There you are, standing in line at the grocery store. The woman behind you says, “Excuse me, but I just had to tell you that I love your hair!” Tell me, what is your response…
THE STORY
…Do you say something like “Seriously? It’s actually really out of control because of the humidity,” or maybe it’s more along the lines of “Thank you, but it actually looks way better when my roots aren’t showing.” Or maybe, just maybe, do you simply say “Thank you so much!” and then move on with your day reveling in your own badassery…regardless of what your hair looks like?
The point of all of this is simply that for a number of reasons most of us, especially women, struggle with accepting compliments. Whether they be from strangers, coworkers, family…why is it that we feel so undeserving of positive feedback & kind words?
“Think about how much benefit we might do for ourselves, if instead of listening to that hypercritical and entirely inaccurate mixtape that plays in our heads, we actually simply accepted compliments as basic truths.”
Wouldn’t it feel so much better to believe in the kind words spoken by others as opposed to questioning them, looking for hidden motives & beating ourselves up internally because we don’t have the confidence to acknowledge our own awesomeness?
Um, yes. Yes it would. So from this moment forward, vow to yourself to stop doing the following:
- Stop denying. Pointing out your own weaknesses as evidence to the wrongness of the compliment not only harms your self-esteem, it’s insulting to the person giving the compliment.
- Stop deflecting. You deserve the compliment just as much as anyone else.
- Stop chalking things up to luck. Luck didn’t have a damn thing to do with that killer presentation you just made at work, so knock it off.
- Stop assuming people have ulterior motives for saying nice things. Maybe they do, but so what? Say “thank you” and move on.
Instead:
- Own your badass awesomeness.
- Be gracious & kind.
- Acknowledge your accomplishments & positive traits.
- Appreciate the kindness of others.
THE OUTFIT
This month’s Ageless Style Link Up theme, chosen by the lovely Jodie, is “Inspired By A Song”. This particular outfit, at least for me, brings to mind one of my all-time favorite songs by my idol since elementary school, Cher. The song? Dark Lady. Ya, ya…I know. The song is about a love triangle that ends in murder, but what can I say? The dark ethereal layers are giving off all the fortune teller vibes. The only thing I need is a crystal ball & I’d be good to go.
With the somewhat early arrival of fall comes my most favorite thing about putting together an outfit~layering. I love layers because they are such an easy way to add visual interest to an outfit. For example, I could’ve just went with the chiffon tunic & the floral kimono. Or the chiffon tunic & the long cardigan. But what’s the fun in that? So I layered the cardigan over the floral kimono over the chiffon tunic and boom…all sorts of interesting movement & texture with the added bonus that I was able to add & remove pieces depending on the temperature.
The boots are my much loved Freebirds which I also have in black. They are in rotation all year with the exception of when there’s snow on the ground because the open strappiness isn’t conducive to keeping one’s feet warm. They are however conducive to adding a boho vibe to just about anything I pair them with though so that makes them a winner in my book.
THE TIP
It’s officially fall my friends, so layers, layers & more layers. When layering pieces shoot for items that are of varying lengths & fabrics. Try to steer clear of layering pieces with too much bulk as to avoid looking like the Michelin Man. Layering is also an easy way to get into some print mixing if you’re so inclined.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas… BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND LINK UP WITH MYSELF AND MY LOVELY CO-HOSTS FOR THIS MONTHS AGELESS STYLE LINK UP!!
Kimono: Similar; Tunic: Similar; Cardigan: JCPenney (Similar) Jeans: American Eagle; Boots: Freebird
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest
Bettye ~ Fashion Schlub Blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust Bloglovin, Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Bloglovin
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter
Julia ~ When the Girls Rule Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram
Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Twitter
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Pinterest, Facebook
Shugunna ~ Nzuri N* Simplicity Blog, Pinterest, Instagram
