STARTING THE DAY RIGHT
We all know how important it is to start the day right. However, when people talk about starting the day right, they somehow automatically slip into a discussion of food and drink. We don’t normally start our days by eating and drinking, though, do we? We start them by waking up.
The very first weekly challenge of our 13-week plan will help us awaken in a self-loving and psychologically healthy way.
Assignment: go over your night clothes and underwear. Get rid of anything that is tattered, ratty, threadbare, yellowing, stained, looks worn, faded, unattractive, or sad. Just throw it all out.
It’s better to sleep naked than in an ugly, threadbare night dress with a yellowing piece of lace that is torn in one place or pajamas that are missing a button. It’s better to have 2 pairs of underwear and wash them by hand every evening than to wear ugly old pieces that you’d never want other people to see.
The good way to judge if a specific piece is acceptable is to ask: would I wear this set to the hottest, most romantic date of my life that I want to end with a lot of happy nakedness?
Nothing is sadder than people who say things like, “Nobody will see my underwear or night clothes, so who cares what they are like?” They consider themselves nobody, how tragic is that?
If getting rid of all this stuff at once is too harsh, it’s OK to do small steps and throw out one ratty piece a day until the end of the week.
Clarissa's Blog 
Well I did just buy some stuff from Dita Von Teese’s new lingerie collection after trashing a bunch of old ratty granny panties, so, I’m already doing good! 🙂
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Well, you are ahead of the challenge already. 🙂 There is no competing with Dita.
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None indeed! She also makes the only “celebrity” perfumes that don’t make me cough from being too sticky-sweet.
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I see your point, BUT the date test isn’t good because I am a boring middle-aged person who prizes comfort but for the special scenario might go for things like ‘matching’ that normally are irrelevant to me… I HAVE been replacing ratty undies with good ones, but the good ones are sports-type granny knickers of great comfort and minimal aesthetic value. Maybe it does work if I assume I’m dating someone who also isn’t very ‘visual’ and appreciates function and comfort over visual appearance?
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How about: a colleague hurts herself and you need to strip to use your clothes to bandage her wounds. The other colleagues are standing nearby and staring. Which underwear would give you no concern in this situation? 🙂 🙂
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Lol, in this situation I’d rather wear my comfy cotton black undies, rather than a see-through date night number.
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Comfy cotton is great. I, for one, have given up the see-through lacey stuff a while ago because I’m too old for that. 🙂 🙂
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Personally I think all human beings are motivated by aesthetics. But I don’t think Clarissa is talking about frilly underwear necessarily. She more means (I think): what makes you feel good? What makes you feel desirable and loved? For instance, I have a friend who present a bit more masculine. She loves to wear sports bras and men’s briefs. But they are always blindingly white and neve stretched out. And she whould go on wearing those undergraments because it’s how she cares for and loves herself. Underwear is intimate–a second skin in some ways. And self care requires that we respect and love our “private body”–if that makes sense.
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This is very strange. If spending money on new underwear, etc., means I won’t have enough money to go to London this summer, that does not seem like self-love to me at all.
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Wow, your brand is certainly pricey! 🙂
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I don’t think the point of the post is to spend money. The point is to get rid of things that don’t make you feel good. You can get a nice packet of underwear from Target for 9.99. You can have less underwear and wash it more often. I dont think she id advocating reckless spending.
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The value of the exercise is more symbolic than anything else. If one chooses just one ratty old piece and ditches it, telling himself, “She’s right, I deserve better than this!”, the exercise will serve its purpose.
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I LOVE this challenge! 🙂 I thought you were going to suggest sit ups–and I hate doing sit ups. 😉 😉 I actually go through my underwear every six months or so. I completely agree. Nothing worse than old ripped underwear. And for women in particular, a good bra is key to having clothes fit well. I think a good bra even improves posture….But I can’t do this completely. I don’t own night clothes since I don’t wear anything when I sleep. 🙂
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“I thought you were going to suggest sit ups–and I hate doing sit ups.”
– Zumba, sit-ups. . . Do people know anything about me? 🙂 🙂 I feel very misunderstood. 🙂
“But I can’t do this completely. I don’t own night clothes since I don’t wear anything when I sleep.”
– Then you are ahead of the whole group because. . . it’s a secret for now. I’m generating suspense here. 🙂
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I don’t do bad underwear or nightclothes, and also don’t have a bathrobe or slippers because I find it better to dress immediately upon rising.
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This is a sign of intense psychological health. Good for you!
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I love this! Great tips. I often wonder why I hold onto some of those things. I don’t even wear my nice things for myself!
Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Amita Patel
http://www.AlignedHolistics.com
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