I get knocked down… but I get up again!

Week #3 topic: What is some things you have done but previously thought you could never do? It took me several days to figure out what I would share, then it finally hit me at 4:30 this morning when I woke up singing, “I get knocked down, but I get up again” by ChumbawambaVEVO. (cool name)

I GET KNOCKED DOWN – take a second to listen.

Finding My Muse

A couple years ago I devoted a series on my personal blog, Doing Life Being Tiff, called Finding My Muse Interviews. I had just stepped back from a career as a REALTOR in Ohio and was lost. I loved real estate, but the market had tanked. In the past I had wore several hats as a volunteer and attempted a variety of direct sales companies, but my heart had always been wearing my hat as a stay at home Mom. A “job” I absolutely LOVED and knew I was meant to BE. My children were grown and had become fiercely independent as I had always hoped they would, although heartbreaking at the same time. I was searching for an occupation that embodied my passions and would excite and challenge me every morning. Thankfully, I have a completely supportive spouse who encourages me not to settle. Jeff is a wonderful cheerleader who believes in me. I had also surrounded myself with strong, successful women who love their careers. Finding My Muse interviews was an idea birthed out of a necessity to find what I should BE when I grew up. I learned that the key to their success required pressing into a passion. I longed to find my muse, something I could be passionate about.

I always knew I would own and operate my own business. As a little girl, I believed owning a business was how you became rich. Funny! The reality of owning a business is quite different from my childhood expectations. The truth is that it requires fortitude of spirit. An attribute I definitely possess. I frequently get knocked down in pursuit of the American dream.

 Fast forward.

I woke up this morning thinking of all the times I had got knocked down while testing various business ideas. My stack of business cards reminds me of all my attempts and failures at finding my muse. I always press into an idea until it is obvious that it isn’t the right fit, which usually requires a complete knock down. Insert a smile. 😉 I am so happy that I kept on getting up again. I wake up every morning with an adventure awaiting me.

{Hence my internal alarm clock waking me up at 4:30 this morning}

Flown The Coop allows me to pursue a passion for rescuing and repurposing cool junque, and gives me a platform to inspire creativity and a zest for life. I encourage you to press into your passions in spite of the inevitable knock downs. It is worth it.

I’d love to hear about how you found your muse. Leave a comment or join the conversation on the Flown The Coop Facebook Page. I love the inspiration I get from your stories.

 ~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing YES in the sky!

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Lessons learned in 2012

Flown The Coop will take part in Folk Magazines year long Journaling Agenda, a community journaling/blogging project. Here’s to the first blog of the year!

Dear Tiffany,

It is safe to say, 2012 is over and you can move on.

Looking at your 2012 ~ Goals, Mantras and Dreams Board on Pinterest, the message is clearly the importance of pressing on. You are a dreamer. You always will believe that you can create the life you want.

2012 challenged that belief.

The year started with a move to Houston, Texas. This was not your choice. Leaving your two grown children in Ohio was difficult.  Fulfilling Jeff’s dream of living near his family, you made the move with the love of your life and was hoping for the best. You didn’t do so well.  You missed your family back in Ohio and the best friends in the world! You learned that you are a small town girl, who enjoys knowing your neighbors and walking around a historic downtown with lovely old homes. You missed The Depot, your favorite coffee shop, where the community gathers for their daily dose of Java and everyone knows your name.

With a wounded heart, but not a wounded spirit, you pressed on.  Not many people in your new home understood that you were having a crisis of belief.  You questioned, “Could you really be happy and fly free when you didn’t have the ability to choose your circumstances?”

Despite the Houston traffic, you managed to find your way around the “fourth largest city in the US.” Exploring a new city is always fun! You even managed to find a new coffee house to frequent, Boomtown. You enjoyed decorating your little flat in Rice Village, but parking tickets and loud college students made it clear that it wasn’t the ideal situation.  You longed for community and a feeling of place.  You and Jeff decided to end 2012 by placing a deposit on a rental house in the Heights.  The Heights is a neighborhood inside the loop that in many ways feels like your small town and is the only thing like it in Houston.  The cost of living is drastically higher than we are used to, but the decision felt like a leap towards creating the life that you wanted.  After your move in January, you will be able to make new friends, get involved in community and even walk to Boomtown!  You learned that given time, you can find what your heart longs for if you are willing to pay the price.

You hustled in 2012 and will need to hustle some more in 2013!

Flown The Coop made the move to Texas too. It was a scary move for you. How would you find ways to buy and sell, restore and repurpose wonderful Junque?  You rose to the challenge and Hustled.

You set up at several shows in Texas. You did Canton, Warrenton, Junk Salvation, Discovery Green Flea Market and the prestigious Urban Market Houston. In July you opened a booth at Chippendale Eastlake Antiques on 19th street in the Heights. Your were even invited to help out The Seed Box at the Dallas Market. All of these opportunities inspired you work harder at Flown The Coop. You learned a lot about merchandising from the pros in the business. You were encouraged to discover a niche, which is still a work in progress. The best part in stepping out in the various opportunities was making fabulous new friends! You have the best colleagues and customers who continually support your dream of flying free!

Creating a life on purpose is very important to you. In 2012 you learned that even when life isn’t zesty, you don’t have to be caged. You can fly free! The happiness you long for isn’t in a destination, but is in the way you travel. You’ve proved to yourself that you are strong, willing to persist and that you have the ability to start over!

Life is a journey, come travel with me!

 ~Tiffany

“And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!”