Five Truths to Keep the Dressing Process in Perspective

Shopping for many of us is like an outing to Disneyland. We can't wait to find the perfect, flattering piece of clothing, especially if we are shopping for a special event. What are we really searching for when shopping for clothes or getting dressed? We are searching for the right outfit or clothing look to make us feel secure in our selves. This feeling of confidence and security comes from knowing that we have maximized our beauty potential and are dressing to show off our greatness.

Below are five truths that help to put the dressing and clothing process in perspective. Once you have these truths firmly planted in mind you can shop till you drop and have fun in the process.

1. We all have value in the world beyond the way we look.
   Our real value is not based on what we wear or how we look. Our real value comes from the life we create: the person we are, the friends and family members whose lives we touch, and the way we live our lives. What does this have to do with clothing or closet trauma? It's important to understand that if you do not know how great you really are, no outfit in the universe will fix that.

2. How we dress and the way we look must flow from the inside out.
   A rose is only a beautiful rose while the rose plant is healthy and happy and receiving water and tender loving care; it's the same for women and the way we dress. The most beautiful women I know radiate beauty from the inside out first. They like themselves and accept who they are. When a woman takes the time to look good she is confident. With this inner confidence, she is able to turn her attention away from herself to focus on other people and this makes her beautiful. To be confident in how you dress is to be comfortable with yourself on the inside. A woman who knows her true worth will always be beautiful and charismatic.

3. We are all goddesses, maybe not perfectly proportioned, but each of us special and unique.
   How many of us have 36-24-36 measurements? I don't and that's all right because I like my body just the way it is. I do my best to stay healthy and in shape, and still it has taken me years to accept my own body. I think it's more about having learned to accept myself. Like many women, I created tremendous stress in my life for years about the way I looked. I was a size four in my teens and of course I thought I was fat. When we begin to accept who we are right now, we can enjoy dressing for our particular bodies and expressing our own uniqueness.

4. We are already complete and whole in ourselves, so nothing else can complete us.
   We do not need to fix the way we look before allowing ourselves free expression with clothing. We just need to appreciate and enjoy the fact that we have free expression. We all have inner beauty that radiates to everyone around us if we allow it. Each of us is simply who we are, and that is what makes us whole and complete. Inner beauty is that something extra that is special to you, a quality no one else has in quite the same way. When we connect to our inner beauty our sense of self-worth shines forth.

5. There is no time like the present to let yourself shine and express the real you through the clothes you wear.
   The time to be fully who we are, is now. Each day is special and each day requires that we recognize how great we really are. Time passes and we change; this is the natural progression of life. Let change become us; let us enjoy changing and growing into happier, more beautiful people with the following characteristics:

We are excited about the day. We can't wait to get dressed to show off our inner beauty and creativity. We put love into the universe because we accept who we and other people are in the moment. We smile often, especially at the little things. We appreciate gifts daily, including nature. We know we are fortunate and we have a strong sense of worth. We let our egos take a backseat because we are already whole and don't need them to prop us up. We enjoy who we are today.