Dear Solasta Skin Community,
It is 9.30pm and I am sitting in Solasta HQ after a great day. I have exceeded my to do list, eaten well, moved my body, practiced self-care, connected with loved ones and I know I am going to bed proud of myself.
But this is not how I feel every day, sometimes I have hard days, days where I questions myself and my brand. And I wanted to write a little about this tonight.
Saturday was one of those days. Something hadn’t gone as planned and everything just felt too much. I found myself complaining to my husband on the phone late afternoon – ‘I can’t do this anymore’, ‘it’s just too much’, ‘I’m just so exhausted’. He is my voice of reason, can calm the storms in my head like no one else can, and eventually, I agreed that I was just going to take a day off. I was demotivated and there was no bouncing back, not today. I went a dog walk and listened to a podcast episode by Mel Robbins – ‘Feel like giving up?’ Before you say f**k it, listen to this.' and didn't do much else. Tomorrow was a new day.
So, how did get unstuck? How did I manage to bounce back the next day? Here is what the next day looked like:
Water. Breath work. A Visualisation Meditation and positive affirmations. I wrote my to do list, 3 things I was going to achieve today, with no excuses. Boosted my energy with a home made matcha. Dog walk while listening to a motivational Joe Rogan podcast (below). Nature. Sun light. More water. Fuelled my body some more with a smoothie bowl and plant protein. Took my supplements. Started working through the to do list – beginning with the hardest task with a motivational music playlist on in the background. I stopped for a break, more fuel with a nutritional lunch. More water. Back to work until all 3 tasks were completed, and then I went some more. And wow, did I feel like a new person, it was as if the day before had never happened.
Don’t let carefully curated Instagram feeds fool you, more often than not these are highlight reels. The success, the wins. Very rarely do you see the blood sweat and tears that go into running a business, the energy it takes to try and lift a young brand off the ground. The early mornings, the late nights. The numerous attempts, the lessons learned. Another stockist has just closed their doors. The imposter syndrome, the sacrifice, missing out on social events and praying it will be worth it. The feelings of guilt when you don’t have enough time and energy for friends and family. The unread Whatsapps, the never ending to do list. The irony of founding a self-care brand and not practicing self-care.
Giving up after a failed attempt or a tough day is easy.
Showing up the next day is the hard part.
Resetting, re-grounding and refocusing takes relicense, and a lot of courage.
Didn't make the gym today? You can got tomorrow. Didn't nourish your body as well as you'd liked to have today? You can eat right tomorrow. Hard on yourself today? You can be kind to yourself tomorrow. Made a mistake today? You can learn from it and go again tomorrow. Feel stuck today? You can get unstuck tomorrow - you just have to start again.
And now for the monthly round up...
What I am Listening To (Podcasts):
Here is a link to the Mel Robbins podcast I mentioned above and the motivational podcast I listened to was actually an episode compiled from a number of snippets from Joe Rogan's most motivational episodes. I may not agree with all his views on life, but the guy is motivational and this episode really got me fired up.
What I am Listening To (Music):
Who didn't fall in love with Sam Ryder during lock down? If you don't know him, get ready to fall in love. The stripped version of Put A Light On Me found it's way to my motivational playlist and I cannot stop listening - beautifully positive and up lifting. You can listen here.
What I am Eating:
A new recipe for me this month was this Thai Satay Sweet Potato Curry. I added extra spinach and mushrooms (but you could add any veggies you like) and enjoyed with quinoa. I found this delicious vegan red Thai curry paste on amazon.
What Is Supporting Me:
My husband - but you can't have him. But seriously, call your loved ones, find someone who has energy and space to listen to you if you are having a hard day.
How I have been Enjoying Solasta Skin:
It's all about the new Eucalyptus Lime Body Scrub right now! Zesty, uplifting and energising, I cannot get enough - perfect for summer. Shop here for bright, nourished, smooth skin.
That's a wrap for today - but incase no one told you recently, you can do it! Whatever it is, it is never as hard as it seems, just start again. It doesn't matter what happened or if you fell off track. If say you can, you can. Now go start your day like a champion and make it happen, be an inspiration to others and make healthy choices. Both faith and fear demand you to believe in something you can't see, so you might as well choose faith. If you can see it in your mind, you can create it in your life.
Thank you for reading Journals By Jess this far, tomorrow I will be share the inspiration behind our new scrub (spoiler alert - it was not my idea!)
Forever grateful,
