If you are like me and you like looking at pretty things, including pretty, well-dressed women this is a little reminder not to forget ourselves. The French have a lovely expression when looking at a beautiful woman – ‘se rinser l’oil’ – it means ‘to feast your eyes.’
And if you tell me that I am putting too much emphasize on appearance, stop and think a minute – doesn’t the first impression influence us in forming an opinion about a person? Of course this is nothing new.
Here are a quotes going back as far as the eighteenth-century.
‘Dress changes the manner’ – French philosopher Voltaire
‘People who can’t get it together are uninterested in themselves’ – American designer Halston
‘A respectable appearance is sufficient to make people more interested in your soul’ – French Designer Karl Lagerfeld
‘The clothes we wear send a message about how the world perceives us’ – Tim Gunn from Project Runway (Maybe it was one of your favorite programs?)
Now looking our best does not happen by itself. Not even the models smiling down at us from the pages of magazines get up in the morning looking glamorous. But we all know they have a lot of help before they are photographed for the pages of Vogue. And even women who are not models, and that is most of us, need a little help. And the person to help you, is you.
Take some time to create the picture you want the world to see — and wouldn’t it be nice if somebody would feast their eyes on you?
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And never forget- A Smile Changes Everything!
Brigitte
This reminds me of advice one hears in the business world about”managing perceptions.” I knew a man who happened to be the youngest among his business peers. He was very talented, good at seeing and implementing creative solutions to business problems, but he could be rash and a bit impatient in communicating with senior managers. After a short discussion about “managing perceptions,” he modified his communication style and came to be perceived as a level-headed problem solver. Promotions followed.
“Perceptions are reality.” Others interact with us, make decisions about us, based on their perceptions. Research has demonstrated that initial impressions are formed within the first 7 seconds! As Brigitte says, Appearance equals Self-respect.
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Thank you for the input on this very important part of our life …
……and yes it only takes 7 seconds to like or dislike.
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