Welcome to LiveWell Week!
Wellness has been a buzzword for the past few years, and this burgeoning industry valued at over $3.7 trillion globally, has spawned several brands home and abroad committed to helping us, in millenial speak – live our very best lives. This juggernaut industry covers not only the typical areas like fitness, nutrition and beauty, it’s evolving more and more to include mindfulness, mental health and well-being in our careers and at home.
In this series, we explore wellness on the continent, not only tapping into this trend but speaking to various individuals and brands about what wellness and self-care means to them and spanning different aspects of the industry from wellness tourism , alternative medicine, workplace wellness, beauty and anti ageing as well as the reactive and proactive elements in wellness and self-care.
As we round up LiveWell Week, we take a look at some major inspiration from uber blogger and founder of the Blogger Etiquette Lola Akinkuowo.
She’s not only beautiful inside and out, she gives us pure doses of inspiration on the ‘gram! Addressing an oft ignored part of wellness and self -care, mental wellness and the negative feedback loop of comparison and social media fueled competition. If you struggle with Impostor Syndrome or just need a boost to smash your goals next week this is for you!
Struggling & Still Smiling” was a reoccurring theme in my life for as long as I can remember. [And] to be honest, It took me almost 7 years to find my balance and purpose, and yet till this day there are moments when I still feel completely lost ( because we’re all just winging it right?).
So never mind how picturesque a person’s life may seem ( via social media), there is always a story, behind the story. Thing is, you don’t see the disappointment, the rejection and eviction letters, failed relationships, or the times when there was no money for food, the manic depression, the struggles of marriage, the loss of friends, getting laid off from your job, the negative account balance, and the many days waking up with not even an ounce of hope. But that is my story… behind my story. I’ve failed at many things. & despite the struggles, set backs, rejections, disappoints and “Why me” moments, I still wouldn’t trade my life for anyone else’s.
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And I guess I share all of that to say this, on our way to the top, failure is really inevitable. It’s how we learn, and it’s how we grow. So it’s okay if you fall down and lose your spark every now and again. But just make sure when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire. ? (Colette Werden)
You know those moments when you’re waist deep [in] your emotions, unmotivated, and suddenly those big bad dreams of “conquering the world” quietly vanishes into thin air? Yeah, yesterday was kind of one of those days for me. And for a second I was slightly ( or maybe wholeheartedly) considering giving up on myself (So much for hashtag beast mode ?)
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But even though I so desperately wanted to give in to my thoughts, God placed awesome women in my life to remind me a thing or two ( or five) about self love. So yes I was having a bad day, but that’s just what it was .. a bad day. And those tiny moments ( and or seasons) of rocky roads, not knowing what to do, or imperfections are simply a part of this beautiful thing called life. —
Truth is, none of us are exempt from life’s lemons ( for the lack of a better term). But I think we all determine how we choose to allow those moments to define our story.
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So no matter how crazy things get, or what life throws at you, we have to constantly remind ourselves that we’re worthy, but more importantly we’re whole. We’re healthy (side eye), and in this very moment, we are here. And that in itself is enough reason to smile. 〰
Note to self:
Fail Fast. —For the longest time I didn’t really get this. But then I realized i didn’t “get it” because I wasn’t taking any REAL risks. I was too busy obsessing over details and coming up with ‘worst case scenarios’ before I even gave *insert project here* a chance. —
So my “I’ll release it tomorrow” turned into next month, which turned into a year, and then 2 years go by and before you know you’re looking at your life like …..wait, we’re in 2018? ( literally me every time I look at a post sitting in my drafts since 2015 ??♀️). But in the last few days I literally watched my sister launch her clothing brand, complete a shoot, set up a site, get frustrated, figure it out, quit, then figure it out again and keep going all in the span of what, a week? Lol I on the other hand would have designed an entire blueprint from a-z before I even thought of started a single thing ( fear of failure on steroids ?). —
Bottom line, just DO IT, whatever “it” is. That blog, podcast, e-course (me), design studio, anything. If it works great! If it fails, still great, because now you know what ‘not’ to do. So before fear convinces you to put off yet another project, just remind yourself that heads you win, and tails you learn (which is still a win if you ask me).
What does wellness and self-care mean to you? Do you think it’s important ? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts in the comments
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