who cares, Lori?!

Last week, when the Governor of Minnesota put more restrictions on the restaurant industry that I work in… well, let me just say I’m prone to look at unwanted situations and try to figure out the opportunity in them or what I was supposed to learn from them. It may take a minute to regroup, adjust and see it, but I usually get there. A bit pollyanna, sure. But I’m getting less pollyanna and more shaman/witch/warrior and just want to throw up my arms and move to the country and grow veggies and make pretty things and sing & dance around a bonfire and..

…Oh wait, I’m back…

Okay, then this week, he announced even more restrictions that make it extremely difficult for business in our industry. (I keep deleting my typing because I don’t want to get into that; I understand the importance of keeping the public safe and limiting possible exposure. I want everyone to stay healthy! So, this is NOT one of those posts about that stuff. Just the facts of the situation on that part because it leads to this post about making the proverbial lemonade! Btw, that capitalization wasn’t yelling; it was emphasis. 😉)

Alright, the point already —> I’m putting more jewelry and writing out into the world and I’m not going to do it with a plan. Nope. I’m breaking the rules that I’ve paid lots of bucks for and spent hours and hours to learn over the past several years. I’m gonna go all willy nilly on you, Wildhearts.

As you can imagine, there is a shit ton of trainings, courses, rules, and how-to-do-it-the-right-way guidelines out there for online business people like me. As much as I gain from those things, I also need to accept that there are many ways in which I’m not like other online business people. As much as my head understands why it all works, my heart screams “ugh, oh em gee, I can’t breathe let alone create in this cage of directives.” All of those right-way-rules just don’t fit me. I learned a ton and am very happy for it! I see the reason for routines, plans, formulas and goals for social media marketing, SEO, email lists, words to use, how to price product, and on and on… Of course I do. I’ve learned so much from them! Now I need to let lots of it go, use the parts that work for me, and do things my way.

Maybe you’ve seen my bracelet, you know, the one that reads “let that shit go.”

During shutdown last March to June, I ventured forward and used the time to learn even more stuff. It was fantastic! Stuff that I wanted to do for a long time like video editing. But now, given this new pause from our Governor, (here’s the lemonade part) I’ll spend less time learning and more time putting stuff out into the world. That’s the opportunity I see in this difficult situation. This time, I’m going to boost a kick-ass attitude and just put it all out there.

I’m doing what fits my style — creating, writing, speaking, idea forming, storytelling, photo sharing, all the styles — and trusting that I will reach those that my style connects with. (Yes, it bothers me that I ended that sentence with a preposition. Too bad, so sad.)

Intention. Expression. Connection.

I work well off the cuff. I get sparks of creativity and just have to write or design or create in the moment. (That works for cleaning, too!)

I work best, I create best, when I follow my intuition and flow with what feels good and right in the moment. I want to schedule, truly I do. I want to put a timestamp on habits like meditating every morning and recording videos on Wednesdays and sending emails on Sunday mornings. I want to begin promoting a new collection three weeks before it launches and tell you exactly when you’ll be able to purchase. I want you (and me) to know what to expect. I could force it. Maybe I’ll even get ahead of the game and write some blog posts early and publish them on consecutive Mondays. That really could happen and maybe it won’t happen.

Okay, my business mind just yelled at me right there with that last sentence because it thinks I’m being way unprofessional, should definitely not be admitting this, and just need to get my shit together. My soul told it to shut the hell up.

The truth of the matter is that the good stuff just comes when it comes. I just can’t schedule, plan or organize that shit. It just happens. And I love it. I’m not fighting it anymore. I’m no longer trying to fit myself into the box titled What You Are Supposed To Do and How You Are Supposed To Do It. That is a cage to me and I have the damn key. Duh, all I had to do was use it. Ta da!! Open sesame. I’ve found true treasure.

I do this now and then. This thing where I let myself out of the cage and express freely, create wildly, and tell caution to go screw itself. You may have seen it. You know, like the time I created the “fuck mediocre” bracelet. But somehow, I sneak myself back into the cage where it’s comfy and okay and familiar and safe.

Well, the hell with that. I want to do the uncomfortable stuff that lets the unfamiliar things offer excitement, adventure, and growth. By the way, that “fuck mediocre” bracelet was a big hit. So, there! Take that! I’M NOT GOING BACK INTO THAT CAGE! I’m staying outside of it thank you very much. (Oh, why yes, yes I was. That time I was yelling. 🤩)

Hells bells, this post, which started as a quick thought on my personal Facebook page, is the perfect example — this post was not planned out. It was not going to be this long or go into this much detail or become a grand statement of sorts or end up on my blog. But here it is.

Just a quick story to wrap things up:
When I was in my mid-20s, I worked at the corporate office for one of the largest (probably the largest now) electronics stores. I traveled a lot. While on a business trip, I got my first tattoo on my ankle. (A smirky smile came to my 51-year-old face as I typed that. Good for me.) In Hollywood, no less. Anyway, I covered it up, pulled my nylons over it, and put on my suit. In conversation later, my boss asked me if I had thought about the effect the tattoo could have on my career in corporate. I kept it to myself back then but today just let me say… Who fucking cares, Lori?! Not me.

I wasn’t worried then and I’m not worried now. Give me a break, a tattoo wasn’t going to ruin the kind of future I wanted and it certainly wasn’t going to stop me from working with the kind of people I wanted to work with. I did what I wanted to do, the way I wanted to do it. I’m getting back to that more and more in many ways these days. Freeing myself of that cage feels damn good.

Objections. Limitations. Disapproval. Who needs ’em?

Don’t cage yourself in.