Just before starting this blog, I made two major changes to my appearance. 1) I dyed my hair from blond to red and 2) I traded my French manicure for moody black nail polish. Although the outward transformation may not be that different, the change it has made to my outlook has been pretty profound. Suddenly, I feel more playful, alive, and free. And being artistic and creative has come WAY easier.
Funny thing is...I've always wanted to paint my nails black. Still, somehow, practicality has always stood in the way. "If I were younger," I'd think to myself while looking at colors. "What if I have an important meeting?" I would question aloud.
In hindsight, the reluctance to making these changes is baffling. After all, a change in nail or hair color is hardly permanent. Still, there I was...
desperately clinging to old ways, old ideas, and old habits.
It kind of reminds me of the story of the daughter who cut off the tip of the roast before baking it. Repeatedly, she'd take a great roast, cut off the tip, and then put the rest in the pan. The reason? That's the way her mother did it, as did her mother before her. The problem? Her grandmother did it because the pan was 10" (the roast was 12"). She did it because that's just the way it has always been done. Which brings me back to my appearance...
I'm sure, at one time, I had a good reason for wanting to be a blond with French nails. It was more professional. My old boyfriend liked it. Etc, etc. But those reasons are tired and no longer applicable.
Just a thought: Maybe the secret to living an altered life isn't really about altering anything, but rather about letting go of old ideas that no longer serve you?
I'm not sure if that's true (if so, my mother never said so). But I like the concept so I'll try it on.
Altered Today: Thoughts on altering
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