Keyboards: the new cloaking devices?

One-third of women fear loneliness more than a cancer diagnosis, says a recent Forbes article. This doesn’t surprise me.

Allow me to divert from my usual blog about style… because I think this is an important topic, not only for women, but also for society as a whole.

Is our dependence on electronic communication creating a relationship void? When you only communicate remotely (i.e. not in person) you lose some level of intimacy with your friends. Typing is not emotional, it’s not expressive, it doesn’t allow for vulnerability. Certainly not in the way you can be face-to-face with a close friend.

Who even has close friends anymore? Does our keyboard shield us from the ability to truly know someone?

I’d argue, yes.

What’s missing here is the ability to really connect with people on an everyday basis. We hardly even want to speak on the phone anymore; preferring text or email so that you don’t have to engage in any small talk. God forbid you ask someone about their day and get the truth.

I feel that these close connections will have long-term ramifications for society as a whole. For example, many mental health issues can be helped through the support of truly close friends. As humans, we need social interaction just as we need food and shelter to survive. We’re social animals.

How long before we never leave our houses, having food and groceries delivered through online orders, and working from home.

Oh, wait.

Make a point this year to reconnect with people, in person. Get to know someone beyond a superficial level. Be vulnerable.

Be human.

Be beautiful from the inside out

While this blog is about fashion and style, but it’s also important to update what’s on the inside, too. Beauty may be skin deep, but ugly behaviour cuts right to the soul. You can change this today.

While what you wear is a large part of a first impression, so are the words that come out of your mouth. There’s a 1990 song by the Northern Pikes called She Ain’t Pretty, and the lyrics go: “she ain’t pretty, she just looks that way.”

I believe true beauty comes from the inside out. When the two don’t match, it’s like picking a nice looking apple only to find out it’s rotten inside.

Some people think being mean, bossy or critical gives them a certain level of power. But, truth is, it is very hurtful and leads to massive insecurities, body image issues, lack of self-esteem, anxiety and depression.

But, it’s a choice, people.

Every day, we wake up and we choose our attitudes for the day. Will I be kind? Compassionate? Grumpy? Mean? These are the real choices we make every day, whether we are aware we’re making them or not.

Choose kindness and compassion over meanness and cruelty.

How hard is it really to say something nice? Give someone a compliment. Admire their accomplishments. Celebrate small things. When you choose your attitude today, be generous with your kindness.

Let’s make the world – or at least our little part of it – a nicer place, and it, too, will be beautiful from the inside out.