College Lifestyles Interviews Bestselling Author, Sonia Choquette

 

Chicken soup may feed an aching soul, but reading one of Sonia Choquette’s books will heal your spirit for good. Choquette, acclaimed internationally for her guidance, wisdom, and spiritual knowledge, continuously expresses her message for happy living: learn to trust your instincts and let your spirit do the talking. Her books are incomparable to any other Self-Help reads and after an interview with the author, you’ll want to find out why. Read on for answers to your heartbreak questions and to see how Choquette feels about life as a bestselling author.

College Lifestyles: Upon finishing your book—one of my personal favorites and New York Times Bestseller—Trust Your Vibes, I now use the phrase “trust your vibes” daily as a motto to help myself and the people around me make decisions. In 10 words or less, how would you describe what trusting your vibes is like?

Sonia Choquette: Moving your attention from your brain to your heart.

CL: All of your books are chock full of inspiration and words of encouragement. What’s your secret to staying so positive?

SC: One of the things that I know is especially true in the college world is that a lot of young people have not been shown how to really check in with their vibes, how to really reflect on their most authentic feelings. They are not given any encouragement to listen and trust their intuition. I have a four step process that can correct that quickly:

• Be open to your vibes and trust your vibes as your creative, reliable source. Be open to the questions: What does my heart say? and what does my spirit say? Ask yourself (aloud, in the shower, or while walking across campus), what does my spirit think?
• You will get what you expect! Expect that you have a beautiful spirit that will guide you. Use that intuition.
• Speak your vibes out loud whenever you can. There’s something very healing about hearing how you feel. When you’re in your head, you may say that’s not it, that doesn’t feel right… But when you speak, it’s a truth that will calm you.
• Start having the courage to act on your intuition. Maybe you shouldn’t trust this person, maybe you should ask a teacher that question…Take one small risk a day—even in the smallest of ways—to give your intuition the choice.

CL: You are praised around the world for your incredible ability to heal, teach, and guide others. How should a co-ed who’s losing her happiness and focus regain these things and more?

SC: Those who trust their vibes are creators, innovators, starting new businesses, are non-conformists—they are having gorgeous experiences! It’s only the followers who are going to be in trouble. When you lead with your instincts, you catch the flow. Pretty soon, life is not an uphill struggle. It gets more and more expansive; you attract more and more good things.

When you trust your vibes, you learn to lead instead of be a follower. Old rules say to follow and someone will lead you. In trusting your vibes, you learn to lead and create your life rather than seek someone who will help you down the line.

CL: Confidence is something that many find difficult to maintain due to media pollution and societal expectations. Here at College Lifestyles, we are tackling this issue through our Beauty By Confidence and Text Sweet Messages campaigns. But how can listening to one’s gut instincts help to boost their confidence?

SC: You can only have confidence in what is true. When you listen to your heart, your heart will give you the truth. When you look in the mirror, look for the light and spirit in your eyes and say what you know is good and true about yourself. That’s how you build confidence!

Look into your eyes for your spirit—the energy that makes you alive—and say something out loud about you that’s positive. Still looking into your eyes, follow it up with the question: Is that true? I’m a leader, I’m a teacher, I’m a kind person, a good listener… Every day for 30 days, say one good thing about yourself and you’ll have more confidence.

CL: How can a heartbroken, classy lady begin to cope with the inevitable sadness that comes with the end of a relationship, turning the pain into personal progress?

SC: Everyone goes through a broken heart. It’s a part of the human experience. Every time you love, it’s courageous. You have to recognize that when your heart is broken, you have to be kind and nurturing and patient and allow yourself time to grieve. To truly heal, allow a year to grieve. You may bounce back faster, but don’t pressure yourself to.

I’m also a big believer in doing yoga every day to heal the heart. I speak from experience and personal practice—this will help enormously. A spiritual practice every day is absolutely fabulous in healing a heart because your body is holding the grief. It’s a loss of plans, what might’ve been…Your body carries that! It only takes a couple of poses and a couple of minutes of really deep breathing. Get online or get a book at the library and pick three or more poses to practice.

When you love someone who is wounded, they will hurt you. Don’t see it as your failure. And don’t judge yourself. If you find yourself feeling angry at the person who broke your heart, say: every breath that I take, I am healing my heart. Then, catch your breath. One day you will wake up and say “I’m OK.”

CL: Finally, for any aspiring authors (including myself!), how’s it feel to be a New York Times bestselling author due to several books, including The Answer Is Simple… and Soul Lessons?

SC: I don’t think about it. All I think about is that I’m grateful for being able to share what I’ve learned. I’m humbled that what I have to share is so well received. Everything I do is in service to God and to the healing of humanity. My ego is certainly flattered, but you know what, in the big picture, whether you ever get to be a New York Times bestseller or not doesn’t matter. If only one person reads your book, you’ve changed that one persons’ life! I was a writer for 18 years before the New York Times found me. Just do what you do with love!

Tune in to Sonia Choquette’s radio station on Hay House Radio every Wednesday from 12-1 PM PST for more words of healing. And listen up for the song entitled “Trust Your Vibes” that plays before the show and throughout commercials (it’s a special request from Choquette to CL readers!). Buy her books and audio programs at soniachoquette.com.

Tiana Blue is a Senior Writer for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

 

 

 

 

 

CL Beauty How To: Wear Red Lipstick

Red lipstick is a great look for almost any occasion, but one wrong move and you look like a toddler who got into her mother’s makeup. Avoid this mistake with this CL Beauty How-To, and rock red lips at your next party, or just to your Friday morning class.

 

1. Pick the right place. The most important part of wearing red lipstick is picking the right shade of red, so try before you buy! This is the time to bring a friend and ask the saleslady for help. Think Sephora, not CVS.

2. Choose the right red. Every major magazine has an article about how to choose the right red lipstick. This is where your friend and saleslady come in, because there’s so many different shades out there. In general, blue-based lipsticks work best with fair skin, while dark-skinned ladies should pick burgundy shades. (Think red wine.) In between? Go for what’s known as a ‘true red’ – try  looking at the shade name. It’s also helpful to keep the shape of your lips in mind when picking a color. Thin lips look better with lighter reds, while thick lips can handle darker ones.

3. Exfoliate. For long-lasting color, you want to make sure that your lips are smooth. Exfoliate with an old toothbrush or a lip scrub, like Fresh Brown Sugar Lip Polish. Pat on your favorite lip balm, and let set for a few minutes.

4. Use a lip brush. Yes, it’s sexy to watch a woman apply her lipstick directly. But with such a dramatic color, there’s just too much potential for failure. Use a lip brush, taking special care to avoid going outside the lipline. Fill in any messy sections with the stick. Try this one by Maybelline, only $5.69.

5. Wear lip gloss. This step is optional, but highly recommended. Wear a lip gloss in the exact shade as your lipstick for long-lasting color. If you prefer a matte look, just a hint of clear gloss in the center of your bottom lip will make your lips look fuller.

6. Finish the rest of your makeup. Red lips are the focus of this look,  so keep the rest of your face subtle. Focus on achieving a clear-looking complexion, and a strong brow for some balance. Pat on some beige shadow and mascara. If you’d like, in lieu of blush, dot your cheeks with the lipstick and blend well.

7. Be confident! Red lipstick draws a lot of attention. Smile graciously, and own it. Oh, and try to make sure it stays off your teeth.

Have you ever tried red lipstick? How was it? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us at @collegelifestyl !

Sasha Graffagna is a junior at NYU majoring in Journalism and Comparative Literature. She has worn red lipstick once or twice, and loved it.

CL’s Guide to Keeping Things Positive!

As much as we wish college is nothing but hanging with sisters, making crafts and lounging on a favorite couch, college is also about hitting the books . . . hard. Piling homework, work and sorority meetings and social functions can really stress a CL girl out! Even though a girl may be stressed but it’s still good to show some love to your fellow sisters, friends and family!

Designating a sister to keep things positive is a great way to keep everyone’s moods upbeat! Before or after chapter she could show something funny from YouTube to boost everyone’s moral. Every girl loves a sweet treat and candy is a good way to any girl’s heart, bringing in candy or cupcakes puts everyone in a sweet mood and ready for business.

Sometimes in our crazy hectic schedules we sometimes forget to tell people thank you for all they do or remind them how much we care. Using CL’s TSM (Text Sweet Messages) Campaign is a great way to remind every sister how much they mean to each other. TSM is all about taking an amount of time from each day and texting positive messages.

Going along with positive texts is positive emails. When sorority girls are bombarded by emails everyday from classmates, professors, and anything to do with Greek Life it tends to become a hassle. Anytime a sister sends an email, maybe put a positive message at the end to make everyone smile or try to put a positive spin on things!

Everyone has bad days and it’s good to have something to remind a girl how much her sister’s care about her. Making a simple booklet from bright paper and having fellow sisters write positive messages is a great way to keeps sisters close and keep attitudes on positive on the days when a girl gets hit with something negative.

These are just easy steps any girl can take to let her sisters know she cares and to keep everyone’s day positive! Everyone has rough days and it’s good to know you have a sister to lean on when things get tough!

CL’s Guide to Buying your Big the Best Graduation Gift

Finding the perfect gift for anyone is tough but finding the perfect goodbye gift for your big can be even tougher. What haven’t you already bought her and what crafts haven’t you made for her. The best thing to emphasize is all the memories you both shared so it’s something she can look back on.

The best thing to encompass all of your memories is to make your big a graduation scrapbook. Compiling pages of all the favorite memories and memorabilia is something that a Big can keep around forever. Reminiscing on old memories can bring bigs and littles even closer. 

Even when Bigs are passing down their sorority t-shirts, flowers, and décor it’s good to give them their last family shirt. A family shirt is a great gift because they unique to what a family is all about and it shows the different generations that a big has started. It’s also something that they can wear when they come to visit or during Homecoming weekend.

A great gift that will keep a big grounded in the real world is a journal filled with all of your sorority’s information and what makes your sorority unique. Sometimes in the hectic crazy world a girl can lose herself and it’s good to have a friendly reminder of the woman she grew to be.

 

Piggy banks are the best way to save up a girl’s pennies so why not give a Big a piggy bank to save up her pennies to come visit again! It’s a cute reminder that even though a Big is graduating that she’ll be missed not only by her chapter, but especially her Little.

A practical gift is a nice briefcase or bag that can hold a resume or portfolio. It’ll be great for interviews and when she lands that amazing job she’s been working hard for! Buy a professional one but still has details that go with her personality like a bow or a splash of floral print.

What I Love About Me: A CL Intern’s Personal Dish

Hello again classy co-ed’s! I hope that this spring semester is treating you all well thus far. The closer and closer that it gets to summer, I continually think of how ill-prepared I currently am to tuck away my coats and jeans, and pull out my tanks and shorts. This is only one of the no doubt, many negative thoughts that daily run through the rest of the ladies that are my age. This is something that I have sought to stop in myself and in others though. This is why we at College Lifestyles would like to let you all know what we love about ourselves, and we would love for you in turn, to let us know what you love about yourself! Happy people make for happy times, and I know that being down on myself for eating that mac and cheese the other day or deciding to watch Glee instead of going to work out is so not going to make for a happy me later on!

Listed below are just a few things that I love about myself:

• I love my realistic, yet still optimistic look on life.
• I love my sarcasm and that I have the ability to make others laugh.
• I love my dark brown eyes.
• I love that I’m short (less stress finding jeans )
• I love that I have patience.

Each of these things is written down somewhere that I turn every day. Some in my office at work, some on my desk in my apartment, some in my planner, and some in the EverNote app on my phone that I use all the time. Though I know that I love myself and am happy with myself, there are just some things that can get a girl down on herself that really shouldn’t. That’s why we can all use a little personal reinforcement every day. You may forget that it’s there and be having a really bad morning, but then you sit down at your desk or have to pencil something in for next Thursday in your planner, and right there is that little something written down that you love about yourself to remind you just how great you are! Eleanor Roosevelt said that “the giving of love is an education in itself.” You must learn to love yourself, and that is definitely a lesson worth staying awake for! Please comment or e-mail us to let us know what YOU love about your fabulous selves, ladies! We love you and we want to know all of the reasons that you love you!

Jordan Ellis is an intern at College Lifestyles™. She is a graduate student at Pace University in New York City and received her Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University (WHOOP!) where she was a proud member of Delta Zeta Sorority. She loves movies, sports, too much television, cooking, DIY projects, and playing with her precious Miniature Schnauzer, Beau.

How to Bring the TSM Campaign to Your Chapter!

The TSM Campaign stands for ‘Text Sweet Messages.’ The TSM Campaign was brainstormed by the Executive Director/CEO of College Lifestyles, Shelly Marie Redmond, as a way to bring a ‘thank you’ or a ‘sweet message’ to someone by just using their mobile phone.  With over 5 million mobile phones worldwide, and 1 million text messages sent daily, wouldn’t it be nice to make a promise to send a ‘TSM’ daily.  In less than 30 seconds (the average time to text a message), you have the incredible feeling of making someone’s day and showing them you care.

How can you bring the TSM campaign to your chapter? Easy!  College Lifestyles has developed a 5-10 minute program to implement at your next chapter meeting!  The TSM Campaign fits easily into the mission of College Lifestyles, ‘Nutrition, Etiquette, and Lifestyles for Classy Co-Eds and Sorority Ladies.’ College Lifestyles promotes all to live their lives with class and civility, and this campaign not only promotes modern day etiquette practices but also the power of class and poise in today’s college lady.  We feel and encourage our sorority women to embrace living their lives with class and civility, as well as modern day etiquette practices.

Looking for ways to bring TSM (text sweet messages) Campaign to your chapter?

Contact College Lifestyles at info@collegelifestyles.org for the ‘TSM Campaign Program for Sorority Women!’ packet.  The packet contains everything needed – a lesson plan, TSM contract for the chapter, and 10 ways a chapter can implement a successful TSM campaign!

Bring the TSM ‘Text Sweet Messages’ Campaign to your chapter!

~Shelly

Shelly Marie Redmond, MS, RD, LDN is the Executive Director/CEO of College Lifestyles.  She loves the TSM ‘Text Sweet Messages’ campaign and wants all sorority women to participate!  Email College Lifestyles at info@collegelifestyles.org to implement your chapter TSM campaign!

College Lifestyles Announces the TSM Campaign

College Lifestyles is proud to announce it’s TSM Campaign!  What is this classy campaign all about?  How can you bring this to your school and sorority chapter?  What can you do to TSM? Watch our video and read on….

Video:  TSM Campaign

What is the TSM Campaign?

The TSM Campaign stands for ‘Text Sweet Messages.’ The TSM Campaign was brainstormed by the Executive Director/CEO of College Lifestyles, Shelly Marie Redmond, as a way to bring a ‘thank you’ or a ‘sweet message’ to someone by just using their mobile phone.  With over 5 million mobile phones worldwide, and 1 million text messages sent daily, wouldn’t it be nice to make a promise to send a ‘TSM’ daily.  In less than 30 seconds (the average time to text a message), you have the incredible feeling of making someone’s day and showing them you care.

Sadly, just in the last few weeks, our world has been shocked by the misuse of mobile phone devices for harassment and bulling.  To combat the issues of ‘mean girls,’ we are encouraging all to start using their mobile phone devices for the greater good of all – spreading messages of joy and compassion.

The TSM Campaign fits easily into the mission of College Lifestyles, ‘Nutrition, Etiquette, and Lifestyles for Classy Co-Eds and Sorority Ladies.’ College Lifestyles promotes all to live their lives with class and civility, and this campaign not only promotes modern day etiquette practices but also the power of class and poise in today’s college lady.

When does the TSM Campaign start?

The classy interns of College Lifestyles have already begun TSMing!

12/7/10 is TSM day!  12/7/10 is the day we are asking all to make the promise to TSM their loved ones, friends, and sorority sisters.

What are some simple examples of TSM’s I can use?

Simple TSM’s include messages such as ‘You’re wonderful,’ ‘Have a super day,’ and even the fun ‘:)’

Other ideas include:

• Finals week and GRE.  Sending a simple message wishing good luck.
• Job interviews.  Sending a message the night before wishing good luck.
• After a break up.  Sending a message on how much the person means to you.
• After a bad test.  Sending a simple message on how you want to help with studying or how you can assist.
• Birthdays and Holidays.

How can I use TSM in my sorority chapter or organization?

College Lifestyles is developing a PDF your chapter can specifically use discussing not only the benefits of TSM, but simple ways sisters can incorporate TSM into chapter programming.

Ideas include:

• Signing up for a ‘text service‘ for a motivational ‘Tuesday TSM‘ message to all sisters.
• Birthday wishes to sisters.
• Holiday wishes to sisters.
• And many more……

Does TSM really work?

Yes!  Many people would agree ‘feeling good’ after doing ‘something good.’ Scientific research relates to the fact of not only feeling good, but an improvement in mental, emotional, and physical health.  Researcher Allan Luks’s significant findings on the topic of doing good can give one an increased sense of self-worth, greater happiness, and optimism, as well as a decrease in feelings of depression.  An act as simple as a TSM promotes being kind and compassionate to those in our lives.

In addition, TSM has the incredible beauty of being ‘passed on’ and ‘rippled’ to another individual.  Similar to the individual who starts the ripple of ‘paying for the person’s coffee behind them at a local Starbucks,’ folks who receive a TSM can send one to another friend!

How can I get my sorority, organization, or high school more involved?

College Lifestyles CEO/Executive Director, Shelly Marie Redmond, is happy to travel to your sorority chapter or organization to present the TSM Campaign:  Bringing Class, Compassion, and Civility into the 21st Century!

We encourage you all to show the video to your organizations and take pictures of your activities to submit to the College Lifestyles website.

In December, College Lifestyles will be hosting our ‘TSM Campaign Contest,’ asking the following to submit stories for publication on our website on how the ‘TSM’d:’

-Individuals

-High Schools/High School Organizations

-Sorority

-Collegiate Organizations (non-Greek)

I would like more information on TSM.  Who do I contact?

Direct all questions, speaking tour, media inquires, and interview inquires to:

Shelly Marie Redmond, MS, RD, LDN

Executive Director/CEO College Lifestyles

info@collegelifestyles.org

318.426.0987

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”

-Scott Adams