Zig Ziglar said, “You have to ‘be’ before you can ‘do,’ and ‘do’ before you can ‘have.’”
Spring is the perfect season to evolve style so that it reflects your deep purpose. Think about the definition of spring: resilience, to come into being, a time of growth.
Experience has taught me the power of growing one’s own spring style. I came to realize that spring is a great time to evolve.
Although an expert, I recently began to feel uninspired in what my world was reflecting back to me. I felt uninspired by everything around me: my home decor, my neighborhood, my writing, my reading choices – you name it! Basically, I felt like I had lost my way and everything suddenly felt lackluster. All these issues had an underlying core: I had to get back to the root of what was meaningful; I had to get back to “being” stylish. As a culture Ph.D., style coach, author, and speaker, I support others every day. They are seeking inspiration with their style when they join my Leading Lavishly lifestyle community. We focus on lifestyle through using lavish feminine style and leading with our own style first.
Over the years, I have supported many individuals. I coach them on how to evolve their own signature style. I always use myself as an example, sharing both my signature style and the deep inner work I do that allows me to authentically lead with style. In aligning my style with my deepest desires, I coach myself regularly. Tapping into one’s deepest desires is a magical way to uncover one’s deep inner style, the “being” of style.
Style is everything we do. It is what makes each of us unique; our style is an outward expression of our thoughts about ourselves. Fashion is a part of a style, but personal style is much more. Style encompasses who you are and what you want to present to the world about yourself. This is why you have to “be” stylish before you can “do” or “have” style.
Here is a core takeaway that will help you spring into being with more style.
Know your purpose and use style as a tool.
What is your purpose? The good news is, your purpose is whatever you decide it is. Match your style to that purpose.
For example, March is Women’s History Month. If you are an ally for this cause, and you want to grow this using style as a vehicle, ask yourself a few important questions: What is the communication style of a women’s empowerment ally? How would an ally see themselves? What do they wear? Where do they source their belongings? What business do they support? Just as important, why would they do this?
In my style community, it’s beautiful to coach allies on how to use style as a venue to counter burnout. Often, we realize the root of their concern is that they haven’t tapped into their signature style.
They realize they convey their style not only through the way they communicate, but by how they show up in a room, and even how they sign their name. Yes, style is all these things.
Trust me, I speak from experience. I went through a phase where I was struggling with writing burnout. Once I named my purpose, I (re)imagined my writing style. It’s incredible how much changed after doing this—even my wardrobe meant something different to me!
Unfortunately, many don’t do the deep work that’s required to tap into their true style. They try to “do” before “being.” They use their wardrobe as a way to avoid uncovering their deepest style desires. Shopping is, instead, used as escapism. You know who you are out there! Yet, I tell you, don’t wait. Commit to doing the deep inner style work now, not “one day when I (fill in the blank).” It’s not only about changing your image but styling your image now. There are ways to up-level style for all lifestyles and budgets. Yes, style changes over time as you evolve. But when you know your purpose, your style will naturally reflect this evolution.
In sum, it is luxurious to notice how your own thoughts, feelings, and actions impact the dreams you have for yourself. It’s beautiful to watch those in my style community come to this realization. The power resides in noticing the ways this knowledge impacts how your style springs. In other words, how your style comes into being, resolves, and grows to align with your true purpose. As a culture Ph.D. and style coach who has experienced this firsthand, I know this to be true.