At the time of this writing I’m feeling pretty beaten down, pretty low, and I’m having discouraging thoughts about myself - like I’m not good enough to achieve what I am working towards. I know these thoughts are lies but it’s been hard to shake. So I hope the words I write here can not only encourage you but also myself. Nobody lives a steady even keel life, and it’s ok to feel the ups and downs. But don’t ever stay down. Time to rise!

Where Has The Year Gone?!

It’s already August, the school year is coming, football season is upon us, we’re going to blink and it’ll be Christmas! Our lives are constantly in motion, the days, weeks, months begin to blur and before you know it - years have gone by. Which is what I want to talk about this month. Time, progress, and belief in yourself.

Time

This year has been such a blessing for Kara and I. Looking at everything that has happened for us and what’s still to come - parenthood! Becoming a parent means a lot of things, but the common themes I hear is that it’s challenging, it’s tiring, it’s rewarding, and it GOES SO FAST.

This has me thinking more about time in general. My relationship with time is extremely important. I make a lot of decisions based on time and I plan everything according to optimizing my time. In fact, I prioritize it above most things. Unfortunately it is my most selfish quality. This past weekend, I went to a concert and heard the song below performed. I’ve heard it 1,000 times on the radio but this time, it hit different. It was like I was hearing it for the first time.

During the song, I saw the last 20 years of my life flash before my eyes while simultaneously seeing the next 20 years fly by. It scared me, it made me sad, it filled me with joy of all the memories made and still to come. One of the hardest things I deal with is only seeing most of you once or twice a year. That’s the hardest thing for me because I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be and yet I don’t get to see so many people I love that often. Above all I still feel fulfilled, blessed, and loved. Time is going quickly and our lives are changing fast so enjoy the moments with your family, friends, loved one, and yourself.

Progress

I don’t know about you but I find myself slowing down and hitting some lulls to start off this month. We just crossed the midway point of the year and there are still 5 months left. I just pushed through a major goal for Trusted Home Goods and I am seeing that THG is projected to 3-4x total business from last year. So it’s easy for me to “rest on those laurels” and want to go on cruise control for the rest of the year. Every time I push through a big goal for the business, things get much harder, like I am leveling up in a video game. Every time this happens I get in a funk. But then I see my favorite instagram influencers reminding me to keep going! These types of mini messages on my newsfeed are helpful. I purposefully fill my social media with these types of pages who provide insightful value and encouragement that won’t take away from my energy.

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Here’s something else that I learned, “When things are going great, speed up. When things are going bad, slow down.” This helps me lean into things that are working and take the turbulence with caution. So even when I’m not feeling optimal or when things aren’t going “perfect” for my business I still find ways to win by doing tasks, find re-focus time, and press forward. There’s a Rutgers saying that is “Keep Chopping” - that’s all you gotta do, just keep chopping and keep going, no matter what. Which leads me to…

Belief In Yourself

I believe that everything in our lives is an accumulation of the decisions that we’ve made. To look back and dwell on the crossroads and choices that have got us to this moment can be overwhelming. And yet here we are, hopefully doing well. But if you’re not feeling optimistic or positive, I believe the only way out, is through. Never give up. We all go through storms and lulls in life. You are either in the middle of a storm right now, you just got out of storm, or you’re about to go through one. Either way, it’s crucial to trust in yourself and keep going. Keep chopping and never give up. One of the anchor quotes of my young adult life has been a quote from Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford commencement speech.

I put my faith in God and Jesus. I believe that I’m being guided through life as long as I take time to give thanks, reflect, listen, learn, and pray. There have been countless decisions that I’ve made that have shaped me to be who I am today. My biggest strength is taking consistent action towards goals and not stopping. Nobody can take that away from me, regardless of the outcomes. But I have never been more confident that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, pursuing what I’m pursuing.

Life is difficult, but I believe that things always works out for me because my faith is in something much greater than me. I hope that for you, whatever you may be facing or dealing with, you put your faith in something bigger than yourself. Trust in yourself, push through obstacles, break through barriers and ceilings, and go for it. Whatever it is, Give it your best shot .

Love you all!

Georgie

PS: I highly recommend watching Steve Jobs full commencement speech!