Written by: Danyelle V

Why does Pantone choose a color for the year? On their wedsite, they explain it is "[a] symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude."

According to the people at Pantone, Greenery is "a refreshing and revitalizing shade, ... symbolic of new beginnings." New Year, New Me is what came to mind when I read this. The beginning of a new year always prompts us to reflect on the year that passed. We think about how we could have made it better and we resolve to do so in the new year.

New Year, New We

Greenery, naturally, reminds me of nature. In the new year, let us all resolve to do what feels natural to us. Do not stop yourself from doing something because you fear what others may say about you. What stops each of us from achieving our dreams is not the lack of talent or drive. Talent comes from practice. Drive comes from your spirit. What holds us back is the fear of judgment we may receive. How often have you stopped yourself from doing what felt true to you because you thought of what the people around you might say? Honey, they are going to have something to say whether you do it or not. What I've learned is that people just want to say. Bad, good, judge, side eyes, smirks, back handed compliments, cast doubt. What I've come to understand about it is even more important. None of that is a reflection of you. They have the same fear that if they were true to themselves, they, too, would recieve the same judgments. Just wear that blue lipstick because if you wore a nude lipstick, they'd say you wear too much makeup anyway.

This is a beauty blog, but I'm not just talking about blue lipstick. How often have you seen someone living your dream and all you thought was, "I could do that." We cannot continue to stifle our dreams and personalities because of the people around us. Surround yourself with people who have similar goals. Thrive with them! It's a big, difficult, change that will lead to even bigger accomplishments. We can blossom in 2017 if we are naturally who we are. Greenery.