Plan Be!. Becca Anderson

don’t have to buy into anyone else’s definition of success, happiness, or fulfillment.

      These are pearls of great worth. Try them on—see how they feel—choose the pearls that best suit you and the kind of life you aspire to. Keep them close to your heart. Every woman needs a good string of pearls…pearls of wisdom, that is.

      Barbara Jean Hateley

       Introduction

       Plan Be! Secrets of Highly Successful Women

      Women inspire me. It’s as simple as that. All I have to do is look around. There are the women who run the restaurant on the corner—the place where everybody feels comfortable and taken care of. There are mothers pushing strollers, and mothers crunching numbers. There are women healing the sick. Gals cracking us up. Ladies penning the novels and singing the songs that change our lives. Chicks fixing the plumbing. Girls setting world records. Politicians challenging the status quo from within the system, and activists battering it from the outside. There are women at the pinnacle of their fields in every corner of the world, and women finding satisfaction in their own successes, small and large. What’s their secret? (Well, I’ll give you a hint…there’s more than one.)

      What kind of success are you working toward?

      Maybe you don’t know yet—or thought you did but aren’t sure. Or maybe you’re on the right track but need a kick in the pants.

      In our own lives, success can feel elusive. We can get bogged down comparing ourselves to others or whining about what we lack. The women in this book have secrets to share, to shout to the rafters even. Their wise words will push your buttons, open your eyes, and rev up your engine.

      This book is a reminder that you have what it takes to make it to the top. And the best part is, you get to decide where the top is, and you get to chart the path to reach it. This book is here for you—it’s full of quotes and thoughts from hundreds of women to encourage, motivate, and support you as you make your way. Famous and infamous, wise and wisecracking, haughty and humble. Some are names you will know well, others are everyday gals like you and me with something important to add.

      I read somewhere that we’re all descended from three ancestral mothers. How amazing is that? A woman brought each and every one of us into this world, and when we look in the mirror, we can see traces of our mothers, grandmothers, even great-grandmothers. And their gifts go way beyond skin-deep. Every woman in the world is a member of this family—and you can call on their words and their life stories to inspire you at every turn. So keep this book close to you as you get organized, vamp up your personal style, and figure out how to work smarter. Sit back and let this book help you remember the importance of relaxing and indulging yourself (with girlfriends whenever possible). And don’t ever forget to go after your dreams with every ounce of yourself, because after all—women can do anything!

      The Art of Self-Affirmation

      If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and drained by the busyness of life with its many demands, you need to stop in your tracks and do an attitude adjustment, or more specifically, a “gratitude adjustment.” Whenever you have gotten to this point, you have need of some “me TLC” and a dose of radical self-care. Chances are, your very wonderfulness may have led you to give and give and give and give. Now, you need to give and give and give to yourself. You need to soak up the glory of your very being and remember that you are an amazing, awesome person and deserving of all good things!

      The world is changing all around us with increasing speed, making most of us feel we have no control. We are so busy doing and being productive and bullet journaling our way through life that we might be riding on the back of our own bus. Positive living and affirmation queen Becca Anderson has been to the edge of overwhelm and back again. While on her journey, she has gathered a lot of wisdom, and here is her big takeaway:

      If you affirm yourself every day, you can rule the world. More importantly, you can live a life filled with love, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction thanks to your own positive self-regard.

      Through the art of daily self-affirmation, you can take control of your own destiny and create your ideal life. If it sounds easy, it can be, but it does require you to develop the discipline to reflect on a positive affirmation each day. These affirmations are a mindfulness practice that will strengthen your self-esteem. Like a muscle, the more you do it, the stronger your confidence and sense of self will be. Plan Be! is the ultimate motivating, encouraging, and uplifting book to enjoy and share. These very wise words and affirmative sayings have the power to touch our hearts, make us laugh, and alleviate our stress as we realize the vast potential life has to offer. Grouped together, these quips, quotes, and “power thoughts” can help you deal with everything life throws at you with élan. Simply put, you’ll be too blessed to be stressed!

      How to Use This Book

      Pick up the book, randomly open to a quote, and let those words be your guiding thought for the day. If you are REALLY resonating to this power thought, keep using it every day and let it become your mantra.

      Use these inspired ideas in speeches, on your bulletin board, in your email signature, your Twitter handle, and on your social media. Hey, if it is your favorite ever Big Thought, get a tattoo on your inner wrist where you see it all the time and are reminded of your personal worth and of the great big beautiful world we all live in.

      Read a few and really “power up” for your day, sort of like a booster shot in word form. If you are getting ready to do a presentation, a sales pitch, or an interview for your dream job, your next YouTube taping, or any very important date, these affirmations can be the wind in your sails.

      Just love the heck out of yourself EVERY day!

       Chapter One

       Organization Is the Key to Happiness

      Do you come home every night and feel a bit guilty about the stacks and piles of clutter? Is something blocking your creativity or the get-up-and-go you need for all your household projects? Does your energy feel “stuck” in certain rooms, even impeding a good night’s sleep in your own bed? Do you go out or order in dinner all the time, not even wanting to cook in your own kitchen? If any of this rings true, I wrote this book for you. Is your desk or workstation hopelessly cluttered?

      Your home and office should feel like a sanctuary. We should be able to walk in the front door and immediately feel a sense of comfort, refuge, and safe haven. There are lots of things you can do, both large and small, that will make a tangible difference in the way your home feels and functions. Getting rid of anything you no longer use will increase the functionality of your home by making it easier to clean, increase orderliness, and also improve energies. I made a breakthrough discovery two years ago when I decided to unpack boxes I had never opened since moving in six years before. While they were tucked away unseen in the basement storage area, I knew they were there. One weekend, I decided to take the plunge and open those boxes. Going through our things can be an emotional experience; I remember finding a card from a friend who had passed away and immediately becoming misty-eyed. Powered by a triple latte, I plowed through the boxes and placed objects into three designated areas: Donate, Trash, and Keep. The goal was to have as little in the “keep” zone as possible. I am proud to say that even less was in the trash, and that was only a few items that broke during the move. “Donate” became several carloads to the Recycle and Reuse Center. Once I got the knack of it, most of the “Keep” pile ended up there, too. After the whirl of activity, something unexpected happened: I felt suddenly very buoyant and much lighter. I realized those unopened boxes had caused an invisible cloud of guilt; they had weighed me down. When the cloud lifted, I experienced a kind of effervescent joy. It was