Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Holy cow...breathe!

Do you ever feel like you have turned into your parents? I feel like I lived so many years with my parents warning me that life goes by so fast, yet yearning to reach the next milestone, that seemed in the moment to take forever! It was just recently that I 'got it'. Yep, life flies by at warp speed and if you don't take just a moment to take it in, you will miss the beauty. Just yesterday, I was feeling overwhelmed, a little like life was flying by, and I was too exhausted to take it in. It was at 1:00am, as I sat up still working, that I looked out our back window, overlooking a peaceful lake, and took just a moment to remember that this life is short-term.

I guess we all fight this internal battle between enjoying all life has to offer, while also juggling the responsibilities that propel us forward. I LOVE what I do, but at times feel like I am drowning in it just a bit. There's the designing, the selling, the managing, the running a growing business...then there are the kids, the hubby, dinner to be made, tennis lessons to go to. Oh and did I mention, we are about to put our house on the market?? So much to do, so many hours working, but then I must take a moment to remember how blessed I really am.

I am certainly not the only parent trying to 'do it all', so I know you can likely relate. It's funny, I now find myself reminding my 4-yr old daughter to enjoy every age, to take it all in, cause "life goes by fast". I guess my parents were right all along, with age comes wisdom. As I age, and the dark circles become more prominent, the wrinkles become a little deeper, and those darn grey hairs are just hanging out at the surface laughing at me a little each day. I take it all in stride because there is nothing more rewarding, more valuable than understanding and truly appreciating that each day, each week as a gift from God. I may not do each of those days perfectly, and I certainly have a TON to learn, but there is something freeing about living life for your own beliefs, values and achievements, over the expectations of others. Pushing myself everyday, yet understanding the value in my priorities. Life does go by fast and although I may drown in it a bit, the adventure is mighty fun!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Challenged

I saw this quote today, and found myself in a moment of thought...which is rare around my office, usually not so much time to actually think! Anyhow, this one really resonated with me today. There are many days in this business and in life where I run on high-speed, handling the daily decisions the best way possible, overcoming obstacles, and creating solutions. Then, there is the occasion, to be quite honest with you, where I am deeply challenged and not quite sure how to handle it.

To take a step back, I am not your average CEO. My formal education is not from a fancy Ivy League school. My parents, although both extremely talented and hard-working in their own right, do not have a college education. I am not the most well-spoken person you have ever met, nor the best-read. I try my best to keep up. I have two children that are at the top of my priority list, and this business was really baby #1 before they were born. I read a great business book when I can fit it in between days in search of carousels (my sons request this weekend), and I challenge myself to learn from others whenever possible. I think for the most part, I do okay most days. Really, I am not unlike most of you reading this post, most likely. We are just 'normal' people working super hard to do the best we possible can.

So, back to those challenged moments. I realized today that these challenges I face, are truly my most valuable teachers. Whether a loved one, an employee, or a vendor, those that challenge me, often force me to take a step back and evaluate. I evaluate my actions, the actions of others, ways to improve, and ways to grow. In retrospect, I should be grateful to these people. I should also remember in those moments that these will be the people to lift me higher, to make me better, and to teach me the most.

Do you have someone challenging you at the moment? In writing this blog, I often think it a bit silly to write about my life...really everyone has their own lives to worry about, why care about mine? But, I do it in hopes that what I am going through at the moment may touch someone else. May, the unlikely chance, be just what they needed to read that day. If you are being challenged by someone in this moment, maybe this perspective can help...what are they teaching you? I'm fairly certain I am stronger, wiser, and maybe even enlightened by the people that have pushed, tested, and challenged me the most. I may not have enjoyed the process (to say the least), but I am grateful for it.