Friday, May 2, 2008

Style Statement

I keep coming across references to Carrie McCarthy & Danielle LaPorte and their Style Statement concept, which boils down to defining who you are in two words - such as Cultivated Wonder, Sophisticated Era, or Classic Genuine. By knowing these two words, you can approach your life with more authenticity.

I hear stuff like this, and I want to scream. Who the hell can be thoroughly described in two little words? Why would you want to pick only two words anyway, when there are so many beautiful words that you would be throwing away?

I also have to admit that, despite my knee-jerk run-like-hell reflex, I would kind of love to know what my two words are. Maybe it could help me express myself better. Or make decisions more easily. Or just provide a moniker I can identify with, that reminds me what I should appreciate more about myself. After all, it is basically a personality test, and we all know how much I love those.

EDIT: As I was thinking about this on my way to work, I realized that while most personality tests group people into a small number of categories - for instance, the Myers-Briggs has 16 personality types - a Style Statement will likely be unique to you, as it can be any combination of two words, in theory (as long as the first is an adjective, and the second a noun or adjective?).

2 comments:

Classic Lustre said...

Hi - glad you mentioned the Style Statement process on your blog. Your initial reaction is not uncommon - it's a fairly esoteric concept to grasp. I am living proof that it can be deeply effective though. I'd love to give you more information. Do keep in touch.

Best,

Karryn
Communications Manager
Carrie & Danielle, Inc.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nina,
I too thought at first: what's this rubbish? Then of course ordered the book, and it took some time to reach Italy and I got it just yesterday. I'm not going to say that it is life-changing, also because I just fingered through it. It's full with questions and blank space for one to fill with words, or perhaps photos, textures etc. I went strainght to the vocabulary section and read all the words there. I choose my 2. Yes, choose, I know that's not the proper way. You have to do your homework, answer all those questions, fill all the blanks. I fell in love with my 2 words instead. They felt true and me. And something very strange happened. I have been at this new job for 2 years now, and it still feels new to me, colleagues are still strangers and it's clear I don't fit in. After I uncovered my 2 words this funny thing happened: I believe for the first day since I was working there, I was chatting freely with colleagues, and not making colleagues run away from me by being my usual grumpiness and shyness. I think that was my first day at public relation and I'd never imagine I could be so open to other by being just myself. I didn't feel scared and judged and inadequate, as I usually feel. I felt just at ease.
Silly as it might sound my 2 words are going to become my mantra.
oh, and yes, I might sit down sooner or later to answer all those question. But then, what if I discover that those are not my 2 words. I don't care. Having adopted them, I'm not going to discard them now.