Five Things That Changed My Life in 2014
With the end of the year in sight now, I've been reflecting a little on the past twelve months and what I can take away from this year and with me into 2015. I started this year feeling so lost, disheartened, and completely broken and I can't quite believe how far I've come and how much I've learned and grown this year. This year has been a big one in terms of developing who I am as a person and finding my way, and I wanted to share today five of the biggest things that changed my life this year:
Building my life with Alex I rarely share much about my life with Alex on this space, not because I'm adamant to keep it private, but because it feels so much like ours that I don't really know how to put it into words. I'm forever amazed at how much our relationship teaches me, and after four years together he continues to push me every day to really become the person I want to be. Finding your way through life and all the highs and lows that comes with being a human being isn't always easy, and building your life alongside someone else can be a challenge at times - but one I love and would never give up for the world. This year I've learned to love better, to accept that I am loved, and to know that love always grows but will always need nurturing.
My first freelance content strategy project I started this year feeling very lost as to what I was going to spend my life doing. With a degree in social sciences that I no longer had any interest in, and a debilitating mental health illness to be dealing with; I was completely lost as to what my next step was. A few months back I took on my first ever freelance content strategy project and it completely changed who I am as a creative. I found my strengths, the work that inspired me, and enough purpose to then start to build a creative career from scratch. I can't wait to share some behind the scenes projects with you soon and really take a leap into what I want for myself and my work, and I'm so glad I tried something new this year as it led me to discovering the work I really want to be creating.
Getting to grips with my health Living with a mental health illness isn't easy; it's isolating, it's scary, and it can effect every single area of your life. I started this year feeling like a complete shell of a person, and slowly but surely I've fought my way back to feeling like a human being again. If I look back to how much my illness has stole from me over the years I can feel so overwhelmed with sadness, but now I'm just so grateful that I've found my way to where I am now. I'm in therapy, I'm figuring things out and confronting the things that need to be confronted, and I'm engaged with my life like never before. It's not always easy, and it will always be okay to not be okay sometimes, but I've overcome a mountain this year and I honestly feel like the only way to go now is onwards and upwards.
Breaking free of the consumerism trap For many years I was a slave to consumerism; I found myself in so much debt, unable to pay my bills, and completely hooked on the instant high that buying new things gave me. Quitting my job due to my illness and subsequently starting a freelance career means that this has been my most frugal year yet, but if anything it's taught me so much about the value of money and what kind of relationship I really want to have with my finances. I no longer feel trapped in a consumerist cycle; I'm no longer obsessed with buying new things and I'd much rather invest my money back into myself and my future, or on experiences with the people I love. It was a huge journey for me to go on, and maybe it's not for everyone, but I feel so free now that I'm no longer weighed down by my obsession with things.
ALO One cold evening in February, along with one of my favourite people in the world Rebecca, we started to dream up our initial ideas for a website you guys now know today as A Little Opulent. It's been eight months now since we launched in April and I can't tell you how happy I am that we took a leap and started ALO together, and ever since it's been a labour of love and a huge creative learning curve for me. It's given me the creative confidence to really push myself with my content, believe in myself and my work, and has opened up the door to so many awesome creative connections and collaborations along the way. Working alongside one of my best friends and our awesome team is honestly a dream come true, and finding a creative partner who brings out the best in you and your work is one of the greatest creative fulfilments I've found so far in life.
How about you, what changed your life this year?
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