Cinderella, Proof That A New Pair Of Shoes Can Change Your Life

Cinderella, proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life: All throughout my life I have stressed the importance of finding the perfect outfit for each and every thing I do because it is my firm belief that what you are wearing, and how you feel in what you are wearing, drives an undeniable level of self-confidence and inner-strength that simply cannot be achieved in any other way.  There is something to be said about being able to walk into a room full of people knowing full well that the last thing you need to worry about is your ensemble.  Particularly in situations of "firsts," we are constantly advised to "put our best foot forward."  Which, while fabulous and on point advice, is often misinterpreted, with the literal connotation often overlooked entirely.  Think for a minute about the story of Cinderella; while notably, the primary audience of this classic fairytale is young children, there are certainly takeaways and key themes to be derived from the story that individuals of all ages can benefit from.

For starters, Cinderella lived an extremely sheltered life where she was held back and shielded from the world by her step-mother and step-sisters, despite their obvious wealth, and privileged existence.  Yet, when the Prince was in search of his Princess, it wasn't the wealth or status he was drawn too, rather, it was something much more extraordinary than that.  Cinderella's portrayal of herself along with staying true to herself, allowed her to easily win the Prince's heart, and nab her happy ending.

Leading up to the Prince's ball, Cinderella was well aware that she had one chance to make an everlasting first impression on the Prince.  As a result, it was not enough for Cinderella to simply put her "best foot forward," but instead, required the perfect shoe, which of course turned out to be a pair of glass slippers.

There are many parallels that can be drawn between Cinderella's preparations with her Fairy-Godmother for the ball, and that of a job interview, for example.  Cinderella's Fairy-Godmother is much like the network of connections from both a social and professional standpoint, and the ball itself, can be thought of as the job interview itself.  Between the advice of Cinderella's Fairy-Godmother, her show-stopping ensemble, and Cinderella's ability to be poised to let her personality and endearing qualities shine through, the Prince's choice for a future bride was a no brainer.  Blame it on the glass slippers for sure!

Society is inevitable going to draw an initial judgment off of the first thing they see, so with that comes an immense amount of pressure.  But just think, channeling your inner-style sense will alleviate all of that stress allowing you to focus on the next hurtle which will be even easier now that your confidence is at an all-time-high.  Think of the intimidation and sense of awe that filled the ballroom when Cinderella showed up sparkling in a breath-taking ensemble.  The "WOW" factor put all eyes on Cinderella, most importantly the Prince's, which allowed her to let her true colors shine through and immediately get noticed.  Cinderella was able to perform at her best because her outfit was able to inject her with a confidence that was able to outweigh any nerves or insecurities that existed inside.  To the Prince, it didn't matter how much money Cinderella had or didn't have, where she went to school, how many trophies she had at home, or anything else of the sort.  What mattered, was that Cinderella was able to stand out by looking her best, by being  herself, and not conforming to what society and the rest of the attendees at the ball, thought the Prince was looking for in "The One."

At the end of the day, Steve Martin's words of wisdom drive home the point best that you want to, "Be so good that they can't ignore you!"  Cinderella's happy ending is symbolic of going after and achieving what you want in life while simultaneously staying true to yourself.  It's not about trying to be status quo, but rather, about embracing who you are and marketing the truest part of yourself to the world, beginning most importantly, with your style sense.  The same way a picture says a thousand words, so too does the perfect outfit.  Coco Chanel said it best, "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."  Being anything but yourself is an act that will take a lot of work to keep up with, and certainly a role not worth playing.  Everyone should have the leading role of their own life, which of course starts with dressing to look the part.  And remember, the next time you think about whether or not it makes sense to purchase those Christian Louboutin's, remember Cinderella because she really is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life forever!