Be Bold!

“Freedom lies in being bold.” – Robert Frost

I’m a quote fanatic. All throughout college I would print out my favorite quotes and hang them all over my walls as a constant reminder to seek out positivity, discover magic in the most unlikely places, and to be bold. The other day I was sorting through my trunk of treasures (little gems and trinkets that I love too much to throw away) and stumbled across one of the quotes that lived above my headboard my entire college career, which is that one. I’m convinced that the world sends you little love notes when you need them most and this was just what I needed! Being bold isn’t always as easy as it seems and although social media would suggest otherwise, it is something I really struggle with. Playing the comparison game is no joke, worrying about what others think of you can be suffocating so I have a few tips that have helped me become bold that I wanted to share with all of you. 

Find Your Tribe: You guyssss!!!, this is you!!! ALLL YOU!  You are my tribe!!!! It has taken me a long time to truly find my tribe and I always questioned why, why couldn’t I find people like me or who appreciated me or understood me?  Well, you wanna know why, because I was never actually being me! I was so focused on being the person I thought everyone else wanted me to be that I lost sight of who I was. The time I spent on being this other person could have been spent on being true to myself and I would have found my little group long ago. I love EVERYTHING Disney. I enjoy the corniest of jokes. I’d rather be silly than serious any day. I talk a million miles an minute and have more energy than most people I know (hyper doesn’t end when you’ve grown up haha). I love fashion, wearing bright colors and standing out, but most importantly, I’m me and I would rather be me, weirdness and all, any day of the week than someone fake. So embrace that weirdness, the little things that make your heart sparkle and run with them because I promise you that if you can, you’re sure to find that tribe of yours! At the end of the day, the saying says it all, “Your vibe attracts your tribe!”

Stop Apologizing: While all habits are hard to kick, this may be one of the hardest. I apologize for. absolutely. everything. all. of. the. time and rarely ever are those apologies justified. Creating this space was one of the hardest decisions, and for the longest time it was an absolute secret because I was too afraid of what my family, friends and co-workers would think of me. There was one instance in particular, when I told a friend and she responded with,  “You’re going to be that girl who writes about her entire life and puts it up on the internet for the whole world to see?” Oh, those words. They hurt.  They hurt so much that I no longer felt proud of the little space I created and instead felt embarrassed so inevitably, I apologized.  When I look back on this, I have tears for the girl who had to apologize to confirm that this idea was stupid to appease a friendship. If only I had the confidence I do now to know that I don’t need to apologize for who I am, the things I like, what I wear, or my career aspirations, those things make me who I am. That girl who writes about her entire life and puts it up on the internet, that’s ME and I’m not ashamed. But like all things, this isn’t an epiphany that happens overnight, it takes practice and understanding of your self-worth. I am a firm believer that every person has worth and everyone plays a part in life. Take a puzzle, for example, in order for you to put the puzzle together you need all of the pieces, YOU are that piece. If that piece is missing, there is no way that puzzle will ever be complete, so stop apologizing for what you were meant to be, for the things you like, your dreams, and aspirations because those things, although they may be different make you, you and there is zero reason to apologize for that.  

Positivity: Misery loves company, it’s as simple as that, and we are surrounded by it on a daily basis. Whether you’re met with negativity at work or at home on social media, it greatly effects are ability to grow and be bold. More often than not, negative people are they name callers, the Debbie downers, the gossipers and although I believe these types of people have their own insecurities that have led them to criticize others, it doesn’t make it right. These relationships are often emotionally and physically draining, simply just toxic. The best way to value your own self-worth and to shine as bright as you can is to let go of negativity. If people at work always have something snarky to say or they are constantly belittling you, avoid them, let them go. Follow the philosophy that their opinion, is none of your business. Cleansing your life of negative thoughts and negative people makes it possible for you to focus on positivity, growth and happiness.

As Robert Frost said, “Freedom lies in being bold,” so believe in yourself, be true to yourself and love yourself. Worrying about what others may think only hold us back from true greatness and ultimately tie us down as cliché as it might sound. I’d love to hear what other tips you all might have that have helped you be bold or situations you've encountered that maybe were tough, comment below to let me know! As always, outfit details for this bold and brightly colored ensemble are below! Bag details here!