A Thought On Kindness

Hey guys! I hope your getting through the winter blues okay. I know February can be a tough month, especially in Michigan with not many sunny days. Our family is trying to stay healthy. I've been working hard at that. Baths with Epsom salt almost every night, I diffuse Doterra Breathe oil for Louie and Tommy and I run humidifiers in both of their rooms. The humidifiers really make a difference! Louis, our oldest gets cold easily, like myself. I try to keep away from dairy as much as possible as that causes inflammation and I try to cook at home most of the time. As well as diffusing Doterra's On Guard oil in the kitchen area and disinfecting tables and chairs and the bathrooms often. What kinds of things do you do this time of year to stay healthy? We also drink lots of water! I don't let the boys drink anything else. Call me crazy, haha, but the extra sugar isn't needed, especially for growing little ones. 

I wanted to get a little personal in this blog post. During the winter months, it can be a big transition from working non-stop April-October. You really have to stay focused and motivated. I also have time to think. I think about my vision of the stores, I wonder sometimes if staying home with the boys is a better option. I almost have too much time to think! 

Retail can be sticky, anywhere. I've learned over the last 12 years, whether you are in high school or you are middle aged, the unkindness doesn't go away. That is one big thing that I am very surprised by as I get older. Looking back to my high school days, I never imagined the drama that exists the older you get. It's in the work place, friendships, marriages, and so on. This makes me really sad to see this in our world. For me, I have to have a positive outlet. I can only surround myself with positive people, I can only hire people that are hard working and kind, and I turn to motivational quotes or podcasts to keep myself in the right lane, the happy lane. 

I opened Little Luxuries when I was 23 years old. I'm sure this did not make other island business owners very happy. The new girl to Mackinac opening a gift shop on Main Street. I tried not to pay attention to the side chatter, I put my head down and I did the work. Andrew as my support team and yes, he was nervous about me opening a business on my own; I reassured him everything will be fine. I never once felt like I wasn't going to make it. I just worked and did what I knew I had to do to make customers happy and made sure bills were paid. In the business world, there is a lot of competition, which is normal, especially on a tiny island. I truly believe if you work hard, stay focused on your dreams and not anyone else's, good things will happen.

You probably wonder why I am writing about this today...I guess it just makes me sad to think about all the negativity in this world and the unique ideas that are taken so often and used again by someone else. I hope my blog post today makes you think about kindness (as it is Kindness Month) and being true to yourself. So many of us assume so much about other people. Nobody knows what anyone is going through behind closed doors. We are all trying to make life work. My advice from my own personal experience in business and living in a small town, is to stay true to YOU, follow your dreams, work hard and stay unique. 

I hope your week is a happy, healthy and productive one. 

Nicole

xoxo.