This is probably going to seem like an article more fitting to write in the month of December. I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on all the things that have happened thus far in 2024 – bear with me as I try and put it all into words...
We often love to put our best picture forward on social media and in our day-to-day interactions. How often do we answer the question of “How are you,” with “oh, just living the dream.” I’m using this article as an outlet to write about the hardships, the struggles, and the losses incurred so far. However, I want to make myself think about and purposely write about all the positive too. After all, life is about balance, right?
The new year started off well – January and February were semi-normal months. I say ‘semi’ because on March 1st I closed on my very first home purchase! Chalk this one up in the positive column.
A couple weeks later, literally the morning after the ShamROCK event and after moving a lot of furniture and boxes, my family and I packed the car up and left town for Florida – another positive! While I (and my entire family) was away, my only remaining grandparent passed away. She was 103! For all of us, it was difficult to know that no matter how quickly we traveled back, we couldn’t be there for the final moments. It’s why I appreciate everyone who attends our events, because life is all a trade. It makes sense to me that our summer events will have fewer attendees. We can’t hit homeruns every time.
If you’re keeping score, that’s two for the positive column, one for the negative.
Moving on to April, I was running some errands over my lunch break and was rear ended at a local stoplight. Nothing major, right? No one was injured, which is most important, but it was a stressful thing to remedy. And I still have PTSD at every red light I pull up to. But, one of our member businesses helped me get a new bumper instead of a used one that the insurance company originally agreed to. Always a silver lining.
Related to my car, let’s fast forward quick to August when a deer ran out of the ditch and into the driver’s side door and rear door on my way in to work for the day. Also in August, my dog….and if you know me, then you know that she is my absolute pride and joy…got very sick. I’m happy to report that she is ok after some blood work, IV fluids, and an antibiotic. I welcomed the new month of September with open arms, and I think by now you’re probably gathering that I’m ready for a new year as well.
To balance the article out, let’s talk more on the positives…both personally and in my professional life. The summer has been filled with boat rides, family gatherings, cookouts on my deck on my new Blackstone griddle, concerts, trips to the various farmer’s markets our region offers, and more. As we discuss the role of tourism, it is the joy of living on the Mississippi River and the relaxing lifestyle that we can sell as a story. These images attract someone looking to recharge from the negatives in their life because we all need to achieve that balance.
There have been some really positive things happening at Grow Clinton, too. For events, a really successful ShamROCK in March, another year of celebrating all of our accomplishments at the Annual Meeting in June, and perhaps the most profitable golf outing event to date the last Friday in July. But there’s more.
We’ve celebrated the successes of our members. Ribbon cuttings to celebrate significant milestones of businesses and organizations in our community and the surrounding region. To name a few, the new location of Renaissance Resale Boutique, the historic remodel of the library at the George M. Curtis Mansion, the new bandshell at Drives Park in Fulton, the 90th Anniversary of Turner Appliance. Since the point of this article is balance, I reflect on the members who have dropped from our organization, largely because of changing business climates or retirement. This is a great segway to let you know that our EntreFuel program is here to help – from small business marketing tactics to business succession plans. It’s reason such as these that we always take time to make a Progress Award and have a ribbon cutting.
Collectively, all of these things round out who we are and what we do as an organization. And, personally, they balance me out and a lot of times are the little bit of positive I need to keep me going when times get tough in other aspects of my life.
So, with that said, please know that the conversations we have at a Biz After 5, at a ribbon cutting, while setting up for a big event, etc. mean more to me some days than you could probably ever know or that I could ever tell you about in words! Again, it’s why at Grow Clinton, we want the expectation to be that we are here to help you from potholes to expansions. We realize that you too might need encouraging words. I feel confident saying that we all experience setbacks in our personal and professional lives. Together, we can overcome hurdles that life throws at us.
I’ll leave you with an alarming statistic. On average, we spend roughly one-third of our lives at work, translating to around 90,000 hours over a lifetime. Stop and think about that for a second. This is crazy! It is imperative to find work that balances us out as individuals. A job that surrounds us with people that are compassionate, understanding, and have empathy is vital. We need it. Recognize and be that person. But also recognize that it’s ok to be the one who needs something positive to uplift you. Life has and will be filled with highs and lows and we will spend a third of our lives juggling our work and personal life! And sometimes, work is the welcomed distraction we all need!