Growing Pains and Pleasures

"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing or that,

but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing."

- William Butler Yeats

Every year our writers group members pick a word and a verse for the year. My word for 2012 is Harvest along with the following verses from Psalm 1:

Blessed is the (wo)man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But (her) delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law (s)he meditates day and night.
³ (S)he shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever (s)he does shall prosper.

The funny thing is - before the harvest there needs to be growth. And growing is painful!

• Try starting and growing a business with limited finances.
• Try growing a child with challenges.
• Try growing a weight loss when time, poor habits, and biology are stacked against you.
• Try growing a healthier life after injuries from the collision that totaled your car.
• Try growing beyond years of self-doubt and insecurities - only to find yourself in a sales position (and you typically detest them.)

Although difficult, I pushed through these challenges and I GREW!

• I created Mommy Forward, LLC and organized the first Chester County's Best Kept Secrets Tour, selling over 900 tickets and generating thousands of dollars in sales for local businesses.
• I cheered our son on to tremendous progress academically and socially.
  
• I re-committed myself to weight loss, and the scale is moving in the right direction again.
• I got treatment for my auto injuries, can extend forgiveness to the other driver (most days), and survived the car renting, buying, and insurance frustrations.
  
• I counteract negative self-talk with prayer, praise, gratitude, and the support of family, friends, and my personal development team.

Sure, my celebration is part "I did it!" but mostly "God did it!" He brings the "fruit" and the "prosper" in spite of my best efforts. And I don't believe in success for success' sake. If I rise and prosper, I want to take everyone with me. That's been my goal for Chester County's Best Kept Secrets Tour, local business owners (including myself) working together to strengthen the community and the local economy.

I often say I was fine being the fat girl in the corner. Then God said "no" and pushed me forward. Now my days include sales calls, magazine photo shoots, articles, ads, and even networking. September Tour, here I come!

I guess this Mommy Forward is one happy-to-be-growing girl.

 
Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net