I have a slight obsession with the book Girl Code, written by Cara Alwill Leyba. I read it in one day and nearly underlined or highlighted every sentence. I would lend you my copy for proof... but I literally love this book so much and won't let you have it. I do however, HIGHLY suggest you prime yourself a copy ASAP! Heres a direct link:
Cara Alwill is a certified master life-coach, founder of The Champagne Diet and published author of multiple books that I cannot wait to get my hands on! Her most recent book, Girl Code, is perfect for any aspiring #BossBabe or female looking for a little inspiration & love. It is influential and interactive, leaving you with many opportunities to jot down a few notes about each chapter and self-reflect on her discussions.
Although Girl Code was written with the female entrepreneur in mind, you don't have to be an aspiring boss lady to read and appreciate this book. Here are my fave-five takeaways from the book, that are applicable to any woman (not just the boss babe breed):
1. You are worthy of every desire in your heart
And don't you forget it! What do you want in life? Make a list, write it out and at the end of that list write a big-fat "I AM WORTHY OF IT ALL". Write it big and write it proud. Post that baby on your refrigerator, bulletin board, or bathroom mirror and let yourself be reminded of it every day! Because you are worthy of everything near and dear to you. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
2. Celebrate people who celebrate you
Don't waste your time, energy or emotion on someone who doesn't appreciate or celebrate you! Surround yourself with people who see your potential, who remind you that you are capable of accomplishing your craziest dreams and who celebrate both your failures and successes. Keep those who love you close to your heart and always remember to celebrate them in return. They deserve to acknowledged and appreciated, just as you do!
Celebrate yourself! At times, you may be your biggest cheerleader and deserve credit for it. Cara suggests writing yourself a love letter to remind you of how worthy you are when the going gets rough. If you are having a hard time (because it can be a litttttttle hard to start), she suggests you start by generating a list of qualities you like about yourself. This list should include anything you are proud of, your accomplishments, and your best traits. Here's an example:
Dear Shay,
You're a pretty badass chick. You help women on a daily basis find their confidence and feel beautiful. IN A BATHING SUIT! You demonstrate excellent customer service, exceed your sales goals and manage to accomplish the many tasks to keep the store operating smoothly.
On top of this, you find the time to pursue your passions. You dream up crazy ideas and do not hesitate to dip your toes in the water. In fact, you just dive on in! You press the "save & publish" button on your blog despite knowing your grammar is far from perfect. Despite fearing what people will think of your stories. You are brave.
You are a dependable friend. You are an honest worker. You are wonderful and are worthy of every desire in your heart
Yours truly xoxo
Simple and sweet! Granted, that's a pretty shortened version of the love letter I wrote myself... but at least you can get an idea of what I mean. WRITE IT NOW! Give yourself the love you deserve... and remember, no one has to read this but you.
3. You can literally shift your energy, increase your happiness, and become physically healthier when you switch your attitude to gratitude.
Cara says that, "we give ourselves the biggest gift possible when we focus on all of the things we are thankful for". It's a quick-fix for any stressful situation that arises when we let fear control us, for example, that fast-approaching deadline at work or that conversation you need to have with a loved one. Reflect and write down everything you are grateful for right now! I keep a copy of my list on my notes app incase I need to refer to it throughout the day.
4. be compassionate towards other women.
The last thing we should spend our time or energy on is bringing down the women of the world! Women need to build each other up, not tear each other down. Madeleine Albright once said that, "there is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." It's a little harsh, but she gets it.
Women face a lot of injustice in today's world yet continue to bring each other down (usually for superficial reasons). Why is this necessary? We are hard enough on ourselves as it is, constantly comparing our bodies and lifestyles to that of our peers and women we have never met (thank you social media). We all search for the worst curve in our body, the deepest wrinkle on our face and the most visible stretch mark across our belly. Let's send our ladies some love and start giving out some compliments! Tell your girls what you admire about them and remind them that they are b-e-a-utiful!
- Britt Nicole -
5. make room for imperfection in your life.
"You're imperfect, and you're wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging."
-Brené Brown
We will always be imperfectly perfect. One of our feet will always be bigger than the other, we will gain new scars as the years pass by and our lives will not always go to plan. But if we can embrace our imperfections then we can learn to walk comfortably, love our scars for their stories and embrace the life we were meant to live.
Kudos to you, Cara. Thank you for writing a book that inspired me in so many ways.
If you do purchase this book and find as much inspiration as I did... I would love to chat about it with you! What were your opinions? What stood out to you the most? Please reach out to me on the contact page, or email me at thereshaygoes@gmail.com.
