Blog
Elegance
ELEGANCE
What does elegance mean for you?
Do a google search and the definition comes back as:
“the quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance or manner”
And
“the quality of being pleasingly ingenious and simple; neatness”
Some synonyms: tastefulness, discernment, refinement, sophistication, dignity, distinction, poise, beauty, charm, luxury, opulence, exquisiteness and simplicity.
Which of these beautiful words resonates with you?
I decided that I had enough of just coasting along, living on auto-pilot, letting life happen to me and blaming other people and circumstances for where I was. I decided to take charge and set me some goals!! Easy right? Wrong! My brain just went into overdrive. Oh you can’t do that…..
What if you picked something and you chose wrong….
What if I fail…
I don’t know what I want….
I am confused….
I can’t put that down as a goal….
I don’t have enough time…
And on and on and on…..sound familiar?
OK so my first order of business was to write down everything I wanted, no matter how daunting and crazy. This took me a couple of days, because sometimes you can’t remember what it is that you dream of, as you have never written it down.
“Becoming more elegant” was one of my goals, it was the one that inspired me the most at the time. And we are all in on being inspired here, not? So this was my 30 day goal.
My why? I wanted to feel more confident. And we are all after a feeling. The end result of everything we do is the feeling we generate. After doing a ton of research, here is what I learnt.
Elegance is a state of mind.
Start thinking about how would an elegant woman act, dress, what would she be thinking.
Remember each of us would have a different definition of elegance, what that means to us.
You could be a woman who thinks lipstick and pearls are the epitome of elegance or you could be a jeans and t-shirt gal and still feel elegant.
And both versions would be correct, it is how you feel that’s important.
Elegance is being able to manage your emotions.
This is not an easy task and takes a lot of effort, but worth the attention and time. Taking responsibility for how you feel and dealing with your emotions is crucial to your peace of mind. You are the only person in charge of your emotions.
Pay attention to what you are thinking. It is said that we have around 69 000 thoughts a day and most of them are the exact same thoughts you had the day before. Scary right? No wonder we feel stuck most of the time.
Your thinking leads to your emotions. So make sure that you are thinking good thoughts.
Elegance is taking extreme care of yourself.
You must have heard the safety spiels on aeroplanes…..in case of emergency put your oxygen mask on yourself first before helping anyone else.
We, as women, are the ultimate nurturers and tend to put the needs of our families and other before our own self care. But in order to be the best for others, we need to be in tip top shape…we need to be happy….we need to be calm….we need to be in our groove.
This means we have to fuel our bodies with the most nourishing foods, get plenty of movement, drink water and meditate or whatever puts you in alignment with your soul.
Elegance is planning.
Yes planning! I hear some of you say, “but I don’t have time to plan, much less do all the things on my list”. And I’m saying you will end up having so much more time on your hands.
Your life is important, your goals are important. Make them a priority. You deserve to have all the things you desire, so make a plan for them.
Imagine time as a glass jar, you put your big goals in the jar first (you may only fit in a couple), then you put in some pebbles (this would be your family commitments, work, friend, etc) and the rest you fill in with sand (tv, social media, etc).
Schedule the things in your calendar and then when they come up, action them.
Elegance is simplicity.
Clear out the clutter…in your home….in your social circle…in your office. Then you will automatically feel your mind being clear and able to focus on what is important.
You know when you have a wardrobe full of clothes yet you feel you have nothing to wear? That’s clutter.
It does not serve you to be weighed down by things or situations.
Be ruthless, get rid of it all, then you will have the space to decide what you really want and to surround yourself with what really matters to you.
Elegance is in the details.
The night before, pick out your elegant ensemble that you will be wearing the next day.
Make sure your nails are tended to. No chipped or dirty nails…ever! If you are like me and chip your polish an hour after your manicure, rather go for clear polish.
Put on some lipstick ladies. Find your signature colour and rock it!
It goes without saying that your hair should be in good condition and have it cut regularly. Here again, if you are not the type of person who will spend serious time on blow drying or curling your hair, pick a simple, elegant easily managed style.
Pay attention to how you walk and sit, think elegance.
Do I feel elegant after the 30 days? Absolutely. Do I feel more confident? Hell yeah! I implemented some beauty routines and scheduled them. When I dress in the morning I think “elegance” and ask how I could achieve it in all my actions and thoughts. This question alone elevates my thinking and hence my emotions for the day. What questions do you ask of yourself every morning? And how does that make you feel?
xxx
Ladies thank you for reading my post.
Your comments and suggestions will be most welcome. Leave them below.
Let’s find out what great things are possible in our lives….
PRIVACY STATEMENT
It is my goal to respect the online privacy of visitors to Live Life Inspired’s website. Personally identifiable information, like an e-mail address, telephone numbers or personal information is used primarily for the purpose of administering and executing existing information for member records and applications. I do not disclose any information to 3rd parties.