New Beginnings

I watched Julie and Julia over the weekend and I became inspired. No, I'm not going to cook my way through a cookbook, but I did decide that I should blog more about baking than I have in the past.

I have a goal to open a bakery. I know that the economy is rough and that I live in a very small town but I know that it will work.

I still have many skills to work on, so I thought I would use this blog to share my success and to beg for help when I fail. Tips from others would be greatly appreciated.

One day I will be the proud owner of a bakery, but for now, it's time to perfect the craft.

"God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow in them." ~Author Unknown

Please join my on my journey.

I'm Back

I know it's been a long while. No excuses, just explainations. This summer has been a rough one. There were three deaths in the family in four months. Lots of travel and lots of tears.

Through these rough times, I've come to realize that I have some areas I need to focus on. I don't know how much time I have on this earth, but I'm planning on it being quite a bit more so I have some things I'd like to accomplish.

1. My pastry/bakery. My goal is to create enough business, that I have to find an actual location to run it out of. Complete with equipment and maybe an employee or two.

2. Preparedness. Over the last few weeks I've really felt impressed to get some things in order. I feel that I need to start canning and building up a food storage.

3. Power Hour. Spending time everyday focusing one hour on exercise, meditation, journal writing, scripture study and personal development. I plan to use this time to keep my blog more current.

This is just the beginning of my list. I'll post more as they come to me.

"Life's up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want." ~Marsha Sinetar

Direction

Sorry it's been so long. I've found that I get pulled in lots of different directions these days.

“Our achievements of today are but the sum total of our thoughts of yesterday. You are today where the thoughts of yesterday have brought you and you will be tomorrow where the thoughts of today take you.” ~Blaise Pascal

I feel very torn about this quote, because I hate to believe that some of the situations I'm in right now are directly a result of my thoughts. So basically I've caused this. But on the other hand it means that I can create the situation I want by controlling my thoughts.

It sounds so easy, till you really try to do it. I know where I want to be, that's easy. I have lots of dreams. Now for the hard part, pushing aside the reality of today.

It's hard to see myself owning a pastry shop when I know that I need to work where I'm at right now. Plus there's always someone who tries to help by telling you how crazy it would be to quit a steady job for something that is unknown.

I know this works, I've seen it in action. When I applied for my current job, I took time and visualized myself sitting at the desk, doing the job, anything I could think of related to this position. Doubt crept in a lot, but I pushed it aside and focused on what I wanted. And I got the job. That was two years ago. It's not exactly how I pictured it, but it's pretty close.

If it worked once, it will work again. Not just for me, anybody can do it if you try hard enough and never give up.

"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."

~Harriet Beecher Stowe

I would hate to wake up tomorrow and realize I was just one small step away from reaching my goal, but I had already given up.

Struggle

Yesterday started out pretty rough for me. Got up early to bake (working on those skills) and after two hours of making cinnamon rolls, they were over cooked. I have an old oven. I work really hard to adapt the recipes to make sure they cook but aren't over cooked. Well my adjustments didn't work. I was so frustrated and angry. Made me even wonder if my idea was still a good one.

Fast forward a few hours, I'm at work reading an e-mail that came in. Every Friday I get a inspirational story sent to me. Yesterday's hit home. It was about a 62 year old man who competed in a 350 mile race across the arctic ice. He described it as toughest thing he'd ever done. He even thought about quitting. But the thing about this race is that because of the cold he couldn't quit. Because if he did, he would die.

What he learned was that "We are capable of much more than we believe we are capable of."

It's so easy to give up, quit. But we are capable of so much more. My idea is still a good one. I have to keep going.

Faith

Sorry to be gone so long. Still no computer.

I am starting a new adventure. I want to open a pastry shop. Not sure where or when, but over the last few weeks I've been cooking up a storm. Donuts, bread, muffins, cobbler, all the good things that are so bad for you. Mostly family and co-workers are my taste testers but I'm branching out a bit to some other friends.

It's been difficult to stay positive about my adventure. I fight off the voice that tells me that this is probably the most terrible time to start a business. But I am ignoring it. I have learned that my thoughts are powerful and if I want this to work I need to see it succeeding and to push out those negative thoughts. It's a daily battle, but one I plan to win.

I'll keep you posted.

Blessings

I haven't posted for a bit, I broke my computer. Not great, but we are managing.


As I thought about what to write today, gratitude came to mind. We are very blessed and sometimes I guess I forget it. Both my husband and I have jobs. We have a place to live, food on the table, vehicles to drive, gas money, insurance, electricity, I could go on and on and on.


Sometimes it gets easy to focus on whats missing and forget to see what's good about life. I know that I need to spend a bit more time being thankful.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a
present and not giving it."~William Arthur Ward

The Pursuit of Happiness

I just watched the Will Smith movie The Pursuit of Happiness. It's one inspirational movie I have a hard time watching. It's not that it's a bad movie, it's just that the movie tells the story of a man who is trying to do better for his family. He feels that working for Dean Witter will get him where he wants to be, but the only way to get his shot with the company is to take an unpaid internship. Six months with no income. He and his son live in a homeless shelter, he sells medical equipment on the side, sells his plasma, and whatever else he can find that might give him a few dollars to survive a few more days.


I struggle with the movie because I tend to be a quitter. When the going gets tough, I quit. I love my comfort zone and I know that success takes place out side that zone.

"Periods of tranquility are seldom prolific of creative achievement. Mankind has to be stirred up." ~Alfred North Whitehead

I know that if I want to succeed I have to do something. I often wish success would walk up and knock on my door, but it's not going to happen that way. I don't have to do it all at once, but I do need to do a little. Everyday I do a little more towards my dreams takes me that much closer to where I want to be.

I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday. ~Author Unknown