What's meant to be, will be.
No matter where you are today, no matter what your mental or emotional state is, and no matter how you feel, remember to always be thankful for the seasons of your life. Every rough patch, every bad day, every failure, has brought you here. It has made you stronger. It has given you courage, it has showed you that you can make it through anything, and it has opened new doors that you never would have entered if you had been given everything you asked for. Think about your dreams and goals. During the times when you've accomplished something great there was a time before where you were uncomfortable right? You had your doubts, you had fears, and you faced your anxiety. Guess what? It worked out! It might not always work out, but when it does, you gain a new sense of confidence that allows you to keep shooting for the stars.
Daily life can be a struggle. You might have work, school, a family, a romantic relationship, friendships, children, and then yourself. Your relationship with yourself is very important, but we seem to neglect that one the most. We get so caught up in our careers, our stresses, and the needs of others, that we often forget to take care of us. It not necessarily a bad thing that we care so much for others or that we want to give so much because we love so much. What's negative is when we stop loving ourselves and giving to ourselves. We start doubting who we are and what we can accomplish. We might put our own dreams on the back burner.
#Selflove has been such an important topic of discussion lately because we don't put enough emphasis on it. Losing your confidence, letting your doubts take over your mind, and forgetting why you do what you do is a recipe for disaster. It can affect your relationships, it can make you lose interest in what you're most passionate about, and it can leave you feeling drained.
So what to do?
Take a step back and reevaluate. How is your relationship with yourself? It probably needs some work right? Well get to it! Hit the gym, take a yoga class, read a book, learn something new, call a friend, play a sport...do something that YOU love. Do it alone, or do it with friends, but remember that you are doing it for you and nobody else.
What's next?
Evaluate your relationships with others. Are they healthy? Do they bring you joy? Do they support you? Do you support them? If the answer is no, than clearly some work needs to be done there also. There are people who will come into your life and you will know that you want them there. They care for you, they support you, and you feel the same about them. These you must hold onto, because they are rare. There are other relationships that drain you. You know the ones that involve a lot of fighting, drama, negative emotions, and confusion? You must leave these behind in order to grow.
Alright, two major factors down, let's talk about your work. Your career, your job, your passion. Those are often different things... you know that right? You're lucky if you have a combo. Many of us are trying to find something that we are passionate about that still makes us money, allows us to spend time with loved ones, but also makes us happy. Often a very difficult thing to do. Difficult, but not impossible. We have families to support, bills to pay, and goals to reach. Doing something that makes money can be the same as doing something that you love, but it often takes extra work! ;)
Remember how we talked about courage and confidence earlier? This is the point where that comes back in. We develop these strengths and qualities through the things that we face. We learn how to let go of the things not meant for us, we learn how to adapt when things don't go our way, and we learn that change, however frightening, can be a really good thing! Since the beginning of J. Isabel Designs I have shifted my direction a few times. I have failed at some things, succeeded with others, but no matter what, I kept going. I wanted to give up at times, absolutely! I cried, I had pity parties, I thought I would have to give up on my dreams because doors kept closing. WRONG. To keep pushing means keeping the dream alive. Keeping the fires of passion burning bright even when they drop down to a smolder builds up your confidence and courage for the next step of the journey.
Your journey is absolutely yours and nobody else can put it down, change it, or diminish it, without your consent. Walk away from those that doubt you, leave behind those that try to change you, and keep your head held high always. At the end of the day, you have yourself, you have a few close loved ones and friends if you are lucky, and you have your dreams. Don't give up on what you really want, because right at the point of you wanting to throw in the towel is usually when absolutely wonderful things happen!
xoxo Jess