Anchor Yourself To Something Special

Everything changed the day she figured out that there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.

I have been on this one woman mission of reinvention ever since the middle of the year, when I woke up and realized that somehow... my life didn't make sense to me the way I needed it to. I had matching tattoos done on the left side of my ribcage with my sister Katie with the word 'evolve' and it is the single one tattoo I don't think I will ever regret because I consider myself forever changing and evolving into more of me. It is very easy to get brainwashed by the standard set for me by the society but somehow I managed to break free... (Cue in this year's very meaningful Halloween costume) There are exactly 17 days left in this year's calendar. I am thankful. I found myself this year... not realizing how lost I was. Currently, I find myself so free that even if someone put me in cuffs, I'd still feel my freedom. I find comfort in being comforting. I think at one point, I got lost in the trend of keeping up with the trends until one day, I decided that I was the trend and that I should only be keeping up with was myself. The past years, I think I have been laying my foundation on something weak and shaky... like relationships and other people but I think I have somehow transitioned. Another meaningful tattoo that I got was behind my left ear and it is an anchor which is of significance for two reasons: (1) since my initials "JL" put together resemble an anchor so much, it might as well be my own sigil and (2) because despite how many reasons are thrown at me, I refuse to sink. Life's toughest storms the strength of our anchors... and I think mine has proven to be tough enough as it has been put to the test so many times.

Maroon Suede Floppy Hat: Stradivarius

Maroon Statement Long-sleeved Shirt: Stradivarius

Navy Blue Linen Skirt: Stradivarius

Maroon Medium Chloe Marcie Satchel: Chloe

Auburn Snakeskin Wedges: H&M

White Crystal and Pearl Collar: Gold Dot Couture

I wore this ensemble for a day in the office which was a positive thing to don and it instantly lifted my spirits up as the statement is pretty clear. Anchor yourself in something special: I think that this one statement says a lot. I bought this shirt when I saw it because I have a thing for anchors and also because the message was of significance to me. I decided to play up autumn colors of maroon and navy blue (I never expected the two colors would go so well together) for this rather preppy work wear attire which was perfect to lift my spirits up despite the rather cloudy day and also to keep me warm since my room in the office also known as Antartica tends to freeze me to hypothermia. I added a hat since I love floppy hats (have you noticed?) and because I find that protecting my head against the wintery elements of the office would probably keep it warm enough to function. I find it funny how I find such creative reasons for my accessories... this time, involving the blood flow to my brain, when I can just say that I wore this since it looks good in my outfit and so deal with it. Unfortunately, I think everything in my ensemble needs to make sense. That's just the way I am. 

Someone recently told me they had been feeling "anchorless". All in the matter of weeks, he broke up with his girlfriend of many years, left his job and started hanging with a whole new social group. Anchorless was the perfect word to describe the way he was feeling - as though he were floating, with no real connection to his former life (and who he is) to keep him from drifting off to sea. In fact, you could say he was having a hard time keeping his head above water; the overwhelming waves of change were rocking him back and forth and he had no idea where he was headed. Most of us have been in that tumultuous place a few times before - usually after major life changes, when everything we could count on before, everything that had given us a solid sense of identity, was suddenly turned upside down. How can we weather these storms and keep afloat - or, better yet, how can we prevent this wave from hitting us in the first place? - See more at: http://www.queendom.com/articles/tips/tip.htm?tip=18#sthash.Rh3fthOc.dpuf

Since I find that the next series of posts will be dedicated to looking back on the year that was, allow me to say that sometime in the middle of this year, I felt anchorless. I know that would be hard to imagine since I seem to always be on my two feet but yet it happened. All in the matter of a few days back in May, I broke up with my boyfriend, decided I wanted to go on a different career path, had a major fight with the most important people in my life, and started hanging out with a completely different social group than I was used to. I think "anchorless" is the perfect word to describe it as I felt like I was floating- with no real connection to my former life (and who I was) to keep me from drifting off to sea. Actually, you could say that I had a rather difficult time of keeping my head above water as the overwhelming waves of change were rocking me back and forth and I no longer had any idea where I was going. I am sure that like me, most of you have gone through tumultuous times before... usually when major life changes happen...when everything that you could count on before, everything that had given you a solid sense of identity was suddenly turned upside down or robbed right under you. While we cannot avoid the inevitable fact that such a wave will come crashing down our lives more than once, there is a away for us to weather the storms and keep afloat. I am sure that everyone has a sense of what defines them as a person; it might be their job, relationships, hobbies, home, or a million other things. (Think about what makes you who you are. It could even be a love for cats, or their fashion sense.) When we rely too heavily on certain parts of our lives to form our identity (like a romantic relationship, our looks or our job), we run the risk of crashing hard if we lose that thing. If, however, we work on being as well rounded as possible and pay attention to building many "anchors", we will have something to grasp onto when another piece of our identity gets swept away. Put in the time to build quality relationships, take up meaningful hobbies, explore the different sides of your personality. And when you find yourself drifting away, reach out for those anchors. They'll remind you who you are and help you keep your eyes on the horizon.

Society taught me to look for happiness in others but then I woke up and realized that I am what I have been searching for all along. I thought I needed to look for love or a relationship to be happy when I realized that all this time, I was searching for myself. I had to take time, stop and actually listen and I found myself where I least expected. As the year comes to an end, I find that I am finally centered, my soul aligned with my purpose. I was once a prisoner to the limitations placed upon me by a society that remained indifferent to who I was...especially when it mattered. I learned to stop caring for things that only waste my time and now, my peace of mind is heavily guarded in a place in which only a privileged few are allowed to touch it. I am so happy in terms of life now and I think my dedication to what I do becomes enhanced because of that. It may be that I only had a few hours of sleep or that I am feeling sick... but I manage to still be smiling and at peace. This new feeling... I love it.

 Photos by: Celyn

xx, JL  

Someone recently told me they had been feeling "anchorless". All in the matter of weeks, he broke up with his girlfriend of many years, left his job and started hanging with a whole new social group. Anchorless was the perfect word to describe the way he was feeling - as though he were floating, with no real connection to his former life (and who he is) to keep him from drifting off to sea. In fact, you could say he was having a hard time keeping his head above water; the overwhelming waves of change were rocking him back and forth and he had no idea where he was headed. Most of us have been in that tumultuous place a few times before - usually after major life changes, when everything we could count on before, everything that had given us a solid sense of identity, was suddenly turned upside down. How can we weather these storms and keep afloat - or, better yet, how can we prevent this wave from hitting us in the first place? Everyone has a sense of what defines them as a person; it might be their job, relationships, hobbies, home, or a million other things. (Think about what makes you who you are. It could even be a love for cats, or their fashion sense.) When we rely too heavily on certain parts of our lives to form our identity (like a romantic relationship, our looks or our job), we run the risk of crashing hard if we lose that thing. If, however, we work on being as well rounded as possible and pay attention to building many "anchors", we will have something to grasp onto when another piece of our identity gets swept away. Put in the time to build quality relationships, take up meaningful hobbies, explore the different sides of your personality. And when you find yourself drifting away, reach out for those anchors. They'll remind you who you are and help you keep your eyes on the horizon. - See more at: http://www.queendom.com/articles/tips/tip.htm?tip=18#sthash.Rh3fthOc.dpuf

Someone recently told me they had been feeling "anchorless". All in the matter of weeks, he broke up with his girlfriend of many years, left his job and started hanging with a whole new social group. Anchorless was the perfect word to describe the way he was feeling - as though he were floating, with no real connection to his former life (and who he is) to keep him from drifting off to sea. In fact, you could say he was having a hard time keeping his head above water; the overwhelming waves of change were rocking him back and forth and he had no idea where he was headed. Most of us have been in that tumultuous place a few times before - usually after major life changes, when everything we could count on before, everything that had given us a solid sense of identity, was suddenly turned upside down. How can we weather these storms and keep afloat - or, better yet, how can we prevent this wave from hitting us in the first place? Everyone has a sense of what defines them as a person; it might be their job, relationships, hobbies, home, or a million other things. (Think about what makes you who you are. It could even be a love for cats, or their fashion sense.) When we rely too heavily on certain parts of our lives to form our identity (like a romantic relationship, our looks or our job), we run the risk of crashing hard if we lose that thing. If, however, we work on being as well rounded as possible and pay attention to building many "anchors", we will have something to grasp onto when another piece of our identity gets swept away. Put in the time to build quality relationships, take up meaningful hobbies, explore the different sides of your personality. And when you find yourself drifting away, reach out for those anchors. They'll remind you who you are and help you keep your eyes on the horizon. - See more at: http://www.queendom.com/articles/tips/tip.htm?tip=18#sthash.Rh3fthOc.dpuf

Someone recently told me they had been feeling "anchorless". All in the matter of weeks, he broke up with his girlfriend of many years, left his job and started hanging with a whole new social group. Anchorless was the perfect word to describe the way he was feeling - as though he were floating, with no real connection to his former life (and who he is) to keep him from drifting off to sea. In fact, you could say he was having a hard time keeping his head above water; the overwhelming waves of change were rocking him back and forth and he had no idea where he was headed. Most of us have been in that tumultuous place a few times before - usually after major life changes, when everything we could count on before, everything that had given us a solid sense of identity, was suddenly turned upside down. How can we weather these storms and keep afloat - or, better yet, how can we prevent this wave from hitting us in the first place? Everyone has a sense of what defines them as a person; it might be their job, relationships, hobbies, home, or a million other things. (Think about what makes you who you are. It could even be a love for cats, or their fashion sense.) When we rely too heavily on certain parts of our lives to form our identity (like a romantic relationship, our looks or our job), we run the risk of crashing hard if we lose that thing. If, however, we work on being as well rounded as possible and pay attention to building many "anchors", we will have something to grasp onto when another piece of our identity gets swept away. Put in the time to build quality relationships, take up meaningful hobbies, explore the different sides of your personality. And when you find yourself drifting away, reach out for those anchors. They'll remind you who you are and help you keep your eyes on the horizon. - See more at: http://www.queendom.com/articles/tips/tip.htm?tip=18#sthash.Rh3fthOc.dpuf