Why I Wear
“Everything Always Works Itself Out”
Why I Wear
I feel like I’ve known my friend Elena Murzello for ages but we actually haven’t met in real life.
We connected on email a couple years ago through a mutual friend. Recently, she bought herself a fortune cookie locket to celebrate a big life moment, which led to the idea of launching our new What I Give series with her as the first feature.
Here, we chat with the nurse-turned-writer about a jewelry piece that holds great meaning to her.
With Elena in Vancouver and me in New York, we finally had our first face-to-face chat via Zoom to talk about the the importance of gifting one's self, her book The Love List: A Guide to Getting Who You Want, and the quote in her Fortune Cookie Locket, “Everything always works itself out.”
Catch our full video interview here or read on below.
On Writing Her Book, "The Love List"...
“When I was 19, in nursing school, I wrote a list of 55 characteristics I was looking for in a potential partner. I met my boyfriend a month later and then we ended up having a 10-year relationship. It ended when he met a girl in Vegas and broke up with me. In three months, they were engaged, and in six months, they were married. I was devastated.”
Elena channeled her experience, and similar experiences from others, into The Love List.
That’s when Elena turned 30 and wrote a brand new list which became the premise of her book. Compiling interviews from more than a hundred single, divorced, and married men and women, she wrote about the qualities they look for in a life partner. Between the pages are practical tips to personal stories about love and the search for it.
After pitching the book to people in New York, it got picked up for a TV show and was optioned for two years.
“That whole section of my life grew, and I’m totally grateful for it,” she says.
On the Importance of Gifting Yourself...
"When you look at the stats on how much time we spend at work. To not reward yourself when you’ve done a good job or when something great happens…? You shouldn’t feel bad.”
The wise words inside the Fortune Cookie Locket Elena bought as a gift to herself.
"If something doesn’t work out, it gives you an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on why it’s not working out. You just kind of have to let it go. Because half of the time, it actually ends up being better than you ever imagined it to be.
“When we start to re-evaluate what’s going on, we can start to see the opportunities versus obstacles and the magic in the mess.”
After her book launch, Elena also received opportunities to contribute to online and print publications including Thrive Global, Huffington Post Canada, Cosmopolitan UK, BELLA and Resident magazine.
This meaningful quote has proven true through Elena’s life time and time again.
On Finding a Thoughtful Gift for Others...
"Step outside your comfort zone. Sometimes, I pick things out that I personally wouldn’t wear but I know that the person who I’m gifting would love.
“I think the best gifts I've ever received are the ones where I had mentioned something on the fly and then the person kind of came around and did it for me. That makes me feels like they were really listening to me.”
Elena's Fortune Cookie Locket, in all its glory.
Remember: The purpose of a gift is to show a token of appreciation. Whether you’re buying something for yourself or a loved one, you can always make it more meaningful by adding a personal note in the form of a fortune or card. Happy gift-giving.INTRODUCING "WHAT I GIVE"
Our new What I Give series is intended to highlight the why behind the meaningful jewelry gifts customers have bought. We’ll speak with people from around the world on the story behind the jewelry piece they chose, whether it be a gift for a significant other, family member, friend, or oneself.
For more stories on gift ideas, check out:
Wendy Sy
Wendy is a New York City writer who has contributed to publications including Allure, AVENUE, Beauty and Well-Being, NewBeauty, InStyle, and Billboard. Read more of her stories at Style Meets Story or find her on Instagram at @sy.wendy.
