After a full day of planning for our twelve week OYou Boot Camp Challenge that starts up later this month, I left the table feeling excited and exhausted – both my mind and my body.  The topics look amazing (you’ll see them soon!). The focus will be intense and spot on.  The challenge – a little daunting.  Twelve weeks of really working on my life. Suddenly, last year’s journey has come back into focus…reminding me that I was in tears by the end of the first week and how hard it was to get through the eleven week challenge last year.  I had forgotten…many times on the path to self-discovery and exploration to live your best life, you find that the walls you have built to keep you safe need to be broken down to move you forward.

As we plan the editorial calendar (I know, such grown up blog words!) it’s also causing me to stop and take a look at the landscape around me.  Stepping back and seeing the bigger picture of how much better life has become with connecting the dots of mind, body and spirit over the last year and a half.  What do I mean?  Let me try to put it into words…

Here is what comes to mind – Your life is like your house.  Patricia often says “Your body is just the shell for the soul…” She’s so much more eloquent and evolved, my little sister…but here is the same concept and how it came to me for this journey.  This is what I know for sure…  The world offers all of these self-help programs and books for the taking that help you through life.   You collect them as you go through life…like little bits of wisdom along the way that you tuck away in case you need it one day.  But here’s the thing – it’s not a one size fits all world (God, don’t I know that!).

Here is my lesson for you and for me…since you teach what you most need to learn.  Your life is like your house.  Beautiful and master planned just for you!  Free and clear – it’s yours forever!  But there’s a catch.  Over the years you have to pay attention to all the stuff along the way and take care of it…and in turn, it takes care of you.  I remember the first time I bought a house in my twenties – this girly girl became a super shopper and super spender at Home Depot.  Forget the mall, I’m at “The Depot.” I loved this little old house with the huge leaning tree (an “Italian Pine” is what the tree guy called it…so, it stayed) and the salmon walls that ended up being just a tad bit too pink in the sunlight (my friends know what I’m talking about!).  And all those years I lived there, I loved this house. Weekend painting projects, planting gardens, updating windows,  tearing out, putting in, building on… I took care of this old house…and in turn, it took care of me.  When I moved to a newer house on the other side of the world (California to Florida seems like the other side of the world, trust me!), this new house didn’t need as much love…so I kinda stopped.  Years went by with dull paint and dusty shelves and unfinished furniture projects until I realized, this home deserved love too.  Actually, I was forced to learn this when the air conditioning went out in the middle of summer.  My wake up call to remind me, it’s time to take on some little projects here and there.   So now, if something breaks, it gets fixed.  The walls are freshly painted and screens get repaired after storms. Little things are updated here and there… Just taking care of the house.

This is how our life works.  Our body, our mind and our spirit.  You pay attention to the things that need attention along the way.  You focus on not just what’s working perfectly but also, what needs a little help.  This house that you live in called life is your gift.  It’s up to you to take care of it.  I’m not talking about being perfect. I’m talking about being you. Feeding your mind with things that will help you grow and shine and become the best you.  Feeding your spirit with energy around you that will help you soar through life and climb mountains and reach new heights.  Feeding your body with what will make you feel amazing, move amazing, live amazing.

So, with this OYou Boot Camp Challenge, I’m getting ready to start paying a little more attention to my life “house.”  Adding color…some yoga classes…some organic changes…some organization…some celebration.  It’s time to expand and try new things…pamper my house a little…fill my house with good energy….then, turn that good energy into GREAT energy!

THIS is how you live your best life…and this is what O Magazine reminds us to do every month…and what OYou celebrates one day every year.  Take a few moments each week and follow our journey during this OYou Boot Camp Challenge starting later this month.  And then, no matter where you are on October 20th of this year – whether it’s in Los Angeles at OYou or in your own house – make this day about you.  Your life.  Your house. Take care of it and it will take care of you.