Saturday, January 02, 2016

Inspirational Iris Apfel's Life Essentials: A Sense Of Humor and Curiosity

On New Year's Eve, my dear friend Diana and I both sipped a glass of red wine and gabbed away on the phone like we usually do whenever we touch base with each other. Diana is one of my longtime Florida friends. We met back in 1998, when she and I both worked for Chanel cosmetics. We, like my other female friends and I, have the deepest conversations in which we talk and share on so many different topics. And on this particular night, our discussion at one point moved in the direction of aging and keeping a positive outlook on life. We both agreed that although we may look older than we did back in our 20's and 30's, we feel more energetic, positive, and a hell of a lot wiser now than we did then.

It was then that Diana mentioned an inspiring documentary she recently watched, called, Iris. It was about a woman (Iris Apfel) who is an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion/style icon, from Astoria, Queens, New York. And I also have to add here that Iris is now 95-years old. However, she was 93 when the documentary was made, back in 2014.

As soon as Diana mentioned her name and that she wore BIG round glasses, I immediately remembered seeing a picture of Iris on a style blog I used to read several years ago, called, Advanced Style.

Now although I haven't yet seen the documentary, I've watched several video clips of this captivating lady being interviewed and fell in love with her. OMG...she's faaaaabulous! She has got the most positive and healthy attitude about not only fashion, design and style, but also aging. I absolutely LOVE her energy and hope to be like her when and if I live to be 95.

Here is what she say's about age...

"You have to push yourself when you’re older, because it’s very easy to fall into the trap. You start to fall apart—you just have to do your best to paste yourself together. I think doing things and being active is very important. When your mind is busy, you don’t hurt so much."

"If you're lucky enough to get old, I think you should celebrate it."

About life...

"If you're not interested, you're not interesting."

About style...

"When you don't dress like everyone else, you don't have to think like everyone else."

She also talks about the importance of humor and maintaining a sense of curiosity. And intuitively I know that what she says is true because when you view life with a sense of humor and curiosity, you keep growing and moving forward. And if you think about it, it makes total sense. Watch a small child and notice how they continually view life with such curious eyes. Curiosity keeps your mind stimulated, and your heart and soul forever young.

Even though I might not share her same sense of bold and colorful style, I truly admire and respect Iris's individuality and not caring what other people think. Yet, I do share her zest for always finding the humor and her unquenchable thirst for curiosity.

What an inspiration you are, Iris!