How to Be an Icon ♥

I’m not saying I am one, but since you’re already assuming it, okay, I won’t put up a fight.

Anyway, lately, I’ve been spending most of my time just thinking about life, going through it half-listening to people and half-asleep. I guess there’s this thing about unemployment that makes you appreciate the OTHER things in life aside from money. (Oh, are there actually OTHER things in life aside from money? Just kidding.) I’ve been thinking how we live to die and how we just have to make the most out of our lives.

So here goes. I compiled a list of things that we need to do in order to make a mark in this world. I know it’s difficult to top how sorry people felt when Cory Aquino died but at least when we do, we get to be remembered for some things that fall under the category of “pleasant memories”.

1. Have a signature accessory. For Chuck Bass of Gossip Girl, it was his scarf. For Miranda Priestly of The Devil Wears Prada (the book), it was her white Hermes scarf. No, it doesn’t need to be a scarf, just something that you can wear everyday. I know a friend who wears a bundle of extraordinary necklaces everyday and it seemed to blend into whatever he wears. And he gets known for it. A signature accessory makes you “own” such accessory because people see you frequently with it. (Just like when people see you often with a single person, they assume you’re a couple.)

2. Have a signature scent. Studies show that scents are the greatest memory triggers. Wear something that’s light enough to blend with any weather and something that can go from day to night. Choose a scent that you really like and maintain wearing it for a long time. When people you know smell it from someone else, they will instantly remember you. Besides, there’s really no excuse for not smelling good, is there?

3. Speak a certain way…consciously. This may sound difficult for some people but when you get used to it, it comes out naturally. A lot of people think I’m really “disagreeable” or, in our dialect, “maldita” because when I talk and when I’m engrossed in an (intellectual) conversation, I tip my head to the left and raise my left eyebrow. If you see me from afar, I look very “maldita”. But until now, nobody knows I do it just because that’s the angle where I’m more photogenic. Charming varsity, isn’t it? Intellectual thoughts + good looks! Boo! Hahaha!

4. Get published. Gah! I don’t care how you do it. Whether you volunteer for a charity organization and have a press-worthy event, win an inter-school spelling bee, be accused of mass murder, be the first Filipino on the moon or be the next Wowowee millionaire, just getting your name and/or picture on print is a good avenue to be remembered. You do THAT, or just apply as a writer here. Hehe.

What can I say? Life’s too short to be unnoticed. Email me! Live_out_loud@ymail.com