THESE ARE THE 15 LIFE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNT IN MY LIFE:
I'd like to give these lessons I've learnt to the world as they have changed my life in every way possible, and mostly in a positive way. I hope you can get something good out of them, maybe even try something new in your life. These are not just about fashion, but about life in general. Why not open your mind and your horizons :
1) Almost three years ago I quit all social media and it changed my life in ways I never expected. I got my real life back. It made me get rid of the negative scrolling and engaging in endless, useless hours of looking at other people's lives, when I wasn't even engaging in my own. I'm not sure about you, but I am all or nothing.
2) As a health freak I have always enjoyed eating good quality food. But when I quit sugar it made my life and my taste buds so much better. I stopped having huge mood swings and also stopped the need to eat all the time. I'm not even sure how the kilos crept up but had gained 15 kilos and just by quitting sugar I lost the first 10. And then with a healthier life style and daily exercise I lost the last 5. It feels great to fit into my smaller clothes, that I had kept just in case.
3) Reading as a hobby. I wasn't a huge book reader but am loving having the time to read more. I enjoy reading non-fiction. It's the best way to educate yourself in a calm and quiet way. And at your own pace. I think timing is so important. And attracting the right book at the right time. I always get so shocked when I read a book that resonates with me, or changes my life for the better.
4) Decluttering my home and my life has also been life changing. It clears out your brain from all the clutter, metaphorically and literally. The less things I have to worry about, the more creative I get. Have you experienced this too?
5) About a year ago I quit meat. Becoming a vegetarian has been one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Ethically and digestively. I find I sleep better, and I don't have to worry about mercilessly killing an animal for my tasting pleasure. And also your blood type determines what type of food your body craves. Yes, it's true. I have found iron-rich food in vegetables, and there are plenty of them, so I do not miss meat at all. And if need be, I take supplements when my body needs them.
Oh, and another big lesson was to buy fruit and veg in season, they taste better and cost much, much less, trust me.
6) Being more active. This one is a big one as you get older. The more we sit on the couch and watch TV or the devices we are on, the more our bodies need to move.
Finding the things that you love to do is so important. But you won't know what they are by sitting down all day. In the past few years I have tried belly dance classes, lap swimming, pole dancing and more, but my favourite by far is bike riding.
What is yours?
7) Learning to be alone, and bored. This stimulates the creative brain. This is one of the most powerful things you can do in your life, to sit still in your own thoughts.
Being alone gives you time to have deep thoughts. Meditating can help.
8) Trying everything at least ONCE in your life. This has been a life motto for me. If you don't have your own opinion on something it means you have someone else's.
This means you are blindly trusting what other people say to you. You are going off the like or dislike off others. I go through phases where I feel great with the things in my life, and then I go through others where I just want to try new and interesting things. I love having new experiences, whether that is with food, traveling, or any activity I set my mind on. I even give movies a go, and if I can't handle one, I move on.
What do you quit if you don't like it? Is it books, movies, food, or something else?
For me blue cheese is a hell no!
9) I used to believe in having only one animal (pet) at a time. Until I ended up with 30.
I also know that's not possible for people living in an apartment or in the city. But for me now living in the country, they give me so much joy. And they have the most amazing little personalities and the cuteness factor is really high. They actually get along more than you'd expect, unless they are a grumpy cat like one of mine.
10) Thrifting. Buying second-hand clothes and furniture is so satisfying. I know many people find it gross, but once you get over the fact that someone else wore it or used it, there are so many benefits to buy them. Sometimes you can find and buy unusual clothes that you would otherwise never find. And so what if they aren't all trendy, sometimes the unique ones stand out more. Try it out yourself.
11) Gadgets. I've gone through a very long phase of buying every gadget I thought I needed. Only to discover I need very, very few. I don't know about you, but when I moved out of home for the first time and had very little, it was probably the best time of my life. I felt so free and light. I love that feeling and not having things drag me down. Again, you have less to worry about, which leaves you much more time to do the things you actually love. Or to see the people you love.
12) Synthetics. A long time ago I decided to get rid of as many clothing as I could that were not made of natural fibres. I also did the same in my home. I went through each room and got rid of plastic things and replaced what needed to be replaced with glass, metal, wood, bamboo, wool, paper, or cotton.
13) Gardening. Finding out that I have a passion for plants was a real revelation. As someone who had rarely looked after a pot plant, and almost always killed them by over-watering them, I had no idea I had two green thumbs. I think the feeling of having your hands and feet in soil reminds me of the good days as a kid, and brings me so much joy. My advice is to never buy plastic plants.
14) This one is going to be a real controversial one and one that will probably come back to bite me. As a sensitive person, it used to bother me a lot that I was born that way. But learning how to embrace the good side of it and living with it in a positive way, instead of fighting it, has really changed the way I see the world. And myself. I now can't imaging not being this way. What do you have that you have learnt to live with and embrace?
15) Happiness. This is a BIG one. Happiness is not something you can buy. It's something we all have inside of us. No matter what we own, who we know, what we look like. Happiness is within! Never forget that.
Having a more zen life has made me see what really matters the most in my life.
Getting rid of things that take up space and keeping things around because you paid good money for it isn't a good enough reason to have it around.
Or even people who are negative and do nothing for you aren't the types of people you need around you.
Find what you need, and you'll see they are much less than you'd expect. Listen to your own self, than what the media is selling (literally and metaphorically).
*) This one is a bonus. About two years ago I switched off my TV for good, and it has helped my sanity. I still keep up with important news and things that go on around me or in the world, but the constant bombardment of media input is no longer a part of my life. I don't need to worry about things that have nothing to do with me. Or things I cannot control. Try it and you'll see a huge difference to your life.
Which one did you like the most? Which one will you try or which one have you already done? Think about what you can do to change your life.
Thank you for reading this post on my own thought and life lessons. The next blog post will be about fashion again. So tune in for that one. Cheers to you all. And I hope you are all doing well in this life of restrictions, lockdowns and segregation. Cheers,
The Style Secrets.
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