Stepping Out of Comfort- A Girl's Guide to Beating Doubts

The beginning of the year always becomes a time of reflection for me. (Maybe its the cold weather keeping me cozy indoors, or maybe its my choice to participate in 'dry January? RIP red wine.) I find myself lost, in thought. Thoughts that are critical, honest. Thoughts that are deeply personal, exploring how I navigate life. My success to my downright failures (which were necessary to help me grow to what I am today.) I feel like its natural to search for self improvement at the beginning of the year. So here's my challenge to myself: 

 I have decided that for 2018, I want to step out of my comfort zone. (Ok, breaking my comfort zone has nothing to do with jumping out of a plane, or traveling alone, or talking to strangers at a bar.) My comfort comes from habituals ways of thinking- The "I can't"s as I like to call them. Small IDEAS that I have tricked my mind to be TRUTHS. And trust me, we all do it. So I am paying attention to any doubts, that I have grown comfort to. As we mature and grow, so do our doubts. So the way I combat them? Facing them HEAD ON. If there is a voice telling me 'I am not good enough", or "not pretty enough" or "not intelligent enough"- I write the opposite down in my journal. I say the opposite out loud to myself on the walk to my audition. Words are powerful, and they can hold us back from owning the life were meant to live. So, I use them in reverse. I use words to motivate me, to navigate around my doubts. Sometimes my doubts are heightened by influences outside me. 'Comparison is the thief of joy". So, I am challenging myself even more this year, to be the real + goofy + serious woman in every situation right away. I tend to warm up to people, reveal more and more of myself as I grow comfortable. Why can't I shine my full self no matter the outside situation? This is cheesy AF, but I want to be the leading lady of my life- ditching the doubts, and shaking the insecurities. 

Ok, but I did want to use this post to talk about this dress by one of my ALL time favorite Los Angeles brands Between Ten. This brand has the best textiles + fabrics. I love this moody wrap dress- I have never seen polka dots in this shade. The high slit shows off my legs, and adds a boost to my confidence. I highly recommend this brand for one of kind pieces, that feel vintage yet current at the same time. I have worn their pieces in past blog posts HERE, and HERE. 

Local LA brand Between Ten Dress, Urban Outfitters patent leather boots, Mejuri necklace. 

Photos by Los Angeles based photographer Britt Crowe Photo

@brittcrowephoto