Summer 2021, What a Summer!

I'm sure that you will agree with me when I say "What a Summer"! I know your summer has been just as busy as mine. I'm sure you are wondering if this is the new normal as we try to gain a foothold on what is yet to come. I've been talking to other business owners and we all seem to be in the same boat. We need to scale up our businesses quickly to catch up to the rising cost of business operations but where are the workers? In spite of the disturbing news about the Delta variance, Climate Control, and sufferings of the world, we must not get all of this get us down.

I've been staying focused on living in Ikigai philosophy... find my reason for getting up every morning, finding ways to enjoy every moment, and truly feeling so joyful about the things I do... training my new dog MoMo, daily watercolor practices, giving art classes, servicing our salon's clients, and mentoring my SCORE clients who are passionate about starting their own businesses. Wow, am I really doing all these things? This is a lot but I'm able to do it all if I plan my schedule and stay organized. The most important thing is that I'm passionate about everything I do and I have fun!

All The Things I Enjoyed in the Summer of 2021

CREATING PERSONAL TRANSFORMATIONS

Even after 30 years of being in business, I still LOVE giving our Studio 904 customers new and updated haircuts and styles on their overgrown hair. I realized that the personal transformations we create for our clients make them so happy. I wish you can see them bouncing out of the salon with big smiles on their faces!

GROWING WITH MOMO

MoMo has brought pure joy to our household. We feel so fortunate that she came into our hands all the way from Korea! Another shouting thank you to Ginger's Pet Rescue for finding MoMo and rescuing her from her dreary life in the Korean Dog Meat Market Camp.

MoMo graduated from her level II Dog Training in August.

WHERE IS MOMO NOW?

MoMo is no longer afraid and intimidated by other dogs. Her social skills have improved and she loves to play with her new friends at the Luther Burbank Dog Park. I think it helped that we visited the park almost every evening this summer. There is one thing that she does that makes me so proud. She practices diplomacy at the park. How? When a smaller dog is being pounced by a large dog, she steps in, barks, and chases the big dog away.

She has shown so much progress in leash-walking that I actually enjoy our walks. She is learning how to play with toys and enjoys eating snacks out of my hand as a reward for good behavior. The thing she loves most is playing chase with tennis balls. She treats the ball like it's the most precious thing she owns. It really makes me happy when I see her playing with the ball on her own... jumping, chasing, and snuggling. She is still very polite and mild-mannered around us, always being mindful not to push her boundaries. I want to thank you for coming along on MoMo's Journey. She will continue to learn as long as she is with me.

Teaching in small incremental steps and watching my students grow!

I found out that my Ikigai is teaching and mentoring others. What I love is watching my students improve and seeing the transformation in their skills and confidence. The truth is, I think I am the one who gains from all this. I keep up on daily art practice of watercolors and making things by hand. I continue to take classes to grow my creative mind. My own skills have improved just as much as the people I teach and mentor. I'm confident that I can help people to add creativity to their lives even when they say "I don't have a creative bone in my body". My answer is, "Yes you do. You just don't know yet because no one's helped you to uncover your unique hidden gifts".

Take a look at the work that was turned in by members of the Artful Giving Community. These are the results from the last workshop I gave, "The Art of Kamishibai, Japanese Story-Telling". Aren't they impressive?