My seven secrets of survival: Sadie Jean Sloss

Published on Wednesday 8 October 2008 14:51

Make-up artist and owner of DollyLeo Apothecary

1 Don't feel bad if you don't know what you want to do in life. My mum still tells me she doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up! The great thing is that she has been on so many different paths. These led her to meeting my dad and some wonderful friends, becoming a businesswoman and living abroad. It's the people that don't know what to do that tend to lead the most interesting and fulfilling lives.

2 Have faith in karma. This has definitely worked for me. I always think if you do wrong to someone, someone will do the same to you. When you're reckless with someone's heart, then at some point I believe someone will be reckless with yours. Things will come back and bite you hard if you're not careful. Of course, it works the other way too – the nicer you are to people, the nicer people will be to you.

3 Get rid of your hang-ups. Life is too short. It's such a relief to set yourself free from your own worst critic – yourself. Accept the way you look and forgive your body for all its sins. You can still enjoy yourself even if you do have a big bum, cellulite, wonky nose or all of the above. Once I accepted my looks, I became a lot more confident in myself. Just remember, it's all of those things that make you who you are.

4 Don't listen to or spread gossip. I have learned that the majority of it is rubbish anyway. It's so easy to get caught up in being part of the, "he said, she said" crowd, but that's become a real no-no for me. I always remind myself that the last thing I want is to be gossiped about myself. Get a life and put your energy into something much more worthwhile.

5 Learn to be OK in your own company. I love to surround myself with close friends, my boyfriend and my family, but it is also very important to have a little "me time". You can get so used to a full house or seeing friends, you can forget what your own company is like. The thought of being by yourself can conjure up feelings of loneliness. But you'd be surprised how nice it can really be to chill out at home in your own company.

6 Culture shocks are great for the soul. I am passionate about travelling and my favourite place in the world is Varanasi in India. A couple of years ago, I managed to get over there and had the most amazing, surreal experiences that I've ever had in my life – the colours, the atmosphere, even the smells. I love "culture shocking" myself – it makes me so much more open-minded.

7 Deal with the difficult people in life by killing them with kindness. I try my very best not to rise to people who are rude or bad mannered. Sometimes it's very hard, but if I can be charming and polite even to those who are not being like that back to me, it means I can walk away calm and know I don't have to regret anything I say. Take note – this even applies to traffic wardens.

• DollyLeo, 22 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh (0131-315 2035, www.dollyleo.co.uk).