This morning on AOL Stylelist, an article caught my eye and definitely reiterated something I try to live and teach to my daughter.
To raise awareness of The Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots nonprofit that brings education to children living in Indian slums, Sheena Matheiken has worn the same dress for the last 365 days. To date, she has raised enough to send over two hundred children to school. The amount…a whopping $77,000!
Matheiken said, “I already shopped vintage and thrift-store stuff for years, so this exercise was more about formalizing that side of things. It was more about showing that style can be very individual, and you don’t have to follow fast trends. It was trying to bring that sense of creativity and individuality back into fashion.”
Can we learn anything by Matheiken completing her goal and wearing the same Eliza Starbuck’s black dress every day for a year? Yes! First, she raised money for children in need. No one can say that isn’t a worthy cause and a selfless act. Secondly, we witnessed Matheiken accomplishing a goal. I think we all enjoy a good success story with a happy ending. Isn’t that the basis of all fairy tales~A happily ever after successful love? Since I do not like shopping, I loved that she proved we can dress frugally yet with style.
Being limited and confined to wearing the same dress each day, it afforded Mateiken the opportunity to explore her creativity, but more importantly, she was able to find the winning attitude required to successfully complete this challenge. Everything hinges on attitude.
Grasp that reality.
Can you feel the whole impact of those words?
Everything hinges on attitude.
No one has a perfect day, every day. We all have trials and struggles, but some people can wear a smile regardless of the circumstances even through gloom and doom. Deep inside our own psyche and in the corners of our sometimes or often aching soul, the knowledge that all trials, tribulations, turmoil and unhappiness passes. While in the midst of the sorrow, it feels that time stands still and sunshiney happiness will never appear again…but it will.
The secret is looking toward success with a positive attitude.
I struggle with “smiling during hardship” days. I get caught in the muck of the clouds and the rain pelts and I melt.
I love that Matheiken woke up each morning happy to experiment with a new style which is exactly how we should awaken…
Happy to experiment with a new day filled with opportunities.
Uniform Project Picture Book from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.
very very interesting. i saw your twitter link 😉
this is really cool. i'm definitely going to share this with others. "It all hinges on attitude." I love that.
This is incredible! Damon always tells me that the bad things wouldn't look so terrible if I had the right attitude. It's so hard though. I need an attitude adjustment. thanks for sharing!
I think that would mean I would have to stay the same size for a year. Maybe next year?