An ode to 2014
31 December
As each year draws to an end, I always feel in two minds
about writing an ‘end of year’ post, but it’s hard to let another year pass
without reflecting on the past 12 months. 2014 has been an odd one for me, a
year which started amazingly well following on from a pretty sweet 2013, which
swiftly turned into a roller-coaster ride come spring, before settling into a
perfect year again as midnight December 31st draws closer.
“Change is inevitable, but personal growth is a choice.”
2014 has been the year that has changed me the most. I'm pretty sure every year I say how I've grown as a person, but I suppose we all
do. With each new day comes new experiences (and
challenges), which shape us and help us become the people we are today. 2014
has been the first year where I've truly felt like I'm becoming the person I'm meant to be. I feel stronger; mentally and emotionally, than I have ever felt
before, and more confident and happy within myself and the way my life is
turning out.
A lot of changes had to be made to feel this way though, and
most of them have involved reigning myself in a little (or in some cases, a lot). 2014 has been the year where I've spent
less time sat on at a PC and more time actually living my life ‘in the real world’ – and this has been
the most positive change I could have ever made. No longer do I feel
permanently attached to my phone, even opting for Airplane Mode most evenings
for a little peace and quiet. I'm nowhere near as obsessed with social media as
I used to be, and it’s taking time away from some social networks which has
helped me find my feet the most.
It’s so easy to get caught up in things online, and although
I love the channels I use regularly and on a daily basis, taking a step back
has been a breath of fresh air. In 2013 I seriously started to edit myself
online, and by doing so I felt as if who I am was becoming a distant memory –
that I couldn't be myself because someone, somewhere would always take issue.
But that wasn't me, it isn't who I want to be, and 2014 showed me that. I've been myself again, maybe not quite as loud and full-on as I used to be (which by any means, is a positive), but
I stopped caring about what others may or may not think of me any more. Staying
away from drama, from the negativity of other people, is something which has
changed my complete view of life online and offline. You can make two choices
in life; to be drawn in to negativity by negative people and let it control
your entire being, or you can choose positivity and the people and experiences
which will make you smile when you’re 110.
Another huge change in my life in 2014 has been continuing
my journey to lose weight and be a healthier, happier Sophia. Although my
journey is much slower than that of others, it’s a journey which I have taken
in my own time – and the benefits I've reaped from doing so have been amazing.
It’s been a long time since I shared a weight-loss update (and you can expect more regular updates in 2015), but I'm happy to
say that my journey has continued, and I am now at the lowest weight I have been for 9 years. My attitude towards food has drastically changed, finally
learning to both cook and eat normal portions rather than piling my plate as
high as possible, and I've introduced more foods into my diet which help my
body be a calmer, happier place.
“All great achievements require time.”
On July 17th I turned 26, but that day will
forever stay in my memory for another reason – the day I graduated. After four
years of studying for my Psychology degree, graduation was an emotional
experience for me. Even now 5 months on, it’s hard to believe sometimes that my
degree is over – receiving my degree certificate a few weeks ago made it all
seem real and it finally sunk in that I wasn't studying for a degree any more, I have one. Psychology is a huge part of
me and it’s something I am extremely passionate about. To have put so many
years of hard work into both Psychology and getting my degree, made graduating one of the proudest moments of my life.
“Blogging is not rocket science; it’s about being yourself
and putting what you have into it.”
This year has been a roller-coaster for me where this blog is
concerned. I have fallen in and out of love with blogging more times than I can
count, but thankfully as the year has drawn to a close the motivation which had
diminished has returned ten-fold. 2014 is the first year since I've had
Tattooed Tealady that I have felt the pressure of blogging. At times, there was
nothing I wanted to do less than upload a new post, or take photos, or even
come up with ideas. There’s been more than a few times this year where I have
felt both myself and my blog have been completely inadequate – thoughts which
were nothing but my own doing.
The world of blogging, and particularly beauty blogging, is
constantly growing and expanding. 2014 has been a year where we have seen
YouTubers and bloggers alike take the world by storm, the year that the world
has finally realised how important and influential the people behind these
channels can be. Although I by no means see myself in the same league as those
who have fan bases bigger than most people could imagine, I'm sure I'm not the
only one who feels this sudden spotlight on the blogging world has put pressure
on those who don’t earn 6 figures a month through their channels. For a while,
it took the joy out of blogging for me.
But as 2015 gets closer, my view on blogging and my reasons
for continuing this blog have grown in the most positive of ways. I no longer
worry about how my posts will compare to others, how my photos look compared to
the blogs whose photography would fit with ease into high-end magazines. I
started this blog for me, for my love of beauty and life and everything that
comes with it – and finally I see the beauty in it again. Perhaps it’s a lot
to do with ‘finding myself’ again, feeling more confident in being myself
online as well as offline, but either way – I can’t wait to see Tattooed
Tealady continue to grow in 2015. I've spent the past few weeks planning not
just content, but big changes for this blog, and I honestly can’t wait to share
them with you all!
“The best is yet to come.”
I feel like I've matured in 2014 (or maybe just calmed down and become rather boring), finally
feeling more like the person I should be at 26. And for me, this is the biggest
positive I will take from this year. I hope your year has been a good one too –
but here is to an even better 2015. I wonder what the New Year will bring for
us all.
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