ThrivingLilly

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@thrivinglilly

  • What Should Be IN in 2026

    2026 is the year of nonconformity. In a sea of minimalistic, neutral, and rather silly societal norms, we need to make this year the year of doing different. Things have shifted drastically from when I was a child, and everyone wanted to have the same hair, same clothes, and consume all the same media. We are back to the days of “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” and feeling left out if we haven’t heard of the latest influencer drama on TikTok.

    This year should be the year of doing something that is different. Whether it is posting something completely unaesthetic—and I’m not talking about a ‘candid,’ but a genuinely happy moment—or sharing something you love, or wearing what you want even if it isn’t on trend. Maybe even not doom-scrolling on social media at all, or taking a vacation and not posting about it on social media. Whatever fills your cup best. Non conformity only has to make sense to you.

    Outside of trends, we should be voicing our opinions, sharing tips and tricks we’ve learned in life, and overall just being kind, even if the person is not kind to us back. Just because society says we should do something does not mean we need to. If it makes you happy, pushes you out of your comfort zone, and doesn’t hurt anyone, you should do it. Nonconformity is something that helps you learn more about yourself and should be everyone’s goal in 2026. So I’ll leave you with this one question to think about, what is something you have always wanted to do, but haven’t because you are too scared or worried about what people will think of you?

  • why is rest overrated?

    In todays day and age, why does it feel like we are doing something wrong if we have time to rest? It’s like people wear fatigue as a badge of honor. There was a weekend I was so excited to have a movie marathon, like that was my plan for the weekend and you know what the overwhelming response was, “wow I wish I had time to sit down and watch a movie.” Like what?! Has being busy really become the barometer for success.

    The internet can also be part of the issue with this change in thinking. Not only can you compare yourself to others, but the internet also makes it so easy for us to be working 24/7. Oh I have a free second while out and about let me check my email or respond to a comment on my social media, instead of oh let me people watch on this bench or enjoy the sound of the ocean. With everything at our fingertips, it seems like we should be doing everything all the time. But the reality is, that rest is productive, and our society has just propagandized the opposite.

    We are told from infancy that work is what will provide us with our biggest dreams, but not everything has to be so hard. Not everything has to be done as soon as possible. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do it take a nap, or put down the task and come back later.

    This all sounds so easy in theory but when you go to practice it, it can turn into a rather difficult task. Its not only society and the world around us, but it is also those internal factors that we grew up hearing. Maybe someone called you lazy once, or pushed you into doing more than you thought you could and it worked out positively. Now you always think, if I can push just a little longer, if I can work just another 5 minutes, I will get my goals. We have learned to ignore that little voice saying, hey, you should stop and eat, or you need to sit down. But getting more in tune with our needs and ourselves can make not only a huge difference in our individual goals, but also our goals as a society. Because the fact is, rest and even relaxation is a productive thing to do.

  • fashion is a skill

    I think most people will acknowledge that knowing how to dress yourself and put together a chic outfit is a skill. However, a lot of people who think they have this skill, are really just people who think buying designers or trendy clothes make you fashionable.

    In a world of social media and micro trends, a ton of these self imposed fashion influencers flood your phones with new clothing and accessories to buy. But they don’t tell you how to put it together, or give you inspiration for how you can wear it. They put out what seems to be the 2025 version of QVC and hope you will like the look of it enough to put it in your cart and order.

    The problem is that when you get it in the mail, you wear it once and then its banished to the back of your closet never to be seen again, until its put into a trash bag for the thrift store.

    The fact is not many people know how to style the pieces they already have in their closet, and the people who are all over the fashion world get sent clothing, and get styled for these huge events, like fashion week. No one actually knows how to put together a decent outfit for an event without uttering the phrase, “I just need to buy…” But in fact you don’t!

    Just because you aren’t a slender, tall, model, doesn’t mean you can’t have style. It doesn’t mean fashion is not for you. It’s these people in the fashion community that we idolize that are the ones making us feel inadequate. Just because a skinny girl puts on a skims top, low rise jeans and carries a designer bag, doesn’t make her fashionable.