Dreamgirls: Merja Willock

I’m sure it has happened to you too. Every once in a while, in our connected world online, we keep seeing the same name over and over on various blogs, comment fields and on twitter. And then suddenly it clicks. “I know her,” I thought to myself when a good friend mentioned Merja to me a while back. “I know her, but I don’t.”

A little research later, I found myself on the virtual doorstep of Merja’s home; Glowing Balance. And I felt like coming home. Turns out Merja and I have more than a few things in common, as in addition to being writers in a personal development world we were also classmates in Marie Forleo‘s RHH B-school last year. When I found out,  immediately decided that I needed to get to know her better. Lucky for us, she agreed to do a Dreamgirls interview!

(In case you are new to the Freedom Experiment – the Dreamgirls interview series is reserved for girls living their dream life only.)

Since Merja and I were classmates in B-school, I thought it was natural to start with learning more about Merja’s business. So, Merja…

Where did your dream to start your own business come from?

I actually never really dreamed of starting my own business, instead it happened quite naturally. However, it was probably at the back of my mind all along, without ever paying much attention to it. I have a creative background which means that if I wanted to follow those talents and passions, starting my own business would probably be the only option. I never really listened to the tiny voice in my head, and constantly feared I’m not creative or talented enough or have enough passion to do those kind of things. Because of those fears, I ended up living the life I hated. Drifting from from job to job where I felt undervalued, unable to really use my talents, being angry at myself because I knew I wanted to do something really meaningful, but just didn’t have the guts to take a big leap. I have also always been really conscious of the environment and people’s well-being, and felt that I would want to contribute to the greater good by using my natural talents by helping and inspiring others.

How did you make the decision to just go for it?

When we moved to London a couple of years ago, I didn’t have any clue what to do with my life. I was in a really dark place mentally and physically, and couldn’t take the idea that I would have to sit in some meaningless office job (because I didn’t have the courage to apply for anything else) from 8-5 without really helping anyone. Before one interview I had a panic attack, and I sat on the bedroom floor crying, thinking that this is enough, there has to be another way, and I will take all the time I need to find it. Being also really passionate about health, I one day came up with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and immediately knew that it was something that I had to do and enrolled within a couple of days. From the beginning, I knew that I somehow wanted to combine health and wellness (coaching) with creativity, art and music because those things are so important for our overall well-being and we all are creative somehow.

Did you experience set-backs and obstacles – and how did you deal with them?

Yes of course. No-one is perfect, and we learn only by trying things out and making mistakes. With a background of a lack of self-esteem and anxiety I very often catch myself comparing what I do to what others do, which only takes my energy away from me. I usually try, and we all should, to remember that we don’t ever see the whole picture, or the struggles behind the other person’s story. Instead we should be genuinely happy about what they have accomplished, because we all have that chance too when we are just able to let go of our self-defeating and limiting beliefs. Instead of being jealous I try to think how I can be of support and share, because by collaborating and joining our forces we are going to be so much more powerful and make changes for better.

My bohemic nature, perfectionism and being often inpatient don’t make a great mix, and when I get inspired I can spend a couple of days intensely working from morning until the very late evening (or early morning). Then again, I can have many days in a row when it’s almost impossible to concentrate on anything. I’m also a highly sensitive person, and all the information overload makes me extremely overwhelmed and panicky, which is why I’m not a great fan of social media, but try to find ways how I can best utilize that according to my personality and energy and have calming, soothing and simple rituals and routines and think that I do everything at my own pace which is right for me. There’s no need for comparison, because we all have our own path and time for doing things. Just recently I decided that I’m going to radically dedicate my Monday for unplugging, self-care and meditation. If I’m not healthy and energized how could I help others to do that.

How do you feel about your life right now?

When being a multi-passionate individual it can often feel difficult to try to find the right direction. However I have had the possibility to do things that I love. Create my own schedule, write, take photographs, create art cards and e-guides, design and build my own website, do some visual design, interview wonderful people on my blog and inspire and help other people to make changes in their lives, and of course go to the yoga classes in the middle of the day. I guess that by trying all these different things I will eventually find out what comes the most naturally for me, and of course that can always change too. Maybe everything will look totally different within a year. Maybe it’s still more learning and growing for me before doing. I try to listen and trust my own intuition as much as possible, let go of my ideal thoughts of outcome and be patient when something doesn’t feel right. That often means that even better ideas are on their way.

What is your next big dream?

They are constantly evolving and changing forms, and I don’t really know what will pop up. However I would say that they include things like continuing to create a community and share the love and light, start to offer some visual design services, create more products that combine art, healing and self-care and personally, have a meditation and yoga retreat somewhere warm!

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Do you have any questions for Merja? Say hello in the comments!

Merja is a sensitive and multi-passionate visualist, artist, perpetual learner and a certified health coach. She combines creativity and everyday inspiration to develop an inner balance and understanding of nourishing foods. As the founder of Glowing Balance Merja’s goal is to empower others to discover their strength and creativity within by providing guidance and visual tools, like her art cards, for self-acceptance and healthy lifestyle. She loves the evening sun, playing the piano, writing, hula hooping, dancing, inspiring details and street art.

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Tagged as: dreamgirls, Interviews, Merja Willock