The Slow Burn

There’s this elderly man that treks past the shop every morning with his walker, rain or shine. Sometimes the weather is absolutely BRUTAL, yet I still see him trudging along. No matter what kind of day I’m having, he makes me smile. There’s a determination to him, a sense of purpose and patience…

I have days (as I’m sure everybody does) where I don’t want to get out of bed. The month of December for a retail shop owner is a grunt: long hours and high expectations. There are times where I’d gladly trade lives with my pugs for a day so I could nap and bask in the sunshine filtering in through the windows. Seeing our aforementioned gentleman is an excellent reminder for me to persevere through it all, the good and the bad, the tough and the easy, the celebrations and the lessons. Things aren’t always going to be simple; often what we strive for and desire the most isn’t.

The honest truth: I’ve been extremely hard on myself (again…sigh) this month. I had expectations of an insanely busy December in the shop, and so far I’ve been surprised. With November having been our best month to date, and Christmas just around the bend, I thought it was simple…but the universe may have other lessons for me here. Perhaps it’s a crash course in patience, maybe one in trust, determination, or all of the above.

So I’m choosing to keep my little old man in mind when things are feeling too overwhelming and I’m ready to pull the covers over my head and hide from the frigid weather. It’s so important to keep taking steps forward, no matter how uncertain or hard they may be. We’re all traversing the landscapes of our lives and we must continue to keep moving along as humbly and as bravely as we can.

What are some things you wish to send your determined energy towards for the rest of 2016 and moving into the new year? I’d love to hear from you.

With love (and determination),

Jennelle