Smart Pretty and Awkward

“I’m going to write an essay about you someday and not change your name” — Lena Dunham

Molly Ford — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:27:55 +0000

How to be Smarter: I read this entire book over the past weekend: it’s extremely interesting, it covers many favorite television shows, and it’s written in a very accessible, almost script-like style. I highly recommend. How to be Prettier: If you want to be more creative with your outfit choices, limit the pieces available to you. The fewer [...]

“I think for the most part, if you’re really honest with yourself about what you want out of life, life gives it to you” — Ted Mosby, “How I Met Your Mother”

Molly Ford — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:59:13 +0000

How to be Smarter: You can change your whole life in a big way just by changing all the little ways and routines you have developed. Shaking up your life dramatically isn’t just about changing your job, significant other, or city, it can also be changing every little thing in your life except for the [...]

“The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach” — Benjamin Mays

Molly Ford — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:53:55 +0000

How to be Smarter: You know how when you were little and you didn’t want to eat something, you would be encouraged to try “just one bite”? Keep that habit up as an adult. Before deciding something is not for you, try it for a second just to be sure it’s not you’re new favorite [...]

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default” — J.K. Rowling

Molly Ford — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:04:57 +0000

How to be Smarter: Build a life so uniquely yours that no one can imagine anyone but you living it. Make your choices so intentionally and specifically tailored to your personality and your goals that it is impossible to conceive of anyone but you living the one specific life that you live. Your life should [...]

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream” – Les Brown

Molly Ford — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:59:34 +0000

How to be Smarter: If you self-identify as a sensitive soul, you have to be strict on who and what you let into your life. Being sensitive isn’t about being weak or a crybaby–it’s about knowing yourself well-enough to be aware of the types of behaviors and personalities that make you feel anxious or worried, and then [...]

“Treat every customer with the same respect, because you never know who’s going to pay the bill.” — Becky Quick

Molly Ford — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 05:07:49 +0000

Over on 40:20 Vision, we are talking about Inspiring Women in Media. Come on over and share who inspires you! (Becky Quick from Squawk Box is one of my favorite media role models).

“If you’re too busy to help those around you succeed, you’re too busy” — Anonymous

Molly Ford — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:07:01 +0000

How to be Smarter: The people that get to the top of the success staircase first are the ones that keep moving their feet even if given the chance to ride an escalator. An opportunity to rise to the top should be used as a way to climb faster, not as a chance to relax on [...]

“I’m so unfamiliar with the gym, I call it James!” — Ellen DeGeneres

Molly Ford — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:56:44 +0000

How to be Smarter: 7 Tips to Help You Wake-up Faster (the last tip, Train Yourself, is something I would have never thought of before). How to be Prettier: While you are paying at the nail salon, pull your keys out and put them in a jacket pocket so you don’t need to hunt through [...]

“Life is an obstacle course. You succeed at one thing and then you move on to the next. When an obstacle is tough, you try harder. When an obstacle is insurmountable, you change course. But you never sit down and refuse to finish” — Bethenny Frankel

Molly Ford — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:54:11 +0000

How to be Smarter: The best way to identify your writing voice, whether it is for a blog, a novel, or for something else, is to write a lot. (Having posts or chapters already written gives you works to study to effectively label your voice and tone). How to be Prettier: Leather jackets are a [...]

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim” — Nora Ephron

Molly Ford — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 02:45:02 +0000

How to be Smarter: People are brave in different ways. What’s easy for some people can require other people to find a lot of courage (and maybe cause some tears and anxiety) to accomplish the same thing. There are certainly things that you do effortlessly that others might stay up at night worrying about. Thinking [...]

“The best way to break a bad habit is to drop it” — Leo Aikman

Molly Ford — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:13:49 +0000

How to be Smarter: Article I really liked about how many options and choices are available to you in your 20′s [contains light swearing and light adult themes]. . How to be Prettier: New site I’ve discovered for petite shoe wear. . How to be (less) Awkward: I always hate when someone is eating alone at [...]

“Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available” — Jim Beggs

Molly Ford — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:17:49 +0000

How to be Smarter: Discussion on risk and risk quotient [a Flash Friday column with Christina from 40:20 Vision that I found really interesting to write]. How to be Prettier: Songs for feeling better on tough body image days. How to be (less) Awkward: People sometimes think that you are either awkward or you are cool, [...]