Penelope's Fall Fashion Guide...?

Longer hemlines coming this fall! Stylesight Margaret Howell Fashions

Quote of the Month:

We are the only true experts on our journey to enlightenment. Filter all information through your own heart.- Daily OM

I wonder how many of you did a double take when you saw the title of this post.  Those of you who know me, know that I am known more for my "ugly" shoes than for following any sort of fashion trends!  Actually, I have several pairs of "ugly" shoes!  I threatened to pile all of them up and take a picture for the photo of the month!!!!  A friend suggested that might not be a good idea - so you get the skirt photos! 

One morning, a few days ago, I was trying to catch the headlines on the morning news shows.  I flipped to one station doing a piece on women's shoes and heard her say, "You know how women love shoes!" and another woman said, "They have a special place in my closet."  I know this may be true for some of you!   I quickly changed to a different channel and heard, "Next fall, the hemlines will be quite a bit longer again.  As little as six months ago, we wouldn't have believed we could like them at this length again!"  For a moment I felt as though I had entered the Twilight Zone..... I was Simply looking for the headlines.... not HEMlines...... AND did that woman just hear what she had said?  

"As little as six months ago, we wouldn't have believed we could like them at this length again." 

Let me clarify that I really do not care if you wear the longer hemline, the shorter one.... or no hemline at all!  This blog is definitely not becoming a site for fashion advice!   : )   At the same time, I am not anti-fashion.  Those of you have been following my posts for a while know that I am not anti-anything.  My aim is to be as judgement-less as I can.  What I do intend with this post is for us to examine our beliefs, where they came from and ask ourselves if the beliefs we have inherited are truly ours and true for us.   

Back to the woman reporting on hem lengths....  here is what I really heard her say.....

"These hem lines are reminiscent of the 1970's.  No one has really worn them much since then.  I, now, like the length of these hemlines.... The reason I now like them is because someone told me I should like them!"   

The Simple suggestion I am making this month is to be AWARE that other people may be guiding your choices under the guise of fashion advice!  Is it possible that in an effort to get you back to the stores the fashion industry has come out with a new idea?  This really  goes much further ..... in addition to people telling you what you should wear...... you can find people who will tell you what to eat, what shampoo to buy, what music to listen to, what books to read, what deodorant to buy, who to vote for, where to live, where NOT to live, what type of car to buy, what type of neighborhood to live in, what job to take.....  even what God to believe it.  I know I might have crossed a line with that last one, but I think it is important to include it as it is at the center of a lot of issues facing us today.... wars.... dividing us along political lines.... etc. 

On this blog, I previously wrote that in some ways this is helpful... in Wilderness of Intuition - June 2009.  Since we have many decisions to make every day and many of them are not really all that important in the scheme of things, the media can be helpful in making decisions about these things... such as which shampoo to use (just as an aside, I went to buy shampoo yesterday and was completely overwhelmed with the choices... what just happened to plain "normal" shampoo for "normal" hair??? Not sure how I missed this transition.... but I could have really used someone to tell me which one to buy!)   

So - I am not anti-fashion, anti-media or anti-advertising or anti-anything... I simply want to raise all of OUR awareness that many of the choices we may think we are making, may in fact be made for us, or at least influenced by, someone else..... and very often that someone else may not have our best interest in mind.
  

I always like to start with the Simple little examples.... it is pretty obvious to see that someone "made up" the length that hemlines "should be" in the fall (at least I hope it is!)  Here is another example.  I remember as a kid using Colgate Toothpaste and that it had "MFP Fluoride!"   As a kid, I thought it sounded very impressive and must have some special chemicals or something in there to make it REALLY good!  A little later in school I did a report on advertising and found out what MFP stands for!  Do you know?  I'll leave you hanging for a little while longer.... (further reading on this topic see The Voice, August 2009)

So - what is it I am really getting at this month?  I alluded to it in the quote above.  We are our own best experts!  I want you to learn to Trust yourself.... your own inner voice... your own guidance.  I call this "Intuition" and have written about it quite a bit on this blog.  That is because it is a guiding force in my life.
  

In my experience, there are 4 parts to intuition. 

1 - listen - tune into and become aware of the mental I-pod/CD/tape or voice that constantly plays in your head.  

2 - hear (distinguish) - distinguish the different voices and where they come from.  Identify voice of intuition.

3 - trust - trust what you hear intuition tell you.

4 - follow - take action!

Watch for more on each of these in the coming months!

If you would like to do some additional reading on Intuition in the meantime, try:

Wilderness of Intuition - June 2009 - This posts includes some suggestions to "play" with your intuition and some personal examples of intuition in my own life.

or 

Be Your Own Guru - January 2010  - This post gives a preview on hearing and trusting.  

Finally

Tolle on Intuition  - To read what Eckhart Tolle has to say about Intuition.

That's all for this month's addition of Penelope's Fashion Guide!  If you have read this far, you know it should be called, Intuition is your Guide... on fashion and everything else!

If you have any examples of intuition in your own life, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.  I think it is useful to talk about it and the ways it is working for others as I think we often miss it and don't realize that it was in fact intuition.  Or - you can just let me know what you'll be wearing this fall!

Oh, and we haven't had a Question of the month for a while... if you know what MFP stands for (regarding Colgate Toothpaste) enter it in the comments below too.  Answer next month! 

Keep it Simple!
Penelope

True Colors

Quote of the month:

I see your true colors shining through…
…so don't be afraid, to let them show,

your true colors are beautiful,like a rainbow.

-Cyndi Lauper

Your true colors...are beautiful like a rainbow! Last month, we talked about making a list of characteristics, successes or accomplishments, sitting with that for a while and then trying to put that feeling into your own words. I call this your true colors phrase. You may have several true colors phrases, one for each particular area of your life that you wish to experience differently. To keep it simple, I suggest working with one at a time. It is also generally easier to begin with an area of your life that is not your biggest challenge.

Here are some more suggestions for coming up with a true colors phrase.

It must be TRUE!

You may say that this sounds similar to coming up with a mantra or affirmation. Mantras are fine too, if they work for you, but there are several ways that this is different from a mantra. Often, a mantra is not a true statement, but rather the way you want something to be. Repeating over and over that the sky is green will not make it so. In our example from last month about a new endeavor, the subconscious is still there telling you what it really thinks. You are trying to say, I can write a blog....and it is there in the background calling you a liar! You will hear underneath your voice, your subconscious saying, "No you can't!!!" This is what you will really hear on an emotional level. Last month the suggestion was to make a list of REAL positive situations where you have been successful. It is real information that the subconscious cannot argue with.

The true colors phrase should be short and concise. Try to boil it down to a few words. Something that you can easily remember and repeat when you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts.

Another difference is that a true colors phrase is designed to bring up a specific feeling. It will bring up the FEELING of the successes or accomplishments over again and the subconscious will be better able to believe it. It is important to note here, that you may not get to the feeling part immediately. Feelings actually start as a thought in your head. We don't realize this, as the process becomes so automatic, but if you can slow it down (meditation helps!) you see that the thought comes first, which then creates the feeling.

Some of you have told me either that the true colors phase does not bring up a good feeling or that your mind is still in there telling you that you are a "liar" even on the real accomplishments. This is where the use of your will comes in. Facts are facts. The mind cannot argue with facts. If this is the case, start with reminding yourself each time the mind wants to tell you that it is not enough or still not good enough. (You can also re-read September's post on Your Thoughts Create Your Reality, or "just the facts" on not making judgements about each and every thought that comes through your mind.) Then, allow yourself to own your accomplishments. It may take some time and repetition, but over time, you will re-train your mind. You can think of it almost like reprogramming a computer....except that we are not machines and require multiple efforts to "reprogram."

Gary Zukav says the longest distance you will ever travel is from your head to your heart! Getting a thought from your head to a feeling in your heart may take time. Your "heart" (the feeling) has been listening to that other criticizing part for so long that says it's not enough...so that is what your heart may currently be "believing" (in the form of a feeling also.) Repetition is key for this also!

Probably by this time, if you have been following along every month, it is becoming apparent, that when you become aware of your I-pod/tape chatter saying something negative .....it then becomes a matter of repeatedly replacing the old thought with the new thought...the true colors phrase. To continue the I-pod/tape metaphor….it is like going back and recording a new song on the tape or synching your I-pod with a new play list. In both cases, you are replacing the old information with new. As mentioned above, we are not computers or machines and it generally cannot be accomplished with just one time….but each time you become aware, challenge the thought and replace it with a new one, the new thought becomes stronger.

Please understand the personal power this simple technique can give you…. Even if it is something you have believed or been told your whole life. I try to keep these posts light and simple, but there are some very powerful applications for this simple technique. Think of a child that fails a test or class....and the beliefs that child could adopt as a result. Think of a person who is fired from a job and the thoughts and beliefs that could result.... or a child who has experienced abuse or has been picked on or bullied... he or she may develop certain thoughts and beliefs about themselves, or thoughts about why the abuse or bullying occurred. Very often people attribute the cause to something about themselves...a flaw of some sort....or it could lead to a powerless feeling....or any number of different feelings or coping mechanisms. Again, there may be as many different ways of coping as their are people and situations.

Any one of those thoughts may be enough to make some one want to give up. I am simply suggesting that there may be other ways to look at each of those challenges….especially if they are creating negative feelings for you or consequences you are not happy with. If you find yourself saying, "But that really is a terrible thing that happened to me!" I would suggest to go back to the why process. You may have old coping mechanisms that are no longer serving you. I would also suggest that losing yourself in the "terrible-ness" of it will not help you find a new job, pass the next test or deal with the next bully. But drawing on your accomplishments, successes and achievements by using your true colors phrase may! It may help you change a long term belief system into a new way of looking at life. It may change the way you experience a challenging situation and may help you relieve some of the stress in your life.

The true colors phrase is (real, true) information in the form of a thought in your head that works its way into a feeling in your heart. Once it reaches the feeling stage, it is more likely to become your new way of viewing that particular circumstance. I personally know that this process can work and can change the way you experience your life.

The picture of the month this month is not mine. When I started writing this particular topic a few months ago, I was looking for a picture of a rainbow to represent "true colors" and "beautiful like a rainbow." I do not have my own picture of a rainbow, so I searched on line for one. Nothing stood out. At the same time, I went to read my niece's blog, The Mommy Writer. (This is also listed on the right side of my blog page under "My Blogs List.") THAT DAY, when I was looking for a picture of a rainbow, she had, ironically, just posted a picture of a rainbow on her blog....so it seemed appropriate to use that picture. Here is the link to that picture and it is posted below as well.

To continue reading next month's post on What is Spirituality? click here.

I would love to hear your feedback as well as any questions you may have or topics you may be interested in for the future. You may comment at the bottom at the blog where it says "comments."

All posts will be archived on my blog along with other useful information at: Simply Spirituality or http://simplyspirituality.blogspot.com/

Until next month....
Here's hoping you keep your spirituality simple!

Penelope

Picture of the month:

Beautiful like a Rainbow