The Willing

"We, the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much for so long with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing."

I saw this quote today on the wall of a small camera repair shop. I laughed when I first read it, thinking of those poor old men working 'behind the scenes' of that little repair shop, assuming that they were feeling cynical about their clientele. The gentleman behind the counter explained to me that this was a quote from the Marines - who apparently receive the least amount of funding in the Navy. The old men working in the back weren't cynical after all.

So I broke it down:

"We, the willing . . . " = anyone with the drive or the desire to serve

" . . . led by the unknowing . . . " = leaders without a clue

" . . . are doing the impossible . . . " = accomplishing something that has never been done

" . . . for the ungrateful . . . " = those who don't acknowledge the sacrifice being made by the willing

"We have done so much for so long with so little . . . " = being frugal and still getting by

" . . . we are now qualified to do anything with nothing . . . " = attaining the confidence that it is possible to create something from nothing

It seems to me that the "willing" become independent from the "unknowing" and "ungrateful." The "willing" learn to accomplish the "impossible" by doing "so much for so long with so little." I admire the willing. I admire those who are willing to take on the challenge dispite the unknowing or the ungrateful. I admire those who have become qualified to do anything with nothing - I believe that you can't truly understand that without having gone through challenges of your own and overcoming them.

Have you learned to do "anything with nothing?" Have you ever done the "impossible?"

A New Start

I am so excited to be living again! I have fueled my passion - I feel invigorated and renewed!

A few years ago, when scrapbooking became more than just a hobby for me, I was introduced to a whole new world of paper-crafting creativity. As I began to discover more about this art, I ventured into different aspects such as direct selling, attending classes, and hosting classes. Throughout my journey, there is one place that I would consider a sanctuary for anyone who could appreciate this sort of crafting: "My Daughter's Wish." This retail boutique is unique because of the variety in it's inventory, the creative sample projects displayed, and the overall colorful atmosphere (there is PURPLE everywhere - my favorite color!!). In my mind, this has been the place where inspiration begins and flourishes. The possibilities seemed boundless. However, I never believed that I could truly be a part of that level of paper-crafting, scrapbooking, card-making sort of genius. It was always so high above me; it always seemed so much greater than anything I could ever hope to create or be a part of. I didn't believe that my quality of crafting would ever be equivalent to the greatness that I saw in this place. I thought that I could only ever be an admirer from afar.

This is me in front of "My Daughter's Wish" - at its original location in downtown Walnut Creek. This picture was taken about a year ago.

I have come to respect my created projects in a new light over the past few months. I see more clearly now the areas where I can succeed and I will humbly admit that there are areas where I am not artistically inclined. I am secure in my originality - this is a new feeling for me! The more I create, the more I can appreciate my work for what it is: an extension of me. This new-found confidence has led me to reconsider my feelings of inadequacy. Creativity is defined as being imaginative or characterized by originality, which means that my work is my own; no one can recreate something I have made in exactly the same way and I cannot recreate what someone else has made in their exact same way. So where is that standard I was holding myself to? Certainly a dwelling of creativity can appreciate individuality, my own included. This time, when a good friend suggested that I apply for work at "My Daughter's Wish," I finally conceded. I called in on a Tuesday to find out if they were hiring and was told to fax in my resume. The next morning, Wednesday, I got a call to come in for an interview later that day. I took some 'samples' of my work and showed them to the owner, who apparently liked them. I was hired! My first day of work was Friday of that same week.

The moral of the story: I'm learning to believe in myself. Its hard to be confident when you hold yourself to someone else's standard of creativity. I value that I am unique. I can stand out on my own. As cliche as it sounds, I've learned that I can be proud of whatever I can create because I have put a part of myself within it. I've got a cute sign (that my mom gave me) hanging on the wall above my crafting desk that says, "Life isn't about finding yourself, its about creating yourself." I couldn't agree more. I'm so excited for this chance to start anew working for a company that values what I am fond of, that supports my goals, and encourages further creativity! This truly is my 'dream job!'