| Hair For Free Spirits |
| Jane L. Bullcok |
| Date: 6/16/2000 |
Introduction So, tell me-how long has it been since you treated yourself to a new look? Are you happy with your current look? If not, why not? I realize that our lives are so busy that the mere idea of spending time on ourselves sounds crazier than turning your teenager loose in the Galleria with your American Express card, but you need to spend a little time on you. Its been said that you can't continue to pour lemonade out of an empty pitcher; it's true for our inner resources as well. We can't continue to run on empty. A little change just for ourselves can give us the energy and renewed strength we need to get through the next crisis du jour. How about something as simple as a change of hairdo? I was approaching another birthday, and for years had a pretty buttoned-down hairdo. When I changed to the Bed Head 'do I had a completely new outlook! I felt better about my appearance, which translated to feeling better about everything. What about a minor change--such as cutting bangs, some temporary or permanent color, or an updo? Check out the articles about the beautiful hair jewels in HairBoutique.com--they are a quick and easy way to get great new looks! A dear friend of mine has had long hair all her life, and has heard for the last 10 years that she "really should cut off all that silly hair and get a more age-appropriate hairdo." What her critics are really saying is that it's time she cut her hair, because no REAL adult should have long hair. WHY? Her hair helps define who she is, and it suits her. With the help of an understanding stylist, she now sports every inch of her glorious long hair, which is arranged in a fabulous French braid. It's very current, and she loves it. How many of us have dated (or even married!) men who told us never to change our hair? Unspoken was, "if you do, I'll leave you." (This probably explains some of the weirdly dated 'dos I've seen.) Not to jumpstart a bunch of divorces, but ask yourself what you like. If your hair is long and he likes it that way, but you want short hair, try to work out a compromise. Or just risk it and cut it--he may even love it! I used to work with a beautiful girl who had long, thick, heavy dark-brown hair she wore hanging loose down her back. Her husband adored it, but she was good and sick of it. Then she broke her arm on a ski trip, and he became the one who had to wash it, dry it, and style it. After that, he was more than willing to have her cut her hair!
Often new looks engender change. When you are happier with your outside, you may take that change a step further inside. There's a thought progression here--if you finally get your hair the way you love it, then you'll naturally want to explore other areas of your life that may need some change. The changes you make to your hair and/or yourself don't have to be drastic ones. Change often begins with a baby step, and as long as it's going forward, that's what counts. If you don't like something about yourself, for example, your hair, then make a date with yourself to think about what you really want. Consider the steps you'll need to take to get there. It's a lot like writing a story. You have to know how it all comes out at the end before you can write the beginning. Do you have a vision of yourself--younger, thinner, more vital, with longer hair? Ok, we know we can't turn the clock back, but what else can we do to start that positive change? Just say you have a vision of yourself running on the beach for miles and miles, with your long hair streaming out behind you. However, your reality may be that you are 30 pounds overweight and have short hair. I know it sounds silly, but think about the steps you'd need to take to accomplish your dream of running on the beach with your long hair: an exercise and nutrition plan to lose the extra weight, and hair vitamins and monthly trims to get your hair to the length you want. See where I'm going with this? If you can dream it, you can plot your course.
Conclusion Try this--start small and work your way up. Give yourself permission to try something a little crazy, like buying a tube of temporary blue hair pomade of some of the fabulous chocolate mint Philou products. From there, the sky is the limit. But then, are there ever limits on a free spirit like you? |