Oprah stood on stage congratulating all of us for devoting a day to ourselves and our well being. She spoke to the 4000 women and few men that were there but you definitely felt as if she was talking directly to you. She told us all that we had the power for greatness, because greatness is determined by service. She said that when you shift your focus from success to service, your work as a teacher, doctor, nurse, executive, assistant, or mother will instantly have more meaning. She has a friend that once told her that the key is not to worry about being successful but to instead work toward being significant. Real success means creating a life of meaning through service that fulfills your reason for being here.

Oprah inspired us to have the courage to follow our passion. She said it is key to discover our life's passion and then to exercise the discipline, tenacity, and hard work it takes to pursue it. She explained that our lives are speaking to us every day and our job is to listen up and find the clues. She encouraged us to listen to the whispers in our lives. To pay attention to what makes us feel energized, connected, and excited. If you do what you love and give back in the form of service, Oprah believes you will do more than succeed. You will triumph.

All of this was prefaced with the idea that you need to love yourself first and then, and only then, can you truly give to others. To live your best life you need to take care of yourself through finding stillness. In our busy world of constant doing, it is important to take time out and be still to hear the whispers in your life and what they have to offer.

As we approach the holidays and as the year comes to an end take time to be still. Listen to the whispers, nurture yourself, and work toward being significant in your life and the lives of those around you.

Oprah has a prayer that she says everyday to help her live her best life: "Use me God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself."

Suze Orman: Don't spend money you don't have. Pay down your credit card debt. Continue to build wealth by investing your money in your 401 K or 403 B up to the point your company will match your contribution. Build and maintain an 8-month emergency fund.

Martha Beck: Find a place of love within you and carry that throughout your day and everything will flow. When you carry around anger, bitterness, and negativity everything will fight against you.

Nate Berkus: Your home should be a place that represents who you are and what you aspire to be. Try adding something vintage to your home to give it that special touch.

Peter Walsh: There is nothing wrong with holding onto things for their memories or for preparation of the future, but there is something wrong if those things rob you of your life right now.

Stacy London: Tailoring makes good clothes look like couture and inexpensive clothes look great. Be sure to accentuate the smallest portion of your body. Buy the best quality you can afford to avoid replacing pieces constantly.

Jim Karas: Eat breakfast every day. Keep a food diary. Strength train 3 times a week. Sleep enhances weight loss.

Marianne Williamson: Meditating each morning is the most empowering way you can start your day. Give as much time to tending to your spirit as to tending to your body. In every single moment, you choose fear or love.

1) Avoid multiple calendars. Use one calendar. Keep personal, business, social in this one calendar.

(2) Practice the one-year rule and the one-in-one-out rule. If you haven't worn or used something in a year, ask yourself if you will wear or use it. And when you buy something, get rid of something. Charity is a great reason to get rid of unused items.

(3) Fold your sets of sheets into one of the pillowcases. That way, when you need the set, you just pull out the one pillowcase.

(4) Creating a filing system with main categories and sub-categories is easy! An example is "Insurance" as a main category, and "Health," "Life," "Auto," "House," and "Disability" as sub-categories.

(5) Regarding the dreaded paperwork, the rule is to touch the paper only once! Divide papers into "To Do," To File," and "To Pay." Give those papers a home. Paperwork is the mere manifestation of indecision!

Remember, solving your organizational issues is NOT the real challenge for you. The real challenge is STAYING organized. It takes LOTS of energy! It's all about organizing the external environment AND the internal environment, and vitality (or lack thereof) lives in our environment.

It's important to make that link between organization and well-being. Incorporate organization into your life as a part of your routine and lifestyle like brushing your teeth.

Cheryl L. Perkins is a Professional Residential Organizer.
For more information visit her website at
www.creating-balance.net.

Do you know that the average Thanksgiving dinner has over 2000 calories? It can be a real challenge if you are watching your waistline and can be especially difficult for people with diabetes. The anxiety of sitting at a table where there are few choices that don't raise your blood sugar can take all the fun out of the festivities.

Try some of the tips below and have a healthy Thanksgiving.

  Have plenty of low-carbohydrate options available for snacking. Put out a plate of fresh vegetables, low-fat cheese, or lean meats.

  Skip (or avoid) the marshmallows on the sweet potato pie or just bake your sweet potato.

  Skip the rolls, you can have them anytime.

  Substitute mashed cauliflower for traditional mashed potatoes.

Mashed Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
1 clove garlic (optional)
1/8 cup skim milk or plain yogurt
Salt & pepper
Paprika

Steam cauliflower with garlic clove until tender. Cut cauliflower into pieces and place in a blender or food processor with the milk or yogurt. Season with salt & pepper and whip until smooth. Pour cauliflower into a small baking dish, sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350ºF until bubbly.

Only 6 grams of carbohydrates per cup compared to 36 grams
in traditional mashed potatoes!

Stacey Whittle, RD, CPT and Dorothy Bernet, MS, RD, CPT are Co-Founders of Healthy By Design Nutrition Specialists in Santa Monica, CA. For more information visit their website at: www.healthybydesignnutrition.com

What are you waiting for? Call 310-200-6223 for more info on Healthy Balance Fitness' Coaching Programs.