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Connections

In the world of retail, the month of February is dominated by the Valentine's Holiday, when Cupid flutters about with his amorous arrows.  The holiday got me thinking about relationships:  the relationships between spouses and partners, between family and friends and of course, as an entrepreneur, I thought about the relationship between a business and its customers.  

These relationships or connections play a large role in bringing definition to our life.  Each connection possesses a different shapes and sizes, it has a unique flavor and its own depth and breadth.  Our connections feed and nourish us, they help sustain us through hardships and they make they high points of our lives that much more exquisite. 

This is a great time to think about the connections in your life.  Reflect on how they strengthen and uphold you.  Think on that repeat customer who can't get enough of what you are doing, that dear friend who always seems to say the right thing at the right time, or parent who has loved you unconditionally all your life or that partner who has laughed and cried with you over the years and who generally makes all the lifting you must do in life a little easier.  

Perhaps you could also reflect on how you are all those things for the important people in your life.  This isn't arrogance or conceit but rather a humble acknowledgement that love, relationships and connections of all types are a two way street and we often receive from others that which we have given (karma is fun that way).  This may also lead to the insight that a connection may be frayed and in need of some attention.  That is ok, you've noticed it now and can take a step to strengthen that bond.

I have the good fortune of having five amazing siblings.  I am the baby by a quite a few years (let's just say I was...unplanned) and so didn't have as much of a connection as some of my other siblings who grew up together have enjoyed. In addition, we are geographically dispersed, stretching from NC to Texas and Washington state so that with the generally hectic nature of life meant we rarely all got together in one place.  In the past year, this disconnection had started to weigh on me. 

After some thought, I decided to start sending a weekly text to my siblings.  Every Saturday morning I send a text letting them know how Julia and I are doing, what is going on in our lives and wishing them all well.  Sometimes this gets only a few responses of "all is well" or "love to all" or "do you ever sleep".  Sometimes it becomes a thread with scores of responses where we are sharing memories, encouraging one another or laughing 'til we cry (yeah...all of this via text).

 I hope this Valentine's day as you sell, give and hopefully receive cards, flowers, chocolate or heart shaped candies (or some good smellin' soap...just a thought) you will take a moment to really reflect on the connections in your life.  They make this journey we are on worth the effort.

~W

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