I’ve been on the struggle bus for the last couple of weeks. Particularly when it comes to my finances. I don’t particularly pay attention to the media, but the ‘cost of living crisis’ has still manage to infiltrate my wellbeing. Times are tough, and from a business perspective, I’d easily say that things are more challenging now than they were during Covid.
Last week we weren’t able to afford a weekly shop. My husband got paid on the 31st, and by the 1st we were in minus figures. We don’t generally use our overdraft, so this came as a real shock to us. We usually have a few hundred left after bills, at least. We immediately checked our bank statement, and aside from a £62 meal out at Wagamama’s, we hadn’t spent anything unnecessarily. For the first time this year, we didn’t go away during the summer, either. It is just simply the cost of modern living.
It may be easy to assume that running the wellbeing centre with a team of 18 must mean that I’m rolling it in. But this simply isn’t true, and isn’t true for many small businesses. We find ourselves being hit the hardest during these financially stretched times, because all of our costs have increased, but if we increase our prices too much, we risk losing our customers, as we price ourselves out of their budgets too. Particularly in the self-care industry, as that always seems to be the first thing to be axed during financial struggle.
And I can sit here and moan about it (which I kind of am), but I can also take a moment to recognise the unexpected gifts I’ve received over the last week or so…
1. Some good friends, whom we haven’t seen properly for some time, popped by and they brought a card for us. Inside they’d slipped £60, for no reason other than to share their abundance. They didn’t even know we were struggling. What a beautifully timed gift.
2. After having a wobbly conversation with another close friend, she emailed me over a £50 Aldi voucher so we could go shopping. What an incredibly kind and unexpected gesture.
3. This morning after my yoga class, one of my students could see I was holding some heavy energy, so she offered me a coffee and a rant. It was exactly what I needed to help get things off my chest, and give me some head space to find solutions. Such a simple and sweet kindness.
4. I was having a chat with one of my fellow school parents about business being slow, and she’s just text me saying “What day are you free next week? I’m going to take you for a coffee and we’re going to brainstorm a way forward” - I’m beyond words of gratitude.
So, you see, even when things feel shitty and you’re on the struggle bus, it’s imperative that we trust in the Universe, and the kindness of those around us, because all these little gifts are beautifully timed and perfect acts of simple kindness that have been delivered to me in a time of need.
At my Dad’s funeral (after we played Disco Inferno! 🔥⚰️), we played a song that perfectly summed up the mindset that he taught us…
“Always look on the bright side of life” - Monty Python
So for today, I’m trying my utmost to look on the bright side, knowing that everything is only temporary, and money is truly so unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
I have wonderfully kind loved ones who support me and want to see me succeed, and for this I’m exceptionally grateful.
💛🙏🏻
PS: Remember, self-care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity 😉
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