To me, "things" don't matter much, but experiences and relationships do. In the animal world I'd probably be something like a baboon, rather than a peacock. Not that I have anything against peacocks — they're lovely, but I'm more about climbing trees and having fun and I don't actually mind if my fur gets tussled.
I put a reasonable effort into my appearance. I take care of my skin, I colour my hair, I wear make-up and jewelry, I don't leave the house in my pajamas and I never wear "mom jeans." I've always relied on my personality to win people over. That used to be enough. But lately I'm finding out that maybe it's not.
We live in a image-driven society. People judge us before we've spoken one word. If we don't live up to their initial superficial evaluation of us, we may never get the chance to be heard.
When I was younger I had social clout simply by virtue of my youth. Trendy, fit, and always up for a good time... my social "Klout Score" rivaled that of Justin Bieber.
I now belong to a new social group of forty-ish moms. Within this peer group I'm still a gregarious baboon. It's when I venture outside this community that I suddenly plummet into obscurity. At events populated by young hipsters and twenty-somethings, I feel invisible.
I'm not writing this to complain about the injustice of it all. I'm simply stating this fact: If you're a frump, you can easily become invisible in today's society.
I waffle between "Who the hell cares?" and "This sucks."
So what do I do? Accept this as my new reality and just get over it? Or invest more time and money into my appearance? I not talking about anything drastic like plastic surgery. I simply mean updating my wardrobe, perhaps getting eyelash extensions and maybe dying my roots more often.
In order to succeed in a brand-driven world you have to put forth the right image for people to take your brand seriously. Before you say this isn't true, look around. Friends of mine who are on TV, or who book speaking gigs or are the "face of a brand" always look their best.
On the other hand, I firmly believe that it's what is on the inside that counts.
What do you think?
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