PROJECT #BEYOUROWN BOSS:​ ALEX PAWLOWSKA

Alex Pawlowska is a renowned poet, a storyteller and the founder of Looking for Heroes, a concept that aims to empower people to be their own heroes. We open with a beautiful poem written by Alex herself.

Alex’s #BEYOUROWN BOSS Story

Being a boss to me doesn’t just apply to work

To me it is a 24 hour, 365 day a year task in celebrating yourself, your gifts and your uniqueness

It means making time for yourself

It means taking a break if you need to

It means speaking your truth loudly, without asking for permission

It means having the courage to choose your own path even if no one has ever walked in that direction

It means building your own table when you’re not getting a seat at one that already exists

Being a boss is embracing yourself and your situation fully no matter what is happening

It means loving yourself

because when you do 

everything falls into place

including work

Being a boss means taking complete responsibility 

for your life 

and for your own happiness

and understanding 

that what taking charge really means

is taking charge of yourself

because we are the only thing we can control 

Being a boss is understanding that

you

are 

your

life’s

biggest 

work

———

I am Alex Pawlowska and I am a poet, a storyteller and the founder of Looking for Heroes. After graduating from journalism and moving to England, I wanted to find an internship in television. I wasn’t getting in and finally decided to use social media to write about things that were important to me. I stopped waiting for somebody to say yes to me. I said yes to myself instead. This is how Looking for Heroes was born, a project dedicated to sharing empowering stories of everyday people. 

I started talking to people I knew, strangers on the street and activists I found online, about their stories, about the everyday acts of heroism that we all do. When the project started getting attention, I struggled to find the courage to allow myself to be seen. People were looking at me and wanted to know my story and why I started. I was terrified of sharing my personal journey of suffering from depression and how my own need for a better life, my own need for more positivity were also the reasons why I embarked on the Looking for Heroes journey. It took me a few years to become comfortable with taking up space and openly sharing my truths. I took it step by step. I was scared but it was important to me to cross that bridge. Now, talking about overcoming depression and mental health has become a part of my life.

I have written poetry since I was very young. I can be my most honest with a piece of paper and very often find myself turning to poetry to express my deepest, most vulnerable feelings. After a long break from writing, my words started coming back. All of a sudden I was writing pages of poetry. I started sharing my work online and doing my first readings. Standing in front of people and sharing my poetry is by far the most vulnerable thing I have ever done. It built me to stand in a way I didn’t know I could.

I constantly work on myself. I would not be the person I am today without my meditation practise and all the knowledge that was shared with me through self-development and spiritual lectures, workshops, and books. I constantly try to get to know myself better and truly believe that I am my own biggest work. If I were to summarise the key things that I have learned on my journey, I could put them under these five headings: 

Celebrating yourself is an art

My favourite lipstick or perfumes don’t wait in a drawer. Every day can be a day of celebrating you. I dress up for myself. I show up in my power for myself. I don’t wait for a special occasion or for anybody’s request to be the best version of me. When we show up in this energy of celebrating ourselves, the magic around us starts to unfold.

Your energy is your power

Protect your energy like it is your biggest secret to success. Say no as often as you want to and surround yourself with people and things that feel good to be around and that lift you up. If something drains you, it must go. You have the power of letting things in and letting things pass.

Develop your own self-care practise

For me, it is transcendental meditation and tapping. I keep my crystals close and when I need some time to realign, I lock myself in the bathroom put on relaxing music, light a candle with drops of my favourite oil and take a long shower. Self-care will look different to everybody. Find something that works for you and give yourself time to implement it into your routine. 

Focus on the ball

With so many things always coming our way, it can be easy to get side-tracked. People have different agendas to us, that is why it so important to set your own agenda first, and do things that will get you closer to where you want to be. 

I keep my inspirations and dreams close to my heart. I can see them so clearly that I can almost touch them. A clear vision helps me move faster, make better decisions and motivate me to keep working for my dreams.

Finding home

I believe that drive is something people can see in our eyes. When we find something that we can call our purpose, something that is so important to us that we are willing to work for it insanely hard, our love for that thing speaks through to everything we do. That is when we know, we have found home.

My wish for all the bosses out there is for you to always know your power because that is the foundation that will hold your dreams into the future. 

I can’t wait to see your creations.

With love,

Alex

Instagram: @lookingforheroes @alexpawlowska

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lookingforheroes/ https://www.facebook.com/AlexPawlowskaPoetry/

Website: https://lookingforheroes.co/