Wednesday Wisdom {back to work COVID-19 edition}
i remember years ago a friend of mine told me that i was “B R U T A L L Y H O N E S T” and i was like ummm... is that a compliment or an insult? as we deconstructed this compliment/ insult sandwich .. what i gleaned from it is that whenever you interact with me, you’ll always know that i’m not blowing smoke up your a** and that when i give you a compliment i REALLY mean it. {and if an outfit isn’t your best look, i’m going to tell you} i never just say things to say things. and the truth is, I can’t lie! {although 16 year old me may have fudged the truth a little bit to my parents about my exact whereabouts 😉 } the reality is i have a hard time not being 1000% genuine. which sounds like some kind of humble brag but i promise i’m going somewhere with this.
*
when you work in 𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒓 SERVICE ... being brutally honest can be a bit of a challenge. WHY. because i truly believe that as a stylist i am here not just to give my clients beautiful hair but also provide them with an enjoyable service and with that comes my ENERGY. ✨ my goal is always for my client to leave my chair 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 and 𝑭𝑬𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮 like the best version of themselves.
*
so here comes the Brutal Honesty part. || usually if i’m not having a good day, not matter how minor or major the circumstances. i leave my “stuff” at the door. over the years i have used and developed many strategies and techniques {from therapy to exercise and breath work and the list goes on} to keep my energy that i share 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 and 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 because i believe 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 that it is part of what i offer and how i can serve. 🤍 || but i am struggling with it now. every time someone exclaims “you must be so excited to be back to work!” i have a hard time meeting their positivity. and that feels wrong for me. like i’m letting them down. like my conflicting thoughts and feelings should be kept private. 🤍HONESTLY. YES i am happy to be working. YES. i am thrilled to see my clients and colleagues in the flesh. YES. i am beyond excited every time i turn a grown out quarantine hairdo into a beautiful after pic. but no. i am not thrilled to be covered in PPE and sweating for hours on end. no. i don’t like telling clients they can’t get in for months because i am used to squeezing and fitting people in but now am limited to one client at a time. and no. i don’t even like admitting this because i’m nervous that people will think i’m being negative or anti-something. OF COURSE everyone’s safety, including my own is a priority and i wouldn’t change any of it. and all of my clients have been SO understanding which i 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘. ♥️ but i’m learning how to balance the reality of feeling simultaneously happy and sad about the same thing. 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐-𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕. just because i’m uncomfortable doesn’t mean i don’t want to be there. just because i believe that all these safety measures are important and necessary doesn’t mean i don’t want to rip off my mask and give you a big hug.
*
So, in conclusion, today’s 𝑾𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑾𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎 is:
it’s ok {and dare i say normal!} to feel conflicting feelings. there is no right or wrong way to experience life. there is just being present and sitting with the feelings while they serve you and then moving through them. xxalexandra
