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???

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1. Nina’s Inspirational Video
2. Founder’s Birthday Bash – Your Gift: a super-discounted membership!
3. Video Flip Cam Goes Princess-style!
4. Do More Great Work – Michael Bungay Stanier [video] [Book Review]

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!

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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.

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3. The Princess School – the book series for empowered princesses
4. Music to empower girls…and women…by Lindsay O’Neill

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…

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2. Famous Failures…how do you deal with adversity?
3. Princess Expectations: How to Raise Your Expectations of Yourself

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.

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.

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4. Personal Growth – what gets in the way?

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?

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I was just reading an interesting post at clicknsave.com on this very topic. The author makes the bold statement that self-help books have a definite advantage over seminars, counselors, or coaches.

It really got me to wondering…are books better?

Obviously I’m a fan of books, but given the tens of thousands of dollars I’ve spent at personal development seminars, I’m a fan of them, as well.

On the surface level, the answer to the question would have to be “it depends”. It depends on you and how you process information. If you aren’t a reader, then buying all the self-help books in the world isn’t going to help you, other than giving you a quick boost of optimism and inspiration.

You have to actually USE the book in order for it to serve you – and if you do, then there are some definite advantages you get.

And when I say USE, I don’t mean using it to pick up people at the local coffee shop by leaving it out where people can see it! And I definitely don’t mean using it to prop up all the other self-help books piled beside your bed.

The point of the article I was reading is that books provide the best advantage because they are the only form of personal growth that can really accompany you wherever you go – whether in paper form or on your Kindle, iPhone, or other electronic device.

I like the idea of portable self-help and the advantage that gives.

But there are a couple of problems:   

• only a tiny percentage of books purchased are ever read past the first chapter.
• not everyone likes to learn by reading – some prefer to listen or experience.
• how do you know which of the thousands of self-help books on the bookstore shelf is a good one for you, or will effectively address the particular issue you are dealing with right now?

The truth is, you don’t. Which is why so many books never get read…and so much potential personal growth goes un-nourished.

Quite honestly, that’s why I started PersonalGrowthPrincess.com.

What if you could have a top-notch book summary that you can read in 15 minutes, or the audio version you can listen to in just a few minutes more?

What if you had some additional easy-to-use materials, like worksheets, checklists, or journal exercises, that helped you begin to apply the personal growth actions right away – in a manageable size?

You can glean all the primary elements of the book – and begin applying the author’s concepts immediately.
That way you can experience personal growth in shorter intervals of effort.

And, of course, if you do decide to buy the book, you will know with 100% certainty that it will be what you need.  (Which means you don’t waste money or time on books that aren’t right for you.)

So are books better a better form of self-help?

I’d have to stick with my answer of “it depends”, with a big hats off to the concept of books being the only experience you can take with you anywhere. And of course, with the book summaries from PersonalGrowthPrincess, you get the best resource in the best method of delivery.

So what do you think about the idea of self-help books being an advantage when it comes to your personal growth?
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

p.s. If you haven’t downloaded your free sample book summary from this site, make sure you fill our the easy form in the sidebar. It’s definitely worth checking out. You’ll receive one of most popular personal growth book summaries, plus some additional goodies to help you use the information right away!

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-Author unknown

I don’t know who the author of this quote is – even after Googling the heck out of it. My apologies to the original author – and if it’s you, let me know!

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(If he’s reading this I’m sure he’s cringing at all the hyperbole. But, Hugh, I mean it. )

Hugh has graciously given me permission to share his cartoons before, and I do so with every intention that you will click through to his site, sign up for his newsletter, and maybe buy a lithograph or two. (I don’t receive any commission, just the fun of knowing I’m helping spread the word.)

This is a business card he created for Pam Slim, author of Escape From Cubicle Nation. (That’s her book on the right.)

It captures the essence of what holds many of us back from really making a difference in the world, and in our own lives – the thought that we need permission.

Permission to think we’re worthy. Permission to think we’re good enough. Permission to think our ideas will actually make a difference. Permission to risk being different. Permission to be successful – whatever that means to you individually.

Permission to be a Princess, even.

Thanks, Hugh. As always, you are a gem.

Please visit Hugh’s site – Gaping Void Gallery.

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I bring it up because of a recent study published in Psychological Science which examined the question:

Is the happy life characterized by shallow, happy-go-lucky moments and trivial small talk, or by reflection and profound social encounters?

Popular wisdom, all songs aside, might make you think that the social butterfly who can flit from small-talk conversation to small-talk conversation, would be far happier than the group of people clustered on the couches having a deep meaningful conversation.

Ignorance is bliss, yes?

Not so, says this study – which is more reliable than previous studies because it did not rely on self-reported behavior.

Researchers found that higher well-being was actually associated with having less small talk, and having more substantive conversations.
(“Substantive” meaning a conversation in which meaningful information was exchanged. More along the lines of “I hear your new job has been really demanding. Tell me about it” and less “Oh, I love that dress! Where did you get it?”)

Here are some other interesting findings from the study:

The happiest participants spent about 25% less time alone and about 70% more time talking.

The happiest people also had about 1/3 less small talk, and twice as many substantive conversations.

From the report: “Together, the present findings demonstrate that the happy life is social rather than solitary, and conversationally deep rather than superficial.”

Of course, this was not a cause-and-effect study, so we can only take the results as correlational.

It could mean that happy people are natural attractors of deeper conversations, making people comfortable enough to talk about things that actually matter.
Or, it could be that deep conversations actually make people happier.

This raises the interesting possibility that happiness can be expanded or developed by intentionally having more substantive conversations, and resisting the temptation to stay at the “cocktail party conversation” level.

I think women have known this for a long time. We feel better about ourselves when we connect with other people, and if we can share something meaningful and important, we feel even more so. That’s not to say that a fun shopping spree doesn’t get the happy vibes going…but my guess is there are some pretty important conversations going on between dressing room doors.

Whether happy people naturally have deeper conversations, or deeper conversations make people happier, it’s good to know that both work in our favor. Personal Growth Princesses like deep conversations. We crave knowing more about ourselves and more about what makes other people tick. Maybe we are the best-positioned to get happy?!

I’m curious – what’s your take on this? Do you feel a greater sense of well-being after you’ve had a meaningful conversation, or after a series of surface level chats? Leave a comment below and let us know.

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4. Princess Expectations: How to Raise Your Expectations of Yourself