It took some time for me to think this through because life is a roller coaster that goes up and down, just like the water ebbs and flows. Everyone has experienced a moment of good, bad, happy and sad within their journey.
I was raised in Sweden by my super strong mom who was single parenting three siblings and me. We had obviously had struggles, but I was young, and I didn’t think much of them. It wasn’t until I moved to the US by myself to go after everything that I had ever wanted to do as a dancer and started this journey of living on my own. The struggles became real.
I’ve always been a pretty positive person. You know, the one in a group that you would catch saying “always look at the bright side.” But when you are trying to be financially independent as an artist in NY and your family is all the way on the other side of the country is not exactly easy.
After graduating from college, it was like I landed in a hole. I was confused and lost, left questioning who I really was and what my purpose was. My insecurity was at it highest point where I couldn’t even handle making a decision for myself about anything, and I did not believe in myself one bit.
This hole that I landed in did not help with my dreams, but I wasn’t even sure if my goals were right for me anymore. At that point, I decided it was time to make some changes, and I ended up meeting with a life coach who helped me with my confidence. Thanks to the amazing woman Aurelia Micheal, I finally had my confidence back.
Now someone can always guide you, but the hardest part is being consistent and sticking with it.
I found my strength in books. I made a goal to read one book a month. The books I read were either motivational or about people’s journeys through life which made me wake up and see that we are all on the roller coaster ride.
You are never really by yourself.
I also find a lot of motivation in quotes. I have them all over my room, and I post one on my social media every day to make sure I share the positivity around. That’s something that keeps me going every day.
Another passion of mine is teaching. I teach dance to children at different studios around the tri-state area, and I love spreading positivity around me as well as my knowledge.
I hope to inspire others just like they inspired me when I needed it most.
Something that became clear during my journey was something that grew into a strong belief, which is that everything happens for a reason. Even if it doesn’t make sense right away, there is always a reason why you were where you were or why certain people came into your life at the particular time.
My other struggle has been holding it together financially as there is so much I want to do as an artist. When I worked full time, I was not able to work on these goals as much as I wanted to. Now there is definitely a possibility to do both because I see people do it all the time. I just never found the balance within the two, and when I did find it, I lost control over my finances.
I even though I believe that everything happens for a reason, I still have to wonder – why me?
Every time I had a career high, I had a financial low. I don’t like to monetize the things that I do but at the end money creates access, and it is also needed to have a roof over our heads.
“Every struggle is a hidden blessing,” is a quote that I recently found and it really resonated with me. As we go on this journey, every time we encounter a struggle, there is always a lesson to learn within it all. That lesson helps us grow towards whatever is coming our way next.
Another thing that helped me to overcome my struggles is a good group of support. People come into your life for a reason as I said earlier and that’s how I found the help that I needed within my friends. Sometimes certain friends just stay for a season in your life to help you through that particular moment of your life. Good or bad, a lesson or a challenge, there is always something you get out of your moments with them.
This is something that it took me a while to learn, and I’m so grateful for my current circle of support. My friends are the ones who have gotten me to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and they have been there as a listening ear when I needed it most.
