Monday, 23 October 2017

Fitness: Workouts: Fullbody Resistance HIIT Workout


Hello Autumn buddies!

One of my most favourite progress shots.
Hope all of you are fine, healthy and on your way to achieve your goals!
Today's article is a Fullbody Resistance HIIT Workout I constructed and tried yesterday.
 I combined some of the most well-known bodyweight exercises along with some resistance ones under a HIIT pattern.
I tried this workout together with one of my Personal Training clients whose fitness level is Beginner and she completed the entire program successfully.
I think most of you will be able to complete it, but note that it will be a challenging one, pretty hot and fast.
It's constructed of two basic exercise sequences , part A and B, each one repeated 2 times.
We're basically aiming for supersets with none to minimum rest in between exercises followed by some rest at the end of each circle.
If you find it tough enough to begin with, try 1 circle of part A and 1 circle of part B instead but try to work on the superset pattern.

Let's answer some FAQ around it:

Where to perform this routine?

Basically anywhere. It can be done at the gym, at a park even in your own house. Just make sure you're having enough space, free of dangerous objects to eliminate the risk of accidents. It would be a perfect option to find a place you can concentrate with as less interruptions as possible.


What's the duration of this program?

Well this is really subjective, depending on your efficiency, speed and rest time. Invest some time to feel comfortable and not stressed about the clock.


Is there any equipment required?

Yes, you will need an elastic resistance band and a dumbbell (one of 2-3kg will do the work). If you don't own any dumbbells, a heavy but small sized object will do the trick. Just make sure it's SOLID, steady, handy and allows you to have complete control over your movements.























Is it suitable for beginners?

Absolutely. As stated before, I tried this workout with a beginner level client, It was a hard challenge but she made it. However, everyone is different so there is a possibility that someone is not ready to complete the entire session at once. In that case he can try just 1 circle per part to focus more on growing his resistance under the HIIT pattern. For intermediates, I insist on being strict around supersets and rest time. If you repeat this workout some time later or you are an advanced level person, try increasing your reps, use heavier weights and increase your speed. If you're advanced and crave a strong burn aim for 2 circles of part A, 2 circles of part B and again 1 circle of A and 1 circle of B.


Any tips around it?

Well if you choose an outdoor place, which is a good thing as fresh air and an outdoor environment tend to really refresh the mind, make sure you're finding a stable place to workout. Be aware of the dirt around and it would be a good option to have some workout gloves to protect your palms. We chose a park for this session so we had a lot of dirt around us while performing ground exercises (such as planks). Some music would also be nice to keep you cheerful during the process. If you don't have a training buddy, maybe spot on the duration of the songs on your playlist to estimate your training and rest time. Keep an eye on your breathing.

So, let's go for it !


Click on each exercise to view the hyperlink of how to perform it.




*Warm up* 
 Try your usual warm up routine. It can be some jogging, cycling, walking and dynamic stretching or whatever works best for you.


PART A

Burpees (12 reps)
Jumping Jacks (60sec)
Plank (15sec)
Push ups (15reps)
Jumping Squats (12reps)
Plank (20sec)



PART B

Lunges (12reps per leg)
Resistance band side kick (12 reps per leg)
Plank (15sec)

*2-3 minutes low intensity cardio*

*Stretching*
You can find my related article on stretching here



That's how I looked after this session. The Phantom of the Opera itself.

This is a wonderful sunset I captured prior to this workout. Dumbbell power.


That's where this super hot workout ends. If you give it a shot, leave me a feedback of your experience, post-workout results and suggestions. I will be posting more workout plans in the near future so make sure you'll have an eye here frequently. Don't hesitate to follow me on Instagram to get daily insights on my nutrition/workout/health tips and announcements of my new updates. You can find my contact information below to ask your questions, request articles, share your thoughts and make your suggestions, feel free to express yourselves! Have a lovely week full of pumps and progress my dearest people!
Take care.
Love,
Irina



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Saturday, 16 September 2017

Motivation: We are what we choose to become

Hello to every single person here!

 It's a lovely Saturday today and I found some time to post a new update about mentality's impact in our lives. To begin with, I was having my breakfast today while processing some thoughts in my mind. I made a relevant Instagram post, where I wrote down the main idea I had in mind, which will be the initial brick to compose this article. The post goes like this:

Photo taken from my latest personal self-project. Copyrights reserved.
" Amazing how do things and people change. 
Amazing how you can either improve yourself or destroy your good parts just by manifesting the energy around you. 
Impressive how each person's will is so strong that can either help him grow in a hostile environment or get fucked up even though everything around him is fertile and optimum. There are no boundaries after all.

There might be some, physically, but for sure the mental aspect contributes far more.
If you have the mentality of a winner, you will eventually win. If you have the mentality of mediocrity you'll always be around it.
What is more interesting here is how does the same person swing not only in between stages but also on the edges. 
We are what we choose to be. "


 I will stand on the last two sentences. It is true that we all, as human beings, do not have the absolute emotional stability. We get through introvertial and extrovertial phases, we elevate between cheerful days and dull ones, we make good and bad choices (referring to their outcome), we make mistakes but that's alright. That's what the journey is about. It's about to mature, learn and realize both our own selves and whatever consists our further environment (in terms of interaction). So what's the case here? It is normal and healthy to have period swaps. What I do not seem to get is how can someone swing from the one edge to the other. Of course, It is a matter of choice. Not completely a conscious , controlled one, but always a choice. 

No body's born perfect and nobody has to be. The regular/positive/healthy flow of things commands that a person grows inside out, tries, experiences, in order to learn. Then as he matures, he can consciously process the valuable lessons he got through experiencing in order 1) not to repeat the same mistakes , 2) to use them on his own benefit to improve the quality of his life and 3) handle as efficiently as he can the circumstances around him. 

Though, this is not the easiest thing in this world as usually this flow gets interrupted by critical facts, emotional pressure and personal factors leading to a non-grammical route. That's how the ups and downs mentioned above are justified. If we zoom out and take a pace of year(s), we can easily notice that most of these "interruptions" don't even matter after some time. The sub-periods might have ups and downs but what matters most is the general progress you make overall. Each time you hit your pick, you are able to observe everything clearly, you get stronger to overcome the next puddle you will face. Every time you work your ass off to pass through the puddle you get wiser, your mind state rises, your conscious mind gets bolder and more efficient to handle everything better and better, serving your own well being. Every individual is different and as a result the time required to proceed to the next, higher level mentally can not be the same for everyone, which is completely fine. What is not fine is the lack of progress. Not the pompous one. Even the slightest step of improvement is progress. That is where mentality plays it's role on this multidimensional show we call "LIFE".

We can not avoid sadness, we can not avoid tiredness, we can not avoid negative people, bad luck, traumatic experiences, despair or anything unpleasant forever. All these are a part of life, all these have a purpose and it is all a matter of how we choose to respond. Gradually, we observe and understand the scars all these leave, we understand the dynamic between ourselves and them, we realize that things -and most importantly inner peace and happiness- , are more a matter of our own conscious choice rather than a sum of unstable factors. Our feelings, our daily routine, our moments are all a result of the choices we make with what we have. The longterm attitude we develop is who we ARE.

As I mentioned above, there are indeed people who are in the least beneficial state, however, they take charge of themselves. They don't live an illusion, they know how to evaluate the circumstances and then they CHOOSE wisely to use everything, even the negative parts, to gain something valuable for their journey. These people are the same who survived the worst and when they meet the best, they 1) appreciate everything a thousand times more, 2) ENJOY all the goodness they have around, 3) flourish- as they do not consume as much energy to struggle and fix everything anymore. Since things are fine they enjoy them and use all this spare energy to do whatever refills their energy tank and uplifts their soul. In simple terms, they ALLOW themselves to be happy, work hard and GET BETTER. This didn't happen overnight, they suffered, they got through fire and flames but they chose to become this. These are the WINNERS.

On the other side of the coin, there are persons who might have the most possibly fertile soil and all the optimal conditions to grow but they don't. This does not cover the little periods in between peaks, -in fact- these are rarely friendly and easy to deal with. The persons I am talking about are those who refuse to take a step forward despite the fact that the road is smooth and clean. They are those who have always been this way or they have suffered, been traumatized but never really overcame their pain. The trickiest part here is that they usually swear they got over what stained their hearts, they might even got over the particular facts, but the sad truth is that something remained. The energy, the way they felt about themselves, the impression of themselves and eventually, what really got stained is their eyes. 

When you are really done with your past, it has no single power on you anymore. In other words, it does not cause any negative effect in your present life. For sure, a significantly negative fact will never be a pleasant topic to discuss but this is far different from carrying the fear, preoccupation, judgement and arrogance of it with you today. Whether they realize it or not, they live an illusion. They have the privilege of a clear sunny sky above and instead of going out to enjoy the precious sunlight they craved for so long, they stay in - just in case it rains. They go out fully covered, carrying two umbrellas and they remain static under a shelter instead of going out and run freely on the clear sunny field. In case it rains. This extreme precaution is a result of fear not only of the possible traumatic fact of their lives (= the rain, used in our metaphorical example) to take place again but also caused due to the lack of self confidence that they will be able to make it through. They hide themselves behind the "safety" of their so called "foresight" to justify their inability to just deal with this system which includes a percentage of rain. So what do we have here? Individuals who swear they got over the pain but still act like they are afraid and sure they will crush in case they face it. If they had really been free from all these, they would run outside, seize this sunny and rare day, enjoy it at the maximum possible degree, appreciate every single ray of light touching their skin in a multiple level. They would rise up themselves, they would be hopeful, energized and uplifted. They would be WINNERS. Instead, they don't. 

They prefer to shrink in their virtual "comfort zone", miss all the fun out there, choosing not to enjoy what they lacked for so long and eventually be miserable in a mediocre sterilized routine. But you know what? The more "sterilized" the environment you stay longterm, the more your immunity weakens. What does this mean is simple words? The more you accept mediocrity in your life and the more you cage yourself in your "safety" walls, not really taking risks out of your safe zone, the more your ability to understand and enjoy happiness and life itself, weakens. Then comes a day, you have all you ever wanted but you are not happy. You have more than you could ask for, but you don't really appreciate them in your heart. You might be able to recognize them and even acknowledge your luck to have them but they mean nothing to you. You might have a thousand reasons to feel bold feelings, get a crazy heartbeat, experience the greatest of moments and all the conditions to shape all of your dreams but instead you stay still. You don't feel it. You don't really work for it. You are not letting it happen. Why? Because you forgot how to live. You just exist. You encircled yourself in a safe environment without critical ups and downs, not letting yourself free of doubts, fear, preoccupation, insecurities when you had the best conditions to do so, you didn't live it. You just missed one more sunny day, no matter if it's the only one or the first of a row. And you are fine with it. This is the mentality of mediocrity.



Don't settle with this. Stand up.
 It's your life and you are the
only one who can let the sunlight in again.
You can make it.
For sure a mediocrity oriented person can finally end up as a winner through maturing process and most importantly after his own will to evolve so. How can a winner end up like a miserable mediocre person in long terms? No matter the disappointment, the pain or suffering he always had features which he gained through fighting that made him a winner by a long term applied attitude. They have always been here. Why did he accept this state? Why did he ruin them? It was a choice. A choice not always clear, even to his own eyes, frequently camouflaged behind exhaustion and emotional frost. Such people think that this is the reason they are stuck in this state. A state which they even view as a short phase, something definitely not true considering the already excessive part of it in their life's timeline, talking on a wider scale. Do you know why? It is wrong because if it was a temporary puddle, their mentality wouldn't allow them to be neutral around it, accept it for so long, missing the entire point, missing life. This would be the strongest push to overcome it. Waking up one day, been missing all the blessing around because they let them go, they didn't charge to enjoy, mentain and evolve them. 


It is finally a choice. Not always an absolutely conscious and controlled one, but still, always a choice. What do you choose to become?

It's about living it. Make it a well handled, pleasant and rich experience. 



No epilogues for today. I wish you to remain with the last question i made above.
Hope you are all doing good and you found some value on this.
Find me through the contact info below - I'm open to your feedback and suggestions.
Take care,
Irina






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Tuesday, 5 September 2017

Nutrition: Recipes: Homemade Healthy Donuts


Hello September, hello Autumn!

Welcome back dear friend. My favourite part of the year is approaching so I'm super excited. What's the best way to celebrate the new season? Welcoming it with an extra sweet article and of course new  blog layout ❤


Fitness: Nutrition: Recipes: Homemade Healthy Donuts



Two weeks ago, I decided to make my own homemade donuts. The reason is that industrial ones are full of sugar (and i don't even know what else), their nutrition value is pretty low so they're a bunch of (heavenly) delicious bites which offer nothing valuable to our organism, they do not contribute to our health maintainance aaaaaand if consumed on a regular basis they are really harmful.

Brightside? I decided to look up at some recipes and substitute almost all the ingredients with the healthiest alternative i had in my cupboards. I was pretty unsure about this attempt since it was the first time I would make donuts and I didn't know how the substitutions would work since their structure was different than the original ingredients. I experimented and the result was this.....



They were extremely delicious, fluffy, healthy and i prefered them better than any donut I've tasted before. I posted this photo on Instagram, where a lot of people messaged me for the recipe. I decided to create this article so all of you who love this type of treats while taking care of your body or are into fitness and stuff can enjoy a healthy alternative.

To get started: The Ingredients

  • 200mL lowfat milk (can be almond/coconut/whatever milk you prefer- I used lactose free)
  • 1 envelop. dried yeast
  • 50gr honey (another alternative can be 25gr of honey + 25gr of coconut sugar or stevia or anything you use)
  • 2 vanillines
  • 2 egg yolks (you can also substitute this if you are vegan)
  • 30gr lowfat butter (or almond/peanut butter to enhance the protein intake and add a lovely flavor)
  • Orange and/or lime zest (i used orange)
  • 330-350gr black whole wheat flour (you can substitute even a part of it with carob powder)
*would be good to have some more flour in stock to help the dough sheet making.
  • Oil for deep frying

*Optional: you can also add some WHEY Protein powder inside if you want. I didn't because I didn't want to affect the flavor and the donuts wouldn't be consumed by me so It wasn't necessary to be high in protein. If you workout regularly i insist of using some vanilla WHEY to make sure you're not ruining the taste.

The equipment:
  • A rolling pin
  • A large bowl
  • Cellophane
  • A large cup
  • A shot cup

The process: Instructions

Use a large bowl to mix the butter (it has to be molten), vanillines and milk all together. Up next comes the zest (you can also put some drops of the orange juice for extra scent) along with the egg yolks and dried yeast. 

You need to stir them with some intensity to allow the yeast form bubbles in the mixture. 

Start adding the flour gradually. You need to perfectly blend each portion of it before you add the rest in order to form an elastic, smooth, coherent and easy-to-use dough. Let the dough sit in a warm place for aprox. 1,5 hour. 

*I wrapped it with cellophane and placed it in the oven (it was off) to ensure a slightly warm temperature.

After 1,5 hour of sitting, your dough is ready to use. With the help of some extra flour and a rolling pin, you need to form a dough sheet of aprox. 2cm thickness. Use the big cup to form your donuts and then the shot cup to create the whole in the middle. Gather the dough leftovers, blend them all together and keep repeating until you use it all.





*I created most of my donuts out of a little thinner dough but they still turned out lovely, just not as huge as the 2cm ones. 

In the pan you can see how fluffy they get❤

Then comes the deep frying. Do not freak out. These donuts do not absorb any oil, I tested that. I placed them on a tray with a lot of paper to absorb the extra oil right after the pan. 
Frying time: 3minutes on the one side and 1 minute on the other until they get a caramel colour.

Dry your donuts with the paper and then you are ready to optionally add some filling and top them by your own preference. I made some with chocolate/bisquit topping, others with strawberry/blueberry jam.bisquit and sugar powder and some with honey and cinnamon (the ones i ate). As for the filling, nutella and jams slip easier inside the donut so they're more preferable.

I ate these: Honey, cinnamon & some spare powdered sugar









Other suggestions: 

Unfortunately when this idea cross my mind my kitchen was kind of empty so I couldn't really use a lot of things. If i had the chance I would definitely try topping combos such as: dark molten chocolate + peanut butter , strawberry jam (or paste) with powdered coconut, honey + lime zest, honey + peanut butter + linseed/nuts.


Chocolate & Bisquit Porn ❤

Super duper fluffy ^_^























Conclusion:

Strawberry/Raspberry jam, bisquit & powdered sugar
I really loved the texture, they were fluffy, delicious, really special for the orange scent which was always present but not overlaying everything. 

It is a great daily source of carbs and can satisfy your sweet tooth while offering some nutrients to your body. 

The feedback I had from all who tasted was glorious so I'm definitely making them again. If you do so, I'd love to see yours too! Feel free to send them or post them & tagging me. :) 




Thanks again for visiting my blog. Make sure you have an eye on my Instagram since I post nutrition related posts everyday ;) Have a sweet week and stay tuned for more posts! September will be really productive!
Love,
Irina




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Thursday, 6 July 2017

In the light of an elf

Hello lovely creatures.❤

I am really proud and happy to publish this article as I've been working on it for some time. It has been a concept in my mind for months and it's finally ready to see the light. Which light? The light of an elf. Because in this article, I have the honour to host a person I admire not only for his skills but also for his energy, something that doesn't happen frequently.


Jocke Leandro Johansson. All content is taken from his personal social media accounts and all copyrights are reserved to him.


A few words about Jocke


I gave a hint of his presence here, on a previous post but now It's time to present him properly. The word's about Jocke Leandro Johansson or well-known as "Arendir"- the Elf. Jocke is the (elf) guitarist of the great power metal band "Twilight Force" which was the initial cause to discover him. I've been listening to this band, i loved their songs and at last i had the luck to watch them live (March 2017). That was a memorable moment  as I didn't only enjoy the concert the way it was but I also felt a really unusual flow of energy across my body and mind. The band's performance was lovely and the audience could easily get into their spirit but what was significant, for me at least, was the energy flowing out of Jocke. I could see a guitarist who didn't just play speed solos and epic riffs. He was epic enough to perform with his elf ears and clothes giving the impression of a free and crazy spirit, really close to my way of thinking. He had half of his face covered during his performance, yet I received how passionate he was along with the fact that I somehow sensed there is a lot of depth behind the looks. That's the reason he was able to create such an atmosphere and pass this type of vibes. The few rare times I've experienced this feeling before, it came from persons who were highly self-aware and had spent time working on their mental existence too. I was really inspired and decided to discover more about who Jocke is, inside. That's the point when the Idea of this article was born.

It didn't take long until I realised my instinct was right. Upon some conversations, my respect on his face was increased because i could spot the work he had done on himself. His positivity and bright light were not a reflection of an easy and perfect life. They are the medals he wears after a lot of hard work day after day, rising up and fighting the struggles of life. We all suffer, we all have flaws and weaknesses, we all bend through hard times (short or long term). The way he acts and treats people is so gentle, honest, real and pure. And that's what i call "gold" in mental terms. Shoutout to the souls out there that keep on helping, supporting, encouraging both themselves and the others, to those who struggle but on the same time remain gentle and kind, to those who release a lot of light to brighten other souls' paths.






It was really comforting to feel this connection with a person of same mentality as mine and I was lucky enough to share and exchange thoughts. I got really inspired and motivated to hold on my goals and of course to keep working hard on this blog and provide help and support to all in need. It recharged my energy deposits so I got a spiritual lift which allowed me to be even more productive and optimistic after some facts that discouraged me.


So, long story short, I decided to share a few details about Jocke with you as I consider him one of the most motivational persons I met.

He deserves to be known and I hope you will feel inspired as I did.

Here is a different type of interview between me and Jocke.

 As you will notice the questions are not the typical band related ones. These info can be dragged out of the Internet at any time.

What I'd like to show here is who Jocke is, as a soul.

What's behind his constant smile and spirituality.



1.      Jocke Leandro or... Arendir? Is the character you perform close/similar to how Jocke thinks and vibes in real life?

To me a nickname is more pesonal/funny than the classic human names, like for example how the indians named thier children, its more specific to the person. The funny thing is that the lore of our characters has some truth about our life baked in to it, i think mine has the most with the love for trees, lakes and nature and the feeling of being the black(white:)) sheep of my family, sometimes my dad jokes about me being a kid droped by the stork.


2.      You appear to be really positive and optimistic through your constant smile. Which are your sources of energy/strength and motivation/inspiration?

      Hard one, i think the main reason is that i have the privilege to live my passion, who wouldn't be happy then? I even do that with the people i love playing with! And of course i get happy to see the eyes of the people in the audience and meet them afterwards. It's an emotional chain that works. I put effort in what i like to do, and you get appreciation in responce. thats a currency with higher value than money!


3.      You mentioned you’re keen in psychology, there is for sure visible spirituality around you. How has this “journey” affected your life? Did you change (for example: habits) through the process?

      Wow, its visible? crap... maybe thats why some people call me a hippie, just kidding :)

      This journey has made me feel like my life has come to a point when i finaly feel home. so in a way it feels like the opposite of changing my life since ive spend all my life preparing/traning/working towards this kind of life in an enviroment that didn't feelt like mine. even though i would never identify as my new life cuz things can change and life is more complex than just what we do even though we get to live our passion.


4.      Living a life where you can do something you really seem to love and be passionate about (guitar playing) is the highest dream for some persons. Through this intense lifestyle, do you have other dreams?

      Prefect follow-up Question, yes i have a dream wich involves the concept of what is "nice" to have, and what is "need" to have in life, cuz when you give up something you always gain something. sorry for the vague answer but the big dream of mine will be revealed shortly!

      I can add that a thought tough, the things we earn money to buy is mostly items to save time in everyday life or to be entertained, yet we are stressed out or asses more than ever.. The balance between life and work is very unbalanced in my opinion...


5.      After an exhausting day/week/period, which are the thoughts Jocke makes to find calmness?

      I usualy go out and sleep in the forest either alone or with friends depending on the season. and physical training is also good to ease stress. Or sometimes i just listen to my self and try to figure out what i need to do in that moment, could be either something of the things i metioned before or it can just be watching a great movie, or just a walk.  


6.      Which is the strongest lesson your took for yourself so far?


       The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.



7.      What expresses your soul better leading you to inner peace? Fire, Earth, Air or Water?

     All four. maybe even a fifth. its like the same way you need 3 components to make a fire... heat, air and fuel.



Thank you so much for your time, answers and great co-operation Jocke! 


That was it for today. I am so delighted to present and host one of my inspiration sources on my blog.
I really hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did and you got motivated to extract your inspiration in order to improve yourself and get creative. Find souls that match yours and exchange positivity. Our world needs more of it. Always remember to love and be gentle with yourselves, embrace your special features just as much as you want someone else to do so.
Stay tuned for more upcoming content. Till then chase your dreams, dare to be the way you want to and take care.
 Much love,
Irina❤



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Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Motivation: Life Lessons

Heya back!

Me, myself and I a couple of days ago.
This is a sincere highlight of Summer 2017 which affected my way of thinking a lot. I am now looking back at this article (it's been some months; since I published it on late June) and I realize I had no Idea how much this mindset swift would reflect a series of changes and evolution accompanying the end of an Era and the Start of another! So the initial post goes like this:

"June is not just here, it's almost over! A month ago I had a really different plan in mind for June's blog updates, yet life is full of plot twists so here I go with an article I wasn't supposed to compose at the first place. In fact, an experience (not enjoyable at all) made my whole mental existence shake, tested my boundaries and challenged my inner strength to the limits. I had rough days but as I'm always a Self Improvement oriented person, I chose to gather all the data of this experience and turn them into a life lesson for me. That's today's topic: Life Lessons.

What I am about to share today is not the conditions of what I have been through, but the outcome. What I gained out of this mess.

Before entering this drainful situation I was full of energy, hope, motivation and dreams, ready to dive into a different routine, far out of my comfort zone. I had an Ideal background to proceed and that's how i got started. Within a month, the conditions were such to completely challenge my physical and mental response in an increasing pace and mid-June found me totally freaked out, drained and exhausted. I kept on accepting things I shouldn't for a long time, being patient and keeping my temper. I was thoughtful, trying to make the best profitable decision twisting everything in my mind for days to make sure I wouldn't regret anything. Right on this process, the killer shot came and i fed up. INSTANTLY. All these thoughts I've been processing were suddenly solid, forming a sentence: YOU HAD ENOUGH OF THIS. This happened not in a moment of temper loss or under anger. It happened within a moment, when I realised who am I and what I deserve.

I was far away from home (and computer) so in a try to express myself, I composed a small text summing up the inner strength wave i felt, washing out my doubts and fears at that moment.

The text was:

" Well, it takes self awareness to be an efficient and successful warrior. Sometimes it's not about how much you stick into something or how much you want it but about acknowledging your needs and value. Sometimes, sacrificing everything for a reason, a person, a target etc won't bring you success. You have to realise who you are and what you deserve. We are so used to our own features that we forgot how special we are......That's where self awareness kicks in. Knowing where to stop, what's worth it and when you just have to walk away, not because you give up, but because this plate doesn't serve you anymore. There are moments you shouldn't try to "fix it", you're not the reason it doesn't work. But even if you force it and finally get it, it won't matter because it won't be right for you. If it was, it wouldn't make you lose yourself. If it was right, you wouldn't be drained unable to enjoy its whole existence. Sail away."




Truth is, after writing this down, i read it multiple times and I felt extremely strong to defend and protect myself. I realised there's a limit on the parts of ourselves we sacrifice. If something smashes our soul it's not worth it. We have to be solid, content and pure in order to feel complete and happy. Life is not heaven itself. It is full of people and occasions that disrespect you or try to twist the perspective you have of yourself, not always targeting you personally, but just because it is more profitable for them. This applies either economically or personally. It's not the first time I come across with people who are aggressive, unfair, disrespectful in order to feel better through demolishing some body's spirit. It's also a fact that people who feel their spirit broken are far more easily manipulated, a situation that frequently takes place in a working environment.

What about me? I had the ideal potential before entering this situation and maybe that's the reason why even though I felt horrible, I knew I do not deserve this. I was just patient, not in hope that it will change, I was just hopping I will be able to hold on a little more for the sake of my initial goal. That Day, I woke up and felt the flow of energy across my body, for the first time in those days.
I almost had the same appetite for life as the day before I enter all these. I knew that's who I am. That's how i want to be. I stood up on my own feet, pointed out my value, supported myself and took charge of my own happiness and life. I demanded what i deserve. I became fierce and kicked out anything that crossed the line of my self-respect.

Back to reality, this mindset and mental decision came together with a choice and its consequences. It was maybe the first time the conditions were so special that supporting this decision was too difficult according to the resources and further planning. I had maybe a moment of despair but I took a deep breath and reminded myself   "You are strong. You are responsible for yourself and you always find a way to solve things. You are  a Warrior. Act like one." And that was the moment I bravely accomplished everything. This set came with all the possible problems that could occur but still i managed to handle it and make it though. The physical exhaustion and further loss of time and money were nothing compared to the happiness and pride I felt for myself. I gained back a stronger version of myself, more mature and stable. I learnt that any kind of investment can turn into a disaster but this is not the end point. It can be twisted into a significant push up, redirecting you to something better if you choose to treat it this way. I trained myself to spot the tiny glimpse of light across the raging storm, I appreciated even more how valuable the "ordinary" things are and last and most importantly, the most significant gain i had was the feeling of self-security. Surviving one of the hardest situations while being able to solve everything by myself made me feel powerful and brave. I do not feel afraid to risk anymore, I will not limit myself on the next big decision i have in mind. Because now I know, I am not only capable to achieve what i want, but I am also efficient on dealing with whatever comes with it.


That is how I chose to transform a negative experience into a life lesson, extracting positivity and wisdom out of it. Furthermore, i realised that viewing the world from a scope which targets your wellness isn't only a valuable tool for your future and evolution but is a necessary factor to your joy equation, in the present. This point of view helped me recover pretty fast, underlined clearly my needs as well as enhancing my ability to estimate and evaluate situations faster. Being able to understand myself and what I need at each moment leads to decisions and actions which comfort me and serve my happiness in the present too. After all, I concluded that being happy is (at the highest percentage) a matter of our own choice. How we choose to deal with sorrows. Whether the choice is being dramatic and pessimistic or positive and optimistic what happened doesn't change. What will came is also uncertain. But what we have now, is the only thing we're able to control and that's our power. Take as much time as you need to heal and restore  your spirit. Rip out any stain from your glorious soul, you need it pure. Comfort yourself, form an environment of persons, choices and habits that fulfil your heart and mind. Dealing with harsh situations is not a piece of cake and the last thing you need is extras cumbering your back.

 Make yourself a priority, leave the past behind but make sure you move on not with bitterness, drama and confusion, Move on full of life lessons that will support your presence, protect your future and keep your mind in peace. "




I really hope this article offered even the slightest comfort, courage and motivation to your soul. It is a special one for me because everything is too recent and I still sense all the tension while sharing these thoughts with you. Life is full of ups and downs but the stability of the sailor is what guarantees the quality of the journey. Feel free to share your thoughts, questions, recommendations and feedback through the contact info below. Stay tuned for more and take care. 
Love,
Irina




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