Dare Brave, Speak Bold

While I’m sitting here blank infront of the laptop pasting all these pictures on my blog with my hands almost not being able to figure out whether to give life lessons on this “end of the year” blogpost, or to just write valuable fashion tips. Well, as hard as it gets, I really would like to reminisce and contemplate on the occurrences that 2017 has made me experience as I am typing these with my heart poured out.

Most of this may seem intuitive, but life is funny in what it throws at you and how it takes you for abrupt twists and turns. This year brought a few drastic changes and opened my eyes to recognize pretentious figures; who often are not how they seem.  Change is imminent and ever-occurring – most of us can live with that, but when change is metamorphic, it can feel scary and lonely all at the same time. That’s where we start to have problems.
Just typing down a few helping me outlast the wear and tear…

3-6 months will bring you unexpected changes

Just until 4 months of 2017, I never knew or imagined being in the situation  I’m in today. How many of you can say the same? I know I’m being super vague here, even though 3-6 months feel like a small portion of time in the grand scheme of things, but a lot can happen in that little window. Never think that you’re in a situation that cannot be changed – no matter how good or bad it is.

I have planned quite a lot of things to be done in a year, but time often is said to be a bitch and puts you into situations that will break your heart and build you to be a stronger person you never thought you’d become. Planning things beforehand has left me empty in most cases.

Whatever you’re going through will change eventually, just a matter of time. Go with the flow, and always expect the unexpected.

Someone who claims to be a good friend may turn into a snake

First of all, honestly, you don’t need a lot of friends or people in your life – only a few amazing people who are willing to go as far for you as you would for them.Friends can be the best and worst things that will ever happen to you. A true test of friendship comes when life heads south. Find and pick those people carefully. Trust people until they give you good reasons not to – especially amid separation or a break up. It’s often difficult for mutual friends to “pick a side”, but watch those words and actions carefully. It becomes obvious when “neutrality” is really a covert bias. Having said that, recognize the toxic actions that warrant unwinding years of friendship and give people time to show themselves.

And when the snake changes it’s skin, kill it.

Even the best fall down sometime; 

No matter how great someone may be in something and no matter how perfect their life looks, you can’t help bad things to stop happening to good people. Taking good things for-granted may be the silliest thing to do, you never know while life hits you with it’s lessons.

Life is shorter than you think

We all say it but there comes a time, for everyone, when this truth actually sinks in and nestles somewhere in our brains, affecting every single little thing that we do. This happened for me in 2017 and I am so very glad it did. There is no longer anything ‘kept for best’ or ‘saved for a rainy day’. It is all used and enjoyed and appreciated, right here, right now.

Keep your private life private; even if you have to be in denial in public

The crucial lesson I’ve learned the hard way is to keeping private life to yourself and yourself only. No body has to know what’s going on around. And by private I mean, your relationship, future plans, financial abilities and your next move. Even if you have to fake it to others, do that. Be in denial; but never give in. The hard way teaches you the most valuable lessons in life and I finally know the contemplation of the quote,

“Travel and tell no one, live a true love story and tell no one, live happily and tell no one, people ruin beautiful things.”
― Kahlil Gibran

 Nobody really knows or needs to know your story

Nor do you really know or need to know theirs. Don’t judge if you can help it – we are all doing the very best we can and we all have our troubles to face when we turn out the lights at night. If you can start each day seeing everyone without judgement and with fresh eyes, you will make decisions that come from the heart. Learn to spread the light instead of casting shade. Judging others for doing things differently only makes you a terrible human.

 

Do things that helps others; increase your productivity

Even if it is a tiny little thing; all we can possibly spare that day, it matters. Instead of spending unnecessary time and money, utilize it in things that will do greater good. Craft ideas that will help the mass and spend on things that will give you a great outcome. Do charity works and make someone smile.

Be wherever you are; do things that makes you happy

Lastly, I am leaving this year with the realization that life is about so much more than destinations, it is about the journey. The journey is every bit as important as the final goal. Stop and smell the roses along the way. Be where you are, be fully, really-fully, there. Don’t be continuously distracted by the next thing. Ignore what you ‘COULD’ have – focus on what you HAVE.
By the term, ‘do things that make you happy’ does not refer to doing what the heck ever you want and using people for your own benefit. I have seen people entirely using others for self benefits and that specific trait makes them so happy !
Lowering your standards to have a smile on your face makes you a ‘hoe’.

As straight forward as it gets, be a woman with standard and dignity. Once you lose it, you lose it forever. 

Make-up and Photography by : Fabiha Atiq 

Styled by yours truly ❤