If you’ve been following my blog for a little while, you will know that I am originally from Mumbai, India. Before I packed my bags and moved to London 5 years ago, I was born and raised in sunny India. I lived there for 18 years. My move to London for university was the first big move I have ever experienced. Although my family and I have frequently visited London throughout my life, leaving my childhood home was an incredibly intimidating experience for me. As an only child, being close to my family was everything. Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by new people, new places, new everything, while my family was thousands of miles away. You can only imagine the fear I felt. I didn’t know what to expect and although I was terrified, my excitement for my new adventure could not be ignored. I’m sure that anyone who has moved or is thinking about moving can relate to that. The lessons I have learned since moving away have defined the woman I am today. Being a notable milestone in my life, I wanted to share the five most important things that I have learned since I moved to London
This was one of the first photos I took for my blog. I was so self conscious I couldn’t even look at the camera!
Sometimes, You Need To Be Alone
One of my biggest fears about moving away was the idea that I was going to be all alone. Having to make new friends and find my place in a new city made me feel afraid because I knew that I was going to be doing it all by myself. What I realized is that being alone and feeling alone are two very different things. Being able to be alone, and being comfortable with yourself is a skill that I learned living by myself in London. When I realized that I could actually be by myself, I developed a new sense of confidence in my abilities. I suddenly came to see how important it is to be comfortable with who you are. Although it’s incredibly scary, it is so necessary to be able to internally reflect and be happy with yourself. When I was able to be alone, but not feel alone, I knew I had reached a milestone.
There Is No Such Thing As Failure
A few years ago my father gifted me a book entitled “Think Like An Artist”. A fascinating lesson this book taught me is that there is no such thing as failure. The concept of failure exists only within us. To fail, only means that you are trying. If you get back up and try again, you have not failed. You are just still finding your way to your goal. I have always been my harshest critic, and I have always been the quickest to see my flaws and “failures”. When I moved away I realized that I have only failed if I give up. If I keep trying, keep pushing and keep working hard, I have not failed. Don’t ever give up on your dreams. There will always be obstacles in your way, but if you just keep going, you will never fail.
This photo was taken right after I graduated a year ago. I had the highest GPA in my graduating class (4.o baby!) and I received a medal and award. It was one of my proudest moments. Read more about my graduation here.
This photo was taken in Cannes last year. What’s interesting is that I was actually struggling with my body image a lot at this point. That’ actually something I’ve always struggled with, but that’s a story for a different time.
Love Yourself
I have always been told that self-love is one of the most important things but it wasn’t until I moved away and had to be independent that I learned what self-love really was. When you are by yourself, with no one else there to tell you what you are doing well, It is so easy to get lost in the negatives. It’s almost easier to look in the mirror every morning and see all the things you wish you could change. What I learned was this. The only way you can give and receive love is if you love yourself first. The first person who needs to see the value and beauty in you is you. Wake up every morning and build yourself up. See the positives in yourself, whether that be physical, emotional or mental. When you love yourself, you are unstoppable.
If You Want It Go and Get It
The sense of independence that was thrust upon me when I moved to London was incredibly sudden but it also taught me that if you want something, you need to make it happen for yourself. Rather than sitting back and waiting for opportunities to come to you, you need to put yourself out there and make those circumstances happen. Only you can create the reality you want. I think I really understood this when I started my blog. The amount of love, sweat, and tears that go into creating the content I create 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, can sometimes be overwhelming, but the only way I can reach my goals and make my digital space a reality for myself and for you, is by putting myself out there. Don’t sit back and wait for life to drop something into your lap, go and put it there!
This was the first London Fashion Week I ever attended. I was so nervous and I look back at this outfit and I know there are things I would change. Still, I was really proud and I even got to take over the Bloglovin’ snapchat that day. All because I put myself out there.
Don’t Let Others Define You; Find Your Own Voice
Regardless of who you are and what you do, there will always be people who bring negativity to your life. There will be people who don’t like what you do, who think you don’t work hard enough or that you don’t deserve what you have. Ignore them. Don’t let other people’s words and thoughts about you, define who you are. In all the noise, find your own voice. Since I’ve started my blog, I have had my fair share of negativity. I have had my fair share of people who think that what I do is “silly” or “not real work”. Although it is so easy to get bogged down by these comments, I learned that the opinions of people who are only bringing negativity into your life, do not matter. If I know the incredible amount of hard work that I do and invest into myself and my work, then success will come. My voice will always be louder.
I don’t open up about myself and my experiences on my blog very often, but I know that we all have or will experience similar feelings of negativity and fear in our lives. I hope that my experiences and lessons can help you too.
