Because everyone else is taken!
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Come home to yourself
Despite a closet full of black pantsuits, I love the color purple and any sparkly, shiny, soft and sensual fabrics. Not too many people have blue glitter boots, but I wear mine now whenever I want to bring more happiness. One vivid memory was this fantastic outfit I had in college – a purple corduroy skirt and top that I just loved. Sadly, I couldn’t find a picture of it, though I’m sure it was much less fabulous in reality than in memory. On particularly rough days, I would wear this outfit and think to myself, “well, even if this “insert whatever exam or experience” doesn’t go so well, at least I look fabulous!”
Oh, the crazy things we tell ourselves. And yet, wearing that purple outfit that I loved actually did make me feel better. Always! More importantly it represents empowerment personified for me. Owning your identity out loud – JUST DO YOU BOO! I may have shared before that I’m typically a city girl mostly in black anti-prep, but it took me decades to stop trying to wear khakis and boat shoes. Ultimately, I acknowledged that was just not my thing… never. Ever. Firm no! I would never become a Muffy in Lily Pulitzer despite years of trying to pass in the town of Oyster Bay, home of The Official Preppy Handbook. We need to know who we truly are and what brings us joy.
Embrace Your Fabulous and Unique Self
I share my silly anecdote because I see this denial of the self come up often and it saddens me, though clearly, I can relate. I notice my Bard MBA students trying to switch careers struggle as much as the experienced executives I coach who are not comfortable owning who they are. Surprisingly, this also shows up in the companies I advise who don’t recognize their strengths, so they try to hide their uniqueness or be something they are not.
When we are not our authentic selves, it makes everything more challenging. Going out to engage with others and make connections or finding the right opportunities doesn’t quite come together in the way we want. Then we experience frustration, which is disheartening, rather than that sense of alignment. By focusing on what we think others want, rather than who we really are and the value we bring, we miss opportunities to create genuine connection. While realizing how we hold ourselves back can be uncomfortable, it is ultimately liberating to realize that what we thought was important may not matter so much.
This week, my invitation to you is to….
BE, DO OR WEAR SOMETHING THAT BRINGS YOU JOY!
Give yourself the experience of stretching your comfort zone to do more of what you love. Think of the Nike logo and modify it slightly to JUST DO YOU!
Want more encouragement to bring forward your fabulous self, reach out to connect! I would love to hear about that part of you that is waiting to be more fully expressed in the world.
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