01/14/2022
This past year has been difficult financially for me. Perhaps switching from a successful career in fashion to taking a leap of faith into fitness just 4 months before Covid took over the world was not the best play.
I went from purchasing a new outfit for every possible event, getting my nails done regularly, Botox, dinners, new workout clothes, you name it ā I bought it.
I didnāt want for much.
I wasnāt aware of how frivolous my spending was because I didnāt need to be. I was comfortable, and I got what I wanted ā when I wanted it.
Fast forward to the last year and things couldnāt have looked more different. I cut out anything I didnāt NEED ā which turns out, is most things.
No more new outfits. No more nails. No more fancy dinner or spa appointments on a whim.
At first, I felt sad. Sad that I wasnāt getting to enjoy all the luxurious experiences that I previously didnāt blink an eye at.
But then things began to change.
I began to realize how unnecessary most of my spending was. I have a closet full of clothes yet would always think I needed something new.
I can make delicious food right here in my home and share it with friends with who I want to connect.
And it turns out ā I can, in fact, live without a fresh paint job on my nails and some tightening of the face.
While the past year has challenged me on many levels, I am grateful for the lessons it taught me as Iām not sure I would have learned these things without the adversity faced.
Life is not made beautiful by things; it is made beautiful by experiences. It is made beautiful by connections, both internal and external.
I spent so much time blindly spending money on things I didnāt need that I didnāt slow down and appreciate all that I do have.
I have a beautiful space to live in. I have incredible people in my life. I have a deep connection with myself. I have mountains in my backyard. I have food on my table. I am healthy. I really do have all that I need.
And so, Iām choosing to be grateful for the difficult year. The adversity it brought, and the lessons it taught me.
And this whole simpler living? I think Iām going to keep it around, regardless of where my finances take me.