Why You Don’t Need To Be “ Fixed” : A Guest Post by Alycia Anderson

You might be wondering why a guest fashion writer and professional Image Consultant is writing about perfection. This is a topic that is close to my heart and influences my business daily. Women and mothers come to me to update their look, their wardrobe or their hair; however, the undertone to some of these requests comes from a place of feeling like they are "not enough." Hiring an Image Consultant is their last stop in a downward spiral of self-defeat and self-loathing. Sometimes these women will even go as far to say, "If you can't fix me then no one can." Let me put the brakes on right here, right now. You do not need to be fixed. You do not need some magical spell to make you into 'enough' you already are enough. 

I have never worked with any woman and not been blown away by her strength, story, beauty and sheer determination. Women and mothers are the most resilient and resourceful people on the planet. They are the ones who do all of the fixing for everyone else; yet, they are so critical of themselves. My goal is never to "fix" or to "change" any of the women I work with. My main objective has always been to remind them of all of the strength that has been there the entire time. To some, changing your hair or outfit may seem frivolous or silly; I will happily disagree with those folks. You need to take care of yourself in order to show up in your own life and for the people, family and job you love. Everyone needs to know that they matter and are worth caring for. Style, makeup and grooming are simply an avenue towards self-love, acceptance and fostering self-confidence. I am passionate about what I do because I have seen, first-hand, the way changing the way you see yourself can positively impact your life. 

As women, we seem to wait for permission to take care of ourselves, to put up boundaries, to decline invitations, and even to allow ourselves to be imperfect. If you've been waiting for a permission slip, here it is: you are allowed to be wonderfully imperfect and you don't need to be fixed. Signed, sealed and delivered. You my friend, are worth caring for. There is not a single thing about you that needs to be fixed. 

For more pep talks, style tips or just to say hello, you can find me at www.etchimage.com

Alycia Anderson, Image Consultant, Etch Image Solutions