“I never had it easy”
This is my story which is hardly ever shared but one which I feel could help women from every walk of life.
I suspect that there might be a vast majority of women in this day and age who never had it easy and I find myself to be included in that vast majority, but let me tell you it’s not how you begin the race but how you will finish it that counts. It is important to seize every opportunity with both hands tightly and then build from there, never stopping to look behind but as a race horse looking straight ahead.
I come from a single parent family, one where my mom struggled to make ends meet. More often than not I would have to wear second hand clothes or live on the good graces of family members who were slightly better off than what we were. At one point my mom worked night shift as it was the only job which was available and I remember while at high school not taking bread to school just so my twin brothers who are 8 years younger and of whom one is a special needs child would have something to eat.
Fast forward a few years to where I matriculated and could not go to University as there was a greater need for me to be employed and to assist at home. During this time I was able to reconcile with my dad and he arranged for me to do a PA & Office Administration course. After doing odd jobs here and there I then started my very first job in retail as a sales assistant. I know this job might seem humble to some but here is a lesson for any young person starting out. Some people might feel tempted to take short cuts to get ahead in life but I gave this job my all and I maintained my integrity. Within the next five years I had been promoted to Assistant manager and then to Manager of the store. I then left the retail industry and pursued a career in Imports & Exports. Eventually I could feel something inside of me give rise to dissatisfaction. I was always a very creative person and I felt that my creativity had no way of expressing itself. I then played around with makeup and did the faces of family and friends for special occasions. One day I toyed with the idea of paying for a makeup course and decide not to register as the money I had was basically all I had for the rest of the month. At that very moment my baby sister messaged me and asked what am I doing with regards to makeup artistry, as she feels I should pursue it and the rest is history as they say.
I became a freelance makeup & hair artist while working as a Customer Relations Manager in the Food Industry and as a tribute to my baby sister who sadly passed on this past January of Colon Cancer I decided to start a lifestyle blog which focuses on Health & Beauty.
The one thing that has kept me going through all these hard times was my faith in God. I am not sure where you might find yourself in life at the moment or who what you believe in but you will need a focus point, something that motivates you to get up in the morning when things get tough, and tough it will get. Nothing that’s worth anything in life comes easy you just need to decide how badly you want it.
Xxx Leedra
Email: info@leedraslifestyle.com
Websites
Blog: www.leedraslifestyle.com
IG: @leedraslifestyle
Makeup Artistry: www.leedraglam.co.za
IG: @leedramartin
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1FWG|Lk3h3V4E8jktv_bLw
