As 2020 comes to an end, it’s time to reflect on what we can call a very “special” year: “special” in a positive sense when it comes to the start-up of my business.
The start of 2020 also meant the birth of VR Beauty Consulting.
Full of excitement, I commenced this new chapter in my life. I could never have dreamed of a better beginning. I hit the ground running with two beautiful projects from two fantastic clients. I was excited and extremely grateful.
Very often, over the past few months when I’ve told people I was lucky, I received the same reply: “It’s not luck; it’s the many years of hard work that are now paying off. The connections you’ve established over the years, the great relationships you have built, and the way you have always treated people.” I’m not mentioning this here out of ego; I’m mentioning it to emphasize how important it is to be a good person in whatever you do and whoever you deal with, whether it’s in your personal or professional life. Be good to people and they will be good to you. It is reality, and it is what helped me to get my business off the ground much quicker than I could have imagined. So, with the year coming to an end, why not reflect on the kind of person you’ve been and learn which areas need refining. Let’s all try to make life a little bit better, not only for ourselves, but for those around us as well. Let’s try to make the world a better place, one person at a time.
Two months into the launch of VR Beauty Consulting, the coronavirus happened. I remember my first thoughts: “What now? How will I get through this? What if my clients cancel? I won’t be able to get new clients!” But I quickly banished those thoughts from my head; I was very much aware that being negative wouldn’t get me anywhere. Instead, I sat down and asked myself “What can I do to be productive and to build on the future of my business?” As I’m a start-up, there are so many things I want to do going forward, so I decided to start building on that, to create new content, additional training courses, etc.
I also did my first webinar, and several followed from there, which then made me decide to record and broadcast videos, related to the subjects my business has on offer. I had never done anything like it, and to be honest, I didn’t feel the most confident, but I did it! I pushed myself and I pushed my boundaries.
And I’m proud and happy I did. I’m aware that there’s still a lot of room for improvement and that’s why I’ve enrolled in a course focusing on this area this coming January. Keep learning, every single day. Keep pushing your own boundaries, every single day. And be proud of your achievements, even if they are only small. Small ones eventually lead to big ones. And remember to reward yourself after every single achievement. Every one of them deserves a celebration.
How did I stay sane during lockdown? As reading is one of my passions, I decided to take the time to read so many of the books that kept taunting me, unread, from my bookcase. And lucky as I am, a dear friend of mine has the same passion when it comes to books, and we came to an agreement to read two books a week. If I remember correctly, I read 27 books during lockdown. What a joy that was! I also saw different people posting about their jigsaw puzzles, something I hadn’t done since I was a child, so I decided to give it a go. As I’m an advanced diver, and as I was missing the ocean enormously, I decided to get a jigsaw puzzle of the ocean. There was also a turtle in the image, the animal that makes every dive successful whenever one appears. So, I started to puzzle and relive childhood moments. I’m not going to pretend it was all fun and games at the beginning; believe me, there were moments of frustration as well. But when it all became too much, I always had a book to turn to. Something else that really helped me during these unprecedented times, was Dr. Wayne W Dyer’s book, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life. It’s about living the wisdom of the Tao. Every day I would read a Verse and Dyer’s interpretations of the Verse and then I would reflect it in my own life. It was eye-opening at times, but mostly extremely inspiring. It has taught me a lot about how to live a more conscious and happier life.
For those who know me well, they’d confirm that I’m always there to help and that I’m always generous to those around me, especially to those in need. I believe in karma, and out of experience I know that when you do good, the good comes back to you. So, during this difficult year, I made sure I helped where I could. I reached out to people around me who I felt were struggling to make sure they knew I was there to support them.
Doing good, even during my not-so-great moments, brings fulfillment, and that’s what I promised myself when I left the corporate world. Fulfillment would be a key element in my life, every single day, and never will I step away from that. That being said, doing good, the focus on becoming a better version of myself, did pay off once again. At the end of lockdown and the short period after, I was blessed with three new projects. And, fortunately, since then, the business has kept growing. I feel extremely grateful for how the business has taken shape so quickly and I am so thankful to all those who have contributed towards my start-up success. A few days ago I received the message “Never forget who was there for you when no one else was,” and instantly my mind said “NEVER! Because those people are the pillars in our lives. It’s so important to treasure them.” Don’t take anything for granted, always be grateful, and thank those who have supported you and contributed to your success.
As the end of the year approaches, I ask myself “What are your hopes and dreams?” I find it such a beautiful question, because what brings more joy than hopes and dreams? I believe it is a question we should all ask ourselves as it will make you take some time to reflect on your life, on you as a person, and make you realize what it is you really want. Defining your hopes and dreams is a wonderful thing to do, as it will give you something to long for, to work towards. You will be working towards creating your own happiness going forward in life. Remember that happiness does not just happen, it is something you need to create for yourself. So, let me ask you, what are your hopes and dreams?
On this last day of the year, I kindly ask all of you to make this day count. Make it special. Make it memorable. Find a way to mark it in your mind, and other people’s minds, for whatever reason you like, but make it a positive one. It doesn’t need to be something big, but make it count. Call the person who is all on their own; getting a phone call and hearing someone’s voice can have a huge impact on that person’s last day of the year. Smile at people you don’t know; smiling is infectious! Spread some happiness! Reach out to that one person you wanted to reach out to for so long. Make up with that person you fell out with a long time ago. Apologize to that person you hurt. Send some messages filled with love and gratitude to those you love and appreciate. Spread love! Spread happiness! Make a special effort and have a positive impact on those around you on this last day of 2020. Throw love around like confetti.
I wish you a wonderful 2021!
Love, Valerie
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