Life Lately: True Happiness & Being Yourself

Life sometimes has a way of speaking to you when you just take the time to slow down.

Or when life forces you to slow down. And for the last few weeks, it’s been like that for me.

Time to grieve, time to live in the moment and time to reflect on love, relationships and the direction life has to offer.

Today’s semi-random real talk post is going to be informal as I want to catch you up on my life lately and share my thoughts on true happiness and how it ties to being yourself.

HEALTH — WELLNESS

As my relay marathon approaches, my workouts at the gym have been more frequent. I’ve learned that my day-to-day happiness is most definitely tied to how I physically feel. If I’m feeling sluggish, lacking sleep or can’t fit into my clothes, I don’t feel like I’m my true self: a super positive, confident, self-motivated person. I’m at a point where I’ve drawn the line due to my lack of motivation. I will now be working out at home in the morning before my day job begins as well as after my 9 to 5 and will be squeezing in running to train for my big race.

You can expect more workout looks in future posts!

So far, the hardest part hasn’t been the food, but the sleep. Do you ever have SO much on your mind that a brain dump barely helps? That’s me lately with every area of my life. But one thing I do know is if I’m healthy, I’ll be back to my cheerful self. That and taking my happy pills (vitamin D) will definitely help.

HEALTH — BEAUTY

Another huge part of my health is my beauty routine. As I get older, I’m finding that my attention is focused on bringing my skin back to its radiant glow rather than slather on a crap ton of makeup to hide it. My desire to go makeup free as much as possible is solely based on being physically confident in my skin…and to a point where I can leave the house to run errands with just a swipe of lipgloss without thinking twice. My inspiration? Jamie O’Banion of BeautyBio. Her skin is absolutely STUNNING!

Stay tuned because as my Sephora order comes in from the VIB sale, I’ll be sharing some skincare products I’ve discovered and will be experimenting with in the coming months!

CAREER / BLOGGING

I learned recently that the best job in the world is one where you can be your true self. When it comes to my career, I’m definitely standing at a crossroad. I’ve worked in retail/fashion for nearly 15 years and I’m pretty sure I’m ready to call it quits and switch industries.

I’ve learned over time that just because I’m good at what I do (i.e. reports), doesn’t mean that it’s my passion nor does it make me truly happy. Sitting at a desk doesn’t make me happy and neither does having a structured 9 to 5 make me happy. I’m too free-spirited and very much a creative to be feeling this “trapped” and cannot see myself doing this even for another five years.

It’s not that I don’t love fashion anymore. I’m just tired of the day-in, day-out, clock-in, clock-out life. That and the over-consumption that’s in my face everyday has taken a toll on me. I also find that the older I get, the more I don’t want a ton of stuff. To me, having less material things brings more happiness. And with fashion, it’s been about investing in things I will love and wear for years to come. And it’s been this way for quite some time. Hence, my past collaborations with a local consignment shop and re-wearing a lot of what I already own.

Blogging will still be a side hustle for me as I love to write. However, I want to be very mindful from an environmental standpoint when it comes to fashion.

PERSONAL

A few weeks ago, I lost my adopted grandma. She had a stroke and within a week, she was gone. Needless to say, it’s been more tough on me than I expected. Her leaving our family so quickly caused me to stop and reflect and to live in the moment with my loved ones.

I’ve been enjoying life a lot more, which is why I haven’t posted lately on here or on my Instagram. I’ve been resting purposefully (which is hard for me to do), thinking about my next chapter in life, playing Homescapes (which is very addicting by the way) and watching tons of movies. Among the most recent ones? Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. Side note, if you’re a superhero geek, feel free to talk nerdy with me!

THOUGHTS

It’s funny because a part of me feels like my absence from the internet means I’m unmotivated. However, it’s quite the opposite. I feel motivated now more than ever. I feel motivated to be in the best shape of my life. I’m motivated to continue working on my spiritual walk, loving others hard and dreaming of the future and its endless positive possibilities. My absence from the internet realm means I’m working hard behind the scenes because of my “why not me?” mentality and most of all, seeking the freedom to be me in all every area of my life.

My desire is to wake up every day with a sense of peace and happiness.

I want to feel my blessings and to know the kind of happiness that makes me smile so big, my cheeks hurt!