Time For A Shift

How many times have you admired that adorable top in your favorite store only to hang it back on the rack with a strange mix of longing and disappointment as this thought sneaks into your mind: “I just can’t pull that off.” You’re absolutely not alone – whether it’s because of the color, the shape, or it’s just a little bolder than you’re used to – I’m guilty as well. When did we start saying this to ourselves? Was it after you overheard your older sister utter it in exasperation as she looked at her reflection? After someone in middle school made a rude comment that you couldn’t shake? Or maybe it was after scrolling through social media unintentionally comparing yourself to every other girl you see? Whenever this thought first entered our minds, something shifted within our innocent, child-like confidence, causing a change that many of us have never fully come back from. Wherever this phrase originated for you, it is ultimately rooted in the lie, “I’m not good enough.” And because of this, I’m here to say that you and I, we’ve gotta lose the phrase, “I can’t pull this off,” from our vocabulary. It is simply unkind and untrue, and every time we say it, we start to give it a little more power and feed that lie a little bit more. Would you keep your friends from wearing a killer outfit because of the fear they can’t pull it off? So why do we encourage our friends and fail to extend the same kindness to ourselves? Self-talk significantly impacts the view we hold of ourselves. The more we start to speak to ourselves positively, even as simply as, “I can pull this off,” the more we start to actually believe it. No body shape, complexion, or particular style should dictate your wardrobe. It’s time we create another shift in our mind. Let’s no longer worry whether we can or cannot pull something off, but instead simply choose to wear the things we love! The beauty of this perspective shift is that it’s contagious. As we stop restricting what we wear based on our fear, we also give others the permission to push past their insecurity as well. Because no matter what you’re wearing, you’re incredibly beautiful and more than enough. No outfit can shake this truth. So how do you pull off that bold, incredible dress that you feel, “maybe she can pull that off, but there’s no way I can?” Put it on and rock it in beautiful confidence that will surely radiate and give other girls the freedom to push past these lies and do the same.