The Writers Club
Library of Creative Writing
Essay © by A.S. Lavigne 1997
All Rights Reserved
Page by Jilli
A PERFECTLY FABULOUS ESSAY
By: A.S. Lavigne aka Annette
"I am perfectly fabulous" is the standard reply I give to the question "how are you?" Some people wonder how I can be perfectly fabulous all of the time. Others are so sure of its impossibility that they summarily dismiss my reply as dishonesty. And yet, I believe that I am always perfectly fabulous.
It's not that problems never plague me, nor is it that everything always goes my way. "Perfectly fabulous" isn't about life in a bed of roses. I often joke and say that in order to be perfectly fabulous, some days I have to change the definition of it. Some days "perfectly fabulous" means I haven't been run over by a bus.
For me, "perfectly fabulous" is about reminding myself that no matter what irritation or inconsistency or ill fate comes my way, there are too many wonderful things in my life to succumb to the moment's discomfort. "Perfectly fabulous" is a way to "fake it ‘til I make it." The idea is to express myself and behave myself in a manner that says "everything is wonderful" until such time as everything actually becomes wonderful again.
I, like most people, face days of depression during which life is not quite as exciting as it could be or as I want it to be. I experience down times when my expectations are not met or my hopes are temporarily dashed. If I concentrate on these misfortunes and continually express and share these disappointment with everyone I meet, a deeper depression occurs. If, on the other hand, I examine the disappointment or pain and properly place it in the "big picture," I can usually, truthfully say "all things considered, I am perfectly fabulous." If I also behave as though I am perfectly fabulous, then depression hasn't got a chance, and before I know it, I am genuinely perfectly fabulous.
A friend of mine who is a hypnotherapist challenged me once when I was depressed to stand up straight with my shoulders back, lift my head and chin, and put a smile on my face even though it was a fake smile—and then continue to feel depressed. Without the depressed posture—head down, shoulders slumped, frown on the face I found it difficult to continue the depressed feeling.
Granted, one cannot use the "perfectly fabulous" strategy to make life's problems completely disappear. Emotions are an important part of life, and they must be felt, examined and otherwise disposed. But being perfectly fabulous while I deal with my emotions lends a whole different ambience to the emotional experience and helps me deal with those emotions in a more positive and constructive manner.
So go ahead and ask me how I am, and I will always be honest. "I am my usual perfectly fabulous self!"