1. Don't look at a scale! Or do...but in moderation. Don't be obsessed with what the number says, it doesn't take into consideration muscle gained or % body fat. The way my body works when I exercise is wholly different than the next person's. My gains are my muscles, my body processes the building and strengthening of my muscles before even considering losing body fat. As most people learned, muscle weighs more than fat, so while the scale may say a high number to some, what it says to me is progress. The healthy way I track my progress and journey, is through a tape measure... in this case inches are your friends! It takes more time, but gives you a better idea of how well you're doing, so pull out a cheap dollar notebook and every day record the size of your biceps, bust, waist, low hip, and each thigh.

2. Take a chill pill! Not everything is going to go your way...9 times out of 10 it's not anyway, so why sweat the small stuff? Concentrate on things that make you happy, take a step back and appreciate what you have, and focus on being the best you. At the end of the day, you have you, and you have to live with yourself for the rest of your life, which is a very long time, so why not make yourself enjoyable for you? If something seems big right now, think about how big it will be a year from now; will it matter then? Probably not, in fact you're probably going to have forgotten about it. Take your five minutes of frustration/anger/sadness/etc. and roll with it, then move on! You've got too much life to live, languages to learn, books to read, and places to visit, to worry about insignificant people, occurrences, or worries.

3. Love who you are! As I said, you have your whole life to live with yourself, you might as well get nice and intimate with who you are. Spend a morning looking at yourself naked in the mirror and instead of looking at what you think is wrong with you, and look instead at what makes you unique and, well, you. As well, take a day off and spend it meditating on your beliefs, your hopes and dreams, and your flaws. If something bothers you about your morals, your personality, etc, take it upon yourself to really evaluate it and see what needs to change. Otherwise, you're great just the way you are, and more likely than not, everyone else thinks so too.

4. Do yoga every morning! For me, doing some type of physical activity before I start my day is mandatory. It stimulates blood flow, gets the brain moving, and allows for production of endorphins. However, like most normal people, mornings can be difficult, so the slow-tempo, do-anywhere, practice of yoga is what gets me ready for the day.

xx