This post is inspired by something that has recently occurred and another that is about to occur. This past weekend I attended “Eat Write Retreat 2012” where I met so many amazing women.  Yesterday I read the post of a fellow blogger that really stirred me  One Simple Step That is Changing my Life.  In the writing exercise that she is referring to, I was given the single word focus of JOY.  Her post reminded me about a lesson that I learned long ago, but have not focused upon lately, and that is “an attitude of gratitude”.  I am about to adopt a new routine where I awake each morning to perform an inventory of what brings me joy in my life and be grateful for these blessings.

Tonight I am attending my first meeting of the Women Business Owners of Manitoba, where I happen to be the dinner speaker.  I do not think that the timing of this is by accident.  Often I bemoan the conclusion of the career that I loved so much and that prompted me (kicking and screaming) into becoming an entrepreneur.  But this morning, I am so grateful and not because I am making wads of cash (because that is certainly not the case) but for these reasons:

The first relates to the above, when you are self employed you never really know where your next assignment will come from and during this roller coaster ride, it is hard not to feel defeated and sorry for yourself.  In these “desert” times of money coming in, I focus my energies on reducing the money going out-by cooking from scratch, creating hand-made gifts, decorating with refurbished materials, shopping second hand with a little revamping on my sewing machine and cleaning and re-organizing.  It is amazing how new and fresh my house feels when the dust bunnies are chased away.

Reason number two is that I am still considered an expert in my former field so that I get just enough projects to keep me connected to my many friends in the media industry.

Another reason is sharing my love of the things that I know how to do well in teaching, training and instructing.  This is new to me and I am loving it!  I had always wanted to be a Home Ec. teacher and now, many years later,  I am (in a mixed up way) fulfilling that dream.  This too is becoming a revenue source that proves to come in handy.

This next reason, is a surprize to me –I get to write every day.  My imagination wakes up even before my body does, with ideas of how I will approach my next assignment or blog post.  Before I fall asleep I say to myself, “in the morning, I am immediately going to get out for my walk”, and then I find myself inexplicably drawn to the computer to record my thoughts before they slip away (one of the challenges of being a menopausal writer).

AND I get to write about what I love.  Food and the preparation of it for my extended family and friends brings me- JOY.  Sure I produce flops, think my kitchen is too small and hate that I often seem to get stuck emptying the dishwasher, but I love the intimate bond that food creates.

Another reason is that I have become a traveller.  My instructing and my own learning have taken me to places that I have never been before, in addition to having the time and resources to regularly visit our precious Isla Mujeres in Mexico and cities in the US and Europe on our bucket list.

I have so much freedom.  I can work from my backyard gazebo or our little cottage at the lake, I can take my morning walk along the river(accompanied by my cell phone), I can volunteer each week as a baby hugger,  I can visit my aging Mom, I can babysit the kids of friends, I can teach my daughter-in-law how to plant her first perennial garden, I can drive my youngest to university for a crucial exam, I can dog-sit our grand-dog when my eldest becomes extra busy, I can meet my sister for lunch and friends for coffee, I can garden on my lunch break, I can tidy the house while I am awaiting for an email, I can be available for family emergencies and best of all, I can pamper and take care of my husband (who fills in the financial gaps by working very, very hard).

A huge reason is that I am my own boss.  I concentrate on the projects that I enjoy.  I can work in one of my many turquoise house coats and woolly socks if I choose and have a luxurious bath (instead of a quick morning shower) in the middle of a rainy day.

I could go on and on (and I will do so privately, every morning) but I think that you get my drift.

I have not truly thanked my friend and former employer for presenting me with this freedom when we had that tearful “pink slip” conversation a couple of years ago or another friend who suggest that I start blogging.  In spite of my initial resistance, I can truly say I am happy to be a Woman Business Owner in Manitoba!

Kath’s quote: “The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite.”-A. J. Liebling

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