Nautical

For us with the "all in or nothing at all" kind of mindset, it's sometimes difficult to make extensive life changes. Before, I used to bounce between these two extremes constantly. If I decided to pick up a new habit, I would be on it on overdrive until I got enough of it, and then switch back to the nothing mode. The worst part was, that because of my lack of self-discipline I even did that with things that were important and meaningful to me. It has taken time, multiple times of failing and getting back up, for me to realise how life resembles so much more a giant ship than a supersonic jet. It takes time to change the course and it's part of the process that some frustration might come up (remember Titanic?? Turn, ship, TURN!). 

As the inspiring Denzel Washington says it:

"Dreams without goals remain dreams and ultimately fuel disappointment. Between goals and achievement are discipline and consistency." 

For me to learn consistency, I first had to internalize patience. Good things might happen overnight, but the best things usually tend to take time, at least that has been the case for me. Consistency basically means not giving up. Another way to explain the word is how consistent you are with getting up after you've fallen right on your face. I learned that I can't be too hard on myself. If I kick myself after every mistake, I'll end up fearing failure, which only paralyses all creativity and keeps from ever achieving anything. Dealing correctly with those disappointments is at least as important, if not even more, as reaching the moments of success. 

If you're one of the people who made a list of New Years resolutions and have already strayed from your course towards them, don't let it depress you. You might be looking at your calendar thinking it's almost March and you aren't even close to starting on your list, but don't beat yourself up. Time is our most valuable possession and it's too precious to be wasted on regrets. Choose the top priorities from your list (if you're anything like me, your list will be way too long and better suited for a lifetime than a year) and don't stop working on them. Even if a month goes by without you doing anything about it, don't be afraid to get back on track and give it your best. Every time you choose to try again, brushing off the failures, sincerely examining what you did wrong last time and focusing on what you could do better, you'll end up growing. Sooner or later you'll find yourself thriving in areas that seemed impossible before. Like I said, this is no quick fix, minimum work, get it for free kind of program. This is all about building character. And that's what the ultimate goal of life really is.

xxx

Photos by Adriana Dobrin

Coat: 

Sweatshirt: Zara

Jeans: Urban Outfitters

Boots: Wonders

Bag: Zara

Music Mondays

I still remember the first time I heard this song. I think Multiply had just come out and my friend immediately messaged me to listen to Afire Love and she was right, I loved it from the moment I heard it. It's the realness that can be felt through Ed's music and thats exactly what makes him so special. Not only is he apparently now an unstoppable hit-making machine, but in the midst of his success he has held on to his authenticity. He is technically brilliant, but it's the emotion and honesty that sets his music apart.

This particular song he wrote for his grandfather who suffered from dementia until he passed away. The lyrics are simple, touching and genius all at the same time. The chorus is what made me fall in love with the song. Ed Sheeran perfectly captures a moment that none of us have been a part of, but succeeds to put into such an intimate expression that we can all relate in one way or the other. It's the words his grandfather used to tell his wife, Ed's grandmother, and with these words I want to send you into this new and inspiring week. May we all find afire love.

Darling hold me in your arms the way you did last night

And we'll lie inside, a little while he wrote

I could look into your eyes until the sun comes up

And we're wrapped in light, in life, in love

Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut

For they're designed to be together

With your body next to mine our hearts will beat as one

And we're set alight, we're afire love

xxx

Battles and Wars

It's incredible how many excuses I can come up with in my head when I'm afraid of doing something. Music has always been the language I've understood…from the age of three my favourite spot in our home was our stereo and a pair of headphones that were way too big for me. But every time I put them on and played whatever tape or CD I was able to get my hands on, I felt like I entered a different world. A world that didn't discriminate, didn't judge and welcomed me every time with open arms. Growing up, fear and insecurities began to creep into my heart, convincing me that those moments at the stereo weren't that special at all. That real musicians did this and that and I was rather average compared to all these other geniuses. Right there I should have realised how foolish those thoughts were, but my premature self-confidence didn't know how to stand up for myself. I've been peeling back the layers of those lies and insecurities, one by one, and I'm amazed how much I've hidden myself behind them. Scared that if I show my true colours, I won't be accepted. 

But if I'm not myself, I'm nothing at all. Now, for the first time, I'm really working on my music in the studio. It's the most wonderful and scary thing I've ever done in my life. I have weeks where I'm beyond ecstatic and then weeks, like this past one, where I'm wrestling with the thoughts that kept me captive for years. But even if I lose some battles, I will win this war.

We all have those areas in our hearts that are so sensitive and important that we are faced with the option of either hiding them out of fear or embracing them and releasing them, just as they were designed to. We live in a time and season where a lot of the impossibilities of the past have been broken and we can build on the achievements of those gone before us. Many of us have the privilege of living in free countries, our lives filled with abundance, but that is not the finish line. There are still so many inventions to be discovered, creations to be built, and art to be set free. The most beautiful thing about our dreams are, that their sole purpose is not only to make us happy and give us a feeling of achievement, but they are placed in us for us to shape this world. The greatest dreamers also left the greatest marks in history. Whether or not you're able to think outside of your own circumstances, your life has been intended to impact others around you. My friend sent me this quote from the TV-series Nashville: "It's not yours to throw away." Our lives are far too valuable to be thrown away simply because of fear. We are created for greatness, the miracle of life and our being proves that. It's our responsibility to carry that weight, face the risks and fears standing before us and walk into those battles. Even if some of them might be lost, you can win the war.

xxx

Photos by Adriana Dobrin

Turtleneck: Banana Republic

Skirt: Zara

Coat: Zara

Shoes: Dr.Martens

Bag: Michael Kors

(w)healthy wednesdays

Good Morning to you, my wonderful reader!

I'm glad to introduce you to my new blog subject: (w)healthy wednesdays! As the title suggests, health is the core of these posts and I wanted to add a little w to it, since I think health is our wealth. My journey has been quite a colourful one, especially because I've been such an all or nothing girl. Health to me is not just a diet or dress size, but my approach to it is more holistic. I don't count calories or deny myself every bit of fun and if you're a follower of my Instagram feed, you'll see that I'll take the freedom of going with the moment at times. But I think we have been blessed with such magnificent bodies that taking care of it should be common sense. Personally I didn't understand that until I learned to value myself from the inside out. I think that everything we believe on the inside naturally reflects on the outside and the way we treat ourselves exposes those beliefs. Because of our societies obsession on appearance, health is often linked with looking a certain way and that being the sole motivation for making any changes. I honestly don't think that those kind of exterior motivators can build a wholesome foundation for big lifestyle changes and quite frankly, they rarely fuel enough to make those changes permanent (unless you're incredibly self-disciplined or somewhat obsessed). Being healthy is not some quick fix, super diet, loose 10kg in a week kind of foolishness. I don't have all the answers, I'm not a "professional" and I don't want to make it seem like I am. I just want to invite you to be part of my journey of pursuing health and share about what has worked for me, what makes me passionate about this subject and why I think we all should highly value it.

My posts are going to vary from my thoughts on nutrition to stress and everything in between, also working through it on a deeper lever than just the general how-tos. I eat a gluten and dairy free diet (which I am going to go into further detail in upcoming posts) because that's what works best for me right now. So today I wanted to share my favourite breakfast recipe. I'm not a chef, which you'll come to notice, and I promise you that all the recipe's I'll share are going to be simple enough for anyone to prepare, with this one falling perfectly into that category.

In english this is called overnight-oats but the Finnish translation works better with my recipe, which is fresh-porridge (tuorepuuro), because instead of letting it soak overnight I make it in the morning and let it prepare for however long it takes me to get ready. My mother taught me this trick long before all the raw-food hype, because she never liked the traditional cooked oat porridge, and I've been a fan ever since (thanks Mami:)). The best part of it is, that you can spice it up exactly the way you like. Fresh berries, fruit, seeds, nuts, cocoa nibs and powders all work great and the list of add-ons is endless. The oats and chia seeds create the perfect base, but if your not a fan of chia seeds or don't have them at hand, you can make this with just oats as well. In upcoming posts I'm also going to explain more about subjects like super foods, why I eat them and if they're even necessary.

This is the version I'm currently obsessing about:

0,5 dl (1/4 cup) Oats

2 Tbsp Chia Seeds

1 Tbsp Rice Protein Powder (chocolate flavoured)

1 Tbsp Bee Pollen

1,5 dl (2/3 cup) milk (I use rice, oat or almond milk)

Mix all the dry ingredients in the cup, pour the milk and let the oats and chia seeds absorb the fluid until it's the consistency you like (for me 15min does the trick). Enjoy!

I hope you'll find (w)healthy wednesdays just as exciting as I feel about writing them! If you're left with any questions or thoughts you want to share, feel free to comment below :)

xxx

Music Monday

Valentines Day came and went, bringing me a lot of thoughts to ponder on. In Finland Valentines Day is not really celebrated as the day of lovers but of friends and even the name of the day is Friendship Day. Our Valentines Day was different this year due to sudden changes of plans. Flowers, gifts and special date arrangements are all wonderful and I'm definitely one who loves to be spoiled with my husband pursuing me. Having a break from the ordinary is something we all need from time to time, but yesterday led me to meditate on what love is really about.
I stumbled upon this quote: "How do you love when love is not returned? Real love doesn't look for a return. It loves for the sheer sake of loving…" We all have the need to be loved and being in relationships where those needs are never met isn't healthy, but the essence of love is exactly this; to lay ones life for another. The past years in our marriage I've began to realise that instead of making sure that my needs are met, I've shifted the focus on making sure that I'm loving my husband well. Obviously I still communicate my needs clearly, but whether those needs are met or not, there's never an excuse for me to turn off my love for him. I'm lucky to have a man with the greatest and sweetest heart I know and loving him is my privilege. Getting to the point of loving for the sheer sake of loving and really not expecting anything in return is something I'm still learning, but the shift it brings to a relationship is very real. As I've stated before, love is the most powerful force in this world, but to get to dive into it and experience it in all it's fullness requires sacrifice and vulnerability. Sacrifice in letting go of selfishness and vulnerability in opening up to other person and giving the greatest gift, love, even with the risk of not getting it in return. But the reward far overweighs the cost.

I think I could go on forever with this subject and I know I'll never stop writing about it, but to get you to hear todays song I'll have stop at some point. :) Todays pick is old school and goes well with the subject. Aaliyah had the chance to only put out two albums, but both of them have been on a constant rotation on my playlists. I love this song because of it's simplicity and her silky smooth vocals. It really is the perfect love song for any date night. And now it's finally time for you to get to enjoy it as well!



xxx

Spring Will Come

Picking out this outfit I felt like I wanted to rebel. Rebel against the endlessly grey weather with its "freezing drizzle" (that was the name for the day on my weather app when we took these pics), rebel against the all black outfits I've slid into and make a declaration: Spring will come. For now it's only in my heart, but soon I'll be hearing those birds sing and feel the sun on my skin. As I was walking against an insanely strong wind that numbed my face and limbs, I had a moment of realisation. Surviving these cold and dark winter months with a joyful and positive attitude makes me strong. For those of you who have always lived in a sunshine state this might sound foreign, but the concept in general is that when things that keep you in your comfort zone are taken away, you have to learn new ways of living and it's exactly those moments and seasons that build us up like no other. The past fall and winter have been very challenging. A lot of some previously self-evident comforts have been pulled away and at times I've felt on the edge of things. But in the midst of it all I've had the chance to learn…learn how to stand still when the storms are raging. How to abide in peace when nothing seems to go as planned. How to rejoice even before the tide turns. 

We are often taught to avoid pain, risks and anything that might shake our serenity. Obviously there's no point in throwing yourself under a bus (please never do that), but there are seasons in our lives where if we want to go further and grow, we have to walk towards the pain and make choices that won't have a guaranteed happy ending. I've learned that when I'm feeling pain, instead of numbing it with a busy schedule or mindless TV, it usually is an opportunity for me to develop. The most painful and scariest things in my life have turned into the most fruitful, if I've allowed myself to walk through the process. My attitude is what defines wether these seasons of adversities become a discouragement, slowing me down or a new strength, releasing new life inside of me. We can read countless stories of successful people who had to walk through fire to get to where they are now. I don't think that's a coincidence. It's those very moments that prepared them for what was ahead. 

If you feel like you're walking through fire at the moment, don't give up. This is your moment to dig a deeper well and learn to live from the inside out. This problem in front of you is basically your next upgrade. Don't let the way things seem pull you under, but make your declaration, whatever that looks like for you, that spring will come. 

xxx

Photos by Adriana Dobrin

Dress: H&M

Down Jacket: Lindex

Beanie: Carhartt

Shoes: Ralph Lauren

Crossbody: Kipling

Music Mondays

I'm a sucker for great covers and this one fits that category perfectly. Sam Smith received the crown of winning the most grammy's at last nights awards and for a person who was barely heard of a year ago, that's really an achievement. I had my bets on Sia, since her album moved me in a way that I haven't experienced in a while, but in the end it's just one opinion against another. For some reason we have this need of placing everything into a ranking order…who achieved the most? Who is the smartest? Who has the most followers? 

Competition can be healthy, pushing us to work harder and getting inspired by other peoples achievements, but so many things in life can't be measured just that simply. How can we evaluate creativity? Was Picasso more skilful than Rembrandt? If we reduce creativity to just technicalities we are blinded of its true essence, which is the ability to touch us in a way logic or reason never could. True art is able to completely override our thought process and move us deeper by impacting our hearts. It's such a lie to think that creativity is only for people who know how to make a living of it. Every single culture on this planet has art intwined into their everyday lives but somehow in our western (or is it just Finnish?) culture we've separated ourselves from it, only to run after money and effectiveness. I'm always saddened to hear when schools save money by reducing funds from the arts. Whether arts are your profession or not, I think we all have a need to express ourselves creatively and if that feature in us is diminished, we won't be able to live at our full potential. We would be suppressing our very nature and reduce our abilities considerably. 

I once read an article on a class of young students who wrote letters to different authors and Kurt Vonnegut was the only one to reply. His response was pretty simple but it impacted me incredibly. He told the students to "practise any art...no matter how well or badly, not to get money or fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow." Then he asked them to write a poem, making it as good as one can, tear it into pieces and discard them into widely separated trash recepticals. The reward of doing that is in experiencing becoming, learning what's on the inside and making the soul grow.

What's on the inside can't be measured or ranked, it's rather invaluable. We prosper as our soul prospers. Experiencing becoming by seeing the work of our own hands is life at it's best. So better start working on that poem :)

xxx

Ps. You can find the authors full response here.

Mud Walk

This week has been a rougher one. Going after my dreams and running fearlessly towards those goals might seem fancy or special, but in reality it sometimes resembles more walking through knee high mud than dancing in flowery fields. Taking risks means putting yourself into a vulnerable position and that's exactly what I've felt like…vulnerable. I realised that that's the emotion I have to get used to. I've often thought that when I make it to this point or I achieve these goals, I'm going to be good and everything will be easier, but it couldn't be further from the truth. As a dreamer (which we are all created to be) I will come up with new, even bigger dreams after achieving the first ones. Even though at that point I will have some victories in my personal history to pull from, I'll still have to push myself to the edge, again, to fly even higher. So no, it won't get any easier, quite the opposite. With greater achievements comes greater responsibilities and challenges. My part is not to fight off these feelings, but to find my peace in the midst of them. I'm learning how to enjoy the uncomfortable.

Having people backing me up has been one of the most important factors on this journey. If it wasn't for the uncountable encouraging words, ass-kicking pushes and loving advice, I would have given up before I even started. None of us are supposed to make it on our own. Even if you're a hundred precent confident in what you're doing and feel like you can do it all by yourself, you still need people to cover your blind spots if you want to secure your place. We all have our moments of feeling overwhelmed, letting that fear creep in with it's poisonous lies and that's when we need someone reminding us of the truth. I've found out that it's not weakness to need others, but strong people know when their resources are low and aren't afraid of asking for help. At times that can be the most productive thing to do. Building that core group around you, who you can trust through thick and thin, is a crucial step towards your full potential. Without the people in my life, I wouldn't be where I am today and I know I couldn't go where I'm heading...

And the day came

When the risk it took

To remain tight and closed in the bud

Was more painful

Than the risk it took to bloom

This is the element of freedom.

~Alicia Keys

xxx

Photos by Adriana Dobrin

Leather Jacket: Zara

Wool Sweatshirt: Zara

Leather  Pants: Rock'n'Blue

Boots: Aldo

Bag: Calvin Klein

Music Mondays

In honour of last nights Super Bowl I decided to choose a half time show for tonights Music Mondays. Super Bowl is pretty much the biggest event in the US and being the star of the night means you have arrived. Performing to a packed stadium and millions of people watching live (Katy Perry had an audience of over 100 million people last night) is a dream come true for many of us. Michael Jackson tore it down in 1993 (only the king can stand still for over a minute and have a crowd go crazy) and legends like U2, Prince and the Rolling Stones have left their mark with their historic performances. But today I wanted it to be about fun. Music can be an outlet for all kinds of emotions and world changing ideologies, but in the end it's supposed to spring forth from enjoyment. When you do what you love, it can be felt in the production and I think music looses it's essence when it's created with only a greed for money and fame. To me music is something divine and sacred, but also the most natural expression of life. Music doesn't belong only to a chosen few, but we all carry a unique sound in us. There is no culture on this planet that doesn't have music and it seems like it is written into our DNA. So whether you love to sing in the shower and want to keep it there or are an aspiring artist, keep enjoying the gift of music. Feel the power of releasing those tunes and the joy of producing your own melodies. That's what music is about. Reducing it to how many records have been sold or how many singles made it to number one is like defining life by how many likes you get on Instagram, pure silliness.

So I picked Bruno Mars' performance today because the love for music is so evident in it. Everything about this show is effortless and you can see how they enjoyed every minute of it. I hope you enjoy it just as much!

xxx