You all know who Matthew McConaughey is, right? He can range from delightfully gorgeous to utterly terrifying depending on the role he plays, but did you know that…
THE STORY
…he is also an amazing motivational speaker? I for one did not until last week. The last day before Thanksgiving break we had a fun day at school. The entire student population was divided into small groups and they moved in 20 minute increments to different activities. I was in charge of the “Inspiration Station”, the premise being I would show a motivational video and then the kids would have a turn and talk discussion about it.
While perusing videos my friend suggested Matthew McConaughey. When I searched him on YouTube a plethora of choices popped up. The video that I chose was amazing. I’m going to share it with you below because it transcends age and the message is a truly important one for all of us.
The actual reason I’m writing this post though is because I wanted to share with you the beautiful things that I saw that day. The kids weren’t grouped with their friends, it was random. That along with the fact that they are middle school students made me a little apprehensive in regard to whether or not they would appreciate and participate in what we were trying to accomplish.
My apprehension proved to be irrelevant. Every single group that came through had excellent discussions. I simply tossed out the question to be discussed and let them go. I moved around the room and only commented myself when something in particular caught my attention. The discussions were thoughtful, they were serious and the kids talked and listened to other kids that otherwise they may have never spoken to. I heard things like, “I didn’t know you were interested in that”, “Wow, that is so cool”, “I didn’t know that about you”. It was truly a beautiful thing to witness.
My most favorite thing that I heard that day, and a discussion that I had to jump in on, was this…the question posed was “What are two or three things that really matter to you?” I heard a 12 year old boy say in all sincerity, “What matters most to me is that I am alive today and that I’m here on this Earth.” That my friends is some powerful stuff and something that we should all think about. It’s also a pretty powerful reminder to never underestimate the wisdom of children.
You certainly don’t have to watch this video, but if you have 5 minutes I definitely recommend it. It is a video that I have bookmarked and will absolutely revisit from time to time as a reminder that I am the author of my life:
THE OUTFIT
I’m still working on using all of my Fall shots, so for now you still get to enjoy the beautiful leaves which of course are long gone by now. I found this gorgeous red ruffled skirt on clearance at H&M way back in June. The color initially drew me in, but the soft drapiness of the fabric is what sold me on it.
I wore it a few times over the Summer although it didn’t make the blog. It’s the perfect amount of lightweight for all year wear. Now that it’s colder outside the addition of tights, boots and a sweater will easily make it Winter ready. The white top is nothing to write home about, but I keep it around because it’s perfect for when I want something simple and basic on top, but I’m not feeling a tee shirt.
The final piece is the leopard pumps. Out of all of my pumps, this pair gets the most love. Because of my ongoing issues with my right foot I can’t go too high when it comes to heels and a solid block heel makes things infinitely more comfortable. The heels on this pair are about a 2 1/2 inch block heel so they are perfect. Since I’ve considered leopard a neutral for years, I pair these with just about anything and they were especially fab with this red ruffled skirt.
THE TIP
If you don’t own a pair of leopard pumps, consider adding a pair to your closet. Heel height and style are up to you, but leopard print just works so well with so many things. Plus, a pair of print shoes is an easy way to try print mixing if you typically shy away from it.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Skirt: H&M (Similar); Pumps: Target (Similar); Top: JCPenney (Similar)
