Think GOLDEN Has A New Home!!

Hola Bellas! I'm excited to tell you that Think Golden has been moved to a new site! I think the new site is a bit more user friendly and I am really digging the new look! The name has now been changed to Live, Love, Think GOLDEN! Don't worry, you'll still find the same up uplifting "light at the end of the tunnell" messages, helpful hints, and embarrassing personal stories! I hope you likey as much as I do!

Today I am thankful for all of my faithful readers and subscribers for giving me the inspiration to write this blog! You mean sooo much to me and you have all touched my life!

With Much Gratitude,
Melanie

Ok Beauties, Lets Get Logical!!!

Hola Bellas! Como estas? Bien?! Great, so I have been perusing the beauty blogs for quite some time. Most give great little tid bits here and there, but a select few are my go to blogs for all things beauty! One of my absolute favorites is Dominican Enigma's BeautyLogic! DE (what we BeautyLogic Beauties call her) is possibly the most gorgeous woman I have her seen! Seriously, if it weren't for the fact that she is just as beautiful inside as she is out, I might be tempted to pick up my haterade drinking habit again ;-P.

So the first time I stumbled upon BeautyLogic, I spent hours reading and digesting all of her posts! DE has an uncanny knack for suggesting exactly what I need at the time! Its almost scary! As soon as I finished I ran out and bought 3 products that she had suggested and I was not disappointed! I love and am grateful for the fact that DE suggests products that are not only of great quality, but also affordable. In fact, she has started a new post series called "Recession Replacement Thursdays", in which she spotlights suggestions from her faithful readers on how they are replacing some of their high-end beauty items with more affordable options that give comparable results. Loving this! But, because DE is the professional that she is...she also indulges our luxe side with reviews on more expensive products that she feels warrant a shout out...and often times she does giveaways for these higher end products so that her readers can try out these products for themselves! I was actually the lucky winner of one of these giveaways and, once again, I was not disappointed!

Anyone who has read BeautyLogic knows that DE is all about the hair! With her long, flowing, shiny, thick, jet black, gorgeous hair, I have dubbed DE the "Hair Queen". So when, the Hair Queen speaks, you listen! Now, I have been frustrated for years with the fact that my hair would not grow! I mean its as if my hair gets to a certain length and says, "NO, I cannot...I will not go on!" Then one day, as if it were meant to be, I came across this post from DE that has literally changed my hair! Suddenly, my defiant hair that would put on the breaks after reaching a certain length, is GROWING! I could not be more excited! And, DE was kind enough to let us in on a little bit of her hair routine...



The thing I love most about DE and her BeautyLogic Blog, though, is her spirit! DE not only wants you to be beautiful outside, but inside as well! She believes in empowering women, and encourages us to never stop learning and to never give up on our dreams! DE is an aspiring reporter and I have no doubt that she will accomplish her goals! Check her out in action! Look out for this bella on a television near you!

Today I am grateful for the inspiration to follow my dreams and the helpful hints to look fab while doing it!

Close Your Eyes and Envision Beauty!!!

Hello ALL! I am super excited to kick off my "Favorite Health and Beauty Blog" series with none other than Kimberly Snyder's Envision Beauty Blog! Kimberly Snyder is an entrepreneur, raw foodist, yoga instructor, world traveler, charity promoter, free thinker, do gooder, super woman, and your all around rockstar! Ok ok, I'll admit, I have a bit of girl crush, but seriously this lady is worth the admiration!

I was first introduced to Kimberly through Dominican Enigma of BeautyLogic (more on her in a later post). DE had done a youtube video interview that left me chomping at the bit to check out Kimberly's site...and I was not disappointed. I spent the next three days reading every post Kimberly had written and I was inspired! I have been looking for a way to get my weight under control for years. Not only do I want to look better, but I want to feel better! I want to have the energy to go and pursue my dreams! After, reading I closed my eyes and envisioned beauty! I envisioned myself at my perfect weight, and accomplishing all of my goals with energy to spare. Suddenly, I was introduced to a way of eating that did not seem like a gimmick. No counting calories, no points, no high protein/low carb or morning banana fad diets...just natural, whole, raw foods. Kimberly took the guess work out of eating healthy and made it simple.

Now, I won't lie and say that I am now a 100% raw foodist. Heck, I'm not even a vegetarian, but I have been incorporating a lot of raw healthy vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts into my diet and I have never felt better! And that is what is so great about Kimberly's blog. There is no agenda pushing...just sound advice on how to eat and live a healthier life! There are tons of delicious looking recipes to get you started...her Ultimate Green Smoothie being one of my favorites! Kimberly has also developed her very own skin care product called The Solution, which is fabulous (be on the look out for a youtube review of The Solution very soon)! It is her flagship product which is a host of skin care products in one! AND, 10% of the proceeds from The Solution goes to Project Concern International (PCI) which organizes clean water initiatives, micro enterprise, agricultural education, and life-saving medical relief in Africa, the Americas, and in Asia.

In addition, Kimberly is working on a skin brightening cleanser to be released later on this year and her very own Yoga Video, which was shot on location in Bora Bora (also being released later on this year)!


Yes, Ms. Snyder is living her life like its GOLDEN and I have mad respect for her! If you have not done so already, go to her blog and be enlightened!

Today I am thankful for sound advice and robust inspiration!

Giving Up The Haterade!!!

Ok ladies, I know I said my next few posts would be about my favorite health blogs, but I feel compelled to speak on something else that has been holding me back and is bad for my health (huh, I guess this post is sorta health related! ;-). Yes ladies, I am guilty of drinking the Haterade! For my readers who may not have heard of this term, please click here for a definition. The rest of you know what I'm talking about! Can I get an AMEN?!

So it seems that when things are not going so well, I indulge in a big, heaping glass of Haterade. Ladies please tell me I'm not alone in this. You know what I'm talking about right?! You know that girl that, upon sight of her, actually insights a physical response in you?! You see her and all of her "perfectness" and your upper lip starts to curl up in an expression that can only be described as the "I'm so freakin' jealous of you I could spit" look?! C'mon, don't lie...don't leave me out here on this limb by myself! ;-)

This is no new phenomenon. Women have been doing it forever. It sucks, cause when that green eyed monster that lives in the depths of my psyche pops out and rears it's ugly head, I find myself wallowing in a sea of negativity and comparisons! And if your comparing yourself to someone else, you will never win! TRUST ME!!! You'll start comparing everything! She has hair like yours, only longer and less frizzy. She has skin that is clear and as smooth as butter. You both have a great education, only she now has a fabulous career that she loves and is making a truck load of money! And, she has the perfect body! Not a dimple in sight....meanwhile your butt looks like a golf ball! I know what your thinking...there has to be some consolation right? She must have a horrible personality and be dreadfully boring...right?! So you wait for it...and then she opens her mouth and she is nothing less than delightful! She is sweet as apple pie and everybody LOVES HER! Yep, there goes that lip again!

You see what I mean ladies? This is not healthy!!!! If there is one thing that I have realized its that no matter how great you are...there is always someone out there that does it better than you! This is not to discourage you, but to let you know that you don't have to be perfect! We have been beautifully and wonderfully made....Each and every one of us! We have all been given unique and wonderful gifts that make us the outstanding women that we are! It is time that we stopped coveting the lives of others and start being thankful for the blessings that we have been given! Besides, "Covet" is the name of my eyeliner and that is the only green that looks good on me!

Today I am thankful for the realization that what God has for me is for ME...and nobody can take that away! Ladies, love yourselves!!!

CHANGES....

Wow! So it has been a while since I posted and there have been a lot of changes in my life! As you all know, I had been applying to grad school. Well, things happened...money issues...time sensitive situations...and going to grad school this year just did not work out. Needless to say, this did not do much for my mood. School was the one thing that I had been looking forward to. It was kind of the light at the end of the tunnel for me, so when I realized it was not going to happen I became depressed. It seemed like things just kept getting worse!

Finally, I got a ray of sunshine....I got a job! After months and months and months of searching, I finally got hired...making slightly more than minimum wage! I must admit that it is a bit humbling to be a college graduate making minimum wage, but it is certainly better than nothing! I guess I can't complain.

So there's more! Around the time that I got the job, I decided to go to massage therapy school! Literally, it JUST happened! I came across this article about jobs that are actually prospering even in the recession and Massage Therapist just jumped out at me! I mean I couldn't get it out of my head! So, I started doing some research and requested some info from a few different schools. Within 2 days I had gotten an email from a school in Dallas requesting that I join them for an open house the very next day and they would waive the $75 application fee for attending (great..cause I'm broke)! So, I went and was completely impressed with the campus and the teachers and the people. I applied that night and in the next 2 days I found out that my tuition and fees would pretty much be completely covered! Great!!!

And then the ball dropped! It turns out that the financial aid package I had expected to get was not set in stone. So, when I got my official financial aid award letter it was minus the grant I was told I was getting. I found out that since I already had a Bachelors degree that I was not eligible for the grant . Unfortunately, that meant that I was short a considerable amount and could not afford to go. As you can imagine, I was quite disappointed. I decided, though, that I would not let it get me down. I would just work and save up as much as I could to be able to attend the class starting in September. Considering how little I am making, I am not sure that it will happen..but I'm gonna try.

The job is going pretty good though! I have a front desk position at a very well known gym and I'm really excited about that because I am a person who is very influenced by her surroundings. I have found that being in an environment that is health conscious has caused me to pay more attention to how I treat my body and I have been making much better choices lately. Plus, I have a free membership so now I have absolutely no excuse not to work out! Not one! Having this job has also led me to start researching health and healthy eating etc and I have come across many exciting blogs that have inspired me! So much so that I have decided that I want to share this news with you all. So, the next few posts will be reviews of blogs that I have really come to love to read. Most are health related, some are beauty related...but its all related! So, stay tuned!

After being on a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows for the past few months, I am grateful today, to just be on a more even keel. I'm gonna make it...and you will too!

Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man!

Ok ladies! I am reading Steve Harvey's new bestseller, "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man" and to say that it has been insightful is an understatement! This book gives the ultimate male perspective! Steve Harvey basically gives us ladies a cheat sheet on the inner workings of the male mind! I would like to say that I picked up this book and read a whole bunch of stuff that I already knew...but I didn't! And ladies, what you don't know CAN hurt you!

Its not that it has all been a huge revelation...there is some common sense involved here. But the fact of the matter is men think very differently than women...even more so than I thought! I've learned about what men want, what they need, and how they view themselves as men! I've also learned that I am a Damn Good Woman! I know this now more than ever!

There is one particular chapter in this book that got my attention..."Why Men Cheat". It is the question that we as women have often wondered, but never really understood. We don't understand because we are women and we don't think like men. Its not that women don't cheat...but the reasons that a woman cheats are wholly different from the reasons that a man cheats! According to Steve there are several reasons that a man cheats! And the #1 reason is because they can! Now ladies, if your like me...this doesn't sit well with you! But something else caught my attention even more than this! The reason? It hit home for me. It became personal. It became something I could relate to because I have been through it! And, it was a revelation! In this book Steve writes,

"The moment your suspicions turn into a Law & Order-type investigation, we're (men) going to lie and deny. That's if we care about you. But if not-if a man doesn't see you fitting into his life plan-he won't even bother with all of the covering up and the chitchat after he gets found out. He'll simply tell you that he was sleeping with someone else because..."

A little story about me: My ex and I broke up like 3 years ago! And (you guessed it!) he cheated! I found out through the girl he was messing with. She and I had been friends a long time ago and when she found out about me, she wanted to let me know what was going on. So my response was just to ask him...straight up! It was the day of our one year anniversary (you see at the time I had been a flight attendant and the next time that I saw him after I was given this information happened to be our big day)! Anyway, regardless of the day I had to know the truth...and I had to be able to look him in his eyes when I asked him. He confirmed everything! He told me it was true only after a slight moment of hesitation.

Journey back to present day: WOW! It hit me! I spent one year and one month of my life with a guy who didn't even care enough about me to try to lie to me! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I know and I wanted the truth, but the point is he didn't even try to deny it! This means that he wasn't even concerned with the prospect of losing me! He didn't see me fitting into his life plan! WOW! I suddenly realized that I was never supposed to be a long term thing. I mean I knew that his mother and his best friend didn't think I was good enough for him because I wasn't, in his words, "part of the Black social elite", but what I did not know was that he felt the same way! I did not know that I was dispensable in his eyes. I did not know that I was temporary. I realize now that he wanted me to break up with him! And when I didn't...when I forgave him because I was just sooo in love (puke!), he became a huge jackass...completely ignoring me until I was fed up enough to do what he wanted me to do in the first place.

Its funny. Knowing this now is actually liberating in a way. It frees me up to understand that it wasn't me...it was him! Believe me, I understand what a good woman I am and I also understand that I am worth making plans for. I just wish he hadn't wasted my time when he knew that I wasn't the one for him. But, hey you live and you learn!

Anywho, ladies get into this book! It is a fun read that is full of insight and helpful tips!

Golden Nugget: Today I am thankful that I've learned from past mistakes and I'm also thankful that I can acknowledge that I am only human and that I may fall down...but I will always get back up!

EUREKA!!!

Ladies and gentleman, we are in a full blown RECESSION! I know what your thinking...DUH!!! It's not as if I did not know...it's not as if I haven't been directly affected by the recession for months now! Still somehow that word...RECESSION...has just sunk in. It's not just me! I am not the only one going through this! It is everywhere! Millions of people are losing their jobs and their homes. Millions of educated people can't find a job to save their lives. We are all in the same boat! Here I was thinking "Why ME?!" As if the world was attacking me personally. As if I had done something to create this mess. But, it's not just me...its everyone! Knowing that it's not just me has freed my mind up to accept the possibility that I am not just some idiot that can't find a job. I am smart! I am capable! I am talented! AND I am DESERVING! It won't always be this way...and for that I am thankful!

A few days ago my Facebook status read, "Melanie doesn't understand why this is happening to her. What is the purpose! Why ME!!!" I was feeling sorry for myself after a particularly dreadful occurrence that I don't wish to relive (although it still needs to be handled). Friends of mine were quick to give me support and encouraging words. But what I was not prepared for was the outpouring of well wishes from people that I've never even met! Now I know that I am not the only person that has people on their friends list that they have never met! C'mon...don't lie! Most of them are Sisters in my sorority from other states that I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet. Other's are people that requested to be my friend who are friends of a friend. Still, other's are people that I have no other connection to outside of Facebook. So, I was somewhat shocked to find that I had two emails from virtual strangers who reached out to me in kindness. Two people whom I have never met, were willing to lend an ear and offer kind words of encouragement! It suddenly clicked...I am not alone in this!!!

Golden Nugget: Today I am sooo grateful for eureka moments and for friends...known and unknown!