Style Statement book review: create your optimum life
- …is an affirmation, a declaration, a symbol of the real you – and all your facets.
- …integrates your essence and your personality. That magic can come back into our lives with a sincere invitation or invocation and it’s never too late to become the real you.
- …is a guide, a focal point, a mantra for making choices about the look, feel and spirit of every area of your life. A grounding rod against cultural must-haves and must-do’s. A direct line to your inner wisdom and better judgment.
- …creates ease and efficiency in your life due to inner clarity, with less wasting of time, energy and money striving to be who and what others tell you to be.
- Communicate who you are in all you do. Consistency is power. When the various parts of your life reflect your essence, your life moves in the direction you want it to.
- Use your best every day. Life is too short to wait for a special occasion to bring out your finery, your treasures, your brilliance, and the best of your love.
- Style is multidimensional. Visual and sensual choices are driven by self-perception. Our image is a composite of our beliefs, history and desires.
- Pay attention to what attracts you. One of the most powerful questions you can ask is, what am I drawn to?
- True style is not dependent on wealth, and wealth does not necessarily create taste. Authenticity is not dependent on funding. On a budget, or on easy street, you owe it to yourself to find a way to be genuinely you.
- Only love is free – everything else costs. Whether it’s with time, space, emotion, or earthly resources, we pay for what we choose. Be selective about what you need.
From www.ivanhoe.com
Socrates said the most important thing in life is to know yourself. Shakespeare, in one of his famous lines from “Hamlet” said, “This above all, to thine own self be true…” And the ancient Greek aphorism “Know thyself” is inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at the Oracle of Delphi. Clearly, the ancients thought it important to have a full understanding of who and what we are, and it is just as important in modern times to know what motivates us from the depths of our being in order to be more powerful and effective in our lives. Although it may seem like a simple thing, knowing ourselves and living our lives authentically according to who we really are (not who/what our parents, media, culture or community want us to be) can be a challenge of gigantic proportions!
In their beautifully designed and deliciously inviting book, Style Statement (Little, Brown and Company, 2008), Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte offer an experiential approach to knowing your authentic self. Through the book’s unique series of inquiries into what inspires, attracts, repels, and motivates you, you’ll discover and determine two words that define your authentic self that you can then use as a guide to help you focus on making choices that yield the biggest and best results for you.
The first word represents your foundation, which they give an 80% weight of how you put yourself forth in the world, and the second word is the 20% that motivates and distinguishes you, your creative edge (à la the Pareto Principle used in management which states that 80% of the output is created from 20% of the input). Put together, the two words become your “Style Statement”—a compelling tool for helping you make powerful choices in all arenas in life – from your furniture to your relationships, your wardrobe to your career. Your Style Statement reflects your deepest essence, as well as the image you most want to express.
According to the authors, “Your Style Statement is where your spirit meets matter, where your heart meets your head and your image and persona meet the real you.” Further, they assert that your Style Statement:
Style Statement is elegantly written, well-organized and artistically appealing. It invites you to get in touch with your life purpose and genuine self-expression. Along with attractive photography, and fun, creative touches throughout, the book is a guide which acts as “private studio,” a personal journal, as it encourages you to do some deep self-exploration while you determine your own special two-word phrase that can act as a compass for making choices in life that reflect your total self.
Reading the profiles of people from all walks of life and seeing their photos, along with pictures of what they treasure is fun and inspiring. As you read their answers to questions and see the treasures they so deeply value, it makes you think about how you would answer those same questions, and what it is you truly value. For example, Donald Clifton McMillan III’s profile – a handsome, kilt-clad engineer and attorney whose Style Statement is Genuine Legacy, answered the question: I am my best self when: “I’m told I can’t!” And to the question, I am inspired by: he says, “God!!! When I think of complexity, structure, infinity, and while I watch Her paint a sunset!” Michelle Pante, a business adviser, has Traditional Feminine as her Style Statement and she says, “Since my Style Statement ‘realization,’ I’m celebrating my feminine power in ways that are more truly and naturally me. And that is liberation!” Tanya Schoenroth, an interior designer (Style Statement: Sophisticated Fresh), remarks about her Style Statement that, “ Sophisticated Fresh has added an air of maturity to my communication. I’m not sure that others can discern a difference, but the end result is that I am increasingly centered and precise in my work and life.”
Particularly potent are the often-probing questions in the book, covering most every aspect of life. Think about how you would complete these sentences regarding the more mundane matters: “a completely luxurious, outrageous thing that I’d like to own is … because….” and “I feel uncomfortable about money when…” And for the philosophical: “the lesson in my life that keeps repeating is…,” “I’m afraid of…,” “My own special form of genius is…” “My purpose in life is…” If nothing else, reflecting on the questions throughout the book is enough to awaken and inspire us to get in touch with aspects of ourselves we may not have considered or paid attention to for a long time.
Carrie McCarthy, whose Style Statement is Refined Treasure, designed and styled for homes, magazines and luxury hotels, and has been a competitive track athlete. Co-author, Danielle LaPorte, was the director of a Washington, D.C.-area think tank for global futures strategies and has masterminded business and communications strategies to promote social visionaries and causes. Her Style Statement is Sacred Dramatic. After interviewing more than six hundred people and with their Style Statement work appearing in various media across the globe, Carrie and Danielle are becoming well-known as experts on authentic living.
Early in the book they state: “Authenticity is not for the faint of heart. To fly in the face of history, circumstance, and uncertainty, with your truth fully unfurled, takes some serious moxy.” Indeed! Most of us squelch our less-than-acceptable aspects, afraid that if we showed our whole, authentic self (“warts and all”), that we’ll be rejected or abandoned. With humor, charm and grace, the authors guide you fearlessly into the process of self-inquiry, leading to authentic self-expression, feeling moved and inspired to “Know Thyself” and to express yourself fully.
The book also has a distinctive “Manifesto of Style” which offers excellent tips to anyone interested in learning more about him/herself, and for living more authentically. Here’s a taste of the points (there are 20 in all) listed in the Manifesto of Style:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading (actually, experiencing) this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in a more profound understanding of who you are. Discover how potent two simple words of your choosing can be in helping you intentionally create your optimum life.
Reviewed by Nancy McMoneagle, consultant, writer, and co-owner of Intuitive Intelligence Applications, Inc., in central Virginia (
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June 24th, 2008 at 12:17 am
[...] Style Statement book review: create your optimum life If nothing else, reflecting on the questions throughout the book is enough to awaken and inspire us to get in touch with aspects of ourselves we may not have considered or paid attention to for a long time. … [...]