It's ALL Process...

Me, Age 5

When I was a kid, I HONESTLY believed that all adults knew what they were doing, every day, all of the time. I mean, how else did they get houses, cars, job, etc. Right? Man, I couldn't wait to have figured life all out!

Well, now I AM an adult. Aaaaand, I have no idea what I'm doing on any given day. Well, ok. I DO know to a certain degree. But, I have two college degrees, am married, have a child, have a house, have a car, have the dogs... and there is never a given moment when I think "Yeah. I've TOTALLY got this one figured out." And it is now, in my <insert vague reference to age> that I have come to realize that no one ever really knows definitively what they are doing. We have an idea of what WANT to do, how we WANT things to work out. But life is a total "craps shoot".

So, rather than sweat it about not knowing everything I think I'm supposed to know as a grown adult, I've come to undertstand that EVERYTHING is a process.

One giant, unending process.

We are constantly learning, and growing, and experiencing... And if you are DOING, then you are participating in process. And life is all about process.

I taught myself to knit probably 18 years ago. I didn't take to it right away, was impatient, and got easily frustrated. So I put away my knitting needles. Then, 15 years ago I taught myself to crochet from my Great Grandmother's book. And while I did a little better with this, I was still impatient. So impatient and frustrated with my slow speed that I shelved those skills for a later date and time.

Well, that date and time came into play in January of 2013. I got that "heart call". You know, that one where you are called to step forward into something meaningful no matter how prepared you may, or in my case, may not be? Yeah. That one.

 I began knitting children's socks and dishrags, and selling them on Etsy and in person to family and friends. Was I a pro at knitting? Much less knitting children's socks? No. Absolutely not. But I pushed forward. And, I can tell you now that I received a lot of support, AND a lot criticism from people who knew me, as well as from those who did not. And that criticism made progress hard. But with each stitch my skills improved, the work went faster, and my degree of patience increased. Eventually, I grew, which was directly related to making progress one day at a time.

Just a set of double knit Dr. Who Potholders I designed

The end result of pushing forward, completing the task, and allowing the plan to play out is that:




1) I was able to give over $400 to an organization that supports orphans in DPRK, and to partially fund a North Korean refugee rescue campaign. Lives were changed because I didn't quit when it got hard.

My daughter modelling a poncho

2) I learned EXACTLY what I am capable of doing. And the "WHAT" is pretty amazing! And no, I'm not an utter pro. I'm just good at what I do, and I'm willing to both learn, and take chances, knowing that process leads to growth.




So, what is the point of all of this? I am beginning to take some big steps here in 2014 to push harder, make a bigger impact, grow myself, and to participate on a deeper level in creating the change I wish to see in the world. Do I fully know the when and how? No. But then again, I don't think that Ghandi, or Churchill, or Harriet Tubman knew the details of their life before starting their journey's.

It's all process.

I invite you stay tuned to this blog, my Facebook page, and my Etsy store to see how you can be an integral part of my process in the weeks to come. And remember, don't get overwhelmed by what you don't know. Apply what you do know. All of the rest is just a matter of process.