A simple definition of persona is the personal facade we present publicly. This is how people see us and perceive us. The other day at my hair appointment I complimented my hairdresser on how nice she looked in her outfit. She usually wears jeans with a top and cowboy boots. That day she wore an attractive dress with heels. She thanked me for the compliment but went on to say she felt out of place and kind of out of body. She said she used to dress up all the time but she somehow stopped doing that.
When I started seeing her my first impression of her was a sassy cowgirl kind of lady, but that day I saw her as a feminine professional hair stylist. Either way, she does an excellent job with my hair. When I started seeing her a year and a half ago I had short hair. I told her I wanted to grow my hair long, keep it blonde and not have it look dorky in the process. She managed to do that for me. She turned me into a middle aged woman who felt frumpy and dumpy into a middle aged woman who feels perky and attractive. Now I can use my hair for any persona I want to present to the world. I can wear it up in a sophisticated style, I can wear a sassy ponytail or I can wear it down for a glamorous look. It is a known fact that how you dress will determine how people see you. How you dress also dictates how you carry yourself. If you are dressed formally you will glide as you walk, if you are dressed for success you will walk with confidence and if you are dressed casually you will walk with a swagger. Personas can be fun and that can be useful. When I run errands sometimes I feel like dressing up and being a confident and successful housewife! Yes, you can be a successful housewife. Other times I dress more casually and want to be seen as a easy go lucky, come what may kind of woman.
You can use your personas to your advantage, too. You can use them as a mood lifter when you are feeling down by dressing in some bright colors or wear a hat when you want to be mysterious. You can be silly and frivolous by taking yourself on a picnic in a downtown park and be a people watcher or sit down in a busy mall and count the number of people walking around with cell phones up to their ears. They will think you are a total loser who has nothing else to do, but you know better.
Just follow your mood and see what persona you want to be. You can start with the serious gotta get my work done person in the morning and end up being that silly hippy love child by the afternoon to that grateful blessed person in church tonight. At least you know you are more than just a one dimensional cardboard cutout. You are someone with substance. Just go with the flow.
"For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
and His truth endures to all generations."
Psalms 100:5
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