“It’s 8 o’clock, babe! Are you ever gonna stop playing with makeup?”
If I could give one piece of advice to another girl (or guy) out there a lot like me, I would say this: you have to set boundaries. In everything you do. When it comes to playing with makeup, you have to know when it’s time to put down the blending brush for a while. When it comes to work, you have to know when it’s time to head home for the night or when it’s time to set things aside until tomorrow. And when it comes to staying up late, you have to know when it starts to hurt your health or your relationships.
Some of my big boundary breaking vices are makeup and blogging (BIG surprises there). Some afternoons I’ll be trying on products upstairs in front of my mirror for hours, totally unaware of the time until my tummy rumbles and I look up to see that it’s already 9 o’clock!
Yup, that has to stop in 2012.
How about you? What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a man or woman just like you?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
M.A.Leal says
December 31st, 2011 at 9:07 pmThe only advices I would give would be: NEVER, EVER let people make you doubt yourself. That will make you afraid to pursue your dreams. Appreciate what you have. Be yourself. Stop being afraid of failure. It makes you grow, it gives you strenght and it keeps you humble. Live your life, not others lives.
Em says
December 31st, 2011 at 10:47 pmDon’t aim for perfection, aim for happiness! We think that if we’re perfect we’ll be happy, but its the other way around 🙂
Johanna says
January 1st, 2012 at 3:00 amLive your life to the fullest! That`s the one advice I would give myself and everyone else for the new year.
Don`t waste one second of your life and live like everyday is your last. Don`t be afraid of getting embarassed or dissapointed or hurt. Be spontanious and do the craziest things. Push yourself to the limits and get out of your comfort zone. Don`t be afraid to try findind love. Love your family and friends with all of your heart, don`t waste any negative energy on anger and envy. Realize that you only have this one life to live.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Jill says
January 1st, 2012 at 5:33 amTo worry less. Concentrate on what you know and don’t speculate. If it can’t be changed, don’t worry about it because that will only make you feel worse
Christine says
January 1st, 2012 at 6:49 amIf you’re unhappy about something, waste less time being unhappy and spend more time doing something about it.
Chris25 says
January 1st, 2012 at 7:32 amI would say that what others think of you does not matter as much as what you think of yourself. Corny, but true. 🙂
Courtney says
January 1st, 2012 at 7:34 amAllow yourself to find peace in your life, your body, your career, and your relationships. Things don’t have to be perfect, things don’t have to perfectly align with what you thought you’d have, but you do need to accept what you have, what you don’t have, and who you are. Find peace in everything you do.
Katherine G says
January 1st, 2012 at 7:51 amI learned (the hard way of course) that not everything in my life has to be perfect. I do the best that I can, and if people don’t like me for me, then they are not needed in my life.
My advice would be to try and find peace with yourself and your life. If you’re single, use it as an opportunity to get to know yourself better and try new things. If you’re in a relationship, make it a goal to do something new for “date night or day” that neither of you have done before. If you run or exercise, don’t count the miles and the reps – just enjoy the fact that you are out there doing something. Be daring and try new things, and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go as “perfectly” as you planned. Learn to love. I think all of us could judge less and love more. That said, it doesn’t mean you have to trust every single person that you meet, but it does mean maybe being more civil to people you might not want to be civil to (yes, being the bigger person is hard, but we are much more mature and settled in our lives for doing so).
Wendy says
January 1st, 2012 at 7:59 amGood advice, Karen. To expand on the boundaries theme, I would advise others like myself to maintain boundaries at work with clients. Know your worth and value what you have to offer others.
Sunny says
January 1st, 2012 at 8:30 amWhatever you choose to do or not to do, make peace with yourself. Don’t try to compete with anyone else because it doesn’t make any sense, and love what you do!
That and stop eyeing/lemming the cool makeup items you see browsing through the Internet. Start practicing with what you own to improve your technique!
Negative Nancy says
January 1st, 2012 at 9:06 amAccept help more often and please, for the love of crazies, stop being so d@mn hard on yourself!!!!
Avery says
January 1st, 2012 at 9:07 amAs a young girl planning a move from Iowa to New York City for college, I would say be brave and don’t ever think you aren’t worthy of the opportunities that you get. And don’t be afraid to seek these opportunities. But above all, always look for the things that make you happy and don’t waste time on anything that doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to feel uncomfortable and always seek to expand your horizons.
Of course, being 18 means I can very well say all this but I’ll probably have a dang hard time sticking to it and I’m sure there is lots of other advice that I will have to learn the hard way!
Robin says
January 1st, 2012 at 9:51 amMy mantra for the new year and for other busy moms is “SLOW DOWN”. Many times I feel I am not fully present in the moment (for myself, my kids, or my husband) because I am too busy worrying about the next “thing”. Life moves at such breakneck speed—but it can be controlled. I want to make an honest attempt at doing that in 2012.
Windie says
January 1st, 2012 at 10:36 amHappy New Year Karen. Wishing you the best of what you have set to accomplish in your personal and professional life.
As for the advice I would give (or remind) myself:
– Be part of something bigger than yourself and the part you play, no one else can do it quite like you.
– Fun is a relative term.
Marian says
January 1st, 2012 at 11:01 amYou don’t HAVE to do anything you don’t want to do.
Nina says
January 1st, 2012 at 12:42 pmi would say to someone just like me – chill, dont kill yourself trying to be perfect and know who your friends are. 🙂
steph b says
January 1st, 2012 at 1:08 pmDon’t worry so much about your “plan” that you aren’t open to new opportunities.
Julliah says
January 1st, 2012 at 1:11 pmSometimes things happen that throw your life out of whack. Don’t try and go back to the way things used to be, it isn’t going to happen
Lucie says
January 1st, 2012 at 6:38 pmFace the world every morning with a smile and both middle fingers up!
xx says
January 1st, 2012 at 8:35 pmDo not be afraid to change, especially to change for good and happiness, even though that might bring some hurt at a second.
Christine says
January 1st, 2012 at 10:01 pmDon’t be so hard on yourself! Seriously, we’re all human. Give yourself a break & some love, if you take a step back you’ll see how awesome you’re truly doing.
anna says
January 1st, 2012 at 10:03 pmKaren, I have learned so much from reading your blog. Laugh, play, and be true to yourself. Good things will surely follow!
Marie says
January 2nd, 2012 at 4:47 amThe piece of advice I would give to someone like me would be to embrace your skin color as it is. Don’t try to make it tanner, or lighter. Your skin is beautiful as it is.
I see too many pale girls wearing foundations way too dark, and other women destroying their skin with lightening products. We’re always made to feel like our skin color needs to be changed to conform to outdated and dangerous beauty ideals.
I’ve come to realize that hurtful comments like “oh god you’re so pale, you should get some sun” (I can’t), and “this (3 shades too dark) foundation will give you a healthy look” are mostly coming from people who are projecting their own insecurities onto other people. Don’t let that happen.
Everyone’s beautiful. 🙂
DalaLuz says
January 2nd, 2012 at 4:49 amMake sure that what you spend time on is really worthy of your time: time is too precious to just kill!
Nalina says
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:12 amDon’t be afraid to take risks if it’s for something you really care about or want. Not impulsive risks, but calculated risks. It may not always go in your favor, but at least you will know that you are making every effort to bring yourself closer to your dreams.
Nalina recently posted … Buche De Noel – LUSH Face Scrub
Neeraj says
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:26 amMy advice is to find happiness in small things and not wait for something great to happen. Sometimes a dinner with a best friend, or buying a treat for ur dog could be happier times than winning an oscar (exaggeration).!