1. Wardrobe Remix.
Never be caught wearing the same thing twice. No one is expecting you to spend your earnings on new threads each week. Mix and match your clothes to wear items again in different combinations. Depending on how often you wear certain clothes, no one will ever see you wearing the same thing more than once. You could even wear the same thing over and over again to make it your personal brand. Fashion is a choice, let it be your choice.
2. Post less.
The internet is a surefire way to lose or build a reputation. The waves of trends and people to follow are bottomless too. You like to take the opposite approach of endless scrolling and trolling. Rather than swear off the Wi-Fi and live a gypsy's life, you shout into the digital void with one post a week. Posting once a month would up the ante. The idea here is to keep your digital health in check while leaving proofs of your comings and goings. There are no expectations except your own. Put some value in your post and leave the followers wanting more.
3. Say less.
People inevitably want to know what you are thinking. We are all social to a fault. But no matter where you fall on the chatting spectrum, you do not have to say much. Long-winded spiels can be attractive, but imagine getting all you need in 10 words or less. Saying what you need to say is always better than carrying on for the sake of filling dead air. Think before you speak and keep the speech light.
4. Appear and disappear at will.
GiphyYou are always the Punctual Pat or Patty. Showing up on time is just good manners. Why not surprise your friends with your unexpected presence? Say you have plans or act like you did not hear about their plans, then show up. Leave a party without saying hello or goodbye. People who do not expect you to show up might as well be underestimating you. The shadows are your limelight now, you men and women of mystery!
5. Announce nothing.
People are inquisitive by nature and sooner or later want to know where your next steps are going to be. Stop telling people what your plans are and take action instead. You are less likely to act on them if you reveal them too soon. Do them when the time comes and let people naturally be surprised by the steps you did take. The more opportunities you act on are going to create a positive feedback loop. You will get so busy that the attention you gain for yourself will become a part of the territory.
The best mysteries keep you guessing.
Using Social Media To Promote Positivity
Social media is often seen as a negative, but recently I've been trying to use it to feel gratitude.
I spend a lot of time thinking about, looking through, and posting on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Communicating with many of my friends all at once, anytime, both enhances and limits my life. I love keeping up with everyone, seeing their adventures and whatnot but a lot of the time social media is a huge source of my own insecurities.
Not only insecurities of body image, beauty, and fashion haunt me as I scroll but I find myself comparing other aspects of my life to those that I see on screen. Should I be eating at those trendy restaurants? How can these girls afford to buy such expensive cocktails every night? Are they having a better college experience than I am?
They all look so happy.
In a sea of beautiful people, Instagram has become a place of competition. If your picture is poorly edited, you bet it's being critiqued by a group of sorority girls somewhere. If you misspell a word or your grammar is a little off, it's the same. Don't forget the constant need for validation from likes that's even expanded to asking people "is this OK to post?" before showing off another selfie.
I'm absolutely guilty of doing all of these things, but recently a close friend of mine had the brilliant idea to share positivity on social media. Not just a graphic of a quote he found on Pinterest, but a list of small things he noticed throughout the day that he appreciated and wanted to pass on.
"Today I'm Grateful For:"
Like many things on social media, others noticed what he was posting and there was nothing but inspired feedback and admiration by imitation. Soon I started posting lists of things I appreciated as well and so did others on my feed. It was a chain of passing on positive ideas.
After posting for a few weeks, gratitude posts can get a little harder to make. I found myself dedicating time in the day to thinking back on how I spent my time and what ordinary things I noticed. While I composed my ideas every day, Kevin, the man who started it all, was working on creating a social group to post and share these gratitudes called "Marvel at the Ordinary." Watching the group grow on Facebook was just validation of what was already seen on Instagram –– people want to engage in practicing and sharing gratitude with others. The group grew from 11 members to over 600 in about two months.
Posting gratitude on social media a way to ground yourself in meaningful validation. People will comment that they relate or love what you're writing. Instead of a like or a comment on a picture, you will get a more personal human interaction over social media through gratitude journaling.