International motivational speaker, author, television personality, and creator of “Good Morning

Gorgeous” Dale Smith Thomas sat down with us to share her empowerment tips on making each day your best.

Dale pulls from her strong Mississippi roots to share a message of hope and empowerment. She is affectionately referred to as “The Hope Doctor” and her definition of hope is Helping Other People Excel.

Her life’s work has taken her all over the world but you may recognize her from one of her national television appearances. Because of her message and her work she has been a featured guest on The Dr. Phil Show, The Big Idea on CNBC, A documentary on the Travel Channel and she even hosted 2 of Hollywood’s most famous in her home for a Fox reality show, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

Dale is a former beauty queen and also operates a series of boot camps, including Boot Camp for Beauty Queens, Boot Camp for Business Women, and Boot Camp for Success, author of “Solo In the Spotlight” and soon to be released, “Good Morning Gorgeous.” Each week she shares ideas and thoughts of inspiration in her Motivational Monday. Everyone needs to regroup and recharge, and Dale is just the expert to help us focus and feel good about ourselves while we navigate through our personal and professional lives.

As a Motivational Speaker you teach “Life Principles”, around the world. If you could only share one piece of advice that you think is transformational what would it be?

The greatest “Life Principle” that I live by and teach is this…”It is my decisions not my conditions that determine my destiny.” There are so many times in our lives that we do not have “control” over our circumstances but we need to remind ourselves that we ALWAYS have control over how we react to those circumstances.  You always have control over your attitude.                         A positive attitude is a CHOICE not an emotion!

Tell me About Good Morning Gorgeous and your goal for both the campaign and the book?  

I started encouraging my audience members years ago to change how they start thier days. The most important conversations you have are the conversations you have with yourself. I think most people get out of bed and start complaining either about how they look or what they have to do that day. I challenge people to get up and look in the mirror (when you feel you look your worst) and say “Good Morning Gorgeous”. Regardless of what you see I think it will make you smile. I want people to remember that being “Gorgeous” starts from the inside out. If you have “gorgeous”, “joyful” spirit, it will radiate to your face. I then challenge people to say it to at least five people that day: “Good morning Gorgeous” or “Good morning Champ”. Pay it forward and make a difference in someone else’s day. The book “Good Morning Gorgeous” is just a guide to finding your “Gorgeousness” from the inside out. I also have a “Good Morning Gorgeous” Blog that you can check out through my site: http://www.WinnersbyChoice.com

What is your advice to girls and women who struggle with their self esteem? 

  First of all I would say I KNOW how you feel. I was that shy, insecure, and very unconfident girl. I did not feel good about how I looked and I had no idea “who” I was as a teenager or young adult. I have learned the hard way that the first step to developing a positive, healthy self esteem is to stop comparing yourself to others.

We get in trouble when we compare ourselves to unrealistic comparisons. The greatest thing you can do to build your self-esteem is to get to know yourself, your strengths, your gifts, your talents. You are special and unique and you must learn to embrace that. Be AWESOME at being yourself! If you struggle with knowing and understanding what your gifts are, like I did, then I encourage you to start the journey to discover that. I have some ideas that worked for me and I am happy to share them. Log on to my website and email me and I will send them to you.

What are your personal tips for looking great and feeling great at any age? 

I laughingly tell everyone that I am the same age as Barbie and if you don’t know when Barbie was born you will have to look it up! The 1st key to looking great and feeling great starts between your ears and with your attitude. Your personal view of your age determines how you feel about it and how you react to it. I celebrated when I turned 50 instead of hiding from it.

I focused on all the blessings in my life. Remember that what you focus on gets bigger. I have a great attitude, I work out and try to eat right, and I have discovered ONE anti-aging secret that has changed my life. It is one product that I would NEVER live without again. I am happy to share it with you if you want to email through my website, http://www.WinersbyChoice.com.

Do you have a personal “success” philosophy?

I do and it’s straight from Dr. Seuss: “Congratulations. Today is Your Day! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your won. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…. So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea. You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!” * Dr. Seuss

Do you have any particular advice for those in the media and entertainment industry, to help them to maintain their self esteem and sense of self, despite the pressures placed on them to conform to a specific ideal? 

Never lose site of who “you” are. I think it is so easy when we are in the public eye to let someone else’s opinion of us become our reality. You have to get quiet and trust your inner voice. Being in the entertainment and media industry is not easy because everyone has an opinion.

Your inner voice must be the voice you trust the most, and if you don’t know who you are, what you stand for, and what your goals are then you can’t stand up for yourself. I encourage anyone that is taking that step out into the “public eye” to be so grounded in your values, your goals, and vision. If you have that foundation, no one can change you regardless of what they say.  

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