Some Achy-Breaky Accountability

Billy Ray Cyrus told GQ Magazine recently that Hannah Montana is to blame for his family’s troubles.

Really, Mr. Cyrus?

Who allowed his young daughter into the spotlight at such a young age? Who insured that he’d get a co-starring role in her show once his own fame had dwindled? Who seemed ok with a questionable photo shoot a couple of years ago?

You did, Mr. Cyrus.

Accountability is defined as taking responsibility for one’s actions, and there’s precious little of it, these days.

It’s quite easy to point the finger and blame others for our woes, but when the rubber hits the road – as it certainly will, we are ultimately responsible for what happens to us. Now, with that being said, Miley Cyrus, at 18, is plenty old enough to take responsibility for her actions. Teens do stupid things, yet most don’t have the opportunity – or misfortune - to do it in front of a camera. I find it quite distressing that Miss Cyrus was, evidently, never taught that with fame comes responsibility…little girls everywhere once looked up to her, and those little girls may have grown into young women who still look to her for their cues.

And please don’t give me that garbage that bad behavior comes with being a child star. For every Miley Cyrus, Lindsey Lohan, and even Danny Bonaduce, I offer you a Ron Howard, Jodie Foster, and Kurt Russell. I’ll see your cast of Eight is Enough and raise you The Cosby Kids (with the exception, perhaps, of Lisa Bonet). Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains sponsors his own ministry these days, and the only faux pas committed by The Facts of Life girls came from Mindy Cohn, when her poor fashion choices landed her on What Not to Wear.

(Side Note: I watched too much TV as a kid, and have definitely aged myself in that last paragraph)

As adults, we are accountable for our successes and failures. We are responsible for encouraging and inspiring our children to grow into good, decent adults. We must stop playing the blame game and take ownership of our lives. We must fess up to our mistakes and get on with things. And you can put that in your achy-breaky pipe and smoke it, darling.

An Elegant Review: Grammy Fashion 2011

I must preface this by telling you, Sweeties, that I’m not big on award shows, particularly the Grammys. I won’t get into all the reasons why; I’ll merely share with you today what I think is the most vital part of any awards ceremony: the fashion! So let’s take a look at Beth’s Hits and Misses for the 2011 Grammys:

Hits:

Nicole Kidman – She looked absolutely stunning. Her dress (John Paul Guiltier) suited her figure, complexion, and her revised, ravishing red locks! The fact that her face is once again mobile is a plus – she truly looks like a happy woman, and happiness surely is the best style accessory.

Jennifer Hudson – Had she worn her particular choice (Versace) to any other awards show besides the Grammys, I wouldn’t have been all that jazzed about it. But given the venue, I loved it. Everything about her look worked!

Kelly Osbourne – She’s gone from a semi-bratty, potty-mouthed child of rock to a lovely, potty-mouthed fashionista! Her dress (Tadashi Shoji) exuded sheer fun, and worked so well for the occasion.

Honorable Mention – Jennifer Lopez. Not usually a fan of super-short dresses, I thought J. Lo looked fantastic and completely at ease. Everything about it rocked!

First Style Fashionista Award: Selena Gomez – Absolutely lovely and age-appropriate. Her dress (J. Mendel) worked for her on every level – fit, color, and completely suitable for someone her age.

Misses:

Rhianna – Precious few can get away with vertical stripes, and Rhianna is no exception. I’m desperate for her to lose the orange hair, too.

Kim Kardashian – Her metallic number just didn’t seem to fit her. She’s a curvy gal, and nothing about her choice worked for her in any capacity (including the Miss America hairstyle)

Nicki Minaj - Ugh

Near Miss

Eva Longoria. If she were only a bit taller, I would have loved her in this outfit. Gals on the shorter side must exercise caution with any sort of drapping and or ruffle effect.

First Style Oh-No-She-Didn’t! Award: -Willow Smith. Talk about a hot mess, and shame on Will and Jada for allowing their daughter to leave the house in this one…to attend an awards show, no less. Parents, please stress to your children the importance of ‘dressing for the occasion’


And the Gents…

Hits

Keith Urban, John Legend, and Mick Jagger get my vote for the best dressed of the evening.

Honorable Mention John Mayer exemplified casual elegance.

Misses
Usher disappointed me with his strange choice in footwear. Sean Combs usually impresses me, but I didn’t care for his choice of trouser. Nothing about Adam Levine’s look worked for me.

And the First Style Fancy Lad Award(sorry, it’s the best name I could come up with on short notice- but it’s kind of catchy, don’t you think?)goes to Justin Bieber – looking snazzy in his slightly oversized white tux!

Of course, my Man, WTH award goes to Cee Lo Green. Honestly – what was that all about?

To check out photos of my hits, misses, and everything in between, visit www.stylebistro.com.

Beth Newman
Image Consultant/Life Coach/Author
Newman Image
www.newmanimage.info
Look, feel, and LIVE your absolute best!
Online consultations available!

Emerge from the Dark Side

Sometimes, we don’t understand just how dark it is until we start to see the light.

As children, society tells us that there are certain things we can and cannot do. Rewards and recognition may have come with ultimatums (‘If you don’t get better grades, I’ll be so angry with you. You’ll never go anywhere in life if you don’t hang out with this group of kids, and such). Perhaps we were flat-out told to do something in order to make someone else happy (Darling, marry a rich man who can support you – you know, that sort of thing).

We thus become the victims of a limited way of believing. As children, we’re surrounded by the intentions and ideals of parents and teachers. They have goals for us, which is good – to a degree – but oftentimes those goals are presented with the ‘do this or else’ caveat. As a result, we grow up to fear a few things, shun a few things, and generally repeat the cycle as adults.

These limited beliefs, however, only stunt our growth. They may exist as beliefs about our own capabilities (I’m not smart enough), beliefs about what it takes to succeed (I don’t have the funds to do what I want to do), beliefs about how we should relate to other people (even though he’s a pain, I should call Uncle Leo more often), and such. Moving beyond a limited belief system is a critical first step toward becoming truly happy and satisfied. No matter your age, no matter your status (socioeconomically, relationship, etc.), the time to take control and emerge from the darkness of limited belief is now.

You can learn how to identify those beliefs that are limiting you and then replace them with positive ones that support who you want to be (You’ll never be seen as fabulous if you spend most of your time in the gutter). This shift in thinking can mean the difference between a lifetime of ‘could haves’ versus accomplishing what you really want in life.

The key, which you already hold, is to make a decision about who you want to be, how you want to act, and how you want to feel. Our feelings and thought processes play a huge role in creating our lives. Yes, I said creating because that is what we do, whether we realize it or not. Our thoughts, our words, our actions, and even our manner of dress dictate the outcome.

No challenge is too great. We merely must set our minds toward success, feel ourselves being successful, and offer gratitude for the success we’re currently achieving. Replace any thought or belief that is keeping you from achieving your goals with an empowering thought or belief that will take you closer to your goals. Ignore the doom and gloom crowd. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people, places and things. Stay focused on who you want to be, and know that you are worthy of being that person.

Beth Newman
Image Consultant/Life Coach/Author
Newman Image
www.newmanimage.info
Look, feel, and LIVE your absolute best!
Online consultations available!