Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself (for real this time).

What a concept! So simple and yet so remarkably true. Finding your sweet spot in life is all about uncovering the sweet spot in you. And why not really go for it? If there's one thing I have learned, it's that anything is possible, including that big, bold, juicy slice of life that you've always wanted. So today, I not only committed the day to totally, completely taking care of me, but I also set aside time to write down the things I don't like about myself (while  always remembering that I have the power to change everything). End result: all the fluctuations in life (good and bad) don't feel so extreme, because you are at peace with the whole package.

So, living out this part of the manifesto meant I had to be really clear and honest with myself. That included admitting to some lingering body image issues and formulating a plan to get myself to a place where I love my outside as much as my inside. This plan includes: a full body assessment to be performed by my good friends at Endorphin Junkies, as well as a nutrition overhaul by powerhouse and Dailey Method Guru and good friend Danica Howlett. And the last piece of the puzzle was personally committing to changing my lifestyle. What that looked like was a heartfelt talk with my man, and planning out realistic >meals and a balanced fitness routine that I am able to stick to. The icing to this cake of change is also establishing a support system in my life to encourage me (and hold me accountable).

A couple of learnings from this full body/mind dismantle:

• Loving yourself means committing to participating in your own life.
• Learn to forgive and grow from perceived failures (we often forget that these feelings pass).
• Identify flaws and what you are doing with or about them.
• Learn to interrupt my inner voice, especially when it starts going on those long-winded rants about you not being good enough, or in control, or perfect (you know the usual cycle of darts you throw at yourself).
• I learned that I can talk myself in or out of anything. Someone once told me that you can rationalize and justify all day long, all life long and do nothing to live a better life. Or, you can begin to realize that you actually hold the secret within you to take your life or at least your attitude towards life in any direction you choose.
• Don't be afraid of opening your heart to the experience that comes with darkness and pain. Things happen in life...lots of things. Those non-ideal moments don't change or become you, they grow and teach you.
• Your outlook can be one that will strengthen your character or one that will make you crumble. It has the power to color every word you speak and every emotion you experience. You have the power to change, choose and become the person you always wanted to be.

Up next… Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.

Follow my journey on Twitter @olimaughan!

I am seven days in to living the manifesto. Eating well, drinking fresh water, sweating once and a day and doing things that scare me left and right. One thing I committed to early on was to return to my daily yoga practice and have rocked the first series of Ashtanga on the beach in English Bay. Last week I was practicing and got into that 'yoga zone'. You know the one: eyes closed, postures solid and the sound of the breath filling every ounce of your body. After finishing my practice I turned around to see three people behind me in the same closing posture that I was sitting in. They had practiced with me, following me and were waiting (patiently) to ask me a slew of questions. I sat with them and answered what I could (and led them on a journey to the other answers) and concluded with a piece of advice that I had heard recently from Anusara teacher John Friend, who said the most important aspect of yoga is the yoga that you can't see. I saw a smile appear on all of their faces. We all laughed, they thanked me and continued our day. It was a great moment.

The experience made me go back to my first few months of asana practice when it was a fight to push the body beyond itself. It wasn't until I sat down and read Iyengar's Light on Yoga and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois's Yoga Mala that I really wrapped my head around what it means to live a yogic life (which included releasing my practice into whatever shape it took). It was then that I started feeling my yoga a little more, and not worrying so much about what it looked like.

I continue my practice today because it makes me feel good. As a teacher, I feel a sense of responsibility to be very present with my students, making sure they leave knowing something new about themselves and their bodies. I have listened and observed how hard we can be on our ourselves and how quick we are to point all that we are not capable of in life. In yoga I urge my students to be kind and patient with their bodies, reminding them that yoga will always be a practice and that there is no 'final game'. David Swenson once told me that on your death-bed it will not matter if you can sit in lotus or pull your leg over your head. What will matter is how much love you can experience in your lifetime.Yoga will always be a part of my life because it is a part of me. The beauty of yoga is that it takes many forms and that there is a yoga out there for everyone. For some it is running, writing or painting...whatever it is, put your whole self in it. Feel it and experience it for whatever it brings to your life. Others will see that passion and be inspired to find their own yoga.

The next manifesto line Oli is taking on: Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.

Follow me on Twitter @olimaughan or on Foursquare!

Read Oli's first post about why she's living the lululemon manifesto for 30 days: http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/30-days-of-manifesto/

Meet Oli, who'll be living the lululemon manifesto every day for 30 days!

Let the countdown begin! Send in your suggestions. This is as much my challenge as yours because you know I’m not doing this alone… Challenge me, test me, encourage me to do something you’ve always wanted to do and have never tried: hiking the Grouse Grind, stand-up paddle boarding, taking that photography course that you (and I) have put off for four years. Let’s go on a journey!

The inspiration for Oli's challenge: our manifesto!

This is for you. This is for me. If I can do it, anyone can. For those who would like to join me in this challenge, send me your setbacks, your stories, and your pictures. Make sure you include the manifesto quote that you’re focusing on! Let’s do this together and put it out there for the world to see. Better yet, meet me there! I will be formulating a plan based on your votes. I’ll let you know where I’ll be and invite you all to kick yourself into a life you absolutely love!

Live in possibility. Let this be the start of your best life.

Want to suggest a manifesto challenge for Oli? Leave a comment here or on Oli's blog, where she'll be updating daily, starting August 1!

In her class, there are always a few moments where students are pushed beyond their limits, and it has nothing to do with a yoga pose.

Danielle creating the space for students to be open.

When Danielle makes her students connect, I am not talking about a simple “hi”, but the point in the class where she tells you to find someone and make eye contact with them -- a little stare-down with a stranger in the class. It may seem easy, but in every class you can see a room full of eyes struggling to stay calm and welcome someone new in. To be able to stop, stare and not be shy to look away is pretty tough!

Every class I walk away holding my head up a little higher and inspired to connect with new people.

Here are the words that the class left with: “Yoga is like life. Sometimes you’re going to get it and sometimes not, but you've got to keep trying.”

Who are you making a point to connect with?

How many times have you seen the line, “Sweat Once a Day”? It's on our manifesto poster, our reusable shoppers, in our store’s display windows and used daily by people in our company to remind each other to get out there and sweat a little.

A dose of daily inspiration from our lululemon manifesto.

I used to hate sweating. The second my body started to reach the point of perspiration on the treadmill, I would jump off and call it a day. I robbed myself of a true workout session and was okay with it.

Then I was introduced to lululemon athetica and a group of people who showed me how to sweat and embrace it. And guess what? Now I enjoy it! Crazy to think back to three years ago at the girl who wouldn’t be caught dead sweating.

I'm no doctor, but I know the benefit of a good work out.

why you should sweat once a day

• it keeps your body cool
• releases toxins
• sweat's naturally good for the skin, softening and smoothing it
• proof that you're burning calories

So whether you run your heart out, sit in the sauna, dance like no one is watching or hold your chaturangas a little longer, embrace the moment and enjoy your sweat for the day.

Biking along the Burrard Bridge

Yogis practicing outside

Hitting the trails for a sweaty run in Whistler

What are you doing to sweat once a day?

Look inside some of your gear to see if there is a little motivational message for you!

Yoga makes you stop and just be present.

What are you doing today that is outside of your comfort zone?

Share your big hairy audacious goal with someone. People will hold you accountable to your goal's once they know about it.

What words of wisdom inspire you when you work out?

"Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life."

I'll be honest, when I first joined lululemon and read the manifesto, my reaction to this statement was "That's great, but I already have my list of everything to do today!"

Ever wondered if we've organized ourselves out of appreciating what's around us? I am a relentless planner and a bit of an organizational powerhouse (it's when you start to make lists of lists that you know you have a problem). Recently, I realized that I rarely had a day off in my diary that wasn't already planned to perfection. What would happen if I went off the map a little more, I wondered?

day one:

I left my day off completely open (this gave me mild heart palpitations), and got a last minute tweet that Olympic freestyle skiers were giving a demonstration of their aerial skills downtown. I was there, camera in hand, 10 minutes later! I would never have caught this awesome event if, as usual, I had planned my day to perfection.

Score one for living in the moment...

day two:

Waking up to sunshine in Vancouver, I resolved to spend a morning appreciating the small things that make living here so amazing. Along the way, I spent some time with the fall leaves in Stanley Park, noticed that there is a great little cafe two blocks away from me where you can get a mean game of bocce, and chatted to a total stranger on the bus about my love of all things Twitter (only possible because for once I wasn't checking my planner en route). In the groove...

See what happens when you have time to look down?

day three:

Now in the swing of my new mindset, I flew by the seat of my pants and attended a brand new type of yoga class- possible only because I hadn't previously scheduled myself one to go to! When a friend of mine called one night and suggested I try Anusara, I swallowed my nervousness (partner yoga? what if I knocked them over?), and faced my biggest living in the moment challenge yet. One hour later, I couldn't believe it as my partner helped me into an inverted standing split. For once, my brain was not spinning out of control, anticipating the next few hundred things I was going to do. I was able to relax and just be in the physical moment, working with my body and setting no limits for where I could go.

What helps you to stay in the moment? I'd love to hear your tips!

Sweat once a day with the online community team.

We are running, walking, doing yoga, circuit training, flexing in Daily Method, swimming, and sweating with tight deadlines. Our team will be capturing all of this all through photos and challenge you to do the same! You can either email your sweaty photos to onlinecommunity@lululemon.com or upload directly to our monthly pool on flickr here: Sweat Once  A Day Flickr Set

For more sweaty details check out our monthly challenge page: http://lululemon.com/community/challenge

What are you doing to sweat once a day?

If you follow our photos on flickr or facebook, you'll know that here at lululemon we love few things more than jumping and goal setting! This past week, Shirley (our New Store IT Coordinator) managed to combine these two lululemon-loves into one.

Shirley has had it in her goals to go skydiving for years and years. She's written it down on our shared goal board, shared her goal with friends, heck - she even made a t-shirt with her goal emblazoned on it. Long story short, our jumper and goal setter extraordinaire decided to go last week, booked the jump on Thursday and jumped out of the plane on Saturday!

In true lululemon fashion she made an event out of it all! She wore her Adventure Shorts and "goal shirt", slapped on a few lululemon tattoos, decorated her outfit with yogo stickers, and even took a coworker with her.

Want to live vicariously through Shirley? Check our our photoblog of her big adventure below:

Above: Shirley and Rob heading out to Abbotsford for the big jump!

Above: Yep - she's signing her life away! (Shirley claimed she didn't feel scared one bit!)

Above: The trainees! Rob and Shirley get some pre-jump tips from the pros.

Above: The famous goals shirt! "I will skydive for the first time by July 2009". Great work Shirls! Way to put it in writing. Please note the lululemon tattoo. Shirley clearly loves her job!

Above: Rob and Shirley about to get all suited up ... and jump out of a plane! They made a "Do one thing a day that scares you" sign just for the mid-air photos and videos. I get scared just looking at the pictures!

Above: Of course, Shirley needed to do an on-ground pre jump jump, just to get prepared. And yes, those are lululemon stickers all over her outfit. Sadly we have yet to venture into the skydiving suit market. Design feedback anyone?

Above: Shirley - en route to the plane! Stopping in for a quick photo-op. Rob did a good job as photog.

Above: Shirley is all smiles pre-jump!

Above: SHIRLEY IN MID AIR!!!! They are somewhere between 10 000 ft and the ground. She gives us a thumbs up - and still claims she didn't even feel a tiny bit scared!

Above: Shirley with the sign! Apparently it was harder than expected to juggle a camera and a sign all while plummeting towards the ground. This is a skill that Shirley will no doubt master.

Any takers on joining Shirley on her next jump? There is no doubt in my mind that this is the first of many skydiving adventures for this girl!

Got a goal and need to get a few steps closer to achieving it? Writing it down is the first step! Visit http://goals.lululemon.com/ and create your future.

Want to see even more photos from Shirley and Rob's skydiving adventure? Check out the full photoset on flickr here.

Even before I began working for lululemon, I was obsessed with lululemon "shoppers". You know, the red bag that is covered with wisdom and easily spotted on the street, the beach, or at the airport.

The lululemon shopper is made of 100% polypropylene, and is traditionally covered with our manifesto. Poly-prop-a-what? According to wisegeek.com, polypropylene is a plastic polymer that is 100% recyclable, does not absorb water, and is very durable. So you can feel good carrying your shopper and your amazing new lululemon goodies are tucked safely into a water resistant nest.

There is no greater delight than watching guests being almost as excited to get a new shopper as they are to get a new pair of groove pants.

The shopper draws attention wherever you take it. The smaller sized shopper is great for lunches, makeup bags, choosing a quote of the day to live by, and even as a toy for my cat George to climb in and out of. The manifesto printed on the shopper sparks a lot of conversations in line at the coffee house, and I love when I am paying for my soy latte and someone says, "Yeah, friends are more important than money." In this day and age, people cannot help but smile after reading that line.

A lot of guests ask us where our manifesto came from and why it is on our shoppers. The manifesto is a collection of statements developed by Chip Wilson, our company's founder. These powerful statements truly reflect the culture and beliefs of our company, and we began printing the manifesto on our shoppers because guests were constantly requesting copies of it. The manifesto is both playful and empowering, and though it has received its fair share of negative feedback, we are very proud of it.

Although we "listen, listen, listen and then ask strategic questions" to those who criticize our manifesto, we know that "stress is related to 99% of all illness", and so we’d rather pack a picnic in our shopper and go to the park and enjoy life. Life’s just too short to worry about your critics, so "breathe deeply and appreciate the moment" outside with your shopper and enjoy life! Namaste.

Above: Josie, Nathalie, and Heather from our Community Relations department rock their reusable shoppers outside the lululemon love bus. To find out where else our bags have been, visit our challenge page.