Welcome to 2016 and this year’s theme, “Mermaid Mojo,” which sprung from a workshop I did in 2014 that included this quote by writer Anais Nin: “I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depth and a great fear of shallow living.” The quote strung a chord with me as I’ve always been the chick who prefers the road less traveled, deep conversations, big dreams and tackling my fears so that I don’t live a stagnant life just wading in the shallow end. I’m inviting you to do the same. 

Now I get to do what I love to do most: share stories about courage and personal power to inspire others. I think we are here to be kind human beings and love one another above all. That’s easy to say and harder to live, isn’t it? Our profession in life may change, but it’s important to identify what that work dream is for you – not only because it takes up so many hours of our lives, but because doing fulfilling work improves our quality of life. How can our dream fit into the rest of our lives?  What works for each of us is different based on our personal aspirations and what makes us happy. My happy could be your hell and vice versa.  What about you? What are your dreams you can deep dive for, professionally and personally? 

I know. You may be sitting there going, “…but…but…but”. Life is full of buts (and butts!). Life is tough, y’all. I believe in bringing your own sunshine, but that doesn’t mean you don’t sit under a fair number of storm clouds. How do we weather the storm? How can we deep dive for our dreams when we know storms will continue to come? 

This is how: being brave, believing in yourself, leaning on supportive people who will help you see that the clouds will roll away and that you are such a badass that you can create the life you want. I don’t know you and I believe in you. This is why I’m finding one “Mer” per week to share his/her story. Most will be women, but I’ll share some stories from guys, too. For the most part these will all be people I know in real life and others I’ve admired from afar. Each week I’ll pick a topic to share quotes about that tie into our Mer’s story. I’m also recommending a book a week for some deeper reading on the topic. I hope you’ll give these inspiring people a follow and see what resonates with you and join me in celebrating them.

Are you being bold and living in the deep? What’s holding you back? 

First up, meet my good friend and stylist Patty Rankin, The OKC Style Coach, who left her job last year to become a full-time style coach to help women discover their personal style and dress with confidence. Leaving a full-time gig with guaranteed pay to dive into owning your own business is a tough one. Some of us are geared to the entrepreneur lifestyle but it’s still hard making that leap. Let’s hear her story – and I’ve bolded quotes that I believe can be siren calls for us. And, by all means, ask yourself these questions, too.

Week One: Personal Style with Patty Rankin

ML: Tell us about the moment made the deep dive for your dream 

PR: I am a realist who dabbles in day dreaming. I have been told that I may be considered an oxymoron because I love the concept of a hippie fly by the seat of your pants life but can function with structure, focus, and discipline for my everyday life. So, with that being said I have made the deep dive in different seasons of my life but made this time to live there. I was finishing up a style coach session with a client and I received a text from her the moment I pulled out of her driveway that said, “Thank you! Thank you for giving me confidence and your “coaching” to get me out of my funk mentally. I never knew how much potential I had to be stylish with what I already own. Words cannot express how different I feel now. I can’t wait to wear all my new looks.” It was then and there that I decided that it was time to journal and pray about making this particular dream a reality. I spoke with my husband, best friend, and journaled my heart away for a good 3 months and here I am. I’ve style coached for 8 years, 7 of those years were private coaching and 2015​ is when I dove deep into creating a space in the abyss of dreams and now have a residence decked out in sequins and sparkle.

ML: Congratulations on taking the leap! Tell us what always brings a smile to your face?

PR: My husband’s baby blue eyes.

My grandmother’s hands when she is making homemade flour tortillas. A musician playing an acoustic guitar and singing unplugged.Candlelight service during Christmas. Videos of when soldiers come home and their dog’​s reaction​. When little kids say “pupcake” instead of cupcake. ​My sequined boots from Vegas. ​The smell of coffee brewing, because it reminds me of my Dad. Yellow roses. Old couples holding hands. The Fall season. Seeing women win at embracing and living out their authentic self whether that be emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or stylishly. Who am I kidding? Can we be real here for a sec’? … “Kissing” brings a smile to my face. I love it, it’s my favorite. xoxo
ML: So much gratitude goodness there, Patty. I second fall and dancing and kissing, oh my. What’s the biggest challenge in being a new entrepreneur and what did/do you overcome your fears?

PR: Self & Time Management was and sometimes still is my biggest challenge. I meet with 4 incredible smart and business savvy women once a month for wisdom and strategy. I gain insight into what has worked for others and then implement what will work for me in that season of life on a professional level. I also grant myself some grace and allow myself a hot minute to breathe every once in a while.

ML: Personal grace was a biggie for me last year. So much easier to grant it to others, I think, than to ourselves. What are your favorite tool(s) for enlightened living (presence, intention, action)?

PR: Two devotion books that I read every morning: Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach and Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I also take time to worship. I turn everything off in the house, I drop to my knees in my living room, or sit on my couch, and I turn on Pandora to the Hillsong station really loud and worship my heart out. I also LOVE a good ol’ dance session where I can shake my booty, and it’s even better if there’s some Latin beats in the song too. I would be lying if I didn’t mention that I also love to indulge in some shoe shopping for therapy.

ML: Simple Abundance has been a huge help to me over the years. I hope readers will seek that out. Can you leave us with your professional advice on finding our own personal style and why style matters?

ML: That last quote gave me goosebumps. I hope everyone reflects on that. Thank you for sharing your story, Patty. We’ll see you in the depths! (Get to know Patty better at these cool Mer hang-outs…)

www.pattystylecoach.com
@pattyrankin Twitter and IG (personal anecdotes)
@pattystylecoach Twitter and IG (style coach tips and info)
Patty Rankin Style Coach – Facebook (style coach tips and info)
Patty Rankin – Pinterest (style coach resource)

Make sure you get #mermaidmojo all year long by following me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and clicking follow on this blog so it will get to your inbox each week.  My next novella, The Mermaid Club, a follow-up to The Last Resort, is coming Spring ’16, set on Mer Island in a tropical dreamscape far, far away from Oklahoma. xo