8 Life Lessons Inspired By Mademoiselle Coco Chanel

I do not own a single item designed or produced by Chanel. Oftentimes, I’d steal a spray from my mother’s bottle of no. 5 but that’s about the limit of my knowledge of the company itself. However, Lady Coco intrigues me. The way she carried herself with natural elegance that erupted from within her smile, and the way she dug her pain and unapologetically carried her passion until it guided her into building an everlasting empire and revolutionizing femininity, forever.

As a girl who in fact does not have a poster of Coco Chanel on her bedroom wall but does enjoy going on inspiration hunts by learning about powerful and successful women who were able to make their own rules, I’d like to share the essential life lessons that I learned from Mademoiselle Coco Chanel.

1. Always opt for simplicity.

I realized that when I’m wearing too many accessories to complement my outfit, I feel weighed down by all the clutter and thus, less attractive. And on top of that, I have less fun that night. Simplicity, on the other hand, makes you look and feel more carefree and more you.

2. If you follow the herd, you’ll look like an idiot.

Whenever you adopt someone else’s style or someone else’s opinions, you lose all sense of originality. Which eventually leads you to losing your own sense of self-identity. It’s okay to stand out sometimes, as long as you’re completely comfortable with your own skin. When you reach a certain level of uniqueness that you’re not ashamed to embrace, the herd will follow you.

3. Don’t be afraid to speak your beautiful mind, as bluntly as possible whenever it is possible.

Your thoughts and ideas brand you as a person, making it easier for you to figure out what you truly desire out of this life. If you try to alter your words to impress people, you’ll eventually believe the lies and forget what you originally believed in. Besides, when you’re too careful with what you say, you will be bored out of your wits.

4. Being feminine does not mean being too constrained.

If your dress is too tight, you won’t be able to breathe. Or maybe you’ll split in half. I personally don’t believe that’s the look anyone’s going for. However, when your eyes glisten with joy and you look like you’re about to fly from laughter while wearing your favorite sweater, it is that which defines the core meaning of femininity.

5. If your hair is getting in the way, cut it.

The road to success is not paved with roses. Rather, it’s filled with only the thorns as obstacles. The way to get ahead is to take adventurous chances and cut whatever it is that is stopping you from making your goals materialize. Also, it’s important to remember that a girl with a new haircut is about to change her life.

6. Only love someone who lets you be yourself.

When you finally open your heart, don’t fall in love unless it’s with a gentleman who appreciates your individuality as it is and let’s you be as you are. No one else is worth your time.

7. Do not marry for the sake of marriage.

If for any reason, you cannot be with the person you love, do not marry just for the sake of marriage and live an ordinary, loveless life. Marry what you love instead and live a magical life that is driven by passion. The reward you would get from being committed to your dream would be self-fulfilling and greatly influential.

8. Elegance is not measured by wealth.

Elegance is not measured by how many acres of land your castle is built on or by how many horses you own. Nor is elegance measured by the Chanel bag you carry, for that matter. What defines elegance is your curiosity, your thirst for an extraordinary life and your willingness to build your dreams with pure integrity. And most importantly, elegance is having the confidence that you can be whoever you wish to be because you are entirely aware of what you are capable of.