April 22: Gina Rivera

Here’s my Tip of the Week: As I continue my COLOUR YOUR LIFE series in my Tip of the week, I want to address the second type of “Can’t”. As you recall, last week I discussed situations where other people tell you that “You can’t”. This week, I would like to discuss the second and most important type of “Can’t”.

This is a “Can’t” that we are all guilty of, regardless of if we admit it or not. I am referring to our own internal voices that tell us “You can’t”.

I am only speaking of this because I was the official master of telling myself that I couldn’t. There are so many scenarios that run through my mind where I said those exact words to myself.

For example, I told myself “I can’t open up my second Phenix Salon Suites location. I just opened up my first”. However, it didn’t stop there, I remember saying to myself “There is no way, I can write articles. I dropped out of high school”. Then there was the situation where I started my product line and a little internal voice said to me “I can’t create my own product line, and I sure can’t do TV or commercials to promote the line or any of my businesses”.

I absolutely wore myself out telling myself that I couldn’t. So, one day I made a personal pact. I told myself “From now on when opportunities come my way, I will tell myself “Yes, I can.”

What a change this simple paradigm shift in my thinking made in my life. I quit the self-defeating behavior and started focusing on the positive things that I was blessed with.

Not only did I change my thought pattern, I began to embrace the opportunities that came my way. Once I began to view things differently and embrace my new way of thinking, there was no stopping me.

The long term result is; I am now approaching 200 Salons. I finished high school, graduating at 20 years old. I have written over 150 articles for major publications such as The Huffington Post, Modern Salon Magazine, Fashion & Style and multiple others.

I also have designed and produced a thriving product line that I was recently invited to Home Shopping Network to feature. Additionally, I was featured during prime time on the CBS Emmy award winning show UNDERCOVER BOSS. This was followed by videos, national commercials and now the filming of my reality series “Beauty Boss” as well as my talk show “Style of Sound “.

I am so lucky that I stepped back to evaluate my negative self-talk. I now realize that those destructive thoughts can only result in self-defeating behavior.

Today, I want to encourage each and every one of you to think about what you are telling yourself on a daily basis. Stop telling yourself “You can’t”. Instead ask yourself “What if?” Change your mind set and watch how your life begins to change before your eyes. Remember, with the words “I Can” your world expands. It’s suddenly much bigger and you will begin to achieve things you never ever thought were possible.