Three Keys To Creating A Fun, Crazy-Good Day
I've been studying God-kissed days for many years. You know...those golden days, when you end up satisfied to the core. I'm convinced there are three very simple keys - each one unlocks a large room, full of more grace yet to be explored.
1. Do something for someone, and in no way tell anyone. No hints, no alluding, nothing. Ever. Never, ever. This builds a largeness of soul that nothing can imitate. You can't fake this sort of lifestyle. The more you drop hints about what you do with someone or for someone else, the more I know you are unaccustomed to doing such things.
I realize we live in the age of social media - and I totally understand that seeing women like Ann Voskamp go to a poor South American country and share Christ with the children there is so inspiring. I'm glad she shares her stories, past and future, and her pictures...
...so I am not speaking to those of us who have been given a platform of whatever size, and are indeed called to live out loud and share a little bit about what we are up to.
But there needs to be a hundred deeds done in secret, for every one deed that is shared with the hope of inspiring someone else. By all means, share. I'm not against it. To be a well-rounded woman, though, be sure that 95% of the best parts of your life are yours to savor and yours alone - and that most of it never finds the light of day in social media. I post to social media every single day - I am a small business owner - and a small creative business owner, at that! I would be terribly unwise not to share what I am about in that way. Every. Single. Day. (side note: you young women who want to start your own creative business...where are you? Heads up! You have to talk about your business in a way that is authentic and inspiring!)
So yeah. For a creative business owner, it isn't ego, it is business.
But I give you my word...what you see in my social media outlets? That little snap-shot of my day or my work? It took two minutes...I do it as I go along. There are hundreds of thousands of my minutes and moments no one knows a thing about.
I like it that way.
I realize we live in the age of social media - and I totally understand that seeing women like Ann Voskamp go to a poor South American country and share Christ with the children there is so inspiring. I'm glad she shares her stories, past and future, and her pictures...
...so I am not speaking to those of us who have been given a platform of whatever size, and are indeed called to live out loud and share a little bit about what we are up to.
But there needs to be a hundred deeds done in secret, for every one deed that is shared with the hope of inspiring someone else. By all means, share. I'm not against it. To be a well-rounded woman, though, be sure that 95% of the best parts of your life are yours to savor and yours alone - and that most of it never finds the light of day in social media. I post to social media every single day - I am a small business owner - and a small creative business owner, at that! I would be terribly unwise not to share what I am about in that way. Every. Single. Day. (side note: you young women who want to start your own creative business...where are you? Heads up! You have to talk about your business in a way that is authentic and inspiring!)
So yeah. For a creative business owner, it isn't ego, it is business.
But I give you my word...what you see in my social media outlets? That little snap-shot of my day or my work? It took two minutes...I do it as I go along. There are hundreds of thousands of my minutes and moments no one knows a thing about.
I like it that way.
2. Do something you do not like doing. Seems counter-intuitive, but I promise, this is huge in creating a fun, crazy-good day. Science even proves it! See, you get this awesome shot of dopamine to the brain - a feel-good chemical - dopamine is released every single time you tackle something you don't want to do, and you do it anyway. This one action will give you such confidence, and relieve a great deal of petty stress.
Now for number three. The last key. You are expecting something at least a little profound...after all, this is the last of only three keys. You want me to tell you "create something every day"...or "pray"...or anything but what I am about to say:
3. Dress the part.
Every day. Or...at least most days.
Come on, look cute! What you wear is about the only thing in life you have any control over, so work it, girlfriend!
Come on, look cute! What you wear is about the only thing in life you have any control over, so work it, girlfriend!
That's it. Dress well and appropriately, and with personality. There is an art to dressing after age forty. The simpler the look, the fresher and better and more well-put-together you appear - and the more wonderful you look the more wonderful you feel. I do get asked for tips...so here are a few:
No mom jeans, wear more skirts, mix "high" and "low", tailored and bohemian. For the most part, dress your age, but add one "young" twist...like an awesome boot. Lose the black as much as possible, unless you are French. Add one unexpected element - a fabric flower pin, or unusual belt buckle, or a cute shoe. And always, always remember that matching is for amateurs.
And for the best tips ever on dressing yourself on a Goodwill budget, join the FREE class "Becoming | The Unfolding of You", and see Shannan Martin's videos in week 2.
No mom jeans, wear more skirts, mix "high" and "low", tailored and bohemian. For the most part, dress your age, but add one "young" twist...like an awesome boot. Lose the black as much as possible, unless you are French. Add one unexpected element - a fabric flower pin, or unusual belt buckle, or a cute shoe. And always, always remember that matching is for amateurs.
And for the best tips ever on dressing yourself on a Goodwill budget, join the FREE class "Becoming | The Unfolding of You", and see Shannan Martin's videos in week 2.
Three keys. Go have the best day, ever!
