Archive for April, 2010
Guest Blogger: One Foot in Front of the Other
By Kelly Ellis, of Sole Obsession In grade 6 I wore a size 10 shoe. I can remember crying in the department store when my mom took me to buy shoes. The salesperson coughed back a chuckle as he mockingly asked, "What size?" and then told my mother that they didn't carry many shoes up to that size. The options? Ugly, big and beige. Not a 12 year olds dream...that's for sure. So I did what any normal girl would do. I picked out the style that I liked. Tried it on in a size 9 and claimed it fit perfectly. And then I hobbled around school with painful toes. Isn't that what you would have done? I could not go to school with those "other" shoes. So I proceeded through life, feeling like a weirdo with my big feet and too small shoes. Living with in-grown toenails, blisters, and painful feet became the norm. At some point the world began to take notice of those of us needing bigger shoes and size 10 wasn't so hard to find. That is for those who were fully grown - I on the other hand had just started so my feet continued to outgrow the norm. In high school I wore a size 11. Once again faced with the issue of finding shoes "that big" was all consuming. My mother's days of shopping with a very grumpy child were not over and I recall the torture she was put through as I lamented over crazy ideas such as not being able to get married because "no one would marry someone with such big feet". I began to deal with my frustration with the shoe world by only wearing men's shoes. Shopping at a store where someone spoke to me was out of the question. I preferred outlet stores where I could pick shoes off the shelf in the men's section, try them on, and then pretend to be buying them for someone else. No one would have to know my plight. NO ONE. Of course, the guy-shoe-thing prevented any form of dressing up. An upcoming wedding would throw me into a state of panic. Flip flops became my dress shoe of choice. Fast forward a couple of years, a husband and 3 kids later. (Yes, I did find someone to marry me who didn't even notice I had big feet until I pointed them out. What a sweetheart!) After being pregnant 3 times my feet have turned into the lovely duo they are today. A beautiful, BIG size 12. What is a girl going to do with such a problem but open a shoe store? And so we come to the present. A problem, turned passion. I love helping people find shoes that fit. From little too big and everything in between you have come to the right place. There will be no snorting, chuckling, or secret sharing here. I am not shocked by any feet that walk through the door. I just love to help find that shoe that is the "perfect fit". I cannot think of a better feeling than having someone tell me that they can't find shoes anywhere, and then helping them find them at Sole Obsession. It's what I do and I love it. ++++ DCsays> Thanks a bunch, Kelly, for this post. Love the story! I'm excited to meet you in person, [...]
When to pet a cat…
This is a follow-up on yesterday's post. I'm struggling to remember where I first heard this maxim, but am reminded of it now and then. If you pet a cat, make sure you're doing it because it's what you want to do; not because you expect any appreciation from the cat. When the cat - who is 'allowing' you to pet it - has had it's share of enjoyment, it will move on. There will be no reciprocal appreciation; when she's done with you, she's done with you. Your work (and others you work with) may be a lot like that cat. You may get some positive feedback, and you may not. If you're doing what you do because you find value in the doing, you'll have your reward and feel much greater satisfaction.
Two ‘A’s
"Accountability." "Appreciate." They're not necessarily separate from each other. By being accountable to someone , you can show them you appreciate them. Certainly, a lack of accountability shows a lack of appreciation. I will seek to remember that others tend to want appreciation and will do better at showing my appreciation for those who create value for me.
Lately…
It's been a bit quiet around the blog. Funny, when I have little time to update here, it means I'm quite busy outside of here. Which should mean I have much more to write about. I just finished reading The Art of Living Consciously by Nathaniel Branden. I recommend it. It's like a guide to the thinking of Howard Roark, tho it doesn't mention the character from The Fountainhead. FunnySaysWhat.com is moving forward. A little slower than I'd like; it seems that many are intimidated by change - including performers. I know, it's a strange phenomenon. In my creating FunnySaysWhat and working with Up In Your Biz!, I've discovered a great outlet for my unique talents. As such, I'm quite certain I'll be opening a production studio to contain those and other projects. Oh, and I finally got my iPod from my son (he's in California). I love it. How have people lived without such things for the past thousand years? It has me thinking to sell my HTC TouchPro and resort to an inexpensive phone and a mi-fy type internet connection. There's more going on with the production studio stuff, but I'm not at liberty to discuss it just yet. --Dave Charbonneau P.S. Don't forget, you can email me to ask me anything! Dave@SelfEnterpriser.com
Up In Your Biz April 2010 – Week #3
Up In Your Biz ~ Bellingham! Anny Havland Hosts The Tweet Life Music by Joel Hall & ZeroPlus One Produced by Dave Charbonneau Presented by Applied Prosperity, LC
