Persistence

I spent Monday at the dentist which as usual left me feeling anxious and in pain. I have spent a lot of time at the dentist throughout my life and none of it was due to cavities, all due to bone and gum issues. It’s honestly very frustrating. Most of my issues are hereditary but I had some poor behaviours in my 20’s that didn’t help. I have another 5 or so appointments and I should be done! Because of this surgery this week is a recovery week.

The benefit to having a recovery week is I get to study for my new role. I start a new career on Monday and I am thrilled. As I mentioned in my previous post I’ve been struggling with my current job because the market is so difficult to manage. My new role allows me to control where I go and how I approach potential clients. My new title is Western Canada Channel Account Manager. Sounds like a mouthful doesn’t it? I get to work from home for the majority of the time because of technology I can connect with clients remotely. I will have to travel from time to time which is also cool. I won’t be locked into one place just waiting for clients to come to me anymore.

This new beginning is a game changer for my husband and I. He works in the same field and also works remotely. We will be working Monday through Friday, be able to take vacations together easily. Can work from a campsite if we wanted too, as long as we have internet and phone connections.

I’ve never been one to settle, I’ve always pushed towards bettering my life. If a job doesn’t fit I persist until something better comes along. They say your 40’s are the money making years. So let’s go!

Wishing and hoping and thinking and planning

There are so many plans we hope to achieve and the end result is getting closer. We have done a ton of research and planning and everything is lining up. The biggest hurdle we are facing now is timing. For the business model we are looking to launch and to be profitable would have to start about now. And we won’t be ready until August.

So the question is, do we hold off and continue planning and make sure every I is dotted and T is crossed and launch next season? Or do we just go for it and see what happens. My gut says hold off but my heart says go for it.

My heart has led me into hazardous situations before. It’s not always about love, mostly passion. I become so passionate about something that it takes hold of me. Sometimes that’s a good thing, sometimes it leads to poor decisions.

I know I haven’t divulged what this business is. I’m keeping it on the down low for a reason. It would be the first of its kind in Canada. That’s a big deal. Which is why I know it will work. I’ve seen this type of business thrive in many parts of the world. I’ve been doing my due diligence, and research and case studies and I know it in my gut that it will work.

So what next

Honestly there are still so many parts that need to line up before we can launch. The city has approved a permit program for us, “step one”. We have a knowledge of most of the financials, but have yet to get financing. I have a few phone calls yet to make in that regard. The government has many grant programs to help us which would cover a large chunk of the start up costs and also loan programs for the rest. It’s completely viable but still scary. I’ve never started a business of this magnitude. I’ve done a few side hustles before, but this could lend itself to total independence if done right.

So there it is

We are just a few steps away from making this happen. But since it’s a season permitting business, do we launch in August, or do we wait? That is the question.

Friendship as an adult

I haven’t had a ton of friends in my life. Many acquaintances but not many close friends. As an adult and moving away from the only friends I had was a struggle. Making friends as an adult is an interesting thing. You don’t really go out of your way to make any. You have work, and romantic relationships that take premise. So when you do make a friend it is kind of grand. Finding people who are like minded with you, sorta on the same path career wise etc. I have a story to tell about the friends I’ve (we’ve made) since moving to Kelowna.

But before I get into that

I have to talk a little about the so-called friend I made in Calgary during the 6 years I lived there. Again, I moved across the country to get away from a toxic relationship. I was wholly focused on my career and my dogs. I met this girl I worked with and found out we had similar interests. Like old movies, musicals especially. We both loved sci-fi and things of that nature. So I invited her out to catch a movie and we hit it off and hung out a lot for about a year. 

Single White female

Not long after we moved in together I started seeing the signs I wished I had seen prior. If I wasn’t at home in the evenings she’d stalk my facebook activity, text, call or try to contact me otherwise. She even told me up front that she broke into my computer to read my messages and emails to find out what I was up to at one point. I tried to ignore these things because I am not one to really care what other people do. But then she started getting mad at me for things like me not cleaning the house on a specific day with her. Side note: growing up with the large family I had, led to me cleaning constantly clean as you go if you will. So I was ALWAYS cleaning, she just didn’t see it so of course in her mind it wasn’t happening.

At that point in my life my mom moved in with me. John (step dad) and my younger siblings moved back to Texas. Mom had to wait awhile for some paperwork to go through. So mom moved in. After a few weeks she (I won’t name her because I am not that type of person) starting saying the same thing about my mom…she didn’t clean or help out with rent etc. This coming from a girl who never paid her rent to my brother in the 3 months she lived with us.

Then I met Luke

So months later I met Luke (my husband). I started spending a lot of time with him and taking the dogs with me and just not being there. I decided to move out and she wanted her boyfriend to move in. I asked for a lease agreement to be signed and she thought was a ridiculous ask since she owned the place. I had to explain my legal rights regarding allowing another person to live in the home I owned. After many verbal battles and name calling and me putting my foot down saying “he can’t move in without a lease”, it was signed.

I really don’t want to go on about her but it went on. So many issues from them returning any mail to sender, to saying I couldn’t check up on the place after a year etc.

All that to say

After that I really didn’t make friends. I knew people from work but never made any substantial connections. Maybe from fear, maybe because I just didn’t care anymore. Who knows. So we move to Kelowna. A place infamous for “clicks” apparently. We are renting in this adorable old little home from a young guy. We are about 7-10 years older than the gang that shares the back yard with us in the summers. But they are all lovely and invite us out and over. Then a new neighbour moved in (Sam) and we didn’t talk much at first. Probably due to the lack of interest of meeting new people on my part. One night though, we had a fire and sat a talked for hours and she and I are completely on the same page. We are like minded souls. Luke gets along with her too which is great.

Another strange but wonderful relationship started on a flight back from Vancouver and I sat beside Tara. She’s around my age and we just chit chatted about whatever. At the end of the flight which is only an hour long she gave me her card. She said “call me to meet up for a drink sometime.” I thought that was sweet. Later I found out when she moved here she had a hard time meeting people and thought she’d make it easier on me.

We met up and hit it off and decided to introduce our boys to each other. Kirk had a key chain with the Oilers on it and Luke who is a huge Oilers fan saw it and well that was that.

To finish this off I’d like to share a quote from one of my favourite movies. “When I was a little girl, I’d spend hours looking for ladybugs. Finally I’d give up and fall asleep in the grass. When I woke up they were crawling all over me.” – Under the Tuscan Sun

The point is stop trying so hard. It happened for me with my husband and it happened with new friends who are dear to me. In life we work ourselves up, and stress about things. But life and love will happen for you. If you just let it.