Welcome to the first “Sunday cafe” this year. I’m very happy to continue introducing you to the bunch of unique, inspiring and talented people and friends that I’m surrounded by which are fully “adopted” Finns as myself. đ
Good Sunday morning my darlings! Seeing that you’ve been loving my “Sunday cafe” column and the idea of introducing you to various young and inspiring individuals living in Finland who’re not originally from here is very flattering and motivating. I’m happy to bring in more posts/ guests to my Sunday cafe.
Everybody, please say hello to Jad! It’s been less than a year ago that I’ve met this precious jewel of a friend! Pretty quickly we’ve realised that we had not only many friends in common, but also a lot of personality, dreams and interests that were in common too. đ
I’m truly thankful to have Jad in my life… He’s one of those friends I’d “put my hand in the fire” for! Read on what Jad has to say about himself:
Good Sunday dear readers! I’m back with my Sunday cafe in which I’m happy to present you young and inspiring creative minds which I’ve met here in Finland that aren’t Finnish or in today’s “case” a wonderful persona in form of my brother, somebody who’s been visiting Finland for many years and has been influenced by it in numerous ways.
I have two brothers and I was lucky to have my older brother stay with me for the whole month of November. I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to sit down with this young gentleman and “attack” him with some questions for Sunday cafe. I’m proud of you bro and I love you! This is what he has to say to my “interrogating”:
Good Sunday morning everybody! How are you doing? What are your plans for today? In case that you’re starting your day slowly and have some time to spare, I invite you to meet a new guest on my blog as part of my new section “Sunday cafe” ( read the previous post here ). Meet my lovely friend Rita, a fellow photographer, wonderful young woman with bursting positive energy and an addictive laughter. I call her a Hilary Duff’s twin sister. đ
Good Monday morning everybody! How was your weekend? I hope that you had as much fun and great times as I did. I feel that I was all over the place ever since September started and I’ve been very happy and thankful for that, because I’ve met some incredibly amazing and inspiring people, I’ve spent lots of time with friends, attended some cool events and did tons of work as well as my conceptual photography shooting/ planning and agreeing on the future shoots. I’m set on having an exhibition next year in Spring and if everything goes well and as planned, creating it will keep me very occupied and hopefully on the top of my creative game until the end of this year.
Being of a different kind… Let me tell you, not an easy path to follow. Ever since my birth, I was of a different kind and it took me a loooong time to recognise and then accept this. While I always knew deep down inside who I am, what I feel, think and what I want, I had hard times accepting the fact that being of a different kind means walking many different roads often alone than with a company.
Funny fact about me: I used to be into interior decor for many years and I was so serious about it that I wanted to study it. That was up until the moment I have realised that a lot of “counting & calculating”, meaning mathematics was involved in those studies, so I gave up on the idea of studying interior decor. Even though I never ended up being a professional at this, I did always kept my fire and interest burning for decorating and re-organising spaces, namely my own home(s).
I’m 28 and am only 3 months away from my 29th birthday. I can honestly say that I’m excited to start the last year of my 20s. I’m loving the woman I’m becoming and I’m loving the outlook on life I’ve been carving by collecting all of the ups and downs, learning about my weaknesses and recognising my strengths… I don’t know why is everybody making a big deal about 30s because I can’t wait for my 30s and all of the smarts and confidence that come with them.
Olen 28 vuotias ja 3 kuukauden pÀÀssĂ€ 29 vuotis synttĂ€reistĂ€ni. Ja voin rehellisesti sanoa ettĂ€ olen innoissani siitĂ€ ettĂ€ viimeinen vuosi on alkamassa ennen kolmekyppisiĂ€ni. Rakastan sitĂ€ naista joksi minĂ€ olen muuttumassa. Ja rakastan sitĂ€ elĂ€mĂ€nkatsomusta jota olen veistĂ€mĂ€ssĂ€ itselleni kerÀÀmĂ€llĂ€ ylĂ€- ja alamĂ€kiĂ€ matkallani. Opin ymmĂ€rtĂ€mÀÀn heikkouteni ja vahvuuteni… En oikeen ymmĂ€rrĂ€ sitĂ€ ettĂ€ miksi kaikki tekevĂ€t siitĂ€ niin suuren numeron ettĂ€ tĂ€yttÀÀ kolmekymmentĂ€. Maltan tuskin odottaa sitĂ€ hetkeĂ€ ja sitĂ€ viisautta ja itsevarmuutta jonka se tuo mukanaan.
Time… Accepting it or not, the fact is that our time is limited. Our time on this planet, in this lifetime is limited and we’re never promised tomorrow. We have today, but we limit our “today” and make our time even more shorter than what it could be by the stress, worries, work overload, failed plans, too high expectations, disappointments… What is it in our nature that makes us most of the time, waste our time?
I will never forget my grandma telling me that to people work is important, things are important but what you will bring with you to your afterlife are none of those…
Ok, ok, I do live in an old building, but it does have an elevator. Nice, old one… With an iron door and a wooden bench, charming one. I never ride that elevator. I live on the 6th floor and I always walk the stairs up, every single day, couple of times a day.
I’m not afraid of elevators ( even though I did get stuck 2-3 times in one of them throughout past 28 years ) but I rather walk the stairs up than take an elevator ride… There’s so much that “happens” on my walk up… Life got a whole another perspective. Now I know that there’s no an elevator to success… There are no shortcuts to “making it” in job, relationships… in life.
The best of times happen on your walk up the stairs. This walk… It might take longer than an elevator ride, it might make your butt cheeks hurt, you might even stop for a moment on your way up to catch a breath, reassess and then keep on walking the mountain of stairs again. True beauty and a key to success in anything lies exactly there, on the wavy and demanding way up. The journey which you decide to walk on every single day and everything that you learn from taking the longer, harder way up ( towards your goal ) is what will make you appreciate ( and cease ) your goal. Once you do reach it, it will give you the feeling and a unique life story that no single elevator ride ever could!
It will teach you survival, it will show you how to fight for your goal, it’ll give you tools and guidance in how to reach it too… Once you do, you’ll then see how the road to that goal has transformed you and opened some new horizons for you, so the road to another goal, dream… success keeps on shaping in the distance and you know that you must keep on moving forward. As long as you do keep on moving forward in life, it means that you’re alive and kicking’. As soon as you stop moving, you’ve signed your death bed papers.
I always say that no matter how much I have done ( and this doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate every single achievement ) I’m only as good as I was yesterday. I’m only as good of a mom as I was up until yesterday, I’m only as good of a photographer as my latest photo, I’m only as good of an influencer as my latest post. Get the picture? Always keep on moving, carving your own path and listen to your own gut on the way… On the way up to your success, with NO elevator ride there.
Have a wonderful Monday my friends! Much love to every single one of you and THANK you for every comment that you leave me here, I read all of them and try my best to answer all of them too. đ
I’m wearing: Boots – Chanel, Bag – Borsha, Jeans – Tiger of Sweden, Sweater – Max Mara, Coat – , Ring – Free People, Scarf & necklace – Zara, Coat – Helene Berman
