Happiness to me has always felt like a fleeting idea; something I could only fantasize about or see in the movies. Since my childhood was filled with constant hardship, I naturally grew up wondering how or why I was faced with such difficulties compared to the kids around me.
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These questions burned within me for such a long time that it took years of battling with the world and everything going on from within me to realize the bigger picture of it all. Through such conflicts, I realized from a very dark place inside of me that love was always the missing piece.
I may not know you personally, but I do know that you want happiness and if you're like me, you refuse to believe that a life of hardship is all this world has to offer you. After all, if life was nothing but pain and cruelty, it would sound more like a prison and what would the purpose of life be if that were the case?
Well, thankfully, life isn't a prison, and over the years I've come to see life as a game of chess. When you play chess, the objective is to complete the game through a series of strategic strategies, by capturing your opponents pieces so that you'll eventually take over the king and queen and win.
The thing is, with chess there are at least thousands of different moves one can use so your ways of winning are numerous; just like life itself. Depending on your desires, actions, and responses to the world around you, your life will give you the many different outcomes. It's important to remember that the next time you feel stuck - you are in control and you do have options.
To play chess you have to maintain your composure to think clearly if you want to win - just as you would in life if you were to be faced with challenges that you want to overcome. The best way to get through anything I've learned, is through love. It is the foundation to everything.
Loving myself helped comfort me when I was in foster care and I felt alone and abandoned. Loving myself helped me leave toxic relationships and pushed me to believe in myself when no one around me did. When my mom passed away unexpectedly, loving myself helped me take baby steps towards healing so I could live again.
The lack of love has been the root to all of the pain in my life and I guarantee that if you were to look deep within your own life, you would find a missing piece that needs a bit of love and attention too.
When your thoughts, emotions, and actions are all in sync and funded with love, naturally your life will become brighter and clearer. You can't control what life gives you, but you can control how you respond and since life is like a game of chess (not a box of chocolates!) - you have thousands of different ways to succeed.
If you wanted to pursue a dream that you have had on your mind for a while now, you can make it happen if you feed your dream with love - everything else will come naturally and on it's own. If you find yourself stuck and in a rut, giving yourself love will help you get through the hardship and make you stronger.
This is why I firmly believe that the world is made up of love - the very thing that we as a universe struggle to get on the same page about. When you look at the world as a whole, you will see communities torn apart by division or you will see countries fighting one another due to not having compassion for themselves or the people.
When a child is born, they're born into this world completely dependent on their parents for everything, including love. But a love from a child's parents cannot be replaced which is why a child's upbringing and happiness can be determined by the amount of love and support it receives from it's parents. Love, as we see, is shown to be the foundation to everything - the answer to happiness.
When you take the time to focus on any goal you have or to improve your life, you do so because you love yourself enough to give back to yourself. When I struggled with losing weight, and I have majority of my life, it was because I didn't love myself enough to focus on eating better and exercising my body. I didn't love myself and it reflected physically in my life.
Just as a child depends on it's parent's for love and care because it is small and vulnerable, as we grow older and become more involved in life, the inner child in us all depends on us for the same care our parents gave to us. In every aspect of our lives we have to give back to the child within us so that we thrive and see what we are truly capable of.
We as human beings are curious by nature and when you get rid of the complexities and negativity of it all, it truly boils down to us and how much love we give to our own self-development. It's only then that we will see how beautiful life really is.
Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
I've opened up about my long term relationship with my own Prince charming, Dimitar, and over the years I've learned so much about what makes us strong that has made me redefine what love is to me. In the beginning, I didn't believe that we would make it because both of us have such strong personalities that we had no idea how to work with one another. But, with love for one another and dedication, we really overcame all of the obstacles that came our way.
This year will be my ninth anniversary with Dimitar and it feels so surreal to say this to myself; it truly feels like it was just yesterday where we were going on our first date to the movies together to watch Gravity with Sandra Bullock in it. We connected so easily with one another and made each other laugh so effortlessly, something I cherish even to this day. How time can feel so close yet so far away is only part of my amazement when it comes to long-term relationships.
I'm not a love guru or anything like that, but I have learned from the chaos around me what love should and shouldn't be. Using what I've learned and meshing it into my own intimate relationship, it has helped me build a solid foundation for myself that I hope can help others. After all, we all deserve to have a deep connection not only with ourselves, but with someone we truly love and want to spend our lives with.
TIPS FOR LONG HAPPY RELATIONSHIPS
1. FRIENDSHIP FIRST
I know it's not possible for everyone to start out as friends at first but the concept alone is what matters. Dimitar and I jumped into our relationship pretty fast and even though we had a deep connection, it still was a jump. It took us time to build up the necessary blocks that would help us grow and understand one another better and since we both were determined to make our relationship work - we both made an effort.
In time, we focused more on bonding first as friends - which may sound weird - but it really took the pressure off of us and helped us build trust between each other which is so important in every relationship, intimate or not. We had more fun this way thinking of ourselves as friends first and before we knew it, the obstacles slowly drifted away and made room for experiences that mattered. As a result, our love for each other grew.
2. BE EMOTIONAL MATURE
Both Dimitar and I were emotionally immature when we started dating. When it was good, it felt amazing. When it was bad, we both never wanted to be wrong. We didn't back down in arguments because both of our egos were at the forefront of our actions. It wasn't healthy and while we were young, 19 to be exact, it still wasn't good for our relationship. When I realized that you can't put a fire out with fire, I decided to work on being more emotionally mature which also helped Dimitar do the same.
I've talked before on this blog about how our emotions, if left to explode, will always get the best of us. Emotions can be a great way for us to express ourselves but only if done in a healthy manner. Too much of anything is bad for anyone and the same can be said about our emotions. If you let your emotions get the best of you and those around you, it's only bound to bring your relationships down, including the one you have with yourself. By practicing emotional maturity, you give your relationships a chance to exist in your world, and a chance for you to exist in theirs.
3. LISTEN & COMMUNICATE
I can still remember how drastic my relationship improved when I started to listen more and communicate regularly. Rather than trying to always be right, I learned to listen more because in all arguments - there are two people with different sides. So it's only fair that you give each person a chance to be heard by listening to them. Also, with listening, you also want to communicate your feelings in a none accusing way. When I started expressing my feelings more often with my partner in a calm manner, he became more aware of how I truly felt and was more receptive to me which created an open space for understanding.
9 times out of 10, listening and communicating effectively has not only helped Dimitar and I have less arguments, but if we do, they really fizz down in a matter of minutes. Yes, we are still human and occasionally we do bicker - but now that we know how to handle ourselves when it comes to disagreements, we spend more time just enjoying each others company. By learning to listen and openly communicate your feelings with your partner, you will find it easier for them to understand you and vice versa.
4. BE ENGAGED & INVOLVED
They say when you and your partner become a long term relationship - anything over five years - that there is a comfort phase everyone goes through. A phase where doing the same thing over and over can put a potential strain on a relationship's youth and this is actually true! Dimitar and I experienced this phase when money became tight for us and we found ourselves saving up and going out less. Naturally, it brought us down and while at first we weren't really aware of the effects of doing the same thing every day were - but we did realize that we had developed a comfort zone.
If you find you and your partner in a funk from being in a comfort zone, take initiative to plan different activities regularly. When you actively engage in youthful activities like going out with your partner and trying new activities, it can easily and quickly make any couple bond and feel more renewed. So never get too stuck in the comfort zone and always spice your activities up. This will also incentivize your partner to do the same.
5. PLAY & LAUGH OFTEN
Dimitar and I always make time to play and laugh. I don't spend a lot of time on social media, but when I do, I love collecting funny videos or funny memes just to show Dimitar and he also does the same with me. At the end of the day when we're together, we then go over all of them and we both have a great laugh and it's such a great way to end the day. We also make time to play together too, whether it's through cuddling or actually playing video games, we love playing and joking with one another because it just makes us feel so good. Since we're both quite silly in general, us being more playful with one another really brings out the best in us and our relationship.
I highly recommend couples of all lengths to be playful with one another. Play more videos games together or board games, watch more comical movies or tv series, joke around and be more child like with one another. I find that's it's quite common for life to take a toll on intimate relationships that we often overlook the importance of playing and laughing, but please don't!
6. CHECK UP ON EACH OTHER
You may think it comes easily in a relationship to ask how the other is doing, but it's fairly common not to! Both Dimitar and I are two highly independent people who often keep our emotions to ourselves. We learned the hard way that just by checking up on each other and asking the other how they are, really makes us both feel secure in the relationship. Life happens and sometimes it really takes a toll on us, so just being mindful to what happens in our partners life as well as our own, can help us be more caring for our partner when they need support the most.
Sending a daily text, giving a hug or kiss, asking them how they are or how they have been feeling, can really help our partner decompress if life is wearing them down. As long-term partners, it's so important for us to be there for our partner because that's love after all; it's a bond that is promised through the good times and hard times.
7. MAKE GOALS TOGETHER
If you and your partner make time to regularly talk to one another, it will be common for goals or wishes to pop up that will really bring your relationship together. I find that making goals together in a long term relationship not only gives a relationship a solid foundation as it reminds each person that both people are committed to the future, but also, it gives the relationship a chance to build onto the relationship and create more memories within it.
Dimitar and I often talk about our goals together and one that sticks out is our goal to get an apartment together. We talked about it so much and how great having our own privacy and life together was going to be, that when it actually happened - it really brought us closer together. Make goals together with your partner and you will be pleasantly surprised how it challenges your relationship; in a good way!
If you have any tips for long term relationships for others to learn from, leave your comments down below!
Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
I'm back! After doing a water fast for so long, I needed to take some time away to get my energy back to normal. I spent a lot of time thinking during my fast and recovery that I realized how important visualizing is for our own success. In everything we do, our own ability to picture an outcome comes first. Have you ever thought about it?
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If you're accustomed to the Law of Attraction, you understand the concept of how like attracts like and how the same goes with negativity. We're all energetic magnets surrounded by balls of experiences that really test our skills and wisdom throughout life. The key to all of this that makes everything more interesting, is not just how we manage our thoughts, but how we use our own imagination.
What I mean is, you know how you'll sometimes find yourself daydreaming about those lucky lottery numbers or that dream vacation? If you turn your daydreaming up a notch and use it to help you achieve your goals, you're actually likely to speed up your manifesting. I'll use me as an example.
My goal this year is to grow my YouTube channel and my Blog. Part of the Law of Attraction is that in order to get what you want, you have to live your life like you already have what you want. So, if I wanted my YouTube channel and Blog to grow, I would need to carry myself mentally and emotionally as if both my YouTube channel and blog were fruitful. It would also mean taking small steps to help me get to where I want to be like making more videos and articles.
If that's too hard to do, try spending 5-10 minutes everyday just sitting quietly - preferably listening to binaural frequencies - and imagining what your life will be like if your deepest desires came true right now. What feelings would you feel? What would you do during your daily life? How would you change? What would you buy to splurge on? What kind of people would you surround yourself with? What exactly would improve in your life? When you take the time to visualize yourself achieving your deepest desires, you're giving yourself permission to commit to your dreams to the point where you imagine a life with them already manifested.
I would say write down your goals, but I don't find that this really immerses you into the visualizing aspect. Sometimes by letting our minds go and do it's own thing, we discover that there's more to us than what can be applied to paper. Now, I'm not saying that writing goals or dreams down is pointless - because it's far from that - but visualizing changes everything. Writing is a way to solidify or identify a goal while visualizing gives us a chance to live what's yet to manifest.
Ever heard the saying, fake it until you make it? This expression couldn't be more valid when it comes to visualizing to achieve our goals. So many successful and famous people have opened up about the powers of visualizing. When you're deep in hardship, it can be hard to see beyond it, but even then visualizing instills hope and pushes us towards a destination we know we'll thrive better in.
One of my favorite books is by Viktor Frankl called Man Searching For Meaning, and in this book he opens up about how he survived being in a Nazi concentration camp by visualizing a future that he could look forward to. To this day, this book always gives me hope and reminds me how beneficial it is to visualize a better life for ourselves and how far it can actually take us.
Whether you need a boost of abundance in your life or you want to turn your life around completely, I highly recommend practicing visualizing on a daily basis. I have recently started getting back into it and within a month, I have had more opportunities come my way in such a short amount of time.
Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
If you've been following this blog since it first started last year, you have had the chance to get to know a bit about me and my life growing up. My childhood was chaotic and I experienced a great deal of stress; stress that no child should have to go through. As I've had the chance to grow up, heal, and mature, I've learned how to make a place of my own in a chaotic world. If you're just like me looking for your place, I want to reassure you that there is one.
I wish I could say that finding your place in a world full of constant upheaval is easy, but the truth is that you should prepare yourself for a lot of resistance - a lot. In life, there are so many distractions that just when you think you're on the right path, at some point you realize you're going the wrong way. Either you're working a job you said you'd never work at, your mental or physical health take a turn, or you completely push aside your goals to meet the needs of others. This has happened to be and I'm sure it has happened to you as well.
Even with all of these twist and turns though, you can still turn your life around and make it more personalize; more finely tuned to meet your needs when it feels like the world keeps pushing you around. How you may ask? By dedicating yourself to yourself so you can discover your goals and passions. It's as simple as that, but requires thinking outside of the box. So in todays post, I want to help you sift through all the chaos so that you can have a life that fits your needs and helps you get closer to yourself.
1) STOP WATCHING THE NEWS
As a child, I remember seeing my dad watch the news and he'd get all fired up. Because of his reactions, I associated the news with being bad and never cared for it when I became older. To this day I still avoid the news. Since I am a firm believer of The Law of Attraction, I know how important it is to be mindful of where my attention goes and the energy that goes with it.
It takes only an hour or two of watching the news to realize how low energy the information on the news is. If you watch it long enough, you'll see how your mood is then effected. The information is often so depressing that it can lead anyone into thinking that the world is a cruel place which will make anyone feel hopeless and uninspired. Do yourself a favor and give up watching the news and see how much more time you have to focus on yourself and you're mental well-being.
2) DEFINE YOUR DISTRACTIONS
Watching the news isn't the only distraction worth letting go of. There are other distractions out there and one may just be near you at this very moment; your phone. With technology being so advance now, we now have portable little computers that we can take with us wherever we go which offers convenience at it's finest. At it's worst though, it can suck up your time if you aren't careful.
Social media is great because it allows us to connect with others around the world. Unfortunately, majority of us who use social media do not have a healthy relationship with it and become either obsessed with it or allow it to consume our free time. The next time you have time for yourself, turn your phone off so you can focus better on your goals. There are many kinds of distractions that prevent us from working at our best - and you must be honest enough to define them - so adjust according to your own routine.
3) DEFINE YOUR PASSIONS
Once the distractions are out the window and you've "mastered" the art of discipline, it's time to find your passions. As I written in my post about following your passions, finding your passions may require work and digging into your own self, but it will be the best reward that you will ever get out of life. You see, you're not just finding your passions or a hobby that allows you to express yourself and makes you happy. No. You're connecting to yourself and building a place for you in this world.
The moment you discover what you enjoy doing the most in your free time, nothing else in the world matters - not even the pesky distractions! Why? A satisfied heart stops looking outside of itself when it reunites with it's missing half; your passions. So whether it takes you a few days, months, or even years - finding and sticking to your passions will help you build a world that you can call your own. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty awesome.
"A satisfied heart stops looking outside of itself when it reunites with it's missing half; your passions." - Sarah Lucas
4) CONSISTENCY IS KEY
After you discover what fuels your heart, time stops and you realize how much more interesting life has becomes. But, the work doesn't stop there; in fact, it's just beginning. The more time you invest in your passions, the more it will grow obviously, but I've seen it happen many times where people stop along the way because they only see their passions as a hobby. Why not make it a career or a business even?
Growing our passions is bound to reward us at some point so it's important to keep at it. Along the way you'll discover new ideas and opportunities that may just be life changing for you. By focusing on your craft and then growing it until it rewards you in return, is exactly what life is about. You can't get these kind of rewards by living a life in other's shadow or by watching TV or by obsessing over social media. You just cant.
5) CONNECT WITH OTHERS
With a growing passion and a new love for life, I highly recommend connecting with others who enjoy the same passions as you do. Whether it's in your community or hosting local events around your passions, or online even, connecting with people is a great way to remind you of why you love what you do.
This method is far better than social media as it puts you out into the world and reminds you of what life really has to offer you if you only invest in yourself. Yes, social media is great for marketing and if you can use it solely for that purpose - great - because that's exactly what I do.
It's through this intimate connection with people that solidifies your place in this world and your passions is simply the cherry on top. So for as long as you're committed your passions, you will forever have an inner peace that follows you wherever you go and no global chaos can take that away.
6) STAY CURIOUS
Last but not least, one passion alone shouldn't take up all of your focus. Explore what the world has to offer you and definitely explore your talents. A curious person who is willing to try it all just for the sake of trying is one who is interested in learning more about themselves. I myself have many interests and passions. I love art but I also love vlogging and blogging. Someday I hope to even take singing lessons and learn an instrument or two.
When you follow where your curiosity takes you, you're basically being a kid again who isn't afraid of falling after climbing a tree. You know that saying about how curiosity killed the cat - throw that out the window. Human beings have thrived off of adventure and being curious has lead to many great inventions today. So stay curious, keep learning, and remember...keep those distractions at bay!
Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
Finding inspiration as an Artist isn't as easy as some Artist may lead you to believe. I know when I first dived into the arts back in 2015, I often found myself sitting in front of a white paper clueless of what to draw - it was so frustrating. Whether you're a beginner Artist or an experienced one, maintaining your inspiration will make your hobbies so much more enjoyable. The trick is the maintaining part. If you want to become a better Artist who has an endless amount of inspiration to dip into, keep reading.
First things first, what does it mean to be inspired? To be inspired by someone or something, means to be urged to do something creative, or to simply take action on a worth while endeavor. Have you ever watched an action movie and walked away feeling like you were part of the story? Or have you ever read a book like the Harry Potter collection and felt yourself drawn to the wizard world all of a sudden? To be inspired means that we are connecting to the world around us. When the connection is so deep, it pushes us to make a path of our own.
While inspiration is the root of everyone's happiness, todays post focuses on how Artist can harness inspiration without going crazy. It's actually a lot easier than you think.
Watch movies
1. WATCH MOVIES
The best way to get your creative juices flowing is by watching movies. It can either be movies you've already watched, or movies that have just come out. Go where your curiosity takes you. I'm sure there have been plenty of times where you have watched a movie that left you feeling on top of the world or ready to take it on. Movies like Harry Potter always inspire me to draw witches and wizards and they are a great example of the powerful effects movies have on us.
Play video games
2. VIDEO GAMES
Some of my best inspired pieces came from video games. One of my favorite video games is The Last of Us and this game inspired me so much that I naturally was drawn to drawing the main character, "Ellie." If you play video games, you can easily be inspired to be creative just by you love for the game itself. You could drawn one of the characters, an object part of the video game, or draw something completely different that was inspired by the game itself. I love seeing where my imagination takes me and it shouldn't take you too long before you see results yourself.
Memories
3. MEMORIES
There are certain memories I have that have really influenced me to be an Artist. Memories like drawing on the walls of my room as a child while devouring Reese cups, or going through my punk phase as a teen and drawing all over my walls - again - or drawing all over my school agenda book with sharpies and having other kids ask me to decorate theirs too. If you have certain memories that you find yourself thinking about often - or photos that you love - bringing them to life through your own creativity could help you connect with yourself on a much deeper level.
Travel
4. TRAVEL
Traveling is perfect for getting fresh new ideas - that is if you have the time for it. Traveling awakens the explorer in all of us and helps us develop a better understanding of our own environment. As a Artist, studying ones environment is great practice and beneficial to all Artists. Whether you travel out of state, out of country, or just to your backyard, going somewhere new can give your imagination the time of it's life.
Pinterest
5. PINTEREST
The one thing that pushed me to start my YouTube channel is a mandala that I saw on Pinterest. I was so inspired by it that two things happened; I told myself I couldn't draw such a beautiful art piece, and two, I needed to start a YouTube channel. Looking back, as negative and random those thoughts were, I'm so grateful for them and it all happened because I saw an art piece that really inspired me. Pinterest is great for finding inspiration because lets face it - sometimes discovering others talents is all we need to get our creative juices flowing. Also, sometimes we don't know what we need in our lives until it's there in our faces.
And that's it! What are some ways that keep you inspired as an Artist?
Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
We all have moments in our life when we feel like the world is weighing us down. I've been there plenty of times and I'm sure you can say the same. Somedays I feel like I am on top of the world and nothing can touch me, but then the next, I feel as if I am being consumed by all of the negativity around me. The good news though is that with a bit of a push and the right mindset, anyone can get themselves out of a funky mood and it's worth trying too because...life is pretty long.
As I've mentioned before in some of my recent posts, human beings are creatures of habit. It's not just our environment that controls whether or not we're going to have a good day or a bad one, but our very own habits. What do you do when you're feeling that bad mood tug at your skin? Do you take time to figure out why or do you isolate yourself and ignore it as much as you can? Do take time out of your day to have yourself a "me" day or do you jam pack your schedule?
I'm a big advocate of mental health. Not only do I believe that we are creatures of habit, but we are also thinking creatures and our mind's health go hand-in-hand with our feelings. When a person is entirely balanced, everything about them is balanced out; mentally, physically, and spiritually. I read this once before in a book that I highly believe everyone should read. When a person is not balanced, it shows in their relationships, their overall health, and their attitude. So you see, this is why self-development is so important; you're not just working on yourself, but your're also working to improving the world you live in.
With all of that said though, we can now move on to today's' post which is how to get out of a funky mood. It's a general list, but it should offer you somewhere to start if you're really in need of a boost.
Journaling
1. Journaling
I love journaling. It's a great way to organize my thoughts and have a place where I can be myself without judgement from the outside world. We all need time to process how we're feeling and journaling can offer us so much tension relief. It allows us to express ourselves when we aren't able to or it can remind us to tackle issues that we're not willing to face. When you take time to journal your thoughts and feelings, it's you confiding in yourself. By going within, you can help ease the constant chatter inside of your mind and reduce your stress levels.
I always make it a habit to journal every few weeks. Sometimes if something crazy has happened or I'm simply just extra stressed - I'll journal more often. I like to journal because as time goes on, I can go back and read my entries and see if I've made any improvements. Sometimes just reading the hardships we have overcome in the past can really give us the strength we need in our every day lives.
Spend Time With Loved Ones
2. Spend Time With Loved Ones
Sometimes all we need is some extra company at the end of the day to remind us of how important we are. Not only can we be our own worst critic, but being in a world full of strangers is equally exhausting! To make up for this, make time to spend time with your loved ones. It can be your partner, your friends, your family, or even your pets. Energy is contagious and just by being around others who love and support us can reverse our funky feelings.
Having someone you trust by your side or a special companion like your pets can make us feel less alone. Stress is often an accumulation of worry that we bottle up for no good reason - and trust me, the last thing you should do is bottle up your emotions! By having someone we trust by our side that we can confide in, it will help us better manage our emotions and give us an outsiders perspective. By removing ourselves from being our own worst critic, we allow others who love us to support us instead.
Be In Nature
3. Be In Nature
Have you ever felt like your problems were closing in on you and you had nowhere to go? This leads me to my next suggestion; going out in nature. As scary as the world may be, nature is the best medicine for our stress. It helps give us perspective and reminds us to slow down. Even in Nature, life and death never stop which give balance to the nature that we see all around us; growing and thriving. Just like going within helps us understand ourselves better, nature helps us open up and free ourselves from our own restrictions.
Spending time in nature has always helped me see beyond my worries. I am the kind of person who enjoys a change of scenery and since I work at my desk a lot, simply going outside for a fifteen minute walk is enough to soothe my soul. They say stagnate energy - energy that doesn't move - is stale energy. By constantly moving around, we give our own energy a chance to renew itself and what better way to do this than being in nature? There are plenty of activities we can do in nature anyways so you really have no excuse.
Listen To Good Music
4. Listening To Good Music
Have you ever met a person who didn't like music? Exactly. Music truly has an amazing ability to connect with us on a much deeper lever. Sad music can bring us down, angry music can leave us anxious, while upbeat music can make us want to dance. Have you ever heard of the water experiment done while playing different music? The experiment was conducted by Dr. Masaru Emoto to monitor if water had consciousness and he discovered that different music vibrating at different frequency were in fact capable of changing the shape of water molecules. It's a study that really impacted my life because it made me realize how influential human beings really are since majority of us are made out of water.
So, the next time you listen to music, make sure it's music that will really lift your spirits. I stay away from music with vocals in it because I personally find them distracting - plus, I generally don't like what majority of artists talk about in their music today as it's too superficial. Instead, I listen to a lot of Chill Hop music, classical music, and oldies but goodies. I also listen to binaural beats on a weekly basis to help reset my energy.
Reading
5. Reading
There is a reason why reading is so popular. Just like music - which stimulates our auditory senses - reading allows us to dip into our imagination. A healthy imagination can help you live your life more creatively, it encourages you to be more curious, and it helps you process goals or make new ones. Books have the ability to help us understand the world around us by tapping into our senses to create a story we can connect to. For anyone who lives a hectic life, making sense of the world or immersing ourselves into a different world completely is exactly what our soul needs to feel at ease.
I personally like reading self-help books because not only am I working on myself but at the same time, I am also taking my mind off of my own troubles. I am being proactive despite my own emotions. If you enjoy reading novels, pick a book that will speak to your inner well-being and leave you feeling inspired. Fantasy books like Harry Potter are a great example of what books are capable of accomplishing when the story line engages ones imagination.
Play More Often
6. Play More Often
Whenever I am having a funky day, I put anything work related to the side and play video games. It's either that or I just watch Spongebob Squarepants. If you're in a funky mood that just wont go away, it could be a sign from your inner child that you need a chill day to yourself. Play your favorite video games, watch your favorite TV show or movie that makes you feel like a child again, or go to the park and hang out on the monkey bars. Just because we're adults doesn't mean that we can't have fun - it just means we have to make time to having more of it.
As soon as we grow up, we're taught that we have to work to succeed. This is true but not completely. Regardless of how old we are, having fun never goes away. It doesn't stop just because we're no longer a child. Everyone has a child within them that just wants to laugh and play. So make time to play more often. Be spontaneous, be reckless, binge watch your favs - embrace your inner child and watch how good you will start to feel! It's only a matter of time before you start feeling like the world is your playground.
Sleep
7. Sleep
Many of us aren't getting enough sleep - I know I'm not. I usually get about six hours of sleep daily; Sunday being the only day where I sleep in since that's when Dimitar has a free day too. When you're in charge of your own success, you have to hold yourself accountable but that often means long nights and early mornings. If you're feeling funky and you're yawning more than usual, don't fight it. Take a nap or even sleep the entire day if you want - listen to your body.
Our bodies go through a lot for us, especially our brains, so it's important to relax them regularly. Even if you don't need sleep, you can still find ways to relax more like taking a long bath, getting a massage, visiting a sauna, or drinking good quality tea. Majority of the time though, all we need is a bit of sleep so find yourself a nice comfortable spot inside of your home and let yourself drift away.
Travel
8. Travel
If you're able to of course, traveling is the best way to lift ones spirit. If we do the same thing everyday with no breaks in between, getting away may just be what you need. Now, of course you don't have to fly somewhere far away to feel the benefits of traveling, so if leaving your own town even is enough, then do that too. I say traveling though because just as I view nature offering us something bigger than ourselves, traveling can easily go hand-in-hand with that.
When was the last time you felt like a tourist? Go outside of your comfort zone and discover new places and cultures. Be a tourist in a completely new area so that all you have to rely on are the local's help and a map. Traveling opens our mind to bigger possibilities and empowers us. Knowing that there is a much bigger world than the comfort of our own city can really free us from our funky feelings and busy schedules. Every time I have asked elders for their advice on living a happy life, I'm always told the same thing; travel while you can.
Baking
9. Baking
I love baking because it stimulates our senses - along with everything else on this list too. If you're noticing the patterns with me, I've come to realize that maybe the reason why we fall into funky moods is because we aren't stimulating our senses enough. What better way to do this than to bake something special? If you're not into baking, you can also cook, but just the activity alone of turning raw ingredients into a final edible product will make you feel pretty accomplished. Plus, it'll make your room smell pretty good too.
My to go to dessert to bake are cookies or cupcakes. I love the smell of fresh chocolate chip cookies and I love how cute cupcakes look with icing and sprinkles on top of them. It's a small treat to myself that I like to indulge in every now and then. The truth is though, anyone can go to the store and buy their baked goods, but how many will actually bake it themselves? It's all about the experience in my opinion so treat yourself to a homemade goodie and see how fun and tastier it can really be.
Try A New Hobby
10. Try A New Hobby
Seven years ago, I was a working slave. I worked over 50 hours a week and I wasn't happy - go figure. It took falling into a depression and gaining weight to help me rediscover my passion for art and since then, I haven't looked back. My passion for art has also helped me discover my passion for creating videos on YouTube and my life has improved so much since taking such a big leap of faith.
As a creator myself, I always try to encourage people to tune more into their own hobbies; after all, you'd be surprised what human beings are capable of creating. When we find a piece of ourselves that we want to dedicate our time to, our world becomes more authentic to how we see ourselves. Many of us are not living a life of our passions, but a life pushed onto us. So spend some time figuring out what your passions are and make a hobby out of it - you are worth investing into, so give it a try.
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There you go! If this list doesn't help cheer you up, always remember this:
"We cannot control what life throws at us, but we can control our attitude towards it. " - Sarita's Life
Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
As a YouTuber myself who has received collaboration offers from brands, I know how exciting it can be when you're first approached. To think that a company wants to send you free products in exchange for a review - who could pass on that? Well...you'd be surprised. As tempting as it may be to accept every offer that comes your way, you need to do so with your best interests in mind.
When a brand reaches out to you asking for a collaboration, this is what that email will typically look like:
"Hi Sarah! My name is (blank) and I am the Marketing Director for (Companies Name w/links). We love your work and think you're a great fit for our brand. We would love to collaborate with you by sending you (products name) in exchange for a review for your audience. This product has a value of (product's price) and we believe you and your audience will love it. We look forward to your response!"
Now, before we jump into analyzing this email, it's important to know one thing. When I first started accepting free products in exchange for reviews on my YouTube channel, I did so because I knew I needed the credibility. I wanted to give the company the confidence they needed to know that I was able to follow through on my end and at the same time, build up my collaboration portfolio. Depending on your situation, you may or may not be in the same boat.
I personally think if you have no experience with collaborating with brands, it's worth getting the free products at first. After you have a few collaborations in your portfolio, you can then start charging companies. I say all of this now because many influencers are afraid to put a price on their time because they think working with big brands is enough - sorry to break it to ya', but enough doesn't pay the bills!
Now, another thing I want to say before we dive deeper into this, is that if you don't have a Media Kit - you need one ASAP! Media Kits are like resumes in the Influencer world that will give potential brands a better understanding of your style, your audience and your rates. I created a Media Kit using Canva - which is free - and every six months I make changes to it if needed. If you want to take your business as an Influencer seriously and get the best sponsorships, you need a Media Kit.
Now that this has all been establish - lets go back to that email and dissect it to see if it's worth our time.
1. DOES THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU?
You would think that it's basic courtesy for a business email to address you, right? Well, it's not. I've received so many collaboration emails where whoever was writing to me, didn't even take the time to type my name in. RED FLAG. If a company doesn't take the time to address you by your name - which if they found your email, they surely came across it - I would move on to the next.
Remember, as an Influencer, your job is to create content and it's important that companies treat you as a professional. After all, this is a Business Proposal we're talking about! Raise the bar high from the very start so that companies do not take advantage of you.
2. HAVE THEY RESEARCHED YOU?
For a company to want to work with you - it's 100% considered an investment. They are using their own resources and time for you to market their product with their goals being either more exposure or sales. The same can be said on the flip side; if you're marketing for a company, you're investing your time away from your regular content so that you can market their brand to your audience - an audience they currently don't have.
For a company to want to work with you, it's only necessary that they research you - after all, you wouldn't buy a car if you didn't have it thoroughly inspected, would you? Exactly. If you received an email from a company and they don't even mention any of your social media handles or your work even - odds are this company is simply looking for a quick collaboration, or they're spam.
3. IS THE PRODUCT RELEVANT?
I think as an Influencer, trying a range of products is great - but only if it's relevant to your content and/or if you're genuinely passionate about the product itself. You don't want to be that Influencer who makes content on Beauty hacks but you're promoting a Home Improvement brand.
It's not exactly bad if you can present in a way that isn't too commercial like, but it won't look great. Just because a company is offering you a free product and great money with it doesn't mean you have to accept it. Doing so could lead to your audience losing trust in you and you losing your credibility as an Influencer.
4. DO THEY MENTION A BUDGET?
A budget is a companies ability to financially compensate you for the work you do for them. If anywhere in the email budget is not mentioned; bring it up. Influencers should never shy away from the money talk because this is business after all. Remember, you're a professional with a business to maintain so compensation needs to be discussed. Something like this will work nicely:
"Hello (blank), thank you so much for reaching out to me with this lovely opportunity! Is there a budget for a project like this? I am currently only providing my services for paid collaborations only."
While you're at it, throw in your Media Kit too and briefly explain what they can expect by working with you:
"Hello (blank), thank you so much for reaching out to me with this lovely opportunity! Is there a budget for a project like this? I am currently only providing my services for paid collaborations only. I offer a range of services including (list your services) that your company can choose from to fit your needs. I have also attached my Media Kit to this email where you will find more information on my brand, my channel analytics, collaboration history, and my rates/packages. I look forward to your response and thank you again for reaching out to me!"
Keep it simple but straight to the point. By mentioning a budget first hand, you sift out the proposals that don't fit. If a company has a budget, all you have to do is negotiate with them. If all goes well, both parties should sign a contract (yes, as an Influencer, you need your own contract!) that finalizes the agreement. Now there are tons of resources out there that help you determine what you should set your prices at, but my favorite is a post from Tinuiti.
If they agree to your asking price - wonderful! You're on your way to a great collaboration that works for both parties. However, be prepared for a lot of companies that will try to low-ball you. I was appalled when a company told me flat out that they didn't think I was worth my asking price - um, EXCUSE ME? Yes, you guessed it - NEXT.
Don't let big companies fool you into thinking that they can't pay you - they have employees of their own, all of who perform work and get paid at the end of the day. So, why should you be viewed as being any different when you're marketing them? The only time I accepted an offer that couldn't pay me was when it was for a product that I genuinely wanted and I was excited just to have it.
5. DON'T BE PRESSURED
Do not be pressured into doing anything that makes you cringe on first impressions. A business proposal should feel exciting, professional, and worth while. If at first you're given bad vibes or the company shows signs that you're just another Influencer to mooch off of, don't accept it.
Remember, you're the one with the audience that they want to be put in front of. They're asking you because they want something from you. You've already proven that you have what it takes to be successful and your hand-crafted platform can back you up on this.
Think about it this way. Lets say you were to accept a business proposal where the company refused to pay you what you wanted. Here is everything you would most likely end up doing for them, while you walk away tired and unappreciated:
Spend hours researching their brand and products
Spend hours if not days recording content - using your own equipment
Spend hours taking social media pictures - using your own equipment
Spend hours or days editing your videos and picking music that you will most likely need to buy
Spend hours typing up a blog post that has back-links, personalized photos, and embedded videos
Spend days away from uploading content you normally upload
Spend hours sifting through the right photos and editing them for social media
Spend hours cross promoting any videos or pictures for your post
Spend hours traveling if traveling is required
Holding off on other paid collaborations as you dedicate your time on one campaign that isn't paying you what you want
Now lets take a look at everything they they will get just by you working for them either for free or at a pay you're unhappy with:
Personalized social media posts from you, a developed Influencer
Tags that increase their ranking on social media from you, a developed Influencer
Personalized videos that will lead to potential sales and brand recognition
Content that will be available to the public until you close your social media accounts - giving them years of exposure as you continue to grow as an Influencer
Well written blog posts that will drive up their google rankings
Exposure to your audience - an accomplishment that took you years to achieve and they got in just a few days.
Free or discounted services - as if in the real world you could ask a Dentist for a free cleaning or for a discount in exchange for exposure.
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So you see - it's not worth it to accept a low-ball offer. You're making your life unnecessarily harder when you can focus on opportunities that will compensate you and leave you feeling appreciated for all of the hard work you do to maintain your reputation. If you think my reasons for emphasizing getting paid for your work stops there - think again.
Here are some common excuses companies will use to convince you into accepting less than you're worth:
"You're not big enough...your views are low...we're offering you exposure...you can join our affiliate program...if all goes well, we'll pay you for future campaigns...your prices are too high...we can pay you but you will need to work more for us...blah, blah, blah."
The first paid collaboration I did went smoothly. They responded to me and liked my idea, then asked me how much I charged. I told them my price and they agreed to it; no excuses, no extra questions or having to go back and forth. Any company that tries to fight how much you should be compensated is a company you will regret working with later on.
If you're a bigger Influencer, you most likely have a Manager who is responsible for handling all of your collaboration offers - but majority of us don't and we're forced to learn on our own. To save yourself so many headaches, do everything proper the first time, and it's only a matter of time before the right opportunities land in your lap. Stay true to yourself though no matter how much a company tries to "buy" you.
Do you have stories to share about your collaborations with brands? What did you do to improve your chances of finding the perfect collab for you?