Below you’ll find a quick picture of a piece of paper I came across today, while following Amy Volk’s advice on dealing with my little “paper pile problem.” This letter is almost two years old, and I have no idea how it has been saved for so long. It was written at the tail end of my kid’s school year and at the tail end of a travel schedule that I was none too sad to see come to an end. While this has some personal “stuff” in it, it shows my heart.. which is why I’m sharing it.
The heart of a woman, wife, mother and entrepreneur wrestling with conflicting demands. The heart of a business owner being run by their own business, vs RUNNING their own business. The heart of a woman who refuses to settle. The heart of a woman determined to CARVE her own path, according to her own preferences, and according to her own rules.
When I wrote this letter to my family, it was in the very early morning hours. My bags were packed and my heart was heavy.
But, I was decided.
I knew that I’d already drawn my own line in the sand — even if that line had not been made “public” yet. And I knew that I’d get back to the SIMPLICITY that made my business enjoyable and profitable in years past — but I admit, I had some uncertainty and even some insecurity around just EXACTLY how I’d make that happen. In this moment, there was more unknown than known, but my decision has already been made. And decision is always the first step.
Always.
My decision: I’d steer this ship from now on… and — my business would be built around my own lifestyle preferences. Here’s the simple, heartfelt note I left on my kitchen counter that morning.
Since that day, I’ve traveled away from family only a (very) small handful of times. And, I’ve had 11 very profitable events right here in Chesapeake, Virginia with clients traveling from as far away as California, Canada, New York, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Massachusetts, and more… And one charity event, which I was very happy to host.
To get here, I had to let go of what WAS and LEAP towards what I really wanted. This wasn’t easy for me — and if you’ve built a “success” you don’t like, it won’t be easy for you either. Would you be willing to — below — EITHER write your own heartfelt letter of decision, or share a story of a time when you deliberately walked away from one thing to pursue a more deliberate business for yourself?
And how can I help you DECIDE and SUCCEED in this?
