Just Showing Up

"80 percent of success is showing up."

This wisdom is attributed to Woody Allen and that's how he remembers saying it, although he's often credited with saying "80 percent of life is showing up." And whether it's applied to life or success, there are a lot of variations on the idea:

"Showing up is not all of life - but it counts for a lot."

--Hillary Clinton

"Most of life is showing up. You do the best you can, which varies from day to day."

--Regina Brett

( I include this personal snarky-fun favorite that I apply politically, although I'd certainly never apply it to our blogging process... )

"Showing up every day isn't enough. There are a lot of guys who show up every day who shouldn't have showed up at all."

--James Caan

However, I would absolutely apply this next very perceptive variation to style/fashion bloggers of all ages, especially those over 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and beyond;

"Vulnerability is about showing up and being seen. It's tough to do that when we're terrified about what people might see or think."

--Brene Brown

This post is dedicated to the always fabulous Patti and her constantly evolving blog Not Dead Yet Style, where she offers us a safe space to show up at her biweekly Visible Monday link-up. She sets the tone with her own welcoming and kind comments, and her openness to all kinds of inspiration. By devoting her time and energy to this project, she has given us all a place to say our say, show off our best, pose questions, provoke thought and give and receive encouragement. Here at Patti's, we can meet a grand diversity of invariably interesting women. To a woman, we are malcontents about staying in the cultural, social and political backwaters to which the traditional powers of our society have always been all too happy to relegate us as we age. Visible Monday is a great venue that plays its part in a needed, positive social evolution. Patti's efforts change lives. Because of Patti, I now have more than a passing acquaintance with women all over the world, and they have each become vital elements of inspiration and information in my life that I could have not imagined even 10 years ago. This is a special thank you for all your devotion to Visible Monday, Patti. My life is so much better because of your project, and I know I'm not alone in this.

I hope you never doubt its value.

So, even though I'm pretty much just showing up this week, dressed in yet another iteration of my blazer, skinnies and heels uniform, I'm glad and honored to be with the rest of you who bother to get it together and show up and show out just a little or a lot.

We rock. All of us. And especially Patti. 

It was drizzly and chilly when this was taken, and all my outfit plans were reassigned to a another, nicer Sunday.   (Waaa.) Right after this was taken, I went back inside to grab my raincoat and ran off to the Big City with Dan.  The outfit is remarkable only because of my color defiance of the crappy gray skies.  I wore a few brights in my silky-ish Asian-inspired tunic by Kenneth Cole.  And the pumps are Vince Camuto.  I figured if my plans for wearing cute sandals was weather squashed, I'd at least stomp through the puddles in a cool but closed-toe shoe with some character.  I drop these brand names because, although it must seem so, not everything I wear is from Target.  Most, I admit, but not all.

Just sayin'.