I loved my job as a Visual Merchandiser. Inspiring the customer to recreate what I had creatively put together in their own homes, was so rewarding, but there were elements that grated on me. One, in particular, was the slogan that we worked by set by the founder. “Nothing is impossible, you just have to try a little harder”. I hated this slogan! It was used all the time by management when your best just wasn’t good enough. It wouldn’t just affect that moment in time, it would affect how you felt about yourself, your emotions and fundamentally your spare time.
Society feeds us a conventional life template that we should all be living by. Get a well-paid job, go for that promotion, get that pay rise, have a mortgage, get married, have children. The list is endless. For some, this is what they live for and that’s ok. But what if conventional is not what you want and all you feel yourself doing is eat, sleep, work, repeat.
I’ll be honest, there was a time in my Visual Merchandising career that I wanted all of that. I wanted to climb the career ladder and work in London but having spent two weeks of work experience travelling from my little cottage in Bedfordshire to Park Royal, making a 4-hour commute each day on a packed train, it soon became a NO from me. I wanted a slower lifestyle!
When you think of slow-living, what do you imagine? Be honest! Work-free, stress-free days spent lounging in the sun with cocktails on tap? It’s a nice ideology, isn’t it? but whilst this may be the case for some, slow-living is personal to each individual. Slow-living isn’t about minimalism, giving up technology or losing time by living in slow-motion; it’s about gaining time to do the things we value the most.
Slow living, for me, has been taking my life into my own hands and living it my way. Championing my talents and using them to launch my own business, a business I’m passionate about because I enjoy what I do and what it stands for in a world that, in my opinion, is too developed for its own good.
Slow-living, for me, is being in tune with my body’s needs, not setting that alarm, working hours in the day that allow me to switch off in the evening and weekends, having a midday bath, having freedom over my time to spend it with my friends and family as and when I want to.
Slow-living, for me, is having my dog by my side at all times, an ever-growing fur-baby family to love, enjoying the garden and observing what nature brings to me.
Slow-living, for me, is simply choosing to step out of the fast lane, learning to say “no” and savour every moment I have. To really see, hear, and feel everything that’s going on around me. That could come from a walk in the woods. Seeing the different colours and textures, hearing the birds sing and the leaves crunch under my feet, and feeling the wind brush my hair past my cheek and the warm hand of my Somerset beau holding mine while we walk.
As I mentioned before, Slow-living is not about minimalism but leading a simple life is a part of it for me and one I’ll share more on another time.
I believe this outlook on life has always been in me but outer influences have stifled it in the past. I also believe that we go through many chapters in our lives to discover what we truly value in life. I value living in the moment, nature, learning, teaching, friendship, love and time. Time being everything we have and don’t. Notice it, use it and value it.
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Until next time, take care.
Katie
xxx