Talk is Cheap. Be Expensive in All the Right Ways

Updated 10/2020

Guessing many of you have caught at least a peek of the red carpet arrivals at award shows. When we see people who look at self care as part of their job, a whole new world appears, doesn’t it?

The thing is, self care is actually our main job. Forget that we don’t have jewels flown in from France or a top designer coming up with our attire. If we feel bad, we don’t do so good.

Have you ever compared the social media food, lifestyle, and/or health conversations with what Google says people search for? They are not the same. Not even close.

The red carpet posse has a, well, posse. They can employ true experts in fitness, nutrition, cooking, skincare, fashion…

The rest of us? We’re more like the scene in “The Devil Wears Prada” where it’s explained that even when we buy the bargain sweater, it’s still being influenced by influencers in fashion.

Here is what this means: You have the power to choose what is best to care for yourself. It’s your personal version of the halftime show at the Big Game. It’s your version of the red carpet – doesn’t social media provide a level playing field in terms of showcasing what we are doing, the choices we make, what we wear to go crush it at whatever our job is?

YES.

I saw a quote that said something along the lines of not letting someone else make decisions for you if they don’t have to deal with the consequences. #love

Here is your to-do list if this resonates even a tiny bit with you:

1. You are the boss of you. Other people have no idea really what it takes for you to do you. Act accordingly.
2. If you hate certain foods, do not eat them. However, this doesn’t give you a pass to be sloppy or irresponsible in your selections. What it does mean is, if you hate a certain food or food group, get to know what nutrients it is known for and determine a plan to accommodate your personal preferences that is not at the expense of the fine nutrients that choice would have offered you.
3. If you don’t like to sweat or exercise – you still need to move. Make sure you check things out with your doctor, especially if you are juggling a medical condition, and then start exploring. Perhaps you would like pool classes that would mask your sweat. Perhaps walking up the stairs one or two flights at the office a few times a day would be acceptable. Maybe you would volunteer in a setting that requires a bit of motion. You do you, boo.
4. If you want to mimic a celebrity, pick a good one. And work with experts, not faux experts, because if you are truly the star of your own show, which you are, you can only work with the best. Check credentials. Do an interview of sorts (ie, pick an app that was developed by someone who cares about the database they are offering you, not just the money they collect from you).
5. Ask questions, be curious, learn how to say no thank you without feeling bad about it, and learn how to say yes please without feeling bad about it.

May all (okay, most) of your choices ladder up to the you that is your best you.