While I’m laying on the beach and canoodling my new husband, I’ve asked some special ladies to guest post for me! The theme I gave them was “Love” and I love how they each put their own little spin on it! Today I’d like to welcome Doniree, from Doniree.com!
I saw a therapist four times during my senior year of college. Anxious about the possibilities awaiting me after graduation and struggling with a number of relationships, I was overwhelmed.
As she asked about each of these relationships, I explained how, with this one in particular, we just couldn’t get along because this person saw the world in black and white, yes and no, good and evil, while I, as I told her, saw the gray areas.
We’d only spent a couple of hours together at this point, but she paused, tilted her head sideways, and responded to me,
“No. You don’t see the world in gray. You see the world in color.”
It’s taken me years to fully grasp what this means (or perhaps, it’s taken me years to fully own this and embrace it), and I think I finally have. I don’t see the world in gray. I see the world in color. I see potential everywhere. Sometimes it’s still overwhelming to consider exactly how much is possible.
I tattooed the Sanskrit word for truth (satya) on my right arm a few years ago as a reminder to live MY truth, not someone else’s truth for me. Not someone else’s truth for themselves. I believe that your truth and mine may be different.
‘Why’ or ‘why not?’ are my favorite questions because I don’t see the world in concrete certainties. I see wiggle room. This is more than seeing the middle ground; it’s seeing universes beyond the world immediately in front of me.
That’s all fine and woo-woo, but it gets a little more fun when I think back over the years about my own personal style. I’ve long joked about lacking a sense of style, and I realize now that I’ve greatly underestimated and misrepresented myself. While I’ve never been a trend-hound, I’ve most definitely created my own, colorful style.
It started in fourth grade, the day I wore – layered – black leggings, a long-sleeved white t-shirt under a hot pink short-sleeved shirt under sherbert orange shortalls. Layered, solid blocks of color. I loved it.
Fast-forward to eighth grade, a Halloween-season hayride. I spent the hours before the party began giving myself rainbow highlights with a 10-pack of Crayola markers. I went to the party with rainbow-striped tresses and rocked it.
Fast-forward to high school, when I tried to streak my hair red, but it faded (and blended) all over into hot pink. And I loved it.
Fast-forward through college and into my twenties when my hair has been hot pink, red, black, blue, pink again, purple, and has finally settled (now at 29) on a platinum blonde with ombré magenta ends.
My accessories, from bandeaus to watches, are neon. My nails are rarely painted just one, single color. Bright, sparkly, loud, vibrant. These are words I have used lately to describe myself and my style.
Sure, these sound like superficial things, but when I think back to the words of my therapist nine years ago — you live life in color — I realize that she was right. I do. And I love it.
Doniree Walker blogs at doniree.com | champagne with breakfast and living with intention. She is the proud new owner of Eff Yeah Media, a social media consulting services business in Portland, Oregon. In her free time she takes a lot of pictures (mostly of food) and lives to find the balance between happy hour and yoga. You can find her in 140 characters or less @doniree.
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Color is Beautiful! I remember when I tried doing purple tresses and then getting in the pool a week after. It faded into orange, pink blonde, and purple but in the end, it looked awesome. Living to your own beat is awesome but most people are afraid to do so because they fear they will be judged which is silly, really.
I have to remind myself occasionally. I’m planning some hot red highlights once I soften my curls a bit. Doing stuff out of the ordinary reminds me to live life with intention, without regrets, and to remember life is so much more beautiful with color.