When I saw the words, “Mind, Body, Ojai,” with the tranquil and picturesque California mountain side in the backdrop, I knew this trip was for me.
When I was 5 months postpartum with Rye, *beginning* to emerge from the fog, the trip was announced. A trip to California in the Fall was something worth hustling for.
When I was tired yet full of ambition (quite a dichotomy I know, but it was real!), I needed something to get jazzed about. I made a plan with my friend @itsahuntslife on how I was going to make this happen. I needed something to work towards, something to get me back into by business – a part of me that I loved, was full of passion, and recharged me in the best ways.
What I didn’t know at the time, was how badly I would need this trip. How badly every cell in my body would deeply need the rest. The sleep. The food. The wine. The time with friends. The sun. The quiet. The reset. The time on a plane alone. The time in a hotel room for three nights, in a bed by myself. When I was working hard for this trip, I didn’t know how much the anticipation of all of the above would save me. (Can you tell how excited I was!?)
I had all the emotions (and then some) as I prepared to leave for this trip. 4 days away from my family felt like an eternity, especially since I hadn’t spend more than 8 hours apart from Rye. In 10 months!
But, I know how truly healing, deeply restful, and reinvigorating time alone is. Time with amazing women that I’ve looked up to and admired for years. And time for my family to have a little Mom free fun will be good for everyone. It’s good to shake things up every once in a while!
As my unofficial guru in life, Kate Northrup so wisely says, “the belief that your kids will not be ok unless you’re with them all the time will take you down, and that’s not good for either of you.”
When I became a Beautycounter consultant 3 years ago, I was excited about the sunscreen that didn’t leave my skin ghostly. As a nutritionist, I was excited about joining an education focused, mission based company. And I was giddy at the idea of starting my own business (for a mere $98 and a few hundred dollars in product I chose to get started with). I had always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but didn’t want to foot thousands of dollars to get a business going. So I’ll tell you, never in a million years would I have thought I would be on a trip with 130 of the top consultants at a 5 star resort in California. I had no idea where this business would take me.
The trip? Here are a few pictures, that of course don’t do it justice. Let’s just say I am going to try my hardest to be on these incentive trips for years to come! Plus, Adam and the kids THRIVED when I was gone, which made it all so much easier to enjoy!
And so I leave you with this. DO IT. Be it this business, or a different idea entirely. The first step to anything is saying YES. Say yes to the fear. To the unknown. To the what ifs. To the how will I do it, to the what will people think.
Starting your own business takes so much damn grit. So much consistency (years of it). It takes a lot of rest (it’s the only thing that will keep you from quitting). It takes patience. And depending on the season It takes hustle….and it really, really takes flow.
Here’s to saying yes to something that scares you. To something you’ve been wanting to do for a while but haven’t jumped at. Politely tell your self-doubt to shut up!
You can do it!
Sara
