Have you found Passion?

The past few weeks I have been struggling with passion because I feel no real passion in my life. This has caused me to doubt my decisions, my life and my future. Many people know that I run 3 businesses: my handmade business, my tea business and my makeup business. I love each of these in very unique ways because each bring happiness into my life in their each, individual ways.

After coming back from a day trip in New York City, I missed the excitement of city life. I grew up in the country but always felt at home being in the city and around other people. My life right now is very secluded and lonely which contributes to my depression and unhappiness in my current life. I love selling tea and I have built a very nice team of tea lovers. My customers love my individual customer service and perks that I offer to them. I look at tea as making inside of my body beautiful while my makeup business makes the outside of my body beautiful.

The past week, things have occurred with the makeup company that have made me doubt if this company is the right fit for me. To start, I noticed that my upline and the rest of the team she built started sharing products from a competing makeup company. Then I realized that the whole team went and joined this company. So how does one feel when someone who sponsored you and supposed to be your support in this business leaves for a competing company? That is where the doubts started....

Then I was following a Facebook friend who was posting about her concerns over fellow consultants of the makeup business not being very welcoming to her because she runs more then one business including a skincare, pampering company which she has had much success in running before joining the makeup company. She shared her unhappiness of the way these consultants treated her. Well not even a day later, a consultant contact the makeup company's compliance department and reported this girl for selling for the skincare company (which doesn't sell any makeup). The makeup company made her decide us or them. Well she made the right decision and left the makeup company just 3 days after joining! This made my thoughts wonder because the the tea company selling tea infused soap aka skincare so will someone report me and make me choose??

Today, a friend of mine and fellow makeup consultant brought a post in our elite group that put down the consultants that run more then one business and my upline agreed with her. That was basically the nail in the coffin of doubts for me. I know that each of my business' contribute to my passion, my passion for life, my passion for art, my passion for beauty, my passion for the things I love. I know where I want to go in my life, that I want people that are willing to support me by my side and I will not allow the negativity to invade me life any longer.

My passion is for art and beauty in the life that surrounds all of us everyday. I see the world as art and I want to make the world a beautiful work of art with my passion.

Dr. Seuss to Brighten Your Wednesday

Today is Inspirational Wednesday and I came across this picture yesterday on Pinterest in the Do It Yourself section but the quote is what spoke to me. I am a HUGE quote person because words speak to my heart. I know that people have the sayings like "sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you" or "Actions speak louder then words" but to me words speak to your heart and soul in a way that actions will never be able to. 

I am an avid book reader and have been since I was young because the words on those pages told me things that adults couldn't show me. Even now, I become enraptured in a story because those words are showing and telling me that someone in my life has not been able to. Lily has inherited my love of books especially Dr. Seuss books so this quote by him seems very fitting at the moment. As a single mom that works for herself, there are always mountains to climb and stresses to relieve. Some days are easier then others but each day has its challenges especially on one income. Each day has its small blessings that I get to look forward to as I  am on my way to great places.  As the Dr. Seuss says, today is my day and my mountain is waiting to be climbed! Go climb your mountain today!

The Balance Of Life for a Mommy Artisan

I know that today is supposed to be Thirsty Thursday but I haven't had time to really cook or bake this week... or at least from scratch. Like my title, I am trying to find the balance of my life as a single mom and a  small business owner. I think every small business owner has this dilemma but when you add single mom and artisan and the dilemma worsens. As an Artisan, we run our business on a daily basis plus create everything for our business to sell. As a mommy, we have a little human that counts on us for everything including love and attention. Lately, my struggle has been to spend more time with Lily doing things with her rather then let her sit on the computer or in front of the tv while I work the day away. (Don't judge me because none of us are a perfect parent!) Part of the problem with the balance is that Lily went from a full-day Kindergarten to a half-day Kindergarten in January. So I went from 8 hours to work without her to 4 hours which doesn't give me much time to get anything done..... or at least that is what I thought. 

I found the 15 minute rule works great when I am trying to work as efficiently as I can while Lily is in school. The 15 minute rule is that I work on something for only 15 minutes at a time. In that 15 minutes, I put all my focus and energy on that task so that I can do the best I can. Now this doesn't work in everything I am doing  when I am in creative mode but when it comes to the computer work, the 15 minute rule is working great!

Lily and I love our home pedicure nights!

When Lily gets off the bus, I tend to do my house cleaning and chores so that she can "help" me. She loves to help me clean which is a big help to me. I have implemented the 15 minute rule when cleaning too. Lily loves it because she thinks it is a race to clean up. Race against who or what, I am not sure but she has fun which is the best part of it. Plus I set aside Lily time so that we can spend time doing something special. Whether it is watching a movie, creating a craft, baking a treat or something else, that time is all about Lily and Mommy. I am slowly finding my balance and sometimes I need a reminder that I Lily wants Mommy time not business Mommy time. 

Each day is a work of Art so go out and create your beautiful day!