Name: Cristina Rueda

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration):
Full time corporate event planner for a financial institution, and part-time style blogger.

Family situation (kids? dating? long-term relationship?): Happily single.

How do you make sure you feel good every day?
I exercise every morning which makes me feel great and gives me incredible energy. Exercise minimizes what, at first, may seem like huge issues. Afterwards, I feel as though I can conquer the world. It’s those endorphins! I’ve always had a positive outlook and am fortunate to have a wonderful family and support system. I’m extremely grateful for my life, and being aware of what goes on in the world keeps things in perspective for me.

What inspires you to do the work that you do?
The job of an event planner involves tremendous organization, contact with people, multi-tasking, travel, creativity, etc. I really enjoy working on projects that have a beginning, middle and an end – like events do. It never gets boring.

My new adventure into the world of blogging happened quickly. The seeds were planted a few years ago when a friend suggested I start a blog on fashion. I was intimidated and and did not understand blogging so I put the thought aside. I kept thinking about it and realized that I needed a mission statement – a ‘raison d’etre.’ Once I developed this, everything flowed quite easily. It also helps that I have strong opinions on style and beauty, and I hope my writing reflects this. I love sharing beauty with the world!

How did you muster up the courage and confidence to create the life you have?
As corny as this sounds, I really love life and try to enjoy it. As I’ve gotten older, the confidence is easier. I realized it is up to me to create my life. Our future is about the choices we make. We are in control of our happiness, or unhappiness. My Dad always says, “You are the master of your destiny!”

What’s your approach to nutrition?
Exercising every day makes me more aware of my how I feel so I try to eat in a way that is optimal for my health. When you devote time to exercise you are less tempted to eat unhealthy things. I prefer good quality food in its simplest form. Of course, I allow occasional treats like cookies and candy. You can have your cake and eat it too, but in moderation!

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise?
I try to keep positive and remember that I’m not the center of the universe. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with setbacks. I’ve learned to keep the glass half full, take a deep breath and think “this too shall pass.”

What do you do to stay in balance – in other words, how do you balance things like your career, your well-being, your happiness, your friends, your children, your spouse, dating, your fitness, your nutrition, your hobbies, etc.?
As glamorous as event planning can be: travel, hotels, beautiful places, it can be stressful. Staying organized, happy and exercising each day, helps! I’m single with aging parents who have been so wonderful and supportive to me, I would do anything for them. My mom has Parkinson’s. Balancing her care, with career has been challenging. I breathe and try to take things one day at a time.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you?
Definitely exercise! I get so much pleasure out of it and it keeps me sane. This year I will be competing in my second Nautica Sprint Triathlon (.5 mile swim, 19 mile bike, and 4 mile run). I never thought I could be capable of doing this and when I turned 50, I decided to take the plunge – literally! It is the best thing I’ve ever done. I also love reading newspapers and books, and I try to walk everywhere and explore my surroundings.

What advice do you have for women/men aiming to have it all?
I would say that you should not aim to have it all as that can be overwhelming and possibly disappointing. Try to figure out what makes you happiest and do that well. I think that being curious and interested in the world around you makes life much more exciting and opens up opportunities. Finally, and most importantly, being kind and thoughtful as you move through life will bring even more good things – karma!

Any other thoughts?
Work every day on trying to see the positive side of things. Life throws wonderful things our way and we need to be able to recognize them. Always remember when things are not going well you are not alone. If someone else has made it back from the abyss – so can you!

Thank you for speaking to Venus In Balance and for inspiring so many!
xo

Age: Age means very little… what matters is how well you feel. There’s an eastern concept that states that we are born with a finite number of breaths. So I make sure to breathe deeply and slowly!

How do you make sure you feel good everyday? It’s all about perspective. There are definitely times when life gets difficult, but these are the times when we have the greatest opportunities for growth. I have been blessed to have a great teacher who is a Taoist Priest, with whom I’ve been studying for about 15 years. When I was going through a difficult time, he once said to me, “It’s not what you have that is important, but it’s what you do with what you have that is important.” I remind myself of this every morning, and spend time in meditation and welcome all the unexpected and incredible experiences I have yet to create.

What inspires you to do the work that you do? Learning and practicing Classical Chinese Medicine has been so much more than a career choice. It’s a science and philosophy that has been around for thousands of years. The work that I do is just an extension of what I believe to be the essence of life. Change is inevitable, and how well we adapt to and flow with these changes determines the way we go through life. Whether I am doing acupuncture, nutrition counseling, massage or colonics, I always look at what the person needs through the lens of Chinese Medicine. Just as I have been helped getting through challenges by changing my perspective, I get great joy out of helping and teaching others.

How did you muster up the confidence/courage to create the life that you have? I have been blessed to have great parents who encouraged me to follow my heart. I became interested in health and nutrition in high school when it wasn’t so hip to eat healthy and take supplements and juice vegetables! I studied nutrition in undergraduate and graduate school, and later became a massage therapist and colon therapist which I saw as an extension of what I already practiced. When I met my teacher, Jeffrey Yuen, who is a Taoist Priest and practioner and teacher of Classical Chinese Medicine, no courage was needed to go back to school in my thirties. I felt that this is what I have been searching for my entire life.

What’s your approach to nutrition? There is no one right way to eat. I’ve studied both eastern and western concepts of nutrition and health. I believe that whole foods and supplements are much healthier and easier to digest and assimilate than fragmented products. The less a food is tampered with, the greater the nutrients. I think a comprehensive approach that recognizes individual differences and goals allows for greater healing of body, mind and soul.

Important to remember is that one’s nutritional status has to do with food AND digestion. We can be eating all the right things, but if we don’t have strong digestive integrity, we are are not getting the nutrients into our cells. The type of food, the breath, digestive enzymes, toxic load, stress, physical activity, are just some of the factors that will have a profound effect on how well the nutrients get to where they need to go. All of these factors need to be assessed and corrected for for optimum health and success of any eating plan. This process is what allows the body to make the necessary Qi (energy) and blood we need to live a healthy, vital life.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? I have a very strong knowing of what is important in life, and I remind myself of this every morning before getting out of bed. Inherent in life is conflict. Life, with its ups and downs, is easier when we are well equipped. Difficulties are created to guide us, to help us grow and move forward. Having this understanding alone helps me stay motivated and get through the rough patches.

What do you do to stay in balance? I think it’s about staying focused on priorties and giving as much attention to building a life as we do to building a career. I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I am as comfortable saying yes as I am saying no. Heed the signs of imbalance early on and make the necessary changes.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? MASSAGE & STRETCHING! When the body is flowing & not holding…it’s bliss!

What advice do you have for women aiming to have it all? I think we should all shoot for the stars, with our feet fimly on the ground. What that star represents for each one of us is not important. What has helped me lead a fulfilling life is focusing on what I want and enjoy, being proactive, sometimes with disciplined behavior, and being adaptable. I have learned that sometimes the way we receive what we want is totally a surprise, so expect the unexpected and experience the impossible! Be yourself and follow your heart…

Any other thoughts?

…take time for stillness and keep moving
…always do your best and lighten up
…be sincere and be kind
…have boundaries and be flexible
…make yourself your first priority and be generous
…and always remember gratitude.

To get in touch with Donna, call 917-804-0553 or email yinyangdb@aol.com

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration): photographer/director

Age: 32

Family situation: single

How do you make sure you feel good everyday? staying in touch with my closest friends, a have a few people I talk to on the phone everyday even if just for a few minutes.

What inspires you to do the work that you do? the freedom of possibility, that anything can happen, choreographing a story or feeling through imagery.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have? i’ve always been the type of girl to do what i wanted, when i wanted it.  it’s more about how i’m wired than any collection of courage or confidence.

What’s your approach to nutrition? i’ve been naturally very slim all of my life so i’m pretty lucky to be able to eat whatever i please.  therefore, i eat what tastes good or what is appealing in the moment.  however, i’m not big on really fatty or greasy food so my choices are usually healthy by nature.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? i have brainstorm sessions with my brother (and best friend) jason, i’ll hunker down in my apartment and watch movies to get re-inspired or take a spontaneous little trip.

What do you do to stay in balance? my focus changes gears quickly so my life is naturally varied in terms of what i’m doing and with whom.  it took me a long time to learn how to relax and find pleasure in things that weren’t necessarily “productive”.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? hotel room service in a king size bed all to myself.

What advice do you have for women aiming to have it all? “no” is not an option.  do what you want and what makes you excited to get out of bed every morning.  and don’t let anyone stop you.

Any other thoughts? everything always works itself out.  it’s hard to understand that in the moment but it’s true.  and anxiety is nothing more than thinking about the future or the past.  everything is always fine RIGHT NOW.

Linda’s story begins with her journey of recovery, from an accident. Her life was immediately compromised at the young age of 24, the only thing doctors could offer her was a big bottle of codeine, and said she would need it for the rest of her life. Linda knew there had to be a better way. The holistic movement was in its infancy and held the cure – connection to Spirit, proper nutrition, and finding your soul’s purpose.

Inspired by her spiritual awakening, she began to travel the world in search of meaning. She met healers and teachers that nurtured her and helped her cultivate her own healing gifts. Dr. Burnham was part of a group of holistic practitioners that began The Center of Light, a spiritual healing and retreat center, in the Berkshires of Massachusettes. Linda has created two exquisite hands on healing techniques: Burnham Systems WiseBody TherapeuticsSM and Burnham Systems Facial RejuvenationSM. She has taught and certified practitioners in both modalities nationally and internationally for over 30 years. She adapted the professional techniques for personal use in her beautiful book The Natural Face-Lift: A Facial Touch Program for Rejuvenating Your Body and Spirit. She lectures and teaches extensively in the health, beauty, and spa worlds internationally.

Name: Linda Burnham, N.D.

Career: Energetic Healer, Naturopathic Physician, Holistic Practitioner, Author, and Public Speaker

Age: 61 and loving it!

Family situation (kids? dating? long-term relationship?):
Many deep and enduring friendships and a couple of great ex’s. I’ve had a big hand in raising 12 children from two different families (lots of kids to love have come my way). I have two phenomenal nieces. Right now, I have the delight to be ‘honorary’ aunt to two extraordinary new beings.

How do you make sure you feel good everyday?
Plenty of water. Clear, clean, radiant water that helps to nurture and sustain every part of my life – drinking, cooking, bathing – a precious commodity anywhere you live, but essential in the high desert. Also I try to add a little value to each of the important areas in my life every day. It is a challenge because life happens – certain things must be done in a timely manner: work has deadlines, computers freeze and fail, phone calls and emails stack up, friends I love stop by unexpectedly, the dishwasher overflows…. and that can crowd out the gentler, less noisy needs/desires that I have in the less insistent areas of my life… so I try to attune to just the right flow for the moment…not logically, but from my inner self, I make that connection with the Divine. I am often amazed and delighted at how things flow through the day for me when I can do that. It is a real yoga to make space for Spirit first, and then proceed to do my day. When I can, my life feels richly round and full with a sense of actually living my very own life.

What inspires you to do the work that you do?
I believe that we are more than this physical experience but I want this one life to count profoundly. As I support others to face challenges on any level – physical, emotional or spiritual – I feel the power of healing source more intensely in my own life as well as theirs. Wholeness and vitality inspire me. I seek it out. I keep my inner senses attuned for IT – that sparkling life-force presence that I know it is possible to find in any person, situation or thing. Does that apple have it? How much? Can I help it get more, be more? What about the kidney that is in pain? That liver? That ankle? What about that difficult situation at work? Or in the bedroom? Where is the vitality of life in any moment? I find IT and encourage IT to come out to play through everything that is present. I just love the possibilities of healing into wholeness. Fundamentally, it is all I want.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have?
I have never thought of it like that – that I mustered up something to create the life I have. I just faced the moments as they came and invariably, in a given moment, a helping hand…from some other dimension or this one…came. It brought the help I needed to source my own inner strength, focus, tenderness – whatever was needed. I am infinitely grateful for the many sustaining, inspiring presences that have threaded themselves through my life. It has not been a solo accomplishment or journey. My life and I are the creative project of many generous hearts.

As I continued thinking about this question, I realized that throughout my life I have had this quiet, inner dream space – barely conscious but very real. I have dreamed magical daydreams that wove my “here and now” practical skills with my “oh what if” yearnings and created inner visions of myself that expanded beyond what I knew myself to be. They inspired a quality of magnetic attraction – and a space to hold more inwardly. So I became more, more was offered and I showed up in new ways. It is a dollop of magic added to the recipe – the leavening agent. It makes me smile to feel it as I write. So my life happened and it has been amazing.

What’s your approach to nutrition?
I’m a passionate foodie – organic, discriminating, intrigued, captivated by everything concerning food, always seeking vitality that feeds my vitality. Here is my soapbox about food: In a world ‘hell-bent’ on the quick and easy, we’ve lost touch with the nutritional vitality of food, with its living essence. It is that essence that feeds our bodies’ vitality and feeds its innate intelligence to heal itself. It is that essential living spark of unadulterated, minimally processed food that actually builds the strength of our bodies’ life force. This is what makes the healing miracles of renewal and regeneration on a physical level possible. Every day we have to make choices, for ourselves and our loved ones – hard choices – seeking to preserve that spark in our food. From soil to water to air, to growing to harvest to delivery, to preparation to gratitude to ingesting, we need to chose life and chose processes that nurture, preserve and enhance that living spark. There are decisions about life itself that are at stake when we buy, make, and eat our food.

Each of us is unique. No single theory, diet, approach is THE way. Throughout our lives we can find what works for us at the moment – what brings in that vitality, clarity, ‘juice’ and strength that we need – and be willing to do what we need to do concerning what we put into our bodies, hearts and minds. And our ‘life diet’ will change and refine and take on different emphasis over time.

Several basic questions inform that ‘life diet’ concept: Does what you ingest give you more energy or take energy from you? Is the earth nurtured as she nourishes you? Is there wholeness in your relationship with the whole of the world of nutrition? Can we answer these queries with a resounding ‘yes, to the best of our ability’? I try to. And I support others to also answer ‘yes’ in ways that uniquely serve their individual lifestyle needs.

This focus on a diet for more life – this ‘LifeDiet’- is not just about the physical food we eat. There are choices to be made about the nutritious-ness of our prayers and thoughts, our actions and friendships, the books and movies we eat with our eyes, the feelings we have about our selves, our purposes, our gods. Nutrition and our relationship to it runs deep into the quality of our soul that we are creating. It is not a superficial contemplation but an abiding self-creative process we are involved in.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise?
The greatest aid in facing challenges is knowing we are enough and knowing we aren’t alone. Whether I seek the inner assistance of Spirit or I reach out for help, I trust that in the end the healing resolution is assured even if I don’t know the how the journey will unfold.

What do you do to stay in balance?
After 30 some years of traveling and teaching, I had a major leg injury – five surgeries over 3 ½ years. Shattering a leg has had its benefits – I learned I can work from home! Spending more time in Santa Fe has allowed me the time to grow a vegetable garden, take cooking lessons and deepen new friendships, start dating again (at 59 no less). Staying home has also given me more opportunity to support Amma, the Hugging Saint, a spiritual leader and humanitarian whose work spans the globe. I have balanced the pleasure of my professional work with the simple pleasure of my personal work – gardening is work!! Now, as I begin to travel again, I make sure I balance my time away from Santa Fe by staying with friends and re-connecting with loved ones wherever I go.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you?
Deep, dark organic chocolate (not a lot but it must be sublime) surrounded by down pillows, a comforter, and a great book! Just finished Diana Gabaldon’s latest and ate some Booja-Booja from London – it is an all organic, dairy free hazelnut chocolate truffle that friends hand deliver to me every year. Sublime is definitely the word here. Yummmm. Next time you are in the UK, find some. You will thank me!

What advice do you have for women/men aiming to have it all?
Remember that you can only take what you have inside on the next journey. Make sure what you have outside satisfies you in some uniquely personal way. Your life is for you, own yourself.

Thank you for speaking to VIB and inspiring so many!

TO HAVE A SESSION WITH LINDA:
In person visits are $150.00/Telephone $135.00.

Contact information in NYC: Call Linda at 505-690-9460 (cell) to make an appointment or Email burnhamsystems@earthlink.net or check out her website at www.BurnhamSystems.com.

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration):

After a lifetime as a strategic marketing executive in consumer products, and two long stretches as a full time mother, it was time to reinvent. I was approaching 50 and hit my ‘now or never’ moment. A writing project had been in my consciousness for over a decade, and it recently has begun manifestation. The book is in the hands of an agent and I’m writing weekly in: www.afterthoughtsblog.com

Age: 52

Family situation:

I’m married with two children. The scheduling and transportation of our children for play-dates, lessons, rehearsals and practices consume my non-writing life. Or at least it feels that way!

How do you make sure you feel good everyday?

I try to listen to myself. I am constantly chatting in my head. Usually the voice inside my head tells me what I need to do to stay in my heart. It’s a practice, a learned behavior. Bliss and balance are not in my DNA.

What inspires you to do the work that you do?
Fear and uncertainty inspire my writing. I am terrified of not living the life I want to, or was meant to – of waiting too long to make changes. That energy keeps me from getting stuck and moves me to a more creative place. And once I’m there, the fear evaporates.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have?

I am often frozen; far more often than I would like, or would like to admit. But, I dream a lot, awake and not. And the vision is clear. I see myself as a writer, and a speaker. I am at the point where I don’t want to live in the nightmare of “what ifs.” The nightmare, as much as the dream, evokes courage.

What’s your approach to nutrition?
We eat organically and locally at home. I cook almost every night. I do a cleanse every Spring, am the poster child for Vitamin D, and get re-wired by Dr. Frank Lippman’s acupuncture and nutritional program (http://www.drfranklipman.com/).

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise?

It is lack of challenge that has been difficult for me. More than once I have found that my life was on autopilot, and I struggled with that. Many times I have had the sense that I am living someone else’s life. An almost Sisyphean task to lift myself out of the grayness.

It’s like looking in the mirror. Most days the reflection looks like someone else’s. The wrinkles and sagging are frightening. I step back from the mirror and avoid the camera for awhile, live my life. Months later I look at an old photo and see the image isn’t so awful.

And, when life gets very messy, I try to remember that it is likely not to stay that way. My friend, Robert Chender recently wrote on my blog (http://afterthoughtsblog.com/2011/05/02/guest-blogger-robert-chender-on-impermanence/) that many of the challenges we face, like managing career and family, are ‘high-class’ challenges; and that unhappy emotions are impermanent. He suggests that happiness is a deeper more stable state of being. Yes, my problems are high class and I feel lucky that my suffering has been contained. I do pray for luck. My grandmother, a holocaust survivor, said that it’s all you need. The older I get, the more I sense that she was right. Be grateful! I am lucky to have my DNA, family that raised me, husband and community that supports me, health of my children…

What do you do to stay in balance?

I live in extremes, is that a balance? I think not. Let’s just say, it’s a pursuit.

We spend a month on Cortes, a remote island in British Columbia. We live very close to nature and to Hollyhock (http://www.hollyhock.ca/cms/) a progressive, inspiring, educational retreat center. The island, populated by gardeners and visionaries, is our place to grow. It’s a remedy for the chaos of our city lives. We try to keep the energy of Cortes alive in the other eleven months, but too often we are driven by our calendar and to do lists, not our hearts

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you?
• Sleeping 8 hours.
• Intense scrub at Yi Pak Spa in NYC (http://yipakspa.com/women.html)
• One hour session with the Jungian clairvoyant Llorraine Neithardt (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/fashion/04SHOES.html?partner=rss&emc=rss) for spiritual guidance lln@nyc.rr.com
• Television. Current passion: CBS’ The Good Wife.

What advice do you have for women/men aiming to have it all? In other words, what do you do or have you done that works for you?
Don’t aim for ‘it all’ at all. Find the place of ‘enough.’ And know when you are there. I consume too much, eat too much, think too much, need too much, want too much, do too much. I am just now learning when I’m sated.

Thank you for speaking to Venus In Balance and for inspiring so many!
xo

Check out Mo’s site at www.momotion.org. She does a lot of good!

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration): Founder & Director of Mo’ Motion, Inc., a basketball program for NYC kids.

I was a former high school, college and pro basketball player. In NYC, I coached a team of 10 boys within one organization and was disappointed with the priorities of the management.  At the end of the season, I went quietly, hoping to spend more time to write and shoot short films. The parent of the 10 boys came to me and said, “We’re going with you.”  I said, “I’m not sure where I’m going.” They said we don’t care.  We’re in.” Two seasons later, with no advertising, all word of mouth, we now have almost 300 active participants in our grades K-11 program.

Age: 38

Family situation: Single. I’m not sure if I’ll be single for my entire life, but it’s good to know that we as women are able to take on many challenges, wear many hats, and still live to tell about what it means to be a positive contributor to society.

How do you make sure you feel good everyday?  I don’t necessarily go out of my way to make sure I feel good everyday, which is something I should do. I think the answer for me here is my commitment to regular exercise, plenty of sleep and one coffee in the early afternoon.

What inspires you to do the work that you do? I have this intrinsic drive for excellence in anything that truly matters to me. When I choose to get behind the wheel, it’s hard to get me to focus on much else outside of my family and very small circle of friends.  It’s considered an advantage to some, but it also can appear to be one long act of self-torture.

If I were to identify something that makes me want to kick some serious butt though, it’s any time a person or group or society thinks that a woman is less than a man or a girl is less than a boy and should be treated more delicately. What is excruciating for me is sitting through a Manhattan girls’ basketball game where I’m watching beautiful, tough, smart young women being shortchanged physically, mentally and emotionally. This is what motivated me to start Mo’ Motion.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have? My mother and the father did all the mustering in my mind. My father and I would be bound by love of hoops and our blue-collar work ethic. Yet the deepest bond I’ll ever experience in my life—unless I have a child and probably a close second to the one I have with my sister—is the relationship I had and continue to have in my head with my mother. She loved nursing as much as I loved hoops. I ended up taking care of my mother for almost eight years, after she was diagnosed with pre-senile dementia. My father left her shortly after the diagnosis, and the daughter that was on her own trapeze around the world decided it was time to do what I believed to be the right thing.

What’s your approach to nutrition? I just completed my 7^th basketball surgery this month – hip scope. The answer for me now is raw foods, vegetarian meals, little to no sugar. If I keep my weight down, my joints are happy. Even five pounds of extra weight causes additional discomfort. I try to remind myself of this when I’m alone with chocolate.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? Exercise. I also love to dance. Lindy, tap, which I picked up post-hoops. Now that I am not supposed to run anymore, I’m going back to tap and may try Gyrotonics (and swim—not exactly my idea of a good time, but I am proficient).  I have to rethink my current and long-term help and happiness. I can’t hoop anymore and there was nothing in the world that gave me the escape that basketball did for me. It was a total mental, physical and emotional shower. That’s why I love dance – it’s very challenging and humbling for me.

What do you do to stay in balance? I wouldn’t argue if some expert said balance is an issue for me, but they’d also have to realize that I may be one of those types—much like a lot of men, I’ve heard—who receive a tremendous amount of fulfillment by doing their work.  I love my family, I love kids, I love seeing families grow and have incredible moments together as my family did growing up (and we still do). At this point in my life, given all I know about the millions of oppressed girls and women in the world who have little to no choices, I’ll never apologize for my work ethic or drive because I know some of them would give their lives for their daughters to have the choices we have here in the states.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? The gym. My gym membership is way too high considering my income level, but I’ve always held on to it. I think my new indulgence now that I can’t utilize the gym in every capacity as I’ve done in the past will be STEPS on BROADWAY. I could easily drop way too much money on dance and fitness classes there to the point where I’ll want to audition for a show open to women over 40. More self-torture.

What advice do you have for women aiming to have it all? “Having it all” is something that each of us needs to honestly define for ourselves—male or female, doesn’t matter. In my mind, if you’re living a clean, honest hard-working life – whether you’re working as a nurse six days a week or running a Fortune 500 business or a stay-at-home mom who lives on Park Ave. and has a nanny – it doesn’t matter.  I tell kids all the time, you represent yourself.  I say fall, cry, fail, get it out of your system and get back up and bring your butt back on the floor. If a child lives by the basic old school rules of hard work, no excuses, respect for all, you’ll find that they often times represent themselves and their families better than their most adults do.

This week we want to introduce you to Alexis Minder. Alexis is a writer, blogger, humorist, political satirist, loving wife, mother, and breast cancer survivor. She also happens to have a very fabulous life!

Alexis is an American woman living in Monaco with her Swiss husband, all while raising three sons in this chic, international village. Some how her boys remain polite, well-adjusted, and all around cool kids. I (Susan) wanted her to devote a page on this subject alone.

How does she do it all? With humor and gratefulness that’s how.

Please bookmark Alexis’s blog, State Of Minder, for a funny dose on the latest political escapades, or simply read it to find out what it’s like to lead such a glamorous life. Last week was spent at the Monaco Grand Prix, and next month she will attend the wedding of her neighbor, Prince Albert! After that it’s sailing with her family for the Summer. Not sure when she finds the time to write. Yet somehow this warm, intelligent, funny and beautiful woman, remains very down to earth and always makes us laugh. Good thing, because we probably would be too envious otherwise!

Name: Alexis Minder

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration):
Writer, Blogger ‘State of Minder’ www.stateofminder.com

Age: 49

Family situation (kids? dating? long-term relationship?):
Married to a wonderful Swiss man with whom I have three amazing boys – a teen, a tween and a ten year old.

How do you make sure you feel good everyday?
I try to find something to laugh at each and every day. I think most of us tend to take ourselves too seriously much of the time. I also believe it’s so important to laugh with your kids. We’re so good at trying to teach them what they need to know for a successful life, but if they don’t learn to enjoy it, what’s the point? Luckily with my three, laughter comes easily. The other day we were talking about the actress who plays Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, and my son said “she’s really smart, she got into Hogwarts!” It cracked us up.

What inspires you to do the work that you do?
I’m incredibly fortunate to love what I do. I love to write, I love being a wife and mother, I love being involved in school and education and I love living in Monaco! Although cliché, I would have to say that having had a health scare years ago, I don’t take a single day for granted.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have?
Life in Monaco takes a LOT of energy! There is so much going on here all the time, events on a global stage, yet it is essentially a village. Because it is a small community you become part of so many things.

What’s your approach to nutrition?
We follow a healthy, mediterranean diet – which is to say lots of wine to wash down the tomatoes, olive oil and fish! Just kidding. Actually, I’ve spent my whole life trying to become indifferent to food – and realize it’s never going to happen. We love to eat well and have some extraordinary restaurants, from Michelin 3 stars to seaside cafes, so it is a challenge. We balance the special meals out with sensible eating at home. But when in the US – all bets are off – we indulge in everything we miss having here, healthy or not!

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise?
You do what you have to do. When I was sick, I tried to stay positive, keep life as normal as possible for my family. My friends, and particularly my girl friends, helped enormously. They even made it fun – insisting that I buy 12 different wigs for the chemo– blond, red, brunette, short and long – an ideal opportunity to experiment with different looks if there ever was one!

What do you do to stay in balance – in other words, how do you balance things like your career, your well-being, your happiness, your friends, your children, your spouse, dating, your fitness, your nutrition, your hobbies, etc.?
Writing helps. I went to the doctor’s the other day and he asked what I did. I said I was a writer and he said ‘they live the longest lives! They get everything out from inside them.’ I don’t know if that is medically proven, but it sure sounded good! I also try to exercise each and every day, even if it’s only taking a walk. And other than that, I am an organizational maniac!

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you?
Hugging my kids! There’s nothing better in the whole world. I also love skiing. My favorite days are spent skiing with family and friends, with long raclette lunches outside. But it is also recognizing when I need something – whether a lazy morning in bed, a shopping spree, going for a run – whatever! For example, with a husband and three boys I live in a very male dominated household, and I’m always outvoted when it comes to choosing a family movie. Action-adventure wins 95 percent of the time. Often an indulgence is as simple as dinner with a girlfriend and a romantic comedy!

What advice do you have for women/men aiming to have it all? In other words, what do you do or have you done that works for you?
I think you have the key in your website, Venus In Balance – it’s all about balance! Balancing obligations with fun, living in the present versus concern for the future, working and playing hard but also finding time to relax and enjoy. It’s important to make your life what you want it to be – nobody else will do it for you.

Thank you for speaking to Venus In Balance and for inspiring so many!
xo

After a 25 year career in public relations and advertising, Jen decided to follow her passion and get writing. What followed are several books including: Letters to a Girl, The Bear Who Loves Halloween, and The Dreamstarter Books 1 & 2.

The Dreamstarter Book won the 2009 Book of the Year Award from Creative Child magazine for the way it brings families together. Jennifer introduced The Dreamstarter Book 2, filled with more story starters and activities to help introduce young writers to plot, characters, setting, and illustration.

To encourage young writers, Jennifer created the Dreamstarter Community for Kids, based on her popular storytelling activity book. Both the Dreamstarter e-books and the website won the Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Award in 2010.

Thanks Jen, for being an advocate for children’s Imaginations! To read Jen’s work please visit www.jenkarinwrites.com, or follow her on Facebook!

Name: Jennifer Karin

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration): Writer, and imagination advocate.

Age: 47 and happy about it. Acceptance is my cosmetic of choice.

Family situation (kids? dating? long-term relationship?):

Married to “Mr. Perfect,” so I took it upon myself to kill him off on a regular basis in my humor column. Call it therapy. We have three boys with varying degrees of foot odor: Ben, Jack, and Sam. Monosyllabic names were all I could handle at the time.

How do you make sure you feel good everyday?

It’s easy: it’s all about gratitude.

What inspires you to do the work that you do?

I’m inspired by young minds. I’m blown away by my own kids’ creativity and point of views. I do the work I do to make sure children keep expanding their imaginations. But sadly, I’m seeing imaginations shrink. I call it Spongebob Irony. Spongebob is this highly imaginative little guy who pretends and plays outside all day long, while our kids are sitting inside watching him on TV. Kids need more pretend play. Outside may not always be an option, so turn off the electronics and let kids run around their heads.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have?

Okay, true story: A friend came over with a channeler, someone who speaks to the spirit world. After asking for the winning Megaball numbers for the next 15 years, I asked the spirit guide what else I should be doing. She began to reply with the typical new agey “life will unfold to you in time” message when suddenly she stopped and said, “Writing. You should be writing.” I was a little disappointed at the time, as I was taking singing lessons, but who’s to argue with celestial intervention? Besides, she never gave me the winning lotto numbers.

What’s your approach to nutrition?

I devour books. My RDA is 40% nonfiction, 40% fiction, and 20% vegetarian cookbooks (the recipes are more creative, and you can always add meat). My fav cookbook is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Food should be earth-made, not man-made.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise?

Again, I return to books, or more specifically, the characters in books. They can pull you through the most difficult times. I tell my kids to develop a love for reading so that they are never alone.

What do you do to stay in balance – in other words, how do you balance things like your career, your well-being, your happiness, your friends, your children, your spouse, dating, your fitness, your nutrition, your hobbies, etc.?

As Madeline Albright once said, “Poorly, like every other working mom.” I don’t try to balance. That would require a spreadsheet and power tools. Instead, we have chocolate cake for breakfast, and scratch the dog for exercise. It’s a very good life.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you?

I love art house movies, preferably in French, with brooding lovers in black turtleneck sweaters who smoke and stare at abstract paintings.

What advice do you have for women/men aiming to have it all? In other words, what do you do or have you done that works for you?

First of all, drop the notion of having it all. That’s a huge myth, and one that was propagated among my age group when we entered the working world. You do have choices, however, and you control your destiny. But making choices, sometimes tough choices, is part of the destiny deal.

Any other thoughts?

Yes, and it’s concerning boys. Venus moms, let your boys play war and swordfight and wrestle. It’s not that they want to be violent, it’s that they want to be heroes!

Thank you for speaking to Venus In Balance and for inspiring so many!
xo

Honestly, her eye cream is among the best Karen has ever seen – she can’t leave SCO for any other eye cream! Check out Theresa’s stuff at www.scocare.com.

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration): SCO (Skincareoptions) creator/founder

Age: 46

Family situation: Divorced

How do you make sure you feel good everyday? Engaging in some form of physical movement/exercise: either walking home from work, visiting gym, taking dance class – not always taking up large blocks of time but “something” – helps to relieve stress, relaxes and helps me to keep balanced.

What inspires you to do the work that you do? Hearing how a product is much loved or has helped a customer with specific problem. It’s gratifying to know that people appreciate on any scale something that I’ve created from formula to packaging.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have? It’s not always easy, so during challenging times I remind myself “this too shall pass”, as with most things in life. Most things, although seem permanent at the time is really temporary. Knowing that gives me courage to continue and pursue goals – going through “change” or “newness” is what gives me stamina to carry on.

What’s your approach to nutrition? Try and be balanced with variety. Eat what you crave and like but in moderation. Eat what makes your body feel good and that may change over time.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? Knowing that difficult times usually makes me grow as person – bringing more knowledge and experiences into my life.

What do you do to stay in balance? It’s scheduled in! For things to occur, must make them happen and first step is making the plan, appointment etc.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? To be alone for few days, not doing anything with work, no plans, not speaking on telephone etc. So mind can “relax” and whatever end up doing is what truly feeling like in moment.

What advice do you have for women aiming to have it all? Think its almost impossible to “have it all”, at least for long as situations continually evolve…learning balance is to incorporate little bit of everything in, maybe not enough of anyone thing sometimes but having life with many interests – variety – not being “singular” in anyway.

Any other thoughts? Its cliché but life is a journey and goes by awfully fast so enjoy as much possible. And always strive to live the life you want.

Check out Jason’s work at www.theshaltzes.com!

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration): Photographer/Director

Age: 30

Family situation: I have a GF of 1 year.

How do you make sure you feel good everyday? Try to exercise. Always have music handy.

What inspires you to do the work that you do? I never thought it was possible to get paid for doing something I love. Once it became a reality, I ran with it. It is easy to stay driven when you derive so much happiness from your profession.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have? A lot of help from my business partner/sister, Carrie. There was a lot of “big sister hand holding” when I was thinking about leaving the 9-to-5 lifestyle. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.

What’s your approach to nutrition? Moderation. I am a food nut so its hard for me to starve myself of something I really want to eat. A nice balance of a healthy diet, exercise and an occasional dessert is the way to go.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? Usually turn to my sister or our studio partner, Zach Hyman. Surrounding myself with other ambitious, creative people is the best way to always stay inspired.

What do you do to stay in balance? I try to make time for everything…Even if it means putting “Go To Movie” in my calendar. If you don’t consciously make time for things like that, you’ll never get around to them.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? Donuts. It is a very rare treat, but nothing beats a good donut (especially DAWNS DONUTS in my hometown).

What advice do you have for women aiming to have it all? Aim for it all! Even if you miss, you’ll get most of what you’re after ☺.

Any other thoughts? Follow your gut…it works.