From 2010, with love...

This year has been...incredible. As I sit here on the very last day, hours even, of 2010, I'm feeling somewhat sentimental as I realized all the amazing things that this past year has brought me.

The fact that I was not the only one to wish 2009 good riddance actually made me feel better about the whole thing. At least I wasn't the only one wallowing in some kind of despair that only a national recession can create. And have you ever noticed that when you don't' FEEL successful and confident, the rest of the world just kinda... sucks?

I set out for 2010 to be different, and it was. I didn't even know what an empty vessel I was for information, but I hope that I always remain that way. It feels good to get filled up with new experiences. So, here's what this amazing year has taught me:

1) Most people need to feel taken care of. Make someone feel good about themselves, and let them know how very important to you they are. And, be genuine about it. It will take you miles further than any product or service.

2) Don't spend hours agonizing about something you may-or-may-not have screwed up. You never know that the one thing you stressed so much about may be the very thing someone praises you for later. Unless someone directly tells you that you screwed up, just drop it.

3) You will not make everyone happy. That's ok. As long as you can leave the situation feeling good about yourself and the choices you made in that situation, then it's fine. And sometimes, there isn't the "right choice", there's just "I made the best decision I could at the time" choice. That's cool, too.

4) Never miss an opportunity to shut the hell up. This tidbit it worth it's weight in gold.

If experience is the best teacher, I've been enrolled in his class for a year now and can vouch for him. Getting out there, taking a risk, and doing my thing has been huge. There's so much that I thought would be a BIG deal, like some sort of long, hard, overwhelming task I would have to endure and struggle with. I had built it up in my mind to be something way more elaborate than it really was. Then the weirdest thing happened... the stuff that seemed insignificant, the stuff that required me to focus and be consistent on day to day tasks, were the ones that required the most of me. The big leaps were easy. I just had to jump. And jumping covers way more ground than walking in the same amount of time.

So, for 2011, it's time to jump. Stretch, reach, leap. Momentum is powerful, once you put it into play.

Wishing you a very, very best New Year.

Oh... wait... this is supposed to be a blog on beauty... tip: Urban Decay's Red Revolution. The most perfect red lipstick I have ever found. And you'll need it for the retro inspired looks parading down runways and wedding aisles.