Meet Your Muse

My general "state of being" at age 8.

We have this in common. We have women in our lives that inspire us. Sometimes we have several women who inspire us for the various things that they seem to thrive at almost effortlessly. Give me a combination of Sandra Lee for cooking and tablescapes, Denise Austin for energy and fitness, and Dita Von Teese for effortless vintage style and I am hooked! I can see myself pondering how to recreate those vibes in my own life this week.  You may look to someone else for beautiful entertaining ideas. Or, you’ve found a woman on social media that is an expert on fashion and style. Then, you look to another celebrity on the internet for health and exercise motivation. Let’s face it. We have a muse for just about every interest we have or would love to embody. Admittedly, you may not have run a mile in the past two years due to your busy work schedule and endless family obligations but somehow, you find it encouraging to look up that influencer who runs a 5k each morning. I mean, she’s so inspiring and motivating. If only you could lace up your own sneakers and go for that run yourself. And maybe those people- whether they are celebrities, influencers, or even someone you work with has inspired you to take some action.

Yep; I do it too. Maybe it’s the idea of seeing a woman succeed that inspires you. Or maybe it’s watching someone who has similar interests showing up and doing what they love that you find so admirable. I, too, have several women I look to for inspiration. Yet, I am wondering if you’ve met your best muse. I’ve heard it said that you should never meet your idol because you may be disappointed. But this muse has never or will never let you down. In fact, she’s been patient for countless years waiting for you to come back and hang out with her. Wondering who I am talking about? It’s your own personal and beautiful muse. Let’s take it back and remember her well.  She is your eight-year-old self.

Can you find a picture of her? She is full of positivity and she knows what she loves. She has an opinion on just about everything and she isn’t afraid to share it. She has goals, dreams, and a world of possibilities running through her mind. She is wearing an outfit that expresses her personality without reservation. She’s fun to be with and you have so much in common with her.

Yet, somewhere along the way, we grew a bit distant from that girl. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t have a social media following or you lost her contact info after you went in different directions. Or, maybe someone made you feel like she was too much of a dreamer.  The pressures of life, work, and getting it all done perfectly took priority over the joys and dreams of that little girl. Happy to step in and give you a note from her today. Not a text or a DM. She wrote you an old school note on a little piece of paper. She wants to hang out with you. She wants to remind you of the things that were once so exciting and important to you. That is, before you started valuing other people’s opinions over your own. Before you let the pressures of being a grown up get in the way of her endless possibilities.

Over the past few years, I have spent a lot of time with my younger self. She is so fun and silly and we somehow have so many similar interests despite our large age difference. When I tap into her in my heart, she reminds me of who I am and what I love.

I’d love for you to find a picture of your eight-year-old self and hang it in an area where you will see it- by your vanity, on your bedside table, or on the kitchen cabinet. This month, spend some time with her. What did she love? I’m not referring to her crush on Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains or Joey McEntyre from New Kids on the Block- but hey, a little mood music for the hang out sesh could spark the time travel. But rather, what did she enjoy? What lit her up? What does she think about?

Did she wear belts with dresses to school even when she was told it didn’t match? Did she hide the belt in her school bag and throw it on when she got on the bus? Mine did. And then walked into her school classroom like it was a catwalk? Thinking she was the bee’s knees? Maybe she thought she would make music in her garage like Debbie Gibson and then sang her songs into a soup ladle in front of her bedroom mirror. Wait, was that just me?

Did she make up dances in the middle of the street and perform them for the neighborhood? Did she draw a mustache on her upper lip to watch her older brother play football? Yeah, not sure about that one- that phase lasted about three hours. Can’t explain further.

Maybe she asked someone at school to hang out without any reservation that they may say no. That was you when you were uninhibited and lived with joy, without the fear of rejection. She was fun. She was silly and even embarrassed herself sometimes. And she didn’t beat herself up over it. She was freedom. She was inspiration and she was us. Before the world told us to quiet down.

I encourage you to get to you know her again. She has ideas and opinions and wants to share them all with you and then encourage you along the way. She is your greatest form of motivation and direction. She is your best muse and she lives in your mind and in your heart.  Something tells me that looking to her for inspiration will spark something in you far greater than any influencer, celebrity, or social media star could ever evoke in you. And, oh yeah, my younger self wants to know if your eight-year-old self wants to hang out after school and play “dress up”. You can pick your dress first!

With my childhood best friend, Karen, and absolutely no inhibitions.

Dressing up is in my DNA. Note- I believe I'm holding a celery stalk which is the perfect accessory to this formal gown!