Finding Purpose After Loss: A Soap Business Success
It was a hard decision – at a time when life cut the rug out from under us. Both of us lost our job within 3 months of each other in 2010 and the income went from 6 figures to $10k fast. Loss of income and the purpose that came with those jobs knocked the wind out of both of us. Funny how we are raised to believe our value and purpose is found in what we do for a living. Seems to be a common issue noone talks about.
I suppose that moment of total loss is where there was a decision to be made. Do i stay in my grief, incapacities, feeling intensely without purpose or do i look around and start to rebuild in a new way. How do i pick up, dust myself off and move on? How can i at least find motivation to clean my house. The depression was thick as London fog. But we both knew we needed to find a way up and out of this deep pit. That decision to stand up again, and to seek out new purpose fueled both of us to find that purpose. And it also gave us the fuel to never again be so dependent on any one source of income. Never again to be defined by a job, or let corporate america hold us in such a grip.
We began our soap business out of the ashes of our life. Ironically this decision proved to be a wonderful and adventurous one. Working for ourselves has been a joy. Making great soap that people love has delighted our hearts to know we are providing needed good things to others. Steve and I make great business partners, complimenting each other on business strengths. But the most important part of that decision was to stand up, heal the past and go on – never let any situation define my future. You can call it a fighter mindset – I call it wisdom.
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