Now is the time is the title of a personal growth book I reach to when things get crazy and overwhelming. Now is the time.

As you correctly guessed the underlying theme of this book is that it is never to late too turn your life around and live the life you dream about.

As I sit here, behind my computer with my music blasting in my hears, I find myself in an unfamiliar place. A place where I am not entirely sure what I want to say.

Currently, I am scaling my business. It seems like such a nice way to say that I have no idea what I am doing. Have you ever felt that way? What am I doing with my business or life or anything else?

So today I will share my dream with you. The place I started and where it all began.

My dream is ten years old. I had the initial dream of being an image consultant and stylist. The name of my first business was Chic Bella. Beautiful, right? I wanted to make the world a prettier place and empower women.

I am really good at styling and dressing. And interesting enough, I am an INTP personality type. If you know something about this type, we are the worst dressers and usually don’t care how we look.

But not me. I love to dress! I can simplify dressing. I can be extra, like the MET camp. Which one was your favourite look? Mine was Lady Gaga. She was so EXTRA with her three gorgeous outfits and extravagent lashes.

The dream of Chic Bella was then replaced with the dream of a family. I become a mom and not a businesswoman. And for three years I put my business dream on hold and raised my beautiful children. I don’t have a single regret about the choice I made.

But the dream of having a thriving business kept on lingering. I couldn’t replace that desire with anything else.

2018 was the year in which I pursued my business dream further. I became a certified leadership coach. I became an international speaker. And I decided businesswoman it will be. I enveloped myself in learning, of raising a family, having a full-time job (two actually) and building a side-hustle.

Slowly but surely the desire became stronger. The urge was harder to forget. And I made the decision to become the CEO of my business, not just some side-hustle.

I changed my business name to Flourish* by Sonika. The business will focus on personal growth and development. Yes, that is what I will offer. Coaching clients will stream in. Social media platforms will bloom and people will invite me to speaking engagements. Excited much!

But alas, my dream and my reality didn’t quite match. Frustration and disappointment set in. Tears, anxiety and overwhelm. Almost to the verge of depression. I hit rock bottom after numerous failed attempts.

Rock bottom can do two things:

• it can leave you depilated, depressed and ready to quit.
• OR it can inspire and move you into a space of creativity and creations. It can leave you curious about what is next.

I choose the latter. I choose to become curious again about how I want to add value to your life. I became curious about the options and the possibilities about my life and my business.

So let me go back to where it all started. The dream of being a stylist and an image consultant. And about dreaming about being a mom. And this is where I am now.

How can I help moms be stylish and successful, while still being able to create the space for their children to grow and develop?

Women are finding themselves in blooming times. We can have it all! We can climb the corporate ladder and be homemakers. We can be an activist and still be a softhearted mother. We can grow a business and a family. We can be anything we want to be.

Thank you to all the women who came before us. Thank you for burning your bras. Thank you for marching in silence so that I can vote. Thank you for taking a stand and making it easier for me to stand my ground, even if my voice is shaking. To all the feminist around the world, I see you and I honour you.

But despite the blooming time in which we find ourselves, we also find ourselves in such a difficult space. We have everything and nothing working for us.

Due to all the demands on our time. Due to all the expectations. Due to all the responsibilities, we find ourselves in a time of lack and scarcity. We have a lack of time. We have a lack of healthy family dinners. We have a lack of self-care.

Because of all this demands we have forgotten who we are.

And now I am heading back to my business. That is what Flourish* are here for. To help women understand their role. To help women create a space where they can be whomever they want to be. To help women add value to the workspace by stepping into their truth. To help women live wholeheartedly and abundantly.

I am a woman. Not just any woman. I am married with two beautiful children. I have a family I need to worry about. I am growing a business, while still being employed. I am a stylist. I am a coach. I am a visionary. I am your friend!

I see you. I honour you! And I am grateful to be with you on this journey of certainty and uncertainty. We are living in exciting times.

Now is the time to level-up. Now is the time to believe in dreams and make them a reality. Now is the time to be in pursuit of happiness, growth and opportunities.

A summary of the post:

1. Now is the time is a book by Angelique du Toit which has made a tremendous difference in my life.
2. Dreams and desires is an every changing happening in life.
3. Hitting rock bottom isn’t a feel-good experience, but it can be necessary to steer you in the new direction.
4. Always be curious. Where curiosity goes, creativity flows.
5. Women find themselves in interesting and difficult times, that is why I want to be part of your support system.

So please tell me in the comments, what is the biggest way in which I can support you?