This past year I’ve discovered a lot about myself. 2014 was a time for learning new things about Lil Red and improving on things that needed worked on. In 2014 I developed a lifestyle that I wouldn’t change for anything which is appropriately titled the “Lil Red Lifestyle”.

Back in the day, I was extremely ashamed of who I am. I was content with just staying in the shadows and only speaking when spoken to. It honestly took me being fed up with myself and my depression to decide to want to change. You can only take so much of being sad and mopey all the time until you finally say enough is enough. After this revelation, I worked extensively and intensively on myself. I found my voice, I found my style, I found what I genuinely like, and just as importantly I found the things that I don’t want in my life any longer. I eliminated the people and the choices I was making that were bringing me down instead of lifting me up. I learned to love myself enough that I didn’t want to cause harm to myself. I can count the slip ups on my self harm and bulimia sobriety on five fingers this past year. That was a vast improvement from my previous occurrences of doing it every day. With this new found inner strength, self control, and will power, I was able to fully enjoy my life and the person who I’ve become.

The Lil Red Lifestyle is all about accepting and loving who you are. I can honestly say that I love who I am for the first time in my life. I love the way I look, which is another first. I love my bright red hair. I love my pasty pale skin. I love my hazel eyes that change color every day. I love my piercings and tattoos. I love my red lipstick and personal style. Most importantly, I love who I am on the inside. I finally believe that I’m beautiful inside and out, which is something I would roll my eyes at before. I am caring. I am understanding. I am empathetic. I am sympathetic. I am hilarious. I am loving. I am strong. I am brave. I am comfortable in my own skin. This new found confidence in myself has truly changed my life for the better. I no longer let people walk all over me and I let my voice be heard, even if I’m not stating the popular opinion of a group. Being outspoken and having self confidence is another major characteristic in the Lil Red Lifestyle, and I am so thankful that it’s finally something that I posses.

Anyone can employ the Lil Red Lifestyle to their own personal way of living. Having self confidence can be used in the Britney Lifestyle. Accepting yourself and other people can be utilized in the Andrew Lifestyle. Loving who you are and treating yourself like a best friend can be employed in anyone’s lifestyle. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a firm believer in the phrase “fake it till you make it”. This mindset also helped me leaps and bounds in my quest for bettering myself. I would ask myself questions like “how would a girl with confidence speak her mind?” or “How would someone with self control avoid making bad decisions?” I did whatever I thought was true to these questions and eventually they became part of who I am. I am so proud of who I am now, and I never thought that I could say that before. But now that I can say it, here it is one more time: I am proud of who I am….and that is what the Lil Red Lifestyle is all about.

So there you have it, the Lil Red Lifestyle in a nutshell. Who are you and what lifestyle characteristic do you stay true to? What’s one thing you did this past year that you were proud of? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a great day! -Sarah