Women’s Month has officially started on Blogzine.be. In addition to International Women’s Day and Female Empowerment, we are also highlighting entrepreneurial women. And we immediately start with our own Fem Boss story: our own Blogzine founder Cindy worked her way up from fibromyalgia patient to international Business Coach. Get inspired by her story.
Yes, you can learn to live with the pain and make your own choices.
You choose your own rhythm of life
When I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 6 years ago, my world stood still for a moment. So young, so lifeless and now already lying in bed for hours with no particular end point in sight.
I had been working for years as a commercial manager at Zara, had worked my way up, then decided to take over the store again as manager and then everything stopped. Everything I had worked for years, the career I had built. And if I was to believe the doctor: had to flip 360 degrees in my life because the pain wouldn’t allow me to work so intensely anymore.
But no one told me, then if you adjust to your own rhythm of life, you can really still advance yourself and build a successful career. Because it can be done!
Everything happens for a reason
This title may be the most cliche phrase ever used, but it’s true. Everything that happens in your life gives you a certain message. Because by now, when I had been home for 3months and every doctor’s appointment went off on autopilot, I began to think step by step about what the next step would be. For I refused to just learn to live with the pain and unemployment because of medical reasons. No, this was not going to be my future.
So I listened to my body: what does it want? What does it need? But also: what do I want? And what do I want to achieve in the future?
And so I came to the conclusion: for 8 years I have been blogging, for 8 years the thought of doing this full-time has been a dream. For years the idea of becoming self-employed had been in me. Only the idea of getting a steady job, building a stable income and career was the reason why I subconsciously suppressed it. And in addition, a healthier lifestyle was also an important goal. Because lying in bed sick and being unhealthy? No, that wasn’t planned. So I set to work!
Six months after my sick leave I received my medical discharge and started working as an independent blogger. A year later, I also started working on my health and started the KETO diet. A combination that made 90% of my symptoms disappear.
Perseverance and dreaming is still allowed
Fibromyalgia patients often hear and read: learn to live with the pain and accept it. Of course, you just have to accept it and it is part of your life. But does that mean you have to stop pursuing your dreams?
Meanwhile we are 6 years later, I have been eating healthy for almost 4 years with less sugars and carbohydrates and I spend months in the warm sun to give my muscles the care they need. In the meantime, I worked out a business school and online magazine with my best friend: the Blogzine Academy & Blogzine.be. Here we help and guide Belgian entrepreneurs to pursue their own dreams. Because one day I too was looking for that right guideline and support. Today I can share my knowledge with others and see them grow too. Whether they are perfectly healthy, undergoing certain obstacles themselves or stumbling along their course: together we walk the entrepreneurial story. And seeing and helping them happy gives me even more strength to move forward and prove that nothing can stop you from building a successful career. Not even the daily muscle and headaches I wake up with.
Cindy’s Personal Tip
Just turning your life around, for whatever reason, is enormously frightening. Therefore, I like to share a personal tip that I too have applied and can help you: save for yourself 6 to 12 months of house rent/or life savings. Calculate what you spend per month and save this amount so that afterwards you have a buffer and can give yourself time to build up your own business. This way you don’t have that intense daily pressure to perform and you can focus on the essentials. You will thank yourself immensely for this!
Do you enjoy inspiring others with your entrepreneurial story? Are you a Fem Boss yourself who has worked out a great business and career? Share it on Blogzine.be during Women’s Month! Contact us at partnerships@blogzine.be so we can work with you on your article.
