be you conversations: olivia young
Be You Conversations: Olivia Young
By: Nicki Patel | 7.1.18
Live less out of habit, more out of intent
"I can't think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself." ~ Emma Stone
Olivia is one my biggest inspirations for slow living. She is an amazing momma of 2 young girls, a beautiful writer and blogger, and a huge advocate for slow and conscious living. She is one of the first people I connected with when I launched milo+nicki, and has been a constant through our journey. Her courage in sharing the truths of motherhood and life as a blogger, and love for empowering and inspiring women to live slowly and in the moment is something I aspire to apply to my daily life. If we keep racing to the next moment, what happens to the one we are in now? I hope you are inspired to slow down as you learn more about Olivia.
Her Story
I'm a work at home mama of two little girls who occupy most of my time. I blog and write for my freelance clients during naptime or (let's be real) during the intermittent Netflix session ;) Coffee is my other passion in life and there's nothing I love more than connecting with people over a really great cup of coffee. I live in a tiny/touristy mountain town in Colorado that helps tremendously in my quest for a slow, intentional life. My blog started out as a creative outlet when my first daughter was a baby, but it slowly (really slowly) transformed into what it is today and I couldn't be more grateful for the community I've found through my little slice of the internet!
What is your favorite food/dish (because I love FOOD)?
Does coffee count as a food? I usually get more excited about great coffee than I do about food - but lately, I've been loving sauteed sweet potato and zucchini "zoodles" with veggies and a homemade peanut sauce. So colorful and tasty!
What does it mean to you to be you in a world of others?
I think as a blogger this phrase has a really unique significance to me that it may not have had otherwise. In trying to grow my blog and create a business centered around "myself", I've had to do a lot of soul searching to pin down who I really am. It's so easy to get lost in the sea of beautiful people on Instagram or perfectly curated feeds or even "real people" we see out and about, but at the end of the day, being authentic and real in a world that makes it very very easy to hide and "mask" who I really am feels so good.
What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self – about life, career, hopes/dreams, anything?
My advice to my younger self (and daily to my current self) is to slow down. Young people have so much pressure on them to "figure it all out" when in reality, it's okay to take decisions slowly and take your time. Life is too beautiful to rush through.
What would you tell someone who is trying/struggling to find themselves in the chaos/noise of the world?
It sounds impossible, but whenever I feel like I'm "loosing myself" or conforming to a certain image too much, I unplug. Social media has more of an impact on our mental health and self-image than we realize and sometimes, it takes intentionally detoxing for us to get to a place of self-love again. Also, take it slowly and don't get discouraged when you have an off day or week. <3