I'm Especially Good At.... Backing Out When Things Get Tough.

Hello, hello most beautiful world!

I'm sorry to say, I've let my routine obligations get the best of me and have somewhat pushed this project to the side. It's interesting to see that although I call it a project, it really doesn't feel like one. It feels like something really quite important to me, one that I've poured a lot of my time into. But I've been overworked and overschooled. After a fall break  of full time work, I finally forced my friends to go camping with me. Yay! Now I feel refreshed and ready to actually touch the idea again.

But I'm at this point that feels very "Sara Typical". I get an idea, I get super stoked on it, I do all I can. Then I stop. Because I "did all I could" and then the next steps intimidated me. I'm at that point. I've talked it up, I've made designs, I've contacted manufacturers, but now I have to actually start doing things. Paying money. Committing. Oh boy.

So, in order to keep me accountable, this is what I need to do next. Follow up with me, okay?!?!

-Look at fabrics! Get swatches sent to me! And, when possible, purchase some.
-Have a prototype made. I already know who I can go to get it done. I just need to do it.
-Find a way to screen print patterns onto fabric. How hard can it be? I'm dating a screenprinter...
-Call the 3 people that are waiting for me to call them, references from other people.

Oh, and get funded. This month, I'm going to go to the Get Seeded program to check it out. Hopefully by next month I'll feel confident enough to actually present a pitch.

So that's where I'm at in my innovative process. As usual, all over the freaking place.

I'm especially good at____ and can help others with ________.

Uggh. I know, deep down, everyone know they're good at things. To be honest, I have a hard time identifying mine. So based on what I feel and what others have told me, I will do my best to jot down my feelings about this.

I'm especially good at being aware. It allows me to help others with the things I observe
(opening doors, picking up dropped items, asking "are you doing alright?")

I'm especially good at listening. In fact, it's impossible for me not to listen if I'm have a one-on-one conversation. You may think I'm tuning you out, but I'm retaining every word you say. I guess that helps me recall specific things so people know I care. (How's your dog doing? I remember you saying he was sick.)

I'm especially good at empathizing. So much it hurts. One time, when I was little, I tried to play a prank on my sister by tying a rubber band around the dish washing handle on the sink. But my mom flipped on the water and got it all over her, right before a big meeting she was going to. It made me feel so bad. I cried for hours. I was always the one who would apologize for things I didn't do. I still am. I just never want to be the one who inconvenienced anyone, or hurt anyone.

I'm especially good at praising others. Because I respond well to words of affirmation, so I guess I assume everyone else does to. I also respond well to people touching me though, and I know for a fact, and from my own experiences, that not everyone responds well to that. Hahahahahah...moving on....

I'm especially good at small talk. I could small talk your ear off. And I legitimately care when I do it. My favorite go-to questions for people I just met are, "What's your deepest, darkest secret?" "Who's your best friend and why?" and "If you could be any aquatic sea creature, what would it be, and why?" You learn a lot of things about people from those questions. The only way you could possibly learn more is by either kissing them unexpectedly or stealing their wallet and seeing how they react.

I'm especially good at remaining bi-partisan. I hate politics because I hate contention. <--Ironic statement of the year. So I like to think it helps me help others feel accepted when they're around me. Because I don't usually judge people for their life decisions or their opinions. In all honesty, I don't really care what you do or what you believe. We're all people. If you're not purposely trying to harm other people, you're okay in my book.

And that's it, as it pertains to my interactions with others. There are other things I'm good at (knitting, sarcasm, pretending I know what band/movie/tv show people are talking about) but the ones above shape me the most. The rest of them are just worldly and, in some ways, hinder me from helping people.

Hmmm.. That's all folks. I'm off to bed. Happy fall, y'all!

Sara