Style Angel

6 Style Lessons My Grandmother Taught Me

Jillian Interlichia is a guest blogger for An Apple a Day and a writer on the subject of becoming a medical transcriptionist for the Guide to Health Education.

Both my grandmothers were eminently stylish.  One was the product of the depression, a woman where stylish and frugal went hand-in-hand, and the other somehow managed to raise four boys without ever smudging her lipstick.  Here are six things that I learned from them – life lessons disguised as style lessons.
    •    My maternal grandmother and I used to play a game in the mall.  She’d hold a blouse, or a dress, or a pair of shoes, and say “who is this?”  It was up to me to pick which mutual acquaintance this piece best embodied.  The game could tend towards the mean-spirited at times, but the one thing it taught me: own it.  If you have a style all your own, you’re going to become recognizable, even to that five year old tagging along with the adults.  Isn’t that what style is about?
    •    Accessorize.  The maternal grandmother, again, lived through the depression.  Once material things were affordable again (for her, the 60’s and 70’s) chunky necklaces and earrings became her signature piece.  She’d let me play with her jewelry box and, heaven help me, the accessory bug hit me, too.
    •    It’s all in the attitude.  There’s a photo of the same grandmother driving her children around in my grandpa’s old army jeep.  She’s wearing a giant bow and a polka dot dress.  You can tell from the look on her face that she think the jeep is just a further accessory of this ensemble – army wife chic.
    •    Lipstick is a necessity.  My paternal grandmother, of the aforementioned “perfect lipstick,” bought me my first tube at age eight.  It was Disney Princess themed.  I was never quite the same adept as she was – that first tube, in pastel pink, was her favorite color but I’ve never been able to pull it off – but she made the point that if your lips are worth looking at, your words are worth listening to.
    •    The Little Black Dress.  She had tons of them.  Some of them were clearly from the 70’s.  Others would have been classic for years to come.  She was the first person I ever thought was beautiful, and I feel like the little black dress had something to do with that.
    •    Shoes are the icing on the cake.  Paternal grandma wore heels every day of her life until one fateful day when a variety of foot, tendon, and heel problems made the doctor ban pumps from her life forever.  Not to be daunted, she found the most stylish shoes I’d ever seen any grandmother wear.  If you’re dedicated to fashion, you will be able to find something that will satisfy yourself and the health experts.

Jillian Interlichia is a guest blogger for An Apple a Day and a writer on the subject of becoming a medical transcriptionist for the Guide to Health Education.

Fashion By The Stars - Your Feb and March 2010 Shopping Horoscope by It's in The Stars

brought to you by Elizabeth Ball from It's In The Stars

With 2010 around the corner, what's happening for you?

Book a live phone consultation with astrologer Elizabeth Ball of http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com!

Most people know that you can use astrology to understand yourself, your child/ren or your partner, but you can also use it to select the best dates for you to embark on particular ventures. Best of all, you can even use astrology to help you with your wardrobe needs! By working out what you need your clothes, shoes, accessories and/or jewellery to achieve for you – sex appeal? Impressing your boss? Meeting his mother? – you can go shopping on those dates which have the most supportive planetary energies. Have fun shopping!

15 February – Want to feel sweet and approachable? Look for pieces that are a little ethereal. Sidestep boring black and go for soft pastels and colours that illuminate you from within. You may find something perfect in an op shop, too.

16 February - Hunt for either a striking workout outfit(yes, in red) that attracts admiring glances, or a bold piece to knock his socks off when you have that relationship talk!

17 February – Love a bit of fantasy dressing? If you’re keen to look like a Hollywood goddess, you’ll find the most beautiful dress today! Watch out you don’t go crazy with your credit card, though!

24 February – This is ideal for finding a hidden treasure such as a classic handbag, pumps or jewellery in a vintage clothing store.

28 February – You’ll have a great time shopping today and shoes will just beg to go home with you...

4 March– Depending on your mood, personality and wardrobe needs, with today’s aspects, you can either search for softly flowing pieces that help you look business-like OR if you’re keen for an extreme makeover with your appearance, you’ll be keen to take risks on items which could be shockingly inappropriate, but definitely unlike what you normally wear!

8 March – This is another day that gives you two types of wardrobe shopping options: Choose from cleverly detailed, fun items great for provoking a “where did you get that?” conversation OR if you’d like to be the ultimate rock chick, looking sexy, fierce and amazingly glamorous, you’ll be drawn to leopardprint, studs, body-conscious cuts and anything else that screams “look at me”!

15 March – Circle the looks you like from your favourite magazine and your stylist or shop assistant will immediately get on your wavelength, helping to you imagine new mix-and-match possibilities, possibly just with new accessories.

Book your astrology phone consultation now with Elizabeth at http://gifts-by-the-stars-online.com/shop/astrology-consultations and let her know what days suit you best!

Blog written by Angela Barbagallo, Fashion Stylist
Style Angel Corporation Pty Ltd
1 Bracken Close   Engadine NSW 2233 Australia
    Ph  02 9520 9940   Fax 02 9520 9018  Mob 0407 032 531
[email protected]   www.styleangel.com 

©Style Angel Corporation 2010

Your November and December 2009 Shopping Horoscope by It's in The Stars

brought to you by Elizabeth Ball from It's In The Stars

Astrology is a fun tool you can use to gain insight into yourself, your children or partner, but you can also use it to select the most auspicious dates for shopping.

Whether you want to ramp up your sex appeal, impress your boss, look youthful or maybe meet his mum, you're much more likely to achieve what you want if you go shopping for clothes, shoes, and accessories on the recommended dates below. Have fun shopping!

15 November – Hit the shops early for something unusual, rebellious, even shocking

16 November – Time for a sexy new look; this is a great day to transform yourself

17 November – Excellent for classic mix-and-match business attire; ask sweetly for a discount

25 November – After a raise or promotion? Investment-dressing clothes could “leap” out at you

26 November – Use lunchtime to find that rock chick piece that breaks all the rules, late-night shopping for body-conscious clothes or sportswear

29 November – Search for thoughtful pieces that feature exotic details, or different cultural styles, something fun

2 December – Look for glamorous items that provoke a conversation, for accessories that make you feel like a movie star

4 December – Ideal for preppy, sporty looks or clothes if you want to discuss your future together, or to meet his mother

7 December – A great day to overhaul your wardrobe and have a ruthless throw-out

15 December – Have fun choosing impressive, even OTT outfits with a generous cut and/or ethnic details

It's In The Stars has delighted hundreds of couples and parents since 2005 with its beautifully designed astrology reports that help them understand their relationship and their kids.

LoveStars and BabyStars reports make ideal gifts for anniversaries, birthdays, christenings, Christmas, engagements, Mothers Day, new babies, Valentines Day or weddings. FREE worldwide shipping!

 

Check out our Blog with more details about about LoveStars and BabyStars!

Great Gift Ideas - Introducing It's in The Stars

• If your sister, daughter or best friend is having a baby
• you’d like to understand your (grand)children better
• you’re madly in love and want to know all about him
• you’ve recently become engaged and want to celebrate it
• or you’ve been happily married for years and your anniversary is coming up…

You’ll be fascinated by your own BabyStars or LoveStars report which will be packed with amazingly accurate detail about your child or your relationship!

It's In The Stars at http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com has delighted hundreds of couples and parents with its beautifully designed hardcover astrology reports since 2005.

These reports are sold through more than 25 gift websites in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, including Roses Only and RedBalloon Days.

BabyStars reports (45-50 pages - $99) make the ideal keepsake for Christmas, christenings, naming ceremonies, new babies, Mothers Day or Fathers Day for parents to understand their children better.

LoveStars reports (30-35 pages - $89) are treasured as anniversary, birthday, Christmas, engagement, Valentines Day and wedding gifts which make a fun conversation-starter for any couple.

Attending a baby shower or bridal shower? You can give your mum-to-be or hen a BabyStars and LoveStars gift certificate for her to receive her own report! And if you just want the info for yourself, you can always order the email report versions, which are sent straight to your inbox!

To order your BabyStars or LoveStars report, simply visit  http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com and fill out your and your partner’s, or your child’s, birth details and delivery address.

Your report will arrive via Express Post within 2 days ready for you to start enjoying right away.

About It's In The Stars

Elizabeth Ball has been passionate about astrology since her grandmother gave her a 1940s book on the subject when she was 12 years old.

She worked for years as a magazine editor, advertising copywriter, PR consultant, freelance journalist and direct marketer while she analysed how compatible her friends were with the boys they liked, and wrote horoscope columns and astrology articles.

Elizabeth created a beautiful compatibility report for a friend who was getting married, and when people kept raving about it and the reports she’d done for a number of children, realised that personalised astrology reports would make fantastic personalised gifts for a range of gift-giving occasions.

She established her astrology company, It's In The Stars in 2005, launching her website at http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com in 2006.

Since then she has delighted hundreds of couples and parents with her amazing insights into their relationships and children through her beautifully designed astrology reports, LoveStars and BabyStars.
Register for her free monthly horoscope and annual forecast!

Blog written by Angela Barbagallo, Fashion Stylist
Style Angel Corporation Pty Ltd
1 Bracken Close   Engadine NSW 2233 Australia
    Ph  02 9520 9940   Fax 02 9520 9018  Mob 0407 032 531
[email protected]   www.styleangel.com 

©Style Angel Corporation 2009

Detox .... a few Tips by Lauren Chandler from Shine Wellbeing Part 4 of 4

Toxic Facts

• You are not only what you eat, but also what you absorb.
• Our bodies naturally cleanse every day, but the more toxic we are the more energy it takes.
• Research by the WHO suggests 60-80% of all cancers are due to environmental chemicals.
• Over 60,000 synthetic chemicals find their way into our air, food and water.
• Your largest organ of elimination is your skin and it acts like a third kidney.

Hydration: A very important stage in detoxing

Detoxing goes far beyond foods. Cleansing our thoughts as suggested before, is the first step to leading a healthier life. What we then use to hydrate ourselves becomes the second most important factor. If you missed my previous article on hydration and water quality, please read here today. It includes how much and when to drink.

We are approximately 70% water. And water is one of the most important nutrients required by our bodies. What we drink literally becomes us! Our muscles are 70% water, blood is 82% water and our bones contain up to 25% water.

Water is involved with every metabolic process in our body, such as electrical exchange, biochemical pathway and physical and mental actions. Water is the element which extracts nutrients from food, transports them to the blood, replenishes vital fluids and helps to detoxify the body.

The main function of water within our body is to maintain a stable environment inside and around the cells, allowing us to acquire sufficient nutrition and aiding elimination of waste from cells. For this to occur optimally, the water we consume through foods and beverages must be clean and supply the body with needed electrolytes. Proper hydration also boosts the immune system helping it prevent illness and disease.

‘Tap water’, coming from Town or Municipal water can obtain variable levels of contaminants such as chlorine, bacteria, cryptosporidium, Giardia and rust etc. Private water supplies such as wells, bores, springs, streams and rainwater tanks have not been treated so can easily be contaminated with bacteria, cryptosporidium and Giardia. Any water can contain large amounts of unwanted impurities such as mud, silt, rust, etc and the pipes carrying and supplying the water may be adding impurities as well. Water loses its freshness and vitality.

While the Australian Government adheres to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2004 throughout the year, there may be health or aesthetic related test results that fall outside the guideline values and they often don’t require a 100% test result. Hydraulic changes or disturbances in the water mains can result in occasional localised elevated levels of aesthetic water quality characteristics such as metals, pH and turbidity.

One of the parasites tested for and often found in our water is Giardiasis. Giardiases is caused by Giardia Lamblia, which is a parasitic infection of the small intestine. The parasite lodges itself within the upper section of the intestine and can be hard to get rid of. People can get Giardiases when they ingest water or food contaminated with stool from an infected person or animal. Signs and symptoms of Giardia are similar to those of other intestinal illnesses which include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea. These symptoms can lead to weight loss, dehydration and weakness. Symptoms usually appear 1 to 2 weeks after infection of the parasite and in otherwise healthy persons, can last 4 to 6 weeks. Occasionally because of the parasite being difficult to eliminate, symptoms can last longer.

Aluminium is one of the metals found in our water supply alongside the parasites and bacteria. Each day we consume about six to seven milligrams of aluminium which comes from our food, food packaging and drinking water. In some organs, specifically the spleen, kidneys and lung, concentrations up to 100 ppm (dry mass) may be present. Only a small fraction of the aluminium we consume daily, approximately 10 ?g, is absorbed, leading to a relatively low acute toxicity which is considered harmless to humans. However, once the element is taken up in the body, it is not easily removed.

Larger amounts of aluminium consumed may negatively influence our health. Connections have been made to nerve damage, an increased risk of developing allergies and Alzheimer’s disease and aluminium particles may cause functional lung disorder. People with kidney damage are susceptible to aluminium toxicity and aluminium is probably mutagenic and carcinogenic. Aluminium chloride may corrode the skin, irritate the mucous membranes in the eyes, and cause perspiration, shortness of breath and coughing. There are currently no known diseases linked to shortages in aluminium.

Dr. Martin Fox, author of Healthy Water for a Longer Life, says “Drinking tap water that is chlorinated is hazardous, if not deadly to your health.” He also suggests that the most health-giving waters have a hardness factor of 170 mg/L or greater and a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of 300 or greater. While some bottled water companies will have these details on the label, because of unfounded beliefs and fears of hard water or solids in water, the majority of the top brands are soft in comparison to Dr. Fox’s recommendations. To counter this simply add a pinch or two of sea salt to your water and the TDS and hardness factor are likely to be well within the ideal range. The average reading for Sydney’s water is around 57 mg/L, which is considered soft.

When pollutants come into contact with our water, they leave information traces in it, which continue to have a negative effect even when they are no longer present in the water itself. Even the high pressure of the pumps used to deliver the water to our houses change the structure of the water molecules and the dissolved minerals clump together.

Shine Wellbeing Solutions is a Personal Fitness and Wellbeing Specialist Consultancy aimed at empowering and motivating our clients to live a positive and healthy life. We employ a holistic approach to coaching and sessions providing clients with expert fitness and health coaching in a supportive and encouraging environment. Check out the website for more info on Switched On Vol 2.

Detox .... a few Tips by Lauren Chandler from Shine Wellbeing Part 3 of 4

Toxic Facts

• You are not only what you eat, but also what you absorb.
• Our bodies naturally cleanse every day, but the more toxic we are the more energy it takes.
• Research by the WHO suggests 60-80% of all cancers are due to environmental chemicals.
• Over 60,000 synthetic chemicals find their way into our air, food and water.
• Your largest organ of elimination is your skin and it acts like a third kidney.

Nutrition: Detoxing with food

One of the breakfast meals we had at Govinda valley was Kichari, an ayurvedic recipe. Kichari is a complete, easy to digest and balancing meal that provides healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates for sustained balanced energy. It is ideal for detoxing as it does not aggravate any nutritional deficiencies and is a great food source if you are ill or getting over sickness or if your system is stressed out! You can use a variation of ingredients; I have included some information on some of the more traditional ingredients below.

This isn't food; this is medicine!? The combination of brown rice and mung beans in kichari represents a perfect combination of life-sustaining protein and carbohydrates. Secondly, the addition of whole rock salt supplies added trace minerals the body needs to properly use other nutrients. Third, but not least, the essential spices, each have unique therapeutic properties that aid digestion and prevent food and other stagnations from occurring. You can opt to use Quinoa instead of rice, it has a light fluffy texture and more protein.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup yellow or green mung dal
2/3 quinoa or white basmati rice
1 tsp. ghee or oil (I have used regular butter too)
1/4 tsp EACH black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ground cumin, ground coriander, and turmeric

1 inch fresh ginger root, chopped

3 cups water

Mineral salt to taste, or use Bragg?s liquid aminos after cooking
Chopped cilantro
Vegetables, I prefer to use sweet potato, pumpkin and spinach, though broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant all work well, you can use whatever you like!

Wash dal and rice/quinoa together two or three times. Heat ghee and mustard seeds in a large saucepan on medium heat until seeds begin to pop. Add remaining spices and cook briefly. Then add the water before the spices burn. Add the rice, dal, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Cover and simmer until both dal and rice/quinoa are soft, about a half hour, adding additional water as necessary. (In a pressure cooker, bring up to pressure and cook for 10 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes). I throw in the vegetables in the last 10 minutes or so, so they don?t turn to mush but are rather cooked just enough so they are bright. The cilantro leaves can be added before serving. You can vary the spices according to your liking.

Shine Wellbeing Solutions is a Personal Fitness and Wellbeing Specialist Consultancy aimed at empowering and motivating our clients to live a positive and healthy life. We employ a holistic approach to coaching and sessions providing clients with expert fitness and health coaching in a supportive and encouraging environment. Check out the website for more info on Switched On Vol 2.

Detox .... a few Tips by Lauren Chandler from Shine Wellbeing Part 2 of 4

Toxic Facts

• You are not only what you eat, but also what you absorb.
• Our bodies naturally cleanse every day, but the more toxic we are the more energy it takes.
• Research by the WHO suggests 60-80% of all cancers are due to environmental chemicals.
• Over 60,000 synthetic chemicals find their way into our air, food and water.
• Your largest organ of elimination is your skin and it acts like a third kidney.

Another good practice is to detox mentally, although realise that the mind and body are connected, so work with them together!

It is all too common for people to become addicted to their crazy schedules, working long hours, getting little exercise and rest and becoming stressed and energy depleted. Do an electronics fast from the computer, telephone and TV either at home or better yet at a retreat where you can not cheat! Spend the day in silence, either in nature or a favourite spot that helps you turn inward. If you have child care obligations, find a friend who will take turns looking after the children and trade off taking your retreats.

Do a "worry detox". Take one day to become conscious of your repetitive worries and anxieties. Each time you notice one, write it on a slip of paper and put it in a box. At the end of the day have a little "worry bonfire" and let your concerns go, then bury the ashes. If a fire isn't possible, feed your worry slips to the paper shredder and then bury them. In either case, you are making a conscious intention to let them go. Notice how much you lighter you feel with this process!

Shine Wellbeing Solutions is a Personal Fitness and Wellbeing Specialist Consultancy aimed at empowering and motivating our clients to live a positive and healthy life. We employ a holistic approach to coaching and sessions providing clients with expert fitness and health coaching in a supportive and encouraging environment. Check out the website for more info on Switched On Vol 2.

Detox .... a few Tips by Lauren Chandler from Shine Wellbeing Part 1 of 4

Toxic Facts

• You are not only what you eat, but also what you absorb.
• Our bodies naturally cleanse every day, but the more toxic we are the more energy it takes.
• Research by the WHO suggests 60-80% of all cancers are due to environmental chemicals.
• Over 60,000 synthetic chemicals find their way into our air, food and water.
• Your largest organ of elimination is your skin and it acts like a third kidney.

Most people who eat the standard American "goo and glue" diet have about 5-10 pounds of matter stored in the colon. It's said that, according to the autopsy, John Wayne had 40 pounds of impacted fecal matter in his body at death. Elvis reportedly had 60 pounds."- USA today, issue January 11th 1999.

Our bodies have eleven major systems including the circulatory, digestive and nervous system. Five of these are needed for continuous self-cleansing and elimination. We are designed this way because our bodies continually generate large quantities of endo-toxins - the natural by-products of metabolism. Add to that the modern burdens of exo-toxins - environmental pollutants, food additives and other stress factors - and it's clear that if our elimination system is over-burdened or weak, our health and vitality can suffer. The Centre for Disease Control has done large-scale studies and found measurable amounts of more than 100 toxic chemicals in blood and urine of the general public.

If you are thinking of doing your own detox by just eliminating "junk" foods for a little while, these are some specific foods to eliminate because they are difficult for the body to digest or process.

• Dairy products including cheese, ice cream, milk and yogurt clog and congest, thus slowing down the elimination of toxins and old intestinal waste.
• Fried foods, especially pan-fried with oil or deep-fried because they also clog and congest
• Processed sugar (white sugar, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup etc) in candy, soft drinks, or added to food, because they depress the immune system.
• Common Iodized Table Salt because it constricts and holds in toxins (you can use unrefined, unheated earth or sea salt lightly)
• Meat because it takes the most energy to digest and slows cleansing.

If you would really like to give your digestive system a little R & R, you may like to go further and do a liquid diet for one day, fresh juices, herbal teas and water are best, if necessary, check with your doctor first. For a complete detox, I suggest checking out Blessed Herbs. It guides you through a complete colon and digestive system detox which removes toxins from the body, intestinal mucoid plaque and helps to restore vital nutrients to the body. This is the detox I did and it was truly amazing what came out, physically and emotionally and how much I lighter and cleaner I felt energetically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually!

Shine Wellbeing Solutions is a Personal Fitness and Wellbeing Specialist Consultancy aimed at empowering and motivating our clients to live a positive and healthy life. We employ a holistic approach to coaching and sessions providing clients with expert fitness and health coaching in a supportive and encouraging environment. Check out the website for more info on Switched On Vol 2.

Style in..... Tokyo JAPAN by Monique Dekker

We have asked people from all around the world to share with us their Style tips of the place they call home. If you would like to contribute to Style In.... just click here to contact us.

What Place are you writing about?
Tokyo, Japan

A Little About You
My name is Monique Dekker, a Dutch National currently living and working in Tokyo. I have been in Tokyo for almost two years now. Before Tokyo, my husband Ben and I lived in Singapore, Chicago, Boston and New York.

Tokyo is a huge Metropolis. 17 million people live in Tokyo and about 37 million people live in Tokyo and its suburbs. Needless to say it is a hectic and fast-paced environment. I am currently the General Manager of Roppongi Hills Club a private members dining Club managed by Hyatt Hotels Corporation (www.roppongihillsclub.com). I have worked for Hyatt for 14 years now and this is my first General Managers position. The Club is a very exciting and exclusive environment. Our members are very diverse; ranging from high-placed politicians and ambassadors, powerful business men and women, actors and actresses, models to entrepeneurs, designers and artists. Both Japanese as well as foreigners!

In my free time I like to discover new places and traditions of Japan, play with my dog Ringo – the naughtiest beagle on the planet. As well as swim, bike and run with my husband Ben who set up his own company in Tokyo specialized in bike fitting and consultancy www.t1bicycles.com. 

Your Favorite Place to Shop?
The most important outfit in Tokyo is a black suit. Everyone in Tokyo owns several black suits and conservative ties/blouses and shoes. Hyatt also requires its managers to wear black suits so I have several.

Unfortunately since I am Dutch and at least 20-30cm taller than the average Japanese woman, it is very difficult for me to shop here. I have all my suits made in Hong Kong by a wonderful tailor – Vijay from NobleHouse. For shoes, blouses etc. I take a few trips abroad or order them online.

There are however, great shops in Tokyo. All big fashion houses have several stores in different areas of Tokyo – like Omotesando, Ginza and Roppongi. Japanese have an obsession with name brands and they all (both women and men) wear handbags by Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci etc. I can assure you that all these bags are real and not from the market somewhere in Thailand. Japanese people like to dress up. The women love anything with glitter, glimmer, sparkles, lace, pearls and ruffles. There are several very cute boutiques in Omotesando and Roppongi that provide this style. Fashion for a younger audience can be found in Shinjuku and Shibuya, as long as you can handle the pounding house-music coming from the store’s speakers.

Any Local designers you have found?
The Japanese are known to be very fashion conscious and some great designers have arisen; Issey Miyake, Kenzo Takada and Hanae Mori to name a few. I have not really found (or looked for) any local small designers, as their items will not fit me. As a comparison the Banana Republic here only carries up to an American Size 6 and the length is adjusted to fit the Asian Physique.

5 Great strategies to Fulfillment as a Single Parent by Single Parents University Part 2

As a Stylist I meet many people who have recently separated and who have had a huge transformation in their life style. All of a sudden S.I.N.G.L.E again. What to wear, what to say, not sure what works any more, lost that sense of confidence in what to wear.

I am happily married to my gorgeous husband Sal but he has experienced being a single parent to 3 great kids 15 years ago and I know how hard it was for him! So when I heard of Single Parents University and their CD program I wanted to share it with you.

www.singleparentsuniversity.com (SPU) was set up to support Single Parents through the process of separation, divorce and beyond. It was created in the spirit of reaching out to single parents, just like us and sharing insights on how to become single, strong and successful.
 

Click on the following link to access your complimentary audio NOW

Feel Like a Failure?
5 Great strategies to change your feelings from Failure to Fulfillment - Be Proud of Yourself
By: SPU (Single Parents University)

When one goes thru separation and divorce they cannot help experiencing intense emotional feelings such as failure, disappointment, anger, resentment and regret. Whether you initiated the end of the relationship or not most people feel just lost, scared, unworthy and depressed. A divorce usually leaves people at the end of their tether. This is normal and you are not alone.
An ending of a marriage/relationship is an enormous step and change in ones life. The fact that children are involved makes it even bigger. Unfortunately most people would rather remain in an unhappy relationship than leave. If you find the courage to let go of an unhappy marriage/relationship or are forced into doing so, the following 5 strategies can assist you to uplift your feelings from desperation to determined, from insanity to serenity and to realize you really are a winner and should be proud of yourself.

1. Turn regrets into thankfulness.
You decided to marry, with good intention – for better or worst, till death do us part – it wasn't in your plans to divorce. You married to share your life happily with your partner. Unfortunately your relationship did not turn out but instead of feeling like you have wasted x amount of years or feeling angry and bitter with resentment, try to stop and think about what you did like in that relationship?
Why did you choose that partner at that time? 
What qualities did they have that you admired? 
Reflect on the fun times and what you are thankful for. E.g. having had an amazing daughter or son.