The New Glamourous Me: Part 1

PART I: SETTING THE STAGE

Wouldn't it be fabulous if you could just choose to reinvent yourself any time you liked?

Well, I've got great news -- YOU CAN.

Of course, I'm not just talking about doing it, I'm actually doing it.

The personal development conference I attended last week in Cancun, Mexico was spectacular. I've already told you about one of the speakers, and I could post a lengthy summation of the other speakers, but I'd rather just tell you what I'm creating as a result of what I learned.

Hey, you know me-- I'm all about ACTION.

So once I realized I could reinvent myself -- completely free from the confines of the past, I found myself sitting there thinking, "so what do I REALLY want to be?"

I came up with a lengthy list of adjectives and characteristics and qualities, but there are two in particular that I took immediate action on.

In the past, I've always been somewhat fearful of playing full-out in terms of my appearance. So I decided that the newly invented me would be SEXY and GLAMOROUS.

Of course, since I've never actually been sexy or glamorous, I had no idea how I would create such a thing. So I relied on my old friend, the Be-Do-Have principle.

In other words, I took the position that if I were to BE sexy and glamorous, then what would I DO?

And it all fell into place.

The first thing I would DO is learn how to apply makeup properly.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not (well, I'm talking about the former me, anyways) a "girly-girl." Eye liner (always black) and lip gloss comprise my entire makeup regime. Well, I do add mascara for special occasions and maybe a bit of body glitter around the eyes. But that's about it.

Since my mother is extremely conservative, and my only sister is 16 years older than me (and SHE didn't learn how to do makeup until 2001, when she started working as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines -- did you know that part of the training for flight attendants includes how to properly do your own hair and makeup?) and throughout my life I've had far more guy friends than girl friends (and very, very few "girly" girl friends), I simply never learned how to apply makeup.

Pity, isn't it?

Fortunately, I'm pretty decent looking, so it's never really been a problem. But reinventing yourself isn't just about solving problems -- it's about becoming whoever (and whatever) you dream of becoming.

And I'm dreaming of sexy and glamorous, which (in my mind) requires a makeup lesson or two.

OK, so back to Be-Do-Have.

If I'm BEing sexy and glamorous, then what I'll DO is learn to apply makeup properly.

Now I realize this is the part where a lot of people get hung up. It has to do with ASKING for help.

If you know me, you know I'm not shy about asking for what I want. And once I decided I would become sexy and glamorous, I knew I needed help with the whole makeup thing.

I don't know any professional makeup artists, but I do know a few sexy and glamorous women.

So I added my friend Rhonda to my board of directors, and I put her in the category of all things sexy and glamorous.

In case you're not familiar with the board of directors comment, let me explain (skip ahead if you already know this one).

Andy Andrews, speaker, author and humorist (must read: The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success) talks about creating your own Board of Directors. He reasons that, if you're the CEO of your own life, there's no need to manage it all on your own! You can create your own personal board of directors to advise and guide you. So look at anything you desire to accomplish, and then seek out people who have accomplished this (or are currently accomplishing this). The best part is, you don't even have to tell them they're on your Board of Directors. They don't even have to be alive -- you can study the lives of others who have gone before you, and you can learn from them.

At the conference last week, I marched right up to my friend Rhonda Swann, and I told her all about my newly invented self. I told her she was officially on my board of directors, in the position of "Glamour Goddess." My intention was to find out from her where I could go to learn about makeup. Rhonda is stunning -- absolutely gorgeous. What's more, she has what I consider to be a "normal" female body (she's not a size 2), and she has a style and flair all her own. And of course, her makeup is always flawless, but not over-the-top.

Rhonda was delighted to be on my board of directors. And before I could even ask where I could learn about makeup, Rhonda was directing me to Nordstrom, to the Trish McEvoy makeup counter.

Wow! I thought. So far, this is really easy.

Next, I decided to tackle hair. I walked up to a girl I didn't know very well, but I wanted to talk to her because she has the MOST gorgeous hair I've ever seen. Hands down, THE best hair of the 1,200 people in attendance at this conference. Her name is Julie Anne Morrison.

I told Julie Anne about my newly invented self, and I admitted that I was completely clueless how to do my own hair, and I asked if she would help me out. I also explained that I am EXTREMELY lazy, and I know I won't spend a lot of time on my hair, but I'm willing to be coachable.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone more delighted. I grabbed a notebook and pen as she detailed every product, every tool, and every step necessary to turn my hair from a daily battle into a gleaming mane. Her cohorts Ivy and Hope chimed in (who, incidentally, also have fabulous hair. Important note: Don't ever take advice from someone who hasn't already accomplished what you're setting out to accomplish. In other words, don't take hair tips from someone with yucky hair.)

And if you're wondering where I meet all these beautiful, fabulous, ready-to-assist people, then you should definitely check out Andy's home-based business. We're all over the place now -- U.S., Canada, Australia, UK, and the list goes on.

So I'm going shopping for a new hair dryer (got the exact make and model from Julie Anne) and some product, and I'll post photos here to document my progress.

And I'm sure you don't even have to ASK what looking sexy and glamorous has to do with SUCCESS! But really, it's not about how you look -- it's about choosing who you want to be...and then BEing that.

QoD: Have you spent much time deciding exactly who YOU want to be? If not, why not? Why not start now? Make a list of 10 attributes your newly invented self will have.

Go for it!