I was asked to speak on behalf of our rescue mission in front of what was approximately 100 business professionals through the Chamber of Commerce. In my mind, I was thinking around 20-some people and was quite surprised when I entered the large conference room.
Let me back up ...
Not knowing my audience, I play it safe and slip into my favorite black dress that is business, professional, classy and figure-flattering.
Black-strap heels and pearls, a classic look.
Suddenly, I realize my favorite dress which I once looked like a stuffed marshmallow in, then fit perfectly, is now way too loose. A wonderful surprise!
I have noticed a difference since beginning my 30 Days to Healthy Living with Arbonne and I have been exercising at least 5 days per week, but it was the dress that really made me see the difference.
It made me crave another Arbonne protein shake, my new favorite breakfast.
So, I get to the Chamber's breakfast meeting with a grand buffet of food in silver platters and pass on the delicious looking cinnamon rolls, the plump sausage, hash browns and eggs and go with fresh pineapple, clementines and a hot green tea.
As I sit down in this large conference room of tables, linens and strangers, a woman loudly states, "No wonder you are so skinny, you don't eat!"
World stop!
Thank you sweet woman for noticing, shouting and bringing attention as I feign blushing [for the record, I don't blush].
In an "Oh my!" moment of acting because everyone is now staring at me and my plate I am so proud they were looking at I share, "I confess, I had a protein shake this morning."
My eyes are checking out the heavy-laden plates of food the others are consuming. I know my black dress is fitting pretty loose and I appreciate this woman's notice more than she will ever know.
With a microphone in hand, at the front of the room, I started off with a powerful statement before I introduced myself and shared our rescue mission.
A lot of compliments followed.
Presenting at 7:30 a.m., driving to the mission to cover lunch to the pubic, I was happy to walk out the door at 11:00 a.m. and have the rest of the day open.
In comes compliment #2 that stunned me.
I get threaded. I go to an older Indian woman who finds it her job to educate, criticize and let me know everything I do wrong. I go to her because she is a perfectionist, which means I am subject to her professional eye and entitled opinions.
My first day with her, I swore I would never go back. Then, I started noticing everyone eyebrows and I decided she was truly the best. If she would only keep her opinions to herself.
Anyway, I am in the chair. On her turf. In her field of specialty when she asks in her thick accent, "What are you coloring in your eyebrows with?"
Her opinions should not matter in my life, but I find I tense up waiting for criticism. I told her an eye shadow [instead of an eyebrow pencil]. She says, "It is very good."
"What kind of eye shadow are you using?" I named the brand.
"Is it loose powder or compact?" It is loose.
"Where do you get it?" Finally, I have let my eyebrows go untouched where she has reshaped them into evenness in height and width, I am filling them in for youthful color and I have successfully chosen a product that intrigues her.
There has been a shift.
Her personality rubs me wrong, but she is a perfectionist and that is what I pay for.
I laugh when I think of my eyebrows months ago. Over-tweezed, uneven in different directions and naturally thinning in my 40's.
Let go, threaded to correct height, width, length and especially colored in has transformed my look.
Every time I step out of her chair I am amazed with her and my eyebrows.
There is a significant difference under the care of a specialist/perfectionist than those who tweeze and worse yet wax.
I cringe when others say they wax. I immediately look at their eyebrows and can clearly see that they do. It is wrong on a million levels. You cannot come close to perfectionism with slathering on waxy-goop and yanking it off with a hard pull. It absolutely does not shape the eyebrow well and every cosmetology student thinks they know what they are doing.
They. Do. Not.
It was a day of compliments that rang success in my mind.
My skin looks so much better and feels better kudos to Arbonne. My eyebrows are now what they should have always been and my body continues to slim and shape.
I am ready for summer and I still have 1-1/2 months to perfect.
