In this week’s Stylist, we find ourselves engrossed by an article that, to provide you with the Cliff Notes, says be yourself. Before you ask ‘is it an piece aimed at those who are being bullied?’ we will tell you it was quite a generic article, only grabbing our attention because of the title: Sod This, Let’s Go For A Wine. Written by an author who is notorious for her extensive work, she preaches the word that you don’t have to worry about everything you’re not, instead choosing to celebrate what you are. Don’t make New Years resolutions on the same night you’re going to get hammered. If you don’t like exercise, why commit to doing more? When you take the time to think about it, it doesn’t actually start to make amazing sense. Whatever it is you want to to do in life, for bloody hell, just do it!
It all starts with acceptance, we’re told. And this time we’re inclined to believe it. You might never be like Jack from accounts – first in, last out, always impeccable, never a whisker out of place – but he’ll never be like you. Someone that can go out on the lash and be hideously hungover the next morning, contributing to plenty of quirky anecdotes. We’re sure Jack doesn’t have any stories like that. So we are huge fans of accepting what you have, and relishing in your individuality rather than wishing you were like someone else. The hard workers will always be there, but when it’s someone to have fun with, you’ll be at the front of the list.
It says ‘don’t let perfectionism or self-hate motivate you to make any resolutions’. When it’s put like that, it couldn’t be clearer. And we’re a little mad at ourselves for having acted in this way for so long. Instead, it recommends choosing the things that will solve major problems within your work or family life. Why try to be perfect at being yourself, which, after all these years, you probably already are. It doesn’t matter if you smoke, drink, entertain the London escorts available from Chic. These all contribute to you being you, and you shouldn’t want for anything else.
If you’re so overwhelmed with being perfect, you forget why you’re doing it. And it’s probably for purely aesthetic reasons. Sure, if you sign up to ten spinning classes a week, you might have buns of steel, but you probably won’t have anything to talk to your friends about apart from this, which may quickly get you some friend deletes from the world of social media. If you decide to spend more time doing something like volunteering, perhaps becoming a dog-walker every other weekend, you’ll talk about giving something back, and exercise is free!