Why alone time is the greatest luxury (and other life lessons my late twenties have taught me)

Last month I turned the ripe old age of 28. The big question was: how on earth did THAT happen so fast?! Last I remember, I was in New York celebrating my twenty-first birthday, charging full steam ahead. Time sure does fly.

My twenties have been quite a ride. I’ve changed my career, travelled the world, completed a degree, studied in Canada and moved to Australia, packing in as many countries as possible in between. Entering my late twenties has also been a time for reflection and changes on many levels. There are things that I now value more and different outlooks I have developed that perhaps I didn’t have back in my early twenties, which is the norm. Lately I’ve been thinking about what those changes are, and have been taking the time to reflect on them. As the year of twenty-eight beckons, dear readers, I wanted to share a few things I’ve figured out so far…

Make time for yourself (it’s not being lonely, it’s being good to yourself)

Time is one of the greatest luxuries we have. There’s a lot to be said for hedonism, but there’s a lot to be said for good health and wellbeing. Life is busy and we spend a lot of it socialising and dashing from one thing to the next. It can be exhausting. So many times I have found myself saying ‘yes’ to social engagements because I feel I have to and for FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Nowadays though, the thought of a jam-packed schedule is daunting, not to mention tiring (admittedly I’m not 78, but I do value my eight hours a night). Don’t be fearful if you’ve not got a busy schedule 24/7 – time to yourself is one of the greatest luxuries. Make time for yourself and cherish alone time, because it doesn’t mean you’re lonely. It’s an essential ingredient to keeping yourself centered and grounded. It’s okay to be alone at times.

Don’t compare yourself to others, because you god damn rock

This, my friends, is one of the hardest things to do, but also one of the most important if you want to be happy in yourself. No one person is the same, that’s the beauty of life – you are just as unique as the next person and everyone lives life differently. You won’t always be on the same page as everyone else your age, and that’s okay. Next time you find yourself comparing yourself to someone on Facebook, one of your peers or someone across the street step back, take stock and remember: dig yourself, you are doing just fine as you are.

Cherish what you have and practise gratitude, dude

During my twenties, I’ve chosen to spend my money on what makes me happy: travel. I don’t have a mortgage yet, I don’t have a flashy car but I do have a colourful passport and a lot of amazing memories, and I’m really grateful for that. You can’t have it all – sometimes you have to choose. It’s no biggie, as long as you’re grateful with what you do have and what you’ve accomplished so far.

Exercise is an essential ingredient to happiness

I admit that often I feel I am too busy to exercise and that it often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list when I am feeling busy and stressed. But, exercise is one of the most crucial elements to wellbeing, de-stressing and is a free-of-charge mood booster. Make the time in your busy day to get some and be good to yourself, even if it’s for ten minutes a day, no matter how simple. You can work it, gurl.

Stop spending all of your money on food, booze and shoes

Say what?! Yup, there are others things to enjoy in this life, too – invest your hard earned cash in something that will truly enrich you and cultivate the things that make you happy. Sure, enjoy the new threads and a vino or two, hell I still do, but everything in moderation, right? So many times throughout the years all of my spare cash has gone on going out to the pub, and I’ve loved it. But there are other soul-satisfying things to spend your dough on, too. Buy a new book, sign up to a new course, take up a new hobby – keep learning and enrich yourself. It’s way more valuable to you in the long run than that extra glass of wine.

Life is short; sometimes you have to take risks

Occasionally in life you have to take risks in order to live to your full potential – it’s as simple as that. It may not be easy to break a cycle and step out of your comfort zone and yes, it may be hard, but if you follow your heart and give it your all, it will be worth it. Sit through the discomfort of change and remember that you can’t let your fears control what you want to do in life. In order to grow, at times you have to take a leap of faith to figure of what really matters to you.

Know that everything that is meant to be, will be. Don’t you agree?

Until next time.

Love,

Image source: unsplash.com

About Sally

I’m Sally and I am currently based in Sydney, Australia. I work in PR and love all things to do with brands, travel and social media. When not blogging about PR, social media, travel or anything else that inspires me, I like to spend my time indulging in travel, Italian food, art galleries or a good book. I also give a mean haircut.

Happy Birthday Debbie Harry: Seven Lessons of Awesomeness from the Queen of Punk-Pop

At July 01, 2014
By Sally Crampton
In Amazing women, Fashion, Inspiration, Music
0

July marks the birthday of one of my all time favourite women – front woman, feminist and fashion icon Debbie Harry, who turns 69 on July 1st.
Harry shot to fame in 1976 as the lead singer of new wave punk-pop band Blondie. With her cool sexuality, streetwise attitude and platinum blonde steeze, Harry pioneered a punk-inspired idea of feminism and empowerment and combined punk, disco, pop-rock and rap to forge a new sound. Her deliberately transgressive, sexy-yet-androgynous style, bold attitude and colorful flair for life inspired generations of women to be both raw and feminine at the same time, and continues to do so even today.

So big and wide is Harry’s influence both in the realms of music and fashion that in February she became the second woman to scoop NME’s prestigious Godlike Genius award.

Whether she’s channeling a silver tin-foil jacket, putting her middle finger up to the establishment or doing philanthropic work on top of a fully-fledged music career, you won’t find many like Debbie Harry. For that, she’s the ultimate awesome woman.

So as the original new-wave chick approaches her seventh decade, let’s celebrate by taking a look at seven lessons of awesomeness that we can take from the queen of punk herself.

Lesson 1: You don’t have to spend a fortune to look fabulous

In fact when Harry first started her career, despite having fashion stylists to hand, she chose to source most of her outfits from second hand stores, or made them herself.

Lesson 2: Feminism is sexy

Harry is famed for championing punk-inspired feminism. Sick of being pigeonholed, she challenged the ‘good girl’ image in what was then a heavily male dominated industry, without compromising on her sexiness. As Harry herself said, “’How can one be a woman and not be a feminist? That’s my question.”

Navigating her way around an industry dominated by men, especially back in the 70s, she refused to conform to gender stereotypes; “I’m comfortable being around guys. I’m comfortable around certain types of women, but I’m kind of bold. I have other sides to my nature but I don’t necessarily live within the rules of feminine behaviour.”

Lesson 3: Take whatever inspires you, and wear it

Like this Zebra print pillowcase, which Harry found in the garbage and turned into a top, proving that you don’t have to pay a fortune (or anything at all) to create an amazing outfit and look fabulous.

Lesson 4: Don’t be afraid to be yourself

Back at the start of her career, and even now, Debbie Harry is not afraid to say what’s on her mind, despite what others may think, or how hard it may be. Lester Bangs wrote of Harry: “She may be there all high and mighty on TV, but everybody knows that underneath all that fashion plating she’s just a piece of meat like the rest of them.”

Harry didn’t let this deter her. Choosing to be herself was, as she said “at times, very uncomfortable… There were some girls doing music, but not a lot, and the record industry certainly wasn’t geared for it the way they are now.”

As she explained to Sunday Time Style Magazine in 2013: “I was dead sick and tired of all of these songs by the R&B girls, the trios and stuff. They were all victimised by love. I was sick of it. I didn’t want to portray myself or women as victims.”

Lesson 5: It’s never too late for a comeback

Fifteen years after the band split, after Harry had done a stint in rehab for drug addiction, Blondie started working together again.

Proving it’s never too late to relinquish your career, in 1999, with Harry age 54, Blondie’s comeback single Maria topped the UK charts at number one. And with a spot on this year’s Glastonbury bill, Blondie is still going strong with Harry at the helm.

Lesson 6: Charity starts at home

Shortly after Blondie split, Harry’s then long term partner and ex-band member Chris Stein become ill with Pemphigus Vulgaris. Unable to look after himself he was cared for by Harry, who put her solo career on hold to do so. As Harry said at the time, “being sick on your own is no fun”. True words.

Lesson 7: You are never too old to dress like a Humbug. Ever.