Be Inspired

Measuring the Miles


February 25, 2019

Last week, as I was driving my kids to their various activities, I had this overwhelming moment of gratefulness.  

It happened when I drove past the studio and could see the cars parked in the lot and lights through the windows, with the shadows of people moving about.

It was an ordinary moment, one I’d seen before. Yet this flood of gratitude rushed over me.

And gratitude for the lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur that led me to this point where I saw my business more objectively than perhaps I ever have.  

There it was: standing on its own, operating efficiently, carrying on with its important work. Just a regular Tuesday.

And the milestone hit me!

After two decades I am to the point where I can put a full day in working ON the studio and go home to dinner with my family while others work IN the studio.

Twenty years ago, I had no idea that I would ever be able to reach this point. I knew I was called to lead my business, but also to be able to prioritize time with my kids. There were so many years I just didn’t see how it would be possible. One was always suffering. If I was at the studio, it seemed that the kids needed me at home. If I was at home, I was getting a call from the studio during dinner.  

But, it DID get better with time and through developing a TEAM. Now if you’ve been following me for a while you know that my TEAM includes several full-time members. But, it didn’t start that way. It started by asking Miss Shayna to take on the costume ordering and exchanges. And, then the front desk and then the rehearsal schedule and then the class schedule and … well, you get the picture. Over the course of several years, my team became equipped and I became more free to focus on my strengths.

As business owners, I think we sometimes underestimate the power of measuring these miles, especially the “small” ones … like a free Tuesday night … and celebrating them. Because if we don’t appreciate where we’ve come from and how far we’ve traveled, how can we continue to push forward?

It becomes too easy to operate from a place of just go, go, go. All the time.

Seeing how far you’ve come, and holding that gratitude in your heart, it renews your energy and gives you fuel to keep going. It’s like stopping at a water station while running a marathon (OK, I don’t KNOW that marathon feeling personally but my 5K heart can make an educated guess, right!?)

Even if our pace slows or picks up; or we stumble or have the wind at our backs … however we achieve the miles in our journey, it’s worth noting. We learn, we acknowledge, we celebrate – and then we move on toward the next milestone.

I’m here to say now that I’m more committed than ever to measuring these miles, to boosting my potential through these moments of reflection and gratitude. Here’s to more Tuesday night wonders for us all!

Love, Misty

Be inspired
Get inspiration straight to your inbox.
Sign up