Are you a fan of the TV series Queer Eye and all that it can teach you about living a proud, authentic and happy life? If so, this guide presents Karamo Brown’s top 7 tips on how to lead your best life.
Queer Eye’s Fab Five are incredible advisors and thought-leaders. Plus, they’ve got unique personalities, kind natures, and open minds. It’s no surprise that people absolutely love the Queer Eye series reboot.
Karamo Brown’s Best Tactics and Tips
Karamo Brown is the show’s culture expert who engages the guests in important conversations about transforming their mindset (inner world) and their relationship to others (outer world).
Below are 7 of his tips on how to transform yourself, inside and out.
1. Stop “Coming Out” And Start “Letting People In”
Karamo made the term “coming out” take a complete 180 degree turn. Instead, he says he uses the term “letting people in”.
According to Karamo Brown, using the traditional term gives the power to the listener to deny or accept him.
This way of looking at letting people in is also a great way to set boundaries for other people. It means deciding when and how you want to let people in.
It’s a way of interacting with the people you love in a way that is empowering and invigorating.
And remember, “letting people in” doesn’t have to be about your sexuality or gender. It can be about sharing any aspect of yourself that feels authentic and right to you.
2. Comparison Is the Thief of Joy
Though it’s an adage, this remains as one of the best Queer Eye quotes. Karamo loves to say that comparison is the thief of joy, because it is. He wants you to stay focused on your unique style, your unique needs, or your unique journey.
Don’t look at another person’s travel itinerary and wish you can go to the same places or events. Don’t look at a person’s wardrobe because they created it to fit them and their style, not yours. Instead, use Tan France’s top fashion tips to find out how you can customize your wardrobe to fit you.
Stop aiming for others’ finish lines. Instead, look ahead and think about reaching yours.
Take prolific action in pursuit of your goals, while keeping your eyes on “your lane” instead of someone else’s.
3. Evaluate Your Tribe
You have to assess your tribe, Karamo Brown said. He advises to shut off and move away from people who force negativity into your life.
It’s solid advice for dealing with people, because scientists have found that negativity is as contagious, if not more so, than other communicable diseases.
This is why Karamo wants you to include it in the simplest of habits and lifestyle choices.
For example, you have friends who influence your mental health. If you surround yourself with negative people, it’s going to give you a negative effect as well. It may be unhappiness, jealousy, or other toxic emotions.
Karmo recommends that you limit your time with these people and start surrounding yourself with positive people.
4. Make 1% Improvements Every Day
Karamo says that it’s easy for us to forget that what we practice every day plays a part in our behavior. If you often let negative thoughts consume you, you can become what you think you are.
If you think daily thoughts like that your hair is ugly, you’re a terrible mom, or that you’ll never be fit, it will dramatically affect your self worth over time.
The good news, he believes, is that you don’t need to do a lot to change this mindset. All you need is to practice changing yourself 1 percent each day. It can be by telling yourself a positive statement in the mirror each morning.
Once you start practicing this, the statements can become your truth. Take Tom Jackson from the first Queer Eye episode. While he started with the mindset that he was “ugly,” he’s undergone a big transformation and has even found love again.
5. Strong People Ask for Help
Karamo believes that there are three steps to achieving your goals. “Plan. Do. Ask for help if needed,” he says.
You’ll notice that the best Queer Eye episodes are when the guests are willing to open up and ask for help.
This can happen for you as well. Remember, some people around you are willing to help you in surprising ways, even strangers. Don’t let your belief that you can do it alone blindside you from the family and friends you have.
Most people have more allies in their life than they realize.
One way to know when you need help is when you start feeling anxious about not knowing what to do. If you are having trouble implementing your plan, call a friend and ask for their help.
More often than not, a trusted friend can help you through any roadblock.
6. Don’t Believe Everything You Think
Indeed, negative events have a greater impact on our brains than positive ones. This is because of the negativity bias that’s wired to human nature.
While it initially helped us to survive in harsh environments, today it means we’re overly prone to remembering terrible words people say. It also means we may fear how they may perceive us.
Understandably, too much negativity can affect how you see yourself and how you act in front of others.
Let’s look at episode eight, the one with US veteran Brandonn Mixon, as an example. There, we can see how much his negativity blindsided him to the limits he was placing upon himself. It led to a lot of unnecessary pressure he put upon himself, failed projects, and shame.
If you feel something negative about yourself, realize it may be a story your mind has made up over time. Notice and tune into experiences in your life that may contrast (or even destroy) that belief.
If these ways of thinking are deeply ingrained, seek out professional help to help shift it faster.
7. Practice Being Kind to Yourself
For the last of our Queer Eye tips, be kind to yourself.
This tip ties into being less negative and looking at yourself from a positive angle instead. Karamo wants you to treat yourself better by being kinder and believing in yourself. That includes your outlook on life and how you see yourself.
It also includes little things, like your lifestyle, diet, and exercise routine. You can start small by looking up tips for eating healthy or finding clothes that help you feel confident.
This tip also applies to your self talk. Be kind, think kind, and talk to yourself in kind ways.
As Karamo reminds us, your relationship with yourself is your most important relationship of all.
Listen to Karamo and Improve Your Life
As our resident culture expert says, they do “make-betters,” not “makeovers.” They don’t want you to look in the mirror and see a person who has a lot of wrong aspects. The Fab Five want their guests and you to see people who can improve.
As the culture expert on Queer Eye, Karamo Brown has life-changing tips to lead a happier life.
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