A little less than a year ago, I was having a terrible day - the kind of horrible, no good, very bad day that makes you want to crawl back into bed and try again the next day. It was the point at which we knew my grandmother only had a few weeks left with us, and I was beyond heart broken, but life had to continue so I cried it out, put on a new dress, and headed to work. I was so consumed in my thoughts that I failed to realize what lane I was in, so I sped up, changed lanes, and immediately saw blue lights come zooming up behind me. 10 minutes later, there were more tears as well as a speeding ticket sitting beside me in my passenger seat.
I made it through the work day and decided right then and there that though shopping didn't fix things, it certainly couldn't make my day any worse, so I headed to the mall and stopped by the MAC store to look at a few lip colors I had my eye on - one in particular being Candy Yum-Yum. As I perused the many color options, the conversation with the artist at the counter went a little something like this:
Makeup gal: Can I help you?
Me: I wanted to try this color Candy Yum-Yum. It's bright, but I kind of like it.
*she gives me a strange look*
Me: ... so is it too bright?
*another look, another smirk*
Makeup gal: Well, it's definitely bright, but a lot of people like it. I'm just not sure it's for you.
At this point, I'm thinking maybe it doesn't work with my complexion or something. But then...
Makeup gal: I mean, I just don't think you have the personality for that color.
I'm sorry, what? I've been standing here for 10 seconds and you've already decided you know me well enough to determine what my personality is? Chalk it up to being incredibly stubborn or the fact that I've already had a terrible day, but I looked at her and said, "I'll take it." And with that, I purchased a pretty pink lipstick that I've come to love and that I always get asked about.
Point of the story? People are so quick to judge. On a day I needed someone to build me up, I felt a little torn down, even though I'm sure she didn't mean it that way. We spend so much time asking and needing for others' approval, but we ultimately need to do what works best for us. If you love the dress, wear it. If you want to try a new career path, give it a shot. If you want to rock that bikini, rock it. To that same affect, tell someone you thank you. Pay a stranger a compliment. And if you want to treat yourself on a bad day? Buy the lipstick.