I have recently been thinking a lot during the various factors that lead me to this what I'm doing. Building the HELS1NK1 concept from the beginning has been a very personal process and its growth and transformation is tied to my own experience and my own personal growth process.
The following values may have become the most important this year. Ethics, women empowerment, age-equality and sustainability, of course.
Maybe it's because I turned 40 this year, and all the challenges I've faced in recent years have made me realize how important it is that we women, not so "fresh" women, support each other, motivate each other, celebrate each other´s accomplishments and most importantly, we are proud to stand next to each other without ever thinking about how we will benefit from it.
But is that possible? Can we sincerely support each other?
I started building this HELS1NK1 concept in 2014, yes, some time ago. During these years, my life has had very interesting ups and downs and turns in directions I had not anticipated. But that's what life is. It doesn't ask for permission when it happens.
In 2015, I had my fourth child. It was a surprise pregnancy, but I was very happy about it. 2017 was on the way and we moved three times before we could go to our renovated home. We currently lived 40 kilometres away from children's school and hobbies. This was a very difficult time, but fortunately, we have been built so that when we need the strength to survive, we can.
As life began to settle down, fatigue and stress began to appear. That's when I realized the importance of getting support. I also realized how important it is to face my own inadequacies and weaknesses.
We live in a time where our reality is measured in social media. We seek approval through images posted to various channels. We post pictures of our body parts or something that we own. Depending on how many likes and comments we get, we feel to be accepted and belonging to something.
But is it true?
It didn't bring me the support that I was looking for. It didn't bring me the shoulder I was crying against, and it didn't bring the comforting words I needed. And since I'm not a big fan of SM, I tried to get support from the right people. But it was more challenging than I imagined. Few people want to know how challenging life is for another because we each have our struggles.
With all of this in mind, I can't help but wonder if there is genuine support? Is there a genuine desire to listen to another person and understand? Or are we living in such a hectic time that the only way to get and give support is through the SM channels? And the old way, "See you at coffee" appointments just can't fit in our calendar anymore?
So how can we support each other? Or is it no longer relevant? Do the likes and comments on social media posts provide the support we need? Because every one of us needs it.