1. Blogging is not my whole life.

No matter how big I get, no matter how many brands want to work with me, I never “have” to do this. This morning I almost spent a lot of money I don’t have on a photo shoot until my mom helped me decide to cancel (and yes, I know it’s rude to cancel the morning of and I feel horrible but it’s what needed to be done). I thought I had to have new pictures for my blog and that they had to be professional.

This is honestly all coming from a place of severe anxiety. I’m worried about the photos I post not being good enough because I’m worried that I’m not gaining followers fast enough because I’m worried that I’ll never be the successful influencer that I want to be. As soon as you let social media do this to you, it immediately starts to consume you.

I was talking to my roommate when I was in a similar place last semester and she said “The only way to survive on social media is to be content”. Social media, blogging, influencing: these need to be my escape, not the source of my anxiety. There’s a difference between putting the work in and allowing it to become your every thought and motivation.

Keep Calm and Create Content.

2. Money is not dispensable.

I tend to spend money with a “there’s more where this came from attitude”. This goes back to the reason I cancelled my photo shoot: I’m out of money. I buy clothes like my wardrobe caught fire the night before and I buy food like the world’s crops have all died of a prolific potato-famine-esque disease.

Mitchell’s Coffee House is an adorable restaurant right across the street from Top Buttons. Since I started working at TB, I have spent around $70 on coffee and day-old-donuts. That’s a LOT of money for someone who doesn’t make any money (a.k.a me). I’m living life like I have a career and an affluent husband, when I need to be living life like a broke college kid.

One change I am implementing in my life is that I am no longer going to bring money to work. This may sound kind of ridiculous, but it’s what I need to do. Working downtown surrounds me with delicious food and that’s the fastest way to go broke.

Who’s ready for some sack lunches?

Fashion is empowering.

There is a reason I decided to blog about fashion, and not hair or the church or anything like that. I have found that fashion is so healing (I spend a long time talking about this in my first blog post, Let’s Talk About Self-Esteem).

I have a lot of insecurities— a many as the next guy. But finding something I love to wear and wearing it well brings me joy and confidence. I work at Top Buttons because I want to help other people get that same feeling.

And that’s why I blog. Not because I want to be Instagram famous. Not because I like to post pictures of myself. Not because I “have” to.

I blog to empower.

So Much Love,

Lindsay