See, I wanted to work for myself. I was 22. Living in Seattle. So I got a job selling Rainbow Carpet cleaners. A $1500 RAINBOW vacuum with Eucalyptus oil – before oils were all the rage. It left the whole house smelling like a brand new bottle of Vick’s vapor rub. Clean!
Upon arriving at someone’s home to demonstrate (clean their carpet), I handed them their bonus gift: a set of steak knives. The first house I went to, I accidentally backed into their fence while trying to park. They didn’t buy. But 3 days later was the real eye opener.
I was sent to a house about 8 miles out of town on a long dirt road. At 6pm. In the fall. Not quite dark, but eerie enough. I hesitantly approached the door of a battered modular home with the sound of guard dogs inside. (probably poodles). The large dude that opened the door had a bushy beard, a leather vest and a bright and shiny hook for a left hand. I politely handed him his bonus gift…. and then calmly walked back to my car to ‘get the Rainbow’ and instead, got in my car and drove away. I resigned that night. It was not for me. And I knew it before that night.
Why do I tell you this, other than it’s a good story of my naievete. It’s a good story about going with my gut. It’s also a good example me trying new things and things not working out. He could have been a perfect gentlemen. He could have been a nightmare. I had a gut feeling it was neither and not worth the risk for me to be there alone at night.
But I also knew in my heart… the Eucalyptus Rainbow was not my future. After that I sold Discovery Toys, Advertising in animated maps, Pampered Chef, insurance, mortgages, siding and newspaper advertising.
I wanted to run a business. I still do.
I’m still going to. I’m not afraid or naieve.
I know what it takes and I have it.
And if you’re struggling with the current state of affairs….
I want you to remember one thing.
You have it too.
You have what it takes to go with your gut. You have what it takes to get through things. To create new things. Or to change things. Maybe what you currently have is falling apart and you can’t imagine how it’s going to work out? I felt like that for the first few weeks too and then I remembered the acorn’s fate.
So there you have it. Wise words from Suzanne during C19.
At first I was a little concerned that this email would sound pompous… boldly stating that I have what it takes. But the truth is I’ve spent most of my time in quarantine reading things that inspire me because I need it! I’m over here by myself talking to my tomato plants and reading biographies of survivors! (Ernest Shackleton is now my hero!)
I know some people don’t want to feel pressured to ‘accomplish big things’ during quarantine. But I DO want to accomplish big things. And I’m proud of the way I keep myself inspired. We could be losing everything we’ve worked for the past 10 years at Love. I’ve applied and got zero funding. This is my only gig. So I know it’s scary and complicated for everyone.
That’s why I had to do inspiring things for myself. I planted a mini garden. I fixed my garage door. I learned to change a bike tire and then broke the chain. I Marie Kondo’d my house… again. I practice yoga and meditation every single day. I’ve mowed my lawn more times than I have in 10 years. Edged, weeded and pruned. I’ve walked 204 miles almost every day and improved my sleep considerably! (that was suppose to say 2-4 miles but when I saw the typo, I thought that was funnier).
Coincidentally, I also binge watched The Heart Doctor on AcornTV. ??
I also launched our online studio and became an audio/video expert with the help of our amazing teachers. We rearranged the studio and put most of our stuff in storage to make way for the new regulations for re-opening. (more on that later).
It’s not easy. But the alternative… scotch and oreos… doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried that technique before.
So I hope you do some things too. I hope nobody comes out of 8 weeks of quarantine and says, I drank a shit ton of vodka and made the most of my Netflix account. If you did, then you’re probably not reading my emails anyway but if you are… stop it!
STUDIO UPDATE: We are re-opening. We are just waiting to hear from the state what our new regulations will be. We are getting prepared with what we know is probable and we will accomodate anything new. We are making the studio as clean, comfy and welcoming as we can so that you’ll feel safe and excited to reconnect with Love.
Stay tuned… we have more on the horizon for later this week.
Here’s a new video for you – a little clip of our latest online videos
and a
Guided Meditation to help with relaxation.
Much Love,
: )
Suzanne
