Do you ever have days where things in your life seem to smack you upside the head, give you a good hard shake and shout PAY ATTENTION RIGHT NOW? That’s a pretty good description of things that have happened to me over the past few weeks. It’s not fun, but it’s not going away, so the only thing I can do is to work through this stuff one day at a time.
I’ve spent the last couple of months planning the big Shape Shifter Kickoff Party, and now I have to put it on hold. It’s a huge letdown for me, and for the hundreds of you who are waiting for the big invitation to arrive in your Email inbox. I’m so sorry to disappoint you, but I have some really big decisions to make and I need some time and space to get through them before I can fully direct my energy into the Shape Shifter Online Learning course.
Stowing My Cape – For Now…
It’s always fun to share the exciting and positive things going on in our life. Not so much the less than happy and stressful stuff. But there are a few things I want to share with you today.
I’ve spent the last 10 years working like a crazy person. I put together a hugely successful business, wrote three books, and taught tens of thousands of people to work with Paintstiks on fabric through my books, classes and TV appearances. We shipped tons and tons of products out the door and sold millions of dollars worth of products. It has been nothing short of amazing.
The downside of all this is that I’ve been pretty much in GO-mode for the entire time. Pretty much every day I got up, pulled on my Wonder Woman Suit, and found a way to keep everything rolling forward. It’s quite amazing how long a person can do that before something happens to throw a wrench into the gears. But that is exactly what happened.
Several things have surfaced in the past month that have made it blindingly obvious that I need to slow down, rearrange my priorities, and to figure out where I want to go from here. To do this, I need to send my Wonder Woman cape out to the cleaners, then stuff it in the back of the closet and simply live at a normal pace while I think things through.
Mostly, Things Are Good
I don’t want to sound all doom and gloom. Most of the things in my life are in good shape. Jack and I are in good health, we are finally feeling a bit more settled in our new home, and there are certainly not major catastrophes on the horizon.
But there are also some challenges. My sister Sharon is fighting brain cancer (and doing quite well at the 1-year anniversary of her surgery) and my business has to adjust to some really big cyclical shifts in the quilting world. So it’s time to slow down, take a very deep breath, and take time to re-imagine the future for me and for Cedar Canyon Textiles.
Getting Back To Real Life
I’ve already put two fun and exciting things on my calendar for June. I’m going to Duluth for the Minnesota Quilt Show and Conference on June 13-14th. If you see me there, flag me down and introduce yourself. I love to meet members of the Cedar Canyon Community in person!
I’m also traveling to Charlotte, NC to attend Pamela Bruner’s Transform 2013 event that is happening June 27-29. Pamela is a very talented business coach and mentor and the event promises to be a really good place for me to be as I work at creating a new vision for both me and my business.
In the mean time, I’ll be in touch through the newsletter. I’m certainly not disappearing any time soon. I’m simply giving myself permission to sleep a little later, spend more time playing with my personal art and my friends, visiting with my sister, and taking a well-deserved anniversary trip with my sweetheart. After 25 years, he deserves something special!
We’ll get back to Shape Shifters after I have some time to work through all the big questions on my plate. Until then, have a fantastic summer. (And please send some warm, sunny weather to Minnesota. We are more than tired of the rain!)
And just so you know, the Online Store is open for business and our wholesale orders will be processed as usual. No changes there.
Sometimes we just have to take care of ourselves first Shelly. You have built an amazing business and Shape Shifter will come when the time is right.
Shelly, I applaud your ability to recognize that you need to take time to regroup and your sharing it with your friends and followers. Our physical and emotional health and that of our loved ones is far more important than quilting, Shapeshifters, Paintsticks or much else. I am grateful for all you have given and totally support you in your time to your own needs. You and your family remain in my thoughts and prayers. Take all the time you need.
Maureen Bickham
Lewis Center OH
Thank you for your lovely words of encouragement, Maureen. They mean the world to me right now. Sometimes it is hard to share the less-than-joyful things in our lives. But I’m finding it much easier than trying to dig deeper into an ever-depleted reserve of energy.
I understand!!! May God bless you and your dear sister. Relax! I have to tell myself the same thing. I teach full time and recently I was blessed with a studio/gallery/workshop, something that I have been wanting for a LONG LONG LONG time. I have a few other extenuating circumstances and to be honest, I am FRIED. Although I know intellectually that I “should” keep on pushing, God’s telling me to enjoy doing my work for awhile and everything that needs to happen, WILL. You’ve been “ON” for awhile-me too. There comes a time that we have to listen to that still, small voice and put it on “pause” or Somebody will push the pause button FOR us!
Thanks for chiming in, Beth. It’s always good to hear from others in the same boat. And if we are all honest, I think this boat is pretty crowded. 🙂
We all have times like this and taking 5 is the only thing to do. Good luck to you and although it hard to wait for the Shape Shifters, I understand and more than happy to wait. Take care!
Debbie
Relax and enjoy
Better to have you focused and healthy than scattered and guilty!!! Take care of yourself/family first and send the rain to Texas…….we’d be so happy to trade some sunshine !!!!!
Good for you. I understand your decision and congratulations for knowing it is time to stop and re-assess.
Gosh! Sounds like my life. I took off a year to reorganize and have never regretted it. Most people struggle and it just makes you stronger. Best Wishes Debbie! B–R–E–A–T–H–E—-.
I think it is something we all share, Gayle. A year off? That’s incredibly tempting!
Always best to take care of yourself and your life challenges before issues become too big to manage. Good luck and best wishes for a happy resolution to all.
Family first…always. Been doing that the last few years, but would not trade one moment I’ve spent for anything. Will be here when you are.
Good for you, Shelly! I’ve recently had a similar experience. I’ve started re-reading a book, “Making Pearls,” that has been really helpful in recognizing and being patient with the “time-out” phase of the creative cycle. The author is Jeanne Carbonetti, a very talented watercolor artist and teacher. It has helped me to recognize and make room for the cyclic nature of creating anything, be it a business or personal work. I look forward to your next creation!
Thanks for the book suggestion, Tonnie. I’ll add that one to my list. I’m currently reading The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. It’s another good read for anyone stuck in “GO-mode.”
As we sometimes careen through our lives, we need to make time for deep breathing. It is good for blood oxygenation and gives your brain a few minutes to reorganize the thoughts that befuddle us. Take time to love your family, Shelly. We’ll be here.
Well said, Kathy. And so true. The first thing that happened when I decided to stow my cape was that I felt like I could breathe more deeply. Whew!
All the best, I hope you can work things out so that your life is not so frantic but still satisfyng. From someone who retired 15 years ago and when I am told to enjoy the long weekend coming up I just laugh because once you retire you can have as many long weekends as you like.
Life is short and we never know what is around the corner. Take time for you and those that mean most to you and most of all take time to smell the roses.
You always need to remember to take care of yourself and those you love. And do not allow the word guilt to enter into your vocabulary….these are things you NEED to do.
Be well, be happy, be kind to yourself!
Thanks Judy. I’m working on that “no guilt” thing… 🙂
Thanks Shelly, n problem, you have to take time to get rejuvenated.
Thank you for sharing. May you have a time of refreshment and blessings. It takes strength to take off the super woman cape and give yourself permission to rest and recreate.
Jeanne
Thank you, Shelly! By sharing your decision you have, once again, provided mentorship to those of us who read your newsletter. It takes a truly strong person to share this with your followers. You are a wonderful inspiration. I look forward to hearing your assessment. God bless you and yours. Thank you.
Thank you, Kim. It was really hard to decide to take a break. I love what I do and it’s really hard to step back. I appreciate the support from you and the rest of the community. It means the world to me right now.