Are you fighting your true nature?

I am still on a blogging break, but thought you’d all love to know about this.  Carol’s course is on sale right now.

Your outer beauty and inner beauty are connected.  According to Carol Tuttle, there are 4 Types of energetic movement in the world. You are made up of all four, but primarily express one of them.  Carol started Dressing Your Truth^®, a Beauty Profiling system that identifies those four main types of beauty that women (and men) express.  This is sort of like a personal fashion makeover from the inside out.

In the past month, I have gone through Carol’s course, identified myself as a Type 2^SM (sensitive, soft, gentle), and begun a rather a huge shift.  It’s not just about appearance, though that’s part of owning your Type.  Knowing all about my Type and exploring the website’s many learning videos has given me permission to be myself.  I’ve got to share it with you so you can learn about this too!!!

Previously, I have spent a lot of time viewing myself (appearance and inner qualities) in terms of faults and flaws rather than strengths.   I’d also spent much much time trying to be something other people may have wanted of me, or at least I thought they did.  This has changed that.  This program’s goal is confidence and a much clearer understanding of who you are.  Then you can carry it forward to learn much more about the unique gifts and talents you bring to the world and authentically express them.

This system has helped me feel amazing about being who I already am.  It’s validating in a huge way.  It goes far below the surface of clothes and makeup, venturing into discovering our beauty at the soul level.  Your natural beauty shows up everywhere—not just in your face or body, but also in your thought process, feelings, and personality.

Your Type shows up in your facial features, body language, behavior tendencies, thoughts, feelings, and personality.  You can then take this information about yourself and feel validated, comfortable, and true to being you.  AND, this influences how you set up your entire life! How you dress, wear your hair, interact with friends… it all fits into your profile.  Read on!

Beauty Profiling looks at what’s natural for you… expressions, posture, body features.  Are you a bright, animated Type 1? A subtle, soft Type 2? A rich, dynamic Type 3? Or a bold, striking Type 4?  Knowing this can be like a key that opens so many doors.  AND, once you know the different Types, you can better recognize where other people in your life fit into this system.

Understanding My Type 2-ness

I am a Type 2.  I move fluidly.  I have a gift for detail.  I am easily able to connect others to their own heart and to others.  I have a fluid, flowing energy.  I offer a peace and calmness to the world. (You’re welcome!)

In her book, Dressing Your Truth, Discover Your Type of Beauty, which comes free as part of the course, Susan describes Type 2’s as: “naturally calming, inviting, subdued and sensitive. Your dominant shapes in physical features are elongated S curves, ovals and softened rectangles, which are visible in the eyes, the nose, the cheeks, the hairline, and overall body and facial shape. Type 2 energy moves inward, which is generally recognized as an introvert expression, moving in a subtle and connected flow to create in this world… Other keywords that describe the movement of this energy in a dominant Type 2 woman are: blended, soft, steady, relaxed, connected, comforting, subtle, tender, thoughtful, and detail-oriented.” 

I value comfort and softness in clothing, relationships, and surroundings.  It’s true! I am always touching things.  I value emotional connections.  Type 2’s often look down when speaking (which I totally do!) because they are connecting with their feelings.

Applying my Type to my closet

The five elements of Dressing Your Truth are design line, texture, fabrication, pattern, and of course, chroma/color.  Now I’m going through all the video modules on the website and learning how to apply these gifts and challenges to my wardrobe, my actions, and my life in general.  It’s a pretty cool concept! Knowing who I naturally am, I can apply this to my physical appearance to better reflect my own personal style.  Looking in my closet, I saw that I already naturally tend toward soft, flowing lines and fabric. Anything stiff or uncomfortable doesn’t get worn very much.  Now I know why I like silver but not gold, round shoes but not pointed, curls and curves but not straight lines.

I have tended to wear bright colored tops in blocks.  I wear jeans or a solid skirt/short with a solid and vibrant tshirt.  Carol says that those bright colors (and especially black and white) may seem to others like you are trying to make up for your quiet temperament in your clothing.  Notice me!!! You end up looking washed out.  It may seem counterintuitive, but wearing soft, muted colors, flowing lines, even dangly earrings bring out a T2’s natural beauty much more.  Carol says, “When you dress true to your TYPE 2SM nature, people know what to expect from you: a calming, soft-spoken, detail-oriented person. But when you are not “Dressing Your Truth”, you send a message that conflicts with who you truly are.”

I’ve found absolutely gorgeous clothing in soft, rich colors on the online Dressing Your Truth shop (you can shop by Type!), at J.Jill, Sundance, LOFT, and in new-to-me places like Maurice’s and ModCloth.  There are Pinterest boards (here’s mine) and Facebook groups for each Type and they have been invaluable.  I’m having fun trying new colors, wearing makeup, jewelry, scarves, and flowing patterns.  I have said goodbye to LOTS of black.  And I never really knew how to put on eye makeup before watching the videos, but now I look much more awake!

This transformation does not require spending lots of money.  There are many items that I already owned that I’m wearing now.  That said, it’s fun to get new things! In the last few months, I have lost 20 pounds (woo hoo!!!), so I need some new things anyway.  Perfect timing.  Here are a few more items that I have ordered.

What’s on the inside

Even better, I can be me without being embarrassed or feeling that I’m not enough of something.  I am the right size for me. I am the right sensitivity for me.

I can better know who my husband and daughter naturally are (Type 4 and Type 1) and value them and the strengths they each have and how they see the world.  Letting someone be naturally themselves is validating for them and brings out their gifts.

Carol says the purpose of her program is “to support you in recognizing the truth of who you are, as a woman, as a human being, and move forward in your life in greater confidence and awareness.”

When I was growing up, I never wanted to call attention to myself, but I felt misunderstood and wished I could speak up and tell people who I am.  I wanted to belong, but trying to be fun and outgoing was not natural to me.

Looking at my own gifts (ability to connect people, focus on planning and details) and challenges (sensitive nature means a tendency to absorb others’ emotions, over-attention to details) puts it all in perspective.  I can also see that a quiet steadiness is a huge strength.  Knowing my social tendencies, my emotional patterns, and how my energy affects other people leads me to feel my own inner power.

Carol also has a book called The Child Whisperer, The Ultimate Handbook for Raising Happy, Successful, and Cooperative Children, which is an amazing read (and online program too) about understanding our children’s true natures… “their natural quality of moving, thinking, feeling, and relating to the world. Your child’s true inner nature expresses itself outwardly in appearance, body language, tone of voice, and choice of words.” And all this happens way before you know their personality.  Tantrums, friendships, joys and struggles make FAR more sense once you know their type.  I’ll tell you more about this gem in a separate post.

I highly encourage you to sign up for the Dressing Your Truth course, learn your Type, and change your life.  What are you waiting for?

I look forward to catching up with you all once school starts again.  🙂