The Chic Immigrant . . .

• Styles her life for joy.

She styles the way she thinks, the way she dresses, the way she relates to others, her conversations, her home, the environments she chooses to be in, her desires, beliefs and possibilities, all for one main purpose . . . to feel joy.

• The chic immigrant knows who she is.

More than what nationality she is. More than the cultures she’s experienced. She knows who she is in her heart, as a woman, as a human, and she cultivates that on purpose.

• The chic immigrant is captivated by life and by the fascinating variety of ways to experience it.

She delights in being completely herself while enjoying the delicious freedom of allowing everyone else to be completely themselves.

How does that feel?
I hope it feels inspiring, uplifting and full of possibility.
Because that's what we have inside of us, beautiful bubbles of possibility that draw us onwards towards new ideas, new desires and new creativity.

The evolution of who you were, to who you are now, to who you are becoming is the biggest adventure of your life.

Can you picture a version of yourself who is self-assured, who feels absolute clarity about herself, who feels an energy and a passion that propels her out of bed and into her days with focus and with delightful expectation?

Have a look at her.

What expression does she wear on her face, this confident-self of yours?

What energy does she eminate? 

What’s her style?

I’m betting she looks pretty good, right?!  She’s rocking her self-confidence in her smile, her warmth, her optimism, and it’s attracting the most wonderful encounters that open her world to her.

She knows who she is, she knows where her joy lies, she’s aware of her capabilities and her strengths, and she knows when to ask for help. She just loves being herself!

Every day, she’s collecting evidence that her life is good, that things work out for her, and that she’s exactly where she needs to be, doing what she loves.

Look at her closely, this confident-you.

Do you see what I see?

Oh là là, she’s wearing her confidence. Literally.

Believe it or not, confidence absolutely can be created from the outside in.

The way you choose to present yourself, not to the world, but to you, has enormous power.

Your confident-self knows this, so look at how she’s dressed.

What is she wearing?
How is her hair styled?
Is she wearing accessories, is she wearing makeup? And if so, how much?
Is she dressing joyously, confidently?

Wouldn’t it be fun to dress as your confident-self, now?
You can, you know. You get to be who you want to be.
You get to dress as your confident-self right now.

It's easier than you think and a whole lot of fun!
I’ve been focusing more on this for a while now, and it’s been making the most wonderful difference to how I feel and to how my day unfolds.

Here's how to start . . .

Firstly, ask yourself how you want to feel.

Do you want to feel cute, funky, elegant?
Powerful, energetic?
Maybe you want to feel relaxed or stylish.
What about whimsical, joyful, classy, feminine, fit and vibrant?
Chic maybe?
Professional, in control?

Once you’ve landed on a feeling, then you can look forward to being creative with your wardrobe. It’s really cool to do this the night before; decide how you want to feel the next day, take a little me time to create some anticipation for the day to come by playing with the clothes in your wardrobe, deciding what you’re going to wear when you wake up.

Now don’t take forever, this is not a heavy task, but a light and celebratory playtime.

Find the clothes that you always feel good in.
Mix and match in ways that you may not have done before.
Maybe take out the pretty dress that you reserve for special occasions and wear it tomorrow!
The jacket that you normally wear with jeans, try teaming it up with a skirt.

Elevate your casual home look.
Rather than just throwing on old tracksuit pants with holes and any old tee shirt, find something comfortable that feels a little more classy; you’ll be surprised at how you feel when you do, even if you’re just having a day working from home, or being relaxed at home.

Consider accessories if you’re leaving the house (or even if you’re staying home). A scarf, a handbag, jewellery, underwear (not really accessories, but consider what underwear you’re choosing and how it makes you feel), hair, hat, shoes. Think about the little things that you can add that lift how you look a little and throw a little spark into how you’re feeling.

I wonder how we can play with culture here . . .

Is there something that reminds you of your country of origin or of your family that makes you feel strong? Colours, styles, a piece of jewellery, a charm, a scarf, an item of clothing that was made in your country. You don’t have to do this, but if it makes you feel good, then think about it. The sole purpose is to lift your feeling, to elevate your energy, so if wearing something from your birth country makes you feel joy, put it on!

If you try something and it brings you any feeling of resistance at all, remove it instantly. If it causes you to feel gloomy (sad or dejected), put it back away. If it reminds you of missing your family, this is not what you want to bring into your day.

If you choose items that bring back memories, make sure the memories are joyful ones.

If there is something that really lifts your mood and makes you feel connected with your roots and that feels good, you could consider adding that to your look. It doesn’t matter if nobody else sees it, it may be just a little charm that you carry in your purse, but if it feels good, do it! It’s a nice way to be aware of the bridges that you create between your heritage and your current life. If it makes you feel good. You don’t have to do this, just consider all the little elements that bring you that sense of confidence.

So what do you do if work requires that you wear a uniform, because you can’t really be too creative with a set uniform?

What you want to do is wear a touch of confidence underneath.

Put on some cute underwear; again it doesn’t matter if you’re the only one who sees it or who knows about it, that little touch will feel like a smile on the inside.

Can you elevate your look with some jewellery, if you’re allowed to wear jewellery to work? A lick of mascara or lipstick, maybe a new way to wear your hair, spritz on some perfume – just little touches that bring that element of self-assurance, that lift how you’re feeling.

Dress the way you want to feel.

Not how you do feel, unless you’re feeling amazing, and then you won’t want to dress any other way; you’ll want to dress amazingly because you feel amazing. But if you’re feeling less-than-amazing, you’d be surprised at how the way you present yourself, just purely for yourself, can really bring on the feeling that you want to create.

Make it an occasion; make preparing your look for the next day something that you look forward to. Once you’ve chosen your outfit, can you bring it out? Could you use a hook on a door where your outfit is enticingly displayed? Or a stool in your bathroom with your outfit draped stylishly over the top. Somewhere so that when you wake up in the morning you don’t have to think about your clothes, you have something gorgeous that you’re looking forward to wearing and you start your day with that wonderful feeling.

It's all about creating your desired feeling.

Because the way we feel in any moment affects the way we experience life. It affects all the moments, from the ambiance at home to the people we meet and the opportunities we attract. It creates our sensations happiness and satisfaction and a life well-lived.

Choosing to dress the way you want to feel is like touching your moments with magic!

Try it.

Your confident-self will thank you.

Available Here

Would you like to stay up to date with the progress of my new book?
It's going to be called,  The Chic Immigrant - 60 ways to create an inspired life in a new country.
How fun!  I'll just need your email address. 
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