The birth day is always a milestone, even though this not primarily because this is the day I am the center of the world, but most importantly because I get to stop for a moment and think about the year that just passed. And when you realize that the year has been filled with surprises, beautiful projects, hard times but very fruitful, it becomes even more emotional.
I can admit that this was one of the best years of my 22 year long life. But it went by so fast, it feels like yesterday was my 22nd birthday and today I get to celebrate the 23rd.
Only when you stop to realize all that has happened you actually understand the importance of every single thing, therefor today I want to share with you “What being 22 taught me”:
Above all, do not forget, breathe in and let it go! I am an active person, always wanting to have a project to work on, busy myself with various activities, which sometimes becomes more tiring than it ought to be, smothering even. There is a popular saying in Albania, “you can’t hold 2 pumpkins in one arm” and this year I learned not to take over everything, sometimes it is okay to decline a project and try not to put too much responsibility on yourself. It is important to stop for a moment, take a deep breath and make a simple calculation, always keeping in mind also your own mental and physical health.
The lessons learned are more important than the mistakes done. Every journey we start takes us somewhere, but the most important thing is the journey in itself, not a happy or sad ending. Learning from our experiences is the key and this year has been filled with life lessons, which pushed me to see life clearer.
But, despite the great desire and love for freedom, some things just need to be done! This is actually something I should always keep in mind. I have always been working for myself, being the boss of me, and it has been quite easy to make decisions on what I want to do or not, BUT (there is always a but, not?) some things just need to be dealt with. Assignments, decisions, actions, no matter the task, the importance is to know what we need to do in order to grow and develop, keeping the eyes on the longer term goal.
Don’t be afraid to fail though, it is part of the process. One of the hardest things to be over is failure. But do not fear it, do fear the sudden success which taught you nothing. Failing means you are in a process where you are learning, and that means you are in the right path to achieving your goals. No need to stress this, just learn to see beyond mistakes and how to improve things every time until you reach perfection.
My failures for this year?!
I did not get to realize some important projects for Kikiliciouss. (P.S: they are in my 2018 list and I will work hard on them)
Being late with the launch of the new Kikiliciouss website (but fortunately that means we have something to look forward in the beginning of June).
They say people fear success much more than failure. Because failure leaves you where you initially were, while success will take you to new unknown places and moments in your life. That sometimes scared me too, but so far I have learned that the more I grow professionally, the more grounded I become. Learning so hard actually has been paying back. But I have learned it is important to be grounded, be thankful every day for everything that surrounds me; for my life, all the opportunities to learn and improve things, walk ahead with little but safe steps; for the love of the important people in my life. I am thankful for the support and love you all give me; it pushes me to work harder by the day.
Wrapping this all up, I also realized I always prepare birthday cakes for you, your loved ones, my loved ones, but I somehow forget myself a bit. So this time I decided to create my ideal cake of the 23rd birthday. I think it is fair to spoil ourselves once in a while. The year that passed left me with a huge smile in my face, and now I am ready to start a new happy year, with many new dreams.
Outfits: Fashion Group Albania (dresses: Mango / accessories: Parfois)
Make-Up: E’vang Hair Studio
Location: Hotel Flower
Photography: Andis Rado
Birthday Cake: Kikiliciouss
