Jodene's birthday tribute from Hustler Girl - project me day 629

Today is a special day, not only because it is Jodene?s birthday but also because Jo has asked me to guest blog on Project Me for Day 629.

Let me introduce myself, *ahem* drum roll please?. I am Kimmie otherwise known as Hustler Girl.

Jo and I go waaaaaay back. I knew Jo before Project Me was even a twinkle in her eye. Jo was my Business Management lecturer at Beauty College. Our paths crossed again through the wonderful world of social networking on a little thing called Facebook, you may have heard of it. We reconnected and soon after that Jo started blogging and she hasn?t stopped since!

While I am busy typing this post Jo is off on a well deserved naughty romantic getaway with Mr Unexpected at the Mount Grace Country House and Spa.

Birthdays are always a good time to reflect on the past year and acknowledge all the successes that you have achieved. Jo, I hope that you look back on the last year and give yourself a ?PAT? on the back for a job well done! J ?What a wonderful journey you have been on since starting Project Me. I have watched you grow so much as a person and overcome so many fears. I admire your perseverance and that you continue to push yourself and achieve goals which you thought you never would.

I am so proud to call you my friend. We have shared so many fun times together and I look forward to many more.

I wish you a very Happy Birthday filled with the best things that life has to offer. ?May all the dreams you have become reality.

You once read out the lyrics to this song at college and it really had an impact on me so I sign off with these lyrics as a reminder that we must live life to the fullest and appreciate and embrace each moment.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ?99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience?I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you?ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can?t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked?.You?re not as fat as you
imagine.

Don?t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don?t be reckless with other people?s hearts, don?t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don?t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you?re ahead, sometimes
you?re behind?the race is long, and in the end, it?s only with
yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don?t feel guilty if you don?t know what you want to do with your
life?the most interesting people I know didn?t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don?t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you?ll miss them when they?re gone.

Maybe you?ll marry, maybe you won?t, maybe you?ll have children,maybe
you won?t, maybe you?ll divorce at 40, maybe you?ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary?what ever you do, don?t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either ? your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else?s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can?don?t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it?s the greatest instrument you?ll ever
own..

Dance?even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don?t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they?ll be gone for
good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you?ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don?t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.

Don?t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it?s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen?