I believe that one’s life is as good as their relationships are. And in order to have good relationships with others, first you need to have a good relationship with yourself. But this doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey, at times exciting, at times painful. Pretty much as life itself.
I’m saying this based on my own experience so far which was not out of the ordinary, with ups and downs like everyone else’s. The important thing for me is the taking from all the lessons I went through and how that contributed to my development and to accepting myself wholly with my strengths but also weaknesses. Basically, a work in progress still.
In the last decade my life has changed in many ways and at different levels. I hit refresh several times, personally and professionally. I changed countries and started everything from the scratch, I’ve worked in a highly competitive industry in one of the most exciting cities in Europe and then I quit and became jobless for almost a year. When I look back now, I realise the break I had was the best thing that happened in my adult life.
Obviously, at that time for me it was a tragedy. If I stopped doing all the important and cool stuff that I built my life on, what was my worth?
Oh, the trap of external validation, building your self-esteem on what others think you are!
Slowly, I started enjoying my “me-time” as I called it and use it to reconnect to myself in all 3 aspects: mind, body and spirit. Focusing on the inside because everything comes from within.
Having solid values and self-awareness is key to a good approach on life. In the end, it’s not about what happens to you – because not everything is in your control – but how you react to that and what you do. It’s about accountability.
During that same time I read somewhere a funny, but wise and practical quote from the American comedian Groucho Marx that said:
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
If I twisted it a bit, I’d put it as: Learn from the experiences of others as they may help you have better and richer experiences yourself.
So, here we are. On this blog meant to support and counsel young women through the challenges of the modern lifestyle and the “have it all” mentality, based on the struggles and experiences Saby and I had ourselves. The kind of information and support I wish I had when I entered adulthood.
This is my way of cherishing my life experience. By helping others have a smoother journey, if possible, with advice on the things I learned the hard way, by doing them.
This is my way of giving back and I hope it’s going to be useful for your journey. 😊
Xtina
