretty amazing. And for less than you can buy a card anywhere else. Gifts, of course, cost more, but it makes it so so easy to send a special, delightful gift to that special someone.

Anyway, take a look at the video. You’ll see how delighted I am!

What do you think? Who would you like to delight today???

Music to empower girls…and women…by Lindsay O’Neill

Nina East — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:12:07 +0000

For many women When Did Princess Become a Bad Word struck a chord. Not so much because women literally want to be princesses, but because being told what you can and cannot be – what you should or should not think about yourself – creates such a limiting and invalidating environment.

Lindsay O'Neill (courtesy of LindsayO'Neill.com)

One singer who is out to change this, specifically for young girls, is Lindsay O’Neill. Lindsay shares the sentiments expressed in the post, and has actually produced two albums (do they call them that anymore?) designed to combat the disempowering messages girls receive.

It’s women’s empowerment, at its playful best!

“Princess is Not A Bad Word” is the title song that talks about finding the part of you that is strong and true, smiling and being proud of who you are. It doesn’t mean being spoiled or weak. It’s fun and playful, with a strong message about being your own star.

“The Princess In Me” has songs like “Girls Be Girls” – punching big holes in the idea that girls have to be sugar and spice and everything nice. Instead, girls can be girls, make their own rules, and be what they want to be. How great would it have been to grown up with this message daily?!

If you have young girls in your life, you’ll want to get this music for them!
And, no harm in getting it for yourself, either. After all, what woman wouldn’t benefit from this message, too?

You can connect with Lindsay via twitter (@Lenser) or via Facebook. We just connected via Facebook and I discovered she’s a September baby like me!

p.s. Make sure you’ve also “liked” the Personal Growth Princess Facebook page!

Music, Expectations, and your Brain

When did “Princess” become a bad word?

Nina East — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:57:43 +0000

When women hear about self-help book summaries, they are typically very excited and can’t wait to sign up. When they hear the term “Personal Growth Princess”, which is, simply, self-help book summaries taken a little more lightheartedly, they have one of two responses – they either love it and embrace the joy and playfulness inherent it, or they are turned off.

I find that fascinating. Not because a particular name or brand doesn’t appeal to someone – that’s actually a sign of a great brand. It’s good that people recognize themselves in a brand or not.

What I’m fascinated with is the vehemence with which some women react to the word Princess – separate from any association with self-help book summaries. It’s as if it’s degrading.

I’ve got to wonder, when did the word Princess become such an insult?

I think it happened somewhere between childhood (when it was OK to think about princesses) and our first jobs – when we had to buckle down, get serious, and get others to take us seriously.There was no room for being playful and taking ourselves lightly. Believe it or not, I was once told by a colleague that no one would take me seriously because I smiled too much. (I was working in the field of education at the time.) Imagine how much you would start to hide your true nature if you thought that were true!

No wonder we learn to hide who we really are!

The term Princess is often used by judgmental people (both men and women) to tell a woman she’s asking for or expecting too much. That somehow she has stepped outside the boundaries of what she deserves and is getting picky or demanding. (I remember my sister being referred to as a princess when she bought a 5 year old Toyota Prism, that dared to have air conditioning, to replace her 10 year old, broken down robin’s egg blue Opal.)

It’s this negative use of the word Princess that sticks with us and holds us back.

That is EXACTLY why a site dedicated to women being fully and authentically who they are, embracing the joys as well as the sorrows, relishing in the light and finding the value in darkness, is called Personal Growth PRINCESS.
(Read more about the true nature of self-rescuing princesses.)

It is because women DESERVE to have what they want.

We deserve the right to invest in ourselves. We deserve the time and resources to learn to love ourselves more, expand our greatness, and shore up any perceived weaknesses we think we might have.

And, dangit, women deserve the right to be selective about who we spend time with and what we spend out time doing.

We have the right to ask for what we want, the way we want it. We just do. That doesn’t make us snooty or stuck up. That makes us people.

Embracing the term Princess is a way of retaking control over how we judge ourselves, what we allow ourselves to experience, and how we let our inner joy and greatness shine through.

Princesses deserve. They just do.

Princesses have the right to make their own choices. They have the right to do what they want, while still honoring obligations. It doesn’t make us less responsible or overly self-indulgent. It makes us women with a bit of pizazz and sass who are committed to our own personal growth because we know that by committing to ourselves, we not only improve our own lives, but the lives of everyone we touch.

If you really want to go for a lighthearted way to re-frame what the term Princess means, take a look at the book series The Princess School. It’s a series of fun stories about the princesses you remember from childhood – Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, etc. – but with a new, empowering twist. Here’s a quick summary of The Princess School series.

I’m curious…has the term Princess ever been used to make you feel ashamed or to get you to change your behavior? If so, what did you do? How did it affect you? Leave a comment below, or if it’s private, you can tell me privately.

Can a cookbook be a self-help book? [interview]

Nina East — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:27:50 +0000

Seriously. Has anyone ever suggested to you that a cookbook could actually be a self-help book, too?

I had not heard it…until I met Deborah Nelson, author of From Rainy Days to Sexy Nights Cookbook: Simple and Inspirational Recipes to Fit Your Mood.

Deborah is the spunky – fiery? – owner of SaucyWellness.com – with the tagline “healthy living one juicy bite at a time”. Her cookbook is really about living a juicy life – savoring all aspects of your life – with a healthy eating twist.

Food affects everything – from self-esteem to happiness to your level of confidence.

Food creates the environment in your body – an environment of stress or an environment of peace. There are many other factors affecting stress, of course, but food is one that many of us turn to. Deborah’s goal is to help people turn to it in a way that serves their goals and soothes their souls, rather than a short term relief that creates longer-term challenges.

The recipes are divided into 4 categories: Rainy Days, Summer Sensations, Heal Me, and Sexy Nights. In the interview below she explains what these categories mean and how to use the food we select to alter our mood. She says that “food creates who you are – you choose your mood in the moment by choosing your food.”

Below is an interview I conducted with Deborah a couple of weeks ago. She has also generously agreed to provide a set of 5 recipes to members of PersonalGrowthPrincess, as well as a free complimentary consultation session. If you want some support on how your eating habits affect your mood, energy levels, weight and also your libido, I encourage you to take her up on it right away! Info is available on the Members page. (Please note, this is an additional fabulous bonus – on top of your regular monthly bonus tools.)

Here is one of my favorite recipes from From Rainy Days to Sexy Nights – in fact, almost everyone in my family has asked for a copy!
Black Bean Salad With Pineapple! (muy delicioso!)

One of the funny and paradoxical things about Deborah is that she says she isn’t really a cook. She’s obviously does cook, and she is a certified health and wellness coach, but her mission expands far beyond the kitchen. Her passion is really about helping people live truly SAUCY lives…whether it be your personal or professional life. When people are living a saucy life, they are more relaxed, more passionate, and have less stress – the biggest element of disease (and the biggest impediment to losing weight – a subject we talked about quite a bit).

You can order the book directly from her website – Saucy Wellness.com.

Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the interview, the recipes, or the concept of a cookbook as a self-help book…

Personal Growth Princess featured on WordPress review site!

Nina East — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:24:06 +0000

I don’t know how many of you are aware of this, but not only did I create Personal Growth Princess, I also designed the site myself. Virtually from scratch.

As you know, I always say “To be someone you are not is to waste the person you are.”
And that’s what Personal Growth Princess is all about – embracing all the parts of you.

So, over the past year I’ve gotten in touch with my inner-geek. Apparently she’s been lurking in there for quite awhile. [superemotions file="icon_eek.gif" title="EEK"]

The result is what has been recognized as an outstanding example of website design.

As a hugely gratifying testament to the quality of the site, we have just been featured as the very first in a “Spotlight” series at The WordPress Chick, a well-known website development, training and review site. To have Kim Doyal, the owner, shout out about Princess is a gigantic feather in my hat – er, crown.

Oh, and in case you’re curious about web design or blog setups, take a look at Basic Blog Setup…my sister site.

Jessica’s Affirmations – can you do this?

Nina East — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:04:05 +0000

Do you do affirmations?
If so, do you do them as dramatically as this little girl? – fully engaged, using voice, body, energy and emotion?

Not that I would recommend standing on the sink, but there’s definitely something unselfconscious in here that’s worth modeling.

Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

What do you think? Willing to give it a try?