In 1996 Deana Carter released the song and album, “Did I Shave My Legs for This?”, and 26 years later I am still using the phrase to describe situations that did not live up to expectations (𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 40 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦?).
Maybe for you it’s not shaving your legs or beard. Maybe it’s, “did I put lipstick on for this?” or styling your hair or using cologne or ironing or whatever else we do to primp up for that person or occasion that seems worth our effort. Only, it turns out, the reality didn’t live up to the hype. We are deflated and annoyed, because damn if we couldn’t have put that time and energy into something else. Or nothing…doing nothing would have been nice too, am I right?
My mom would take me shopping and I would always focus on school clothes. She would always ask, “do you need new pajamas?”, and I would look at her like she was crazy. We were on a budget. “Why would I waste money on clothes no one is going to see?”.
“Because it makes you feel good,” she would explain. The same goes for bras and underwear, she would add. She taught me what her fashionista Aunt Pat taught her. You never dress for someone else. You dress for you. Whether it’s your lingerie, your nightgown, or your little black dress (or tux for the men in the room), it’s about you. Never them.
It took me a very long time to truly understand this, and even longer to see how this mindset applies to everything else we do or don’t do related to our wellness, beauty, and style, and even your work.
The Power of Self-Investment
Your nutrition, exercise, fashion, and skincare should all reflect you and your goals, not someone else’s. They should be about investing in yourself, not appeasing someone else. Is your job fulfilling you? Is your salary fulfilling you? Or is it a path you fell on at 18 and just sort of rolled with it because that’s what you were supposed to do?
Helping individuals realize that they are allowed to invest in themselves is the mission of Yes You. It’s why every skin wellness consultation I do starts with, what do you see when you look in the mirror? What matters most to you? It’s why every health coaching consult starts with the prospective client’s vision for their life, not what I think they should “fix”. It’s why I ask every potential business partner what their definition of success is, and what they feel like is missing.
It’s about you, not me, and not "them" (as in society).
When you show up for every situation for yourself, on your terms as best possible, you will feel more satisfied, less stressed, and have more fun. When you start investing in yourself, and designing your life on your terms and not society’s, you will feel more satisfied, less stressed, and have more fun.
When you invest in yourslef, for yourself, you boost your confidence, improve your self-image, and skyrocket your self-worth. You will look and feel your best, and have the energy and radiance that comes with it.
And you will never again ask, “did I shave my legs for this?”.
