I love the saying,”Don’t judge a person before walking a mile in their shoes.” First of all, it mentions shoes. Second of all, there is such truth in that statement that we need to be reminded of.
It’s no secret that we all struggle with a mountain of issues in our personal lives. Anything from anxiety, depression, insecurity, overwhelm, grief, addiction, or even a loss of hope can leave us with more than we can handle. So many of us wake up to a burden of weight resting on us with the start of each day. With the sound of our morning alarm, we start our journey on the battlefield as we fight through our brokenness each and every day.
Our paths of difficulty may alter from each other, but we are all fighting this battle of life together. The truth is on even my most painful and heart wrenching days, I use fashion as my cultch to get me through. If I let my mood or emotions dictate what I put on my body each morning, I would probably be wearing yoga pants and a hoodie many days. But instead, after some of my worst nights, I wake up and make an attempt to put something on that will make me feel like my better self.
It became a routine. No matter how I was feeling, I would put a little effort to dress up and look nice each day. And believe it or not, it has done so much for my emotional well being. That bright shade of lipstick or high heel will actually bring a slight smile to my face and even make me walk with a little extra bounce in my step. Some days, I forget what was even bothering me in the first place!
And it turns out, there is scientific evidence to prove my little theory correct. Studies have shown that we wear baggy, dark clothes during times of hardship. And when we are happy and positive, we tend to put on items in our closet that bring us joy. There is an connection between emotional state and wardrobe choices. So the concept is that if you wear clothes that bring you happiness on a day that you are sad, you are actually tricking your brain to stimulate another emotional response!
So dressing in a cute outfit can actually make you happier! That is science ladies! But in all honesty, we all have things that we lean on during times of difficulty. I guess I took that saying, “On a bad day there is always lipstick,” to heart once upon a time. Putting myself together each morning helps me escape the reality of my brokenness. We are all broken. So making that little extra effort in the morning might just put an unexpected smile on your face.
Remember that God is the true healer of our pain. And as much as pretty dress can put an extra kick in our step, He is really the only one that can bring us back to life.
We are united by our wounds. Thanks for reading.
