Hi I'm Shazie, a latte-lovin' blogger, self-love advocate, and wellness space facilitator ♥ I'm a West Coast-turned-East Coast girl, so naturally I'm conflicted between Dunkin vs Starbs. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you stick around♥
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When I first started blogging, I knew I wanted to have some sort of purpose – so regardless of whether my purpose is to entertain or educate, I envisioned my readers to feel full and at their best selves always.
A year of blogging later, however, I felt stagnant. I felt like even though I was still posting, I was not reaching all spectra of this global platform I once sought. As a blogger, I’ve attended some conferences but always felt like I was only connecting naturally to others around my age.
While it wasn’t intentional, it always felt that way and in a sense, I felt like I was stripped of a whole another world – the world beyond millennials. Who are the faces behind the other blogs? How can I interact with them? That’s when I came across Bridging the Gap, a campaign ignited by Catherine O’Grace alongside her fabulous team aimed towards just that, bridging the gap between millennial and midlife bloggers. Each millennial and midlife blogger were paired up to listen to one another, connect, and inspire others to follow suit.
When I was first paired up with Mukta of Blogtrendz, I was ecstatic because I finally had the opportunity to connect with someone outside of my usual scope. While the aesthetics of her blog and Instagram completely blew me away, it was through our meaningful conversation via Skype where I felt a real connection with her.
Mukta moved to the United States a few years ago with her family and since then, she has ventured out to pursue her passion. From blogging to coaching, she provided me with a different lens on life. While her passion roots from fashion, clothing is much more than the decision to put together fashionable pieces together. In fact, statements should arise from fashion. Our outfits speak more than the aesthetics; they serve as a foundation to spark conversations.
Throughout our conversation, my respect for her grew more with each passing minute. Not only does she post consistently while finding time to balance family obligations, she allocates time out of her day to curate coaching sessions (think spirituality, crystals, zen-type stuff). When I found this out, I was immediately stoked because right at that moment, I showed her my wall décor that said “good vibes only” that was conveniently placed in the “zen space” part of my room with my yoga mat and journal. It was at that moment where I felt a genuine connection forming, disregarding any demographic divisions we may have had. It taught me the value of taking the time to get to know someone else’s story. Nothing should be taken at face value.
We also had one common goal- we want to be the voice for those who can’t provide for themselves. Often, we lose sight of what’s truly important and because we have our online platforms, we are able to instill that sense of hope onto others. While conversations about fashion should be shared every now and then, let us not be consumed with the chore of trying to figure out the perfect outfit. Let us create goals, share our intentions, and radiate positive energy while letting our clothes speak for themselves.
After our conversation, I felt reminded of my purpose. The purpose of why I started and the reason I choose to doing so. This campaign is indeed a beautiful campaign as it brought two worlds together. I was able to see things from Mukta’s lens as she was able to do so from mine. Empowerment is interchangeable and seen from different perspectives, which is what makes this so incredible. I would like to thank Catherine O Grace and her team for projecting this idea into reality and for giving us influencers a chance to connect across all demographic barriers… and of course, a huge thank you to Mukta for being my partner in this. You have given me a new perspective on what it means to work towards your goals, the importance of finding that balance, as well as the strength to keep pursuing.
So before we flock to other birds with similar feathers, let us flock towards those who appear different from us. Everyone has a story to share, and while it may take some discomfort to get to know others’ stories, this is where social barriers are broken and beautiful relationships are cultivated.
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