Even though I have an About page (here and here) on my other sites and blogs, since this is a totally different blog, so it deserves a more pertinent bio.
From a small town in NE Oklahoma, I grew up in a idyllic rural life, in so much as the town and its inhabitants were what I would choose today having the benefit of a lifetime of experience. However, I knew I wanted to live in a metropolitan atmosphere early in life. At an early age, I adored the arts - painting, singing, piano, guitar, organ, designing, layout artist. I knew that being in the city would mean more exposure and more friends who shared these same interests.
I lived a life of relative protection, from a comfortable home, had a great education, was able to get employment easily, married, became a full-time homemaker and gave away my decision-making power. One day that all ended.
I had to admit that I was starting on a new path. Although this was hard, I did not feel sorry for myself and learned to let that life go and open new doors.
I had "inherited" a shopping center that was in catastrophic condition and did not know a thing about how to operate this much less how to rebuild it or anything about the real estate industry. In addition this was in a rural economic environment, that was on the verge of exploding, but was about 2 or 3 years away. Could I last that long? I had heard that cash flow killed a lot of companies, and I was getting real and personal experience in that area.
I knew enough to just be dangerous: everything having to do with this business had about 4 to 6 extra "0's" attached to the end and was mind-boggling; that I didn't have that sort of money; that I needed a big jump start but didn't know where or how it was going to happen; that it needed healing, mending and a move in the opposite direction - fast; that I needed a network to find financing, prospects and good advice.
Good grief! I needed everything. How could one person be so woefully uneducated about a subject and then thrown right in the middle of it?!
I learned real fast that real estate is an very easy way to loose the maximum amount of money - fast!
Fast forward a couple of years, and through a series of terrific events (I call them miraculous), not only have I found solid financing (not from a national bank) and my shopping center is a success - it is totally leased with national credit tenants (that's real estate lingo for tenants that are national chains and pay very well, right on time).
How did I do it?
Where did I get the wherewithal to survive 7 years of doubt?
Where did I get the advice I needed?
Where did I get the ideas?
Where did I learn how to respond to one traumatic piece of news after another?
What were my resources - sacred and secular?
How in the world did I hold myself together?
How did I go from mousy housewife, to owning and running three companies?
As I sit here writing this today, not only am I elated at the progress (thank God for financial freedom again), but also for the way I acted.
It's very easy to run around complaining and talking about what a burden you are having to endure.
It's easy to pour out your problems to others, all the while either oblivious or just in denial of what is going on around you - good and bad.
It's also very easy to be tempted - I have been tempted and thought about it long and hard - it's just hard to resist it, and you will have many opportunities to slide down that slippery slope.
Don't.
Think of this: What if you were not only able to survive, but you blossomed and grew into more of a person than you ever thought you could be? That's exactly what these sorts of times give us the opportunity to do.
What happened if after all this debacle is over (and if there is one thing that is constant and not changing, it is that "things change" and this will be over), you looked at yourself, and marveled at your strength of will, the belief you had yourself and those around you, the moral and giving manner in which you conducted yourself?
Wouldn't that just be the best?!!!
But how?
This blog is a description of that journey I took in my own transformation from mousy hausfrau to dynamic business woman heading up three companies
But not only do I also want to empower people who don't see a way and therefore think they can't, but dream they can.
And further to inspire younger people to not only dream, but realize that their dreams can come true. All of our dreams can come true.
Feel free to ask questions and add comments along the way.
Hopefully these posts will inspire, invigorate, encourage, kindle new dreams - even rekindle old dreams. It is vital to dream. It is as vital to have hope.
