SSO Blog

So you’re running out of ideas of things to do at home while in isolation! Have no fear- we’ve got a goodie for you… Vision boards! Before we get into ways to make a vision board, let’s talk about the importance of having a vision board!

The whole idea around vision boards is that they help you to visualize what you want in life. By simply seeing it and envisioning your dreams every day, this puts your goals out into the universe and helps keep you focused on achieving them. Yes, the hard work still needs to be put in, but the vision board is a helpful tool to help get you there faster!

Visualization is one of the most powerful mind exercises you can do. You have probably heard of the law of attraction and how it can form your entire life simply through your thoughts. By visualizing and looking at your vision board every day, you are fueling the law of attraction!

The first step in creating your vision board is deciding HOW you want to make your vision board. We’ve narrowed it down to 3 easy ways to make a vision board:

1. Make a physical version

You can use whatever sort of material tickles your fancy for a physical vision board. Some prefer a sheet of cardboard, while others pick a pretty push-pin board that matches their home decor. Whatever board you go with as your base, the next step is getting images onto your board that speaks to you. You can print images, draw them yourself, or cut them out of magazines. Once you have your images chosen, you simply have to glue, tape or pin them onto your vision board.

2. Go digital

The other alternative is a digital vision board. You can use any editing software available on your devices-  Word, Powerpoint, InDesign, etc. Some people make their digital vision board their desktop background or phone lock image so that they easily see it every day. For a digital version, the biggest pro is that it’s easier to get the exact images you want for your vision board, as all you have to do is search, copy and paste it from the internet! This makes updating your vision board much quicker.

3. Use Pinterest

For those of you who might not have access to editing software, you can simply download the Pinterest app on your phone. Pinterest makes it super easy to make vision boards. You can create multiple boards and easily organize them by category. Within the Pinterest app, you can also pull inspiration from other people, which is super helpful!

What to put on your vision board

Now that you know what type of vision board you want to make, it’s time to decide what you want your vision board to focus on. Vision boards are unique to each person, but some areas to focus on when deciding on the content of your vision board include daily affirmations and goals. You want to add images of all the types of things you want in your life, in each area of your life. For example, under the area of relationships you might want to include images of groups of girls laughing and having fun together to represent positive friendships or under career you might want to put images of professional dancers on world tours or whatever your dream profession is. Make sure you do not hold back. DREAM BIG.

Vision boards change and evolve as you do, so once you start to achieve what is on your board, update it and dream even bigger! “If you believe you can, you WILL!” Now go and let your creative juices flow!

 

 

COVID-19 has most of the world on lockdown. With most dance studios closed, SHE SHINES ON are here to help all of our fellow dancers survive these unprecedented times. Here are our Top 8 Isolation Dance Hacks (that are hopefully helpful and bring smiles to your beautiful faces!).

1. Your living room was made for dancing.

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2. Your kitchen counter is the perfect height for a ballet bar!

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3. Stretch every morning right after you wake.

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4. Turn up the jams and freestyle!

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5. Find a big open space outside near your house and leap your little heart away!

6. Host a virtual dance party with your best dance friends!

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7. Lots and lots of time for TikTok!

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8. Have a play with some fun dance hair or makeup styles.

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The team at SHE SHINES ON is dedicated to inspiring girls’ confidence through dance, travel and personal development. In order to make this happen, we have an amazing team of, yup you guessed it- GIRLS! The SSO team is made up of such inspiring women! We wanted to introduce you to a few from our various departments.

KIM (Our Boss Lady)

Kim was born and raised in New Zealand where she was actively involved in dance, theatre, and the performing arts. Kim went to Victoria University of Wellington where she completed an LLB/BA – Politics and Theatre. After 7 weeks at a law firm, Kim decided she was not being true to who she really was and quit to go traveling. Kim has won numerous entrepreneurial awards such as Rock Your Business NZ and the Global Entrepreneur X-Factor Competition.

In 2013, Kim launched SHE SHINES ON to inspire, empower and build confidence in dancers worldwide. Over the last 10 years, Kim has transformed her life into one of passion and purpose, combining her love of the arts, travel (all 7 continents) and personal development into a business committed to empowering dancers to live out their full potential.

Currently, Kim resides between New Zealand and the USA, as a working TV host, personal development coach and mentor and is married to her wonderful American husband, Jason.

Quick Questions:

• Hometown: Napier, New Zealand
• Current City: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Favorite Female: “Once upon a time you were a little girl with big dreams that you promised you’d make real one day. Don’t disappoint yourself.”
• Advice to young females: You are 100% responsible for your life. Therefore, your successes are in direct relation to the effort you put in. Step out into the world, think BIG, do what no one else is willing to do and purposefully go after your dreams. You can achieve everything you believe you can achieve. Therefore, your self-confidence, self-belief, and mindset should be your full focus. Mindset is everything. Invest in yourself and your personal development, it is the foundation of an extraordinary life.
• If you were a superhero, what power would you have? Learn the truth of the world, everything past and present.
• What female has inspired you the most? Oprah- she created an empire out of nothing but hard work and authenticity.
• What’s the toughest decision you’ve had to make and how did it impact your life? Leaving a life of what I thought I should do (law) versus what was in alignment with my heart, even when I had no idea of what that looked like or how that would pan out.
• What accomplishment are you most proud of? Building SHE SHINES ON and impacting the lives of thousands of young dancers worldwide, traveling to 7 continents in one year, building a strong property portfolio, and pursuing my hosting career in Hollywood.
• What inspires you? Successful people, philanthropy, love, and kindness.
• What are you most grateful for? The life I have created based on my passions – travel, the arts, and personal development. My incredibly supportive family and husband, as well as myself for having the insight early on to realize that I am responsible for my life and investing a lot of time and resources into my personal development and mindset to create an extraordinary life.
• Where would we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 am? Ha! It depends on the country I am in! But I definitely believe in working hard and playing harder!
• Why do you love the most about SSO? I hope we are the gateway to a life of bigger thinking, discovering opportunities and realizing it is a big world out there and absolutely anything is possible if you step outside your comfort zone, believe in yourself and take action. SSO is currently the first step into this way of thinking – with some incredible new opportunities that are coming out soon! That will really take lives to the next level!

KAT (Our Marketing Wizz)

Kat was born and raised in a small beach town in Florida. After completing her Masters in Advertising at the University of Florida, Kat began her marketing career in New York City.

After 5 years of living in the big city, Kat decided to book a one-way ticket to New Zealand for a well-deserved break! However, she never made it out because of a crazy little thing called love. Fast forward, 9 years later and Kat’s now married with two beautiful ½ American, ½ Kiwi kids!

In her spare time, Kat enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, and of course dancing! In addition to SHE SHINES ON, Kat runs a BnB, is an Instagram Influencer and always has other projects in the works!

Quick Questions:

• Hometown: Pace, Florida, USA
• Current City: Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
• Favorite Female Quote: “You get in life what you have the courage to ask for!” – Oprah Winfrey
• Advice to young females: When you leave high school, find a way you can get paid to travel (i.e. flight attendant, cruise ship, etc.). Live it up for a handful of years and SAVE what you make! Then come back knowing who you are, what you want, and hopefully with a big chunk of savings to invest!
• If you were a superhero, what power would you have? I’d like to teleport. There are so many places and people all over the world that I’d LOVE instant access to!
• What female has inspired you the most? I don’t have one person in particular who I look up to the most, but I do like to surround myself with women who are strong, fearless, positive and ambitious- this way I am constantly inspired!
• What’s the toughest decision you’ve had to make and how did it impact your life? When I chose to stay in New Zealand for good. Most people only see the beautiful, happy photos. But what they don’t see are the hard times- being extremely homesick, growing apart from some of your best friends, and raising kids without family nearby. Being 8,122 miles away from your closest friends and family is definitely a challenge. But the good thing about a challenge is that it provides a huge learning curve that results in a whole lotta personal growth! This growth, plus all of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences you collect while living abroad, makes it all so worth it!
• What accomplishment are you most proud of? My kids, Ezra and Lennox. Raising two beautiful humans (inside and out) is hands down the GREATEST accomplishment I will achieve in my lifetime. No matter how much money I ever earn- nothing will top the fulfilment I feel through motherhood. By raising two exceptionally stellar humans, the positive mark and impact I leave on this world is literally multiplied 3x’s over thanks to them!
• What inspires you? My kids inspire me every day. It’s funny how as a mom you think you are the “teacher”, but how amazing is it when you realize that your kids actually end up teaching you so much more about yourself and life than you could ever imagine?! I also have finally started investing time into personal development (thanks Kim!)- now that I am purposely working towards my goals and constantly improving myself as a person, I am more inspired than ever!
• What are you most grateful for? Being healthy and safe- without these things, I’d literally have nothing!
• Where would we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 am? Either being productive working on projects or just enjoying the outdoors with my family!
• Why do you love the most about SSO? Being able to work with other inspiring and passionate women. Plus- It is truly fulfilling working on a mission that positively impacts the lives of so many young girls!

JOJO (One of Our Loveable Tour Managers)

Josephine grew up in Hollywood, California, which has naturally given her a huge passion for the arts. She began dancing, acting, and modeling at the age of 8.

Josephine attended Azusa Pacific University, where she studied Theatre and Creative Writing and was head of the Azusa Pacific University dance team. Her love for travel has brought her to study in the UK and to teach dance in South Korea, China, and Thailand.

Josephine is excited to work with SSO because of the inspiration, creativity, and sheer excitement the program births! “Dancers come to Los Angeles on tour with SSO and their lives change—in the BEST possible way! I LOVE that and can’t wait to meet you!”

Quick Questions:

• Hometown: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Current City: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Favorite Female Quote: Read the poem “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson
• Advice to young females: Start investing in YOU early… read books, learn your likes and dislikes, watch inspirational videos, develop your talents. You’ll be so glad you did.
• If you were a superhero, what power would you have? I’d want to be able to teleport so that I could impact and experience as many people and cultures possible in a very short amount of time.
• What female has inspired you the most? I’ve always been impressed by a woman known in the 50s as “The Peace Pilgrim.” She has an amazing story and I loved learning about how her radical determination to commit to what she believed in gave so many people hope and changed the world.
• What’s the toughest decision you’ve had to make and how did it impact your life? The toughest decision I’ve made was to set myself apart from my family and begin to work towards a life that they all said and believed I couldn’t have. Not having their support was so painful, however, my stopping out in faith has helped me to be a light to them and has given them hope that they can also pursue their dreams. It was worth it in the end.
• What accomplishment are you most proud of? I’m most proud of pushing past the generational limitations of the women in my family.
• What inspires you? I’m inspired by people who move in spite of obstacles. People who face hardship have the choice to quit or persevere… I LOVE to see the stories of people who have pushed through things.
• What are you most grateful for? Love.
• Where would we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 am? I’m probably finishing up my morning routine, reading something that makes me smile, writing, or working.
• Why do you love the most about SSO? I love the ability SSO has to impact young people. Watching them develop, begin to believe, and then start to strive for what they want is SUCH an amazing feeling.

Let’s face it- being a teenager can be pretty stressful at times. You often find yourself feeling too busy you’re juggling SO much – school, extracurricular activities, family, friends… just to name a few! You’re a go-getter and a high achiever, which can make life hectic. But are you doing too much? It’s important to ask yourself this before it’s too late, as being too busy and stressed out can actually lead to depression. Finding a healthy balance of activities and relaxation time is key. You simply need to take time out to recharge! We want to help you do this with 3 simple steps.

1. Make Your List

Grab a pen and notebook or simply type out a list on your phone. List everything you spend your time doing.

2. Order It For Visibility

Order your list of things that you do (1 – 10+) from your most to your least favorite. Here you’ll learn what you love doing most in your life.

3. Make Some Cuts

Once you have your list in order, it’s time to cull some things that are taking up your time but not bringing you that much joy. Look at the bottom 5 things on your list.

Ask yourself, “If I wasn’t doing this anymore, would that make me sad?” If the answer is “no” then cull it! If the answer is “yes”, then ask yourself “If I had more time in my life to breathe and relax and focus on my most favorite activities, would I be happier? If the answer is “yes” then start the cull.

Literally cut out your least favorite activities (school is a non-negotiable!). This will free up valuable space in your life, allowing you to focus on the most important things in your life. By focusing on your top activities, you’ll be able to thrive even greater in these areas and in life overall!

Less is always more. You can do everything, but you can’t do it all at the same time. Work out what is MOST important to you for this year, this term and FOCUS on a few things. When you do this, you will be more engaged, focused and ultimately successful in that activity. Your mindset and mental health will thank you for it!

 

Ask yourself this – do you love your life and are you happy how it currently is? Did you know that most people would answer no to this question? The first step to love your life more is to accept responsibility for creating your own happiness. You can take easy steps to start loving your life more right now. Here’s how.

1. Live in the present

By living in the present, you focus on only what is currently happening – not what happened in the past and not what may happen in the future. The truth is in any present moment, so long as you are healthy and safe you really have nothing to complain about! By enjoying the present moment, you will find that you are able to appreciate and love your life more.

2. Do what brings you joy

What are your true passions? What activities bring you the most joy? These are the things you should spend most of your life doing. You have one life to live, so make it count! With time being so precious, spend each day doing what you love the most. You’ll create more happy emotions and start feeling great about your life!

3. Practice gratitude

By practicing gratitude throughout your day, you are allowing yourself to focus only on the good things in life that you are thankful for. This is when positivity takes control of any negative thoughts you have. Gratitude keeps you feeling thankful, happy and positive!

4. Surround yourself with good people

They say you are the average health and wealth of the top five people that you spend the most time with. Marinate on that for a second, and you’ll realize how important it is to spend time with only good people. These friends and family are the type of people who inspire you to be a better person and support you when you need it the most. They lift you up and never make you feel bad about yourself. By surrounding yourself with good people, their positive energy will rub off on you and you will continue to grow into a person that loves life!

5. Get moving

Every day make it a priority to get your body moving and heart rate up- even if just for 15-20 minutes a day. You can choose whatever type of physical activity that you enjoy the most – running, dancing, yoga! After you exercise, you’ll feel recharged and focused – giving you the clarity to live the life you love!

6. Dress for success

The way we dress and look totally influences the way we feel. If you dress in old, soiled clothing, chances are you’re not going to feel like taking over the world. If you wake up and immediately put on work out clothes, you’ll be more likely to have an active day. If you put on a pretty dress and do your hair and makeup, you’re going to feel beautiful and confident. You get the point! Present yourself in a way that best expresses who you are and your confidence will shine through every aspect of your life.

7. Do something new

By constantly trying new things and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, you will naturally ignite excitement and happiness in your life. Think about the last time you traveled somewhere new. How did it make you feel? Most likely you felt relaxed, inspired and happy! So get out and experience something amazing you’ve never done before.

8. Stop expecting

One of the most important keys to loving your life more is to accept that the only person you have control over is yourself. Start by dropping any expectations you might have for other people. This includes your parents, siblings, friends, partner, workmates, and even strangers you come across throughout your day. Time to cut them all some slack! Everyone is their own person, and you can’t expect them to live life exactly like you do. By accepting this, you won’t feel hurt or let down as often. Be your own person, be responsible for yourself and let everyone else do the same.

Only after you truly learn to love yourself will you be able to love the people and things in your life. Self-love starts with your thoughts and feelings. This is why focusing on positivity and gratitude is super important. Here are 4 simple things you can do each day to help turn on self-love.

1. Let your self-love out into the universe

Have positive things that you want to believe about yourself and let these thoughts out into the universe. You can write these thoughts down, say them aloud, or simply visualize them in your head. Finding a quiet and place where you can be by yourself will help you focus on the thoughts and feelings you need to work on.

2. Read inspiring words

Reading is one of the strongest tools that you can use to learn and grow as a person. By simply reading inspiring pieces every day, you will be that much more ahead of the game. No matter what you are struggling with internally, find a personal development book or article around the topic to gain insight on how to resolve your issue. Even simply reading short, inspirational quotes daily will make a huge positive impact on turning up your self-love.

3. Celebrate your achievements

If you’ve achieved something, no matter how big or small, you must take the time to acknowledge your achievement. Whether it be a simple pat on the back, a happy dance in the living room, or a celebratory dinner at your favorite restaurant, you’ve earned it and it deserves to be praised!

4. Take care of yourself

Don’t forget to love yourself by giving yourself healthy amounts of all that you need to be healthy. Sunshine, fresh water, exercise, whole foods, fresh air, positive relationships and spending time doing your passion … the basics! It’s so important to put your wellbeing as top priority on your journey to self-love.

It’s a new year, which means a fresh start! It’s the perfect time to set some new year resolutions and goals. If the pressure of making huge new year resolutions is too overwhelming for you, pick easier goals instead. Even the smallest changes can have a huge impact on your life! Here are 8 super easy new year resolutions that you can easily start practicing now!

1. Spend more time with positive people

Your time and energy is extremely valuable. This year, spend it on only the most important people in your life and make sure these people bring positivity and inspiration to your life!

2. Travel somewhere new

This somewhere new could be anywhere, from a local park to a totally new country you haven’t visited yet! No matter how far you choose to explore, travel is one of the best ways to learn and grow as a person.

3. Speak kindly

Practice speaking kindly to yourself and to others. Cut out the negative talk and only allow yourself to say kind and positive things.

4. Put your phone down

This year spend less time on your phone, computer and TV. Instead, spend more time enjoying the outdoors and spending quality time with your loved ones!

5. Use less and consume less

The next time you’re tempted to buy something ask yourself, “Do I really need this to survive?” If the answer is no, put it right back on the shelf and walk away! Your wallet and the planet will thank you!

6. Focus on the positive in every situation

It’s time to live on the bright side! No matter what life throws you this year, turn every situation into a positive experience by focusing on what you’re thankful for.

7. Eat more whole foods

You have one body, and it deserves the best! You are what you eat- and by simply eating organic whole foods, you will immediately feel better physically, mentally and emotionally!

8. Sit up straight

So simple, right? By maintaining good posture, you are automatically passing positive vibes to yourself and others around you. By just sitting up straight, you’ll feel more confident!