2021 + Life Update Part Two
2020 was… interesting, to say the least. We were all going through the same thing at the same time, and yet we all have our own unique experiences of it. Although I am ready to say goodbye to 2020, I also realize that just because it is a new year, everything isn’t going to suddenly change. We are still being called to step up and face some harsh realities about our way of living. I think that is the biggest lesson I got out of 2020. Some things need to change. And it’s ok that they do. It’s ok to shift. It’s ok to re-evaluate our priorities. In fact, it is vital to do so. So instead of ridding myself of 2020 and never looking back, I want to focus on all the good that came out of last year. 2020 was in fact, one of the most transformative years for me. I was living alone when the pandemic hit, and at the time I actually really enjoyed the solitude. I had time to write, reflect, read and go on nature walks. I took the time to consider how I wanted to spend my time going forward. A lot of epiphanies came to me during that time. But when I look back now, I realize how lonely I was and how much better I feel now in comparison. I’m glad I didn’t see it that way at the time, because it would have been a lot harder. But here I am now, in a beautiful warm home with my family. Surrounded by people I love and who endlessly support me. Seeing the things I’ve always wanted start to manifest. My relationship is no longer long-distance because we are finally in the same city. I started my business - something I have been hoping to do for years. I am re-connecting with people that I haven’t been in touch with for a long time. Although there has been a lot of change, I am incredibly grateful that I had the courage to do what I needed to do in 2020. Moving my whole life was incredibly challenging and I still experience the roller coaster of emotions from that. But instead of sitting around, I took the opportunity to jump into my business. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about that, because I am just so gosh darn proud of myself. Because of everything that has happened in the past couple months, I thought it would be good to share a part two of my life/business update (creep part one here) as well as some of the things I’m working on for the new year.
When I started my business in December, I didn’t expect it to take off the way it did. I thought maybe I would get a couple orders here and there. But on December 1st, I had orders come in before I had even launched it on Instagram! That whole day was just absolutely blissful. I was sharing such a huge part of my heart and it was scary to be so vulnerable. But support came from all over. People put in so many orders that I had to jump back in the kitchen right away to make new batches just so I could keep up! It confirmed that I was exactly where I needed to be. This has been a dream of mine forever. I knew I had an entrepreneurial spirit in me and any time someone would say “follow your heart”, this business would pop up in my mind. I knew I needed to do it, but I was so afraid. Now that I am on the other side of that, I can’t believe I was so scared. Because everything has worked itself out on it’s own. In fact, taking everything one step at a time was the solution to the fear. I was looking way too far ahead of me and that is what kept my feet firmly planted in place. I didn’t let my heart wander enough to realize that I already had everything I needed to begin. So I’m beyond glad that I finally gave myself that chance. And if you yourself need a reminder to just go for it, then here it is. You need to just dive in. I thought I had to have everything perfectly planned out before I started, but the truth is you won’t be able to do that. You have to start at step one and then see what comes up next. I promise you, everything becomes much more clear once you start. You will question yourself. You will wonder if you’re doing it “right”. That’s normal. But don’t stop because of it. Keep going. And if you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, here’s a link to my blog post talking about my new business and a link to my shop page for you to learn about my product.
So far, I have created lip love masks and lip balm tubes in both peppermint and lavender. But this next round I’m going to add in another scent. Something a bit warmer and cozier. What do you think? Would that be something you would be interested in? Let me know below or send me an email on the contact page :) I also am going to start doing herbal teas next. That has been a common request, and as a fellow tea lover myself, I think this is the perfect addition to The Wild Heart Apothecary. Stay tuned for the first tea; it will likely be announced via my newsletter in early February. I can’t wait to share. And there may or may not also be a surprise product announcement at the same time as well! You can sign up for my newsletter here if you want to be the first to know!
So anyway, back to life updates. November and December were quite busy because I took in a foster dog for about 6 weeks. Her name was Izzy and she was a 2 year old Lab mix. She came from a high kill shelter in California. She was so adorable and so sweet and cuddly. I loved my time with her. Although I do have to say she was quite a handful. She was a bigger/stronger dog than we are used to (I’ve only ever owned small dogs), so walking her was tough. And we had to be more careful in the house with her. A lot of things took the backseat while she was here. I didn’t have as much time to work on my business, but that was a blessing in the end because I think I would have had more time to psych myself out before launching. I also didn’t get a lot of time to exercise, so that is something I want to focus on again in the new year. But even so, her sweet soul stole my heart away. Finding her an adoptive home was difficult because I adored her and I wanted nothing short of perfect for her. She ended up going to a young family, which is what we wanted and what we chose for her. She’s a playful girl and needed the constant stimulation a family could provide. I miss her dearly, but I know she is happy and doing well and in her new home.
In December, I also turned 30. It’s funny, you always think turning 30 will be this huge momentous occasion. And that it’s the moment that defines you and what you measure yourself against. When in fact it’s not like that at all. At least not for me. It was a quiet and special day. COVID of course, ruined some of the plans we had, but that was actually ok with me. My sister planned a wonderful FRIENDS themed party at home for just our family. We had lots of laughs, good food and the gifts didn’t hurt either! I had time to journal as well and reflect on what my life has been like thus far and where I want to go next. So it was pretty perfect to me. I thought I would be posting about it on Instagram and blogging and doing all the things one does when they turn 30, but I didn’t end up doing that. And it was no less special. In fact, I think it was more special because I was truly present in the experience.
I took a bit of time off during the holidays. I didn’t plan to take more than a couple days off because I just started my business and wanted to keep the momentum going. But taking more time off was so nice. I got to laze around. Hang out with the family. Play games, watch movies. Things I love doing, but rarely make time for anymore. Going into 2021, there area few goals and things I want to work on manifesting. First and foremost of course is my business. I want to put all my energy there so that I can create my vision for this brand. I also want to work on having more structured days. Since I am working from home now (and for myself), I notice that my days can be quite chaotic and disorganized. I’ve already started writing things out in my planner in a more organized way and that is really helping so far. Part of getting organized is also establishing a morning routine. I find when I make time in the morning for reflection or reading, the rest of my day goes so much more smoothly. I think this will mean I will need to wake up earlier, but one thing at a time right? I also want to focus on my health again. I think I did a good job of that in 2020, but I let things slide at the end of the year and that’s something I don’t want to do. I want to create a wellness routine that works really well for me so that even when things get chaotic around me, I can still stick to my routine. Healthy eating, working on my digestion/skin and exercising are all going to be part of that. I’ll keep you updated on how that goes on my blog and Instagram. I made a vision board this year on Canva, which was so much fun. I also used these sheets to organize my vision for this year and it helped a lot.
To end off this long blog post, I want to share the word I have chosen for this year. I started doing this last year and I really liked having that reminder throughout the year. So for 2020, I chose the word flourish. Flourish embodies everything I want this year to be. I laid a really good foundation in 2020, and now it is time to flourish. I know who I truly am inside, and instead of hiding that I want to harness it and stop being afraid of sharing the real me. Starting my business was step one. And you can bet I won’t stop there. There’s so much more to come. And I can’t wait to share the journey with you as I go.
xo.
