Looking back at where I’ve been and to consider where I’m going– I’m taking stock.
I’m forty-one. For the first time in my life, I’m doing all the things I’ve wanted to do at once– sharing my strengths, experience, humor, and love in the most authentic way I know how. I am a writer. I share personal stories to reflect upon and grow from. I love to make people laugh– it fuels me.
There’s a very real sense of humility when I consider the path that has brought me here.
Turning twenty, what’s not to love?
My thirties, quite charming! I was successful, in a traditional sense: happy, healthy, with a great spouse. I owned and ran a business while raising two young children and a dog. The path ahead was predictable and clear–or so I thought.
Ten years have passed. Having left my career behind, everything’s different. I find myself reframing what success means– and deeply appreciating the events that brought me to where I am.
One of the most painful and challenging transitions in my life was closing my business over four years ago. It was a community that my world revolved around. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I learned how to be a leader, how to run a business, and how relationships really worked. I lead with my heart, eventually learning that isn’t the best way to run a business.
Closing the doors was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. I felt like a disappointment, a failure. I gave it my all and that wasn’t enough. My self-worth and sense of success were lost.
Closing the doors to my business was ultimately one of the most positive decisions I’ve made. The lessons I learned from running a business were invaluable. My clients were a gift. But the most powerful lessons I learned were about how I picked myself up when it was all gone.
Being a writer encompasses everything I am and aspire to be. It brings all of my experiences to life, challenges included. It features creativity & love, humor & humility, entertainment & purpose. It’s honest and thoughtful and bright– if I do say so myself!
Where this will all take me I’m still not sure, but I know I’m on the right path. I’ve grown, I’ve learned and I’m proud of who I’m becoming. You have to have lived if you want a story to share with the world– I’m ready for what’s next.
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