It has been quite some time since I sat on my bed on a Saturday night with the motivation and, let alone, physical energy to write a blog post. Perhaps, it has been too long. I can feel it, and I will admit that I have been wrapped up in my daily grind. Shame on me.
Sometimes, life just drags you along, waiting for you to contest it. For me, it’s a cycle. In one moment, I find myself hustling and busting my ass to accomplish a goal, and then, once achieved, there is the celebratory phase. Ideally, the chill phase should come next, right before I start from the top with another goal. It seems that I rarely experience that much needed chill phase.
I never knew what it truly meant to relax. In my mind, I’m on all the time. But, why?
I had to take a step back and examine myself. I created Denim & Lipstick to document and inspire individuality. I wanted to share with my audience bits and pieces of personal experiences that they would find helpful, inspiring, amusing, and empowering. Now, I’m sitting here, writing this, feeling like I have not only failed you guys, but also myself. Sometimes, I go into autopilot and lose sight of the things that matter most to me. Never let this happen to you. Trust me, it sucks, and you’ll feel like a huge douche. Every. Single. Time.
Once upon a time, writing brought me that relaxation, and it still does, just as long as I make time for it. Since landing my career job and maintaining a fun part-time job, I felt forced to let my creative pursuits, including Denim & Lipstick, fade into the background. I felt too damn tired to do anything, except for going out and being social.
Then it hit me: I have been ‘turning up’ for over 10 years now. It’s okay for me to sit down. Even though I am not a homebody or someone’s girlfriend, Netflix and chill can’t be so bad.
Yes, I have Netflix, but I’ve been missing the chill for the past few months. My apartment is amazingly cozy, with an urban hippie vibe. Why would I not hangout here more? To answer my own question, when I get into a routine, I tend to feel the need to be constantly engaged. For me, that engagement can mean, work, going out with friends, or running around town, adulting. For someone who preaches about balance, I’m quite embarrassed by my recent perceived lack of control over my life.
I have 100 percent control over how I manage my time, and that is very easy for me to forget. I have never been fond of routines. Working a lot, during off-hours at that, had never stopped me from doing what I love before. So today, I rediscovered “me-time.”
I went shopping, took a trip to the nail salon, and now, here I am, doing what I love again. We just have to remember that our lives are our own, and we can’t let obligations– professional or social– rule us.
Well, it’s been swell, but it’s Saturday night in L.A., and my phone is blowing up as I type.
Cheers, my friends. Stay dope.
Denim & Lipstick 