Support System

Hubby might not have jumped on board with my BIG Idea but many people did.  I have this fantastic support system.  So many women that give me such positive feedback and support.  Over and over I have heard, "I'm so proud of you.  You are so brave."  Still hear it.  Friend immediately offered to come and help me.  That is a great feeling.  Three friends were in a race in a morning and came to my shop to help paint in the afternoon.  They drove about two hours to do it.  I feel so blessed.
I was in a very negative work environment for a very long time.  That said, within that work environment I built so many great and lasting friendships.  I met so many strong and impressive women.  I feel like knowing all these women helped me to find the strength to make the huge life change I needed to make.  I could (maybe I will) write several blogs about the great women I know.  All of us have obstacles we work to overcome.  Most of us do it with the support of other women.  I think that is because it is easier for women to make decisions based on passion.  Men make decisions based on facts.  I get that is the wise way to do it.  It just holds people back from going after their dreams. 
It isn't just my friends and some of my family that have been supportive.  People in my town have been supportive.  People tell me how happy they are I opened a business.  We need more people to trust that they can open a business and have it survive in our little town.  I miss a downtown that had retail stores.  We have bars, restaurants, and businesses. 
I am still getting support.  I have people come by to see what changes I am making.  My very good friend I grew up with comes to the shop every Saturday to hang out.  She loves the shop almost as much as I do.  Friends come long distance to see the shop and congratulate me.  That is so awesome. 
Several times a day people come into the shop and compliment me on how cute it is.  What a nice job I did.  It gives me added strength to keep going.  To know I am on the right track.  From Day 1 I have felt that I am on the right track.  This is what I am meant to do.  I need to have the strength to stay with this.  Makes changes to improve on what I have started.  Keep researching and working hard.
We have all seen that saying: 
Find something you love to do and you will never work a day in your life.
I get it now.  Even when I come home I am on the computer researching.  I spend so much time thinking of ways to improve it.  I miss my shop when I am not there.  It is not all fun and games.  There are days I come home and I am emotionally and physically exhausted.  In a good way!!
I have told my friends that are still in the place I left that I feel guilty.  There is not one of them that enjoys what they are doing.  In the two months I have been out of there, it has gotten even more stressful.  I feel like I was a POW that was released.  I have this new and wonderful life.  But, I left the rest of my troop behind.  Not a good feeling.  I want everyone to do something they love.  At least something they know they were meant to do.  I know some smart and talented people.  They could be doing so much more.  They should be appreciated.  Sometimes it is not about the great benefits and good pay.  That cannot always make up for the fact that managers make employees feel like they are not good enough, not appreciated, just not........  So much negative is not healthy.
I have so much positive energy now.  Several times a day I think to myself there is not a bad day in a candy shop.  (Well financially there is.)  I love my job.  That makes me a lucky person.  Tomorrow I get up and do it again.