Time Is On My Side, Yes It Is

I'm going to be cliché and repeat what everyone has been saying lately but where has November gone? And aside from that, where has 2018 gone? As we enter the last month of the year, I'm feeling incredibly nostalgic and while it seems as though the 2018 has flown by, when I really stop to think about it so much has happened. The whole process has got me thinking about time; specifically our relationship with it.

Does this ever happen to you? You had a specific goal, an aspiration or even a milestone and you become so fixated on it that you almost feel as though life will really start when you get there. Although I've gotten better about this over the years, this concept of delaying life to start at a specific point was something that I was guilty of.

I'll give you an example. After blogging for years and finally admitting to myself that pursuing it full-time was something that I wanted to do, I became fixated on that goal. In my mind, I was simply just existing for the time when I would be able to make a career out of my blog a reality. Any time up until that point should be used to hustle one step closer to the goal, because that is when life will truly begin for me. I was the same way when I decided that I wanted out of Funeral Services in favour of a desk job. Just living for the goal.

The thing is, as I reflect back on my journey and life up until this point, life didn't stop. Time didn't stop. All of the months and years that were passing as I tried to reach my ultimate goal were still happening, and there was so much that was happening with it. Mentally, I was absent. So focused on the future that I was missing everything going on in the present.

Now I'm currently living in the place that I was fighting so hard to get to, I can reflect back on my journey to this point and realize how silly it is to think that your life will start when you get to a certain goal. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy and grateful to have made it to my goal of working for this blog full-time, but I'm not living any more or any less after getting here. I still enjoy the same comforts I previously did, still have bad days, still have hard times. Life didn't start once I got to a certain point, I just allowed myself to let go and start living a little more in the present.

My point in all of his is to be present and enjoy the journey. The journey includes laughter, tears, beauty, heartbreak, triumphs and failures. The same goes for when you achieve the goal you have set out for yourself. Working and hustling towards a certain goal is amazing, but don't forget to be mindful of the present. This is life, we've got one crack at it - may as well be here for every single moment.

Dress - c/o Dynamite, Boots - Zara

What do you guys think? I would love to hear your perceptions on time. Thank you so much for reading; those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know that an impending new year always makes me very sappy.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

xo Joëlle

All photos by the talented Jessica of Charuk Studios