At the moment I am out West- visiting my hometown, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is a wonderful and always surreal feeling to come back to your roots. You don’t want anything to change, but at the same time recognize that life keeps moving forward and people and places do evolve. I have been wandering the small streets around the town square and catching up on the town gossip- all the while fighting this dichotomy of wanting everything and everyone to stay the same and joyfully celebrating their accomplishments.
The thing that stands out the most, is the circumstances that, taken the right way, presented amazing opportunities. Round here we say, “When life gives you a lemon, you make lemonade!”
One friend found herself a “victim” of the economy when the store she managed gave her two weeks notice that it was pulling out. She took a night to think about it, and then drafted a business plan, went to the bank and received the funding to secure the space and re-open the store- this time with her name attached to it. Another friend woefully found that her job did not give her the outreach promised or initially envisioned, so she took it upon herself to fulfill that want by creating her own blog. She dedicates her lunch hours and evenings to it and has watched it grow, gaining respect and coverage around the globe.
My last example is a friend who underwent the very personal and often painful rebuilding of oneself after a breakup. After three years, she and her boyfriend parted. She realigned her compass to point inward and dedicated herself to the things that make her happy. She traveled and took a course for yoga instruction. When she returned she opened a yoga studio and now spends her days giving back to others through her passion and learned skills.
I love all of these stories, and can feel the inspiration bubbling out from inside of me! Mostly, I love that they show that anyone can make a change in their life, and often times it takes that one sour experience to set you on your course. But if you are preceptive and seize the opportunity you can create greatness for yourself and for the people around you.
