Kindness

Duck scarf

Monokerom hi-lo shirt

FV Basics culottes

H&M glitter socks

Vans sneakers

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I've been feeling awfully uninspired, demotivated, and all things simultaneous to the two as of late. More often that I'd like, I find myself questioning my abilities at being my own boss, and having my own brand. It's hard to not feel defeated when you have to go through an endless parade of problems and delays - especially when you are a one man show. My husband keeps reminding me that a fundamental ingredient of success is perseverance, and even though I already know that, I often let it slip my mind. 

But! My mood was instantly and magically lifted when I recently and unexpectedly received compliments from two unrelated individuals about my work and what I have produced so far. That's all it took for me to escape the self-pitying limbo I was stuck in, and to recharge my creative batteries. To know that someone appreciates and actually likes what I produce just feels so infinitely gratifying. So much so that it gave me a warm, expansive feeling in my chest, and made all my previous worries seem somewhat petty. I know it may not seem much to some people - I mean it's just compliments right? Not an offer of a slot at London Fashion Week. But to people who's starting from the bottom like me, it means a massive deal. 

So this is a reminder to myself, and to anyone who reads this (probably just my husband aka my #1 fan...), if you have the chance to say something nice to someone, say it. If you have the chance to do something nice for someone, do it. Why? Because random acts of kindness, and good deeds, even the simplest act of saying gracious things to someone, can go a long way. In my case, it saved me from a possible nervous breakdown. Think about it - how great is it that we hold the capacity to make someone else's entire day?

With regards to recent events, we've all seen how one rotten apple can spoil the barrel. But can one person acting nobly spread goodness in the world? Yes, I'm pretty confident that it works both ways! Kindness is like a chain reaction, I feel. Experiencing, seeing, or even reading about others' compassion and benevolence will not only trigger warm and positive feelings within us, but it would also most likely increase the prospect of us doing good deeds of our own. And it doesn't take extraordinary heroics either. Simple human kindness is enough to open the hearts of people, and inspire us to treat others with empathy and grace. 

So practice kindness, promote kindness, experience kindness. The world we live in now has more than enough hate as it is.