Trust Your Gut
It’s March 1st. This month marks one year since the pandemic made us all have to shut our doors for a while. I’ve been thinking…a lot. Thinking about the pattern of events that took place that month. I remember the thoughts that were going through my mind on certain days. I remember the fear that started to consume me. Fear of what others would think of me for the actions I was taking to try to save my business through that time. I was so afraid of others judging me. It’s crazy because one of the quotes I love most is “What others think of you is none of your business”. I have worked so hard to not worry about what others think of me as long as I know in my heart I am trying to make good decisions every day & be a good person.
Suddenly, people were posting aggressive opinions on social media. People were blaming others for the virus spreading. I remember seeing someone on Facebook posting pictures of people standing in line behind them at the store & saying how wrong they were for bringing a second person to the store with them when only one person should go to the store. I remember thinking that she would judge me too then because during March & April I started to have anxiety attacks when I would walk into Walmart. I love people. I like to talk to people. All at once a simple trip to the store changed. You were supposed to walk only one way down an aisle. Some people were wearing masks. Everyone started staring at everyone & if you coughed or sneezed… oh my goodness! So whenever I went to get groceries I brought my daughter with me, it’s what I needed to do & it upset me that people would judge me for that. We were all scared & I felt we all needed a little more love & a little less judgment.
I moved all of my boards & paint supplies back to my house when they said all non-essential businesses had to close. My family helped me put To Go Kits out in a deckbox on our front step every day for customers who had ordered. We had a coffee can on the step for people to leave their money in. I was trying to do things the safest way possible while still bringing in money so I wouldn’t lose my business. Then my friend Ashley from DC Estate Winery & I talked about doing wine & board painting kit pickups together. The winery was allowed to stay open because they were considered essential. I remember sitting there with her one afternoon & telling her I didn’t think I could do it, I was too afraid people were going to judge me for trying to find a way to “trick the system” or “break the rules”. I was afraid of losing the respect of my fellow business owners who didn’t have a way to continue to bring in money through this time. But something in my gut told me to just do it. Something in me reminded me that my story is one of resilience. I don’t sit back & let life happen. I do everything in my power to create the life I want. I reminded myself that my board painting kits were bringing people happiness while they were quarantined. So I started the every week kit pickups at the winery.
I waited for people to start with the negative comments on Facebook. But you know what? I never received one negative comment. Instead, my customers showed up in a BIGGER way than I could have ever imagined. We sold thousands of dollars of kits over the following 8 weeks. The money that we made during that time provided me with the means to open up my second business in November, Local Blessings. I received so many kind messages every week… customers thanking me for working so hard to give them something to do at home that they enjoyed. People even started paying it forward & giving me money to provide kits for people who were out of work because of the pandemic.
What if I had let my fear of being judged get the best of me? I don’t know where my business would be right now. I know there wouldn’t be a cute little shop called Local Blessings. Do your best every day to be a good person, but in the end don’t let what others think of you determine your decisions in life. Someone will always judge you. Trust your gut. I trusted my gut last March & I am so glad I did. I'm so thankful to all of my customers for pouring out their love during that time.