Rachel Hollis

If you don't find yourself attractive, how do you expect your partner to?

If you know cookies are your weakness, don't even bring them in the house because, like me, you will eat them.

You can work out until you're blue in the face and run a thousand miles a week, but none of it will matter if you aren't eating well.

Once I actually learned how to eat well and exercise regularly so the weight would stay off, it was really easy to do so after my third son was born.

When I got pregnant with my second son, I still hadn't lost weight from the first, and since I came from a long line of overweight people, I was terrified that I was quickly going to become one of them.

Mental illness lives all around us every day. I've seen it in other family members, I've seen it in friends, and I've dealt with it myself with my own postpartum depression.

My big brother Ryan was funny and unfailingly kind. He was one of the most talented musicians you might encounte, and had a prodigious ability to pick up any instrument and play it by ear within the span of a single day.

I grew up in a small town, and mental illness wasn't something anyone talked about.

In retrospect, I never thought of myself as conceited - I never even wore makeup or styled my hair until I was an adult - but having Bell's Palsy made me hyper-aware of the way I looked. I became completely depressed, never wanting to get out of bed or even answer the phone.

The truth is, if we abuse ourselves with too much work and too little play, our body is eventually going to fight back, and the results can be terrible.

I have immense respect for anyone with a physical deformity and the courage and confidence it takes just to go out in the world.

Did I really want to teach my children that a list of successes is the most valuable legacy to leave behind? I absolutely did not.

If you're living strictly for the future or living in the past, it can make your partner feel neglected. Make yourself focus on the moment you're in.

Planning and reminiscing can be a good thing... in moderation.

Women often live according to rules they get from magazines or media. For example, if I don't have kids by the age of 30, there must be something wrong with me. Goals are great to have, but having too many expectations won't work, and worse, it will alienate your partner.

I cannot emphasize this enough: you must have a morning routine! The way you begin your day is crucial to the rest of your day. So if you begin it by pressing snooze 15 times, chances are you're going to be running behind all day long.

For me, using a notebook every day keeps me on track! Some people use planners; those are great, too.

It may seem counterintuitive to some people to take an entire morning or afternoon to prepare food for the week, but believe me, it's not. You'll even find that you eat much healthier when you've planned your meals ahead.

Running a marathon was important to me, so I found time to train for it. Writing books is also important to me, so you know what? I carve out the time.

As moms, we have so much on our plates. We're busy, and our family depends on us for a lot of things.

Bacon, bacon, oh I love me some bacon! It's the secret ingredient to all my favorite recipes. I also could have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

I can think of many reasonable excuses for needing a cocktail, but Cinco De Mayo is always a no-brainer.

Only commit to things you know you can accomplish because they're incredibly important to you. Otherwise, you set yourself up for continued failure.

Decor sets the stage for any party, and it also gives a great indication to your guests as to how much effort you've put into hosting them within your home.

I'm a pretty early riser, so I'm sort of the queen of five A.M. I love getting up early. It's how I've written most of my books - that hour and a half before my kids are up.

Gratitude practice is really, really important to me. I think it's an incredible way to start your day.

I graduated high school a year early and moved to Los Angeles to go to acting school, which is hilarious.

My favorite podcast ever is 'How I Built This.'

I like to tell people that I have some of the biggest mentors in the world... they just don't know I exist. Dave Ramsey, Sara Blakely, Oprah, Tony Robbins, Brendon Burchard - I've learned everything I know from their wisdom through books, podcasts and conferences.

The most interesting people to me are entrepreneurs. As someone who's owned my own business for over a decade, I am always so inspired by people who are building things.

My early years as a 'speaker' involved note cards that shook like a leaf while I held them because I was so nervous.

People always send me notes saying they'd love to be a speaker, but they could 'never speak as well as you do!' I'm like, 'Girl, of course you won't. You're just starting out... everyone stinks when they start!'

Be honest with yourself about what you're blowing off. A little cancellation here or a bow-out there can add up... but only if you refuse to acknowledge your actions.

Some of the best presents I get from my children for Mother's Day are homemade. It makes me so happy to see the time and effort they put into each gift.

When someone tells me they want to start a diet, I'll suggest they start by aiming to drink half their body weight in ounces of water every day. It's much easier to add a habit than to take one away, but the water goal is a challenge. When they conquer that for the month, they've set a new standard for achievement and can add on something tougher.

If you decide on a goal - for example, 'I'm going to write a novel' or 'I'm going to run a 10K' - your subconscious will formulate the likelihood of that happening based on past experiences.

Moms, you should parent in whatever way works for your family and spend less time worrying about other people's perceptions of how you're doing.

Like most working moms, my life is a constant juggling act.

Learn to accept your spouse's point of view, and allow them their emotions because you'd expect the same thing in return.

Having a baby will put your marriage through the ringer, and if you're lucky, you'll come out the other end stronger for it.

I love my boys more than anything on this earth.

Motherhood is a beautiful, wonderful gift... except when it's not.

I love my kids. They are the greatest thing I've ever done with my life, and they bring me joy every day.

Was there ever a better invention in the cookie world than the Oreo?

I pretty much live in my denim jacket. The best thing about this piece is that I can wear it for every season.

You have to attach some sort of emotional reason to any big goal you're after, or you will give up.

When it comes to business, diets, working out, writing, or any other dream, success isn't about how high you fly. Success is about how high you bounce.

Falling down doesn't matter, even if you do it a hundred times. All that matters is that you get up again.

I can't even count the number of times I've obliterated my diet with a binge session. One second, I'm floating along just fine, four days into a successful low-carb lifestyle. The next? I'm standing alone in a dark kitchen, eating a sleeve of Ritz crackers and cream cheese with a spoon.

Being a boss takes guts and tenacity. Being a boss takes hustle and strength. Getting to the level of boss takes hard work - often times, harder than our male counterpoint because in many industries, we're fighting our way into a boys' club.