by Hoda Jaludi
"Every season has a reason. Just like the season of natural wonder, change is inevitable. But with every season there are lessons to be learned. Certain foliage blooms during certain times of the year, you too will bloom when the time is right." - Hoda Jaludi, is an Arab American businesswoman, award-winning blogger, designer, and public figure. She spent the last decade building her lifestyle brand by using her background in psychology, photography and design to create pieces that will bring joy to her customers.
After ten years of working for myself and building an online presence, I got burnt out. Mentally I would push myself but there comes a time when all that stress will catch up and drag your body down. That is what happened to me the past year. I got sick twice. As I recovered, I then was hit by the world events that would drag me down emotionally. As a Palestinian, I was now emotionally affected. It felt strange to do the things I used to do. To come online and share about holistic living and creating a peaceful home while the people in my motherland were losing theirs. I didn't know how to navigate this new season. I decided to delete my social media accounts with over 100,000 total reach. I now questioned what to do with my life. Everything I have done in the last decade seems to end. I felt like an imposter if I continued. In hindsight, me getting sick was a blessing. I needed the downtime, especially after losing my father and getting a divorce. I used my business as a way to escape the pain but now I was forced to feel the pain. To heal, I needed to feel. My mind, body and soul were being tested. This was the time to reflect and recover.
This was my Autumn season, just like the leaves falling. It was the time to let things fall into place without controlling it. Right before the leaves die they burst in a ray of beautiful warm colors, that is how I see an ending of an era, vibrant and bright leaving the season with a show. And that's what I need to see the last decade as. A beautiful collection of all my achievements. And although I stepped into the season of Winter for a while as I spent my time healing, I had Spring and Summer to look forward to. A rebirth. A rebrand.
Of course the world issues personally affect me but it doesn't mean I cant still use my voice and my personal journey to help others. I am now more intentional with my energy. It is now more sacred. I'm now okay to let go of the people and places that no longer serve me and step into a more peaceful era where boundaries were put in place. I reactivated my accounts and saw my achievements. “ I did all that? Where did I have the energy to do that?”
I often wondered to myself. As I navigate back into what was, I now have the power to deal with what is. Life is a series of moments. I can't focus on another season without appreciating the one I am in now.
Getting back into what you once loved is hard when you are faced with so many challenges. I took it day by day, literally. I used to have routines but now I just listen to my mind and body to see how I felt in the morning and what I could achieve. This was my rebrand, getting in tune with my mind, body, and soul. Filling my cup first before I filled others.
I decided to also rebrand my business focusing more on how to create a retreat for your mind, body and soul. Using my skills in design psychology and photography, I wanted to have my products and content bring peace and comfort to my customers well- being. I wanted to create a lifestyle brand that will help my customers live their best life from the inside out. I can't wait to share my new ideas with the world. Find joy in every season you face, for surely there is a blessing that awaits.
Connect with Hoda
Commentaires