“Cohesive Effervescence”: An Editorial On Identity
"Cohesive Effervescence”
While I continue to live like a relative hermit, in a feverish effort to finish my work on what I am aiming to be THE definitive and most comprehensive self-help psychosocial book on identity formation and the liberation of overcoming perfectionism and cognitive dissonance with self confident expression and narrative therapy, to live authentically with mindful intention and energetic flowing drive and purpose, the likes of which the mental health community has never seen before, I decided that I should take all my evidence-based research and personal observations on the subject to heart personally, and practice what I teach to others, going along for the ride and reflective journey with them.
So, one way that I thought of which could do just that, is to channel my inner Courtney Love (a la Celebrity Skin) or Tori Amos (akin to American Doll Posse), and break through one of my own personal limiting policies Ive stuck to for myself.
Ask anyone who knows me well enough, and they’ll tell you that I MAY take 3 or maybe 4 selfies a year, at that, and that the odds of me posting all of them online anywhere are slim to none.
I’m not exactly sure why that is, because I AM happy with my appearance and comfortable in my own skin (Thank you very much, Courtney, I won’t be needing yours). It most likely stemmed from some overly restrictive standard of perceived modesty that I set for myself years ago , and I have just come to automatically comply with it as a generally good social rule of thumb.
However, in the spirit of this upcoming book, “Powerful Shifts: Identity In Motion“, I’ve decided to do away with that limitation, and have balls-to-the-wall fun with my identity, by playing around with how others view me through my artistic expression.
I’m going to be posting randomly illustrated portraits of myself built ontop of newly taken photographs as a foundation where I have been altering the hell out of my appearance. I’m going to do this regularly, in as many out-of-character and overly embellished stylistic ways that I can imagine, or ways that I just find hysterically funny at the time, whichever comes to mind first.
I want to highlight just how much our eyes deceive us, when it comes to judging and evaluating others on immediate appearance, while at the same time reinforcing the overall truth, that we are all capable of dramatic change of all kinds, to become whoever and whatever we commit ourselves to believing that we have become,. Physical appearance is one of the easiest ways to alter your perceived identity in the eyes of of others that there is.
Try wearing a suit and tie the next time you go shopping, just for the he’ll of it, and you’ll be surprised how differently most of the people you encounter throughout your day behave towards you. Likewise, make yourself look as trashy and slovenly as you can humanly imagine, and you will notice that very same dramatic shift in how you are treated by others.
Lastly, if you REALLY want to see a huge difference in how you are subconsciously evaluated by others socially. without them usually even consciously knowing that they are doing it, by men and women alike, play around with your sex appeal!
It is mind blowing what a few minor changes to your appearance can do to make you more or less attractive to others. It can be eye-opening and humbling, how much people will do to make you want to give them your time, attention, or your energy, and how much more closely they will listen to you when you speak. So much of that is honestly relative to how attractive that they believe you to be, personally.
But, please don’t use this knowledge just to be self-serving and insufferable. Remember that the lesson from MY favorite fairytale, Beauty & The Beast, was true.
Be who you want to be,
and believe in who you are,
a star in my eyes,
ALWAYS,
~Joe
🌟❤️🌈🦋🌎✌️
Powerful Shiffs: Identity In Motion: