Self Reflection - For A Greater 2017
First of all, A very happy new year to each and every one of you! 2017 is here and this is a reflexion of how 2016 has been a year to celebrate, both personally as well as professionally. It has been such a wonderful year. Of course with its ups and downs, nevertheless looking back I have so much to be grateful about and also to learn from 2016 for a even greater 2017.
Facing the Fears
The key lesson I have learned from 2016 is to face the fears. Until late spring in 2016, I was getting on with my usual routine of going to work and coming home. I was not unhappy with my work, I enjoyed it and it was quite rewarding both financially as well as professionaly. But I was being held back by fear to pursue my dream. I was on the safe road. But all I really wanted to do was to design clothes.
2016 is so remarkable for me because this is the year I finally faced up to all those risks, fears, obstacles of moving careers. It is hard a task as it is. But it is even harder when you already have a stable and a secure career and when you then want to move on to this route pursuing your passion which might work out, but might not.
Of course, my family, especially my husband deserves the credit for pushing me towards it and holding my hand while I could stand up on my own two feet. It took a lot of thinking, convincing and finally accepting a calculated risk.
But I finally faced my own worst enemy, which is fear, fear of failing. It was challenging, but there is nothing else I have ever done in my professional life is as enjoyable and gratifying as what I do now. Creating my own clothing line has been a dream I had ever since i was about 7 or 8. I loved clothes. I love dressing up and dressing up other women, I love creating story lines and telling those stories to the world.
As afraid as I was in the beginning to start, I wouldn’t have this experience any other way. Most nights when I go to sleep, the designs of the upcoming seasons are the last thoughts in my mind and when I wake up in the morning, I have the feeling of excitement to be able to create something new. I pinch myself when I see my clients wear the clothes or send me pictures of wearing them. But that is what happens when I faced the fears.
A calculated risk taken in gradual increments can take you from your fears to your dreams.
Living in the Moment
I was not good at this. In fact, i was terrible at it. As a child I always kept and stored the best things for future.
When I received gifts from my parents or family, I used to save my favourite one for later, I thought it is best to save up everything for future. Yes, I think an element of that would be a great habit and I still plan and save up for future. But what happened most of the time is, all the best things I saved up for future will be either forgotten or they have no value to me by the time I get around to them, as if the magic has disappeared.
I had been doing this until this summer. As an adult, I used to get things for the home and I would then think it is so valuable or beautiful, I’d better save up for a better house. But then one one Sunday summer morning, I was thinking of completely redecorating the our home. I thought I could use all the nice interior decor I have stored up all this time. But, again I faced the disappointing reality when I went through the storage to find outdated decor, some broken, some long gone trendy pieces and etc. That was the moment of realisation.
I realised that I had been over – saving. I looked back and saw how I repeatedly made this mistake over and over. But this was the first time admitting to it. I have to live in now, in this moment. Future may be great, but it isn’t here yet.
So from then on, I cleared out my precious storage, used my precious saved items to decorate our home and now when I buy things, they are for now. It is wonderful to realise the joy now rather than saving for a moment may or may not come.
As much as we all dream for a better future, how about a better now before the better future? Not to say future needs no planning. Of course it does. I am a firm believer of planning and saving up for rainy days or for your retirement or just in general long term thinking. But I also want to look back in future and know that I had an enjoyable fun times in the past. So I leave you with the quote:
Learn from the Past. Prepare for the Future. But the Present is here, Lets live it!