How Do You Want to Feel?

Maybe it's age. Maybe it's disconnecting from the world's values. Maybe it's something else. All I know is that I've stopped asking how I want to look each day. I've started asking how I want to feel.

I strived to keep up with the fashion trends as a teen. For a while, I would wear clothes that didn't feel right, because of what they looked like, the people who gave them to me, or the fact that I hate outgrowing things. None of it made me feel great, though. Somehow, these started a slow genesis of change.

I bought some new shirts a little while ago. They were technically the right size and fit, but when I wore them, I found myself pulling at them all day because they just weren't long enough. I needed some new shirts and had spent money on these, but nope, next! (Thankfully, the shirts fit my momma perfectly, so I passed them on to her.) I often get gifted items that are super cute, but don't comfortably fit. I have learned to exchange the clothes for sizes that feel comfortable. Otherwise, I know I will find the cute items shoved to the back of my closet.

When I get dressed in the morning, I think more about how I want to feel: warm, cool, cozy, sheik, pretty, etc. I dress accordingly. That might mean I have so many layers that I look like an oompah-loompah. It also might mean I wear makeup with my yoga clothes. I don't really care as much anymore. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, am not I a beholder? And I can do more in the world when I'm not feeling uncomfortable in my own clothes.

There is a time a place for respecting the opinions of others. (Like, I wouldn't wear flamboyant tie-dye to a funeral.) I am not suggesting that we throw out all cultural norms. I am just thinking that it might be helpful to consider how we feel more than how we look. Looks come and go. Feelings linger. I'd rather find what feels good for a lifetime than look good for the few eyes that linger.

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How about you? Have you considered dressing for how you want to feel? Or are you more looks focused? Please feel free to share in the comments section.