Perspective is everything

Hi Lovelies! Now I wish I could get right into blogging but I haven’t written in exactly 13 months. YES, 13 MONTHS! So much has happened, so much gory details to spill. Life has been a whirlwind and what was a temporary break from blogging turned into a permanent one. When one takes a break for that long then there must be a reason for it… and no I am not that lazy. So read on and find out what’s been happening in my life. In the end of this blog post you might just find out if I am going to start writing again.

Flashback to 2018:

The month of February 2018 was a huge month for my career. I received a job offer from Primedia Lifestyle to be the marketing manager for one of the shopping centres in Durban. After working for brands like Lorna Jane and GJCSA, I felt the position was an ideal platform to allow me to grow my career and broaden my skill set. I took on the position and very quickly realised that work isn’t going to allow me to take beautiful fashion shots and write blog posts as often I like. Is that the reason why I stopped, well not quite…

Truth be told – this job was exciting as equally terrifying. I worked for brands where positivity, emoji’s on emails and bright smiles got us through each day. When people asked me what it was like being the Regional Marketing Manager of Lorna Jane , I use to be like ‘Meh, its ayt’. Now, I’m like I just want to be a Lorna Jane Girl again ( let’s be honest, I still am at heart). It’s no lie, being a creative and working for a brand whereby the target market is Low LSM is some tough shit! Some days felt like it’s not so bad however most days was like WTF (at least 50 times out loud, and 100 times in my head). I love a challenge, so I decided to accept saying WTF (atleast 50 times out loud, and 100 times in my head) and that the only time I will bid farewell to this job, is when I make a visible change to this place( which needs a separate blog post lol).

Whilst I was setting attainable career goals, I didn’t realise how much I was neglecting every other aspect of my life. Those that know me, know I love a fit and healthy lifestyle.In July 2018, I hit rock bottom and was practically going through junk food as a source of comfort to take me through each day. As for blogging, this rapidly became a dream again. I was so focused on a massive campaign at work that everything took a step back from my relationships to my own health. No amount of success is worth your peace and the people you love. Success and being driven is important but so is your sanity.

Life started taking shape in September and yet I still was not ready to write again. I guess a part of me felt like a failure and a part of me was just not that interested. When I initially started blogging, all I wanted to do was create a platform whereby I could help women understand their sense of style and be confident through fashion. In the beginning, my blog launched this way but soon the amount of clicks to my website, the growth of followers slowly consumed me and before I knew it, I was more focused on having a successful blog than the real reason why I started writing. Now I could sit here and say that social media does this to you, but I have to blame myself and the fact that I got so wrapped up in other people and comparing myself to others that I lost myself and being true to who I am. As I write today, I think of a specific reader who used my fashion blog posts as an inspiration to build her own sense of style… I want to do that again, I want to be that inspiring, strong and confident woman who is changing one life at a time (even if it is just one at a time and be okay with that).

The greatest challenge I found when blogging was consistency and still being able to remain relevant in a world where everyone is a ‘blogger’ (can you tell that this still frustrates me). Whilst I can’t promise a blog every week (I refuse to put that kind of pressure on myself again), I do aim on writing again. Sometimes it may be fashion, sometimes I might want to share my fitness journey or something personal with my readers but the whole point of me writing again is to be authentic and real to who I am.

I hope this blog post helps all those who feel that they need to live up to a social norm, you really don’t. Social media is as helpful as it is poisonous but only you can decide… Fulfilment comes from within and not from others.  

Till next time…

Ciao xx