If your 2017 was anything like mine, you probably lit a match to a gasoline soaked 2017 on New Years Eve.
Thank God for new beginnings, squeaky clean slates and that nothing here on earth is actually permanent! (Including the ten pounds I gained just looking at Christmas cookies. Ugh.)
I’m determined to make 2018 SOOO much better than 2017 because even though it was a dsb, it taught me some very important lessons. Here’s a little bit of what I learned and how I’m going to make 2018 much much better.
1. Gratitude
I’m trusted with the handling of many details. About 909784879584 to be exact. These details ultimately create entire environments filled with as much beauty and meaning as possible and that’s pretty amazing! My career allows me to get to know people that I otherwise wouldn’t likely meet. I get to hear their stories, learn what lights them up, and then translate all that good stuff into their surroundings. That’s pretty dope and I’m beyond grateful that that’s my job!
Practicing gratitude daily by writing down one thing that I’m thankful for, is one sure fire way to make 2018 a great year!!
Creating a beautiful space for practicing said gratitude is even better!
2. Authenticity.
I’ve always been a pretty genuine person, mostly because my brain is so busy processing details that it can’t handle the upkeep of a faux personality. I do occasionally hold back a little for fear that people can’t handle the full dose. Not anymore. Life is too short. Show up and be real. No holds barred. The people that can’t handle the full dose of you aren’t worthy anyway.
We’ve mentioned the book, The Authentics several times on this blog and it’s completely appropriate to mention it again because Authentic = Real Beauty. There’s no getting around that.
Interiors that reflect authenticity are the most successful and have the longest shelf life.
Let’s celebrate women that dare to be authentic. It’s quite liberating!
Here’s a list of my favorites to get you started:
1. Ashley Longshore
Pop Artist, product designer, instagram boss, first female solo artist to have an exhibit at Bergdorf Goodman, the list goes on!
There are 298749865984 reasons to love her, but most importantly, she’s authentic and inspires millions of people every day to be just as genuine. Also, how many female artists are the subject of Forbes articles? Not very many.
2. Leandra Medine
Creator of Man Repeller and the ever-evolving Man Repeller brand, her fresh, beautiful, makeup-less face is what she shows the world every day and that’s just one reason to love her. The mission statement of Man Repeller is another:
“Man Repeller explores the expansive constellation of things women care about from a place of openness and humor, with the conviction that an interest in fashion doesn’t minimize one’s intellect.”
I won’t speak for you, but I think this mission and the display of more natural beauty is actually pretty crucial for the making of a better 2018.
3. Mrs. Maisel (Ok. She’s really a character in the show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but her character is very real in my soul.)
The MMM is basically the story of how a proper housewife named Midge became a famous comedian, instead of and despite her husband, Joel. Midge tirelessly supported Joel’s comedic dreams. In fact, she worked harder for his dream than he ever did. You see, Joel lacked confidence and the guts to be original, so he constantly stole other acts instead of coming up with his own. Then, since it was easier to distract himself than to face cold hard facts, he leaves Midge and their two kids for his secretary. Not smart. Then, one night at the club they frequented together, Midge gets up on stage and tells her profanity-laced, part topless story of abandonment to a very captive audience, gets arrested, and becomes one of the first successful and genuine female comedians of her time. Oh, and all of that while working and raising two kids and living with her parents, I might add.
Sidenote: Their 1950’s townhouse is an absolute dream.
4. Mindy Kaling
Pretty sure we all know who Mindy is and why she’s someone to celebrate…
The reasons I love her include; 1. She’s straight up not going to diet because indulging in the glorious foods of this earth is much more important than looking a certain way and I completely agree; 2. She’s gonna wear as many colors and patterns as she wants; and 3. She’s just herself, all the time, and can’t even help it.
Also, every time I’m about to wear a color that isn’t black, I have to channel her spirit.
5. Ashley Woodson Bailey
Look at what she creates:
Look at her own natural beauty:
She’s another beautiful woman fearlessly sharing her story and vision with the world so that we all have more beauty around us.
—pause for applause—
Supporting her and more women like her in business by purchasing their art and products is another extremely important part of making 2018 better for everyone.
6. Katie, Owner of Metal Marvels
She makes the jewelry that says what we all think or what we have to keep telling ourselves in order to perform at 100% badass level all day, despite pushback from the world for using bad words.
I was thinking the other day about how people define what is “appropriate” and “inappropriate” for themselves and then fully expect others to have the same exact definition. That’s whack.
7. Sophia Amaruso
8. Iris Apfel
9. Sarah Tripp of Sassy Red Lipstick.
10. Celeste Barber.
She’s got a way of putting the usual celebrity vs. real female imagery into perspective and that cracks me up daily. Her and I also seem to embody a similar level of sensual finesse.
3. Goals…ew.
I don’t like the word that much. It’s really corporate conference room/sporty sounding and that’s not me. At all. I don’t even know what sports are other than there seem to be specific types of balls used for each one. I’m guessing it’s football season right now because everything at the grocery store has footballs on it, and there’s lots of pins about super bowl appetizers on Pinterest. All this means to me is that there will be a lot of people wearing unflattering color combinations over the next several weeks. Anyway, despite my distaste for the word, I’ve found that reaching, and even exceeding goals, feels pretty damn good. So, there will be a few of those set this year, except they will be called shoes.
Here’s to meeting lots of new shoes this year!
4. 1 for me
“1 for me” means taking care of myself. I forget that it’s a real thing that I should do. Why? I. Don’t. Get. It. WHY is the concept of taking care of ourselves first, so that we have more to give, so hard to remember? For moms? For entrepreneurs? For people in general? It’s a really simple concept, yet it’s so difficult to turn into a solid habit. WHYYYY? I’m putting an end to this nonsense because it’s too exhausting not to. I mean, if there isn’t a single hour per day for self care, then how can there be a single hour filled with good and important stuff for anyone else?
Enough is enough. Here’s my plan:
There will be an aesthetically pleasing calendar hung in my office right in front of my face. How awesome would it be to look at something like this everyday??
Then, every morning after I’ve taken one hour to do something for myself, whether that be exercising, reading, writing, meditating or refocusing on the positive, I will put a 1 on the calendar. NOT an X or a check mark because that is like crossing something off of a to-do list. I don’t want what I give to myself to feel like something “I have to do”. Like another thing on that never ending to-do list. You know the one. The one where once everything is crossed off, you’ll have time to focus on yourself. Except that NEVER happens. That approach is exactly how we get lost in the mix and forget about ourselves. Plus, to-do’s tell us what to do, like they’re the freaking boss around here. Gifts are completely different. Gifts are better.
So, I’m flipping that mental game on that because if I know anyone, it’s me, and I will totally ignore my to-do list just to show it who’s boss. A gift of “1 for me” is what we’re officially calling it. How can I go wrong with that? Right? Feel free to steal the idea for yourself. Your future self thanks you!
My hope is that in a few weeks when I look up from my desk at that calendar and I see it filled with a bunch of 1’s, I’ll feel quite boss! And that my friends, is one very important step in making 2018 the best year yet.
Now, if I don’t see a bunch of 1’s, that means that I was ok with days and days and more days passing by without taking care of me. That should resonate like this…
Right??
I have zero life goals shoes in which I want to use this wallpaper as an accurate depiction of myself:
So, even though this wallpaper would definitely serve as a fab and funny reminder of what NOT to do with my new years goals shoes, we’re gonna go with the shiny acrylic calendar filled with 1’s instead!
5. Visibility
I recently came across a few wise words from St. Francis of Assisi. They went a little something like this:
“The visible world is an active doorway to the invisible world, and the invisible world is much larger than the visible.”
Think about that for a minute. That’s deep.
I’ve always believed that our surroundings greatly impact the way we feel, but I never really thought of how I think and feel as an entire invisible universe. Let alone how that invisible universe is bigger than the immediate physical universe around me….whaaaaaat??
It gets deeper… turns out that however visible and authentic we allow ourselves to be in this visible world also directly impacts our vast invisible worlds….
I need wine.
Although I am still mentally processing this information, it made a couple things abundantly clear: 1. The KDI office is in dire need of completion for the sake of my entire invisible universe; and 2. the KDI brand could stand a little boost in authenticity and visibility.
Thanks, St. Francis! We’ve got a LOT of work to do!
What are your 2018 shoes?
Who do you celebrate?
Does your 2018 involve the rehabilitation of your environment for the sake of your entire invisible universe?
Please note: We can help AND bring the wine!
Wishing you all the happiest and healthiest 2018!!!
