Mota - Make your mind up: my guide to finding your own style, life, and motivation!

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An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Copyright 2017 by Bethany Mota

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Gallery Books hardcover edition June 2017

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Interior design by Jason Snyder

Jacket photograph by Sky Gaven

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Mota, Bethany, 1995 author.

Title: Make your mind up : my guide to finding your own style, life, and motavation! / Bethany Mota.

Description: New York, NY : Gallery Books, [2017]

Identifiers: LCCN 2016048082| ISBN 9781501154492 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781501154676 (pbk.)

Subjects: LCSH: Young women--Life skills guides. | Young women--Conduct of life. | Fashion. | Beauty, Personal. | Mota, Bethany, 1995

Classification: LCC HQ1229 .M726 2017 | DDC 305.242/2--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016048082

ISBN 978-1-5011-5449-2

ISBN 978-1-5011-5468-3 (ebook)

To my viewers, this is for you

Im so glad youre here, because I would love to tell you a story. Its about how when I was little, I didnt have a voice.

What I mean by that is that I was so shy and scared to speak up, some people thought I was mute. Like, literally. They thought I was unable to talk. Around my sister or my parents, I was chatty, loud, and always said exactly what was on my mind, but I never opened up to people outside of my family. In any crowded situation, I would hide behind my mom and I wouldnt say a word.

Since then, a ton of things have happenedboth big and smallto get me where I am today. Ive finally found my voice, and now I get to share my ideas in ways I only dreamed of as a child. But the only way I got here was by making my mind up about who I wanted to be. Then, I used sheer motivation by overcoming some difficult experiences, facing my fears, and putting my authentic self out there. Now I want to share my story and hopefully inspire you to live the life you want to live, say the things you want to say, and be the person you want to be.

I would never tell someone how to live his or her life, because there isnt just one way to live creatively, stylishly, beautifully, or confidently. But I would love to take you guys on a tour of how I live mine.

Want to come along?

xo,

Bethany

You wouldnt know it by looking at my style now that I post on my Insta feed, but I was a total tomboy as a kid. Id wear a tank top and little shorts, and my hair was a really short bob with choppy bangs my mom cut for me herself. Most of the time, I was running around outdoors, so my hair was usually a hot mess and I was always dirty. But my parents just let me do my own thing, which Im eternally grateful for. Because even though Ive cut down on running around outdoors in the dirt, Im still messy in my own way. And the freedom my parents gave me in those early years encouraged me to follow my own unique path. Which is exactly how I got to where I am today.

I grew up in a town called Los Banos, outside of San Francisco, with my mom, Tammy, my dad, Tony, and my sister, Brittany, who is five years older than me. People often ask if Brittany and I got along or if she ever picked on me, but the truth is that I was the one who was mean to her! Its actually a joke in my family because our relationship was the opposite of the older sibling picking on the younger sister. As a little tot, I would pull her hair and wrestle her to the floorand being the accommodating, sweet big sister she was, she could see I was having fun and so she just dealt with it. I only teased (okay, tormented) her for a couple of years, but I still feel so bad about it. Now, of course, were the closest of friends. Shes married and has a daughter, Marin Mae (the cutest, most lovable niece a girl could ask for), and we talk or FaceTime every day.

When I was five, we moved into another house in the same town, but this one was on a dairy farm. There were only about five houses on the property, so it felt a little isolated. Most neighbors were married couples without kids, so my sister and I didnt have a lot of options for playmates. You know how some kids play with neighborhood kids growing up? Me, I made friends with... cows. Im not kidding; there were cows in pens everywhere . They were just so cute that Id try and take ownership over each cow by petting and naming them. Granted, at five years old I was teeny and they were huge, but I wasnt scared of them like I was of people. Go figure.

I remember one morning, I woke up to see the cows had escaped their pen and were surrounding our house. When I looked out my bedroom window, there were three cows just chilling, staring at me through the glass. It was really bizarre. And Ive always wondered how the cows got out, because someone would have to let them out, right? And how long had they been watching me sleep? Okay, Im getting off track. Focus , Beth.