From struggling to self belief
Have you ever looked around and felt like you weren’t enough, or didn’t have enough? Like others around you have it all figured out — and you were somehow left behind?
I get it. As I approached my 40th birthday, that’s precisely where I found myself. I had spent the former part of my adult / “working” life, instead chasing waves on tropical islands. When I moved to Australia in my early 30’s, I let life just happen, and through Covid and becoming a Mother, eventually lost sight of my aspirations. I became weighed down by comparison and the pressure of time, and my past mistakes and failures haunted me. I felt like I needed to start over RIGHT NOW, or it’d be too late.
But here’s the truth I’ve discovered — and one I want to share with you:
1. It’s Never Too Late to Live the Life you Want
Every single day, we have thousands of choices we need to make — mostly small, occasionally big. If we choose consciously, we can align these decisions to who we truly are and what we really want. Step by step, choice by choice and day by day, we inch closer to the life we want to live – our dream life.
It’s not about waking up one day with all the answers; it’s not about being perfect. It’s about realising that you’re allowed to start again, and that moment that you start again can be tomorrow. We can dream bigger — even at 40, 50, or 70.
If you’ve ever looked at someone else’s life and thought, “Why not me?” — this is your reminder: it can be you. You are worthy. You don’t need to wait for permission, or a perfect plan. You just need to start choosing in alignment with who you truly are.
2. Your Life Doesn’t Have to Look Like Anyone Else’s
One of the traps I fell into was comparison — especially as I saw friends reaping the rewards of seeds they planted a while back, at the time when every belonging I owned fit into a single suitcase and surfboard bag. Though I’d never give my memories up or wish to change the past, I suddenly felt stuck between a rock and a hard place – grieving what I left behind while feeling I failed to build anything for my (now) future.
But over time, I came to understand: There is no one right way to live. After witnessing the life progression of so many people I’ve met around the world, and my friends and family at home and in Australia, I see that there’s merit in working hard, spending a decade studying, traveling poorly, richly, sacrificing fun for stability or stability for fun. We each carry a different rhythm — and comparing one path to another only steals the joy from your own.
If you’re feeling behind, ask yourself: Who set the timeline I’m trying to follow? Because the truth is, milestones tied to age are made up. There is no deadline for becoming who you’re meant to be.
3. Growth Takes Time — and That’s Okay
In a world obsessed with quick wins and overnight success, it’s easy to feel discouraged when change feels slow. But real growth? It’s layered. It’s quiet. It unfolds one decision, one habit, one act of courage at a time.
You don’t have to know it all. You just need to stick with it: keep making the right choices every day — and growth is naturally bound to happen. The most rewarding things in life take time.
Turning 40 didn’t change my life. I didn’t magically hit a wall that forced me to turn right or left, and time will continue on. What did change was my perspective, as I realised my birthday was just another day.
Through dreaming big, failing, succeeding at times, losing myself, and continuing to experiment, I’m inspired to share my experiences and to keep moving forward, together.
So, welcome to Live Simply, Stay Salty — a space to tune back into you, and rejoice in exactly where you’re at, right here, right now. We’ll talk self-development and mindset shifts, simple living, and the deep joy that comes from connection and living in alignment.
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