A Year From Now…

It is often difficult to see how far you have come, isn’t it? When you are constantly criticizing yourself and pointing out your mistakes and flaws. But maybe, take a moment. Sit back. Reflect. I am growing. I am learning. I am evolving.

Looking back, I have grown tremendously in the past year. And unfortunately I shadow my achievements with unrealistic expectations of where, I believe, I should be. How much I should have achieved by now, or how far I should be in life. Refreshingly, I have recently become less fixated on where I should be in life and have become more obsessed with who I should be in life.

Who do you want to be? What impression do you want to leave people with?

A year ago, I was more interested in ‘securing the bag’ than developing a deeper connection with myself. I silenced the parts of me begging for freedom, asking to be noticed, “oh please would you take more photos, you are always happy when you create picture-perfect moments.” In 2021, I worked extremely hard, and felt like giving up constantly, having an office job was difficult and I am almost certain that I am not cut out for it. But after a year of dedicating myself to the tasks at hand, I made it through, with exceptional experience to add to my CV, and of course, a savings account with the ability to satisfy my retail desires! I sometimes wonder what would have become if I had not worked at that job, last year. Maybe I would have connected with myself more, but I am grateful for all the doors and opportunities the experience has opened up for me.

A year ago I had a drive and passion for photography, and after a year of working an office job, I could happily purchase my very first camera! What a lovely feeling to have bought myself a Canon EOS 550D. Learning my way around a professional digital camera has been a humbling experience, but truly satisfying. I have also been gifted a small Nikon Coolpix S3000 digital camera, a cute Fujifilm Instax Mini11, and  a wonderful Canon EOS 500 original, film camera – I will 100% be investing in film photography!

My passion for photography has grown and it is absolutely mental to see how my equipment has developed over the past year. Believe it or not, but in Jan 2021, my only device for taking photos was my cell phone on 18MP. Now, as of Jan 2022, I have four cameras – two digitals, two films, – four different Canon lenses, two tripods and two transfer cables! As my passion grew, so did my ability to feed and nurture it!

Now, I imagine where I will be a year from now, with all the knowledge and experience that I have gained, with nothing but endless opportunities ahead of me. The New Year has welcomed me with open arms and I realise that I am now what is stopping me. I hope to upload blogs consistently and showcase my writing and photography skills in the most creative ways! I hope to expand my skillset and learn as I grow into myself. And lastly, I hope that I never silence my soul again, because I love to hear it speak!

Listen to your soul. Often your calling aligns with what makes you happy. Don’t ignore who you are or what you love. Nurture it. Develop it. Let it speak. I promise you, that will be what changes your life. Believe in yourself and do what you love!

Imagine where you would be, a year from now, when all your hard work and dedication reflects in your current situation. Doesn’t that sound nice?

In order to achieve the life that you constantly manifest, you need to escape your comfort zone. Yes, that space that makes you feel safe, stable and well, stunned in position, not really moving or progressing – but comfortable. Explore outside the comfort zone, connect with yourself and work hard! It will 100% pay off.

It is refreshing to witness your own growth, and to actually acknowledge it. You are developing. You are learning. You are growing.

Connect with yourself, your soul, and what makes you happy. Give your energy and attention to the little things that make you happy and help you grow.

Imagine where you could be a year from now…