In my first post, I talked a lot about drive, passion, and the importance of going after what you want, but along with those things comes some type of pressure, or stress. As AlunaGeorge says it best, “Life can be cruel, if you’re a dreamer.” This line resonates with me because I feel like anyone with a goal, or an ambition, naturally suffers along the way, but I’ve recently realized that it’s healthy and beneficial in the long run to find out what makes me feel calm and self-aware. For me, it has always been important to achieve an equal balance of ambition and peace of mind, and an ability to recognize what is important in life.

During college, I realized that being with my family was what made me feel rooted and also motivated. Having grown up in Tennessee, I knew that I wanted to experience a new city after high school. Little did I know, I would miss the city I grew up in and gain a new appreciation for the things I took advantage of before. The environment is so different compared to LA and now I’m able to appreciate it the way I probably should have before. Of course, more than that it’s seeing my family and my close friends. I’m lucky to have such amazing people in my hometown that I can always come back to and people who make me feel like time hasn’t passed. This past weekend I went to Nashville for my cousin’s wedding. If you’ve never been to an Indian wedding, you need to make some brown friends, fast. I love all weddings, but there’s something about the colors and the clothes and the traditions that makes these ones feel exceptional.

Being with people from your past, the ones who have known you your whole life is really beautiful because to these people, you’re almost the inverse of who you are to the outside world, and as I recently realized, in your professional world. You have a connection that transcends the city you live in or what your job is. You go back to your roots, of just being who you are, and letting go of some of those other things you carry.

When you’re working hard and exerting yourself in any aspect of your life, you need to have a way to bring yourself back to center to keep yourself focused and prevent burn out. The off days are just as important as the days where you bust your ass. For me, it’s being around people like close family and friends that makes me go back to my life with a sense of purpose and identity, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be family or friends or even people. Adopting my puppy, Noomi, and starting this blog have made me feel a new and refreshed sense of purpose. I love practicing yoga because part of what is taught is the importance of using that 45-minutes to disconnect from your world, simply focusing on your body and your breath.

It can be anything. It’s just about finding something that feels like a deep breath of fresh air in your life.