PartOne | PartTwo

Are you still looking for it - that is your own, personal style? Who are you really? Too many questions...

So, now, which type do you belong to? Spring, summer, fall or winter? Or a blend of all of them? Would you like to look like Meg Ryan, or rather like Demi Moore? Julia Roberts? (Or Richard Gere, or Keanu Reeves?) You do have our sympathy if you are simply yourself! We're only kidding, of course, since we all should congratulate us on being unique beings. It's our uniqueness that we should stress, that means that we have to become aware of it first. Yes, but how? You don't even have a clue about the direction you should take? If you had to describe yourself, what would you say? A long list of negative aspects, restricting the positive sides to barely satisfactory eyes, a passable mouth or maybe standard ears? No, believe me, things aren't as bad as that. Let's start once again, let's see what we have. 

No, no frantic search for a mirror; I'm sure that you know how you look like. And that's not what we want to talk about, let's get a bit into other things. Whom whould you want to look like? Which person comes to your mind when you think about strength, authenticity, charisma? That's the way we should face things from now on. Observe this person, or, if he or she has already left us (I wouldn't be surprised if that is so, since I've got the impression that former times have seen more strong personalities than the present, at least as concernes publicly known persons), then read his or her autobiography, watch movies in which he or she plays a role or have a look at ancient photos. Try to find the essence of his or her charisma. They all were people that were simply themselves, of whatever sex, religion or ethnic affiliation. They didn't hanker for another person's nose or hairstyle. These persons simply had the blessing to be conscious of their own strenth and confident abour the path they wanted to follow. They had a message to pass on. Let's consider some very different personalities. Coco Chanel, who had a very ordinary social background and who made her way up since she knew what she was worhth. Or Golda Meir, who, objectively speaking, couldn't rank as a beauty queen, but who had an aura of incredible strength around her. Or the first President of the newborn Federal Republic of Germany, 'papa Heuss', or Adenauer... We're not talking here about liking them or not, but about their charisma. They all stood up for their opinions, their believes and and they stuck to their promises. What really counts is the fact of really knowing one's own value. And that has nothing to do with a noble nose or a firm breast, nor the ideal weight. Diets, so-called type-counselling or other 'helpful' suggestions all try to make us take a certain path, namely the path of the consumer market. The underlying message always seems to be: "Buy me, I'll tell you what you have to be like". 

Let's stop all that. We shouldn't accept any longer to be manipulated by an immense industry of consumption that makes every endeavour to take advantage of our lack of self-confidence. They're interested in nothing else. We can't even blame them, since we actually love to receive simple instructions and standard recipes for happiness. It's easier to follow such advice than to confront the question of who we really are. Deep inside, we're afraid of not finding anything. But that's simply impossible. Have a second look at those people that you admire and respect for their individuality. And then, try to find out where exactly lies your uniqueness, your individuality. You'll see, that's an exciting task. Maybe you've got a big nose, you're some kilos overweight, have non-existing breasts or an over-dimensioned belly. All these little deficiencies don't prevent you from standing out from the mass. And now, try to emphasize your advantageous sides. Fashion, cosmetics and lifestyle offer you numerous possibilities to highlight your personality. Stop levelling yourself down.Meg Ryan is simply herself. I'm convinced that she, too, spent hours in front of her mirror complaining about her stub nose, wishing to have Julia Robert's hair or a more classical beauty. She can't help it, neither, she looks lile a little, cheeky girl and always will.
We'll continue to work on this topic. And one day, you'll see yourself in the mirror and you'll say: 'That's me', and you'll feel self-confident and proud. And then, we'll meet and believe me, there will be no limits for us anymore!