I hope your week is going well so far. We are now over halfway through January, the first month of the year and I cannot believe how fast this year is going. Did you have big plans for this year? Have you already given up on a couple of those new year resolutions you had noted down that this was the year you were going to do something different? I feel like it’s such a strange time to be alive. The unknown and uncertainty that constantly surrounds our everyday lives. The ever-changing rules that we must follow and it all can be very overwhelming and confusing.

We have all been through so much the past couple years, losing loved ones, not being able to say goodbye, those things you had planned for have been delayed, the toll it has played on our minds has been very traumatic.

In the past year I have felt that I had lost a part of myself that I believe is so special and unique and that is my creativity. I have always looked forward to writing my blogs and really enjoyed being able to express my individual thoughts and creativity. But amongst the chaos of postponing and planning three weddings and postponing our lives, losing loved ones and all of the lockdowns, I have felt like I had lost a part of myself that gives me the buzz of life. Something felt different, but through it all, it has given me a thicker skin and very different outlook of what really is important in life and what isn’t, and a one-day event really isn’t on the list. I now see it as a want not a need.

I am so super grateful to have the family and friends around me that have been my rock throughout this and even when isolated, I have still felt a strong connection to the community and network that we have created in our lives.

In previous posts I have touched on the influence of the people in your life and how some people are “here for a reason or a season” which, if you know me well or have read my previous posts you would know that it is my favourite quote and has been such a great tool for me. I have learnt in this life that people can be so beautiful and kind, creating a positive influence on you and others can be a disruptive force. I am grateful for all of those connections, even those that were brief, those that have influenced my decisions and outlook and that have molded me into the person I am today.

I have grown so much in the past few years, even so in the last six months and I feel so different. I have always had a passion and drive for life, but I think when someone takes it away from you, you become even more grateful for what you had and it gives you a deep understanding of what you actually need.

I think that is why my creative side has needed to take a break, I needed to be able to get to know who I am after all of this and it has been quite the beautiful journey in discovering who that person is. I have such a strong feeling that this is going to be a great year, so many blessings coming for us all. I feel like I have my sparkle back and it’s bigger than it’s ever been before. My imagination has been running wild with stories, characters, and new ideas. My biggest problem now is squeezing in time to write it all down which is exciting.  I feel so loved and secure within myself and my life and those I share it with. And it’s not only me feeling like this, I can also see it in those I am constantly around and there is a big change in confidence, knowing and going after what you deserve. I know that once lost sparkle, has now been found and reclaimed, and it’s ever so bright.

So, no matter what you are going through or have been through? I want you to know that you are not alone, we have all felt it, even if some of us do not talk about it, we have all been affected one way or another and it’s so important to be gentle and kind to yourself. You will get through this and you will regain your sparkle again.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week, be true and kind to yourself and others and please remember… Every day is a new chance to try, it’s a chance for a fresh start, try and find something new daily that you love about yourself, affirmations are the key to self-acceptance and don’t ever give up on yourself or your dream… Life is so precious. Shine bright!

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