Last week I talked about making lemonade from those lemons we have been handed.
This week I’d like to encourage you to look for a sign, any sign, of encouragement.
As I continued my “rage purge” this week, I stumbled across 3 Chinese fortunes that I had saved from various meals in my favorite restaurant. They are multiple years old at this point but there they were, when I needed them most. This was all the encouragement I needed.
The first one reads: “The secret that leads to many goals is tenacity”. I think it missed something in translation – “The secret that leads to “achieving” your goals is tenacity”. That makes it 100% true in my case. No goal I have ever achieved came without a bit of persistence.
The second one reads: “Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed”. If you know me, I pour my entire heart into everything I do. I was taught to “do my best – always”. I never half-ass things. (Pardon my COVID cursing.) I really do believe that if you do your best in everything you do that success will follow. I also taught my own children that, “if you do your best, that is the best you can do”. So perhaps you don’t ace that test, or get that job, or the promotion doesn’t come through. If you did your best and you continue to do so, eventually you will be EXACTLY where you want to be.
The last one reads: “You will do well to expand your business”. This one came just as I was deciding if I wanted to offer classes and grow the fiber arts side of the farm business. I try not to ignore advice that comes neatly tucked inside a cookie!!! So, I did just that. I offered classes here on the farm in everything fiber arts, knitting, crochet, dyeing, fiber processing, spinning, weaving, felting.
Then I took the show on the road too. To schools, festivals, seminar days, and fairs.
Then COVID 19 came – and I sheltered in place. This forced break has given me a chance to clean up spaces long neglected, finish projects sitting idle in various project bags, develop patterns to share with other fiber artists, and to just sit and be with my flock with a set of needles clicking in my hands.
I look forward to the days when I can once again be with you here on the farm creating beautiful things. But until then – clickity clack.
PS: – Now I’m hungry for chicken and string beans in garlic sauce – spicy – and a fortune cookie of course!