I can't believe today was the last day -- 8 years and 8 months of my life have officially come to an end. What's next? I have no idea!
These past few months have been a winding down of sorts for me. I didn't expect to go through so many different emotions -- I honestly thought that relief and excitement would be my primary emotions. However, I've run the emotional gamut -- at least twice. LOL!!!
It hasn't really sunk in yet. There are a few loose ends to tie up - final franchise payment, final WCB stuff, and clean up. My Mom and I are going to go in tomorrow at 11:00am or so and start packing things up. I'm donating everything left over to various charities. By the way, I had a fun time making shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child this year!! Hee-hee! I even had to call our local distributor to get more shoe boxes to fill with toys I had left over! :) :)
It is so strange how life can seem to drag on in the same usual vein until change occurs, and then WHAMMO! Suddenly you are on a different course. I was ready to shut the store down last November, but gave it one last go in an attempt to sell it. So, in one sense I had reconciled myself to the fact that I would not be living and breathing the dollar store industry any longer. But, as the final date drew closer, I started to stress, nag, nit-pick, and panic all at the same time.
For a long time, a big part of my identity has been as a business owner. It doesn't matter that I never saw the dollar store as part of me, everyone else did. And, that is the lens through which people interacted with me. I'm heading into uncharted territory again, and am terrified yet exhilarated at the same time.
Do I have a plan? No.
Do I have the slightest idea what I'm going to do now? No.
Does this scare me? Yes.
Lessons learned, hopefully remembered!
Pulling the sign for the last time...
My Mom acting like a little devil... Hee-hee!!!!
It's weird the stuff I had left over...Things I thought I would sell out of hung around, and things that I thought I would be stuck with sold. Go figure! Tonight, I gave a case of these nifty gender-specific cigarette lighters to a friend of mine. He was quite thrilled --- I know he'll be a hit at the bar tonight...
As you can see, my ordering skills were finely honed after 8 years. Hahahahahahaha!!!!
8 comments:
I'm trying not to think about what you flick to get the lighters to work.
Don't be scared that you don't know quite what you want to do next. In fact, you do know, it just hasn't percolated up to where you can verbalize it. You might still be needing to get the $ store out of your system. Sort of like taking away the patio stone that is repressing the grass and flowers.
I expect this could be one of the most exciting times of your life as you look, touch, taste, sniff, and listen for your next adventure. Open your heart and mind, and something in you will know it when it comes along. And we darn well want to hear about what you get up to!!
The photos are so cool! Thanks for posting them.
I think keith is right....you may need to purge the $ store....regardless give it time!
I'm just impressed that you can do a cartwheel!
Congrats babe on your new path! It's terrifying taking that first step but it'll be amazing just you wait@
Wow. Congtrats Julie! Turn the page and move on. When I look back on my life, the funnest times I have had are when I had no plan. You are intelligent, hard-working, savvy and outgoing. No matter what comes next, you will be just fine!
no plan means anythign can happen ... and if i smoked i would have bought them lighters!!! Whoo hoo!!
Nice pictures Julie, especially the cartwheels!!
Well, it's all been said, but you know my thoughts - give it time, relax, let your mind have thoughts come and go without only having 5 minutes to come up with a solution! Who knows what you'll do next, but whatever it is you'll give it your all of intelligence, emotion, passion, energy and commitment - blimey that's one hell of a CV/ resume! If anyone had told me 10 years I'd be about to open up a B&B in the Rockies and taking part in triathlons I'd have laughed like crazy......but there you go, it just kind of happened :)
Be kind to yourself and take some time out....
xxxx
Julie.....Julie.....where are you Julie?????
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