Live and let (go of the) dye

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I felt like a failure, like I was hiding

A little over a year ago I decided I was tired of hiding, tired of trying to keep up and feeling like I was failing all the time.

Something that once made me feel more comfortable, more myself, had turned on me and had become something that I dreaded.

So I decided to take a bold leap and quit coloring my hair on December 17, 2019.  Now stay with me! I’m not saying this is the right choice for everyone or that it’s wrong to color your hair (or do whatever else you like to do to feel better about yourself).

For me, it was more of a feeling like I was fighting a losing battle, like I was always behind.  I colored it myself most of the time, so it wasn’t a money issue, but part of it was time.  Time that I didn’t want to spend coloring it, time I didn’t want to waste in between colors spraying my roots.

My hair grows FAST.  Which is great – unless you have dark hair and silver on top!

So I made the decision to embrace my natural, beautiful, shiny silver.

I was scared, excited, and delusional – I thought it would go much more quickly than it has! But I’ve gained so much more than freedom from roots that constantly needed touching up.

Check out these 3 surprising benefits of ditching the dye.

1.  More confidence

The first couple of months were the most awkward.  I felt like I needed to justify that my roots were intentional.

My plan was to just go cold turkey and grow it out from there. I had joined a “Gray and Proud” Facebook group and found so much encouragement and inspiration there.

I instead decided that it was awkward, I didn’t want people distracted by my roots in conversation, and it was MY hair and MY transition, and I could do it the way the worked best for ME. So on May 27, 2020, when salons opened back up, I went and had my stylist blend my hair a bit, leaving my roots alone.  It was a subtle but impactful difference!

I felt empowered! I had decided to go against the norm (or at least what I perceived was the norm) – twice! First by stopping coloring, and second by deciding to “help” the transition.

I’ve gotten a couple of cuts, including a pretty big one prior to shoulder surgery, and am about halfway transitioned now.  And I love it!

Lesson - Deciding to do things on our own terms is empowering.

2. More patience

Between my surgery, my dye-ditching journey, and the uniqueness of 2020 in general, I am finally starting to develop a bit of patience!

My husband has always joked that I stand in front of the microwave and yell at it to hurry.  That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I can’t say it’s NEVER happened, lol!

As much as I would love for things to happen when I want them (which is usually NOW), I see so many gifts that are there in the waiting, although this clarity usually comes in retrospect.

I’m sure you too have had desires and wants that were left unfulfilled. And I bet that many of those things, when you look back, have turned out even better than you initially imagined.

Lesson - Good things often take time - and slowing down allows us to see the beauty that is often missed in the rushing.

3.  More curiosity

If doing something as simple as embracing my gray could make me feel so good, what else could I do?

Why did I just assume that I needed to keep coloring it because I always had? What else do I continue to do out of habit (or a sense of obligation) that really doesn’t matter?

What could I gain if I (and maybe you?) stopped/started _________________? The options for this blank are endless. Here are a few to get you started.

  • cleaning my own house

  • doing my own shopping

  • eating out all the time

  • watching TV

  • avoiding the things that nag at me

  • taking dance lessons

  • listening to my body

  • spending within my means

The thing is, you don’t HAVE to do any of the things that come to mind.  Just asking the question, and taking a few minutes to ponder the possibilities, can be huge.

We all have things that we try to hide, whether physical or psychological, (or environmental, emotional, mental, spiritual).

But what if instead, we embraced those things, those perceived flaws, and celebrated them as a part of what makes us individuals?

Lesson - As kids, we had such a sense of curiosity and could see so many possibilities, but it's easy to lose that.  When we allow ourselves to imagine the fun can begin!

How boring would the world be if we were all the same? We are all so unique!

That’s the reason I named my company “Becoming YOUR Best with Jenny Lytle, RN”.  YOUR best is different than mine.  Your gifts and talents are different than your coworker’s or your sister’s.  And the world needs us all.

What is something you'd love to consider letting go of? Or embracing instead of just tolerating? Our mindset and attitude toward things is so impactful!

Above all, remember...

Never Stop Becoming the Best Version of YOU!